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Feb 03, 2015artemishi rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
Hero is the sequel to Enchanted. It centers around Saturday who was, admittedly, the most "me" of the Woodcutter Sisters. And by that I mean the me I was as a child- rough and tumble, idolizing my father, happiest when working and working hard, and certain that I wasn't at all magical (much to my sorrow). So I was already disposed to enjoy this. It starts off a bit rough- Saturday seems petulant and immature, without a lot of the 'why' behind her outbursts. But give it time and patience- the story, like Saturday, matures through conflict and rough spots into something lovely. And once again, the sheer number of fairytale nods in here (especially to lesser-known fairy tales) is surprising. It's a charming spin on the classic "sword-wielding prince saves swoon-ridden princess" trope, as well as a story about one young woman's maturing through self-sufficiency. And, amazingly, I found the romance in this book both more believable and more enjoyable. By the end of the story, I liked Saturday as much as I'd hoped. I also appreciated the play on gender roles and expectations, as essentially three characters in this stories go through 'shape shifting' of a sort. And now it's on to Dearest, which focuses on seamstress Friday. And then, gods willing, a story about Thursday. Because as much as I identify young Beth with Saturday, I wish grown-up Beth was more like Thursday- and I need to know how she became the Pirate Queen. NEED. I recommend this for fans of fairytale mashups and retellings, YA fantasy, and Enchanted (although this book works as a standalone!). Also female protagonists (especially non-stereotypical ones), romance that involves verbal sparring and playfulness, magic, and swashbuckling.