Secret North (The Wishes Series #4) - GJ Walker-Smith ***minor spoilers***

" Once upon a time there was a little fairy that was loved in all the lands. Her father was devoted to her, her mother never had possessed a more beautiful treasure and even the evil queen couldn't resist the little fairy's charm. She was a whirlwind and yet a sweetheart. 

A dreamer by nature the fairy never saw deceit coming. yet there was one guy, a beast on the outside, a soft prince on the inside, that had no respect for honor, and so he got the little fairy and convinced her to help him steal the heart of a pretty princess. The task wasn't as easy as it sounded because the beast already had broken the princess's heart once and the princess had moved on, trying to shield herself from heartbreak by refusing the beast's advances and not believing any promise he made her.

Yet, one day the beast and his clever side-kick fairy got the princess exactly where they wanted her: In the arms of the beast.

So, eventually all fairytales have a bump in the road and of course, being with a beast is not easy, especially when the princess always hoped to find the good in the beast. And finally it seemed as if the beast saw the light:

"What are you going to do about it, Ryan?"

"Do about what?"

He mentioned to Bente with an upward notch. "The girl who knows you and still doesn't think you're a dick."

I gazed across at Bente for a long time before replying. "I think I'm going to marry her."

- Secret North by GJ Walker-Smith 

But, not all is well in the realm of the fairies. Even though our little, beautiful fairy managed to make the beast and his princess happy, the princess still isn't fully content. Since she had been a little girl our princess had wanted to be independent and in love. Love she had found, but so far her beast, who more and more turned into prince, seemed to be the only way for her to get by. So who else could there be to help but our little fairy?"

And here I have to take a step back from the little story I am telling you because the time when Bente and Bridget spent time alone easily belongs to the most beautiful scenes I've ever read. Bridget taking Bente's sorrow serious, even with her short life experience, ready to catch a wish for her just made me weep with the sweetness of it. I can seriously see myself sitting on a bench, looking up into autuum-sky, hoping to find a leave falling on me just so I can have a wish. But back to the story I have been telling.

"The fairy and our princess spent a great day and what do you know? Sometimes wishes come true! But the beast wasn't called beast for nothing. He actually crushed our little fairy, telling her that something like magic wouldn't exist. Oh beast, if there wasn't magic, then how did you ever think you'd become the prince the princess could love until they lived happily ever after?

And not only that is a dark cloud in the happy realm of our little fairy, no, her daddy-dearest is unhappy and so seems to be the little fairy's mother. Sometimes a decision you once made isn't one for life and so, even though their home is a beautiful one, it isn't enough. Some things are never enough.

Preparations for a big party eventually took over the more or less happy days the princess and the beast had. With the little fairy out of the picture for a while, thanks to the beast's kick into her believes, the happy realm is covered in a sad cloud and it only seemed to get sadder by the day. Suddenly even the beast is realizing that magic, in the form of his little fairy, is a necessity. But will there ever be a happy day again in the happy realm?"

There is a lot I could say about that book, especially considered how badly I had wished for book four to be about Alex, but Ryan's book seriously is top-notch writing. GJ Walker-Smith has stepped up her game, making her story look even more like a fairytale hidden in a YA-Novel. Dreamers like me seriously can drown in that world and not at all be bothered by it. What only bothers me is that I need to come back up and realize that reality is still there. 

People who aren't dreamers can read that book and still enjoy the sweetness of the moments, the love between the two mains and the friendship and devotion that can be between an uncle and his niece.

Magic is everywhere and all we need is to see it. I miss having my wings, but I intend on getting them back...

"She knocked herself out trying to fly, Charli." I reminded. "You can't possibly think that's okay."

She put both hands flat on the counter, probably to stop herself lurching forward and ripping my throat out. "Perhaps if you hadn't stolen her wings, she might've done it."

- Secret North by GJ Walker-Smith

This book is an adult fairytale, and I mean that in the most innocent way possible. It contains magic and hope, sweetness and growing in every sense of the word. You need to get out and see La La land because there is nothing better, and I swear, it doesn't matter if you are fifteen or fifty-five. This is my favorite book ever... No doubt about that.

GJ Walker-Smith ... I'd say delivers, but to be honest, it's much more than that: She enchants, she captures and then she never lets you go. So what is there left to say?

And the end of the day, just dance it away.

Yours truly, 

Julie

(All pictures found on google.)