The Piper’s Promise by Leah Cypess - OPTIONAL

The Piper’s Promise (Sister’s Ever After #3) by Leah Cypess, 304 pages. Delacorte Press (Random House Children’s Books), 2023. $17.

Language: G (0 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG; Violence: PG

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - OPTIONAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

While living in the Realm with the fae, over a hundred years have gone by in the human world when Clare (11yo) crosses the boundary again. Clare is looking for her brother, Tom, who hasn't come back from his latest mission for the fae queen. She has heard rumors of Tom kidnapping children, but that can’t be right—and Clare is going to prove it.

Fairy tale retellings are always fun, and I enjoyed Clare’s story based on the lesser-known tale of The Pied Piper. Cypess uses common fae lore with her own spin on it, makes several lying characters dance around each other, and adds small details that hint at their involvement in other loved fairy tales. Overall, this magical story is about the sacrifices we make for those we love.

Clare and Tom are depicted as White on the cover. The mature content rating is for kidnapping, and the violence rating is for mentions of drowning and some fantasy fighting scenes.

Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen