The Wish Granter by C.J. Redwine

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Wish Granter is the second book in the Ravenspire series, although it functions as a stand-alone. There are a few references to the first book in the series, but you don’t need to read that book to understand this one. It is also a retelling and I really enjoyed how the author wove the original fairy tale into this storyline.

We are immediately introduced to Ari, a likable, smart and quick-witted heroine who is plus sized and completely happy with herself. Other than the fact that she is constantly reminded that she must act like a proper princess when she would rather just be herself. I really enjoyed her portrayal and how she wasn’t the stereotypical heroine, yet she was brave and brilliant nonetheless.

Sebastian, on the other hand, comes from a broken home and desperately wants to escape that life. His father is abusive and his mother is a drug addict, yet somehow he is fiercely loyal and still takes care of his mother despite the fact that she never shows an ounce of love or thankfulness in return. As I have not suffered the intense physical abuse that Sebastian experienced growing up, I cannot speak to how accurate his reactions are to foreign touch but they felt authentic to me. I can completely empathize with his distress in rooms full of people and confusion as to why everyone always wanted to talk to him.

I really enjoyed their back and forth repartee, as well as how Ari slowly broke through Sebastian’s shell and we got to see them develop. Unfortunately, I don’t feel that the character development of our supporting characters was very prevalent. I even felt like I didn’t know the villain particularly well, which is partially the point of the story but also didn’t really rectify itself as the plot wove on. Ari’s best friend and Sebastian’s mother were both characters who could have had so much more depth than they were given.

While I really enjoyed the story and the pacing, the ending completely faltered for me. I honestly thought that the story was going to continue into a second book because there was very little time left and we hadn’t reached the climax. Instead, the ending was rushed, a little too neat and sadly not as satisfying as the rest of the book had been. I still liked the book, but I wish it had been even ten pages longer so that the ending could have been given the words it needed to flourish.

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