Once Upon Another Time: Tall Tales (Book 2)

 
3.8 (2)
 
0.0 (0)
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Tall Tales
Author(s)
Publisher
Age Range
8+
Release Date
September 20, 2022
ISBN
978-1534425903
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The second book in a new trilogy of twisted fairy tales from New York Times bestselling author James Riley, set in the world of his popular Half Upon a Time series, that’s perfect for fans of Fablehaven and Chris Colfer’s A Tale of Magic series!

Lena might finally be accepted by the other giants after helping to defeat the Golden King and his faceless army in the Cursed City, but that doesn’t mean life has become any easier for her. The power-hungry Golden King wants revenge and has begun spreading shadow magic out over the kingdoms, taking over the minds of anyone it touches, and instilling fear and hatred as it goes.

The fairy queens, the most magical beings in the kingdoms, say their sacred book, Tales of All Things, claims that there is one person who can defeat the Golden King and his dark spells: Lena. But only if she first proves herself worthy by completing three challenges.

All Lena ever wanted was to prove she is really a giant. Now she has to be so much more. Can she and her genie friend, Jin, save the human world that doesn’t trust them, or will they fall prey to shadow magic, and doom everything?

Editor reviews

2 reviews
Write your own story if others try to make you fit theirs
Overall rating
 
4.3
Plot
 
4.0
Characters
 
4.0
Writing Style
 
5.0
Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)
 
N/A
This story packs a lot of potential for deep discussion dressed up as a fractured fairytale. King Midas’ shadow magic is about to sweep the world and even though the Cursed City villagers no longer greet Lena with friendly smiles after learning she is a giant; she still is determined to help them. She is rocked to her core by people she trusts telling her giants are born from evil and that she can’t help because the shadow magic would overtake her too easily due to her evil origins. Therefore, she is grateful when she is nabbed by the Fairy Queens and sent on a series of magical quests to overcome her evil so she can save the world.
With each quest Lena is faced with something she is told is inherently wrong with her, yet using those traits is the only way to succeed and protect her friends. She is filled with deep disgust when she realizes a script for her to be the hero is laid out for her only if she denies who she is and becomes something the world is more comfortable with her being. With so many middle schoolers questioning who they are and where they fit in society, this is such a hard-hitting theme that she is exploring and her response to it makes me want to fist-pump the air and cheer her on!
Jin makes many discoveries about himself after learning the fairy queens do not like genies and are magically interrogated by them. The magical whammy they put him through leads to some hilarious interactions that were my favorite part of the book. However, it also leads to unintended consequences that seem to be a path to success.
There are a lot of parallels to the real world in how the city of Charm was presented. With people in power that have no filter in spewing hate the rest of the population didn’t hold back either and it became a very uncomfortable even dangerous place to live for anyone different. The Three Little Pigs’ farm exploited the masses with a few strong arms to back them and something the inhabitants needed to stay safe. Having the multitudes gain the courage to see that there are more of them than the bosses and that by demanding better treatment they can win has a lot of historical connections and current events that can lead to a deeper understanding for young children.
Final Verdict: Our heroes go on a much deeper quest than just saving the world, they must save their core selves and be true to who they were meant to be. That theme would be an excellent discussion topic and was much deeper than I expected in a fractured fairytale and am thankful it is there in a format that book banners are not likely to find but so many children need to. The ending was a twist and a great pushback on the idea of the idealness of order and sameness. I also loved the tie-in to the original trilogy and the expansion of so many side characters from the first books and cannot wait to see what will happen next because our characters are in even more danger than ever before.
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Are you the sum of what created you?
(Updated: October 31, 2022)
Overall rating
 
3.3
Plot
 
3.0
Characters
 
4.0
Writing Style
 
3.0
Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)
 
N/A
What I liked:
Tall Tales is another fast-paced adventure with tons of fun twists and turns. More than a couple of new characters are introduced, and it's a treat to meet them (good and bad) as they hit a little familiarity and then go beyond. The tension stays high as Lena and Jin are forced to step into more giant shoes than they dreamed they could fill, and while they've come a long way, they're still learning to find their niches in the world. Plus, their personalities make them love each in their way.
Final Verdict:
This book suffers from second-book syndrome as it is the middle book, so it merely exists as a bridge between books one and two while adding some more plot to the series. Nevertheless, Riley captures middle-grade readers' attention and offers enough twists to keep them interested.
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