Charlotte Kandel

Daphne is an orphan who has always believed she is extraordinary. When a parcel without return address is sent to her with a magical pair of scarlet stockings, she believes that this is her ticket to ballet stardom. A set of coincidences set up the dichotomy between her loving adoptive family and her desire to be famous. This is reminiscent of many classic orphan stories, especially Noel Streatfeild. But this book is weirdly divorced of both parental guidance and actual reason – at 14, show more Daphne accepts a job as an assistant to a star, and no one finds this unusual. Similarly, at 15 she is accepted to a ballet company, and goes to live in Paris by herself, with no guidance. Daphne is almost possessed by the demons she was warned about in a riddle that goes along with the stockings. Daphne as a main character veers wildly between being someone readers can understand, and someone likeable to someone that turns readers off and is cruel and cold. The book is interesting, and a little terrifying too. The complexity of the title makes me wonder if there will be a sequel. show less

I have a soft spot for stories about orphans. At the same time, however, I have extremely high expectations. Some of my favourite stories since I was a child have been about orphans, so it’s no wonder my standards have been set so high.

The Enchanted Riddle is the first book in The Scarlet Stockings trilogy. It tells the story of Daphne, an orphan who wants nothing more than to become a world famous ballerina. One day, while still living at the orphanage, she gets a package in the mail, the show more sender unknown, containing the book How to Teach Yourself Ballet as well as a pair of scarlet stockings. What Daphne soon finds out is that these stockings are no ordinary pair of stockings, but are magic, and can grant her wishes. She soon starts a journey that will take her from her orphanage, through the loving home of the Green family, into the life of actress Magda Magellan, to a large ballet company in Paris, where it seems her career has just begun.

Throughout the first third of the book, I thought this book was going to fall way below all my expectations. It was slow, and I had a hard time comprehending the fact that as soon as Daphne got adopted by a loving family, she was going to run off and become the personal assistant of Magda Magellan in order to further her career. As the book progressed past the first third, I started to enjoy it more but still didn’t like the way the scarlet stockings were making Daphne act towards those who cared for her. As with any magical object, they do have a darker side – it brings out Daphne’s snobbish, self-centered side.

Overall, the book was enjoyable. It didn’t quite live up to my expectations, but I liked it nonetheless. It was cute, and if I knew any, I’d pass it on to a young reader who was into dance. show less

Reviewed by The Compulsive Reader for TeensReadToo.com

Daphne was left in the care of an orphanage when she was just a baby, and has lived there for thirteen years. She dreams of becoming a prima ballerina, but without lessons or money, her dreams are far off.

But then one day she receives a book containing a mysterious riddle and all the information she'd ever want to know about ballet. As she hones her skills and enters the seemingly magical world of dance, she'll find that she's up against show more more than she bargained for -- bitter competition and hatred from the other dancers.

Daphne's insecurities begin to overwhelm her, but she has something that no one else has: the magic of her book and stockings.

This book is a delightful read that anyone of any age can enjoy. Combining the best of historical fiction and magic, Kandel has created an engaging and suspenseful read. Though Daphne can sometimes act surprisingly mean, she is a lovable character and her story is one that will mesmerize. There's never a dull moment in this first installment, and it will certainly leave you wanting more.

Overall, the author has crafted a good, wholesome read. show less

Fourteen-year-old Daphne, spunky and imaginative, has grown up in a London orphanage dreaming she will someday learn the identity of her parents and become a prima ballerina, and when a mysterious package arrives with a pair of stockings and a book inscribed with a riddle, her journey to the truth begins.