{"id":120909,"date":"2025-03-08T22:41:59","date_gmt":"2025-03-08T22:41:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/peraltafinancing.com\/entertainment\/books\/the-witch-in-the-woods-michaelbrent-collings-bookshine-and-readbows\/"},"modified":"2025-03-08T22:41:59","modified_gmt":"2025-03-08T22:41:59","slug":"the-witch-in-the-woods-michaelbrent-collings-bookshine-and-readbows","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=120909","title":{"rendered":"The Witch in the Woods \u2013 Michaelbrent Collings \u2013 Bookshine And Readbows"},"content":{"rendered":"


\n<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n


*I received a free copy of this book, with thanks to the author. The decision to review and my opinions are my own.*<\/strong><\/p>\n

Blurb: Willow and Jake have done the impossible: by saving Hansel and Gretel from the witch in the woods, they brought the first \u201chappily ever after\u201d to Grimmworld. But in the real world, their father is still missing, and the boundary between universes has grown even more fragile.<\/em><\/p>\n

\n
\"Book<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Determined to reunite their fractured family, the twins return to Grimmworld to find their dad, their great-to-the-tenth-power grandfather, and the perpetually befuddled, acorn-loving, naked mole rat, Chet. But Grimmworld is a treacherous place, and soon, Willow and Jake are captured by fairies, who are less innocent and more dangerous than expected, and forced to make an impossible choice: Steal the golden claw of the Wolf King and return it to the fairy queen in exchange for information about their father, or refuse and become the fairies\u2019 eternal, soulless slaves. But to steal the Wolf King\u2019s claw, Jake and Willow will have to undergo the Wolf Trials, a perilous series of tests and traps that will push the twins to their limits and beyond.<\/em><\/p>\n

It will take Willow\u2019s strength, Jake\u2019s intellect, and the love and friendship they share\u2014and maybe a few treats from Red Riding Hood\u2019s magical basket\u2014to defeat the Big Bad Wolf, find the next clue to their father\u2019s whereabouts, and perhaps even bring another \u201chappily ever after\u201d to Grimmworld.<\/em><\/p>\n

I loved the first book<\/a> in this middle-grade fantasy adventure series and this second book was better still! I would definitely suggest reading them in order though, as there is backstory about main characters Jake and Willow (and their family and friends) that you won\u2019t want to miss.<\/p>\n

In this story, the twins find themselves back in Grimmworld and facing evil fairies and big bad Wolfs, but their missing father has caused problems in Jake and Willow\u2019s close relationships with each other, their magic seems to have dissipated and they are struggling to work as a team like they did before.<\/p>\n

Yet again, Michaelbrent Collings has perfectly blended traditional folk- and fairy-tale tropes and characters into something completely new and unique, but still with the dark edges of the older source materials. The Wolf pack is wonderfully imagined and the challenges the twins face there are both exciting and satisfying, with some great messaging about dealing with our emotions and with other people\u2019s behaviour hidden beneath a fantastic fantasy cloak.<\/p>\n

This series is perfect for middle-grade fantasy readers (either independently or read together) and I can confirm that as an adult reader, I am thoroughly enjoying it too. I should just warn you that, as before, the story isn\u2019t all neatly wrapped up here, with questions remaining unanswered to lead us into the final instalment of the trilogy \u2013 due 2026 \u2013 I can\u2019t wait! <\/p>\n

\n

What happens after<\/em> \u201cthe end\u201d?
With stories, that\u2019s easy to answer: nothing. The tale is done, the happily ever after has been achieved, the book is closed. In the world of the story, everything simply\u2026 stops<\/em>.
But what about our<\/em> world?
In this world, the answer is more complicated. Endings are often difficult to spot, especially since many of them just look like new beginnings, one after another, until they all swirl together and years have gone by and you barely noticed that the story called \u201cBack When I Was a Child\u201d is over and the story called \u201cGrowing Up Is Hard\u201d has somehow begun.
In the real world, \u201cthe end\u201d can be followed by anything\u2014or nothing\u2014at all.<\/p>\n

\u2013 Michaelbrent Collings, Grimmworld: The Big Bad Wolf<\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Purchase Link: Grimmworld: The Big Bad Wolf<\/em> on Amazon<\/a><\/h3>\n

About the author<\/strong><\/p>\n

Michaelbrent Collings is an internationally bestselling novelist, produced screenwriter, and speaker.<\/p>\n

Michaelbrent has also received critical acclaim: he is the only person who has ever been a finalist for a Bram Stoker Award (twice), a Dragon Award (twice), and a RONE Award, and he and his work have been reviewed or featured on everything from\u00a0Publishers Weekly<\/em>\u00a0to\u00a0Scream Magazine<\/em>\u00a0to NPR.<\/p>\n

An engaging and entertaining speaker, he is also a frequent guest at comic cons and on writing podcasts like\u00a0Six figure Authors<\/em>,\u00a0The Creative Penn<\/em>,\u00a0Writing Excuses<\/em>, and others, and is a mental health advocate, TEDx speaker, and the creator of the writing instruction platform Bestseller Life.<\/p>\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Website:<\/strong> https:\/\/writteninsomnia.com\/<\/a>
Facebook:<\/strong> https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/MichaelbrentCollings<\/a>
Twitter:<\/strong> https:\/\/twitter.com\/mbcollings<\/a>
Instagram:<\/strong> https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/therealmichaelbrentcollings<\/a>
YouTube:<\/strong> https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/michaelbrentcollingsauthor<\/a><\/p>\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n