Enchanted: Woodcutter Sisters, Book 1 (Woodcutter Sisters, #1)

by Alethea Kontis

It isn't easy being the rather overlooked and unhappy youngest sibling to sisters named for the other six days of the week. Sunday's only comfort is writing stories, although what she writes has a terrible tendency to come true. When Sunday meets an enchanted frog who asks about her stories, the two become friends. Soon that friendship deepens into something magical. One night Sunday kisses her frog goodbye and leaves, not realizing that her love has transformed him back into Rumbold, the crown prince of Arilland-and a man Sunday's family despises. The prince returns to his castle, intent on making Sunday fall in love with him as the man he is, not the frog he was. But Sunday is not so easy to woo. How can she feel such a strange, strong attraction for this prince she barely knows? And what twisted secrets lie hidden in his past - and hers?

• ISBN13: 9780544022188
• Publish Date: 28 May 2013 (first published 1 January 2012)
• Publish Status: Active
• Out of Print: 15 November 2021
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: Cengage Learning, Inc
• Imprint: Graphia
• Format: Paperback
• Pages: 336
• Language: English

Reviews

[jeannamichel]

I was hyped to read this one. I’ve had the series on my shelf for years and finally picked it up. And I probably shouldn’t have waited as long as I did because the plot was a bit younger on the YA scale than I was anticipating. It was a cute and fun retelling of The Princess and the Frog. However, Kontis tried to jam pack the story filled with several other fairytales that it started to get rather messy.

[inlibrisveritas]

Enchanted is an incredibly charming tale, that offers some new while maintaining that unique fairy tale quality. I listened to the audiobook version and I must say that the narration is amazing. I loved Katherine Kellgren’s portrayal of each character, and her overall exuberance in telling the story. I do believe that the book is good on its own but Katherine’s voice really added a nice feel to it. It honestly made me feel like I was back in elementary school listening to my teacher read from our weekly book.

Sunday is the girl with the power to make things come true, and all she has to do is write down in her book. She is incredibly careful to always write down what is already true, so she doesn’t accidentally change the lives of those around her. She is one of seven daughters, all of which have their own claim to fame within the family and each with their own unique voice. Other than Sunday, Saturday may be my favorite with her strength and desire to be something other than a pretty face. Rumbold (or Grumble) is an unsure but overall quite charming match for Sunday. He’s been through a lot and wants to atone of the mistakes of the past, and when he finds that he is in love with Sunday (who has a good reason to hate him) he begins to try and set things right in earnest. I love the conversations these two have, and I think they are perfectly suited to each other.

The story itself has that authentic fairy tale feel to it, mixing both the sweet and the dark into one extremely entertaining tale. There were portions of this book that surprised me with how creepy it could get, but I loved that the author didn’t just want a story about a girl falling in love with an unlikely hero.

I can’t wait to read Hero, and see just what happens with Saturday!

[stefu1]

I have read this book a bunch of times and it never gets old. Why can't my life be this exciting?

[Terri M. LeBlanc]

Overwhelmed. Like the main character in the novel, Sunday, I was overwhelmed by everything going on in this novel. There was too much going on...too many characters, too many fairy tales mashed together, too many unexplained character and world histories...that I struggled to keep it all straight.

The world was very beautifully rendered and the characters were compelling, but with all the twists and turns, forcing me to reread entire pages, I was really challenged to finish this novel. I wish the author would have scaled back a bit and given me a chance to get to know the characters and the world a bit more be throwing the everything and the kitchen sink into the plot.

[kimbacaffeinate]

Enchanted by Alethea Kontis is the first book in the Woodcutter Sisters series, and was my first audio book experience. Thanks to Sync I was able to enjoy this for free. Carrying around my smart phone with ear buds as I cleaned and cooked was fun and I am so glad this particular book was my first. Three word review: magical, humorous and engaging.
Enchanted is a magical blend of familiar fairy tales from Rapunzel to Jack and the Beanstalk. We meet Sunday the woodcutter’s daughter who has befriended an enchanted frog. One evening Sunday kisses her from goodnight, not realizing that he is Rumbold, the crown prince of Arilland, sworn enemy of her family. But the heart loves who it chooses. A ball, evil stepmother, magic and feelings for a prince she hardly knows turns Sunday’s world upside down. The tale that unfolds is enchanting as one fairy tale blends into another keeping me thoroughly entertained.

The woodcutter’s children are all named after days of the week. Kontis did a wonderful job of giving them each their voice. Sunday is delightful, strong and a perfect heroine. Rumbold is a times stuffy and unsure, but he slowly comes into his own. The romance is cute, and perfect for this fable. Some of the the siblings really stood out and I am looking forward to their stories. There are humorous secondary characters and villains to keep the reader engaged.

Katherine Kellgren did a lovely job with the audio, from pitch to pacing, she enabled me to see the story unfold. Listening to a book is so different from reading one, and I actually had to train myself to focus since there was nothing visual keeping my mind occupied. Once I got the hang of it the tale unfolded at a wonderful pace. I loved all the tales the author weaved into the story. She blended them seamlessly and none of it felt forced. The world-building was wonderful and the castle and surrounding woods came to life. Adults and children alike would enjoy this and I think this would make a great road trip book. While this is part of a series, it ends with closure after a climactic scene. I can easily see why this was in the top ten in the category: Best Fiction for Young Adult in 2013.

Copy received free from sync and originally published @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer

[Briana @ Pages Unbound]

Enchanted is an absolutely delightful and adorable book that kept me reading way past the time I should have put it down and done some homework. Although it is YA, and one has the feeling it must be a happily ever after sort of book, Kontis includes enough darkness to suggest that things could go very terribly wrong for Sunday and her sisters. They certainly have before.

Enchanted is formally based on the “The Frog Prince,” but Kontis weaves in just about every other fairytale she can get her hands on and puts Sunday’s family smack in the middle of most of them. Not all of them end happily. What stories do not make a prolonged appearance in the book get subtle nods, such as an old woman selling Sunday an apple.

In general, this fairytale free-for-all is exciting, and the reader can have tons of fun matching events with tales. At times, however, it adds confusion to the book—for I found Enchanted, particularly in the beginning, very confusing. One of my overwhelming and repeated thoughts was, “I have no idea what she is talking about.” (I always like to think this is a failing on the book’s part and not my own because I flatter myself as an English major that I ought to be able to follow the plot of a YA novel.) Some of these instances I was ultimately able to brush off as references to fairytales I am unfamiliar with, and then I moved on. But sometimes my confusion came from the way Sunday explains things, or from Kontis’s writing style, which occasionally gives the impression important transitional paragraphs or even chapters are missing. It is a bit jumpy.

So why did I love Enchanted so much? Ultimately, I found my bewilderment did not matter. I may not have followed some of the specifics of the story, particularly background information, but the main attraction is obviously Sunday and her prince. And they are just so cute! Rumbold has so many romantic lines and does so many romantic things it is impossible not to fall in love with him. Sunday is equally lovable, with a true heart and lots of spirit. She is a fantastic protagonist, loyal to friends and family and skilled at writing. (Every reader loves a character who writes.) Briefly, their love story is beautiful, and that is generally the point of fairytale retellings.

Enchanted is creative, imaginative, and a true treasure chest of fairytales. A perfect read for hopeless romantics and those who like their fairytales with just a bit of edge.

This review was also posted at Pages Unbound Book Reviews.

[Stephanie]

Enchanted by Alethea Kontis is like every fairy tale you’ve ever read tossed into a bag, shaken and tossed onto the pages of a book. It had a little bit of charm for me but it didn’t have enough to sustain my interest. I found that while reading Enchanted my mind would wonder. I like Sunday enough. She was a good hearted girl. The aspect that held my attention were the gifts bestowed upon each character.

Throughout the story the gifts are mentioned, explained and revealed. while each gift was meant to be a blessing we learn that they also come with serious consequences. At the end of the book there is one serious kick ass fight scene. Was it worth waiting for the whole book for that one scene? For me, no.

Enchanted by Alethea Kontis wraps up the story of Sunday and Rumbold but it seemed to leave open other avenues for a follow up novel.

[ladygrey]

Absolutely beautiful.

I normally don't like fairy tale minglings because more often than not they suck the soul out of the fairy tales and offer something trite in its place. But this was fresh and interesting and nearly immediately endearing.

I love the way Aletha Kontis took the events of fairy tales and wove them together in a new pattern. I love the turns in the story, the subtle plays on the traditional fairy tales that are so clever but not for the sake of being clever. There's meaning and emotional resonance in each of the elements she brings into play - even the ashes taken from Cinderella. I love her turns of phrase which are delicate and inventive. I love her characters and the beauty and horror that befalls them. This story is a fairy tale in the truest sense; full of wondrous beauty and appalling darkness in a world where things are rarely what they seem.