Catspell

The Fairy Godmother Dilemma #1

by Danyelle Leafty

A head cold can muddle the clearest of heads, and fairy godmothers are no exception.

Which is why Nerissa finds herself agreeing to help Breena, a Damsel in Distress, even though she’d rather wrangle a whole posse of evil stepmothers than accept the job. To her credit, Breena, would rather kiss a hundred toads than work with a fairy godmother.

After an ill-fated attempt to get out of their contract, Breena now has whiskers, claws, and a tail. Finding a suitable prince for a small, white cat isn’t going to be easy, but that’s the least of Nerissa’s problems. The person who gave Breena the “cat” potion isn’t going to stop until she’s destroyed everything Nerissa stands for as a fairy godmother.

If she wants to save Breena, Nerissa is going to have figure out where the fairy tale went wrong and how she can bring a Happily Ever After to the only girl she’s ever failed.

Genres: Fairy Tales, Fantasy, Young Adult, Middle Grade

ebook

First published September 10, 2011

Reviews

[[ J o ] · Rating 2 out of 5]

[ to review at a later date - perhaps even re-read and review at a later date as well, though not urgent ]

[Amie]

the first chapter was on the website for free....perfect opportunity to get a taste for this author's debut! such a fantastic story, loveable characters and an intriguing premise! i can't wait to read more!

[Nisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just love Danyelle's wit, her characters, her storytelling. She's amazing! Check her out by going to her website: http://www.danyelleleafty.com/

[Christina Farley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Danyelle's wit and humor. Lovely characterization and a fun plot.

[D.J. Butler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sixteen-year-old Breena has agreed to take a Happily Ever After -- which means being removed from the faerie realms where she's been raised, since her mother stole faerie fruit and gave up her daughter in return. Nerissa the fairy godmother has agreed to help her get it. But when a well-meaning goblin servant gives Breena a potion that turns her into a cat, they both get more than they bargained for.

This is a charming, innocent fairy tale, for good readers in the middle grade audience or fans of YA lit who don't want the hard edges that sometimes creep into the genre.

[Mindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very cute. Nerissa was my favorite. She had some funny stuff going on in her head. Sometimes there was too much going on, but all in all, it's an enjoyable story.

[Christine Fonseca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a fabulous read! Review coming in the new year...but this is fabulous.

[Carla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Catspell, is kinda like Cinderella with a twist, or actually several of them. For starters, Catspell is written from several different points of view. In the beginning, we meet Narissa, the fairy godmother. She is sick and doesn't want to be bothered, but the fairy queen insists that she take a contract for a DID (damsel in distress) that she wants to be rid of. Despite her best efforts to get out of the contract, she eventually meets her DID, Breena. Breena, doesn't want a fairy godmother even more than Narissa doesn't want to have to find a DID a Prince and a Happily Ever After. But Breena reminds Narissa of her one failure in all her years of being a fairy godmother, Maya. Maya is her one regret, so she decides that maybe she needs to help Breena after all. Which brings us to our 3rd VIP Natter, Breena's goblin friend who wants so much to help Breena escape her contract with Narissa and find a way to be happy.


Poor Natter, is servant to cloaked woman, who tells her that she wants to help Breena but needs her to steal a potion from the fairy queens chamber. A potion that is supposed to help Breena escape. But, Natter grabs the wrong bottle, and Breena becomes a cat! Yes, that is exactly what I thought! How in the world is a cat supposed to find a prince. Well, it turns out that she doesn't really want one. Just a place to call her own where she can help others. Little did she know that the "place of her own" that Narissa gives her used to belong to a DRAGON and the servants there (*cough*all of whom Narrissa has charmed to look like even more cats!) are loyal only to him!


When she first arrives at the castle, with her now cat servants, a Mage, Myles, escorting, Baldemar, who just happens to be a prince, finds their way to the castle. Prince Baldemar is on a quest to find the perfect dog for his father, the king, to win the right to rule his kingdom. But they have found themselves on another quest as well, one to find a beautiful woman from his dream. But Breena is now a CAT! How could he possibly see through her cat exterior to find the lost princess that she is inside? And remember that one little thing, that she Doesn't Want A Prince! There is a twist for ya! Will Narissa be able to fulfil her contract and help her DID find her Happily Ever After? If you want to know more than this, you will have to read if for yourself!


This book is full of twists and turns, and what the heck's! You will find lost of adventure and magic, and of coarse, a terrific fairytale. I know you are going to want find out more about these characters and their many trials on their journey to find Happily Ever After in their lives. So do yourself a favor and pick up a copy! Don't forget that if you get one between March 12th and 31st the royalties go to buy Kindles for Kids! Which I think is AWESOME!!!

Read more of my review at www.shhhmommysreading.blogspot.com

[Katharina Gerlach · Rating 5 out of 5]

First of, I love Fairy Tales in every disguise. If you don't, this book is not for you. Catspell is the retelling of a little known Fairy Tale called "The White Cat" but it's so wickedly funny, you don't recognize the tale until half way through the book. Even then, you can't predict the outcome.

About the book:

A head cold can muddle the clearest of heads, and fairy godmothers are no exception.

Which is why Nerissa finds herself agreeing to help Breena, a Damsel in Distress, even though she’d rather wrangle a whole posse of evil stepmothers than accept the job. To her credit, Breena, would rather kiss a hundred toads than work with a fairy godmother.

After an ill-fated attempt to get out of their contract, Breena now has whiskers, claws, and a tail. Finding a suitable prince for a small, white cat isn’t going to be easy, but that’s the least of Nerissa’s problems. The person who gave Breena the “cat” potion isn’t going to stop until she’s destroyed everything Nerissa stands for as a fairy godmother.

If she wants to save Breena, Nerissa is going to have figure out where the fairy tale went wrong and how she can bring a Happily Ever After to the only girl she’s ever failed.

 

My thoughts:

Due to the great description and the wonderful cover, I had this book on my "Wanted" list for quite a while but never got round to ordering it due to a very busy schedule. Then, I won it in an Internet competition held by several new but good Indie authors. It came as a surprise when Danyelle contacted me about my win since I had already forgotten I participated ('Unimportant' things like that often slip my mind, but my kids and hubby never do ;-) ). Of course, the book immediately went to the top of my TBR pile. I started reading it a few days after I got the eBook and went through it without a break. I even neglected my writing a little.

From the first page on, the slightly sarcastic voice of the fairy godmother grabbed me and wouldn't let go. It was very well counterpointed by the slightly naïve Damsel in Distress (DID) with her cats, that weren't really cats, and the voice of the adventuring prince's magician who'd rather be somewhere else studying magic. The story twists often but never once got confusing. The author expertly tangled the DID's and her fairy godmother's life in a net of interwoven story threads and never dropped a single one. The end is full and well fitting for the story. I already ordered the three available sequels, Firespell, Applespell, and Frogspell.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes, I can be surrounded by people and still feel alone. Thankfully, for me that feeling fades after a while, a few days at most. When she was a baby, Breena was traded to the Faerie queen, and now the Faerie queen wants to get rid of her. Breena always feels out of place with the faeries, but this just proves to her that she is right. No one wants her. When the Fey saddle her with a Fairy godmother, Breena, wallowing in self-pity, wants nothing to do with her. When she tries to take matters into her own hands, Breena winds up a cat, and this story is just getting started...

As I pick up Catspell, I am super excited because I ADORE Fairy Tales. I very anxiously read to see how this one will turn out, because I love when a fairy tale has a new spin. Catspell starts out really amazing-- it is unique, different, and full of twists and turns! However, the ending strikes me as "off the mark". Catspell's Breena is a fantastic heroine, but in the end she makes some atypical decisions that don't seem to fit in with her character.

One of the first things that strikes me about Breena is her independence. She practically refuses her fairy godmother's help and instead turns to her own devices. Breena's character is complex -- not the average fairy tale princess, which I really enjoy. She takes her Cat-ness in stride and never lets it slow her down. I really like that Breena refuses to be bossed around or looked down upon. She is a loyal friend and is always willing to help others. The fact that Breena doesn't wish for "prince charming and happily ever after" tells me, right off the bat, that she is unique.

I also really enjoy that Catspell switches between characters so I can see everyone's side and opinion. If I only look through Breena's eyes, I would think Myles is a pompous, arrogant, jerk. But, with the change in perspective, I can understand Myles' actions and see his intentions. I especially like seeing the fairy godmother's opinions. I have never read a book that has done this-- it is a revelation!

The Cover:

I really, REALLY like this cover. I love how the girl on the front almost completely fades into the background, it gives it a magical feel. All the colors are soft, so nothing hurts my eyes! I think the snow (or maybe it's little faerie lights?) have a really cool effect. It's almost like they frame the girl in the middle! So basically: this cover is stunning.

I give this book 4 out of 5 stars: Great Book!

More of my reviews here: www.epiloguereview.blogspot.com

[Your Need To Read]

Full review here
http://www.yourneedtoread.blogspot.co...

I felt as if I was watching a Disney movie when I read this, and while it was very well written and the story was well told, I wasn’t feeling the Disney aspect and clichéd plot. I really enjoyed the view into the fairy godmother's mind, though, so there's that. I say if you enjoy stories about girls who get transformed and have to find their true love through a series of tasks while in the form of a feline—and the only way to be changed back is for him to “see through” the outer shell of her being a talking cat, well, this is definitely a story for you. Personally, I was hoping for a modern twist on older fairy tales, but I was disappointed.

The book starts out interestingly enough and had my interest up until the princess gets transformed into—and stuck as—a cat. After that, I lost most of the interest that had been piqued, but I kept on, figuring the ending wouldn't be what I suspected it would be—it really couldn't be that cut and dry, right? Wrong. I thought, oh, we're focusing on the mage. The fairy godmother is focused on getting the princess a prince, but maybe she'll fall for the mage. No, she goes for the prince, and while there is absolutely nothing wrong with storybook fairy tales, they just aren't my thing. Not the kind of fairy tale, at least, where the prince gets the girl, the mage saves the day, and things turn out peachy. ;p

Besides the fairy godmother's view, I also enjoyed seeing into the “Blossom's” POV, because she was an interesting...person to see. I'd never heard of her particular species in a fairy tale, so there's that. The conflicts and the insights are new—obviously, when watching a Disney movie, you don't get to see how much work the fairy godmother is putting in or what the prince had to go through to get to the princess, and so on.

Otherwise, I found the friendship between the prince and the mage sweet and the dragon's servants delightfully clever, sly, and creepy, I enjoyed the mage's cynicism, and the villain, though perfectly anticipated, was also just evil enough to enjoy.
All in all, my opinion is that I wouldn't pick it up if you're looking for an unexpected twist to the story, but if you're looking for a sweet fairy tale to bring back the Disney-Days, go forth, enjoy, smile a little at the humor, squirm with impatience at the suspenseful parts, and sigh softly at the romantic parts. :)

[Julianna Helms · Rating 4 out of 5]

**3.5 stars**

Original review is here on my blog. (Note: due to copy-and-paste, formatting and links have been lost.)

With all the fairytale renditions emerging lately, Catspell has one advantage on its side: it's not so much of a dark and sinister retelling as it is a Disney-ish clever and witty story. Oh, that and the princess doesn't want a prince. Alluring, no?


Glamorous with promise, Catspell has its strengths and weaknesses. It's got a non-traditional array of characters and Point of Views--how cool is it to see from the fairy godmother's POV?--but it's also a bit of a task to follow. Though the premise and beginning intrigues and engages, the pacing is nonetheless a bit arduous. The plot, then, is a web of questions and quests that lead to a plethora of wonderful places, but you must pay careful attention and have a keen mind to truly comprehend the immense puzzle that is the ending. It's a bit confusing, to be honest--new vocabulary is introduced, scenes are often not fully oriented, and moments of déjà vu serve to further elongate the distance between the reader and the book.

However!

Though I commenced the review with the few negative aspects of the novel, good things shine through as bright as a summer sky. Breena is a girl who is both strong and self-pitying, and she's quite unusual. I love unusual people, so it's no surprise that though I thought her to be at times aggravating, she still makes me smile. The other characters: Narissa, the fairy godmother; Baldemar, the prince; Myles, the mage who may or may not be a jerk; Natter, the goblin; the dragon... these characters are all delightfully complex. Perhaps not as flaring-to-life real as would be best, but they are definitely authentic and relate-able. Not only that, but Danyelle litters the story with surprises that are key to a great fairytale.

Fairytale stories are hard to write, and often the reader is disappointed: after all, fairytales have glimmered among us for centuries--thousands of years, even--and it's difficult to construct one that pleases many. But Danyelle's prose harmonizes beautifully with the intricate plot and engaging characters that she has set up. Though at times baffling, ultimately The Fairy Godmother Dilemma: Catspell offers a great debut and addition to the lighthearted yet full-of-depth side of the fairytale genre.

[Jennifer Ellision · Rating 3 out of 5]

Posted to Almost Grown-up:

Based upon a rarely adapted fairytale called ‘The White Cat,’ Danyelle Leafty’s The Fairy Godmother Dilemma: Catspell tells the tale of Breena. A princess raised by faeries, Breena is now being given the boot from the place she was raised and given little choice but to find her Happily Ever After.

But Breena (or as her fairy godmother thinks of her, the Damsel in Distress) has no desire for a kingdom, or even a fairy godmother. In an effort to escape this fate, she drinks a potion that winds up turning her into a cat, which only makes finding this ‘DID’ her ‘HEA’ that much harder.

Leafty utilizes not dual, but quadruple perspectives to tell her Catspell story. There’s the fairy godmother, Nerissa, Breena, the aforementioned DID, the prince’s mage (Myles), and a creature that Breena befriended when she lived amongst the fairies. While each perspective has a distinct personality that befits each charming character, some perspectives felt like mere glances into their lives as opposed to full on narratives. It’s difficult to grow attached to any one character because of the switch-off.

Magic is aplenty in the world of Catspell, but with so many different kinds—faeries, mages, enchanted forests, Wishes, dragons—it often seems that magic is just there for magic’s sake. The rules don’t seem defined, new elements and rules coming to light as somewhat contrived plot devices. Obstacles for obstacles’ sake and convenience for convenience’s sake… you get the idea.

Further, Catspell is a Young Adult fantasy, but though the princess Breena is sixteen years old, the novel has a decided bend towards Middle Grade fiction with its young voice and such elements as talking animals dressed as humans. I don’t mind the odd talking cat, but it was a little hard for me to swallow that many of them in a YA novel… much less when they’re admiring gowns, walking around on their hind legs, executing curtsies, and getting princes to fall for them.

I want to be clear: Catspell is adorable, provided it’s what you’re looking for. Upper-level YA, it is not. An unusual MG? Probably.

Overall rating: 3/5. A charming story, but better suited to readers of light Middle Grade fiction.

[Danica · Rating 3 out of 5]

For the most part, I enjoyed this book. I think the mix of characters is fun, and the plot has plenty of interesting twists and turns and suspense. The writing is gorgeous, with some turns of phrase that really knocked my socks off. I think my main issue with it is that, having finished it, I'm still not entirely sure what happened.

The last half felt like there was quite a bit of material being used to create the climax, not all of which the reader had been previously introduced to. Words like 'Wish' were used as if they were important, but they weren't explained or really set up as being such earlier in the book. And as much as I enjoyed the delightful metaphors and turns of phrase throughout, I could have done with fewer during the climactic scenes--too many of them just muddled what could have been conveyed more clearly in plainer terms.

I feel almost that the plot of this book would have done better in a longer format--there was certainly enough plot for that, almost too much, in places. A longer format also would have given me more time to get to know and care about the characters--as it is, with all the shifting between POVs, I found it a bit hard to work through the different character arcs and see how they fit together. Also, it was extremely hard to tell who the main character was. I'd assumed Breena, since her character arc touches each other character's arc, but by the end she felt almost like a supporting character to Natter or Nerissa.

One last gripe was the blocking: in several scenes, notably when Breena and Baldemar are in the tower, I was utterly lost as to where the characters were in the room and what they were doing. This also made several of the climactic scenes hard to read, because I wasn't sure where people were, or sometimes, even who was in the room. This is another place where I could have done with less florid language and more plain description.

Overall, I did enjoy this story, but I feel it has more promise than it actually delivers. I think a good editing job would clear up my issues--the story itself is for the most part solid and interesting, with a fun mix of characters and scenarios. It's some aspects of the writing itself that in places need work. I'd be interested to check out the others in the series and see if the author's writing improves with more practice in the world and with the characters.

[Lynn Worton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fairy tale story at it's finest! I loved reading them as a child, and when I started reading this book, it brought all the feelings I had of wonder and enchantment back!
I have no recollection of ever reading The White Cat, but there are certain elements in this book that rang the proverbial bell in my mind.

Nerissa is a Fairy Godmother, who has been summoned to find the Happily Ever After for Breena. Suffering with a cold, she is not in the best of moods, but agrees to help. I found her character to be caring of her charges, but she appeared to distance herself from the rest of the magical realm. However, she is a force to be reckoned with!
Breena is a sweet character, who finds herself being in the un-enviable position of being turned into a cat. If I had been turned into an animal, I would be angry, or at least very emotional (woe is me - that sort of thing), but Breena just seems to take it in her stride. But saying that, this is a fairy tale, so there are no hysterics!
However, there are princes, dragons and other fairy folk that have their say, as this book is told from several points of view. I especially loved Myles. I truly felt sorry for him! I would love for him to find his DID (Damsel In Distress), because he's such a wonderful character.

Danyelle Leafty has taken an old fairy tale and given it a sprinkling of her own brand of magic! I'm now looking forward to reading The Godmother Dilemma: Firespell, as I want to find out what happens next! I recommend this book for young readers and those who want to revisit their childhood.

I received a copy of this book from the author for an honest review. I have not been paid for this review.

[Cathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nerissa is a fairy godmother who feels as though she needs a break. The fairy queen has just had her taking care of one Damsel in Distress (DID) and now she's sent her flaming lizard to tell her of another, she's also got a terrible cold that makes her even more irritated at the crazy flaming lizard! But she can't really tell the fairy queen no, so she'll be taking on her newest DID right away. Enter Breena, she's a teenage human princess who's been raised by fairies. She really wants nothing to do with having a fairy godmother, she'd far rather run away, but Nerissa has told her that they now have a bond that makes it so Nerissa always knows just where Breena is. Through some crazy events and really no fault of her own, Breena is turned into a small white cat. Uncertain of just how she got that way, she can't explain it to Nerissa, and Nerissa can't change her back. So Nerissa whisks her away to a castle, a castle full of wind servants that she promptly turns into talking cats and leaves Breena in their care, so that she can plan for Breena's happily ever after, but first Breena must figure out what her Happily Ever After will be! This book has a fairy tale quality with all of the talking animals and fairy godmother, not to mention the dragon. I liked the story, but found some of the characters and magic to be a bit confusing. I do think this story could make a great series, maybe with some extra explanations about what some of the magical characters are supposed to be and be able to do.

[Kathryn Cooper · Rating 4 out of 5]

For some reason my expectations were a bit low for this book, but I ended up happily surprised to really like it! Maybe it was the cover. I just thought it would be too cheesy, but it's not! In case you're curious there's no white haired girl in the book. The main character has long red hair (until she's a white cat), and the fairy godmother is old with gray hair.

The story was told from 4 different characters. In other books changing from character to character can be annoying, but with this book it worked really well. The POV changes were predictable, which was nice (Each chapter changed to the next character in the same rotating order). Do you ever get annoyed when reading other books and the POV changes? You're yelling, "Wait! No! Go back!" Well that didn't happen for me in this book. The author did a phenomenal job transitioning from voice to voice.

Breena was a great character to cheer for. She didn't always make the best choices. She learned from mistakes, and I liked her better for them. There was a prince in the story too of course. I love stories with Princes! This was an entertaining, fun read. I recommend it to anyone who loves a good fairy tale. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series!

Content Ratings:
sexual content: mild
language: none
violence: mild

To see content rating details visit my review on my blog. Clean Teen Fiction

[Gerri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Faeries and dragons, wishes and wands, a fairy godmother and a damsel in distress. This is a humorous, delightful story with all of the above. I had a smile on my face as I read through, and was let-down when there were no more pages to read. Imagine my joy when I discovered this author has many more stories for me to devour. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good, cleverly told story, and being entertained.

[T.K. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Though I enjoyed this, it left me with plenty of unanswered questions. Like the ending: Does the main character end up with her love interest? What happened to them? Where did they go (if they are together)? I hoped book 2 would answer some of those questions, but it doesn't. There is some very good world-building and writing here, but there are also distracting editing errors throughout, some continuity issues, and very little closure.

[Erin]

Leafty lives in Herriman, Utah and her husband seems bent on self-promoting her on Facebook. I figured I would read a story and see if she is any good. But, with a cover like that, I am not holding my breath.