Lorna Hill (1) (1902–1991)

I really enjoyed the first book in this series, but found this one didn't live up to it. I'm not entirely sure why; it's possible I just wasn't in the right mood when I read it. Despite the title, much of the book is about Veronica's life outside of Sadler's Wells, and I would have liked a lot more about her time there; I don't feel like I know much about it, and we never really get to know any of the other girls either. I also didn't particularly like Sebastian in this book, although I show more liked him in the last one. On the other hand, there were good parts; I really liked the characters of Jonathan and Stella and Mrs. Crapper. show less

I really enjoyed this book. Although it's supposed to be a ballet book, there's a lot of other stuff going on; Veronica's relationships with her cousins, lots of riding, a few adventures. It's a bit dated in places and it seemed that some of the difficulties got smoothed out rather easily in the end, but the characters are likeable (the ones that are meant to be) and overall it was a good story that I liked a lot.

A somewhat unrealistic story about an exiled princess from a small European country. She is an excellent dancer, and spends a term at the Royal Ballet School. Several characters from previous books in the series are mentioned, and there are some mildly interesting scenes in Switzerland in the first part of the book. But the writing style is rushed, and the characters not that well drawn. Not a bad story if one suspends reality, although the number of minor characters would be a bit confusing show more to anyone who hasn't read any of the previous books. Written for children, yet the themes - of exiled royalty, and very mild love interests - are more for teenagers or young adults. show less

Disappointing. The first four books in this series are well-written and enjoyable, but this - the seventh - is a hotchpotch muddle with too many characters, a large number of author asides, and a confused plot. Would make almost no sense at all to someone who had not read at least some of the previous books.