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Some books just luck out in the cover department and I think this is definitely one of them. The lush dress, the castle, the maze, the young girl who looks like she is on the verge of running – it all makes for an enchanted, fairy tale feel. Which is appropriate given that this novel is a retelling of that wonderful fairy tale, the Twelve Dancing Princesses.
Azalea is a princess on the verge of the most exciting time of her life – her coming out and the beginning of a year (or years) filled with boys, gowns, and dancing. Endless dancing at beautiful balls. Something the fleet-footed Azalea has dreamed of all her life. And then tragedy snatches it all away and leaves her motherless, poverty stricken, and bleakly facing her year of partying as a year of mourning. More, Azalea is responsible for the care of her eleven young sisters who are slowly wilting under the stress of their sorrow ridden lives. And then they discover the magic hidden within the castle walls.
She had always known there was some magic about. After all, they had the enchanted tea set with sugar tongs that had a tendency to pinch one’s finger and a cup that bullied you into drinking whatever was inside it. Things like that were to be expected when you lived in the former home of the evil High King D’Eathe, a magician king who captured and tortured people foolish enough to wander anywhere in his vicinity. But what the girls hadn’t suspected was that there are rooms they had never seen before. Rooms at the end of secret passages, all of it created and maintained by strong magic. Areas like the silver pavilion where there is an endless ball going on under the kindly eyes of a lord named Keeper.
Forbidden to dance by their restrictive and cold father, the girls are delighted to have found this outlet where they can move and play once more without the fear of prying eyes or judgmental frowns. But there is a problem with putting your happiness into the hands of the Keeper. Because he has a hard time letting go of what he wants…and what he wants is Azalea and her sisters.
Twelve charming princesses are brought to life in this tale of love and dance. I was impressed by how the author was able to give each of the twelve a real personality, completely fitting with their respective ages and completely unique to them. Also impressive was how she managed to weave the theme of dance into just about every aspect of the novel. The princesses’ love of dance and the connection to their mother through dance gives a certain depth to the theme of the fairy tale. And the Entwine, created for this story as far as I can tell, made an interesting addition to the conversation of dance.
Equally entrancing was the description of real life in a kingdom that is not boundlessly wealthy nor a complete monarchy. The King has to work with the government and is not free to do everything he pleases. Their family is poor and has to economize within the castle while maintaining their status as royalty. The King also had a real sense of responsibility to his people, leading them into war when necessary, and was conscientious about other aspects of his position.
There is a wonderful look at the father/daughter relationship in this book and how it can grow bitter in the midst of misunderstanding. The King misses his Queen and wishes to mourn her, and therefore finds the girls’ behavior often bordering on frivolously happy. He can’t get this through to them, nor can they seem to explain themselves to him. That strain, its consequences, and the importance of being able to understand each other are all well drawn here.
There is some romance. Lord Bradford, a kindly young man who is about the castle on a regular basis, makes a sweet suitor for Azalea. While he cannot officially be with her due to the year of mourning, the two manage numerous encounters to get to know each other. A second sister also has a wonderful courtship that I found very sweet.
Less well done was the behavior of the girls, especially Azalea, in some instances. I think I would have understood it more if it had not been for Azalea’s position. Se did not have the maturity needed for a person who was going to be Queen some day, nor did her sisters behave like ladies of the court. It seemed as though their mother spent more time teaching them to dance then she did teaching them to be strong leaders. Perhaps she presumed that Azalea’s husband would take over, but that left sort of a bad taste in my mouth. I would hope that Azalea would make some attempt to retain the authority bestowed upon her by her subjects. When I compared her to how Elizabeth I or even Elizabeth II of England behaved at her same age, I was very disappointed in her. More, I found myself resenting the dead mother who should have raised her and her sisters with at least a small sense of responsibility beyond just caring for each other. I also resented their father, who certainly didn’t bestir himself to do much raising at all.
That quibble aside, this is a sweet tale of love and dancing. It does a good job of capturing the essence of the Grimm’s story and fleshing it into life. I would recommend it – with some caveats – to any fan of historical fairy tales.
Grade: B-
Book Type: Fantasy Romance|Young Adult
Sensuality: Kisses
Review Date: 10/11/11
Publication Date: 2011/03
I've been an avid reader since 2nd grade and discovered romance when my cousin lent me Lord of La Pampa by Kay Thorpe in 7th grade. I currently read approximately 150 books a year, comprised of a mix of Young Adult, romance, mystery, women's fiction, and science fiction/fantasy.
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Recent Comments …
Yep
This sounds delightful! I’m grabbing it, thanks
excellent book: interesting, funny dialogs, deep understanding of each character, interesting secondary characters, and also sexy.
I don’t think anyone expects you to post UK prices – it’s just a shame that such a great sale…
I’m sorry about that. We don’t have any way to post British prices as an American based site.
I have several of her books on my TBR and after reading this am moving them up the pile.