Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Entwined by Heather Dixon

After the death of their mother, Azalea and her eleven sisters are neglected by their father the king and forced into mourning that strictly forbids dancing which the girls love. After discovering another world in a secret passage, the girls are delighted to meet Keeper, a magical being who promises them dancing every night. Keeper isn't as debonair as he seems. Soon, the girls are in over their heads. What Keeper wants, he gets and keeps.

Meanwhile, the king returns and becomes interested in his daughters' nightly excursions. He declares a contest with Az's hand as the prize. Now Az has to worry about Keeper and the suitors. When everything converges, Az, Mr. Bradford, Fairweller, Lord Teddy, and the King are all in for a fight.

What I thought: An absolutely beautiful retelling of "The Twelve Dancing Princesses." I've read quite a few and each one I read seems a little better than the last not because they're better but because they're different. Entwined and Wildwood Dancing might be my favorites. Like Jessica Day George in Princess of the Midnight Ball, Heather chose to give the girls flower/plant names (Azalea, Bramble, Clover, Delphinium, Evening Primrose, Flora, Goldenrod, Hollyhock, Ivy, Jessamine, Kale, and Lily). I guess this is a good way to name twelve sisters. The three separate romances add interest to the plot. This is a book I want to read again!

If you like the story of the dancing princesses, you might also want to read The Night Dance by Suzanne Weyn.

(Greenwillow, 2011)

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