Wide Awake Princess Books in Order

The Wide Awake Princess books start with one of E.D. Baker's neatest twists. Princess Annie, the younger sister of the girl destined to become Sleeping Beauty, is immune to magic. That has made her the odd one out for years. Then it turns out to be exactly what her kingdom needs. When her sister pricks her finger and the whole castle falls asleep, Annie is the only one left awake.

From there, the series becomes part rescue quest, part fairy-tale road trip. Annie heads out to break the spell, but she does not do it with a wand or a grand destiny speech. She gets by on practical thinking, stubbornness, and the willingness to keep moving when everybody else seems more glamorous or more obviously magical. Her partnership with Liam gives the books a steady emotional center, and the two of them spend a lot of time solving problems the hard way.

One of the pleasures of this series is how freely Baker plays with other tales once Annie leaves home. Characters and situations brush up against Snow White, talking animals, bear princes, witches, dwarves, and all sorts of familiar folklore pieces, but the books still stay anchored in Annie's point of view. She is observant, funny without trying too hard, and much more capable than the people around her first assume.

Annie wins by keeping her head.

After The Wide-Awake Princess, the books widen into a longer story about love, responsibility, and what happens after the first curse is broken. Unlocking the Spell keeps Annie dealing with the fallout of magic gone wrong, and later books such as The Bravest Princess, Princess in Disguise, Princess Between Worlds, The Princess and the Pearl, and Princess Before Dawn send her into more kingdoms, more trouble, and eventually the complications of marriage and protecting a home of her own. The series grows with her, but it keeps the same light step.

These books are best if you like fairy-tale mashups with an active heroine, a lot of movement, and a tone that stays playful even when the stakes rise. They are adventurous without getting too dark, romantic without taking over the story, and consistently fond of a princess who would rather solve the problem herself.