Magic and Other Misdemeanors

Magic and Other Misdemeanors is the fifth book in Michael Buckley's Sisters Grimm series. This book is the first book I have read in a while that has made me want to run down to the library before my traditional Saturday outing to get the next book.

Buckley introduces a traditional science fiction and fantasy element the fifth book using time travel to create some interesting challenges for our characters. At the end of the previous novel, we learned that Prince Charming was missing. In this book, the children discover where Charming has been since the end of the previous book. They also discover the dark future that awaits Ferryport Landing if they do not solve the mystery that currently eludes them. Charming's experience in the future leads him to make some decisions about what needs to be done when he returns. He convinces the children not to tell anyone about where they have been or what they have learned. Sabrina is a bit unsure about her marital choice and Charming's willingness to expose it keeps her silent. Their inability to find a solution to Mr. Canis' future also keeps them quiet. They cannot face telling their friend about the horrors he faces.

Eventually the future meets the present and the girls realize that while they have changed the future, the future has not necessarily improved. As the Queen of Hearts and the Sheriff of Nottingham persecute the residents of Ferryport, the Grimms are the lone human holdouts left at the end of the novel. While Granny struggles to return an ancestor to the past to avoid being erased from the present, more evidence about the spread of the Scarlett Hand among the Ever After population is revealed. The cliffhanger regarding Charming left me wanting to make a trip to the library Wednesday. However, patience is a virtue. I will wait until Saturday to pick up the next two books and Monday to begin listening to them.

There are only eight books in print with the final book nine due out in the spring of 2012. Buckley is publishing The Sisters Grimm: A Very Grimm Guide a series summary in January of 2012. I am not as interested in the guide, but I will be waiting for that final book to come out to read the conclusion to the Grimm sisters' adventures.
This series is one I plan to introduce to younger family members this Christmas.