A review by ambergold
Royal Ball by Sheralyn Pratt

1.0

I LOVED the first book in this series so much that I'm crushed to tell you that this one is just nonsensical and silly to a degree I can't explain. While the first one I felt hugged the line between young adult and adult, this one had a decidedly young adult tone, while completely untethering itself from reality plot-wise :( I don't mind urban fantasy (also known as fantasy set in the real world) but this just played relentlessly with and clearly *wanted* to be fantasy yet constantly insisted that the fantastical skills and events depicted have a real-world explanation, however shoddy and ridiculous. It stretches the reader's suspension of disbelief to such a degree that mine snapped and ceased to exist only half way through. SIGH. If you like the fun, breezy tone of this and the compelling characters, but want those in a world and plot that are coherent (and in the fantasy context they deserve), go for Eoin Colfer's Artemis Fowl series.