Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George
This is a young adult retelling of the fairy tale "The Twelve Dancing Princesses," and it's the first novel-length version of this story that I have really enjoyed reading. I love the Faerie Tale Theatre version of the story, so I'm always excited to see books based on it; so far though, they have all disappointed me.
This version focuses on the soldier, Galen, and the eldest princess, Rose. The war is over and Galen has nowhere to call home, so he heads to Bruch, where his only living relatives live, an aunt and uncle on his mother's side. On the way, he encounters an old woman and shares what little food he has with her. In return, she gives him a ball of white wool, a ball of black wool, and a cloak that renders its wearer invisible.
His uncle is the head gardener for the king, and Galen begins working with him on the king's gardens. While working on the gardens, he happens across Princess Rose. While working at the castle, Galen hears the gossip about the princesses; they are wearing out their dancing slippers every night even though they never leave their rooms.
The princesses are cursed by a pact their mother made with the King Under Stone. He forces them to dance for him every night with his twelve sons. In the end, he intends for the princesses to marry each of his sons, and none of them want this. Though many princes try and fail to discover the secret, Galen is determined to help Rose and her sisters.
The story doesn't stray too far from the original story and yet enough is changed and enough details are filled in to make it seem interesting and new. Galen, a soldier for most of his life, loves to knit in his spare time. Rose is very likable as well, and watching the relationship between her and Galen is very sweet.
For those interested in knitting, the book includes two knitting patterns in the back that tie into the story. The author also posted several more knitting patterns related to the book.
No comments:
Post a Comment