"Highly recommended for all who love fairy tales and the YA genre." ~ My Cozie Corner "All in all the books were excellent." ~ LilyElement "If you love fairy tales and them being turned into modern day stories you will love these short stories." ~ Mom With a Kindle 5 stars (out of 5) ~ I Am, Indeed Alice is a freaking awesome female character. I love the fact that she is a strong one. Literature today in the YA genre tends to let the girls fall by the side of the road and wait for some jerk in a Benz to come and save them. Not Alice. Or Grace for that matter. ~ Jesse Kimmel-Freeman "Isabella Fontaine and Ken Brosky's incredible talent for storytelling takes the reader on an amazing action-packed ride fueled by endless creativity and limitless imagination. TGC is like a high-stakes version of Harold and the Purple Crayon meets a contemporary, above ground Alice in Wonderland." ~ Bookfetish.org #9 BEST BOOKS OF 2012: The Bookies BlogCOUNCIL FOR WISCONSIN WRITERS WINNER: The Tofte/Wright Children's Literature Award, honorable mention. 5,000 downloads and counting! We couldn't be happier. When we started this Young Adult series, we had only a few small goals. The first was to create a hero who used her brain to solve the problems she faced. Another was to make sure we had plenty of weird, imaginative monsters. Last, and most importantly, we wanted a new episode in the series to come out every two months.With Kindle (and the help of Brew City Press), we had the opportunity to do that. And now, thanks to all of the fantastic support, we can offer a print edition of the first three books in the series. We're excited. The reviews are great. The feedback is great. And the story is just getting started ... From the Inside Flap What people are saying about The Grimm Chronicles : " A major plus about these stories is that Alice is a smart, strong, and resilient protagonist who does not just extract herself from sticky situations through sheer brute force, but by also using her brain. I think it was a rollicking good read, which drew me in and kept my interest until the end of the book. I am looking forward to following Alice through the rest of her story in the chronicles to come." -- La Revenant, The Book Tart "This book was so much fun. Don't get me wrong, it's very intense and sometimes I was a bit scared (cough) but I just absolutely love fairytales- and it was extremely fun reading about the original Grimm ones instead of the happy ending ones we know today! Alice was a great protagonist and I found myself getting veryxa0attachedxa0to her. She was strong and independent and a serious kick-ass kind of girl!" -- Cheerful Book Reviews "I highly recommend these lovely and inspiring stories." --Mallory Heart Reviews "Looking for a good book with a strong, positive heroine? Love the Brothers Grimm and want a new take on their characters? Just want to read a good fantasy novel? Then look no further, this is the book for you." -- Sharing Links and Wisdom "These stories may be longer than the average fairy tales we're used to, but they are a good mix of fun, humor, adventure and exciting coming of age." -- Literature Young Adult Fiction "Alice is sassy, smart and strong and I loved her character. Briar is kind and comical and makes the perfect sidekick and helper for Alice. The first three volumes in this book move quickly and there's not a lot of fluff or wasted words ... I'm very excited to see the next volumes of this story and I can't wait to see what comes next!!" --Jenn's Review Blog "I really enjoyed the main character, Alice Goodenough (not a big fan of the name - reminded me of the ballet dancer Alexander Godenov).xa0 She is strong, witty, and more than a little obsessed with clothes (but so was I at that age) ..." -- Window on the World "This has got to be one of my favorite Grimm interpretations until now! The book is amazing, and it reminded me so much of 'Grimm' the series, but in a great way." -- Mademoiselle le Sphinx "A very entertaining book!" -- Mug of Moxie "I highly recommend this story and hope you check it out" -- Danasquare "Recommended for those who enjoy fairy tales with a dark twist and a feisty heroine." -- Geo Librarian Ken Brosky received his Master's Degree in writing from the University of Nebraska-Omaha. In addition to writing The Grimm Chronicles, he also writes literary fiction and has been published Gargoyle, Barcelona Review, and Predicate Literary Journal. This is Isabella Fontaine's first work. There. That's more than enough for you to know. Read more
Features & Highlights
200 years ago, the Brothers Grimm unleashed their stories upon the world. Literally. Now the characters of the Grimms’ stories walk among us. With every day that passes, they grow more evil. They are the Corrupted, and only a hero can stop them. For 18-year-old Alice Goodenough, that means taking precious time off from her summer vacation. In addition to volunteering at the local library, Alice must stop the Corrupted who are now actively hunting her down. With the help of her magic pen and her trusty rabbit friend, the world has suddenly gotten a lot more complex. The Corrupted are everywhere, and only Alice can see them for what they truly are. This book contains the first 3 episodes of the critically acclaimed series: Episode 1: Prince Charming Must Die! Episode 2: Happily Never After Episode 3: Revenge of the Castle Cats Additional features for the print edition: - An introduction - Two special “Lost Diaries” - A behind-the-scenes interview - A collection of original Grimms’ Fairy Tales The Grimm Chronicles is intended for Young Adults aged 13 and up. The goal is to provide Young Adult readers with a strong, charismatic young woman in the role of the hero and provide readers with a positive protagonist who uses her brain to overcome obstacles life throws in her way.
Customer Reviews
Rating Breakdown
★★★★★
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★★★★
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★★
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Most Helpful Reviews
★★★★★
4.0
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A Great Addition to the YA Genre
This series is a welcome addition to the young adult fantasy genre. The main character - Alice Goodenough - is an unassuming high school junior who discovers that she's actually one of a long line of "heroes," whose job it is to hunt down and destroy characters from the Grimms' Fairy Tales who have become corrupted. Helping her in her quest is the garrulous and humorous Br'er Rabbit who not only trains her to become a better hero, but also serves (in the beginning, at least) to explain to Alice/the reader just what the heck is going on.
If all of this sounds too fantastical for your taste, fear not. The writers do an excellent job of balancing the fantasy elements of the story with Alice's every day life and interactions - from her high school friends to her parents (who completely cracked me up every time they came on the scene). I also liked how Alice is strong and smart, but also still has a way to go to become both a hero and self-actualized woman. I'm excited to read more and continue to follow her on her journey.
7 people found this helpful
★★★★★
4.0
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This book is well written, and kept me glued to the story!
I really liked the whole concept behind this book:the characters from The Grimm Chronicles coming to life and living in our world now. The big catch is that the longer they live in our world, the more "Corrupted"...evil, they become. Main character, Alice, is a spunky protagonist who takes on her job as "The Hero" with full gusto. Whether she is battling Prince Charming or The Frog Prince, she doesn't give up in a dire situation. Her side-kick is Brier Rabbit. He was sent to guide Alice, in her new role as "The Hero" who is meant to destroy the Grimm characters and send them back to where they belong.
This book is definitely written for the older teen crowd. There are violent scenes, some gruesome discoveries, and course language. Even with the protagonist being a teen female, this book can be read and enjoyed by adults. This is volume 1, and I will be reviewing volume 2 in a few weeks. The ending is very exciting. This book is well written, and kept me glued to the story.
Read more of my reviews at:
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★★★★★
4.0
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An interesting read on the classic tales
I adore retellings of fairy tales, and I really enjoyed this new twist on the tales we were told as children before bed-time! I absolute loved Alice. I found her entertaining, independent (and the fact that she as volunteering in a library didn't hurt her cause.
The rabbit on the other hand was a little confusing. I'll admit its not a tale that I am familiar with, but I don't think I should have been that confused as to his purpose.
I loved the added Grimm Brothers Tales at the back of the book it helped as a refresher, and the added lost diary was pretty cool, making it feel like Alice isn't the only one.
Good:
Alice--Independent, determined, strong
Bad:
Briar Rabbit--I'm thinking things may change in the upcoming episodes, but as of right now...I'm not feeling him
Overall (Writing style, story line, and general):
Overall it was an interesting read. It was pretty easy to follow, but I will admit that sometimes I found my attention wondering
This book was provided courtesy of the author/publisher for review; however, this is no way affected my review.
★★★★★
4.0
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Awesome!
I actually rate this 4.5 stars :)
This was a fun read! I've always been a lover of fairy tales and I greatly enjoy reading different twists on these tales. The first three books from the Grimm Chronicles did not disappoint.
The idea that almost all of the Grimm fairy tale characters have been brought to life sounds very exciting. What I really enjoyed about this idea is that the authors give it a dose of reality. So what really happens after the happily ever after? These characters were written to explain a small story; which results of them not having a future. What happens to these characters in the real world? Well, they become corrupted of course! A hero is born who becomes responsible in destroying these characters.
What I also enjoy about these characters is the true explanations of the princesses. It really opens up one's eyes to the truth behind a princess' life. Though it is sad to read about, I do appreciate the honesty behind it.
Alex's character is another enjoyable aspect of this book. She is strong, brave, and smart. She does not let herself get fooled in by boys and she actually uses her brain to solve herself out of problems. Alex could pretty much take care of herself.
Hence, books 1 and 2 are my favorites out of the three. The first one is a shocker with Prince Charming and the second one is intense. Both of these books are filled with wonderful details that are easily pictured in one's mind. The last book is also good but it's not my favorite. A villain is introduced in that one which lets you know that this villain is the most dangerous one that Alex will have to face.
In all, I loved reading these! I cannot wait to get started on the second volume.
★★★★★
4.0
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Not your cartoon fairy tale...
Fairy tales, we have all grown up knowing the Disney versions with the "happily ever after" endings, but, if you go back to the original stories written by the Brothers Grimm you would see that these tales were not so happy and were much darker and more intense then what you have recently read or watched on the television.
In The Grimm Chronicles, Vol. 1, the authors, Isabella Fontaine and Ken Brody, combine three short stories along with a couple of lost diary entries and the original Grimm fairy tales, from which the characters, The Corrupted, evolved from. I read the E-version, provided for review by I.O. Book Tours, of The Grimm Chronicles and I must say, it was an enjoyable read!
The heroine of these chronicles is Alice Goodenough, I'm not too fond of the last name but that is neither here nor there. Alice is a high school student who is volunteering at her local library during her summer break because she loves books! While on summer break, Alice discovers a magical pen and is introduced to an invisible (by choice) rabbit, named Br'er (Briar to his friends) rabbit. A plucky heroine always needs a sidekick, which is exactly what Briar rabbit is, he assists Alice through the many adventures she finds herself in. Alice and Briar hunt down The Corrupted, which are the characters from the Grimm's tales who are living among the humans. The Corrupted know that Alice, the hero, is hunting them so they in turn hunt her. It is all fairly exciting, with much butt kicking by Alice.
A major plus about these stories is that Alice is a smart, strong, and resilient protagonist who does not just extract herself from sticky situations through sheer brute force, but by also using her brain.
I think it was a rollicking good read, which drew me in and kept my interest until the end of the book. I am looking forward to following Alice through the rest of her story in the chronicles to come.
Read forever after,
La Revenant
Originally reviewed on The Book Tart by La Revenant
★★★★★
5.0
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Grimm Chronicles!
I have loved the recent spark in twisted/retellings of fairytales. I am so in love with this revival of excellent mythology. I think as a YA novel this was fantastic. The humor was perfect and kept me very entertained.
I tend to never read the intros of books that have nothing to do with the actual story (I am sorry they bore me) but I was skimming this one and omg I died it was so funny. I knew that I was going to fall in love with this story right away at the mention of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and the love for a strong intelligent main character. I am the biggest fan of badass female protagonists.
I highly recommend this story and hope you check it out
*Received this for review*
★★★★★
5.0
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Entrancing!
My automatic response to this book when I saw it on 'Innovative Online Book Tours' was Oh my God I have to read this! It seriously was. I am a huge fan of fairytales and retelling of them. Not to mention the twists and turns along the way. Why else would I be a huge fan of 'Once Upon A Time', 'Grimm' and 'Cinder'? They're retelling with twists and turns of beloved fairytales. So yes, I requested to be a part of this tour and loved it.
Alright so, the title was alright, since it's another retelling of the Grimm books, so it's fitting. Though the individual titles for each episode are way better! I thought those were quite creative. The cover needed a few more touches, though it wasn't bad either, but the synopsis is the best of the three.
Episode One: Prince Charming Must Die
Alice has the perfect life. She's got great friends, good grades, amazing books to keep her busy, and the perfect boyfriend. She even does fencing, and is the best at it - aside from her mega-awesome boyfriend. But when Alice starts her job at the local library near where she lives and discovers something really weird, her life changes. Armed with a pen she can now draw anything she knows, but not only that, she's a hero chosen to fight the 'corrupted'. The Corrupted are Grimm story characters that had come to life, and Alice's job is to find them and kill them. Little does she know that the first hit is so close to home. With a pen for protection, notes from the previous hero as tips and a rabbit for guidance, would things go smoothly?
Episode Two: Happily Never After
After having killed one Corrupted and took the life of another that seemed to seek it, Alice is on the way to getting the hang of the whole process. Though she complains about the fact that she has no superpowers to help her with her job. This time around, even though there's Corrupted nearby, he's apparently not the immediate danger and Alice needs a trip to Chicago to get the one there first. A lot of sewers were involved and animal chases in the midst as Alice works her way to fight the next Corrupted in her dreams.
Episode Three: Revenge of the Castle Cats
Alice's encounter with the frog from the last episode has her poisoned. Briar - her helper rabbit- is berating himself that he didn't try to take her to the hospital straight after the encounter with the frog and her injury. As she's recovering she finds almost everyone obsessed with a new game 'Castle Cats', and worse, it seems to control them, making them eat awful candy and have them tranced. Alice needs her friend Seth's help to get the code for the game, which means it's inevitable that he knows her secret.
This has got to be one of my favorite Grimm interpretations until now! The book is amazing, and it reminded me so much of 'Grimm' the series, but in a great way. The quotes from the book were a great touch. I loved the writing, the style, the storylines and the different ways the Grimm characters were involved. I enjoyed everything about this book and cannot wait to read more episodes!
Rating: 4.5/5
★★★★★
5.0
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Suited For YA, But I Wouldn't Have Guessed YA If I Wasn't Told
I don't usually spend a lot of time reading books specifically marketed as YA, but I liked this a good deal. Frankly, it wouldn't really have occurred to me that this was YA if I hadn't been told. It is certainly suited to the YA market, and I can find aspects that suggest YA when I look, but it wouldn't have jumped out at me right away. Regardless of market labels like that, the book is good. It has a creative and interesting premise and carries it through well. I found myself quite interested in what was going on and definitely wanted to know what was going to happen.
