I liked this book. It touches the edges of several fairy tales, presenting them from the enchantress in training's viewpoint. I'm not sure if we'll revisit some of them later, but I suspect so. It took me a while to become invested in the characters, but I enjoyed it enough to continue on with the next book. ( )

Girl with high potential of "war magic" is subdued by a magical council until another mage prodigy takes her as his apprentice.
The fantasy land incorporates almost all classical fairy tales like sleeping beauty or rumpelstilkin and morphes them in a new story inside this bigger tale.
Nice read. ( )

I have been fond of K.M. Shea since I read the first Timeless Fairy Tales, I loved her take on each fairy tale. They drew me into reading her other series, all of (well most of) I have enjoyed immensely.

Probably like many others, I eagerly longed for Angelique's backstory, and I was excited to see it finally arrived. However, I can't help but feel disappointed in how it all played out. Although I could understand her fear of her core power, her reluctance to try to learn how to control it (and to use the power from it) was all but exasperating and was almost her doom. Her fake sweetness (instead of the ever-present "don't screw with me" attitude that she has in TFT made me want to throw my Kindle across the room. I wanted to see signs of the Angelique we've grown to love. I get it, she didn't want to upset anyone. Well, she upset me!

And Evariste... I can't help but feel, that even though they were close in age, that he was like a lecherous old man lusting after his student. It's not that I have not waited in anticipation over the years to find that there was some kind of romance between them, and I would have welcomed it. However, this was creepy and unsettling. This wasn't a blossoming romance, it was unsettling. His character could have and should have been developed better.

There were bits and pieces I enjoyed of course. Loved Roland, loved their visit with the elves and their meeting with a young Stil, and of course, I loved this early glimpse of Roland (Puss in Boots) and the ending was good. But overall, I just wish the overall story and character development had been better. ( )

Did not finish; I just got bored. This is not the best book by this author. Try her "Elves of Lessa" series, especially books 2 and 3, for something better. ( )