Not every fairytale ends happily ever after
Roxy lives in the kingdom of Illustria. Nothing exciting ever happens there, or so Roxy reckons when she moves in with her big sister Gretel who is a clear at the Ministry Of Soup. Then Roxy finds the secret tunnels beneath the bathroom where she bumps into Jones. Jones in on the hunt for a forbidden book – but when it accidentally ends up in Roxy’s hands, she can’t see anything contriversial about the book at all. Actually, it is the most boring thing she has ever read.
Then Jones explains. It is actually a book of magic, but nobody remembers magical at all because of the false memory enchantment. Once upon a time, Illustria was known as Diabolica. Terrible dark magic ruled the land … and it just so happens that a very scary someone wants to bring it back.
Oh. And fairytales are real. And they don’t all end happily ever after like in the books.
Hands up who loves a fairytale retelling? I was delighted by this world of magical mirrors and spell books. Mix panto with gripping middle-grade fantasy and this is the result. The storylines are watertight, but some of the side characters are so over the top – in the best way – that the temptation to shout she’s behind you was great. There’s Bellissima, the evil stepmother from Snow White who just so happens to be the most diabolical villain of them all. (As someone who remains petrified of the Disney version of the fairytale this spoke to me. That scene where she rows down the river still chills me to the core.) Fighting for the good there is Frankie, AKA Francesca, AKA the most gloriously camp fairy godmother seen in children’s fiction.
The story of dark magic waiting to return has been popular over the last decade – perhaps because the need to challenge hate and pejudice has become increasingly relevant. Roxy & Jones adds a whole dash of fun, and explores this narrative in a world of well-known fairytales. The pair find themselves on the trail of a magical stone and, through no fault of their own, it falls to them to save the kingdom.
Shy, naive Roxy and savvy but cagey Jones make an excellent duo. With Jones’s daring and Roxy’s brains there’s nothing the pair can’t do. Both characters have fascinating backstories, with a clever trail of clues thrown into the text about their histories.
Compelling plot meets witty worldbuilding to create a fairytale fantasy. The perfect story for anyone who wants to mix big bad villains with true laughter.
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Roxy & Jones – The Great Fairytale Cover-Up is available now from Walker Books. RRP £6.99. (Provided for review).
