THE SISTERS GRIMM

THE SISTERS GRIMM: THE COUNCIL OF MIRRORS by Michael Buckley concludes the nine-book series featuring sisters Sabrina and Daphne, descendants of one of the Brothers Grimm, who took all the fairy tale characters to America, established a town called Ferryport Landing to house them, and added a magical barrier to keep them safe. When some of the characters decide they want to escape the barrier, war breaks out, and Sabrina and Daphne must act to save their family and all of Ferryport Landing.

I can't give a plot summary of this book without spoiling the eight books that precede it, so let me just say that it's a satisfying ending. All the loose ends are wrapped up, but not in a by-the-numbers checklist sort of way. There are surprises and sacrifices and a prophecy to shake things up. Sabrina and Daphne conduct themselves in accordance with their established character traits, but eight books' worth of character growth is far from thrown out the window. I realize that, as an adult, I don't require epilogues (and might even prefer them left out), but had I read this series as a child, I would have been delighted with Buckley's addenda.

The series begins with book one, THE FAIRY TALE DETECTIVES, in which the orphaned girls are sent to live with the eccentric Granny Relda, and is great fun for fans of fractured fairy tales. Sabrina and Daphne are resourceful female leads and very believable as sisters. Puck adds comic relief through his pranks, which are usually disgusting. The girls grow into their legacy consistently throughout the series, but certainly act their ages (eleven and seven). I highly recommend starting with the first instead of jumping into the series at the end or in the middle.

Source disclosure: I purchased this series.