All the stars for The Big Bad Wolf, the much anticipated, exciting Grimmworld sequel! Willow & Jake return to Grimmworld searching for their father whom no one can seem to remember except them. As they battle formidable foes that’ll test their strength, love, & ingenuity, they gain new understanding & more clues to their father’s location.

I absolutely adore these books! I’m a huge fairytale fan & Michaelbrent Collings puts a creative twist on these beloved stories. Willow & Jake face their most difficult challenge yet when they’re captured by some conniving fairies. To win theirs & their friend’s freedom & gain more clues to their father’s whereabouts, they strike an impossible bargain with the Fairy Queen. She’ll grant them their wishes in exchange for the Wolf King’s gold claw. But, if they fail, they’ll become her eternal slaves.

Getting the golden claw from the Wolf King is no easy task. First, they must complete the Wolf Trials to prove what it takes to be a wolf, or die trying. It’s going to take all their strength, intelligence, & a little magic to help them in their quest, along with the help of Little Red Riding Hood herself & a trusty knight.

I loved this story! Willow & Jake have such a fabulous sibling bond. Each is struggling with the loss of their father & exhibit their emotions in totally different ways. But, as they’re thrust back into Grimmworld, they learn once again to rely on their friendship & love for each other. I enjoyed seeing a familiar face or two as the twins are one step closer to finding their father.

The twists in this story had me eagerly turning the pages. I loved the role reversals these kids undergo too when they discover some magical hidden talents. It’s a clever story with great messages.

Highly recommend to middle grade readers & up! Looking forward to Willow’s & Jake’s next adventure. I received an advanced complimentary copy from the publisher. All opinions are completely my own & voluntarily provided.

It was fun to be back in the Grimmworld. This book picks up right where book one ends and it builds and builds and you have no choice but to keep reading.

I enjoy middle grade books so much and Collings does such a great job with this world and the characters. And this time there’s fairies! There is so much to love in this book. There’s puzzles to solve and the suspense is well done.

I received a paperback from the publisher and a NetGalley approval. All views are my own.

Another great read in the Grimmworld series from Michaelbrent Collings. I enjoy these characters, and the stories and pacing are great also. Can't wait for the next in the series. #TheBigBadWolf #NetGalley

The Big Bad Wolf is Grimmworld 2. Some would say you don’t need to read book 1. I don’t agree. I think book 1 is fundamental to this book, because there are a number of things a reader won’t understand without the first book.
Jake is so angry at the beginning of the story. Why? It goes back to the ending of book 1 with his father’s disappearance. Yes, it tells you his father is gone in this book, but the impact of it is minimized without the first book.
Jake and Willow face so many dangers in A Big Bad Wolf. The Wolfs are dangerous but might the fairies be more so? Both are certainly treacherous. Again, I was pretty aware of the author’s background in writing horror. I don’t think I would recommend this read for sensitive children who deal with anxiety or frighten easily.
I love the author acknowledgements at the end. I enjoyed reading A Big Bad Wolf. I am only sad that I now have another year to wait to see if Jake and Willow’s family can be put back together.
Thanks to Netgalley and Shadow Mountain Publishing for the opportunity to read this book.

I adore fairy tale re-tellings for any age. However, I felt this one was definitely written for younger kiddos and I found the writing completely unappealing. I thought I could chug my way through if the plot was interesting enough. Unfortunately, I could not get past the dumbed down writing for kids and had to give up.

"There are no happy endings in Grimmworld."

So, this book is marketed as Grimms Fairy Tales meets Stranger Things and I think they crushed it. Because both of those things are kind of yucky and so is this book. 😅 But it also teaches lessons, has funny lines, bravery, strength, and family. So, it's not all yucky...or even mostly yucky.

If you like MG.books, fantasy worlds, fairy tales, competition and wolves, check out this one!

The first book is one of my favorite fairytale retellings so I was so delighted to be chosen to receive an arc of this new book and it did not disappoint! I love these characters so much! And this series is such a unique new spin on retellings! I recommend it to everyone & I look forward to many more from this series!

I just love when sequels are as amazing as the first book. The Big Bad Wolf was full of incredible moments and we got to know new characters as well. As soon as I finished the first book, I couldn’t wait to read it, and I was so happy to have finally had the opportunity to.

We go on another adventure with Willow and Jake, they are still looking for their father. The children go back to the magical world of Grimmworld, and this time they will have to face even more dangerous adversaries. This book is so full of magic, adventure and I love the author’s writing style, it completely pulls you in and you forget you’re reading a fantastic fantasy story. The ending was perfectly set up for the third book and now I can’t wait to find out what happens.

This second book in the Grimmworld series did not disappoint at all. It was so fun to be back with Willow and Jake as their adventure in the real world and Grimmworld continues. They are on a mission but find themselves waylaid by the fairies and sent on another side mission to complete so they can get some information for finishing their original mission.

Phew, does that sound complicated? Cause it is a little bit. But these two and their group of friends are up for the challenge as they work together. The fairies made me giggle. And I was piecing together information from the first book's little hints to this one. Ohhhhh!!! Get ready cause there's a fun reveal of information and now I'm anxiously awaiting the next book wondering how all of these pieces are going to come together. Will they keep finding themselves on more quests and adventures or will they be able to solve it all and bring happily ever after to Grimmworld? Sounds like a grim question if you ask me! *winks* Sorry I couldn't resist that pun! Hee Hee!!!

I loved the puzzles and logic that was put into play throughout the book. Are you reading closely? Are you thinking clearly? Can you solve the puzzles with Willow and Jake and their friends or will you have to wait for the reveal of the answers to the puzzles? I was about half and half.

Enjoy the ride and be careful where you go, whom you associate with, what you touch, what you eat and so much more! You don't want to be stuck in Grimmworld for forever...I don't want to be!

Content: Clean. Mild suspense but nothing graphic.

I received a copy from the publisher, Shadow Mountain Publishing, via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions in the review are my own.

Happy Reading!!!

Willow and Jake are back in Grimmworld. This time they are facing the Big Bad Wolf. I loved how Willow and Jake's relationship evolved and strengthened throughout the book. Sibling relationships can get complicated sometimes, but there is always a deep love. The Wolf Trials were super interesting. I loved how Willow, Jake, Rot, Ruin and Ealdamodor banded together.
This is shaping up to be a very fun and interesting series.

I got this book thinking it was something my son would enjoy. I read it first and let’s just say we have very different tastes in books.
The writing was good. It was a great blend of fairy tale and fantasy. I think the fairies are a little dark but I guess that fits with the “Grimm” part. I couldn’t decide if I liked Moth or not.
I really enjoyed the bond between Willow and Jack. That they genuinely cared for and looked out for one another. That they saw each other’s strengths and weaknesses and encouraged each other. And that they fully trusted each other.
Loved this from Willow:
“So many boys think being brave means being alone. But being brave means the opposite. Being brave means loving someone so much that you let them into your heart. Being brave means sticking with someone. Being brave means helping that person when they need it, sure, but also having the courage to admit you need their help sometimes—then accepting it when it’s offered.”

This ARC was provided by the publisher on NetGalley. I was not required to give a positive review, rating and opinions are my own.

This was such a magical sequel to THE WITCH IN THE WOODS. Jake and Willow are back for another adventure in Grimmworld and what a tale it is! What’s not to love about magical fairytale characters and creatures, perilous tests and trials and new friends? A cliffhanger ending left me excited to keep enjoying this series. This was a very fun story and I’d recommend it to anyone who loves fairytales with a fresh new twist.

This was the second book in this series and I was happy to have the opportunity to read it. As an avid adult reader, I haven’t fallen in love with these books. However, they are clever and keep my attention enough that I want to keep reading the series as it’s released.

Children who like fairy tales (regular or twisted) will appreciate the adventures of twins Jake and Willow as they travel into Grimmworld for the second time. The creatures from the fairy tales are not all as they seem and Jake and Willow end up in some scary predicaments. This book ends on a cliffhanger, making the reader excited for the next installment.

The writing style would be good for upper elementary children and for a read aloud. There is repetition which benefits struggling readers. There are also clear themes which would be great for teachers to use to help teach the concept.

Thank you to #NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for honest feedback.

Review Copy

Get the kids ready for a terrific read!

Michaelbrent has crafted the next book in the Grimmworld series. It seems to be meant for middle school kids but I thoroughly enjoyed it. THE BIG BAD WOLF shows up in so many stories, doesn't he? You'll find many of them here along with some surprise visits from other characters of literary fame.

If you decide to start a reading group for the kids, some questions are at the end of the book to get you started. I admit that I didn't read those...but here's one. Have the kids name the character that they think appears at the very end of the book. It should be pretty easy and is a good icebreaker.

Glad I got an early read on this one. Fairy tales are my weak spot!

Thank you, MichaelBrent Collings NetGalley, for the ARC. I leave this review voluntarily and happily. Also, thank you publishers for your hard work!

This was definitely a great read. Was a nice break from all the horror I've been reading. This is the second book in the series, and I absolutely enjoyed every moment. The character building, the new faces, and the challenges I loved all of it. The evil characters I truly enjoyed as they are definitely a big part of our main characters development to becoming better and stronger. I truly enjoyed this one because it dealt with the big bad wolf and took an interesting twist. The ending of this book certainly left me with questions, and I can't wait for the next book to see if I'm right about some things. I have a bunch of new favorite characters and know more will come later.

What's to do if you have your life on the line? Of course, make a deal with the fairy queen. That's what the twins had to do in order to get out with their lives. Even so, they now have to retrieve something that puts them even far more in danger. They must face the wolf trials and not become wolf food in the process. They, of course, have some help on the way, but all this leads to one thing to find their father and maybe another happily ever after for this world.

I really enjoyed this book as well. I got to meet a lot of wolf's and see how they were monsters before changing to who they were truly meant to be. These books are great as they teach a lot of lessons and I think they will be great for all ages.

I don't think I will ever reach an age where I become tired of fairy tales. I'm particularly fond of some of the newer additions to the ones I read as a child.

The characterization was well done. The two main characters are children who are twins--a boy and a girl. I loved the fact that the female was able to hold her own instead of always relying on her brother. Each of them became the strong one when necessary. I also appreciated that for the most part they were kind and caring, even when people in the same situation might have only cared about themselves.

This is a good choice for children (and those of us who never quite grew up).