Sunday, April 10, 2011

The Fairytale Trilogy by Valerie Gribben

Marianne and her brother Robin are orphans. Their parents were killed by the wizard Grimholdt. In the first story, Fairytale, Marianne finds her brother ( they had been separated ) and discovers that a paperweight containing a dragonfly, when broken, can become a full grown dragon, whom she names Leopold. With Leo's help, Marianne and Robin travel a long way, and in one town, Robin purchases a disk with a dragon etched into one side. After a while, Marianne is kidnapped by Grimholdt and Robin must rescue her from the wizard's clutches. In The Emperor's Realm, Marianne and Robin visit a place in China, where they are accused of having stolen the dragon disk and learn that not everyone is who they seem. In the third story, The Three Crowns, Marianne discovers that she is destined to be the next queen of the fairies, and humans threaten to take over the final fairy colony. How will Marianne face the tasks that will bring her to the throne and then save her new home from extinction?

The Fairytale Trilogy was an amazing set of stories. Marianne and Robin had many disputes and challenges, but they managed to get past them all. I love the idea of a paperweight that could turn into a dragon. I thought it was unusual that the fairies eyes were swirling clouds of color, and only the royal line had wings. The Journey Fruit was also interesting. I wonder how many types there were. These stories had many wonderful and intriguing qualities, and I would recommend them to anyone who loves fairytales and wants something a little different.

Reviewer Age:11
Reviewer City, State and Country: Lake City, IA USA