Catspell
Author: Danyelle Leafty
Self Published as a Serial Novel
Published: in full November 2011. The first third is available now under the name The Fairy Godmother Dilemma
ISBN: 2940012988300
FTC FYI: I received a PDF from the author which did not affect my review
Reviewed by Mindy
Goodreads summary: “Sixteen-year-old Breena never thought anything could be worse than being forced to leave the faerie realm. Then she got stuck with a fairy godmother. But if she has to choose between the two, she’d leave the Faerie Realm over getting bossed about by a faerie with a pointed stick any day. Unfortunately, her attempt to evade her fairy godmother gives her growing pains in the form of fur, whiskers, and a tail.
Turning into a cat is the least of her worries, though. The potion wasn’t meant to bring out her inner feline, it was meant to put her to sleep. Forever. If Breena wants to make it to her Happily Ever After, she’ll have to accept that sometimes a fairy godmother really does come in handy, after all.”
Nerissa is a fairy godmother. She has just returned from helping a DID (Damsel in Distress), and gave her her HEA (Happily Ever After), but she is frustrated.
Because every girl–odd duck or not–wanted a Happily Ever After, complete with the deserving suitor, the crown, and the sunset. And for the life of her, Nerissa couldn’t begin to fathom why. page 6
But such was the life of a fairy godmother. She could help the girls spread their wings, fan their tail feathers, and maybe nudge them off the branch, but is was up to them to fly. She couldn’t do it for them. page 8
To top it off, she isn’t feeling well. So, when she receives the “request” from the Fairy Queen’s pesky fire salamander Frax, to help another DID, Nerissa is less then thrilled. This girl, Breena, is unique. She is a mortal that has been living with the fairies. Long ago, Breena’s mother promised Feylinda her first born child in return for as much fruit as she could carry. Breena’s mother didn’t mention that she had an enchanted basket that could hold as much as she put in. Now, years later, the blossoms are finally starting to return. Feylinda has had the girl for 16 years, and wants to be rid of her by pawning her off to Nerissa. Reluntantly, Nerissa has a new DID, but Breena’s HEA is different. What she wants varies from other DIDs.
This book is darling. There were couple mistakes in a chapter with names, and a few phrases that were repeated a bit, but all and all, I enjoyed it. There are many great characters: Myles the mage in training, Baldemar the Prince on a task from his father the King, and Natter the goblin on a task for her mistress, and lots of pesky cats. Each chapter is told from a character’s point of view. My favorite character was Nerissa. She was written with a clever wit and fun humor. I loved reading what was in her head. I thought having many characters was a great way to help time pass, and the author did that nicely. There are many clever lines, and each character is written well. I loved the end when a character (won’t spoil who) was given a chance for their greatest wish, but chose to help against evil.
4 out of 5 stars. The first third is available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble for .99 cents under the name The Fairy Godmother Dilemma. Find more about Danyelle Leafty on goodreads and her website.