November 14, 2016
Princess Anya just wants to be left alone to study magic, but her feckless older sister, Morven, keeps falling madly in love with visiting princes—until their “evil stepstepfather,” Duke Rikard, transforms the suitors into frogs. Now Rikard is threatening to usurp the crown and send Anya off to a boarding school from which she’s unlikely to return. What’s a princess to do? In this rollicking comic fantasy from Old Kingdom creator Nix, Anya sets off on a quest to find allies and revert the transformed royals by assembling the ingredients for “Fairly Reliable Transmogrification Reversal Lip Balm,” accompanied by her sister’s most recent suitor, Prince Denholm (currently a frog); her faithful if overzealous dog, Ardent; and a boy-turned-newt named Shrub. Along the way, she’s dogged by Rikard’s weasel assassins and a series of journalists, all named Gerald the Herald, who constantly shout headlines like “The Frogkisser Sets Forth! Herald Detained by Druid Accomplice! More News to Come!” Well-developed characters, an unfailing sense of humor, and polished prose make Nix’s uproarious adventure a pleasure to read. Ages 12–up. Agent: Jill Grinberg, Grinberg Literary Management.
Starred review from November 15, 2016
Princess Anya goes questing to fulfill a promise to her sister.When Princess Anya's stepstepfather, evil Duke Rikard, transforms her older sister's latest love into a frog, the self-possessed white royal promises to transform him back. Alas, the Transmorgification Reversal Lip Balm is depleted in kissing the wrong frog, and Anya is forced on a dual quest to escape death by Duke Rikard and gather supplies for more balm. The third-person narration chronicles the high jinks that ensue as Anya sets off with her faithful talking canine companion, Ardent, and the transformed prince. Anya and company fall in with various intriguing characters: Bert (short for Roberta), the strong, capable, dark-skinned leader of the Association of Responsible Robbers (think Robin Hood), who challenges Anya to examine her princess privilege; the powerful and also dark-skinned and female Good Wizard; and the Wizard's teacher, who's both Merlin and Snow White (just one way Nix cleverly and hilariously turns fairy-tale tropes upside-down); as well as the Seven Dwarves. The characters are so enjoyable readers are sure to miss them when the quest (and book) ends. Refreshingly, there's no romance plot here, and just as refreshingly, the two dark-skinned women are both beautiful and benevolent. Nix takes inspiration from classics and improves on them: he doesn't fall into negative tropes and masterfully infuses the weight of first recognizing one's privilege with humor. Great fun with heart. (Fantasy. 10 & up)
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Starred review from January 1, 2017
Gr 8 Up-Anya, a 13-year-old princess, loves nothing more than reading in her favorite chair. But after she makes a "sister promise" to her elder sibling to turn a frog back into a prince, she finds herself on a quest for a magic lip balm that sends her far from her beloved castle library. Along the way, she learns that wizards offer help but only when asked; witches like trickery, so it's better to strike a modest bargain with them; and giants are nearsighted, but their noses are so sensitive that they can smell lies. This delightful fantasy pits the small but mighty Anya against a sorcerer, Rikard, for control of the kingdom Trallonia. Nix grounds readers with practical asides, such as how to go to the bathroom without embarrassment when there is no toilet. He also has a gift for imaginative names, settings, dilemmas, and resolutions. Best of all, he invites readers to question the adult world along with his protagonist. Ardent, a talking royal dog, is as restless and uncertain as Anya, but he helps guide her. Not that she's asking for assistance: "I don't expect to need rescuing," she tells him once before a particularly dangerous separation. "I'm not that kind of princess." VERDICT With wonderfully inventive creatures, challenging vocabulary, and a captivating story, this fantasy is recommended as a first purchase for YA collections.-Georgia Christgau, Middle College High School, Long Island City, NY
Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
December 1, 2016
Grades 6-10 Princess Anya is in a bind. Her stepstepfather Duke Rikard (who happens to be an evil sorcerer) is plotting to steal the crown, her older sister's suitor has been transformed into a frog, and Anya has promised to help turn him back into a princebut she's fresh out of the transmogrification-reversal lip balm she needs for the job. There's nothing for it but to embark on a quest to gather the hard-to-come-by lip balm ingredients and hopefully devise a way to stop the duke while she's at it. Anya is accompanied by Ardent, an eager (talking) royal dog, and it isn't long before their journey takes on a more significant purpose. Playing on fairy tale tropes and conventions, Nix (Newt's Emerald, 2015) delivers a delightful adventure stuffed with absurdity, magic, and a spirited young heroine. Beneath these entertaining trappings lies a heartfelt message of justice and fair treatment for all. As for Anya, there's always room for leading ladies like her: I don't expect to need rescuing. I'm not that kind of princess. (Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)
Starred review from June 5, 2017
Filled with an assortment of talking animals, this quirky tale of a princess on a mission to save her family from her stepmother’s evil new husband is perfectly suited for the audio format. Princess Anya’s “stepstepfather,” Duke Rikard, is attempting to force her older sister, Morven, to marry a man of his choosing by turning all her other suitors into frogs. Anya sets off on a quest to find allies to help protect her family, accompanied by her sister’s most recent beau, Prince Denholm (currently a frog); her talking dog, Ardent; and a boy-turned-newt named Shrub. Anya’s adventure brings her into contact with all sorts of creatures. Actor Calin proves a thoroughly delightful storyteller in the audio edition of Nix’s tale: her enthusiastic reading coupled with her English accent enhances the fairy-tale aspect, but it’s her personable and light tone that carries the story. Calin also creates a cast of distinct character voices that maintain clarity through conversations. Ages 12–up. A Scholastic Press hardcover.
March 1, 2017
After their evil stepstepfather (it's complicated) Duke Rikard turns her older sister's latest suitor into a frog, Princess Anya sets out with Ardent, one of the talking Royal Dogs, to acquire ingredients for the anti-transmogrification lip balm that will turn the prince back. Though it initially seems to Anya a simple-enough errand, and to readers a lighthearted romp, this quest grows increasingly complex, with serious concerns underlying the silliness. Anya meets innumerable people and animals who have been unwillingly transmogrified on the whims of Rikard and his fellow evil sorcerers. From a (female) Good Wizard and the Robin Hoodlike outlaw Roberta, Anya learns the extent of the corruption and class inequality in her kingdom. Now determined to oust Duke Rikard and reinstate the democratic Bill of Rights and Wrongs, Anya wins many others to the causenot least by kissing (and anti-transmogrifying) a lot of frogs. Nix both pays homage to and smartly subverts familiar fairy-tale, folktale, and fantasy-genre tropes. At the same time, he explores timely issues of social justice, leadership, and the duty of individuals to their communities and fellow citizens. In this world, magic, whether good or evil, comes at a price, and the final triumph over Rikard is hard won. But just as the comedy is deepened by thought-provoking questions, the sadness and sacrifice are perfectly balanced by warmth and loyal friendship. katie bircher
(Copyright 2017 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)
February 8, 2017
Princess Anya, second in line to the throne, lives with her childish, spoilt older sister Princess Morven, her stepmother and her step-stepfather, Evil Socrerer Duke Rikard (it’s far less complicated than it seems). When Duke Rikard turns Morven’s latest True Love, Prince Denholm, into a frog, the only way Anya can calm her down is to make a Sister Promise to return the Prince to his human state. This promise coincides with the Duke’s powers and ambition to be ruler of Trallonia reaching a dangerous peak. Anya has no choice but to accept the challenge set by the royal dog matriarch Tanitha to go on a Quest with a capital Q to undo the evil Duke Rikard has wrought and to bring peace to the lands. As a big reader of all fantasy, I absolutely adored this book. It lovingly pokes fun at every fantasy trope imaginable and flips ancient standards on their head. And not just in a ‘the princess recuses the prince’ kind of way. The Good Wizard, for example, is a kind young lady who, with a twinkle in her eye, can summon a big white beard, deep booming voice and pointy hat to ‘look the part’. This book is perfect for fans of Diana Wynne Jones or Terry Pratchett, or anyone 12 and up who has ever enjoyed a fantasy novel and likes a clever joke or two.
Dani Solomon is a bookseller at Readings Carlton