Review: Hero by Alethea Kontis

Hero by Alethea Kontis
Reviewed by: Lori Twichell
Genre: YA, Fantasy
Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: October 2013

Saturday Woodcutter has a lot going on around her. With a family that’s well known for being magic, she’s pretty convinced that she’s the only one with no ability. She’s got sisters known for their beauty and her mother who speaks and things come true. One sister can’t write anything down because it happens. And her brothers? Oh that’s a whole other kettle of fish.

So Saturday is content to just train and practice with her magical sword and live her life. Until the day things go south. That’s when she loses a brother and discovers that she’s got some sort of magic. After all, she conjured up an ocean in her backyard without even trying. Who has no magic?

Dragons, magic, princesses, fairies – it’s all here in the second book in this series from Alethea Kontis and it does not, in any way disappoint or fall flat. Like a peek behind the scenes of your favorite fairy tales, Kontis takes readers on an adventure that isn’t all pretty or perfect and shows the reader a fair bit of what life can be like when you’re famous. (After all, Saturday’s whole family is known throughout the land.)

The pacing is fast, the plot is just complicated enough to be mysterious, and the characters are more than fun to follow. It doesn’t take long to feel for Saturday’s situation even as you’re annoyed with some of her tantrum like choices. And surprises do abound throughout the whole adventure, keeping you on your toes while you read. It’s not boring – that’s for sure!

I really enjoyed this book and more than that, bugging my daughter while I was reading. A fan of Kontis’ previous outing, Enchanted, my daughter followed me around for days bugging me to read faster. It didn’t really take too much encouragement – the book was fantastic! And I will say that the ending left me completely ready to storm the castle for the next book.

If you love fantasy, have enjoyed fairy tales or are a fan of Once Upon a Time, you’ll love this book!

Review copy provided by publisher. Thank you!