The Land of Stories: Beyond the Kingdoms by Chris Colfer
(Format used for this read: Audiobook)
So here we are with Book 4 of The Land of Stories series.
Yall have listened to me absolutely RAVE about these books AND the author (as actor, singer, writer AND narrator…he’s so multitalented I can NOT EVEN BELIEVE IT) for 3 book reviews now….
Annnndddd that will not be changing in this one.😆
I just freakin’ love this series, book friends.
It’s just so good and magical and fun and heartwarming.
And yall know how I feel about Chris Colfer ❤❤❤❤❤❤ He’s the BESSSSSTTTTTTT.
Let me fill yall in on what Book 4 was about:
“The Masked Man is on the loose in the Land of Stories, and it’s up to Alex and Conner Bailey to stop him…except Alex has been thrown off the Fairy Council, and no one will believe they’re in danger.
With only the help of the ragtag group of Goldilocks, Jack, Red Riding Hood, and Mother Goose and her gander, Lester, the Bailey twins discover the Masked Man’s secret scheme: He possesses a powerful magic potion that turns every book it touches into a portal, and he is recruiting an army of literature’s greatest villains!
So begins a race through the magical Land of Oz, the fantastical world of Neverland, the madness of Wonderland, and beyond. Can Alex and Conner catch up to the Masked Man, or will they be one step behind until it’s too late?
Fairy tales and classic stories collide in the fourth adventure in the bestselling Land of Stories series as the twins travel beyond the kingdoms!”
Confession: I did not even read the summary for this book before I started in on it. Which is unusual for me, but I was just so ready to read it, I just dove right in when it came thru on my Libby app.
I knew it didn’t matter WHAT it said this book was about, because I knew I would read it anyway….finishing this series in it’s entirety is a no brainer for me.
It’s just gonna happen…and it’s gonna be amazing and lovely every single gosh darn book in the series.
Because MAGIC…and FAIRY TALES…and CHRIS COLFER. 😉
Honestly, I’m kinda glad I didn’t read the summary because not knowing ANY SPECK of what was gonna happen made the story THAT MUCH MORE EXCITING!
Sorry yall can’t have the same experience since I just blew it for you by posting the summary up there 😄…but you can live vicariously through me….you’re welcome.
And truth be told, the summaries for these books are always kinda shitty and do not even come CLOSE to showing you the greatness that lies within.
I just ADORE the interconnectedness of this series. The continuity of the story line is great in how it progresses in each and every book.
This series still reminds me a bit of Harry Potter in how as the characters age, the plot gets a little more layered, a little more deep, and a little more dark. This is the 4th book in this series and it is nowhere NEAR the darkness or layered-ness of the 4th HP book (which BTW is my HANDS DOWN fave of the ENTIRE series) but still…the progression from book 1 is still quite pronounced as each book continues.
There are also more romantic vibes in this book….nothing TOO over the top and nothing that takes away from the main plot lines of the story as a whole. (This ain’t no Twilight saga, yall…and after my latest adventure with THAT bullshit that is called literature, I just gotta say PRAISE THE LORDT for that!)
Fun little tidbit: My favvvveee character of the series, the smart assed and fiesty Mother Goose, gets a little love action in this book!
(I still think the way Chris Colfer narrates her raspy voice is utter PERFECTION and adds to her character visualization SO dang much.)
This series is just SO GOOD for lovers of fairy tales. It puts that unique, retold yet familiar twist on the tales we hold close to our young hearts.
While trying to capture their uncle and put a stop to his nefarious deeds, Connor and Alex go back not only into cherished fairy tales, but also into the pages of other beloved children stories like Wizard of Oz and Peter Pan. You’re in for another adventure filled mission, reminiscent of their quest in the first book.
It is evident the author did his research making sure all the details of these stories were accurate to the original writings…but it’s also quite obvious that he was also very influenced by Hollywood/Disney version of these tales as well.
The voices he used for the characters were SOOOOOOO similar to the ones I heard when I saw them on screen. But I thought that just added a fun spark of nostalgia and only enhanced the story for me.
Lots of surprises await in these pages yet again… I don’t want to give any type of spoiler AT ALL so that is all I’ll say about it. The author sets everything up SO perfectly for the very next book just like he does in all the others.
And I CAN”T WAIT to keep on reading…just like the others.
This book is NOT a stand alone book so don’t even try to read this if you haven’t read all the others . You’ll be totally lost AF and won’t have the level of enjoyment you should have when you read it.
Actually, none of the other books EXCEPT the very first in this series could be a stand alone. But if YA magical fantasy novels are your jam and you go read the first one, there is no reason at all that you won’t want to keep going.
Love love love this book, this series and this author.