The Water Sprites (Fairy Realm, #8) (Fairy Charm S.)

by Emily Rodda

The Fairy Realm series are wholesome lighthearted reads featuring a secret fairy realm found through a doorway at the edge of the garden. There's magic and mythical creatures and miniature horses that talk (because what else would you find in a secret fairy realm? duh.) It's reminiscent of Shirley Barber's gorgeous picture books albeit with less impressive artwork (Shirley Barber is incredibly talented). It's a good series for tween girls. I loved this series as a kid, they were imaginative and magical and I loved every minute. I'm pretty sure this series is what started my love of charm bracelets too. 

The Water Sprites
Jessie is thrilled to be invited to Jewel's Welcoming party at Lirralee. She can't wait to attend but she gets a little delayed when Mrs Tweedie stops by. Maybelle, Patrice and Giff have to deliver the food so Jessie ends up walking by herself, following the trail of daisies the gang left for her.

She's minding her own business when she's attacked by the mud wubbles. I did not like the idea of mud toad like things at all. Totally gross. She's freaking out when she's beckoned to the other side of the reeds by a water sprite! The water sprites have hilarious names, the one who sort of rescues her is called Cool-of-the-Evening.

The water sprites lives in the Finding Pool which Granny has always told Jessie about and praised it's beauty. Unfortunately it's no longer so beautiful - it's shrinking. The stream the water comes from is blocked and the water sprites are unwilling to venture upstream to unblock it. Jessie agrees to find the blockage and help the sprites replenish the Finding Pool.

Not far from the Finding Pool, she finds a net filled with various debris and proceeds to clear the path, allowing the water to refill the Finding Pool. Happy with her good deed she heads onwards to the party at Lirralee.

Unfortunately her good deed isn't as welcomed in Lirralee. The people of Lirralee have been at war with the water sprites ever since the water sprites accused them of stealing their precious Moon Stone. Jessie prevents a war by encouraging everyone to recreate the day the Moon Stone went missing leading to it being found.

I'm not sure that I loved this one as much as the rest of the series. Before Jessie tries to recreate the scene, she first tries to trick the water sprites into accepting a fake Moon Stone. (Turns out the Moon Stone is a gem that fell off Granny's dress when she was there. Jessie takes the second gem off to replace the first.) I didn't love that bit. It felt very out of character for Jessie to attempt it to be honest.

I did like that Rosemary (Jessie's mum) manages to put Mrs Tweedie in her place. Mrs Tweedie has been sprouting nonsense about Mr Wiseman having stolen her ring. Rosemary makes her recreate the events leading up to it going missing and manages to find that Mrs Tweedie just misplaced it. I liked that her mum was the one to save the day in that regard rather than it always being Granny.

When she returns home, Jessie has a tiny golden flute charm for her bracelet. The Moon Stone was found in the water sprite's flute. It got covered in mud and stuck. Seemed a bit ridiculous but you know. Target audience will definitely love it. 5 stars for them. From me though, 3.5 stars.