Stars: ****

Once upon a time, in the Kingdom of Illustria…

Roxy lives with her sister, who is a cleaner for the Ministry of Soup, when she discovers a mysterious secret passage which leads her straight to the office of the Minister himself! But, Roxy isn’t alone! There she meets Jones who is looking for something, a book which will help her uncover secrets. Secrets which will help to prove that fairy tales are real.

When Jones ends up leaving behind the book (and her shoe!), Roxy is discovered with it whilst hanging out with the Minister of Soup’s daughter which leads to her being decontaminated and the book being destroyed. So when Jones turns up asking for the book so she can find information, they should have a problem. Luckily for them, Roxy has a photographic memory and is able to crack the code that begins leading them on an adventure…with the help of a fairy godmother, of course.

Right from the first page, this is a fast-paced adventure. Roxy and Jones have an unusual dynamic. Roxy is shy, finds it hard to fit in, whereas Jones is loud and feisty, looking for adventure. Their different personalities help to make the story what it is – they make decisions together which help them both not only on the literal path of where they’re trying to get to, but also the emotional steps towards the people they want to be.

I loved the interwoven magic, as well as references to well known fairy tales throughout the book without it feeling too ‘done’. It is such a fresh, original book which has been inspired by tales we are all familiar with. I really enjoyed the humour throughout too, with the mishaps the girls endure!

Angela has created a fantastic Kingdom which has a mix of tradition and history, with modern twists that felt exciting to discover.

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