The Land of Stories is a completed series of six children’s books. They are fantasy and adventure books that are set in a magical world of fairy tales, heroes, and villains.
The books balance the fairy tale world with the real world to create a modern-day fairy tale that children and young teens are sure to love.
The author of The Land of Stories is American actor, singer, and writer Chris Colfer.
As well as being the author of The Land of Stories, Colfer is best known for his role in the TV show Glee, where he won a Golden Globe and People’s Choice Award for his portrayal of the character Kurt Hummel.
As well as the main books in The Land of Stories series, Colfer has also written six companion books.
These include four prequel novels and two picture books.
It is recommended that the main series is read first and in order before the companion books are read.
About The Land Of Stories
The main characters in The Land of Stories are a pair of twins named Alex and Conner Bailey.
They celebrate their 12 birthdays at the start of the first novel and gradually age as the series progresses, making The Land of Stories a coming-of-age story that deals with many universal themes of growing up.
Thanks to a magical book of fairy tales, the twins enter the fantastical Land of Stories.
This is a world where fairy tales are real and many of the characters in the most famous stories, such as Cinderella and Goldilocks, still exist and are living their lives in the Land of Stories.
Alex and Conner’s journey to the Land of Stories isn’t accidental, however.
As they explore the fantasy world and meet its inhabitants, they learn some family secrets that they were not expecting.
The theme of secrets and identity is rich throughout the series as the twins discover more and more about their lineage and connection to the Land of Stories.
Despite their fantastical adventures, Alex and Conner still have to deal with the usual trials of childhood.
Conner is bullied by some of his school friends and Alex struggles to find her place in the world.
The Land Of Stories Books In Order
Let’s now list the books in the main The Land of Stories series in their release order.
Following the death of their father in a car accident, Alex and Conner Bailey are facing life without him.
To celebrate their 12 birthdays, they receive a fairy tale book as a gift from their grandmother.
However, this is no ordinary book of fairy tales as they soon discover.
The book can glow and absorb items into its pages and this fascinates Alex while Conner is more cautious.
It isn’t long before the twins find themselves in the pages of the book themselves and they discover that the book is a portal to a world of fairy tales, magic, and fantasy.
Alex and Conner start their quest to return to the real world and discover that the Wishing Spell is their key home.
Their quest to use the Wishing Spell is not straightforward, however, as they have to gather a number of items and also contend with the Evil Queen.
Pros
Interesting world-building and ideas
Weaves in well-known fairy tales
Cons
Very simplistic writing style, even for a children’s book
Alex and Conner’s mother Charlotte is dating a new man named Bob and an engagement is on the horizon.
The twins are happy with this development and encourage Bob to propose. However, when Bob arranges a special meal for Charlotte, she goes missing.
Soldiers from the Land of Stories arrive at the twin’s house with their grandmother and they discover that Charlotte has been kidnapped by the Enchantress.
Alex and Conner launch a rescue mission and head back into The Land of Stories to defeat the Enchantress and bring their mother back home.
Alex and Conner are separated and Conner thinks that his adventures in the Charming Kingdom are finished.
Instead, Conner is living the normal life of any boy his age and is on a school trip in Germany when he hears some forgotten stories by the Brothers Grimm.
Contained within the stories are a secret message and warning that Conner needs to crack.
Alex remains in the Land of Stories and is training for her future life as the Fair Godmother.
However, the training is difficult and Alex wonders if she will ever be ready to take over the role.
The twins will need to work together to help save the Land of Stories from the oncoming battles that threaten to tear it apart.
There’s a new danger in the Land of Stories in the form of the Masked Man.
Unfortunately, Alex is no longer on the Fairy Council and nobody in the Land of Stories is willing to believe the warnings of upcoming danger from Alex and Conner.
The twins are able to gather together a small but loyal group of supporters that believe in their warnings and together, they will work to stop the Masked Man’s evil scheme to bring outside villains into the Land of Stories.
Will Alex and Conner be able to stop his evil plan to open up the Land of Stories?
Pros
Brings in many other fairy tales readers are sure to already love
Fast-paced and thrilling
Cons
Introduces many new characters and plots without resolutions
This is the final book in The Land of Stories series and brings the story to its conclusion.
Alex and Conner find themselves facing a situation they’ve never faced before. Instead of dealing with heroes and villains in the Land of Stories, they’ve managed to cross over and are instead wreaking havoc in New York!
It’s up to the twins to ensure that everybody is back in the world where they belong.
The division between the fairy tale world and the human world needs to be re-established and Alex and Conner are the only ones that can do it and save both worlds in the process.
Pros
Finishes the story in an appropriately epic manner
Resolves the plot lines from earlier in the series
Cons
Suffers from some plot holes
Final Thoughts
In this article, I introduced the successful children’s fantasy series, The Land of Stories.
Noah Burton works as a Librarian full time, and is a blogger in his spare time. His goal is to write compelling recommendations for all of the most popular books he can find, from science fiction to romance.
With a passion for books, a drive to find new reads to get stuck into, and a love for sharing book recommendations with others, Noah can help you find the next novel for your bucket list.
