Frogkisser! / Garth Nix.

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

The Last Thing She Needs Is a Prince.The First Thing She Needs Is Some Magic. Poor Princess Anya. Forced to live with her evil stepmother's new husband, her evil stepstepfather. Plagued with an unfortunate ability to break curses with a magic-assisted kiss. And forced to go on the run when her stepstepfather decides to make the kingdom entirely his own.Aided by a loyal talking dog, a boy thief trapped in the body of a newt, and some extraordinarily mischievous wizards, Anya sets off on a Quest that, if she plays it right, will ultimately free her land -- and teach her a thing or two about the use of power, the effectiveness of a well-placed pucker, and the finding of friends in places both high and low.With Frogkisser! , acclaimed bestselling author Garth Nix has conjured a fantastical tale for all ages, full of laughs and danger, surprises and delights, and an immense population of frogs. It's 50% fairy tale, 50% fantasy, and 100% pure enjoyment from start to finish.

Reviews provided by Syndetics

Publishers Weekly Review

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. (Mar.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

School Library Journal Review

Gr 5 Up-"Frogkisser" isn't a nickname most 13-year-old princesses aspire to, but when Anya makes a sister-promise to return Prince Denholm to his human state, she goes in search of Transmogrifying Reversal Lip Balm. Nix knows how to stage an enchanting story, as Anya finds herself up against (and equal to!) one adventure after another. Accompanied by palace pup Ardent, prospective good thief Shrub, otter/girl Smoothie, and her own ample intelligence and bravery, Anya sets out on a quest to restore Denholm and make the kingdom of Trallonia safe again. Narrator Marisa Calin voices characters with delightful English and Scottish accents. Nix keeps listeners on their toes, tossing in bits of fairy tales and delightful surprises (friendly monster Moatie; the Only Stone, a flying carpet with an ego; Sir Malorak), some of which seem destined to appear in a sequel. Battle scenes are mild (most weaselfolk are "knocked out" in battle), yet the story never lacks for excitement. Nix puts a sophisticated vocabulary to good use, seamlessly weaving in words such as admonishment, jerkin, and demesne. -VERDICT Highly recommended for middle school audiobook collections. Nix's story is excellent in its own right, and Calin's voice enhances Anya's adventure in every way. ["With wonderfully inventive creatures, challenging vocabulary, and a captivating story, this fantasy is recommended as a first purchase for YA collections": SLJ 1/17 starred review of the Scholastic book.]-Maggie Knapp, Trinity Valley School, Fort Worth, TX © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Booklist Review

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 prince but 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. --Smith, Julia Copyright 2016 Booklist

Horn Book Review

Princess Anya sets out to acquire ingredients for an anti-transmogrification lip balm to turn a frog back into a prince. Serious concerns underlie this quest's silliness--after learning of the kingdom's corruption and class inequality, Anya vows to oust evil Duke Rikard and reinstate the democratic "Bill of Rights and Wrongs." Nix smartly subverts fairy-tale and fantasy-genre tropes while exploring timely social justice issues. (c) Copyright 2017. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Kirkus Book Review

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) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Author notes provided by Syndetics

Garth Nix was born in Melbourne, Australia on July 19, 1963. He graduated from the University of Canberra in 1986 and worked various jobs within the publishing industry until 1994. After a stint in public relations, he returned to books and took up writing as a career. He is the author of Blood Ties, Clariel, Newt's Emerald, the Old Kingdom series, The Seventh Tower series, and The Keys to the Kingdom series. In 1999, he received a Golden Duck Award for Australian Contribution to Children's Science Fiction. To Hold the Bridge was named Best Collection by the 2015 Aurealis Awards. His novella, By Frogsled and Lizardback to Outcast Venusian Lepers, was named Best Science Fiction Novella by the 2015 Aurealis Awards. In 2018, he won the 2017 Aurealis Award for the Best science-fiction short story.

(Bowker Author Biography)