Friday, November 2, 2018

Review: A Pixie's Promise by Dianna Sanchez


A PIXIE'S PROMISE
The Enchanted Kitchen, Book Two
by Dianna Sanchez
Dreaming Robot Press
October 28, 2018
YA Fantasy




Petunia's tired of being overlooked just because she's six inches tall. But when the Enchanted Forest is threatened, can she measure up to the task?

She gets lost at home among her bazillion brothers, sisters, and cousins. Even her own parents don’t remember her name! And no one ever takes a pixie seriously.

When Petunia’s best friend, Millie, offers a vacation at her house, Petunia jumps at the chance. Cooking for Millie’s witch of a mother and babysitting a tree should be easy, right? But when an epidemic of spickle pox hits the Enchanted Forest, and Millie’s mother comes down with a mysterious illness, Petunia must pitch in to brew cures as quickly as she can, even if that means using up all her pixie dust.

And when the cure doesn’t work as well as it should, it’s up to Petunia to figure out how to change the formula to save the Enchanted Forest, while living up to all the promises she’s made.


 MY TIDBITS

With a more than a dusting of magic and fantasy, this is a story pixie and elf fans are sure to enjoy.

Petunia is more than excited to help her friend Millie out by watching over her trees and helping with household chores, while Millie takes a trip into the Logical Realm (or the modern day world as we know it with humans). Millie's mother is a bit of a handful, but she soon has it mastered. Until a disease breaks out, that is. Millie's mother does her best to brew the medicine, but not only is she wearing herself out, but the medication stops working. Petunia needs to do her best to find the solution before the disease spreads.

It appears there was a first book in this series, something I first noticed while reading the first chapters. While some of the background information might have been helpful, I had no trouble diving into this story and getting lost in its world. 

Petunia is a sweet pixie, but with super strength, magic and a bit of spunk. She's a cute character and easy to relate to as she dives into every situation...even those where she hesitates at first...with full enthusiasm and determination. She isn't strong-headed or extremely risk happy, but she does exactly what needs to get done even if it's more than she think she might be able to handle. She's an inspiration in so many ways.

The author takes her time in this tale, letting the world and characters gain footing before the more adventurous part of the tale begins, but the pacing isn't boring. The characters hold so many quirks and personality oddities that each one is a treat. And the world is detailed and interesting. As an extra treat, recipes are sprinkled into the story, which readers can try with a little help. The action mounts a bit as the tale continues on, but this is more about Petunia's determination, friendship, and kindness than about suspense. There are lots of little messages about acceptance, dealing with those who are different, patience and prejudices sprinkled in as well.

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