The first book I ever read by Catherynne M Valente was The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland In A Ship Of Her Own Making, the first book in this series. I have loved getting to know September, her friends, going on adventures with them, and seeing all the wonders of Fairyland. It’s sad to see the end of this series, but it really couldn’t have ended better.
The book starts with September as queen of Fairyland, determined to no longer be queen at least until it looks like the title is about to be taken from her. The Cantankerous Derby begins and she, along with her team, have to hunt down the heart of Fairyland so she can keep her crown.
September spends a great deal of the story unsure of what she wants at the end of this. She doesn’t want to be queen, there are too many rules for things she has to do and there’s always someone trying to take the crown. But she admits, she would probably be a good queen and she certainly doesn’t want to let any of these other tyrants who have had their turn with the crown get let in charge again.
If she loses she’ll get to go home and see her family who have been missing her since she hasn’t returned for a long time, but Saturday and A-through-L, and all her other loved ones in Fairyland will miss her. Sure, she’d be back for moments, like she was before, but if she wins the crown she’ll stay in Fairyland with them and they won’t have to be without each other again.
Catherynne M Valente does a truly fantastic job of creating an energetic and silly kind of story, with towns that have opinions and magic that can turn even state capitals into powerful spells, that really tugs on your heart strings. I spent so much of the story anxious about poor Saturday and how things were going to settle at the ending.
I won’t spoil it, but the ending is just perfect. I had so many ideas of what the ending was going to look like. By the halfway point of the book I was so sure I knew how the last few pages would go, but now. Valente is a master of creating a twist that feels so natural that it makes me wonder how I could have possibly imagined anything different happening. The ending is so perfect and so exactly right, I just love it so much.
This is a middle grade series, but it’s such a fun ride that I really think anyone would enjoy it.
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Charlotte Tracey | Kofi
Charlotte L Tracey 