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The Storymakers #3
Banished
In the magical conclusion to the Storymakers trilogy, which began with Spelled, can Princess Dorthea and Rexi get the land of Story its happy ending?
While lying in the hospital in a place called Kansas, Princess Dorthea of Emerald struggles to regain her memory of the events that propelled her out of the land of Story—and to remember how to get home.
Meanwhile, in Story, Rexi, with the help of Excalibur, continues to gain confidence in writing her own tale as she fights to save the land from the Wicked Witch. But as is always the case with evil villains, she is not to be underestimated. Can Dorthea and Rexi save their home while protecting the prince they both love from getting caught in the crossfire?
While lying in the hospital in a place called Kansas, Princess Dorthea of Emerald struggles to regain her memory of the events that propelled her out of the land of Story—and to remember how to get home.
Meanwhile, in Story, Rexi, with the help of Excalibur, continues to gain confidence in writing her own tale as she fights to save the land from the Wicked Witch. But as is always the case with evil villains, she is not to be underestimated. Can Dorthea and Rexi save their home while protecting the prince they both love from getting caught in the crossfire?
338 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 1, 2018
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November 24, 2018
Mini review:
Spoilers ahead!
Trigger warning: Mention of cancer and treatment, torture, war, and death.
Banished was read for The Dream Thieves: Badass Broads.
Banished takes place sometime after Wanted. Rexi rules Camelot as Sir Rex. With Mordred helping her to defeat Blanc. Dorthea is on Earth. In Kanas with her parents. Unfortunately her parents don't remember anything and deem her troubled whenever she mentions Emerald City.
With the help of Morte, Blanc has come up with a way to further torture Dorthea and invade Earth. Rexi and Dorthea have to work together to end Blanc once and for all.
Banished was a good conclusion to the series! I thoroughly enjoyed Dorthea and Rexi's arcs! Their growth has been amazing over the course of the series. Of course Oz and Verte make an appearance which was fun to read about. You did occasionally get Morte and Blanc's side of the story.
I'm not sure how to feel about Mordred and Rexi's romance. Or John and Kato's connection. The final battle was a bit anti-climactic but made sense under the circumstances. I still feel like there are some unanswered questions. The ending is a bit opened so I guess we'll see.
Overall I enjoyed this book! I highly recommend this series.
Spoilers ahead!
Trigger warning: Mention of cancer and treatment, torture, war, and death.
Banished was read for The Dream Thieves: Badass Broads.
Banished takes place sometime after Wanted. Rexi rules Camelot as Sir Rex. With Mordred helping her to defeat Blanc. Dorthea is on Earth. In Kanas with her parents. Unfortunately her parents don't remember anything and deem her troubled whenever she mentions Emerald City.
With the help of Morte, Blanc has come up with a way to further torture Dorthea and invade Earth. Rexi and Dorthea have to work together to end Blanc once and for all.
Banished was a good conclusion to the series! I thoroughly enjoyed Dorthea and Rexi's arcs! Their growth has been amazing over the course of the series. Of course Oz and Verte make an appearance which was fun to read about. You did occasionally get Morte and Blanc's side of the story.
I'm not sure how to feel about Mordred and Rexi's romance. Or John and Kato's connection. The final battle was a bit anti-climactic but made sense under the circumstances. I still feel like there are some unanswered questions. The ending is a bit opened so I guess we'll see.
Overall I enjoyed this book! I highly recommend this series.
October 14, 2025
*Trigger/content warnings in this book for mention of cancer, torture, and death*
[REVIEW]
A *somewhat* brief backstory of my experience with The Storymakers Saga:
Picture it: Summer 2017.
I’m in my family RV and I’ve just finished The One by Kiera Cass. America and Maxon’s Selection is over and I need something to take my mind off of this. I’m out camping, meaning I only brought a few books for the trip. I browse through the books I did bring and randomly choose to read Spelled.
And it was just what I needed.
I’d enjoyed catching all the subtle and not-so-subtle references to other fairy tales, nursery rhymes, and even classical literature throughout the story. I LOVED all the puns and how they related to our world (like spell-phone, Mariah Fairy, Fairy Springer Show, the laws of Fizzics, etc.). I also remember laughing so many times at Dorthea and Rexi’s banter, and when Dorthea threw a fit about her outfits getting ruined. Usually, I’d get annoyed with a character like Dorthea, but Schow, was able to make her both comical and sympathetic. Plus, Rexi’s comments made me feel like I would be her if I was watching Dorothea throw a fit.
I ended up rating Spelled four stars. All in all, it had me hooked from the first page, and I was thrilled to find out what would happen next to Dorthea and her friends.
Then I read to Wanted in 2018. When I found out it would be in Rexi’s perspective instead of Dorthea’s, I was intrigued! As I’d said earlier, Dorthea and Rexi had hilarious banter in Spelled, so I looked forward to learning more about Rexi’s backstory and watch her character arc in the sequel.
Unfortunately, I stopped reading Wanted about halfway through. I didn’t DNF, I just thought maybe I wasn’t in the right mood. So I tried again in 2019, and eventually finished it...with a sour taste in my mouth. My complaints were the same for both times I read it: for one, I didn’t have an emotional connection to Rexi as I did with Dorthea. I felt terrible for everything that happened to Rexi, but I couldn’t find myself rooting for her. Also, she and Dorthea didn’t have much of the banter I’d adored in Spelled! They weren’t even together for 90% of the book! I was VERY disappointed there.
On top of that, the story was ALL OVER the place. One moment Rexi were in a castle, and the next she was in a cottage with little to no explanation of how she got there. I remember constantly flipping back a few pages to figure out where the heck the characters were. Sometimes, I still didn’t know. Because of these reasons, I ended up giving Wanted one star.
Going into Banished, I had A LOT of mixed feelings. On the one hand, I was worried that I’d be just as confused as I was reading Wanted. On the other hand, I was relieved that Dorthea was to have a POV again! I only hoped that the humor would come back and that there would be little to no confusion while reading this.
And here’s where my review for Banished comes in…
MY THOUGHTS:
•I will say Banished was much easier to follow. Despite there being two POVs, I always knew where the story was going. I still loved all the little fairy tale puns found throughout the book. I also recognized many scenes from The Wizard of Oz that made its way into the story, from the reveal of the Wizard and the importance of Dorthea’s slippers.
•A lot of other things weren’t fleshed out. Rexi and Mordred’s relationship felt too forced and sudden. The whole storytelling power made absolutely NO sense to me. I didn’t understand Baum’s importance to the story other than to spit out riddles. Kato was in Kansas, but he somehow…wasn’t? I can’t explain because I was too confused to understand. I won’t go into specific details, but these were my main issues.
•I was somehow underwhelmed AND overwhelmed with this book. I know underwhelmed might sound weird, because this book had TONS of action and plot twists. But that was the problem: the actions and the plot twists got repetitive VERY quickly. For Rexi, she was fighting monsters in practically EVERY chapter. It’s but that I wanted her to lounge around for the entire book, but even in the most action packed books, there are still scenes where the characters rest, emotionally recoup, or do something other than fight. For Dorthea, every time she’d try hunting for the truth, she would stopped by Kato or another character—and the cycle would continue. Again, a lot of action, but the progress was slow.
The reason I was OVERwhelmed was because there was WAY too much going on at once, mainly in Dorthea’s POV. Dorthea was trying to regain her memory, AND get Kato to trust her, AND try to return home, AND defeat the witches—and, oh yeah, remember that subplot about Dorthea getting her parents home from the first book? Yeah, that was never resolved. That frustrated me A LOT, but not as much as the ending.
•Speaking of which, the ending IRKED me. Let’s start with Rexi. Rexi finished her job in less than ten pages. Because of this, I didn’t feel the impact of how the antagonists affected the side characters. We just watched her walk away with her love interest (who I vaguely remembered in the second book and wasn’t sure why they liked each other???).
I was both confused at what happened and frustrated that Dorthea just basically accepted her fate. She LITERALLY had the power to get what she wanted, which was to return home with her parents and Kato—something I’d waited a whole book (and the WHOLE SERIES) for her to get to.
Instead, she just accepted this was her life now. She was going to live in Kansas forever with Kato. She would never return to home and never see Rexi again. I get that maybe she was exhausted, but I felt cheated.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
I really hate when I only like the first book in a series, but that was case here. Banished definitely isn’t the worst finale I’ve read (looking at you Inkdeath and Requiem). However, I still think it could’ve been better.
[REVIEW]
A *somewhat* brief backstory of my experience with The Storymakers Saga:
Picture it: Summer 2017.
I’m in my family RV and I’ve just finished The One by Kiera Cass. America and Maxon’s Selection is over and I need something to take my mind off of this. I’m out camping, meaning I only brought a few books for the trip. I browse through the books I did bring and randomly choose to read Spelled.
And it was just what I needed.
I’d enjoyed catching all the subtle and not-so-subtle references to other fairy tales, nursery rhymes, and even classical literature throughout the story. I LOVED all the puns and how they related to our world (like spell-phone, Mariah Fairy, Fairy Springer Show, the laws of Fizzics, etc.). I also remember laughing so many times at Dorthea and Rexi’s banter, and when Dorthea threw a fit about her outfits getting ruined. Usually, I’d get annoyed with a character like Dorthea, but Schow, was able to make her both comical and sympathetic. Plus, Rexi’s comments made me feel like I would be her if I was watching Dorothea throw a fit.
I ended up rating Spelled four stars. All in all, it had me hooked from the first page, and I was thrilled to find out what would happen next to Dorthea and her friends.
Then I read to Wanted in 2018. When I found out it would be in Rexi’s perspective instead of Dorthea’s, I was intrigued! As I’d said earlier, Dorthea and Rexi had hilarious banter in Spelled, so I looked forward to learning more about Rexi’s backstory and watch her character arc in the sequel.
Unfortunately, I stopped reading Wanted about halfway through. I didn’t DNF, I just thought maybe I wasn’t in the right mood. So I tried again in 2019, and eventually finished it...with a sour taste in my mouth. My complaints were the same for both times I read it: for one, I didn’t have an emotional connection to Rexi as I did with Dorthea. I felt terrible for everything that happened to Rexi, but I couldn’t find myself rooting for her. Also, she and Dorthea didn’t have much of the banter I’d adored in Spelled! They weren’t even together for 90% of the book! I was VERY disappointed there.
On top of that, the story was ALL OVER the place. One moment Rexi were in a castle, and the next she was in a cottage with little to no explanation of how she got there. I remember constantly flipping back a few pages to figure out where the heck the characters were. Sometimes, I still didn’t know. Because of these reasons, I ended up giving Wanted one star.
Going into Banished, I had A LOT of mixed feelings. On the one hand, I was worried that I’d be just as confused as I was reading Wanted. On the other hand, I was relieved that Dorthea was to have a POV again! I only hoped that the humor would come back and that there would be little to no confusion while reading this.
And here’s where my review for Banished comes in…
MY THOUGHTS:
•I will say Banished was much easier to follow. Despite there being two POVs, I always knew where the story was going. I still loved all the little fairy tale puns found throughout the book. I also recognized many scenes from The Wizard of Oz that made its way into the story, from the reveal of the Wizard and the importance of Dorthea’s slippers.
•A lot of other things weren’t fleshed out. Rexi and Mordred’s relationship felt too forced and sudden. The whole storytelling power made absolutely NO sense to me. I didn’t understand Baum’s importance to the story other than to spit out riddles. Kato was in Kansas, but he somehow…wasn’t? I can’t explain because I was too confused to understand. I won’t go into specific details, but these were my main issues.
•I was somehow underwhelmed AND overwhelmed with this book. I know underwhelmed might sound weird, because this book had TONS of action and plot twists. But that was the problem: the actions and the plot twists got repetitive VERY quickly. For Rexi, she was fighting monsters in practically EVERY chapter. It’s but that I wanted her to lounge around for the entire book, but even in the most action packed books, there are still scenes where the characters rest, emotionally recoup, or do something other than fight. For Dorthea, every time she’d try hunting for the truth, she would stopped by Kato or another character—and the cycle would continue. Again, a lot of action, but the progress was slow.
The reason I was OVERwhelmed was because there was WAY too much going on at once, mainly in Dorthea’s POV. Dorthea was trying to regain her memory, AND get Kato to trust her, AND try to return home, AND defeat the witches—and, oh yeah, remember that subplot about Dorthea getting her parents home from the first book? Yeah, that was never resolved. That frustrated me A LOT, but not as much as the ending.
•Speaking of which, the ending IRKED me. Let’s start with Rexi. Rexi finished her job in less than ten pages. Because of this, I didn’t feel the impact of how the antagonists affected the side characters. We just watched her walk away with her love interest (who I vaguely remembered in the second book and wasn’t sure why they liked each other???).
I was both confused at what happened and frustrated that Dorthea just basically accepted her fate. She LITERALLY had the power to get what she wanted, which was to return home with her parents and Kato—something I’d waited a whole book (and the WHOLE SERIES) for her to get to.
Instead, she just accepted this was her life now. She was going to live in Kansas forever with Kato. She would never return to home and never see Rexi again. I get that maybe she was exhausted, but I felt cheated.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
I really hate when I only like the first book in a series, but that was case here. Banished definitely isn’t the worst finale I’ve read (looking at you Inkdeath and Requiem). However, I still think it could’ve been better.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 12, 2018
I think if I didn't have the audio version of this book I would have given it three stars. The narrator did a fantastic job!!! I wish I would have reread the other books before this one..... but there are other stories to discover. This was a fun ride! On to the next adventure!
October 8, 2020
Taking all three books separately, they were a little middle schoolish and not a edge of your seat adventure, HOWEVER, if you put all three as a whole, this is a great coming of age story. I felt it need all 3 to be considered good. This series is a very unique twist of the telling of The Wizard of Oz.
July 20, 2020
This series as a whole was unexpected and wonderful and it makes me wonder if this is truly the end of it? So many possibilities!
February 6, 2021
OH MY GOODNESS!! THIS BOOK WAS AMAZING!!! This was by far the best book in the series. My emotions were on a roller coaster! This book has one of the best endings of any other books I have read.
April 30, 2018
AudioBook Review:
Stars: 4 Narration 4 Story 4
The conclusion of The Storymakers trilogy brings the story to an end, and is best understood if you have read all of the books in order. Here is where Schow shows us her brilliance in the reality/fantasy duality of the story, and the challenges this creates for Dorothea in her life – and her determination to keep moving forward in hopes for better and more.
Dorothea is back in Kansas, slowly recovering from a coma – and is slowly forgetting ‘home’. After discovering her parents (book 2) she’s desperate to connect to them, but she’s also got a series of regrets about her own behavior and choices made along the way, and while she wants to remember ‘home’ and still keep her connection to Rexi alive, the dual realities provide conflicts and choices – none of which are simple or clear-cut.
Meanwhile, in Fairy-tale land, Rexi is now been crowned King Arthur reborn, and is in a struggle to keep the grail safe – as Camelot has become a series of struggles, battles and enemies. Desperate to NOT be forgotten by Dorothea, the options for Rexi are simple – do anything possible to maintain and kep that connection. For Dorothea, the choices aren’t so simple, and she’s unsure just how far she would, could or should go to keep them and not forget the life she had come to know….even if none believe it was real. Here Schow utilizes her characters to show choices and consequences – with and without regrets, reframing the world Dorthea now exists in against that alternate reality that all but she believe is a dream. With both Rexi and Dorothea discovering yet another challenge to overcome to survive and save their moments, the story manages to untangle all the threads, add the lovely quirks and mashups in neatly, and providing an entertaining, if not always clearly linear, path to the end.
Narration for this story is provided by Arielle deLisle, who manages to become each character: teenaged angsty and often flighty and overemotional girls who are distinctly different, yet surprisingly similar in their determination. Throughout the story, deLisle managed to capture each moment and add clarity and interest, allowing the twists and turns to unfold without over-reaching for emotional impact, and keeping listeners able to distinguish each character with subtle changes in pitch, tone and even pace that felt appropriate to each person, and added interest and variation to the listen.
Best read (or listened to) in order – this is a story that is written for YA audiences, but seems to be clearly presented for the younger YA reader – a bit of immaturity and youth in both conversations and some approaches to challenges keep the feeling of the series decidedly youthful. With plenty of humor, insets from ‘magazine advice’ columns, plenty of references both historic and literary, and a ton of determination to meet challenges and always get up, again and again, the series, and this book, are fun and clever.
I received an Audiobook copy of the title from Tantor Audio for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.
Review first appeared at I am, Indeed
Stars: 4 Narration 4 Story 4
The conclusion of The Storymakers trilogy brings the story to an end, and is best understood if you have read all of the books in order. Here is where Schow shows us her brilliance in the reality/fantasy duality of the story, and the challenges this creates for Dorothea in her life – and her determination to keep moving forward in hopes for better and more.
Dorothea is back in Kansas, slowly recovering from a coma – and is slowly forgetting ‘home’. After discovering her parents (book 2) she’s desperate to connect to them, but she’s also got a series of regrets about her own behavior and choices made along the way, and while she wants to remember ‘home’ and still keep her connection to Rexi alive, the dual realities provide conflicts and choices – none of which are simple or clear-cut.
Meanwhile, in Fairy-tale land, Rexi is now been crowned King Arthur reborn, and is in a struggle to keep the grail safe – as Camelot has become a series of struggles, battles and enemies. Desperate to NOT be forgotten by Dorothea, the options for Rexi are simple – do anything possible to maintain and kep that connection. For Dorothea, the choices aren’t so simple, and she’s unsure just how far she would, could or should go to keep them and not forget the life she had come to know….even if none believe it was real. Here Schow utilizes her characters to show choices and consequences – with and without regrets, reframing the world Dorthea now exists in against that alternate reality that all but she believe is a dream. With both Rexi and Dorothea discovering yet another challenge to overcome to survive and save their moments, the story manages to untangle all the threads, add the lovely quirks and mashups in neatly, and providing an entertaining, if not always clearly linear, path to the end.
Narration for this story is provided by Arielle deLisle, who manages to become each character: teenaged angsty and often flighty and overemotional girls who are distinctly different, yet surprisingly similar in their determination. Throughout the story, deLisle managed to capture each moment and add clarity and interest, allowing the twists and turns to unfold without over-reaching for emotional impact, and keeping listeners able to distinguish each character with subtle changes in pitch, tone and even pace that felt appropriate to each person, and added interest and variation to the listen.
Best read (or listened to) in order – this is a story that is written for YA audiences, but seems to be clearly presented for the younger YA reader – a bit of immaturity and youth in both conversations and some approaches to challenges keep the feeling of the series decidedly youthful. With plenty of humor, insets from ‘magazine advice’ columns, plenty of references both historic and literary, and a ton of determination to meet challenges and always get up, again and again, the series, and this book, are fun and clever.
I received an Audiobook copy of the title from Tantor Audio for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.
Review first appeared at I am, Indeed
February 12, 2018
I loved this book! Definitley my favorite in the series. Everything came together and made so much more sense after that second book. I really do enjoy how this author writes and all the quirks she adds....my favorite being her play on words/phrases. Some of my favorites being Hans Christian Louboutin and Jiminey Choo shoes or her curses like Spells Bells, For the Love of Grimm, saying the characters were Pixed. Overall a fun play on fairytales and I would recommend if you enjoy them.
February 3, 2018
After that messy sequel Wanted, I was kind of hesitant to read this book. But then I remembered that this is the final book in the trilogy and I might as well finish the series, so I started it, albeit with low expectations. This book again begins without any explanations about the current state of the characters so it is kind of confusing in the start, but soon the two story arcs become clear - Dot is over in Kansas, waking up from a coma and being told that her life before this was all her imagination, while Rexi has been crowned as King Arthur reborn in Camelot and has to find a way to keep it and the Grail out of Blanca's hands. Their storylines obviously intersect considering the villains they are fighting happen to be the same, just their fights are in different dimensions. Yet, they are still connected through their bond (I wonder how that worked since Rexi had supposedly severed it at the end of Wanted) which makes for convenient co-ordination of their plans.
In this book, finally, we get the characterization that was under-utilized in previous books. We see Dot struggling with the thought of whether she really wants to go back, what story she wants for her life, and what she will do to have it. Rexi, meanwhile, is also fighting for her existence, not just to not be Forgotten and avoid being a hero, but also to help out Dot and Kato who sacrificed for her. Thankfully, the Kato and Rexi angle wasn't pursued in this book, because that did not make sense in the last one. We do get clearer storylines and things (and people) not popping out of the blue so often in this book, so I consider it an improvement. The dual perspectives was well-handed and the ending was satisfactory, if not unpredictable.
Overall, a good ending to the series. 3.5 stars.
Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review from Sourcebooks Fire, via Edelweiss.
In this book, finally, we get the characterization that was under-utilized in previous books. We see Dot struggling with the thought of whether she really wants to go back, what story she wants for her life, and what she will do to have it. Rexi, meanwhile, is also fighting for her existence, not just to not be Forgotten and avoid being a hero, but also to help out Dot and Kato who sacrificed for her. Thankfully, the Kato and Rexi angle wasn't pursued in this book, because that did not make sense in the last one. We do get clearer storylines and things (and people) not popping out of the blue so often in this book, so I consider it an improvement. The dual perspectives was well-handed and the ending was satisfactory, if not unpredictable.
Overall, a good ending to the series. 3.5 stars.
Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review from Sourcebooks Fire, via Edelweiss.
March 8, 2021
There's so much to love about this trilogy. Starting with the covers; they're shoes but they're significant and tie-in! You know that moment when the title makes sense? That's what you get with the shoes on the cover.
That's another thing to love, that shoes are such an essential part in all three stories. I'm sure Dorthea wouldn't have it any other way.
Not only do we get a dual point of view this time around, but two separate stories in two different realms. I've seen a few comments that mentioned not liking the separation but I really enjoyed the switch up. Although it is too bad that we don't get to see the two characters together since I loved their banter in the previous books.
Though we do still get banter, Rexi wouldn't be Rexi without it.
Rexi is still my favorite and I loved seeing her continue to grow and get a happy ending. Dorthea's story was just as great because it's a new twist especially after all the fairytale mash ups we've gotten in the past.
This was such a fun trilogy and will definitely be a long time favorite of mine.
That's another thing to love, that shoes are such an essential part in all three stories. I'm sure Dorthea wouldn't have it any other way.
Not only do we get a dual point of view this time around, but two separate stories in two different realms. I've seen a few comments that mentioned not liking the separation but I really enjoyed the switch up. Although it is too bad that we don't get to see the two characters together since I loved their banter in the previous books.
Though we do still get banter, Rexi wouldn't be Rexi without it.
Rexi is still my favorite and I loved seeing her continue to grow and get a happy ending. Dorthea's story was just as great because it's a new twist especially after all the fairytale mash ups we've gotten in the past.
This was such a fun trilogy and will definitely be a long time favorite of mine.
January 15, 2018
DNF!
My very first DNF! Such a disappointment. I was so excited when I first received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. The blurb sounded amazing and the cover is gorgeous! At first, I was unaware this was the conclusion to a trilogy but honestly that wasn't my issue with it. It was such a confusing jumble of fairy tale and literary references, I couldn't make heads or tails of it.
What was probably an attempt at a creative Wizard of Oz retelling, was actually just a hodge podge of way too many things wrapped in a pretty package.
My very first DNF! Such a disappointment. I was so excited when I first received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. The blurb sounded amazing and the cover is gorgeous! At first, I was unaware this was the conclusion to a trilogy but honestly that wasn't my issue with it. It was such a confusing jumble of fairy tale and literary references, I couldn't make heads or tails of it.
What was probably an attempt at a creative Wizard of Oz retelling, was actually just a hodge podge of way too many things wrapped in a pretty package.
January 7, 2021
This was such a fun series! I loved all the puns and the fairytales woven into the story. I do wish the ending had more oomph to it. The epilogue seemed to hint that some day we could return to these stories and I really hope we do.
December 29, 2017
This book follows Dot and Rexi. Dot is a story-maker and the princess of Emerald who was banished to Kansas by Rexi in book 2 of the Storymakers series, (I didn't know it was a series until about 1/3 of the way through. So I'll have to go read the first 2 now because the book was quite enjoyable.) and Dot needs to now finish the story and kill Morte and Blanc with the help of rexi from inside the land of Libraria.
I rated this a 4 out of 5 stars overall for the following reasons:
What I like:
I loved the dedication: " This book is for all of us who do battle with our shadows every day keep fighting. There is always a light if you know where to look." Just the pure acknowledgment of the every day struggle of those with mental health issues puts me at top respect level for this author. I like that the setting happens in real places we grew up reading about in fairy tales. I enjoy that there is diversity well represented in this book. I like the use of quotes from different famous people or "magazines" at the beginning of every chapter. The character and world building are amazing. Very strong character voice, great representation of mental health issues. I love the alternate reality angle. I'm so excited about a Wizard of Oz retelling because the entire concept of Oz has always intrigued me. I love this quote "All the best people have a bit of madness. It's a sign of brilliance. You just have to learn how to take control of it." I enjoy the amount of sarcastic wit there is in the book. I like how Dorothea is so conscious of how her actions are affecting how others feel and that she tries very hard to make them happy. I enjoy the romance that is brewing between John and Dorothea, as well as how the ending wrapped it up so nicely. I was often left wondering if he really was Kato. I love the plot in the story because it was really intriguing.
What I disliked about this book:
I very much disliked how at the end of most chapters you had to turn 2 pages to get to the next chapter. I also did not like that sometimes getting from point A in the story to point B was confusing and jumbled. The twist with John in the hospital and the reason why he was there was irritating and should have happened when we were first introduced to him. However, all this being said there was not much that I didn't like about the book.
Would I recommend this book:
Yes, I would definitely recommend it to both teens and adults alike.
********** This was an arc I received by net galley in exchange for my honest review. ************
I rated this a 4 out of 5 stars overall for the following reasons:
What I like:
I loved the dedication: " This book is for all of us who do battle with our shadows every day keep fighting. There is always a light if you know where to look." Just the pure acknowledgment of the every day struggle of those with mental health issues puts me at top respect level for this author. I like that the setting happens in real places we grew up reading about in fairy tales. I enjoy that there is diversity well represented in this book. I like the use of quotes from different famous people or "magazines" at the beginning of every chapter. The character and world building are amazing. Very strong character voice, great representation of mental health issues. I love the alternate reality angle. I'm so excited about a Wizard of Oz retelling because the entire concept of Oz has always intrigued me. I love this quote "All the best people have a bit of madness. It's a sign of brilliance. You just have to learn how to take control of it." I enjoy the amount of sarcastic wit there is in the book. I like how Dorothea is so conscious of how her actions are affecting how others feel and that she tries very hard to make them happy. I enjoy the romance that is brewing between John and Dorothea, as well as how the ending wrapped it up so nicely. I was often left wondering if he really was Kato. I love the plot in the story because it was really intriguing.
What I disliked about this book:
I very much disliked how at the end of most chapters you had to turn 2 pages to get to the next chapter. I also did not like that sometimes getting from point A in the story to point B was confusing and jumbled. The twist with John in the hospital and the reason why he was there was irritating and should have happened when we were first introduced to him. However, all this being said there was not much that I didn't like about the book.
Would I recommend this book:
Yes, I would definitely recommend it to both teens and adults alike.
********** This was an arc I received by net galley in exchange for my honest review. ************
February 13, 2018
Full Review: https://charmedbookhavenreviews.wordp...
*Disclaimer: I received an ARC copy via NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire in exchange for a review. This does not effect my review.
This is the third installment in The Storymakers series that follows Princess Dorthea of Emerald on her continuing quest to get back home and right the wrongs she did in the first book, Spelled. Now, she’s locked up in the psyche ward, slowly beginning to lose her memories of her home. She discovered her parents in the previous book to find they forgot their home and want Dorthea to “get better”.
On the other side of the fairy tale coin, Dorthea’s mind is linked to Rexi – making the story flip back and forth between the fictional and the reality. The moment Dorthea goes to sleep, she see’s Rexi, taking on the guise of King Arthur, wielding Excalibur while battling the villains of Camelot. With Rexi, she sees the devastation of Dorthea’s treatments in the hospital involving green sludge and constant lies of being incurable. Dorthea later escapes the hospital and goes on a mission, searching for a pair of magic shoes to get her to another realm. Rexi, on the other hand, seeks out to destroy the Wicked Witch.
The quirkiness from the previous novels shows up in droves in this book and the mashup of our favorite fairytale characters makes keeps the fun coming. The single downside I can only come up with is that this wouldn’t be for older YA readers. The characters dialogue and actions fall more along the younger YA reader group. But if you are looking for a new fairytale mashup series that’ll make you laugh – this could be the next one on your list!
*Disclaimer: I received an ARC copy via NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire in exchange for a review. This does not effect my review.
This is the third installment in The Storymakers series that follows Princess Dorthea of Emerald on her continuing quest to get back home and right the wrongs she did in the first book, Spelled. Now, she’s locked up in the psyche ward, slowly beginning to lose her memories of her home. She discovered her parents in the previous book to find they forgot their home and want Dorthea to “get better”.
On the other side of the fairy tale coin, Dorthea’s mind is linked to Rexi – making the story flip back and forth between the fictional and the reality. The moment Dorthea goes to sleep, she see’s Rexi, taking on the guise of King Arthur, wielding Excalibur while battling the villains of Camelot. With Rexi, she sees the devastation of Dorthea’s treatments in the hospital involving green sludge and constant lies of being incurable. Dorthea later escapes the hospital and goes on a mission, searching for a pair of magic shoes to get her to another realm. Rexi, on the other hand, seeks out to destroy the Wicked Witch.
The quirkiness from the previous novels shows up in droves in this book and the mashup of our favorite fairytale characters makes keeps the fun coming. The single downside I can only come up with is that this wouldn’t be for older YA readers. The characters dialogue and actions fall more along the younger YA reader group. But if you are looking for a new fairytale mashup series that’ll make you laugh – this could be the next one on your list!
February 6, 2018
Thanks to Sourcebooks FIRE for the advanced copy from a giveaway win on Instagram!
I've loved the Storymakers series since SPELLED. Princess Dorthea of Emerald is a great lead for this retelling and her feisty sidekick Rexi. This book picks up where WANTED left off - so for those who haven't read the rest of the series I would highly recommend picking up books one and two!
I don't want to go into too much detail and spoil the other books for new readers. If you love the retelling genre then you'd really enjoy this series. It makes fun of the typical fairytale cliches and tropes while keeping it adventurous with some darkness. We have the Wicked Witch, Princess Dorthea of Emerald (Wizard of Oz vibes, anyone?) and we get to meet other familiar characters throughout the series.
Overall, if this is a genre that you enjoy reading and want a new series to start, then I highly recommend starting with SPELLED and working your way to BANISHED. I would love to know more about the Storymakers' universe, so I hope Betsy Schow continues it!
I give this one 4/5 stars!
I've loved the Storymakers series since SPELLED. Princess Dorthea of Emerald is a great lead for this retelling and her feisty sidekick Rexi. This book picks up where WANTED left off - so for those who haven't read the rest of the series I would highly recommend picking up books one and two!
I don't want to go into too much detail and spoil the other books for new readers. If you love the retelling genre then you'd really enjoy this series. It makes fun of the typical fairytale cliches and tropes while keeping it adventurous with some darkness. We have the Wicked Witch, Princess Dorthea of Emerald (Wizard of Oz vibes, anyone?) and we get to meet other familiar characters throughout the series.
Overall, if this is a genre that you enjoy reading and want a new series to start, then I highly recommend starting with SPELLED and working your way to BANISHED. I would love to know more about the Storymakers' universe, so I hope Betsy Schow continues it!
I give this one 4/5 stars!
January 31, 2018
Rating: 3/5
Genre: YA Fantasy
Recommended Age: ---
Pages: 336
Author: Betsy Schow
Amazon
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review thanks to NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
So this will be a short review because I had to DNF this book. It’s not because this book was horrible or anything like that (quite the opposite actually), but I did not realize when I requested this book that it was the third in a series and I’ve not read the first two. I want to read the first two in this series before I read this one (and I’ll purchase it and everything because this was my fault so I should have to pay for it). So, I’m DNF-ing in order to avoid spoilers for myself.
Genre: YA Fantasy
Recommended Age: ---
Pages: 336
Author: Betsy Schow
Amazon
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review thanks to NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
So this will be a short review because I had to DNF this book. It’s not because this book was horrible or anything like that (quite the opposite actually), but I did not realize when I requested this book that it was the third in a series and I’ve not read the first two. I want to read the first two in this series before I read this one (and I’ll purchase it and everything because this was my fault so I should have to pay for it). So, I’m DNF-ing in order to avoid spoilers for myself.
September 12, 2019
The story begins with Dorthea in Kansas being treated for cancer and Roxi dealing with Guinevere and Modred in Camelot as Blanc, Morte and Griz are succeeding in their plan.
What I enjoyed:
* Much more coherent story than book 2
* Interesting to see Dorthea in our world dealing with being the only one to see all the bad things
* The author certainly doesn't mind hurting the MCs
* LOVE how
What could have been better:
* Wrapped up a bit too nicely
* Still A LOT going on, could have benefited from some streamlining
What I enjoyed:
* Much more coherent story than book 2
* Interesting to see Dorthea in our world dealing with being the only one to see all the bad things
* The author certainly doesn't mind hurting the MCs
* LOVE how
What could have been better:
* Wrapped up a bit too nicely
* Still A LOT going on, could have benefited from some streamlining
January 26, 2020
The ending fits the series.
December 18, 2020
I’m sad I finished this series but it was soo good! Rexi was my favorite
April 10, 2018
Oh man. Oh man, oh man, oh man. Where do I begin?
Maybe I had higher expectations for this series because I read the first book when I was younger, and absolutely adored it. Maybe I had higher expectations because I began this series when only the first book had been published, so every year I eagerly awaited the release of the next novel.
Or, maybe my expectations weren't very high at all, and this book was just a disappointing companion to the wonderful first book and the adequate second.
Overall, this book was fast-paced in a way that made no event seem particularly significant, and it didn't feel as though it would have a lasting impact on the overall plot. Every action and decision felt whimsical and inconsequential. And when it did happen to be significant, it was written so quickly and apathetically that I didn't feel as though it was really, ACTUALLY important to the plot. The entire book felt like a series of events that were meant to lead up to the inciting incident, but never actually reached the point in the story where the plot began. Essentially, I felt, throughout the entire book, as though I were waiting for the plot and for the story to begin, and then the book just ended.
However, I can't say this entire book was a flop. There are some things I liked about this book, but I'll get the meat of this review--the dislikes--out of the way first. Here goes:
DISLIKES
- Blanc. Such a chilling, terrifying, formidable villain in the first two books, reduced to a series of rumours as to her whereabouts and characters shaking in their boots when mentioning her eventual arrival in the modern-day world, which is promised to happen regardless of the fact that she never actually shows her face more than twice for more than three pages, and is no apparent threat either time.
- The ending. Short, brusque, and depressing--in an unfulfilling way. This book left me with absolutely no closure. After following this series for essentially three years, the climax happens in three pages, and the general ending in two.
- Loose ends!!! There were a lot of things left unsaid and unexplained, and while I let many things slide for this series, such as the impossibility that Dot and Kato could fall in love in a manner of days, due to the setting of a fantastical, magical, fairy-tale world, there were just many unexplained facts that felt incomplete not because they were meant to add to the mystery, intrigue, and fantasy of a magical world, but just because they were randomly inserted throughout the book for depth and as plot-drives, and then either forgotten or ignored.
- The characters. They are completely changed from how they were in previous books. I understand the concept of character development, but it really feels, especially in the last two books, that the characters jumped between personalities and motivations instead of showing a progression. There was a particular scene where Rexi was made to embrace all the darker sides of herself, and it was stressed how impactful this scene was on her character, and how she was so much stronger and more resilient than she had been before this trial, and then, she emerged...exactly the same. In the first and second books, Rexi was prevalently portrayed as selfish and cowardly, and yet this defining characteristic of hers completely vanishes in the last book. Repeatedly, it is mentioned how she is selfish and self-serving, and yet not once in this entire book does she do absolutely anything to suggest that she is such a person. I feel as though she already underwent this character development in book two, and now for some reason we're starting from square one in book three. Except...it's TOLD to us that THIS IS THE MOMENT WHEN REXI CHANGES AND SHE LEARNS TO EMBRACE AND LOVE HERSELF AND SHE LEARNS NOT TO BE SELFISH but then her actions, decisions, and thoughts remain exactly the same as before--exactly the same as at the end of the second book; selfless, resilient, and brave. A story should be showed, displayed, and explained, not stated.
- Inner dialogue. Unfortunately, because of Rexi's development in the second book, her voice was completely indistinguishable from Dot's. In the first two books, Rexi was self-serving, snarky, rude, and inconsiderate, while Dot was also selfish, but in a bratty, pompous, rich-girl way. Their voices were completely distinguishable. They were flawed, but they were strong, and they were entertaining and likable. Now, after developing as people, all personal traits have been erased from their character until only same-humour snark remains. Character development is great and all, but it certainly can be accomplished without complete annihilation of identity. I love flawed characters. I love characters who make me think, make me remember they are human like me and not noble, elevated, untouchable icons. In Banished, both Rexi and Dot were courageous, noble, admirable, and utterly selfless (despite the author's ardent attempts to EXPLAIN, through the two protagonists' unjustified and unsubstantiated insecurities, that they were inherently selfish people who desperately needed to improve their character).
There were some other minor hiccups along the way which I was not crazy about, but unfortunately I finished this book a while ago and no longer have a copy on hand. They were mostly small, personal plot, world-building, character, or writing peeves, but I feel the aforementioned points are the ones which would make or break someone's decision to read this book. Now, on to the list of things which did not imbue me with the frustrating desire to throw this pretty book across the room:
LIKES
- In Wanted, there was a snippet from Banished where Dot is in the hospital room, and everything is all creepy and horror-movie-esque, and a black shadow congeals off the wall. I thought this whole chapter, including the scene where the lights flicker off floor by floor, was actually really well-written and investing. (Although, unfortunately, I can't say much else in this scene could actually be explained by the plot, nor could I tell you its actual significance, the reason it happened, and what it was caused by. Regardless, though, it was well-written and intriguing, so there's that.)
- The cover. All of this trilogy's covers have been beautiful and fantastical, and they help draw you directly into the world of Story. The covers were the main reason I was drawn to this series to begin with.
- Mordred. From the beginning, his dynamic with Rexi has been a delight. Condescending, rude, hilarious, and amicable. This was one thing which did not change in book three, thankfully, although--surprise, surprise (not really)--the relationship dynamic not-so-furtively sneaks into the territory of pink pastels and hearts.
I really regret that I cannot give this book more stars. I had higher hopes, based on the other two books in the trilogy. However, I haven't completely lost hope. If Betsy Schow writes another book/series in the fantasy/sci-fi/action realm, I'm willing to risk wasting--or hopefully, rather enjoying--time reading whatever else she comes up with.
Overall, I feel like this whole trilogy was a very light, pleasant, humorous read, and I do appreciate that the book did not end on a completely predictable, by-the-book fairy tale ending. I wasn't entirely frustrated with the series overall, and I loved the first book when I read it, so I would recommend reading this series if purely for the first book and a half.
Maybe I had higher expectations for this series because I read the first book when I was younger, and absolutely adored it. Maybe I had higher expectations because I began this series when only the first book had been published, so every year I eagerly awaited the release of the next novel.
Or, maybe my expectations weren't very high at all, and this book was just a disappointing companion to the wonderful first book and the adequate second.
Overall, this book was fast-paced in a way that made no event seem particularly significant, and it didn't feel as though it would have a lasting impact on the overall plot. Every action and decision felt whimsical and inconsequential. And when it did happen to be significant, it was written so quickly and apathetically that I didn't feel as though it was really, ACTUALLY important to the plot. The entire book felt like a series of events that were meant to lead up to the inciting incident, but never actually reached the point in the story where the plot began. Essentially, I felt, throughout the entire book, as though I were waiting for the plot and for the story to begin, and then the book just ended.
However, I can't say this entire book was a flop. There are some things I liked about this book, but I'll get the meat of this review--the dislikes--out of the way first. Here goes:
DISLIKES
- Blanc. Such a chilling, terrifying, formidable villain in the first two books, reduced to a series of rumours as to her whereabouts and characters shaking in their boots when mentioning her eventual arrival in the modern-day world, which is promised to happen regardless of the fact that she never actually shows her face more than twice for more than three pages, and is no apparent threat either time.
- The ending. Short, brusque, and depressing--in an unfulfilling way. This book left me with absolutely no closure. After following this series for essentially three years, the climax happens in three pages, and the general ending in two.
- Loose ends!!! There were a lot of things left unsaid and unexplained, and while I let many things slide for this series, such as the impossibility that Dot and Kato could fall in love in a manner of days, due to the setting of a fantastical, magical, fairy-tale world, there were just many unexplained facts that felt incomplete not because they were meant to add to the mystery, intrigue, and fantasy of a magical world, but just because they were randomly inserted throughout the book for depth and as plot-drives, and then either forgotten or ignored.
- The characters. They are completely changed from how they were in previous books. I understand the concept of character development, but it really feels, especially in the last two books, that the characters jumped between personalities and motivations instead of showing a progression. There was a particular scene where Rexi was made to embrace all the darker sides of herself, and it was stressed how impactful this scene was on her character, and how she was so much stronger and more resilient than she had been before this trial, and then, she emerged...exactly the same. In the first and second books, Rexi was prevalently portrayed as selfish and cowardly, and yet this defining characteristic of hers completely vanishes in the last book. Repeatedly, it is mentioned how she is selfish and self-serving, and yet not once in this entire book does she do absolutely anything to suggest that she is such a person. I feel as though she already underwent this character development in book two, and now for some reason we're starting from square one in book three. Except...it's TOLD to us that THIS IS THE MOMENT WHEN REXI CHANGES AND SHE LEARNS TO EMBRACE AND LOVE HERSELF AND SHE LEARNS NOT TO BE SELFISH but then her actions, decisions, and thoughts remain exactly the same as before--exactly the same as at the end of the second book; selfless, resilient, and brave. A story should be showed, displayed, and explained, not stated.
- Inner dialogue. Unfortunately, because of Rexi's development in the second book, her voice was completely indistinguishable from Dot's. In the first two books, Rexi was self-serving, snarky, rude, and inconsiderate, while Dot was also selfish, but in a bratty, pompous, rich-girl way. Their voices were completely distinguishable. They were flawed, but they were strong, and they were entertaining and likable. Now, after developing as people, all personal traits have been erased from their character until only same-humour snark remains. Character development is great and all, but it certainly can be accomplished without complete annihilation of identity. I love flawed characters. I love characters who make me think, make me remember they are human like me and not noble, elevated, untouchable icons. In Banished, both Rexi and Dot were courageous, noble, admirable, and utterly selfless (despite the author's ardent attempts to EXPLAIN, through the two protagonists' unjustified and unsubstantiated insecurities, that they were inherently selfish people who desperately needed to improve their character).
There were some other minor hiccups along the way which I was not crazy about, but unfortunately I finished this book a while ago and no longer have a copy on hand. They were mostly small, personal plot, world-building, character, or writing peeves, but I feel the aforementioned points are the ones which would make or break someone's decision to read this book. Now, on to the list of things which did not imbue me with the frustrating desire to throw this pretty book across the room:
LIKES
- In Wanted, there was a snippet from Banished where Dot is in the hospital room, and everything is all creepy and horror-movie-esque, and a black shadow congeals off the wall. I thought this whole chapter, including the scene where the lights flicker off floor by floor, was actually really well-written and investing. (Although, unfortunately, I can't say much else in this scene could actually be explained by the plot, nor could I tell you its actual significance, the reason it happened, and what it was caused by. Regardless, though, it was well-written and intriguing, so there's that.)
- The cover. All of this trilogy's covers have been beautiful and fantastical, and they help draw you directly into the world of Story. The covers were the main reason I was drawn to this series to begin with.
- Mordred. From the beginning, his dynamic with Rexi has been a delight. Condescending, rude, hilarious, and amicable. This was one thing which did not change in book three, thankfully, although--surprise, surprise (not really)--the relationship dynamic not-so-furtively sneaks into the territory of pink pastels and hearts.
I really regret that I cannot give this book more stars. I had higher hopes, based on the other two books in the trilogy. However, I haven't completely lost hope. If Betsy Schow writes another book/series in the fantasy/sci-fi/action realm, I'm willing to risk wasting--or hopefully, rather enjoying--time reading whatever else she comes up with.
Overall, I feel like this whole trilogy was a very light, pleasant, humorous read, and I do appreciate that the book did not end on a completely predictable, by-the-book fairy tale ending. I wasn't entirely frustrated with the series overall, and I loved the first book when I read it, so I would recommend reading this series if purely for the first book and a half.
January 29, 2023
There were some parts I got confused with characters but figured it out eventually lol good series
January 18, 2018
Thank you to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Fire for the E-ARC copy of this novel.
The Storyteller Series is back with the final book in trilogy. Banished by Betsy Schow gives us Dorthea and Rexi trying to stop the villains of Story once again. First, I loved all the covers of these books. It’s what drew me to the first novel in this series. Once, I read it I knew that I had to share it with my customers. Second, I have recommended to anyone who hasn’t read this series to start with the first book. Don’t jump around it’s worth getting them in order. The writing is crisp, funny and the character’s all have flaws. I think that is what makes these books so much fun to read. Finally, Betsy Schow wasn’t an author whom I was familiar with, so I was extremely surprised that after reading the first novel how polished a writer she was. The writing in these novels is top notch. If you like magic, fun, and action you have to check out this series.
The Storyteller Series is back with the final book in trilogy. Banished by Betsy Schow gives us Dorthea and Rexi trying to stop the villains of Story once again. First, I loved all the covers of these books. It’s what drew me to the first novel in this series. Once, I read it I knew that I had to share it with my customers. Second, I have recommended to anyone who hasn’t read this series to start with the first book. Don’t jump around it’s worth getting them in order. The writing is crisp, funny and the character’s all have flaws. I think that is what makes these books so much fun to read. Finally, Betsy Schow wasn’t an author whom I was familiar with, so I was extremely surprised that after reading the first novel how polished a writer she was. The writing in these novels is top notch. If you like magic, fun, and action you have to check out this series.
April 30, 2018
This was the final book in the trilogy by Betsy Schow and I wasn’t disappointed, it had all the usual characters who brought sarcasm, action and a bit of romance to the book.
This book focuses more on Rexi and her saving Camelot and trying to save Dot who was sent to Kansas in the book. You follow the characters on their final battle with Morte, Blanc and Griz.
Do the good guys win in the end?!
I love Betsy’s style of writing and I’m excited to see if she creates another fairytale retelling with a bad ass heroine or two.
This book focuses more on Rexi and her saving Camelot and trying to save Dot who was sent to Kansas in the book. You follow the characters on their final battle with Morte, Blanc and Griz.
Do the good guys win in the end?!
I love Betsy’s style of writing and I’m excited to see if she creates another fairytale retelling with a bad ass heroine or two.
August 23, 2021
Fun conclusion to the Storymakers series. There was a quest, heartbreak, adventure... Everything you need for a good story.
April 23, 2018
Reader thoughts: I might need more time to process the ending, but I'm mostly sure that I really liked it. (That's rare for me. I usually hate endings, even when they're done well.)
I still like Dorothea much better than Rexi, even if just because she complains a lot less and does stuff out of the goodness of her heart more rather than for selfish reasons. However, I wasn't gagging during Rexi's chapters and was enjoying reading about her in this book.
The romances were ... wrong to me. Two girls and two guys insult each other for an entire book, and then they end deciding that they're all in love. What? Why? How can they listen to insults and interpret that as love from someone? Let alone, how can they decide they're in love with the ones they've been insulting for 300 pages? This shouldn't work for both pairs. Maybe slightly once, but not 2 out of 2 romance couples in the book. Blah.
The magic didn't have as much definition and limitation as I'd wish for. What, exactly, can a storybook writer do? Does the story have to be written down? How much can they influence/change? Why? Who qualifies as a writer in Kansas? Why was Dorothea the only one who could see magic in Kansas? What were the infected people supposed to accomplish, how did they work, and whom did they work for? What really happens when a story character dies, how permanent is it, and under what circumstances can they come back? How does Hydra's head-swapping work? (Okay, I don't need to know that one, but I'd like to know what makes it not work or why she's only in control sometimes and what the rules are for such magic.)
Writer thoughts: Brandon Sanderson has posited the rule for magic systems that the more defined the magic system, the more clever the characters can be (this is my favorite side!). The less defined the magic system, the more an author can awe the reader.
Think of it as like the difference between Superman and Spiderman. One can do so much and doesn't have a lot of rules or limitations. When Superman suddenly shows off a new power, the audience is like, "Cool!" instead of feeling cheated that such a move constitutes deus ex machina (unless you're me, who gets disgruntled anyway). Whereas, Spiderman's powers are known and quantified. This gives his powers boundaries to bounce his cleverness off of and lets the audience be impressed by his creativity instead of his strength. No one accuses Superman of being clever.
So, authors get to decide which they'd rather have. This book, Banished, contains less defined magic, although not as undefined as some. There are plenty of books that can do this well. (Even the Harry Potter books don't have well-defined magic systems. Readers don't know every spell and its limitations nor every creature and so forth.)
I still like Dorothea much better than Rexi, even if just because she complains a lot less and does stuff out of the goodness of her heart more rather than for selfish reasons. However, I wasn't gagging during Rexi's chapters and was enjoying reading about her in this book.
The romances were ... wrong to me. Two girls and two guys insult each other for an entire book, and then they end deciding that they're all in love. What? Why? How can they listen to insults and interpret that as love from someone? Let alone, how can they decide they're in love with the ones they've been insulting for 300 pages? This shouldn't work for both pairs. Maybe slightly once, but not 2 out of 2 romance couples in the book. Blah.
The magic didn't have as much definition and limitation as I'd wish for. What, exactly, can a storybook writer do? Does the story have to be written down? How much can they influence/change? Why? Who qualifies as a writer in Kansas? Why was Dorothea the only one who could see magic in Kansas? What were the infected people supposed to accomplish, how did they work, and whom did they work for? What really happens when a story character dies, how permanent is it, and under what circumstances can they come back? How does Hydra's head-swapping work? (Okay, I don't need to know that one, but I'd like to know what makes it not work or why she's only in control sometimes and what the rules are for such magic.)
Writer thoughts: Brandon Sanderson has posited the rule for magic systems that the more defined the magic system, the more clever the characters can be (this is my favorite side!). The less defined the magic system, the more an author can awe the reader.
Think of it as like the difference between Superman and Spiderman. One can do so much and doesn't have a lot of rules or limitations. When Superman suddenly shows off a new power, the audience is like, "Cool!" instead of feeling cheated that such a move constitutes deus ex machina (unless you're me, who gets disgruntled anyway). Whereas, Spiderman's powers are known and quantified. This gives his powers boundaries to bounce his cleverness off of and lets the audience be impressed by his creativity instead of his strength. No one accuses Superman of being clever.
So, authors get to decide which they'd rather have. This book, Banished, contains less defined magic, although not as undefined as some. There are plenty of books that can do this well. (Even the Harry Potter books don't have well-defined magic systems. Readers don't know every spell and its limitations nor every creature and so forth.)
December 29, 2017
This book follows Dot and Rexi. Dot is a story-maker and the princess of Emerald who was banished to Kansas by Rexi in book 2 of the Storymakers series, (I didn't know it was a series until about 1/3 of the way through. So I'll have to go read the first 2 now because the book was quite enjoyable.) and Dot needs to now finish the story and kill Morte and Blanc with the help of rexi from inside the land of Libraria.
I rated this a 4 out of 5 stars overall for the following reasons:
What I like:
I loved the dedication: " This book is for all of us who do battle with our shadows every day keep fighting. There is always a light if you know where to look." Just the pure acknowledgment of the every day struggle of those with mental health issues puts me at top respect level for this author. I like that the setting happens in real places we grew up reading about in fairy tales. I enjoy that there is diversity well represented in this book. I like the use of quotes from different famous people or "magazines" at the beginning of every chapter. The character and world building are amazing. Very strong character voice, great representation of mental health issues. I love the alternate reality angle. I'm so excited about a Wizard of Oz retelling because the entire concept of Oz has always intrigued me. I love this quote "All the best people have a bit of madness. It's a sign of brilliance. You just have to learn how to take control of it." I enjoy the amount of sarcastic wit there is in the book. I like how Dorothea is so conscious of how her actions are affecting how others feel and that she tries very hard to make them happy. I enjoy the romance that is brewing between John and Dorothea, as well as how the ending wrapped it up so nicely. I was often left wondering if he really was Kato. I love the plot in the story because it was really intriguing.
What I disliked about this book:
I very much disliked how at the end of most chapters you had to turn 2 pages to get to the next chapter. I also did not like that sometimes getting from point A in the story to point B was confusing and jumbled. The twist with John in the hospital and the reason why he was there was irritating and should have happened when we were first introduced to him. However, all this being said there was not much that I didn't like about the book.
Would I recommend this book:
Yes, I would definitely recommend it to both teens and adults alike.
********** This was an arc I received by net galley in exchange for my honest review. ************
I rated this a 4 out of 5 stars overall for the following reasons:
What I like:
I loved the dedication: " This book is for all of us who do battle with our shadows every day keep fighting. There is always a light if you know where to look." Just the pure acknowledgment of the every day struggle of those with mental health issues puts me at top respect level for this author. I like that the setting happens in real places we grew up reading about in fairy tales. I enjoy that there is diversity well represented in this book. I like the use of quotes from different famous people or "magazines" at the beginning of every chapter. The character and world building are amazing. Very strong character voice, great representation of mental health issues. I love the alternate reality angle. I'm so excited about a Wizard of Oz retelling because the entire concept of Oz has always intrigued me. I love this quote "All the best people have a bit of madness. It's a sign of brilliance. You just have to learn how to take control of it." I enjoy the amount of sarcastic wit there is in the book. I like how Dorothea is so conscious of how her actions are affecting how others feel and that she tries very hard to make them happy. I enjoy the romance that is brewing between John and Dorothea, as well as how the ending wrapped it up so nicely. I was often left wondering if he really was Kato. I love the plot in the story because it was really intriguing.
What I disliked about this book:
I very much disliked how at the end of most chapters you had to turn 2 pages to get to the next chapter. I also did not like that sometimes getting from point A in the story to point B was confusing and jumbled. The twist with John in the hospital and the reason why he was there was irritating and should have happened when we were first introduced to him. However, all this being said there was not much that I didn't like about the book.
Would I recommend this book:
Yes, I would definitely recommend it to both teens and adults alike.
********** This was an arc I received by net galley in exchange for my honest review. ************
June 5, 2018
Originally published on my blog: Nonstop Reader.
Banished is the final book in the Storymakers trilogy by Betsy Schow. Published by Sourcebooks Fire and released 1st February, 2018, it's aimed firmly at the younger end of the YA market. There is a strong continuity and back story for the characters and plot arc from the first two books, so I definitely wouldn't recommend this one as a standalone.
I enjoy the parallel fictional world and fictional characters in the 'real world' subgenre. There are several that are superlative (Jasper Fforde's Thursday Next books to name a standout). This series, the Storymakers, never really got going for me personally. Admittedly, it's been a lot of years since I was a 13 year old girl - the primary audience. On the other hand, there are an awful lot of awkwardly written scenes covered over with sarcastic dialogue. I can't count the number of times I was yanked out of my suspension of disbelief by clunky descriptions or unfortunate dialogue. I received an early ARC for purposes of review, so it's entirely possible that much editing and polishing has occurred in the release copy.
I found many of the wordplay jokes too precious to be enjoyable: 'No way in spell', 'No pixing joke', etc etc. I also freely admit the 'really sane person trying to convince authority figures in a mental hospital that the monsters are real' trope has always really bothered me a lot. I'm a medical professional and reading 'chemotherapy' in that sort of setting made me grind my teeth. It was just so unnecessary.
Without belaboring the point, Banished wasn't for me, I am not the intended audience, and there are enough really glowing reviews that my experience is probably anomalous.
Published 1st February, 336 pages, available in ebook and paperback formats.
Two and a half stars (mostly for grammar and snark. If punctuation and sentence structure don't matter to you, add a star or more).
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
Banished is the final book in the Storymakers trilogy by Betsy Schow. Published by Sourcebooks Fire and released 1st February, 2018, it's aimed firmly at the younger end of the YA market. There is a strong continuity and back story for the characters and plot arc from the first two books, so I definitely wouldn't recommend this one as a standalone.
I enjoy the parallel fictional world and fictional characters in the 'real world' subgenre. There are several that are superlative (Jasper Fforde's Thursday Next books to name a standout). This series, the Storymakers, never really got going for me personally. Admittedly, it's been a lot of years since I was a 13 year old girl - the primary audience. On the other hand, there are an awful lot of awkwardly written scenes covered over with sarcastic dialogue. I can't count the number of times I was yanked out of my suspension of disbelief by clunky descriptions or unfortunate dialogue. I received an early ARC for purposes of review, so it's entirely possible that much editing and polishing has occurred in the release copy.
I found many of the wordplay jokes too precious to be enjoyable: 'No way in spell', 'No pixing joke', etc etc. I also freely admit the 'really sane person trying to convince authority figures in a mental hospital that the monsters are real' trope has always really bothered me a lot. I'm a medical professional and reading 'chemotherapy' in that sort of setting made me grind my teeth. It was just so unnecessary.
Without belaboring the point, Banished wasn't for me, I am not the intended audience, and there are enough really glowing reviews that my experience is probably anomalous.
Published 1st February, 336 pages, available in ebook and paperback formats.
Two and a half stars (mostly for grammar and snark. If punctuation and sentence structure don't matter to you, add a star or more).
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
March 3, 2021
Whatever you do, do not read this if you have not read the first two book. Reading the books in order is the best way to read this series. The events that happen in the books pick up where the last book left off. I will definitely have spoilers in this review for anyone who hasn't read the two previous books. If you haven't it's really best to stop reading this review right here and right now and you considering picking up 'Spelled', the first book if you haven't read it, and/or 'Banished', the second book if you still need to read that one as well. Okay, that aside, here I go to the actual book review stuff.
In this book, after the events of the second book, Dorthea of Emerald is no longer the Princess she's always thought she was. Now, she's just Dorthy Gale, girl from Kansas. Not a single person recognizes her as royalty. Not her very non royal (though previously the king and queen) parents who have her in a hospital because she is having delusions of being a princess in another land. There is one person who seems to know who she is though and she's not there to help her back to her previous life. On the flip side, Rexi may have Excalibur now but Gwenevere's trap is proving quite effective. Not to mention Morte and his very bad ways. In this story, evil is on the rise and running the show. It's the final showdown but the hero's aren't looking so good. Who knows how this is going to turn out? You will if you get to reading!
I really enjoyed this book. It was done so well and wrapped up every single story line and loose end there was. Was it a happy ending? A sad ending? I'm not going to tell you that but it was a wrapped up ending. I thought the author did a great job with the whole series and especially in this book when all those details that were spiraling out here and there had to finally find that ending spot where they all came together one last time. It was terrific.
This is a great book and a wonderful series for ages young to half young to young-ish to young at heart. I recommend it.
In this book, after the events of the second book, Dorthea of Emerald is no longer the Princess she's always thought she was. Now, she's just Dorthy Gale, girl from Kansas. Not a single person recognizes her as royalty. Not her very non royal (though previously the king and queen) parents who have her in a hospital because she is having delusions of being a princess in another land. There is one person who seems to know who she is though and she's not there to help her back to her previous life. On the flip side, Rexi may have Excalibur now but Gwenevere's trap is proving quite effective. Not to mention Morte and his very bad ways. In this story, evil is on the rise and running the show. It's the final showdown but the hero's aren't looking so good. Who knows how this is going to turn out? You will if you get to reading!
I really enjoyed this book. It was done so well and wrapped up every single story line and loose end there was. Was it a happy ending? A sad ending? I'm not going to tell you that but it was a wrapped up ending. I thought the author did a great job with the whole series and especially in this book when all those details that were spiraling out here and there had to finally find that ending spot where they all came together one last time. It was terrific.
This is a great book and a wonderful series for ages young to half young to young-ish to young at heart. I recommend it.
June 30, 2018
Rexi is still in Camelot trying to put an end to Gwen’s tyrannical rule with Modred helping her in hopes of using the grail to rewrite his own story. Kato is dead, his body now being used by Morte as his host and married/allied with Blanc to take over the world of Story. Dot waked up from a coma in Kansas and is told her life in Story is just her imagination, her name is Dorthy, and to forget her make believe dreaming. She meets another ward of the hospital, John, who is strangely familiar, cynical, distant, and set on protecting her, even if he can’t see what it’s from or what she claims is hunting her. Rexi struggles with the fate of Story as Hydra guides her and Modred through the three trials to reach the wishing well and hopefully reconnect with Dot, but the trials aren’t just dangerous, but a false answer is fatal. Dot must embrace her role as a storymaker and give up on her dreams of returning to Story for the happily-ever-after she wanted if the world of Story and Rexi are to survive.
The final book in the Storymaker series, Besty Schow wraps up the tale of Kato, Dot, and Rexi. The narrative switches between the two views of Dot in Kansas and Rexi in the world of Story. Kato doesn’t play as big of a role in this book, Modred taking his place, though Kato’s character is still important and influential. Developing the character of Modred was an interesting move, going from the background of being a villain in King Arthur tales to an understandable guy fighting for what he believes in with Rexi drives home the point that fairytales are told from the victor’s standpoint. Arielle DeLisle narrated the series well. Overall, it’s a decent close to a series. The reader is left with several loose ends and aren’t given the “and they lived happily ever after” storybook ending, reinforcing the running theme that the winner tells the story their way and you have to work to find your happy ending.
The final book in the Storymaker series, Besty Schow wraps up the tale of Kato, Dot, and Rexi. The narrative switches between the two views of Dot in Kansas and Rexi in the world of Story. Kato doesn’t play as big of a role in this book, Modred taking his place, though Kato’s character is still important and influential. Developing the character of Modred was an interesting move, going from the background of being a villain in King Arthur tales to an understandable guy fighting for what he believes in with Rexi drives home the point that fairytales are told from the victor’s standpoint. Arielle DeLisle narrated the series well. Overall, it’s a decent close to a series. The reader is left with several loose ends and aren’t given the “and they lived happily ever after” storybook ending, reinforcing the running theme that the winner tells the story their way and you have to work to find your happy ending.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 24, 2018
Banished is the final book in the story maker series.
Dorthea has been banished to Kansas. But she has also been reunited with her parents and then meets a boys remarkable like Kato who isn't. Meanwhile Rexi is back in Booklandia and is now King of Camelot. She has to pretend to be a boy, figure out a way to defeat Blanc, and rescue Kato.
This book is definitely not my favorite of the series.
It is different from the first two books in narrative pattern. The first book was told from the perspective of Dorthea. The second book was told from the perspective of Rexi. The final book is a combination of both Dorothea and Rexi's's point of views. While I liked the Rexi story, I found the Dorthea portion of the story confusing, slow, and weird. There were just too many coincidences and things that happened that pushed my ability to let go of reality. I found myself thinking "yeah right... Like that would actually happen" several times.
Although I did enjoy Rexi's story much more, it didn't go the way I was expecting it to go at all but that isn't necessarily a bad thing. However, I didn't expect her to have to go on a meaningless quest through a random cave to get to a unknown well, that wasn't actually a well that had nothing to do with nothing. It was just some weird trickery to get to Blanc. So bizarre.
Finally, the ending was kind of unhappy for me and actually kind of hypocritical. Dorthea is sent to Kansas so she can write her own story. But Blanc, who only wants to go to Kansas to change her story is denied that right. I mean granted Blanc is a crazy maniac that wants to drowned the whole world but still....
The book just felt so rushed and confusing. It could have been a bit more thoughtfully planned out and organized.
PG-13 Violence
Dorthea has been banished to Kansas. But she has also been reunited with her parents and then meets a boys remarkable like Kato who isn't. Meanwhile Rexi is back in Booklandia and is now King of Camelot. She has to pretend to be a boy, figure out a way to defeat Blanc, and rescue Kato.
This book is definitely not my favorite of the series.
It is different from the first two books in narrative pattern. The first book was told from the perspective of Dorthea. The second book was told from the perspective of Rexi. The final book is a combination of both Dorothea and Rexi's's point of views. While I liked the Rexi story, I found the Dorthea portion of the story confusing, slow, and weird. There were just too many coincidences and things that happened that pushed my ability to let go of reality. I found myself thinking "yeah right... Like that would actually happen" several times.
Although I did enjoy Rexi's story much more, it didn't go the way I was expecting it to go at all but that isn't necessarily a bad thing. However, I didn't expect her to have to go on a meaningless quest through a random cave to get to a unknown well, that wasn't actually a well that had nothing to do with nothing. It was just some weird trickery to get to Blanc. So bizarre.
Finally, the ending was kind of unhappy for me and actually kind of hypocritical. Dorthea is sent to Kansas so she can write her own story. But Blanc, who only wants to go to Kansas to change her story is denied that right. I mean granted Blanc is a crazy maniac that wants to drowned the whole world but still....
The book just felt so rushed and confusing. It could have been a bit more thoughtfully planned out and organized.
PG-13 Violence
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