Wildwood Dancing
By: Juliet Marillier
Description (From Goodreads.com):
High in the Transylvanian woods, at the castle Piscul Draculi, live five daughters and their doting father. It's an idyllic life for Jena, the second eldest, who spends her time exploring the mysterious forest with her constant companion, a most unusual frog. But best by far is the castle's hidden portal, known only to the sisters. Every Full Moon, they alone can pass through it into the enchanted world of the Other Kingdom. There they dance through the night with the fey creatures of this magical realm.
But their peace is shattered when Father falls ill and must go to the southern parts to recover, for that is when cousin Cezar arrives. Though he's there to help the girls survive the brutal winter, Jena suspects he has darker motives in store. Meanwhile, Jena's sister has fallen in love with a dangerous creature of the Other Kingdom--an impossible union it's up to Jena to stop.
When Cezar's grip of power begins to tighten, at stake is everything Jena loves: her home, her family, and the Other Kingdom she has come to cherish. To save her world, Jena will be tested in ways she can't imagine--tests of trust, strength, and true love.
But their peace is shattered when Father falls ill and must go to the southern parts to recover, for that is when cousin Cezar arrives. Though he's there to help the girls survive the brutal winter, Jena suspects he has darker motives in store. Meanwhile, Jena's sister has fallen in love with a dangerous creature of the Other Kingdom--an impossible union it's up to Jena to stop.
When Cezar's grip of power begins to tighten, at stake is everything Jena loves: her home, her family, and the Other Kingdom she has come to cherish. To save her world, Jena will be tested in ways she can't imagine--tests of trust, strength, and true love.
Review:
This was a wonderful retelling/mashing of the 12 Dancing Princesses and the Frog princes with some vampires thrown in for fun. I tend to really enjoy fantasy that has interesting historical lore, and this book had plenty of that. The Transylvanian setting was intriguing, and added a lot of depth to the story. The book had a lot of foreshadowing which made the book slightly predictable, but there was still plenty of surprises and twists that quickened the pace.
My one real complaint with the book is that there were just too many sisters. Sometimes their personalities melded together and I'd have to read back through parts of the book to get the story straight. Also, at one point in the book, one of the characters falls in love with a "forbidden" lover and basically stops caring about everything else in her life. I wasn't impressed by it, but thankfully it didn't cloud up the story too much.
I loved Jena's character, and her relationship with her frog Gogu. It was really a best friend relationship that was both touching and incredibly funny at times. Another wonderful part of the story is the villain and how he weasels his way into the story. It was a great example of how we shape our character by our actions, no matter how well-intended we may be.
I will definitely pick up the sequel and see how the story continues.
Rating:
I gave the book 5 stars
Book A-Likes:
The Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George. Recommended for those who like fairy-tale retellings and fantasy
Profanity: None
Drugs and Alcohol: None
Sexuality: Mild
Violence: Mild
