REVIEW: How to Summon a Fairy Godmother (Fairies and Familiars Book 1) by Laura J. Mayo
If a fairy godmother can get one sister into a marriage, getting another out of one should be easy…
Lady Theodosia Balfour has certainly gotten the short end of the stick—her stepsister, the newly crowned Princess Beatrice, is telling everyone in polite society that Theo, her sister, and their mother are evil, wicked, and horrid people who treated her like a slave. Though Theo knows this isn’t exactly true, it seems her life is thoroughly ruined by the rumor. With the Balfour family estate on the verge of bankruptcy, Theo’s only path forward is a forced betrothal to the Duke of Snowbell, a foul-tempered geezer who wishes only to use her as a brood mare for spare heirs.
Desperate for help, Theo clings to the only thing that might save her: the rumor of a fairy godmother, one that supposedly helped her stepsister secure a prince. After discovering a way to summon a fairy in Beatrice’s old room, Theo thinks her prayers have been answered. But the fairy she meets isn’t at all what she imagined. Drop-dead gorgeous, incredibly cunning, and slightly devious, Cecily of the Ash Fairies is much more interested in gathering powerful favors and smoking her pipe than providing charitable magic for humans in a bind.
Before she receives magical assistance, Cecily sets Theo to three tasks, seemingly to prove that Theo is a selfless and kind person. Helping her along the way are Cecily’s familiars, the flirty human-turned-mockingbird Phineas and the aloof Kasra, a fox shapeshifter who should not be as handsome as he is for someone with such cutting remarks. As Theo works on her tasks, she shockingly finds kinship with the magical creatures she’s helping, and starts to wonder if a continued life among her human peers is what she really wants after all.
CW –
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Dear Ms. Mayo,
Vavoom – what a cover. I knew I wanted to read this book based on that alone before even reading the blurb. I’m discovering that I enjoy a good script flipping/retelling especially if, as in this case, it takes a character I disliked and turns that person into someone I’m rooting for all the way. Part of the title (which I removed for space) promises a “laugh out loud Fairytale what-if.” There is some of that but I do wish the initial snark had continued a bit beyond where it mostly fizzled out.
Theo and her sister Flo are stepsisters of Beatrice who appeared at a ball, caught the eye of a Prince, married him and is now living her best life at the Palace. Theo, Flo, and their mother, however, are not living well. Theo and Flo are those stepsisters – the evil, wicked ones who persecuted Bea after Bea’s father died leaving a household of women who all had no idea how to run an estate. Now Theo, Flo, and their mother are running out of time before the creditors descend. Flo’s got a beau but Theo’s mother snags her one, a Duke even!
When Theo realizes what she’s in for, she baulks and thinks back to what she found in Bea’s old room then decides to try and escape. But to do so, she must make a bargain with a fairy and a fairy never does anything without there being a price to be paid.
For the first part of the story, Theo is not a nice person. Neither is Flo and their mother is a piece of work but Theo is the focus here and no, she’s no angel and at times she was a bully. But as the book progresses, we begin to see some shades and layers to Theo’s character. When Theo makes her bargain with Cecily of the Ash Fairies, she goes into it with her eyes open and not expecting miracles. She’s not looking for a love match, only to escape from a lifetime – and the negatives would follow her for a lifetime – of humiliation, sadness, and vindictive behavior from others.
The three tasks that Cecily sets for Theo to accomplish aren’t easy but then Cecily tells Theo that these are to prove that Theo is not the person people think she is. Yes, these are challenging but they’re doable and in the end, Theo will have rehabbed her reputation and Cecily will have gotten three things that she wants. Still, bargains are always a bit of a two way street, magic-wise.
I have to love the way Theo throws herself into pulling off the challenges set for her. She’s often a little unsure of what she’s going to do but she uses her brains, her talent for standing her ground, and throws in some serious chutzpah to get things done. Even the fairies and their familiars seem impressed. Theo starts to feel good about herself and what she can get done. She even spends an evening doing what she loves, among fairies who appreciate her talent.
The last task seems as if it will be the easiest, at first, but in reality it’s the one that is going to spill all the beans and bring everything into the open. Choices are made, bargains are kept, redemption is achieved. I have to say that the finale of the task is one that I both like and dislike. It shows real character growth, understanding, and self discovery. We’ve been watching Theo become a better person, after she became a bad person due in part to how she was treated. Then she makes a decision and
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After this, Theo does something I admire for someone else which shows that she really has learned from all of this. Then she gets
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~Jayne
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