Damsel Under Stress

 

Damsel Under Stress (Enchanted, Inc. #3)
By  Shanna Swendson

ISBN: 9780345492920
320 Pages
Available in Paperback, Audiobook, and on Kindle

Synopsis:

To-do: Stop the bad guys. Rescue the wizard. Find the perfect outfit for New Year's Eve.

At last, Owen Palmer, the dreamboat wizard at Magic, Spells, and Illusions, Inc., has conjured up the courage to get Katie Chandler under the mistletoe at the office holiday party. But just when it looks like Katie has found her prince, in pops her inept fairy godmother, Ethelinda, to throw a wand into the works. Ethelinda's timing couldn’t be worse. A plot hatched by MSI's rogue ex-employees, Idris and his evil fairy gal pal Ari, threatens to expose the company's secrets - and the very existence of magic itself. Even worse, it could also mean the end of Katie's happily-ever-after. Now Katie and Owen must work side by side (but alas, not cheek to cheek) to thwart the villains' plans. Braving black-magic-wielding sorceresses, subway-dwelling dragons, lovelorn frog princes, and even the dreaded trip to meet Owen's parents at Christmas, Katie and her beau are in a battle to beat Idris at his own sinister game. All mischief and matters of the heart will come to a head at a big New Year's Eve gala, when the crystal ball will drop, champagne will pour, and Katie will find herself truly spellbound.

My Thoughts:

Katie and Owen are finally together, and it only took 3 books to get there! I wanted to be excited for them, but every turn in Damsel Under Stress felt like it was trying to make a point that they should not be together after all. It was all so confusing, and frustrating. But I still rooted for them. And wanted to absolutely strangle Ethelinda. 

Ethelinda. Let's talk about Ethelinda. Damsel Under Stress introduces Ethelinda as Katie's wayward, well-intentioned but utterly inept fairy godmother. She walks around looking like an absolute disaster, yet carries a chip on her shoulder thanks to her most successful mentee/charge - the actual Cinderella. Riding on the memory of this career high, she thinks that she knows what is best for everyone and she causes a lot of trouble because of it - trouble for others that Katie finds herself having to fix, and quite serious trouble for Katie herself. I feel like her description is supposed to endear her to the reader, but she just annoyed me.

Another new face, or rather a set of new faces, introduced in Damsel Under Stress is that of Owen's foster parents. In contrast to that of the fairy godmother, these interactions are truly charming. His parents have distinct personalities and give you a bit more insight on why Owen is how he is. James and Gloria are extremely likeable characters. Even when Gloria is being harsh, you can tell it is coming from a place of love. You also get to meet Owen's cat Loony, who is just the most precious thing ever and makes you love Owen that much more.

Plot wise, this one has a bit more going on than the last two. Idris and Ari are up to their usual shenanigans, but no longer coordinated, which causes even more chaos. Especially when Ari's interference causes Katie to start to exhibit magical abilities (which she doesn't tell people about in a timely fashion because she obviously didn't learn her lesson the last time around...). Then things get crazy with the addition of a couple of frog princes, some (sometimes froggy) corporate intrigue, a subway tunnel full of dragons - which of course Owen tames and starts treating like they are no different than his cat Loony, because he is just that precious - and a life altering interaction with Katie's roommates. Inexplicably, even with all of this going on, the pace seems slow at times - but that is probably for the best so you can take it all in. 

Of all of the Enchanted, Inc. books that I have read so far, Damsel Under Stress is probably my least favorite. It's not a bad book, and it is funny. I just didn't like it as much as the previous ones - mostly because Ethelinda just annoyed me that much. Also, the ending will just gut you. I was glad that I had immediate access to the next book. I can't imagine what it was like for those who read this book before book four was published.

Parent's Guide:

Like it's predecessors, Damsel Under Stress is relatively easy to read and the story is fun. There is romance but no sex. A little cussing. As always. there is fighting, but it is almost all of the magical variety. This book is decently teen friendly in complexity and entertainment value.

The Oz Counter:

 Two. And they were solid, aware, and intentional ones too.

(The Oz Counter is explained in the "Anatomy of a PBG Review" link at the top of the page.)