Devin has no interest in
being royal. She enjoys hanging out with her animal friends in the woods and
making god use of her skills in animal communication. Much to her
disappointment, she receives an invitation to the Royal Academy. Devin's mother
is thrilled and quickly has commission’s gowns with high hopes that the school
will turn her daughter into a true lady who will snag a prince. The school's
headmistress is Olivina the Fairy Godmother, who has exacting rules and is not
as warm and fuzzy as she appears in the stories. Although Devin can speak to
animals, which is a covenanted skill, she struggles with fitting in at the
academy. Her roommates, lady in waiting, and two prince friends try to offer
tips and support, but it is no use. Devin is terrible at waiting around for the
princes to save her and insists on having pants sewn into her dresses. After
repeated warnings it looks as though she may get kicked out of the school--thus
causing her family shame and heartache. An anniversary ball gives Devin the
opportunity to prove that she is a proper royal and knows how to behave
demurely. Only, can she sit back and watch as danger threatens herself and her
new friends?
A companion series to the author's popular Fairy Tale Reform School series, instead of seeing what happens to naughty folks in fairy tale land, we are treated to the a view of life from the other side. All that glitters is not gold as the school is run by a totalitarian headmistress with sexist rules and complete power. Poor Devin is not a good fit for the Fairy Godmother's definition of proper princess behavior, not is her friend Logan what constitutes a traditional dashing prince. Not content to sit back when danger is lurking while she can do something about it, Devin exercises her abilities to help herself and others even in the face of punishment. Readers will enjoy seeing the famous fairy tale characters twisted in a humorous and fresh manner. Readers new to the genre of fantasy will enjoy this story and, perhaps, crack into the original series or the title's sequel. The story is conversational, funny and never drags. Devin is a relatable and inspirational character (who wouldn't want to talk to animals?) and readers will find much to admire about her. An exciting climactic scene leaves the readers with a cliff hanging ending and an exciting new fairy tale character, naturally leading them to the next book in the series. Perfect for fans of the author's original series or the Descendants.
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