not to spoil: “how to survive a fairy bargain” by laura j. mayo

“Like her sister and mother, Merrifall itself seemed to benefit from her absence, moving on as though she’d never been there at all.”

thank you to Laura J. Mayo, Orbit Books, and Net Galley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

🗡️🗡️🗡️🗡️.5/5

a year after Laura J. Mayo’s debut with the first in the A Laugh-Out-Loud Fairytale What-If duology, “How to Summon a Fairy Godmother,” comes the seeming conclusion to Theo and crew’s adventures in the realm of fairies, pixies, and mythial creatures of folklore, “How to Survive a Fairy Bargain.”

alike the first in the duology, HTSAFB takes us on a jaunt through the fairy realm as we find out how becoming a full-time familiar has affected Theo. once again, Theo returns with her sharp wit and blasé demeanor to lead us to find the truth in a millennium long mystery she is at the very center of while she strives to prove to everyone wrong about her. along the way, she may just prove some other things to herself as well.

this second installment brings us a few new characters and some returning favorites. the plot is filled with twists and turns, some that are predictable (in a good way) and some that are jaw-dropping. the aura gives fairytale mixed with a little scooby-do shenanigans and a heavy dash of sass.

i actually hope that Mayo picks up on a new era in Theo’s life or within this world, because while the conclusion was satisfying, i could see a path to even more adventures for Theo and co. i enjoy her fantastically descriptive abilities and i always feel like i can hear the music, hear the little clanks of gemstones, and see the vivid colors and textures of the fabrics of Mayo’s world.

again, i am super grateful to get to read another one of Mayo’s works! can’t see what she dreams up next.