Early Reader Review: Heroes by Jen Calonita

Source: From Netgalley and Sourcebooks in exchange for an honest review. This in no way alters my opinion or review. 

Heroes by Jen Calonita  

Series: The Royal Academy Rebels #3
Publisher: Sourcebooks Young Readers 
Publication Date: October 5, 2021

 

Format: Ebook


Rating:


Goodreads Synopsis: 

Princess Devin didn't come to Royal Academy for fame, glory, or a crown. All she's ever wanted is to be a Magical Creature Caretaker.

Just when Devin gets up the courage to ask about following her passion, disaster strikes. The evil Rumplestiltskin and Alva cast a curse that nearly destroys Enchantasia, a new villain is on the rise, and the students of Royal Academy find they now have to share their castle with the delinquents from the notorious Fairy Tale Reform School.

Devin feels stuck--how can she think about going her own way when her kingdom clearly needs her now more than ever?

Catch up on this series first!

Royal Academy Rebels Series Reviews

 

Fairy Tale Reform School Series Reviews

      

Review: 

I have loved this series from the beginning... and loved the Fairy Tale Reform School (FTRS) Series before it. In this installment these two school-worlds collide in a wonderful and creative way (although not surprising since they are in the same land).  

Spoiler Alert from here out folks - sorry.

The story is told from Devin's point of view after the great war of Rumplestiltskin and Alva. Since much of that war took place at FTRS the readers are given a quick recap of what occured and how the war was won, but this was not the focus of the plot. Devin is still not ok being a part of Royal Academy (RA), she feels like she doesn't fit in and never will. She really wants to be a creature caretaker but RA doesn't offer those courses. Somehow she finds out about a school just for the care of maagical creatures and now she is determined to catch Olivina, the evil fairy godmother still on the loose, and make her way to the new school. 

Olivina seems to lurk around every corner, he touch on everything happening as the world is trying to rebuild. Devin is thrown a curveball when the FTRS students must now attend classes at RA too and she is paired with none other than the almost evil Anna Cobbler. 

I enjoyed this final installment of the Royal Academy Rebels series but I felt like it was a bit rushed. Since we didn't get to see the war from the Royals POV, and we just jumped into the next stages of repair, it felt like the story was missing a big middle action scene, although we wrap up with a bunch of action, it was as if the author just tried to run passed a lot of what led up to the main conflicts. I fully undertand that if you read the FTRS series you get all the information, but it is possible that may didn't read those books and the backstory being elaborated on a bit more would be helpful.

Devin has always been a strong royal that dislikes being a royal, she speaks her mind and is caring and loving, and in this book, she changes. I felt like she was more irritated by everything around her, more whiney, and more snobby than in previous books. It was like seeing her in relation to the other royals made her not seem so bad, but putting the FTRS kids in the mix made her seem like a brat. I really didn't like it. I had more of an affinity for Anna and it wasn't her story.