The Piper's Promise

Sisters Ever After #3

by Leah Cypess

The third book in the Sisters Ever After series of fairy tale retellings, this is the thrilling story of the Pied Piper’s little sister, Clare, who is determined to uncover the truth behind her brother’s seemingly cruel actions.

Clare's brother, Tom, also known as the pied piper, has stolen away the children of Hamelin. But Clare knows that’s only half the story. Tom isn’t the easiest person to love, but she’s certain that he couldn’t be so cruel. There has to be a good reason why he stole the Fae Queen’s magic pipe and led the children to a faraway land, never to be seen again.

Together with Anna, the mayor of Hamelin’s daughter, Clare embarks on a journey into the Faerie Realms. In order to succeed, she will have to dodge faerie traps and stay out of the evil Rat Prince's claws. Only she can save the children of Hamelin and clear her brother's name.

But who will she have to betray to do it?

Genres: Fantasy, Middle Grade, Fairy Tales, Retellings, Childrens, Mystery

304 pages, Hardcover

First published April 18, 2023

About the author

I wrote my first story in first grade. The narrator was an ice-cream cone in the process of being eaten. In fourth grade, I wrote my first book, about a girl who gets shipwrecked on a desert island with her faithful and heroic dog (a rip-off of both The Black Stallion and all the Lassie movies, very impressive).

After selling my first story (Temple of Stone) while in high school, I gave in to my mother’s importuning to be practical and majored in biology at Brooklyn College. I then went to Columbia Law School and practiced law for almost two years at a large law firm in New York City. I kept writing and submitting in my spare time, and finally, a mere 15 years after my first short story acceptance, I sold my first novel to Greenwillow Books (HarperCollins).

I live in Silver Spring, Maryland (right outside of Washington, D.C.) with my husband and four children.

Reviews

[Carrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Piper’s Promise by Leah Cypess is the third book in the middle grade fantasy Sisters Ever After series. The books in the Sisters Ever After series are all retellings of fairy tales with each book bringing a new story done in a new and creative way of being told from a sibling of someone in the original tales. Each of these books can be read in any order or as a standalone if choosing to do so.

This third book of the series is a retelling of the Pied Piper fairy tale with this new story being told from the Pied Piper’s little sister, Clare. Clare is determined to figure out just what is going on in the small town of Hamelin when she finds out that her brother has been accused of stealing the town’s children away. Clare knows this isn’t the actions of the brother she knows, the one that protects her over anything else.

Clare learns that her brother used the Fae Queen’s magic pipe to lure Hamelin’s children away so that is where she must begin investigating. With the help of Anna, the mayor of Hamelin’s daughter, Clare ventures into the Faerie Realms and follows what she believes is the path that will lead to her brother and the missing children.

I’ve said it before but I’ll say it again, yes I know I’m a little (a lot) older than who is meant to be reading middle grade novels. Heck, I was probably too old for them by the time I did hit middle grade all those decades ago. But that being said I just love a good story and don’t really care if it is marketed for me or not so being a fan of fairy tales I was curious when I first noticed the series and dove right in. So far I have thoroughly enjoyed each tale and The Piper’s Promise was no exception. I definitely recommend picking up this book along with the other’s in the Sister’s Ever After series if you enjoy and exciting new twist on the old classics.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Pied Piper fairy tale is weird and fascinating and frankly does not get enough attention. Just think about it: someone charmed away the rats of this town with a FLUTE, and then they dared not pay him, so he took their children . . . where?! As a kid I loved Gloria Skurzynski's What Happened in Hamelin (if you can find a copy, enjoy!) which put a historical fiction spin on it. So I was very excited to be offered an advance look at this new version, and I was NOT disappointed!

Instead of going the realistic root that many fairy tale retellings take, Cypess has added even more magic. A fairy queen, a secret realm, lost children wandering among the fae. There is magic aplenty, as well as mystery, and an ending that surprised me. This book deals with the aftermath, with the why the children were really taken, and what the piper was going to do with them, all questions I have always had about this story!

[Lydia · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was a really good book, I loved most of the main characters and who ever is reading this, you should read this book!

[Carolina Colleene · Rating 3 out of 5]

Language: G (0 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG; Violence: PG
While living in the Realm with the fae, over a hundred years have gone by in the human world when Clare (11yo) crosses the boundary again. Clare is looking for her brother, Tom, who hasn't come back from his latest mission for the fae queen. She has heard rumors of Tom kidnapping children, but that can’t be right—and Clare is going to prove it.
Fairy tale retellings are always fun, and I enjoyed Clare’s story based on the lesser-known tale of The Pied Piper. Cypess uses common fae lore with her own spin on it, makes several lying characters dance around each other, and adds small details that hint at their involvement in other loved fairy tales. Overall, this magical story is about the sacrifices we make for those we love.
Clare and Tom are depicted as White on the cover. The mature content rating is for kidnapping, and the violence rating is for mentions of drowning and some fantasy fighting scenes.
Reviewed for https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/

[Kayla · Rating 5 out of 5]

I haven’t read a lot of fantasy lately partly because rom coms are just too addicting :) But The Piper’s Promise reminded me why I loved fantasy so much! The worldbuilding in this book was just amazing, and I felt like I was with the characters.
The Piper’s Promise is a retelling of the Pied Piper fairy tale from his sister’s perspective. Clare knows who her brother is, and while he has been around fae all his life, he is not fae. He can still love, and he would never just steal children away. So with Anna, the mayor of Hamlin’s daughter, she goes to find him and save the children of Hamlin. But who exactly will she find her brother or another cruel fae?
I loved Clare so much! She had always relied on her brother, and a part of her believed that she needed him to survive. I loved watching her grow into herself and choose to love. Clare has been in the fae world since she was a baby, and the fae don’t love. So she had to choose whether she wanted to be fae or be human.
And her relationship with Tom, her brother, was wonderfully done. I don’t want to give everything away, but this sibling relationship gave me all the feels. I love books where siblings actually love each other, and you could see the love Clare and Tom had for each other. But they had to overcome all obstacles in order to find each other.
I loved the adventure in this book! And seeing the different sides of the fae world. There are some creepier moments because they have to fight off rats, but overall this is a very clean read. I would totally recommend this book to any fairytale lovers! It is part of a series, but I haven’t read the other books, and I still loved this one :)

Highlights:

Adorable sibling relationship
Conventional family values
No romance!
Strong heroine
Kept me guessing
Couldn’t put it down
Wonderful world building
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the publisher through Netgalley. All views expressed are only my honest opinion, a positive review was not required.

[Fifi’s Bookshelf · Rating 3 out of 5]

This middle grade fairytale series is just so cute and wholesome! The covers are absolutely adorable adorable, reminding me of the Disney Princess fairytale movie covers (this one especially reminds me of Tangled). This kind of reminded me of the old Gail Carson Levine middle grade fairytales that were super popular back in the day (the type of hype that fairytales deserve to have today tbh). It felt really nostalgic!

The world building is so whimsical and adorable. It kind of reminds me of Ella Enchanted, with lots of fairies and magic. Unlike the two previous installments focusing a princess and giving us a peak at royal life, this book takes place in the village of Hamlin and the fairy realm. Instead of the princess of a kingdom, this is about the princess of the fairy realm. The narration was super adorable and I know that younger readers would absolutely LOVE this read. Even older readers like myself would enjoy this if you also love fairytales, because while it is middle grade, the narration isn’t overly young in an annoying way.

This wasn’t the best middle grade fairytale I’ve ever read, but it was whimsical and adorable. This series kind of has the same vibe as Once Upon a Marigold, Tuesday’s at the Castle, The Wide Awake Princess, or Ella Enchanted.

Thank you to Delacorte Press for sending me an advanced copy in return for my honest review.

[Lizz Axnick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Of all the fairy tales, I am not deeply familiar with The Pied Piper as I am with say the princess fairy tales (the Grimm and the Disney). The book held my interest but comparing this to Cypess' second book, Glass Slippers, it didn't leave me with the same awestruck feeling that I had when I finished that book.

So the story goes that the Pied Piper led the rats out of Hamelin and then when he didn't get paid he took Hamelin's children too. The book starts the same, except that the Piper, Tom, has a sister, Clare, who is determined to right his wrong of taking the children. Clare finds herself caught up in a nefarious plot between the Mayor of Hamelin, her dear brother, the rat prince and the Faerie Queen. Faerie lore dictates that faeries can't lie and that one must never bargain with them as there is always a trick involved. This proves true once again in this story.

I do think younger readers with active imaginations may find the rats a bit scary, especially given the size (think the R.O.U.S.s from The Princess Bride). However, even with the sinister plot this is still one of the tamer re-tellings I have read. I eagerly look forward to these releases and I can't wait for the next one.

My thanks to Netgalley and Delacorte Press for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Jessie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I haven't read the other books in the Sister's Ever After series, I just jumped in on this one, because it's not often that I see retellings of the Pied Piper story. I can say with confidence that these books can be read independently.

This story takes place after the Pied Piper, Tom, has led the children off from the village of Hamelin. Tom's little sister hears about this and is horrified! She and her brother were humans, adopted by fairies. She can't understand how he could steal so many humans and bring them into the fairy realm. Why would he do that? She goes on a quest to find her brother, and return the human children to their parents.

Her mission will test her courage, her loyalty, and her resourcefulness. This was a story of growth and adventure. It showed the beautiful and treacherous parts to the fairy realm, and some of the dangers of the human world as well. Clare has to discover her own strength and who she really is inside. Is she more human or fairy? Where should her loyalties lie?

This was a fun middle grade fiction novel. A lot of good versus evil, a winding adventure through two worlds, and complicated characters.

I would recommend this book for 9-12 year olds.

[Allie Genia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my first introduction to the Sisters Ever After series - what a great idea, this was a lot of fun. In this story, Clare is the younger sister of the Pied Piper of Hamlin, Tom. She's on a mission to find out why he's stolen the children of Hamlin, and what she finds will change her world forever.

This was a fun read! It's going to be great for kiddos who like mystery and magic. The story was generally pretty accessible and was a fun way to retell the story of the Pied Piper in a way readers likely haven't encountered before. More sensitive kiddos might have trouble with depictions of physical violence and scary situations, but overall this will suit a lot of patrons who enjoy middle-grade books.

My only note about this is that all of the characters read as white. Cypress doesn't describe the characters really in detail, letting the reader fall into the default of white. The cover images of this and all of her books so far imply the same. This isn't a dealbreaker and many kids will likely still enjoy this story and the series it comes from, but it is something to point out for those of us that have a lot of patrons from marginalized backgrounds.

[J · Rating 3 out of 5]

not bad

The books don’t build on each other but instead just draw on one specific fairy tale and add little notes of others throughout but don’t go along with the other Sisters Ever After stories. Like this one mentions the glass slippers from Cinderella but in this her brother gave them to her as something magical and someone steals them to go to a ball.

Overall this was okay. Her brother loved her but had no love for anyone or anything else… but how can that be? Can someone really only just love one person and nothing else in the world even if they are fae? I knew that he had bargained for her as soon as he mentioned a bargain. I knew that Anna knew that her father had hidden children as soon as she was cut off from finishing her sentence.

It was good to find out that her brother was okay at the end but I would have also liked to know that Per was okay and what his full name was. I guess I was disappointed her brother went back instead of staying human in the human world with her.

[Marsha · Rating 4 out of 5]

This retake on the tale of the Pied Piper of Hamelin is even more twisted than the original. Human desperation turns to manipulation, favoritism and deceit. Familial ties are strained to the limit as Clare embarks on a quest to find her brother who is becoming less and less human as time passes.

Clare wishes to believe the best of her brother. She keeps telling herself that her Tom couldn’t have kidnapped a whole town’s children and, if he did, there must be a good reason for it. In this tale, we have an intrepid if delusional heroine using every bit of cunning at her command. She makes mistakes; she doesn’t see that her brother isn’t the only one deceiving her; she might be trusting the wrong person. But Clare clings fiercely to her humanity even when using fae magic and dealing with the fairy queen.

If you like strong female heroines, a story about familial love instead of typical romances and the reworking of an old fairy tale, this is one to place on your fantasy shelves.

[R2 Ireland · Rating 4 out of 5]

Surprisingly, I think I enjoyed this volume more than the previous ones.
Here is a list of reasons.

!. The Characters
I all the past books, the main characters thought mostly of themselves, and all the others were either their closest(and only) friends, or they were annoying side characters ignored them completely or were always out to get them(coughGilmacough).

2. The Setting
I really liked the description of the Fae Realms. I find it a little dull when the people are in the same place the whole time.(Except Thornwood).

3. The Backstory
Ok, people. EVERYONE EVER who reads AT ALL should know that like 83% of a character's coolness is dependent on their backstory, and this volume actually had some. Not to shabby, either.

4. The Easter Eggs!!
I LOVED how it hinted at the last two books! I LOVE Easter Eggs! LUVITLUVITLUVIT!

Well, that concludes my review, making this the conclusion.
...
OHNO! I'M TERRIBLE AT CONCLUSIONS!!!

._.

[Miss Clark · Rating 3 out of 5]

A retelling of The Pied Piper. Worth checking out!

I tried to smile. "I still need you to keep me safe."

Tom's voice was so low I could barely make out what he said. "Clare. Once I'm fully fae, I won't want to anymore."

"You know what?" I said. "I think you're wrong about that."

His eyes were fathomless pools. "You're what's kept me human, Clare. Once I stop loving you, I'll be just like the rest of them."

"I'm not worried about that," I said. "You'll never stop loving me."

"You know better.... The fae don't love."

I did know that. Which was how I knew my brother would never be fully fae.
But I supposed he'd have to figure that out on his own.

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Pied Piper has stolen the children from Hamelin. Readers may know this fairy tale. What they may not know is that his sister, Clare, is looking for him to save him and the children. Cypess spins quite the story about human relationships and fae ones. The story unfolds with a human, Anna, and a Rat Prince, Per, working together to find the children and Tom. It's an uneasy alliance and they face their share of challenges from each other, the environment, and magic. Part of her Sisters Ever After series.

[Ariel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am not very familiar with the tale of The Pied Piper, but I really liked this book.

This series is one I recommend if you or your kids want to read stories with the fey that is done in a manageable way. This series really introduces the fey in a way that is understandable and digestible for younger readers. This book especially, out of the other books in the series.

Clare and her brother have grown up in the Fey world. Tom is a little bit more familiar and part of this violent world. Clare was very protected by Tom, so she is more able to be part of the human world.

Tom and Clare are close, but they have their differences that become clearer and clearer as the story continues. Tom really is a morally gray character. He is willing to do whatever if it gets him what he wants. It takes Clare some time to realize this. I think this had my favorite sibling relationship, out of all the books I have read in this series. For all their faults, Tom and Clare really do love each other.

Clare was an interesting main character. She was feisty and fun, as well as confused about where she belonged. Throughout the course of the book, she made friends and learned what it meant to be human. When the book started, she was very fey-like.

This book also had Clare working really hard to save her brother. There were many struggles and misunderstandings. This was the one book where the older sibling really had made a big mistake, and the younger one had to fix it/go against them.

There was also a blind character. She wasn’t completely blind, but it was nicely written and good representation.

This book was quite an adventure. It was still very quick-paced, like Thornwood and Glass Slippers but there was more adventure and travelling in this book. It was especially noticeable during these parts how much Clare still needed to learn about the human world.

Again, I am not super familiar with the tale of the Pied Piper, but I think this story answered the question of why he did what he did in a nice and manageable way. The reasoning behind his actions is very thought-provoking.

The Piper’s Promise explores a unique fairytale in a new way. It has fey and magic and tells the story of two siblings doing whatever they can to save the other. Truly a fun read, especially for young fairytale lovers.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

DRC from Edelweiss and Delacorte Press / Penguin Random house
Adventure, magic, and mystery. Tom has stolen the children of Hamelin and Clare is determined to find out why. When she arrives in the small, gray town she is met with suspicion. After she convinces the mayor that she will bring the children back, he sends his daughter Anna with her to make sure she does. Clare and Anna have to fight off traps, the rat prince, and more. Could her brother really be this cruel or is something or someone making him do this?
Fun story that expands on the pied piper tale.

[Laura Slabach · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this title just as much as the others in this series. Cypess has a wonderful way of taking the stories and sticking to them closely while also adding in her own characters and elements. So much fun to see these old stories in a new way. Especially this story which often gets skipped over in the fairy tale line up. Can't wait to see what comes next!

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having not read the first 2 books I thought I’d be lost, but these are more companion books vs a series. Overall I enjoyed this!! I liked the nods to the classic Pied Piper story and the main character was fun to watch. However there are some plot holes and some issues but I highly doubt a kid is going to catch them. Overall a 3.5 stars.

[Ethel Hesslen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was okay. I liked the writing style and characters but the plot could be better---I was a bit bored at times. I'd probably recommend this book but wouldn't think of this all that often when thinking of books to recommend.

[Roxy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was ok. I was kind of confused, because the series is called Sisters Ever After, but it was a brother and a sister, so that doesn't really make any sense. But anyway, I do want to read the one after this, I think it's a retelling of Beauty and the Beast?

[Shaylee Nelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating spin on a highly underrated fairytale, Leah Cypess has a gift for intriguing stories.

[Dale Zweibohmer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the 3rd book in this series. I liked it but took a bit to get into the story. I don't remember much about the original story and will try to read that book again.

[Auryn Maxwell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Probably my favourite of the series so far.

[Kristin Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read with Ladybug. I don't know the story of the Pied Piper. This was interesting and held my attention. Good twist at the end. Not my favorite in this series, though.

[sol · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was good, even though it was sort of confusing and dragged on. This series isn't my favorite, but it's decent.

[PottWab Regional Library]

SM

[Muffin Cat · Rating 2 out of 5]

Really good but the ending was so unsatisfying.............

[Cara (Wilde Book Garden) · Rating 4 out of 5]

CW: Kidnapping and child endangerment

[Froglover · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sibling love 💕

[Micki Hughes-zitar · Rating 3 out of 5]

The pied piper of Hamlin has bewitched the village children and disappeared with them. Well, his sister is determined to find out where they are, why her brother did this, and bring the kids back. But it proves to be difficult…she has the mayors daughter tag along. That’s just the beginning of her troubles. We meet the rat prince and the faerie queen during this adventure! We also find out why the pied piper stole the children!!

This series is so cute! I appreciate that this book was about a fairytale that isn’t as widely known. Each book touches on the main aspects of the fairytale but then there’s added elements that change what we think we know. Characters are added that enhance the story. Plots are added to change how we view the original fairytale. I thoroughly enjoy stories like these!