"Trolls?" "Piece of cake." "Mother-in-law?" "RUN!"

Title: No Place for Magic
By: E.D. Baker
Format: Paperback
Pages: 272
Genre: Young Adult/Fantasy
Series #: 4 of 6
Date Started: June 3, 2009
Date Finished: June 3, 2009

Rating: A-

Description (from Barnes & Noble): Emma and Eadric are finally ready to get married, but Eadric’s parents are not so sure about having a witch in the family! The two set out for Upper Montevista, Eadric’s homeland to try to make a case for their love, but first Eadric’s irritating little brother, Bradston, needs rescuing from some horrible trolls. In a charming twist on the classic fairy tale rescue story, E. D. Baker’s hilarious style succeeds in this story tailor-made for her emailing fans who have been demanding “Please can we see the wedding!?”

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What would you do if the mother of your true love hated your magical ability so much she tried to convince her son to marry someone else... while you're standing next to him? What would you do if you had to put aside planning your wedding to save a future relative... who happens to be a spoiled prince bent on making your life miserable? What would you do if you found yourself face-to-face with an army of trolls... and you couldn't use magic against them? These are some of the questions Emma asks herself during this next adventure.

This book ties with Dragon's Breath for favorite book of the series. No Place for Magic is the next big step in Eadric & Emma's relationship, where they finally move from betrothed to married, despite all of the obstacles that come their way. A kidnapping, a controlling mother, a disapproving mother-in-law, jealous local beauties, a troll desperate to get married-- all to be faced with almost no magical assistance. One of my favorite parts was the cockatrices; Emma proves that you don't always need magic, just brains, to get yourself out of danger. And Eadric is wonderful as the peacemaker, attempting to soothe the obvious discord between his mother and his bride. This book also marks the return of Sheldon the crab from Dragon's Breath, a character most would probably place in the same rank as Jar-Jar Binks, but I love him. Another interesting secondary storyline was the relationship between Li'l the bat and her "husband" Garrid the vampire. It seems that even bats hit rocky spots when it comes to in-laws.

Of course the best part of the book was the wedding. I wish that part of the book had lasted longer, but since Emma's parents kind of threw everything together while Emma was on a quest with Eadric, it was rushed for the bride and groom too. Rushed or not, the wedding is beautiful. Especially after Emma gets her revenge on her M-I-L and Eadric's little brat, I mean, brother.

No Place for Magic was a wonderful development in the Frog Princess series. And despite my issues with Baker's choppy moments, I love this book. A-