Book Summary

Sable has been cursed. Now every time she says a cruel word, which occurs all too often, spiders and snakes appear. Pennahs curse is slightly different: every kind word she speaks produces a precious stone.

All Sable wants to do is protect her little sister, but when a curious man appears in town and kidnaps Pennah for the gems, Sables job becomes much more difficult. With the help of a dark-skinned thief out for Pennahs jewels as well, Sable goes headlong into the Black Forest, a PLACE full of deadly fairy-tale creatures.

Meanwhile, Pennah discovers that she is not the only captive in her castle prison. As she unravels the mystery behind her kidnapper, she begins to understand what it means to be a part of the magical Black Forest. What if, for the first time in her life, Sable can't save her? Will Pennah be able to save herself?