So, one of the premises of these books is that the Brother's Grimm didn't just collect fairy tales from an assortment of people through oral tradition and write them down. They were actually told these stories by two fairies: The Fairy Godmother and Mother Goose, both from the Land of Stories. And that they also gave stories to Hans Christian Anderson and other writers around the world so that our world could have and learn from and be delighted by the stories of their world. They noticed that in war-torn countries, the stories would lift the spirits of the children and help them to have an escape.
Anyhow, Connor, now 14 and in high school, is on a field trip experience in Europe with his former teacher/current prinicipal (Mrs. Peters) and several other girls. They visit the cemetery where the brothers Grimm are buried and there is a special reading of three new fairy tales that have never before been read; they had been locked in a vault with specific instructions from the brothers to be opened and read 200 years from the date of sealing. When this happens, there are two stories that are eerily similar to the ones that Connor had written about for school assignments...but the third one is a warning about something bad that is going to happen in the fairy tale world that will also affect our world. Alex has been staying in the Fairy Tale world. Connor is the only one who realizes the warning for what it is and needs to get in touch with his sister. He also has his first crush on a girl who happens to also be on the trip. They communicate through a magic mirror. However, Alex is busy with her own personal life. She too is experiencing her first crush and also has taken on some leadership responsibilities in the fairy tale world.
Mother Goose is also partially responsible for the ill fated events, and so she helps Connor find another portal into the fairy tale world so he can help. However, he inadvertently brings along his crush, Bree, and an unsuspecting local boy in Bavaria. Because the portal is none other than the Neuschwanstein Castle. Yes, "Mad King Ludwig" King of Bavaria's final outlandish castle. Mother Goose tells Connor that since King Ludwig was already known for building castles everywhere, she called in a favor and asked him to have a castle built over an existing portal to look like a fairy tale castle. You see....an army leader found out about the other world and threatened the brothers Grimm and their families if they did not lead them to the other world. They wanted to conquer it for Napoleon. Mother Goose bought the fairy tale world some time by enchanting it to trap the army for 200 years inside the portal before they would be let out. She thought everything would be ok, because at the end of book 2, they had sealed off the portals between the two worlds. But she was also hoping that by 200 years she could find a way for them to just be spit out into the regular world, but arrive at the new castle and they would just THINK they were in the fairy tale world. But of course, it wouldn't be a story if something didn't go wrong!
We also get introduced to yet another villain with a story: The Masked Man. He's far worse than the others have been.....
As I go on in this series, certain things are getting MUCH easier to predict. But it doesn't make it less enjoyable for me at this point.
Another 4.5 stars
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