Trixter

The Trix Adventures #1

by Alethea Kontis

Trix Woodcutter is the long prophesied Boy Who Talks to Animals. He’s also a foundling prankster scamp who places his family under a sleeping spell so that he can run away from home. Compelled by a vision of his dead birthmother, Trix departs on the eve of a Great Catastrophe, only to find himself caught in the maelstrom. Armed with little more than his wits and the wisdom inherent in all fey-blooded youth, Trix confronts a legendary Animal King, faces off against a ghostly feline, rescues a damsel in distress, and discovers more about himself than he ever wished to know.

And this adventure is only the beginning.

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Fairy Tales, Magic, Adventure, Fairy Tale Retellings, Romance

144 pages, Paperback

First published May 3, 2015

About the author

"A veritable badass fairy princess." --Jim Butcher

"The faerie princess of the worlds of weird." --Jonathan Maberry

"Alethea Kontis IS fairy tales." --Jim C. Hines, author of Libriomancer

"Alethea Kontis: Awesome, racks up award nominations, wears tiaras." --SF author Ferrett Steinmetz

"I want to live in [Alethea's] head because I think that might be the most interesting place in the world!!!!" --Ellen Oh, author of Prophecy

"Alethea Kontis, the woman who writes like Shakespeare would if he were alive today." --Aaron Pound

"The beauty of a princess, the confidence of a queen, the brilliance of a writer, and the demeanor of a cheerful fairy comedian!" --Cheyenne Z.

"This was the story before all of the other stories, and it was the other tales that were changed over time." --Nerdophiles, on ENCHANTED

Reviews

[Barry Simiana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great new spin-off series that occurs between the adventures of the Woodcutter Sisters by Alethea Kontis. This, like the others, rocks and rolls. Though not grounded as deeply in fairy tales, they are still hidden there along with hints to myth and legend. The writing is tight, the adventure is high and the reading damn fine.

As a jaded old bloke who still likes to read fairy stories to his kids, and play with the stories a little in the quiet times, I must recommend this and the others in the companion series to anyone who wants to entertain their kids as well as themselves.

Excellent stuff.

As a quick aside, I have a feeling that the acquisitions person at the previous publisher who let these books escape may soon meet the same fate as those who passed on the Harry Potter series. Sometimes it is worth the risk. People need to start remembering that.


Let' see more.

[Melani · Rating 4 out of 5]

The more Kontis writes in this world, the more involved and complicated her worldbuiding becomes. This one definitely had fairy tale elements, and some of the pieces were pulled right from fairy tales, but the over arching story was most definitely not. I am really, really enjoying these novels.

[Nicole(thereadingrebel) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is only to be read AFTER Hero(book 2 in the Woodcutter Sister' series). You wouldn't really enjoy it otherwise.

This book begins just after Trix spells his family in Hero and goes out on his own to see his dead birth mother. This book or more like novella tells what adventures Trix was having during the events of Hero.

I was really excited to read this and was not disappointed. I wanted to know what kind of trouble Trix was getting up to during Hero. I didn't know much about Trix other then what I learned in Hero and Dearest from his sisters( I am reading book 1 Enchanted right now so I am seeing and learning more about Trix as he is closest to his sister Sunday the heroine of Enchanted). I really ended up loving Trix character. He is mischievous and a trouble maker but also is very compassionate and loyal. You can tell that Trix loves his family very much. I love how as things played out in the story Trix imagined what one of his sister would do in that situation. In this book Trix really learns to be his own person and be responsible. His siblings and animal friends(he can talk to animals which is an ability that I have always wanted)have always been there and gotten him out of trouble. He learns that he can survive himself and sometimes that you have too.

This book is very eventful. After Trix has somehow gotten himself out of one scrap he stumbles into another. Kontis has packed so much action and adventure in to so few pages. From curses, to golden apples, to giant animals there is never a dull moment and this book has something for everyone who loves magic and fairy tales. I am so excited for book 2 which comes out March 28. I highly recommend Trixter but recommend you read the Woodcutter Sister' series first. You will not be disappointed in this charming tales.

Rating: 4 out 5

Content Rating: PG

[Matina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Trix Woodcutter never really interested me until now. I was always more interested in the rest of the Woodcutters, Sunday, Saturday, Friday and the others. Reading Trixter has changed all of that. I fell quickly in love with the part fey boy. Even though Trixter is a novella it felt as full as any of Alethea's other books.

As the story opens we are introduced to Trix as he is escaping from his family after bewitching their food. We then get to experience the flood that Saturday created from yet another point of view, Trix's. Seeing the same flood from three different points of view could easily grow boring, but Alethea Kontis re-imagines it each time in a new and creative way so that I've never been tired of reading it.

We then follow Trix on a wild adventure as he travels to reach his dead mother, spurned on by visions of her. As he makes his way he meets many strange and wonderful creatures and goes through his own tests and trials, growing along the way. This book more than others had a feel of being it's own fairy tale. The others have always incorporated many different fairy tales, but Trix's journey felt like an entirely new one of it's own.

Trixter holds the same delight and charm as the other books in the Woodcutter series introducing readers to tales both new and old. It delights and fascinates and embodies Trix's personality to the letter. Both new and old characters are introduced and I hope to see more from many of them in the future. This story holds key plot points to the rest of the series, and I can see that the Woodcutter series is building into something much larger than I'd originally anticipated. This book is definitely not one to be missed.

[Krista Kimball · Rating 5 out of 5]

This might be my favorite story yet. I love Trix and Lizinia is pure joy. I want the second story now. All the stories in all honesty.

[Melanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was fun to learn more about Trix Woodcutter! In the beginning, he's running away from home after his birthmother appeared in his dreams and called for him. Trix is able to talk to animals, which helps him in his travels. He meets interesting people and animals and has quite the adventure.

I loved getting more of the story of the Woodcutter family, and especially learning more about Trix. There were twists and turns along the way and the ending definitely left me wanting more! It's a short book, but was so much fun to read and I had a hard time putting it down. Ms. Kontis does a great job telling a story that is entertaining and whimsical. I love her writing and creative mind and am looking forward to reading whatever she comes up with next!

I received a copy via Prism Book Tours for an honest review. My opinion is 100% my own.

Mel's Shelves

[John Bowen · Rating 5 out of 5]

An incredible read. Princess Alethea Kontis spins a mind blowing tale about the boy that we all imagined ourselves to be.
This story kept me locked in for the entire wild ride!
I am eager to find out what adventures will follow for the young Trix and the rest of the Woodcutter clan.

- The Good Fairy

[Jean · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alethea Kontis has quickly become one of my favorite authors. Amongst a glut of fairy tale retellings, her books immediately stood out for me for both the author's keen knowledge of fairy tales, and the witty way she incorporates even the most obscure into her novels. They have often have a light touch with humor that makes me think of some modern fairy tales, like Alice in Wonderland (while still, ya know, making sense!) with a great sense of innovation and adventure.

In my now lost review of the second Woodcutter Sisters book, Hero (lost 'cause who knows why? It disappeared mysteriously from GR; I suppose the gods of GR required a sacrifice and my review was on the altar! Phhht!) I explained that the reason that book received four stars as opposed to Enchanted and Dearest's five was because it felt a bit empty. I loved Saturday's tale, but, after a truly epic start, she gets stuck in a cave, and while that story was wonderful, in felt confining.

Well, you could look at Trixter like an expansion of Hero. In the acknowledgements, Kontis explains that it grew out of the Trix-related subplot that she was advised to cut from Hero. Here, it's presented as a novella length adventure of its own. Without a publisher breathing down her neck, the story feels freer, too, to go down the bizarre corridors that Kontis wants to take it. The result was utterly delightful to read. I'mover the moon that Kontis is continuing and expanding the series, from the Woodcutter Sisters to the Books of Arilland! Can't wait to read more!

[Dee Sunday · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just re-read this for the second time after reading Ms. Kontis first two books to read them in chronological order.

The books are fast paced and wonderfully written. I yearn to learn more about the world that she has spun in the Woodcutter Sisters series. Trixter has temporarily satisfied my desire for more experiences in their world. I love that there are real consequences to ones actions that seem to be missing in "modern" a.k.a. Disney fairy tales. The lessons taught in the books are realistic even in their fantastical nature.
Thank You Ms. Kontis for writing a world I want to know more about.

P.S. I hope one day when you've finished the Woodcutter Sisters stories that you will write the stories of Seven and her sisters, Peter and Jack and others that we get a glimpse of in this world you've spun. Whether they be short stories, novels, novellas, poems or any other variation of story telling I long to know more. You are a true wordsmith!

[Deborah Blake · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book so much I immediately went out and bought everything else Alethea Kontis has written. Her twist on fairy tales is completely original and totally enchanting. She's a must buy for me from now on.

[Naticia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this without reading any of the other books in the Arilland series, and I think I liked it better for that. Trix's family is straight from fairy tales (plural), but he has been set apart as The Boy Who Talks to Animals. His quest to find? save? join? his birth mother takes him on a predictable but exciting journey, and ends with me feeling like this was just the introductory fairy tale to a larger epic. Some plot holes and eye-roll-inducing moments, but overall a very enjoyable novella. I'd read more in this series, though not sure I actually want to know more about his sisters. I like having them just be legends in this book. 3.5 stars

[Maggie Boyd · Rating 3 out of 5]

I get quite irked when I pay four dollars for half a book and that is exactly what happened here. Trix put his foster family to sleep in order to visit his birth mother and when the magic responds to his wish, it winds up calling a magical ocean to him. As he travels he meets a girl made of gold, a spider, a magical cat and a host of other creatures. Just when we think we are coming to the end of the story we learn it is actually the beginning of the next adventure which completes the tale! Whatever. I have one more of these books in my pile *not the next Trix one though*, I will read that and then be done with the whole thing.

[bumblethunderbeast · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked the first 3 books I read by Kontis. So it was a no-brainer to keep reading. This one was fun, but it felt brief--like it was missing something or else it had simply stopped mid-journey. When I got to the back of the book, I saw there had been a publisher change. That shift, I believe, is responsible for the transition. Don't get me wrong, Trix was fun to read and I enjoyed the further foray into Arilland, particularly as his story ran simultaneously with the adventures of Saturday and Friday. The alternate viewpoint was fun. But I REALLY hope that the Woodcutter sister series will continue.

[Robin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun story! This is the first of Alethea's books I've read, and I do wish I had realized {my own fault, mind you} that there were preceding novels in the series, as I would've gotten them prior to reading this one. Due to that, the book was a little confusing, but still enjoyable. I enjoyed the elements from familiar fairy tales mixed with the new ideas presented. I look forward to reading more of Alethea's work in the future!

[Francesca · Rating 3 out of 5]

I always enjoy a Kontis fairytale book but I wanted it longer! So much happened in this short novella and I wanted more. Trix should have his own book in this series, not a novella. Besides that, I enjoyed it very much.

[Jessie Pearce · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was praying for a book with more Trix from the beginning! He was my favourite character right off the bat, and this book only worked to reinforce that fact! And the fact that it’s a series makes the ending worth it!

[Emily Von pfahl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not quite as strong as the main books in the Woodcutter series, but still a fast and enjoyable read.

[Katy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well this on has taken me a hot minute to read. Ha. Sorry I waited so long! It was an excellent edition to the series. :)

[Jacquelyne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very entertaining read. I only wish it were longer!

[Alice · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit two short, not quite on par with his sisters' books.

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Stuck with Trix

So, I was never a fan of Trix. I want to read about the sisters!!!! This book was better than I thought, Trix still isn't my favorite.

[Kirsti Call · Rating 4 out of 5]

Magical, compelling and fun to read!

[Mari · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful beginning to Trix’s adventures! Love the shout out (at least I think it is) to Chesire cat, Papa Gatto’s smile and humor is a very good touch! And now we know the missing pieces from Hero 😉

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

You know from my previous reviews of Enchanted, Dearest, and Hero that I'm a Kontis fan. She deftly combines and explores multiple fairytales and folklore stories in the Woodcutter sisters books. Some are stronger than others, but all of them are funny and sweet, and very approachable.

I was bummed to learn that her previous publisher dropped contract, so I will never get to read about how Thursday became a Pirate Queen (I need that story, Alethea!). But I'm tickled that she went ahead and self-published this, the first in the tales of younger brother and foundling, Trixter.

Trix has been a sprite/Puckish character in the previous three books, which shady origins and an unspecified fated future. His adventures were very briefly hinted at in Hero, as Saturday undergoes her trials. And I have to say, I think I missed most of the fairytale references in here. It's definitely a novella, and only the precursor to the larger tale I'm sure we'll be getting in books two and three.

It was a quick, fun read, but I didn't get as into it as I did with the Woodcutter sister books. I think probably because the ending felt so abrupt, like we were missing half the book. For whatever reason, I didn't realize from the book length that this would be more of a teaser than a tale of the same epic length and journey as, say, Dearest.

So chalk that up to my bad. But in addition to this, I felt like the lack of a supporting cast of characters made the book feel a bit empty. Trix is an earnest trouble maker and felt absolutely true to what we've seen of him, but he also lacked a driving internal force that might make him feel more near and dear. Again, I think that's something that's going to get established during the trials of book two.

If you read any of the Woodcutter sisters books, I recommend picking this one up just to get context with what we've seen in Hero. It's a quick, fun read and will remind you why Arilland is the most fun fairytale theatre there is.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Trixter begins where Hero and Dearest began, with Trix Woodcutter putting a sleeping potion on his family and running away to save his biological mother. This, of course, was just before Saturday threw her magic mirror out the window and accidentally caused an ocean to flood the countryside. But getting swept up in a magical ocean is only the beginning of the adventures for The Boy Who Talks to Animals.

Trixter was, in my opinion, one of the best books I have seen by Alethea Kontis yet. Enchanted rates number one, with Trixter a close second. Trixter was all fun adventure with very few or no instances of the dark, creepy magic that was my only dislike of the series. Instead, the story follow’s Trix on his magical journey, meeting all kinds of strange and wonderful people and creatures—a falling star, a ghostly cat, a three-headed sea monster, and a golden girl are just the beginning.

I loved Trix’s character! He never let anything get him down but just took things as they came. He nearly drowns but instead of panicking, he just enjoys the undersea view! It was hilarious!

I also liked all the mythical creatures and fairytales woven into the story. Few people have read the fairy tale of the golden girl and the house of cats, but even that bizarre story makes an appearance in this wonderful tale. There are certainly perks to being covered with gold!

In all, I would highly recommend this story. Trixter was a light and funny read perfect for teens who love fairy tale retellings.

I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

[Jasmyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the previous book, Hero, Saturday and Trix set off a chain of events that leads to a massive flood, but we only saw Saturday's side of the story. Trix had quite the adventure after he left his family behind. Caught up in Saturday's massive flood, he finds himself underwater and off on a grand new adventure.

Wishing on a passing star sets off a series of events that will ultimately lead Trix far from home, but bring him right where he was heading at the same time. Along the way he meets quite a few pretty fun and amazing characters - grandpa cat was a favorite - and has to pass what seems like a series of tests. Yes, good old-fashioned tests to see if his heart was pure and willing to do what was right.

This was a fun story, but a little short. I wish the tests had been a little more subtle. The format of them was nice, but they were here and then gone again so very quickly.

- See more at: http://www.hotofftheshelves.com/2016/...

[J.p. Stephens · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let me begin with a word of caution to read this book after Enchanted and Hero (books 1 and 2 of the Woodcutter series). While the book stands beautifully on its own, it contains spoilers for those books which are far too delightful to be spoiled.

Since other reviewers have summarized the book so well, I will try to briefly capture what I love most about this novella. In the Woodcutter series, Kontis has created a magical world the likes of which is far too uncommon in contemporary fiction. In contrast to many "fantasy" novels that are really just mysteries or romances with magic placed atop them like little more than a new technology, Kontis embodies the true spirit of *fairy tales*. She crafts a world that doesn't *have* magic--it *is* magic. In this way I believe she connects to the deep truths that fairy tales have always sought to teach us: the world is mysterious and dangerous, evil is real, and love is the best weapon with which to fight that evil.

The magic of the Woodcutters' world is not tame but, thankfully, neither are the Woodcutters.

[Sydney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Trixter by Alethea Kontis is about the many fun and exciting adventures of Trix Woodcutter, the Boy Who Talks to Animals. It is a fairly quick read, that middles school students and young adults will enjoy. Full of magical beings and mythical creatures, this novel will entice the attention young readers. The enticing cover will also catch the attention of its readers. I would recommend this novel to readers that enjoy the combination of fantasy and fairytales.

Series: Books of Arilland
Genre: fantasy, fairytales, young adult
Publisher: Alethea Kontis
Publication date: July 15, 2015
Number of pages: 144
Category: Upper Middles School+
Content Rating: PG, some violence, but nothing graphic
Book Rating: 4 stars

Other books in the series:
1-Enchanted
2-Hero
4-Dearest
5-Tales of Arilland
6-Trixter and the Faerie Queen

A review copy of this bok was provided by Prism Book Tours.

[Katie Spina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is technically book 2.5 of the series, but I read it after reading book 3, and I'm very glad I did. There are mysteries and secrets revealed in Dearest that are slightly spoiled if you read Trixter first, but if you wait, then those same secrets are delightful nuggets of joy that you get to share with Trix when they're revealed.

I keep waiting to get sick of these books. So far, I've read the first 4 with the sequel to Trixter coming up next, and I just can't get Arilland out of my head. This magical world where anything can happen, and does, draws you in. Alethea writes in an effortless style that refuses to let the words get in the way of the story. Most importantly, these characters are people you fall in love with from the moment you meet them.

Beautiful book, and I can't wait to read the next one.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every time I finish one of Alethea Kontis' books, I can't wait for the next one to come out. And now I'm in a total state of anticipation as she has me waiting for two books because I'm now completely hooked on the Trixter Adventures (which I knew beforehand that I would be), and I'm of course waiting for the next Woodcutter Sisters book to come out.

Alas, and alack, woe is me!

Alethea Kontis never fails to deliver a wonderful story, part fairy tale retelling and part her own inventions. Her imagination is a lovely place to lose yourself in and I highly, highly recommend reading her Books of Arilland!!