Azalea is poised on the brink of her debut as a princess and a very eligible young lady. Years of balls, light, laughter, young men, and most of all dancing await her. But her mother's sudden death whisks her glittering future away and plunges Azalea and her eleven younger sisters into a world of darkness, mourning, and silence. Worst of all, none of the princesses are allowed their only comfort: dancing.
The Keeper understands, though. Each night, he allows the princesses into his magical world to dance the night away, wearing holes in their shoes as they forget, for a few hours, their unhappiness. It seems like a perfect arrangement. There's only one problem: the Keeper likes to keep things... and he may be much, much more than he seems.
Entertainment: ★★★★
I thought it was quite a clever take on the fairy tale of the twelve dancing princesses. I liked Azalea very much, I thought the villain was very well done, and overall I enjoyed the story quite a lot.
Plot: ★★★
I expected the ending, more or less, and really I can't say there were any surprises. It wasn't a story that kept me on the edge of my seat. But it was still nicely-paced, interesting, and entertaining.
Characters: ★★★★
Azalea was pretty cool, and her sisters were all right. Their father was very well-done, for a side character, and very realistic. I loved the complicated relationship between the children and the King. I loved the Keeper. He was eerie, scary yet seductive, the kind of villain that gives you goosebumps. He was amazing.
Writing: ★★★★
I like Dixon's style - it's quite easy to read and very enjoyable.
End Result: four stars. A good book, definitely worth your time.
Three out of the four of us have read this book, and we loved it. For the two that knew the fairytale already, it wasn't gripping, but for the one who didn't, it was. So we think that plays a factor.
ReplyDeleteWe agree about Azalea and the Keeper, and ESPECIALLY about their complicated relationship with the King/their father. That was our fave part!