Alethea Kontis is a storm chaser, world traveler, and New York Times bestselling author. She has received the Scribe Award, the Garden State Teen Book Award, and is a two-time winner of the Gelett Burgess Children's Book Award. She was twice nominated for both the Andre Norton Nebula and Dragon Award. Alethea narrates stories for multiple award-winning online magazines, contributes book reviews to NPR, and does freelance work for Writing the Other. Born in Vermont, Alethea currently resides on the Space Coast of Florida where she watches K-dramas with her teddy bear, Charlie. Together they are ARMY, VVS, and Black Roses.

Enchanted by Alethea Kontis

—Gelett Burgess Award Winner—

—Garden State Teen Book Award—

—Kirkus Best Teen Books—

—Andre Norton Nebula Award Nominee—

Sunday Woodcutter is the seventh daughter of a seventh daughter. Not only does that come with an enormous family, but the things she writes in her journal also have a tendency to come true. When Sunday meets a frog in the Enchanted Wood who asks about her stories, the two develop a unique and precious friendship that quickly deepens into something quite magical.

One night, Sunday kisses her frog goodbye and leaves, not realizing that her love has transformed him back into Rumbold—rebellious crown prince of Arilland and a man Sunday's family despises. The prince returns to his castle and announces a royal ball, inviting every eligible young woman in the country. Rumbold hopes to make Sunday fall in love with him as the man he is and not the frog he was.

Sunday does feel a strange, strong attraction to this prince she barely knows. But what other twisted secrets might lie hidden in his past…and hers?

 

REVIEWS

  • "A fabulous fairy-tale mashup that deserves hordes of avid readers. Absolutely delectable."

    – Kirkus, starred review

  • "A charming tumble of fairy tales, spiced with humor and sprinkled with true love."

    – Sharon Shinn

  • "It's a wonderful mix-up of fairy-tale tropes, a clever love story, and a delightful tale all on its own!"

    – Tamora Pierce
 

BOOK PREVIEW

Excerpt

"What are you doing?"

Sunday's head snapped up from her journal. She had chosen this spot for its solitude, followed the half-hidden path through the underbrush to the decaying rocks of the abandoned well, sure that she had escaped her family. And yet, the voice that had interrupted her thoughts was not familiar to her. Her eyes took a moment to adjust, slowly focusing on the mottled shadows the afternoon sun cast through dancing leaves.

"I'm sorry?" She posed the polite query to her unknown visitor in an effort to make him reveal himself, be he real or imagined, dead or alive, fairy or—

"I said, 'What are you doing?' "

—frog.

Sunday forced her gaping mouth closed. Caught off-guard, she sputtered the truth: "I'm telling myself stories."

The frog considered her answer. He balanced himself on his spotted hind legs and blinked at her with his bulbous eyes. "Why? Do you have no one to whom you can tell them?"

Apart from his interruption, he maintained an air of polite decorum. He's smart, too, Sunday thought. He must have been a human before being cursed. Animals of the Wood only ever spoke in wise riddles and almost-truths.

"I have quite a large family, actually, with lots of stories. Only…"

"Only what?"

"Only no one wants to hear them."

"I do," said the frog. "Read me your story, the story you have just written there, and I will listen."

She liked this frog. Sunday smiled, but slowly closed her book. "You don't want to hear this story."