*I received a free copy of this book, with thanks to the author. The decision to review and my opinions are my own.*
Blurb: Willow and Jake have done the impossible: by saving Hansel and Gretel from the witch in the woods, they brought the first “happily ever after” to Grimmworld. But in the real world, their father is still missing, and the boundary between universes has grown even more fragile.
Determined to reunite their fractured family, the twins return to Grimmworld to find their dad, their great-to-the-tenth-power grandfather, and the perpetually befuddled, acorn-loving, naked mole rat, Chet. But Grimmworld is a treacherous place, and soon, Willow and Jake are captured by fairies, who are less innocent and more dangerous than expected, and forced to make an impossible choice: Steal the golden claw of the Wolf King and return it to the fairy queen in exchange for information about their father, or refuse and become the fairies’ eternal, soulless slaves. But to steal the Wolf King’s claw, Jake and Willow will have to undergo the Wolf Trials, a perilous series of tests and traps that will push the twins to their limits and beyond.
It will take Willow’s strength, Jake’s intellect, and the love and friendship they share—and maybe a few treats from Red Riding Hood’s magical basket—to defeat the Big Bad Wolf, find the next clue to their father’s whereabouts, and perhaps even bring another “happily ever after” to Grimmworld.
I loved the first book in this middle-grade fantasy adventure series and this second book was better still! I would definitely suggest reading them in order though, as there is backstory about main characters Jake and Willow (and their family and friends) that you won’t want to miss.
In this story, the twins find themselves back in Grimmworld and facing evil fairies and big bad Wolfs, but their missing father has caused problems in Jake and Willow’s close relationships with each other, their magic seems to have dissipated and they are struggling to work as a team like they did before.
Yet again, Michaelbrent Collings has perfectly blended traditional folk- and fairy-tale tropes and characters into something completely new and unique, but still with the dark edges of the older source materials. The Wolf pack is wonderfully imagined and the challenges the twins face there are both exciting and satisfying, with some great messaging about dealing with our emotions and with other people’s behaviour hidden beneath a fantastic fantasy cloak.
This series is perfect for middle-grade fantasy readers (either independently or read together) and I can confirm that as an adult reader, I am thoroughly enjoying it too. I should just warn you that, as before, the story isn’t all neatly wrapped up here, with questions remaining unanswered to lead us into the final instalment of the trilogy – due 2026 – I can’t wait!
What happens after “the end”?
With stories, that’s easy to answer: nothing. The tale is done, the happily ever after has been achieved, the book is closed. In the world of the story, everything simply… stops.
But what about our world?
In this world, the answer is more complicated. Endings are often difficult to spot, especially since many of them just look like new beginnings, one after another, until they all swirl together and years have gone by and you barely noticed that the story called “Back When I Was a Child” is over and the story called “Growing Up Is Hard” has somehow begun.
In the real world, “the end” can be followed by anything—or nothing—at all.– Michaelbrent Collings, Grimmworld: The Big Bad Wolf
Purchase Link: Grimmworld: The Big Bad Wolf on Amazon
About the author
Michaelbrent Collings is an internationally bestselling novelist, produced screenwriter, and speaker.
Michaelbrent has also received critical acclaim: he is the only person who has ever been a finalist for a Bram Stoker Award (twice), a Dragon Award (twice), and a RONE Award, and he and his work have been reviewed or featured on everything from Publishers Weekly to Scream Magazine to NPR.
An engaging and entertaining speaker, he is also a frequent guest at comic cons and on writing podcasts like Six figure Authors, The Creative Penn, Writing Excuses, and others, and is a mental health advocate, TEDx speaker, and the creator of the writing instruction platform Bestseller Life.
Website: https://writteninsomnia.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MichaelbrentCollings
Twitter: https://twitter.com/mbcollings
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therealmichaelbrentcollings
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/michaelbrentcollingsauthor
