Enchanted

The Woodcutter Sisters, Book 1

By: Alethea Kontis

Narrated by: Katherine Kellgren

Length: 7 hrs and 46 mins

Publisher's summary

Audie Award Nominee, Best Teens Category, 2013

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?

©2012 Alethea Kontis (P)2012 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

Pleasantly surprised

Any additional comments?

I really only got this book because it had some good reviews and it was cheap. Was I surprised. When I first started listening to it I thought it was going to be a sweet little childerns story that didn't have much to it but about 15% into the story it really picks up. I really enjoyed it, The author has combined my stories to make a truly original new fairy tale for older childern and adults alike. ( Would not recommend listening with younger childern since there are some creepy/scary parts)

Wonderful!

We enjoy this book so much that we listen to it over and over again! It is definitely worth it! The story is beautifully written and the narrator depicts the characters wonderfully.

Fun Fairytale

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I would definitely recommend this audio book. It is a feel good story about silly girls that make you laugh. It is such an easy listen.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Sunday was definitely my favorite. She is not one of those helpless whiney females. She is brave, kind and loyal.

Which character – as performed by Katherine Kellgren – was your favorite?

Katherine Kellgren did an amazing job of providing a unique voice for each character. I really could not choose a favorite. She is a very talented performer.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

*Minor spoiler alert: Avert your eyes if you want to be completely surprised. I cannot lie when Sunday's Prince has to say good bye to his mom I cried. So sad, so good.

Any additional comments?

If you are looking for a fun fairytale to help you de-stress or unwind (if you are a grown woman like me) then this is definitely a great choice for you.

Clever fun for the entire family

Where does Enchanted rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Enchanted, read by our favorite Katherine Kellgren, ranks among our favorite audible books.

What did you like best about this story?

I have two young boys, 7 and 9. This books kept all of us engaged as author Alethea Kontis wove the details of many of the most popular fairy tales into a single fantastic story.

What about Katherine Kellgren’s performance did you like?

Katherine Kellgren, hands down, is my favorite narrator. She is absolutely fantastic. We found this book by following her.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

We ration good books in our household. Time spent listening to a good audio book provides feel-good-sanity-time for Mommy. That being said, my boys wanted to keep listening. I on the other hand would rather keep them enthusiastic about the next time they get to sit and listen than allow them to hear the entire book all at once, anticipation is half the fun. Isn't it?

Creative and fun

We enjoyed this twist on fairy tales It was fun catching the references and comparing them to the many other versions. The twists in enchanted were entertaining and new. We are looking forward to Hero.

Katherine Kellgren is our favorite narrator and once again brings the story to life!

Pleasantly Surprised

Loved following a story that spun a multitude of fairy tales into a joyous read.

Fun and Funny

I don't like the story of Cinderella, but I absolutely LOVED this story! The narrator does a fantastical job with voices for so many characters. I also love that in a major part of the story - the villain doesn't go after the main character. I've never read a book such as this before. I loved recognizing so many different fairy tales throughout, and several times I found myself laughing out loud. I will definitely look for more books by this author!

Fairy Tales, Romance, and a Couple Scares Too!

What made the experience of listening to Enchanted the most enjoyable?

The narrator was a delight to listen to, and the story was full of fantastic imagry. The humor was shockingly good too. Highly recommended for pre-teens, teens, and adults that have a love of the classic fairy tales.

What did you like best about this story?

The author used well known fairy tales as a stepping off/jumping off point, and then she ran with those tales to make this into a fascinating story of its own.

I've read other books that mix tales like this, but this one worked on a higher scale than most of those. To be honest, I did roll my eyes at the "reveal" of a couple of them, and I was glad when the new references stopped for a large section of the book. It almost felt like the author was relying too much on them at first, but I got over that quickly.

Have you listened to any of Katherine Kellgren’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Katherine Kellgren's reading of this tale is similar to the way she read "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies"... and I wouldn't want it any other way.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

There were about 10 points where I dirupted my co-workers with my uproarious and uncontrollable laughter. The author puts some great snarky lines into this book that will make your eyes bug out in surprise, and then you won't be able to control the titters.

Any additional comments?

This isn't the most serious book in the world. It was obvoiusly a fun write for the author. There are moments where I was reminded of Grim... moments of Monty Python...moments of Anne Shirley ("Anne of Green Gables")... and there were moments where I was reminded of Bulgakov's "The Master and Margarita". Have fun reading this one. I know I did.

Choppy narration spoils good story

I found the reader very hard to listen to. Regardless of the book's action, all the dialog and narration seems to have the same choppy, semi-intense cadence. This is the first time I've encountered this phenomenon but it made the book almost unlistenable, for me at least.

I didn't think it would be this good.

the story captures your attention and next thing you know you are at the end of the story.