Review: Hero

Hero (Woodcutter Sisters #2)
by Alethea Kontis
Published October 1st 2013 

by Harcourt Books 

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Rough and tumble Saturday Woodcutter thinks she's the only one of her sisters without any magic—until the day she accidentally conjures an ocean in the backyard. With her sword in tow, Saturday sets sail on a pirate ship, only to find herself kidnapped and whisked off to the top of the world. Is Saturday powerful enough to kill the mountain witch who holds her captive and save the world from sure destruction? And, as she wonders grumpily, "Did romance have to be part of the adventure?" As in Enchanted, readers will revel in the fragments of fairy tales that embellish this action-packed story of adventure and, yes, romance.

So many of my anticipated books of last year turned out to be a total letdown especially the finale of that big dystopian series (which I will not mentioned) so I was kind of wary and hesitant to start this. I am so glad that Miss Alethea Kontis has endeared and enchanted me once again with her Woodcutter Sisters series. First of all let's take a quick rundown of the siblings:-

Jack -missing firstborn son who was cursed into a dog
Peter - skilled carver
Trix - adopted fey child
Monday - prettiest girl and married a prince
Tuesday - twin of Monday and gifted dancer who died after wearing an enchanted pair of shoes
Wednesday - a gloomy poet
Thursday - ran off with the Pirate King
Friday - talented tailor
Saturday - boyish hard worker
Sunday - enchanted story teller

In Echanted, Saturday had minor roles mostly as the boylike elder sister of Sunday who likes to make fun of her. Now in Hero she truly shines in her own as she was suddenly caught up in an adventure which took her far, far away from her domineering mother and her loving but rather unusual family. Although the fairy tales inspired setting might be a bit overwhelming at times, what I like most about Miss Kontis' work is her ability to create characters that are so over the top that you can't help but fall in love with their outrageousness.

For example, Saturday's love interest in this tale is a son of a lord who is cursed into taking the place of an evil witch's daughter. Peregrine; the poor young man turned into an effeminate being who dutifully cook and clean the witch's lair while dreaming of a way to escape his doomed life. It was very funny to read the unfolding romance between these two and I literally can't stop giggling from all the absurdities. And Betwixt the sarcastic chimaera who is also trapped with both of them is so hilarious and unpredictable with his ever changing shape.

All in all, if you're like me and prefer your book to have a heroine that is strong and endearing at the same time, with mad characters to adore, an unpredictable action-filled plot with a happy ending, then this book is certainly for you!