The Land of Stories: A Grimm Warning

Author: Chris Colfer Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers ISBN: 9780316406819

THIS book is the third instalment from the former Glee star’s The Land of Stories series.

It still follows teenage twins Alex and Connor, who are leading separate lives after their previous adventures.

It’s easy to get back into the perspectives of each sibling – even if you didn’t read the first two – as Colfer helpfully reminds the reader that Connor is back in the human world, while his sister Alex remained in the Land of Stories, after defeating the evil empress.

Alex, who is still getting used to magic, is acting as apprentice to their fairy-godmother grandmother, who hopes to pass on the magical title to Alex.

Meanwhile, Connor is bound for a school trip to Germany, where two never-before-seen stories from the Brothers Grimm will be revealed.

As events simultaneously take place on either side of the realm, Connor must decide if he will let a girl he has a crush on join him on the dangerous adventure of warning Alex and the magic world of an impending 200-yearold threat.

You never really actually outgrow fairy tales. Perhaps it’s because of the clearcut notions of good versus bad, staple themes that can be found in Colfer’s book.

However, the actor and author manages to give a contemporary spin to the trope, where the lines are slightly blurred, and the twins realise that differences in the Land of Stories must be put aside to save what matters most.

The book is geared towards a younger audience, but again, the familiarity of picking up a fairy tale can entice young adults to experience a dose of nostalgia.

Colfer’s mix of his own imagination and inspiration from well-known Brothers Grimm stories certainly makes A Grimm Warning an enjoyable and easy read. – Marion Fernando