TEST
When the cover for this novel was mentioned on the Potpourri board I was thrilled. I had this book in my TBR and had not yet been motivated to move it up the stack. Hearing others talk about it, even if it was just cover design, gave me the impetuous to pull it out and get it read. I am so glad I did!
Princess Rose has been cursed almost the entirety of her life. Every night she and her sisters are forced to dance for the King Under Stone. Forced to partner his sons in waltzes until their feet are sore and their shoes worn through. Their father the King is at his wit’s end trying to figure out exactly what is happening, and his biddable and sweet tempered daughters are magically prevented from telling him. Westfallin has just come out of a costly, nearly impossibly won war against Analouisa and they are already in a precarious position financially. Even as King Gregor tries to negotiate new trade agreements with neighbors word of what is happening with his daughters spreads. In desperation, he offers the hand of a princess to the man who can solve the riddle. And then things get horrifically worse.
Galen’s kindness to an old lady on the road to Westfallin results in some unusual gifts. There is a ball of black yarn, “black like iron”, the good frau tells him. There is a white ball of yarn, “white like a swan”. And then there is the greatest gift of all – a magic cloak of invisibility. Galen resists the gifts, assuring the old lady that his days as a soldier are over and he seeks a life of peace, where magic won’t be needed. But she persists and he takes the items with him into his new life as a king’s gardener. There he meets the princesses and learns of the horrible and mysterious problems plaguing the royal family. As he gets to know the young ladies, most especially Rose, he realizes that something far darker than simple whim is at work here. Determined to help his country and the girl he has come to love, Galen begins a quest to find out just what is happening every night with the twelve dancing princesses.
Obviously, this is a retelling of the Brothers Grimm tale of the dancing princesses and let me tell you, it’s a really captivating reimagining of the story. The world of the twelve princesses, the reason for their enchantment and the reactions to said enchantment are spun into something that is both entirely new and riveting and yet as familiar as the comfy pajamas you were wearing when you first heard this fairy tale. The setting of the castle and its environs, a pseudo-nineteenth century Europe, is wonderfully detailed, serving as a great anchor for the book. The town and garden are peopled by ordinary folk who are suffering the consequences of what is happening. We get to know them and understand a bit of why this is such a Really Bad Thing. And the realistic responses from neighboring kingdoms as the situation in Westfallin goes from bad to worse gives a validity to the tale that I have found lacking in other renderings.
The hero Galen is a great character. A soldier who learned to knit to keep himself in socks, he is both a gentle soul and a fighter. The balance is amazingly well done here and he is such a humble, intelligent man that he is in many ways the perfect hero. It was easy to root for him throughout the tale. And it was interesting to hear how knitting played a key role in the lives of men in the past. Galen’s talent in this area – and his magical yarns – play a key role in the salvation of the princesses.
Rose, the oldest princess, is a solid character too. She is smart, trying hard to find a way for her and her sisters to get out from under the curse. She is kind and sweet, with a soft romantic streak that allows her to fall completely for a gardener in her father’s garden. I really enjoyed that the two met as friends and developed that friendship before there was ever the big “prize” of Galen solving the mystery and getting Rose as a bride. That friendship that was gently growing into romance between them was what took this fairy tale into a believable HEA.
Not to be neglected is the fact that our villain was given a reason for his evil. Yes, he was a bad being, but he had a plan for the princesses; he wasn’t just torturing them for fun. His court, his sons – all gave us a clearer picture of who he was and what he was up to and that added a depth to the tale that is often missing in other renderings.
This book reads young but it is a must read for any fan of fairy tales. As we head into the cold season, it is a perfect companion to a cup of cocoa and a couple hours under a quilt.
Grade: A-
Book Type: Fantasy Romance|Young Adult
Sensuality: Kisses
Review Date: 18/10/10
Publication Date: 2009/01
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.