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Wildwood Dancing by Juliet Marillier
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Wildwood Dancing

by Juliet Marillier

Series: The Other Kingdom (1)

MembersReviewsPopularityAverage ratingConversations
626297,463 (4.22)80
Info:

Knopf Books for Young Readers (2008), Edition: Reprint, Paperback, 432 pages

Member:cmbohn
Collections:Your library, SarahRating:*****
Tags:fairy tale, romance, supernatural, teen, 999 challenge
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Showing 1-5 of 28 (next | show all)
I finished tis book in one day, I just couldn't put it down. Its a twist on the Twelve Dancing Princess and the Frog Prince, but so much better than I've ever heard them. Beautiful story with wonderful detail and characters. One of my new favorites! ( )
  mmillet | Dec 14, 2009 |
An excellent and original fantasy novel, based on the Twelve Dancing Princesses and the Princess and the Frog with a little vampire lore thrown in. Set in medieval Transylvania , five sisters are able to pass through a portal on the night of the every full moon to the kingdom of the fey, where they dance the night away with a variety of magical beings. The eldest sister, the beauty of the family, falls in love with a creature who appears to belong to the Night World, the dark side of the fey.

The main character, Jenica is the second eldest sister, the practical one. She has a pet frog that she found years ago in the forest and keeps him with her always. Of course this frog is more than he seems. The sisters are left on their own one winter as their merchant father falls ill and leaves for a milder climate. Their cousin, Cezar wastes no time in taking over their lives and they come to realize they are under the thumb of a overbearing, power-hungry man.

With her cousin in control of her life and home, and her beautiful elder sister under the sway of a Night Creature, Jenica stuggles to find a way to free herself and her sisters and find the right balance between the two worlds.

Wildwood Dancing has adventure, romance and mystery. The author was able to make these fairy tales new and fresh. Like all good fairy tales there is definitely a moral involved, this one is about making the right choices in life.

Fantasy is a newer genre for me, but after reading this book I will be looking for more, expecially by this author. ( )
  DeltaQueen50 | Nov 1, 2009 |
I really enjoyed this retelling of 12 dancing princesses. I loved the use of Romanian names and words throughout. The imagery was beautiful and though the foreshadowing was obvious in some places, it was less so in others. ( )
  melissa1lbr | Sep 29, 2009 |
This is a retelling of the Twelve Dancing Princesses, where a group of sisters discover a passageway to another world that only opens once a month. ( )
  jfoster_sf | May 19, 2009 |
Jena and her 4 sisters have a secret. Every full moon, they find a portal into the Other World and dance the night away. But things are changing. Their father must leave their home and spend the winter away for his health. He leaves the castle in the care of Jena and her older sister Tati, and reminds them to ask their uncle for any help they need. But after he leaves, their uncle is killed in a hunting accident and their cousin Cezar takes over. And wow, does he take over. Suddenly the girls have little control over anything, because Cezar knows best.

Add to this the twist that Tati falls in love with one of the other visitors to the Other World, one who hangs around with a suspicious crowd. Vampires, anyone? Jena's own companion, a frog, starts acting differently too. It seems like just when things can't get any worse for the family, they do.

I really enjoyed this book. It's a mix of vampire folklore (it's set in Romania), the 12 Dancing Princesses and The Frog Prince, but it works surprisingly well. I really liked Jena, despite her flaws, and I loved the ending. Then I found out there's a sequel, Cybele's Secret, which might not be out yet. This one was a lot of fun. ( )
  cmbohn | May 15, 2009 |
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To my granddaughter Claire
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I've heard it said that girls can't keep secrets.
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(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)
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Amazon.com Product Description (ISBN 0375833641, Hardcover)

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.

(retrieved from Amazon Fri, 24 Apr 2009 07:58:02 -0400)

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