Described as a hilarious fairy-tale mash-up, this book tells the story Roxy Humperdinck (who is half-sister to Hansel and Gretel) and her average life in Rexopolis in the Kingdom of Illustria – that is until she meets Jones. They are brought together by an unusual book discovered in the vaults under the Ministry of Soup, and soon they begin an epic adventure to save their home, and potentially the whole world, from dark magic.

This is a humorous tale that captured my interest straight away. The story had just enough twists and turns to keep me guessing and I really liked the nods to traditional fairy-tale characters that popped up along the way.

The characters of Roxy and Jones make for great leads in this book. Roxy, who has a photographic memory and can recall facts with ease, lives an almost uneventful life. She is completely in the dark about the history of magic that her Kingdom once had and does not like to upset her half-sister. In contrast, Jones (first name Cinderella) knows many things, is quick-witted and a huge fan of sugary treats. She is fed up with being treated like a slave by her stepmother, so she runs away in her quest to discover ancient artefacts and certainly seems not to be afraid of anything. She also has a fairy godmother, Frankie, who is nothing like the usual type of godmother you read about in fairytales. I think that Frankie is guaranteed to be a favourite character with many readers.

This was an enjoyable read that would fit perfectly in a classroom or school library. It offers the perfect escape into another world – as great stories do – and will certainly appeal to any child who loves fairytales, humour and adventure.