While Agatha wants nothing to do with fame, Sophie takes advantage of her newfound spotlight, and puts on many shows to celebrate their return home and their escape from the School for Good and Evil.

Sophie is taken into the forest surrounding the town, and is hung from a tree, with the message "Take Me" written on her chest in her own blood, and left to die.

Agatha sneaks into the School for Boys, with Sophie following her under an invisibility cape to stop her from kissing Tedros.

The moment before she does, Tedros becomes paranoid about Sophie still being alive and seeking revenge, and begins arguing with Agatha angrily.

As they argue, Sophie, hidden underneath a table in the room, seizes the opportunity and shoots a spell between them.

Tedros says he would not want to see his, as his father (King Arthur) sent out a warrant for her head, after she had cheated on him with Sir Lancelot.

Evelyn brings out Sophie and Agatha's fairy tale book and lets the Storian write.

Sophie, however, is left behind refusing to leave the School Master, stating that he was the only one who didn't abandon her.

Chainani stated when he had come up with the idea for The School for Good and Evil, remembered writing down "Book 2: A World Without Princes": "My brain clearly had the series worked out in my subconscious — because the title was waiting for me all along."

In his review on Common Sense Media, Michael Berry gave the book four out of five stars.

While praising the confrontations, scheming and observations on fairy tales, he criticized the unnecessary complications, sloppy prose, odd verb choices and "rushed and repetitive" narrative.

[7] This was followed by the publications of Quests for Glory, A Crystal of Time and One True King on September 19, 2017, March 5, 2019, and June 2, 2020.