Less Than Charming

Gr 9 Up—When the first story was told by humans gathered around a fire, they created much more than an oral tradition. The entire world of this work functions beyond those flames and is filled with all the fully realized characters ever imagined. Sophia, the youngest of the 12 dancing princesses, has eked out a life for herself as an investigative journalist. When she suspects some embezzlement by the Charming family, she takes on a story to cover the upcoming ball while secretly trying to uncover some wrongdoing by the royals. Sophia breezes into Central Hearth City, bumping into her ex, Jack the Giantkiller, along the way. When the gods of this imaginary universe, the Storyteller and First Character, conscript Sophia into their service, she's swept into a web of cover-ups so entangled that they have changed the very stories that helped shape the world and threaten to tear apart the very fabric of imagination. The initial world-building makes the story a little slow to start, but midway through the third chapter, readers will be fully engaged. Profanity peppered throughout sometimes feel forced and the dialogue isn't always effortless, but those issues aside, it's an intriguing read. Perhaps most important for teens, the sexual tension between Sophia and Jack is palpable. The many mentioned lands in this universe should lead to more entries in the planned "Mark of the Storyteller" series.