This is the story of Sunday, the seventh daughter of the seventh daughter, doomed to be blithe and bonnie and good and gay. She is the daughter of a woodcutter, and spends all her time in the woods, writing stories. One day, she meets a frog in the forest, and soon they become great friends. What she doesn't know is that her frog is actually the hated Prince Rumbold, who, by way of his fairy godmother, killed her eldest brother.
And it gets more complicated. When her kiss turns him human again, Rumbold goes straight to the Palace, leaving her to think that her beloved Grumble is dead. Meanwhile, Sunday finds out that there is more to her than she thought.
This story is a masterpiece. It spins together the threads of several fairy tales to create something that transcends them all. You will see Jack and the Beanstalk, Rapunzel, The Princess and the Frog (of course), the Princess and the Pea and many others subtly, and not so subtly, filtered into the story. The writing style is good, it draws you in with lovely descriptions and fun conversations. The characters are well-built, and there is a reason for the way each of them are.The books narrative flows perfectly with the character it is focusing on, and it is nice to see both perspectives.
There is a even a little bit of mystery, with strange voices in Rumbold's head that leave you to wonder if he's crazy, or if there's something more magical involved. And then there is the ghost, and the King, both of whom are woven into the plot wonderfully.
This is no ordinary take on a classic fairy tale, this is a wonderful new story of the likes of Reckless and Wicked, both of which are highly recommended.
If you love fairy tales, or just love a good read, this book will make you cheer for joy. It was a pleasure to read.This book is also part of a series, though it can be read as a stand-alone book, The next book, Hero, is out on the 1st October 2013.
Five stars. You can't put it down.
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