The Princess Curse

This was different. This started off as the Twelve Dancing Princesses and quickly turned into a Persephone story with hints of Beauty and the Beast. There were a number of things I really liked about this - the first was the setting, which was a fictional country in Eastern Europe. It was very refreshing to read a fantasy book that wasn't set in France or the British Isles.

I also appreciated the darker aspects of the story. As a child, I was always a bit ambivalent towards the Dancing Princesses because it seemed so stupid - they danced and wore holes in their shoes, and that was supposed to be a horrible curse that the king wanted solved so much? In Haskell's version, the dancing was tied into a sleeping sickness for any who tried to show more observe the princesses at night, and seismic events if any of the princesses left.

I also just liked the main character. She was full of chutzpah, and intelligent and independent.

My only complaint was that the book ended too early and with so many threads still left hanging. This was, I gather, the first in a series. So I ended the book feeling both frustrated because the story wasn't over, and hopeful that there would be more. show less

The Princess Curse by Merrie Haskell retells the story of the Twelve Dancing Princesses from a different point of view – an onlooker. A young herbalist apprentice named Reveka. Her devotion to herb lore makes her certain that there is something she can do to help end the curse, so she throws herself into the task with no concern for herself. What follows brings the best of fairy tale lore alive with fantasy and determination. I absolutely couldn’t get enough of the story!

This is one stand-alone I would give anything to see made into a series. Reveka is such a strong heroine – she is incredibly brave and plenty smart…but is also not without her faults. Part of it is that she is so young. But, in fact – one of the best things show more about the book is her age. We get to focus on the world and the story instead of getting tangled up with a bunch of romance and teenage angst. That right there is the best part about reading middle grade!

Of course, that isn’t to say that the story doesn’t contain a few men, y’all. What would be the fun in that? But the simple fact that Reveka is too young to prioritize romance keeps anything from really developing. However, she does come to imagine a future with someone, so we do get a glimpse into what her happily ever after might be! I’d hate to have left the book without a look into how Reveka’s life might turn out.

We don’t get to know most of the princesses on any level at all – this is definitely not (directly) their story. The consequences of their actions and the lengths they go to in order to keep others free of the curse definitely make for some intrigue though. I really appreciate the fact that the story has so many layers.

I always love reading about court politics – since Reveka is a part of it all as a herbalist, we get looks into several different interesting areas. From the gossipy servant in charge of bathing to her fellow herbalists to the princesses themselves, Reveka is constantly observing and obtaining as much information as she can! The things she ends up learning definitely cause her to make some crazy decisions…

I’m always up to read anything in the fantasy genre, especially when it comes complete with a worthy heroine and a complex world to discover…if you’re anything like me, this is definitely a book worth picking up! show less

Merrie Haskell has taken a mid-range fairy tale, "The Twelve Dancing Princesses" and turned it into an ahead-of-the-pack middle grade novel. Rather than a wandering soldier or other male protagonist, we the readers meet Reveka, an herbalist's apprentice who is determined to break the curse of the dancing princesses in order to use the reward money in pursuit of her career. I was on board with this heroine from page one.

Haskell has created likable and unlikeable characters in equal measure, but each is more complex than he or she seems at first, which is a pleasure to find in a children's novel. The book isn't perfect: there are minor issues -- the conflation of Romanian and Greek mythic references, for example, though interesting and show more ostensibly logical through the Roman connection, comes across as muddled on occasion, but sorts itself out more or less by the end -- and more significant ones -- our protagonist frequently speaks like someone way older than her years -- but the story carries the reader through. Some of those imperfections even become interesting connections as the book unfolds.

While the end implies potential continuation, the story does have enough closure to stand on its own. There is a little turn toward the end, which I shall not spoil here, that may not sit well with everyone, but it was probably inevitable. On the whole, though, I found it refreshing to read a fairy-tale retelling in which the heroine is smart, kind, practical-minded and largely free from the romantic cliches and personality-squelching love triangles that seem to populate the genre in recent years. A pleasant read and one I can freely recommend to all ages who love a good fairy tale. show less

Don't let the cover art fool you! This is a smart, thoughtful, and highly enjoyable fairy tale. Although the main character is thirteen, she's a medieval thirteen--old enough to be apprenticed, to have survived wars and famines and make her own plans for the future. Reveka wants nothing more than to be an herbalist, and has the perception, curiosity, and logical frame of mind to become a good one. With her as the main character, and a well-researched, fully-grounded medieval Europe as the context, the legends of the Twelve Dancing Princesses, Beauty and the Beast, and Hades and Persephone all become a seemless, fascinating whole.

This is a cute novel that combines the 12 Dancing Princesses (Brothers Grimm) with the Greek Myth of Persephone. Its aimed at younger teens - 12 or so. Its solid writing, a great character who lives in a dark ages type world - where as a girl, she can only get married, or live in an abbey. While there is magic, it is doesn't play a large part of the story. The story of the 12 princesses is nicely done - with an explanation of why they must dance. When the king offers a large award to whomever can break the curse - Raveka determines to be the one to do it, even though it might cost her her life.

Raveka is a very solid character - she is smart, able, and doesn't rush into a situation. She thinks things through. And while she is an show more outsider, she is still able to ask for help and gain the respect of the people around her. I like a book with a heroine that thinks before acting.

My only qualm is the ending - While it makes sense in the story, and in the culture of the society, it would have helped if Raveka was just a few years older. No, nothing like THAT happens - but the ending feels a bit wrong. show less

As with Breadcrumbs I was expecting a light fluffy read with The Princess Curse about mythology and retelling but again, that is not what I got. Reveka is a very young herbalist apprentice who dreams of having her own herbery. In order to do this, she sets off to break the curse to be rewarded. Even though Reveka is very young, she's had her own share of struggles which is what I think makes her so brave.

Reveka was a very refreshing character. For someone her age, she was very mature and sneaky! I loved that she had goals and she wouldn't let anyone stop her. She has a good and pure heart and even put in the situations she was put in, she still tried to see the best of everything. I really liked Lord Dragos and I wish we knew more about show more him. He didn't seem threatening or violet, just sad and lonely. Another character I wish we knew more about is Alethe. I absolutely was NOT a fan of Lacrimora. Every scene she was in was just... ugh!

It's hard to review this without giving too much away!

The Princess Curse is a wonderful weaved story of the Persephone/Hades myth and the Twelve Dancing Princesses. The descriptions of the Underworld were both beautiful and haunting as was the way the world works, how spirits are either locked in or wander around and how sometimes they vanish. I absolutely enjoyed this read and I enjoyed Reveka's journey and her determination to wake up the sleepers and save the Underworld. Even though this is suppose to be a middle grade/tween novel, it certainly didn't read like one.

The only thing I didn't like was the creepy scene where the sleepers would wake up and scream "Don't go!" when the princesses' light went out. Seriously, it had me checking my windows at night lol. show less

I really enjoyed this! I had a few somewhat jarring "I see what you did there" moments, but maybe I'm just turning into a jaded children's librarian. My kid-self would have been obsessed with this book, and I could see it becoming a new go-to comfort read on the rare occasions that I'm tired of YA.