Candymaker Anne has failed to become a Silver Sugar Master, but she has made some fairy friends along the way: little Mithril and ex-slave Challe. But what Anne hasn’t really made is money. A combination of rumors, her nomadic lifestyle, and pressure from customers means she’s short of funds as the winter season approaches. But when she hears about a duke who is offering a large sum to a silver sugar crafter who can please him, Anne can’t pass up the opportunity.
The fact that she could also show up Jonas makes the offer even sweeter.
As you have likely gathered, this second volume of the Sugar Apple Fairy Tale series centers around Anne trying to make a creation that earns the Duke of Philax’s approval. Anne and Jonas are the only two who have come close to passing, and while they get to stay at the castle to continue their candy crafting, the Duke does not give helpful advice as to what more he wants from them. Anne and Jonas become more agitated with the lack of guidance and the Duke’s escalating sharp rebukes of their hard work.
For readers, it’s incredibly obvious as to what the Duke’s problem is, but that may not be the most frustrating part of The Silver Sugar Master and the Blue Duke. In this kingdom of Highland, the Duke of Philax is descended from the same noble line as the current king. But 15 years ago, the third branch of the family rebelled against the royal family. While the king’s house won and the Duke of Philax’s family sided with them, they had much of their prestige and money stripped to avoid a similar claim to the throne. There’s an air of sympathy regarding his situation, and yes, it’s technically unfair. But this is a land where slavery is accepted. The author seems to like to include fairy hunters and blackmail with wings when that drama is needed, but in normal life, the story seems to shrug off the situation with slaves as “every household is different”. The Duke of Philax, for instance? His mission for Anne and Jonas? Make a creation of a certain female — a female fairy.
I was greatly disappointed this didn’t tie in more into the societal views on fairies, and perhaps help forge a path for Anne’s and, to a lesser extent, Challe’s developing romantic feelings for each other. I’m not expecting them to lead a revolution, but there are certainly missed opportunities to tie in more pushbacks on fairy trafficking and abuse — not to mention the idea of taking someone outside their species as a lover (emotionally speaking, since the ending of volume 2 seems to confirm half-fairies aren’t a thing).
For now, Jonas continues to be the main antagonist of the series, and he grows scummier and scummier. Any empathy for him as he and Anne struggle to fulfill the Duke’s requirements will quickly evaporate. I like how Anne strives to beat him where it hurts most — with silver sugar candy — but I hope this rivalry isn’t repeated every volume. Here, it’s true Anne decides to head to where Jonas is, but if she isn’t the sort to commit to any long-term place as home, they shouldn’t be crossing paths as much anymore. Same with Hugh, although he seems to also be a bit of a traveler with his position and makes several appearances here. He may be a bit hard to read still, as his interactions with Anne could be seen as those of a master with a bright young apprentice, a big brother/uncle, or future suitor. The last may be unsettling for some, but let’s not forget Challe is a century old.
But if you have a problem with age gaps in medieval fantasy stories, then I’d doubt you could get past Sugar Apple Fairy Tale‘s Uncle Tom undertones in the first place. The writing is still a bit juvenile to boot, so the “bad boy” romantic atmosphere is all the stronger in conjunction with the pace of the leads’ growing feelings with the story. But in light of the fairies’ situation in Highland, I just wish there was more pause, surprise, and/or tension outside of the usual shoujo emotions.