#but I plan to buy used copies of Freddie's and Lonnie's at some point

[sparrowmoth]

Out of the school of secrets books which was your favorite? Or what was the best part of each one?

What an excellent question, Anon! ♥ The undefeated champion of my HEART is Carlos’s Scavenger Hunt. This little side book made me cry not once but twice, which I consider a literary accomplishment. If you love Carlos, this book is a MUST. If you love the Carvie dynamic (whether platonic or romantic), even more so! Jane is present for most of their interactions and the book definitely pushes Janelos, but actually it’s pretty cute and Jane has some great moments.

Oh, there’s even a really sweet scene between Carlos and Fairy Godmother, which I found to be surprisingly touching since I don’t like F.G. at all in the other books or movies. Anyway, I give this book 100/10. The plot is fun and interesting and all the focus on Carlos is like water in the desert for this franchise lol.

One thing I DIDN��T like (mild spoilers): there’s some bullshit at the beginning where a bunch of AKs, plus Mal, Jay, and Evie, are teasing Carlos about being a “sidekick,” never the hero and I just... *takes up a sword* :)))) I don’t feel like that’s good canon characterization of anyone considering what the Core Four went through in the Dragon’s Eye Quest, but either way. Really annoyed me. >>

My second favourite is Freddie’s Shadow Cards! I absolutely adore Freddie and I really enjoyed the dynamics between her, Jordan, and Ally. The plot is entertaining, has a lot of humorous moments, and as an added bonus, there’s some peak scenes with Carlos. I literally didn’t know how much I needed Freddie & Carlos to be a thing until I read this book. They’re so cute? I know they’ll never get any real attention as friends in this fandom, but by god, let it be known their dynamic is adorable and valid af.

Warnings for this one: if you like Audrey, you’re going to find her character in this book very similar in tone to D1, so be warned. She’s not Freddie’s biggest fan, suffice to say. Also, not to give any spoilers, but I didn’t like how they dealt with the whole “shadow cards” thing (for multiple reasons, but I don’t have 5 hours to rant so I’ll leave it at that lol), andddd I would caution you to brace for the whole “wise mystical black woman” trope when they get to the bayou.

If those warnings put you off, totally understandable! If you still want to read it but you don’t want to put money down due to the issues, I... may know a place where you can acquire the Sacred Texts without supporting the Mouse Empire (and without DLing anything, so it’s safe). Let me know if you want directions. ;)

Third favourite (not far from tying with the second) is Lonnie’s Warrior Sword! Want more Lonnie? You got it. More Jay? Hell yeah. Platonic Jonnie? We got that, too. Throw in some Jordan to make it a trio! The plot centres on one of those obstacle course TV shows, so it’s very focused on sports and competition. It’s pretty entertaining and reveals a slimy underbelly where some of Auradon’s citizens crawl (we all knew they weren’t perfect, but here’s proof).

There’s a little Mulan cameo at the start, which is nice! Jay’s characterization kind of annoys me at times, but no more so than it does at points in D1 where he’s reduced to being the “arrogant and aggressive straight boy.” There’s several points where Lonnie emphasizes how arrogant Jay is and I’m just kinda side-eyeing her like, “Girl, have you met yourself?” Pot, meet kettle lmao.

Jordan has this... kinda weird arc where the dialogue is a bit misleading about her feelings toward the VKs. I was squinting at that through most of the book until the ending cleared some things up for me. It’s not a huge thing, but I still feel kinda judgy about that element of the plot. *shrug emoji*

I think that just leaves C.J. and Ally’s books which I haven’t read yet. I expect I’ll enjoy them, but very much doubt they’ll surpass these three. I’m very biased toward stories that prioritize my faves, though, obviously. ;)

Anyway, TL;DR: Best part of Carlos’ book is EVERYTHING (okay, I lied, the best part is this scene when he helps a little lost boy at the train station which ABSOLUTELY MELTED MY HEART like a goddamn marshmallow). Best part of Freddie’s book is FREDDIE AND CARLOS BEING FRIENDS. Carlos dislocates his shoulder in a tourney game (indirectly Freddie’s fault) and she goes to visit him in the infirmary and it’s SO cute. Best part of Lonnie’s book is Jay coaching Lonnie for her competition and them having several adorable canon BFF moments. Jay gets so mad on her behalf when people underestimate her or try to sabotage her and it’s really sweet. I love their friendship. ♥