Book Review: The Wish Granter

The Wish Granter

By: C.J. Redwine

Published by: Balzer + Bray

Release date: February 14, 2017

Genre: YA fantasy

432 pages

Buy it at Amazon, IndieBound, Book Depository, or Barnes & Noble

Source: Galley kindly provided by publisher

Read our review of book 1 in the series here.

The Wish Granter is the second novel in a set of related fairy-tale retellings by Redwine. Though not a traditional sequel, there are pieces of book 1 interwoven in this story, which is set in a neighboring kingdom. As much as I enjoyed The Shadow Queen, I believe that I like The Wish Granter even more.

There is a lot to love in this book. First and foremost on the list is a princess who is nontraditional in her physical appearance, her speech, and her behavior. Arianna’s brother gets them both into a serious mess in his efforts to protect her, and when he can’t fix things himself, Ari takes charge and uses her brain and charm to set things right. Ari is fiercely loyal, and will go to nearly any length to protect those she loves. She proves herself a formidable leader in the process.

The love interest in this book is my favorite sort: the broken boy turned hero. Sebastian endured all manner of horrors as a boy, and is very slow to be won over. He is tough as nails in a fight, yet prefers to avoid both physical touch and conversation. His trust is hard-earned; he is the classic strong, silent type who depends on no one and prefers solitude.  Once Ari has won his heart, though, he is unconditionally committed for life.

This is so much more than a two-dimensional fairy tale retelling. The story would stand alone just fine without the original tale’s skeleton, though it is fun to make the connections once they are discovered. This story differs significantly, however, and the way in which the tale is fleshed out is rich and satisfying.

I’ve read all of Redwine’s books to date, and plan to continue to do so. I hear that she has another Ravenspire book in the works, as well as another project or two. I am saving shelf space—I want to read them all.

Summary:

An epic, romantic, and action-packed fantasy inspired by the tale of Rumpelstiltskin, about a bastard princess who must take on an evil fae to save her brother’s soul, from C. J. Redwine, the New York Times bestselling author of The Shadow Queen. Perfect for fans of Graceling and the Lunar Chronicles.

The world has turned upside down for Thad and Ari Glavan, the bastard twins of Súndraille’s king. Their mother was murdered. The royal family died mysteriously. And now Thad sits on the throne of a kingdom whose streets are suddenly overrun with violence he can’t stop.

Growing up ignored by the nobility, Ari never wanted to be a proper princess. And when Thad suddenly starts training Ari to take his place, she realizes that her brother’s ascension to the throne wasn’t fate. It was the work of a Wish Granter named Alistair Teague who tricked Thad into wishing away both the safety of his people and his soul in exchange for the crown. 

So Ari recruits the help of Thad’s enigmatic new weapons master, Sebastian Vaughn, to teach her how to fight Teague. With secret ties to Teague’s criminal empire, Sebastian might just hold the key to discovering Alistair’s weaknesses, saving Ari’s brother—and herself. 

But Teague is ruthless and more than ready to destroy anyone who dares stand in his way—and now he has his sights set on the princess. And if Ari can’t outwit him, she’ll lose Sebastian, her brother…and her soul.