The Twisted Fairy Tale Box Set [Full Series: Books 1-7]: Seven YA Fairytale Retelling Books (Holly Hook's Books Complete Series Boxsets)

Book 1 - Thread & Spool - Thread and Spool is a modern twist on a fairytale written by Holly Hook and this book in my opinion does not disappoint. You are quickly engaged into this story about a girl named Brie who can weave objects into gold. She discovers it while at school in the 4th grade. Just reflecting back on that time and age should make all of us a trifle nostalgic and smile at happier times ourselves. You can almost imagine what she must have felt when this gift/curse chooses this time to show itself. Her “parents” really don’t care for her but when they learn of her gift and see for themselves…well, greed quickly strikes and they move away from her one friend who wanted nothing more than friendship. What Brie doesn’t know is that she’s actually from another world but she’s going to be finding out really soon and in some odd ways that make her disbelieve for a time but there are some things that you just can’t deny. This book is so well written and is a real page turner drawing you in more with each page making you want to know more and more about this new world that she soon finds herself in with a King who wants to rule it all…by using her unique gift. Brie meets some unique characters which is great as this story weaves itself. One is really quick to guess if you’re keen and the other is more of surprise which I loved. There are characters that you will love and characters (other than the King) that you will hate but this book will keep you engaged until the end for sure where it will leave you hoping for another book to come in the near future! I have to say probably my favorite line in this was when Brie is climbing her neighbor’s fence and there is sign that says “Is there life after death? Jump the fence to find out.” I literally laughed out loud at the humor of it especially in light of the situation that our main character finds herself. I’ll say this…if you like fairy tales and are looking for a refreshing twist with some modern thrown in…check out Thread and Spool. I’m willing to bet that you will really enjoy it. Despite a few flaws here and there and some personal preferences of my own of where I would have liked a bit more depth or the characters more shadowed I give this book 4.5 stars out 5. It’s a really good read and I really enjoyed it. ***I received an ARC from the author and my review is totally unbiased and my opinions are solely my own.*** Book 2 - Wolves and Paths Review ***I received an ARC of this book from the author in exchange for my unbiased review of it. The opinions expressed are solely my own and no one else’s.*** Wolves and Paths by Holly Hook is Book 2 in her Twisted Fables series. Wolves and Paths is about…can you guess? If you guessed “Little Red Riding Hood” you’re spot on. But of course Holly Hook gives us a twisted version of that well known tale that we’ve all grown up with. In this story we meet a girl named…Red. She’s 17 and let’s just say…she’s lived a sheltered life. She lives with her grandmother who has raised her. Red isn’t allowed to do much or go to many places because of her grandmother’s strict and often bizarre rules. No camping, no meat, nothing Disney related, no Halloween celebrating, and no going out on a full moon. A dream of Red’s is to go to Disneyland but her grandmother has been adamant…NO! But when Red’s boyfriend gets her tickets to go for her birthday...well…for her it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity. Besides…what’s a little rebellion this ONE time? What Red doesn’t know is that her grandmother has been trying to protect her from an evil that is reaching even now to try and snare her and bring her back to where she REALLY belongs. Her grandmother once again tries to save her from having to fulfill her fate again but as we already know from the previous story…your story follows you no matter what. Now Red has to fulfill her story inorder to save her grandmother or risk losing everything because if she fails…her story falls and the world of Fable will turn even darker. Holly Hook has done a really good job bringing us back to Fable with this story. We even are briefly reunited with familiar characters as well, but keep on mind…only briefly, because this is Red’s story after all. Alric is now in charge and stronger because of all the gold he now possess and we of course meet a couple new characters as well that only draw you in more. One is a character that I personally want to learn more about: Mary, the librarian and then there is the irritating Macon, the “huntsman.” He’s not really much of one in my opinion but he’s all they’ve got. Like Thread and Spool this book has twists and turns. Some you see coming and others catch you off guard but all in all it’s a really enjoyable read that will have you wanting to know who will make it and what will happen in the end and of course leave you wanting more when it’s done. Since I enjoyed Wolves and Paths I’m giving 5 out of 5 stars. It was very well written and thoroughly engaging. I can’t wait to find out what fable Holly will pick next and to see how cleverly she spins it into yet another engaging novel. Book 3 - Frogs and Princes Review ***I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for my unbiased review of it. The opinions stated are solely my own and no one else’s. *** Frogs and Princes by Holly Hook is book 3 in her Twisted Fairy Tales series. In this book we are introduced to Candice who is just girl trying to get through school and wanting to fit in but that’s not easy when your dad is rich. Every keeps looking at her judging her based on that fact alone and it really hurts her. But when the story begins she is in her biology class waiting to do the lab for the day which is supposed to be of them dissecting fetal pigs but the thing is…the pigs are missing. So the teacher decides to substitute the missing pigs for…frogs…live frogs. Of course most of the class is put off by the mere thought of subjecting these animals to what they know will be the torment of being cut open while still alive. Several of the students object to it but one boy in Candice’s class seems conflicted concerning it. Shorty is always all smiles and it bothers people at times but now it’s really bugging Candice but the thing that is really about to get under her skin is when she hears a voice talking to her. One of the frogs is begging her for help…for her to help him escape what he knows will be his death. Without thinking she gets up and dumps the frogs out freeing them and allowing them to scatter in the room. Of course she gets sent to the office by her teacher and Shorty is sent to escort her there. His usually smile and good mood are gone and now he’s in a huge rush to get back to class to catch the frogs which comes off as really weird but things only get weirder from there. The frog that Candice heard talking to her is in her backpack and really wants to make sure that he gets as far away from Shorty as possible. Frogs and Princes is yet another really good rewrite of a fairy tale by Holly Hook. This book is definitely darker than the other two that have preceded it but on a level that makes it all the more engaging and interesting because you can tell at several moments that the story that Candice is part of is in jeopardy of falling…all it takes is one misstep by any in the group. Also, we are giving quite a few twists that definitely will give you a different perspective on the story that we’ve all grown up reading as well. Some what ifs if you will. Like…what if the frog prince was just shy of being evil himself? What if he was someone who would do just about anything to make sure that he gets his way about things regardless of who must be sacrificed? While this is really a good story it doesn’t have as satisfying an ending for me. I was hoping for something a bit more solid that would give us some clue as to what would be potentially happening concerning the main characters at the end but we get more of a cliffhanger. While it is frustrating to a degree it also gives you something to really look forward to for the next story. Thanks to the twists and surprises that were written and woven into this story it really upped it for me and made it even more enjoyable. As with the ones previous to it I definitely recommend this book to anyone who has enjoyed the old fairy tales and is looking for a twist on them that throws them into a different light and gives them something new. There is no need to read the first two books in the series really but it will help you gain some light on certain characters that are mentioned throughout the stories. I give Frogs and Princes 4.5 out of 5 stars. I really enjoyed it and can’t wait to read the next book that is written when it comes out. Book 4 - Towers and Braids ***I received a copy of this book in exchange for my unbiased review of it. The opinions stated are solely my own and no one else’s. *** Towers and Braids by Holly Hook is book 4 in her Twisted Fairy Tales series. In Towers and Braids we are immediately introduced to Rae but instead of living in the world we are familiar with she lives in Fable and is already living out her story unknown to herself. Every day she lives her life high up in her tower waiting for her mother to return from the village with food. Rae has only been outside of her tower once as a small child and it was a terrifying experience for her and she decided she didn’t want to leave again. But one day when she sees falling stars streaking across the sky at sunset and sees one fall into the forest not far from her tower she decides to leave to see it. The falling star is healing the piece of the forest that has been going dark but before it can fully heal it is destroyed. Rae hears her mother talking to another person there in the darkness and quickly returns to the tower before it is known that she was even gone. But she soon learns that she is living a story that has played out over and over again and that if she doesn’t help her story to end the way it should…her kingdom will fall dark and evil will triumph. I really liked this book especially in light of the fact that the story starts off in Fable instead of the real world with the character being forced to come over to Fable through a portal. We get to watch Rae live out her story and have to make decisions that will either help her story end right or will lead to its fall and her kingdom with it. This book has more than a couple of surprises in store which make it all the more engaging and enjoyable. I give this book 4.5 out 5 stars. Book 5 - Poison and Mirrors *** I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my unbiased review. All of the opinions stated are solely my own and no one else’s. *** Poison and Mirrors (A Twisted Fairy Tale #5) by Holly Hook is a story about a girl named Mara and her best friend Sara. Mara is the tough girl and her and her friend Sara live at Haven House. No one really expects much of Sara since she lives there. Her crush Eric barely knows she exists which only goes to bother her more. Then Sara gets in trouble in class because she falls asleep and then she pulls out her dream journal to write down what she can remember what happened in the dream and go over it later. Her teacher demands to talk to her after class when she refuses to give him the journal, then his tie almost strangles him which is just weird. Then other strange things begin to happen and Mara begins to wonder if her friend Sara is out to get her and that this is some sort of twisted fairy tale. This story is number five in the Twisted Fairy Tale series and while it’s not my favorite it is still an enjoyable read. You get to follow along with Mara as she tries to figure out what is going on in her life as all these changes start happening to her. I’ll admit that once you put the pieces together that it’s easy to recognize Snow White in the story but the fun part is figuring out this…who is who? I really like that the author gives us something different with this story which makes it really interesting and unique. Because it just goes to reinforce…nothing is what it seems and sometimes the stories are changed to make sure that only the good are remembered for the good and the evil for the evil when there is so much more dimension to the story than just that. I really enjoyed this book overall and cannot wait for Holly Hook’s next book in this series. If you’ve read her books so far and enjoyed them all then I definitely recommend this book to you. I give this book 4 out of 5 stars. Book 6 - Swans and Silence Swans and Silence is book #6 in Holly Hook's Twisted Fairy Tale series and I have to say that this story does not disappoint. When we begin this story we are immediately introduced to Ignacia and her six brothers who are hiding in the REAL world from their evil stepmother, Annie. Their father has not come back to them in several days now and he should have been back by now. They are beginning to run low on food and gas for the generator but he told them not to leave. Well, they hear knocking at the door and they know that it is not him because he has a key and would just come in. The knocking stops so they think that they are safe but Annie is outside hiding and waiting for the right opportunity to strike and she doesn't have to wait long. Annie captures Ignacia's brothers and puts her curse on them turning them into swans. Her intent is to kill Ignacia but Ignacia manages to escape and soon learns what she must do to save her brothers. Will she be able to do so or will her story fall? I really enjoyed reading this story a lot. Ignacia is a strong character and does what she can inorder to save her brothers. Not many can say that they would be up to the daunting task of creating six shirts out of a specific flower in order to save those that they love but she must. She has a lot to deal with especially when she encounters Macon (epic eye roll). Macon at times appears to be part of the enemy with how he goes on and on. This story jumps back and forth between the real world and Fable which helps add to it. This is a really engaging story that has some really good moments to it as well. I really enjoyed it and cannot wait for the next book in this series. These are very well written with a few spelling errors and similar mistakes throughout but it does nothing to detract from the story itself. Well done.

This is a 7 book set, and as I read them all together, I will review them together. Each book follows a character from a different fairy tale, but at the same time, secondary characters have a story running through all the books. 1, Thread and Spool This follows the girl whose father bragged she could spin straw into gold. But she couldn't and has to make a deal with Rumplestiltskin. The first twist, mentioned in the second sentence, is that she CAN spin just about anything into gold. And in the portal world of Fable, gold = power making her a big target for all the bad guys. A fun introduction to the world of Fable. 2, Wolves and Paths This one follows Red, of Little Red Riding Hood as she tries to rescue her grandmother from the Bad Guy, wolves and the darkness that is rapidly consuming Fable. The biggest twist was a jaw-dropping surprise. 3, Frogs and Princes This is based on the Frog Prince, of course. More secondary and background characters start to show up, along with characters from previous books. The twist is hinted at from the beginning but there are still some big surprises that made this one of my favorites in this series. 4, Towers and Braids Rapunzel. I loved how the theme of this book challenged the black and white, good versus evil concept. It introduces all the gray areas in between. A main point is how the Bad Guy sees his actions. 5, Poison and Mirrors The suspense and action build quickly in this book as the Bad Guy fights to expand his dark influence. I particularly liked how the characters from previous stories start coming together. This also questions the Good/Evil, Dark/Light, black and white view in a wonderfully twisted way. 6, Swans and Silence One of my favorite fairy tales. In this twisted version, more types of magic and magical artifacts play a big part. The other characters try to help, but in the main character's silence, they don't know how. A few little known fairy tales start to pop up. 7, Glass and Death One of the secondary characters has this final story, aided by all the others. They travel to confront the Bad Guy and as they go, they run into several other minor fairy tales, including my favorite, 12 Dancing Princesses. The ending was beautifully satisfying as each character brings different strengths to play. All together, this YA series is very well put together, beautifully written, suspenseful, yet fun to read.

I loved the stories and how they were like sections of one longer story. I loved the character development and the interactions of the characters. When I was a kid I read Grimm's Fairy tales so I knew about the endings and how they were not all happily ever after for some of the characters. The only negative was the periodic incorrect use of English, not from the characters who need to speak as expected, but in the other parts. It especially concerned me that it was written for teens and English needed to be correct.

I would recommend this book to my three daughters and my niece ,it was an awesome set of books . I enjoyed the stories and the way they tied in together a d the different characters became friends. I have no bad comments to share . thank you for being an extraordinary author.

This is well written story .I love the mix of real world and fairytale.The twist and turns.This is an easy read.

I loved the way the land of Fable intertwined with the modern world and kept some of the classics versions of the fairy tales but had a great twist, a new spin and a new story woven in. I loved that characters from the first books kept popping up throughout the whole series. The end did not tie up all the storylines, so I left this series feeling a bit unsatisfied.

I loved the stories and how each one built on and contributed to the others! I only found one fault. That was with the editing. Specifically The grammar. There were many instances where words were misused or mixed up, misspelled or the wrong word was used. This took away from the story because I had to stop to figure out what was actually being said or meant!

The stories pull you in until you can't stop until you read the last one. An imaginative way to bring back the old fairy tales and make them relatable.

Wow! So very different to the usual fairy tails. Absolutely loved it, and with the best ending you could hope for.

This boxed set contains 7 twisted fairy tales set between our world and the land of Fable. The dark side of Fable is growing. An evil wizard tries to make the stories fail, so he can take over each kingdom related to that story. But, the Legends fight back. The Legends are main characters from Grimm’s Fairy Tales. This book is great fun. We follow the Legends while they try to make their stories work, but in a way that is positive for them. Check the tales out. It really is a good read.

I purchased the box set on my kindle. Loved the stories all bar one which I really didn’t enjoy (princess and frog). Every other had me engaged throughout, packed out with adventure and magic. A bit disappointed that there were several spelling mistakes and typos throughout though. Overall a good read and I would reccommend, just a shame about the errors.

Good twist on traditional fairy tales.