Off the Rails

Mihi Ever After #3

by Tae Keller, Geraldine Rodriguez (Illustrator)

Mihi and her friends are heading back to the Rainbow Realm—and this time, they have to save the princess.

Mihi, Reese, and Savannah thought their fairy tale realm adventures were over. But just as they were getting ready to go home, they learn that their first friend in the realm, Princess Pat, has disappeared on a quest of her own. Pat is traveling around the fairy world trying to gather enough magic to save the Rainbow Realm, but the journey is too dangerous, and Mihi, Reese, and Savannah are the only ones that can save her.

But as the girls chase after Princess Pat, they meet creatures and learn stories they've never heard of before, from cultures all over the world. And slowly, they realize Princess Pat might be the problem. Can they save the fairy tale world from their friend's destructive quest?

Genres: Fantasy

208 pages, Hardcover

First published February 6, 2024

About the author

TAE KELLER is the Newbery award winning and New York Times bestselling author of When You Trap a Tiger and The Science of Breakable Things. She grew up in Honolulu, Hawaii, where she subsisted on kimchi, purple rice, and stories. Now, she writes about biracial girls trying to find their voices, and lives in Seattle with her husband and a multitude of books.

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Reviews

[The Keepers of the Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mihi, Reese, and Savannah’s friend, Princess Pat has disappeared in the Rainbow Realm. She was traveling around trying to save the fairy realm. The trio returns to the Rainbow Realm, knowing they may never come home. Brought to the Masters of Disguise shop, some old friends equip them with Follow Feet, shoes that lead them to the person you want to find. Along the way to find the princess, they encounter fox demons, goblins, leprechauns, and different elements from fairy tales. Can the trio save their friend and make it home? Will they be able to save the Rainbow Realm?

The plot is action packed, full of plot twists, and well developed. The world building is strong and draws the readers into the story. The characters are engaging and unique. Fans of fractured fairy tales, fantasy adventure, or looking for books similar to Chris Colfer’s "Land of Stories" series will want to pick this one up. Recommended for most library collections.

Please Note: A copy of this book was given in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are our own. No other compensation was received.

[Rachel Rauch · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think I wanted to see more in this one. I feel like there was a lot more we could have seen that we didn’t see. More character development for Reese and see more about her roots, her connections to fairy tales and magic. Not to mention, I feel like the first chapter didn’t really say anything interesting. I would like to see what her connection to her brother has to do with it. Anyways I felt like it was wonderful in terms of worldbuilding but a part of me just wanted more from it. Really good, really sweet and easy and fast read.

[Ms. Yingling · Rating 3 out of 5]

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

[Sara Esa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked reading this book.

[Brok3n · Rating 4 out of 5]

Metaphysics and Morality of the Rainbow Realm

At the end of A Giant Problem, the second book of Tae Keller's Mihi Ever After series, Mihi, Savannah, and Reese were told, "The Princess is in trouble." The Princess is Princess Pat, the heroine of the Rainbow Realm's version of Sleeping Beauty. In fact, there were signs that something was amiss in the Rainbow Realm -- it was fading.

In Book 3, Off the Rails, Mihi and the gang set out to rescue Pat. It transpires that, in addition to the Rainbow Realm as we formerly have known it, which is built from European fairy tales, there are multiple other fairy tale realms. These are built around the folklore of other places, such as for instance Korea. And there is a train station in the Rainbow Realm where these trains can be boarded. Pat left on a train in order to find magic that she could bring back to prevent the Rainbow Realm from fading. She has not returned, and the fading is still happening. Mihi and the gang take off on the trains to try to find Pat and also, they hope, rescue the Rainbow Realm.

This installment of the series felt a little different to me, because in addition to story-telling, Keller here is doing some serious world-building. I enjoyed it.

Off the Rails ends in a cliff-hanger.

Blog review.