Princess of the Midnight Ball (Twelve Dancing Princesses) [Paperback]

Jessica Day George (Author)

Book Description

Release date: April 27, 2010 | Series: Twelve Dancing Princesses

Rose is one of twelve princesses forced to dance through the night in an underground palace. The key to breaking the spell lies in magic knitting needles, an invisibility cloak, and—of course—true love. Inspired by "The Twelve Dancing Princesses,"this novel is as captivating as it is fresh. Enchanted readers are sure to clamor for the new companion, Princess of Glass, also publishing this season.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

The Brothers Grimm tale The Twelve Dancing Princesses is vibrantly retold and set in a fictionalized nineteenth-century Europe. Galen, a soldier (and knitter) returning home from war, encounters an old woman who gives him an invisibility cloak and yarn possessing magical powers. While working as a gardener at the palace, he encounters the princess, Rose, and her 11 younger sisters. Because of a secret bargain their mother made with the evil King Under Stone, the princesses are cursed to dance each night till their shoes are worn ragged. Aided by the good magic held in his yarn, Galen solves the puzzle that has stumped many a prince and earns Rose’s love and hand in marriage. Though cursed and in need of rescue, the sisters are feisty and cunning—not passive victims of their fate. Galen’s magical knitting patterns will appeal to teens fond of this trendy hobby. This is a well-realized and fast-paced fantasy-romance that will find favor among fans of fairy tales, feisty heroines, and dashing young men with strength, cunning, and sensitivity. Grades 6-10. --Heather Booth --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

About the Author

Jessica Day George is the author of Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow, Dragon Slippers, and its sequel, Dragon Flight. Originally from Idaho, she studied at Brigham Young University and lived in Delaware and New Jersey before settling down in Salt Lake City, Utah. She had been a movie store clerk, librarian, bookseller, and school office lady before she got her big break. Jessica lives with her husband, their young son, and a five-pound Maltese named Pippin in a house that needs to be vacuumed much too often.
www.JessicaDayGeorge.com
www.dragonslippers.net

Product Details

• Age Range: 12 and up
  
• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens; 1 edition (April 27, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1599904551
• ISBN-13: 978-1599904559
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 6.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (179 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #43,368 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

It's all about the books. Friends, family, school, "real jobs", they were just obstacles to be tackled so that I could return to my true love: books. All I have ever wanted in this world is to read and write books. My criteria for choosing a purse is that it must be able to fit a paperback book inside. I took books on my honeymoon, and bought more while we were there. I picked my major because it looked like I would get to read a lot of books, and also I thought it would provide me with interesting background information for my own books (which it did), so I now have a BA in Humanities -Comparative Literature with a minor in Scandinavian Studies. From the time I was twelve on up, I told people that I wanted to be a writer. When they said, "So, you'll teach and then maybe try to write a book?" I would just shake my head. No, I was a writer, and that was all I wanted to do. Over the years I have lived in Idaho, New Jersey, Delaware, and now Utah, because it doesn't matter. I can read and write anywhere. I've worked at a wedding invitation factory (Bet you didn't know they made them in big scary factories, did you?), at a video store (back at the birth of DVD), at libraries and bookstores, and even been an office lady at a school while I waited to get published. I knew that I would be published eventually, because . . . well, I just had to be.

Now, don't get me wrong, I have other interests. I took eight years of German, four of Norwegian, and even studied Old Norse so that I could read the great Viking sagas in the original language. I knit like a maniac: hats, scarves, sweaters, dog sweaters, socks, felted purses, you name it. I play the piano and viola, love to travel and to watch movies. I have a husband and three kids and a dog . . .

But mostly, it's about the books.

Visit Jessica at http://www.JessicaDayGeorge.com

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

38 of 39 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Engaging fairy tale retelling January 20, 2009

By DJLA531 VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

If you are familiar with the Grimm fairy tale The Twelve Dancing Princesses, then you already know the main plot points of this retelling. Author Jessica Day George adds depth to the story of the young solider charged with finding out why the kingdom's 12 princesses wear out their dancing shoes every night by setting it in a place with magic even darker than the original.

Galen makes a fine hero, he's a noble orphan who knits and is kind to old ladies (traits which serve him well as the story progresses). He's taken in by his uncle, the King's gardener, and that's how he meets the cursed Rose and her sisters. Galen and Rose are the only characters that we ever really get to know beyond one defining characteristic - the other 11 sisters run together in a haze of flower names and are treated more as a group than individuals. The romantic elements of the story were also a bit thin, even for someone like me who isn't necessarily a fan of romance.

Despite knowing the fairy tale, I found this retelling adequately suspenseful and read eagerly, rooting for Galen to break the curse and usher in a happily ever after. 3 1/2 stars

37 of 39 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars An entertaining read March 31, 2009

By Hilarie

Format:Hardcover

I have always been a lover of fairy tales. One of my favorites from childhood has always been the story of the 12 Dancing Princesses. So, I was excited when this book caught my eye during a recent trip to Barnes and Noble.
The story begins as Galen, a lifelong soldier despite his youth, is returning home after the completion of a war which has lasted 12 long years. Orphaned and alone, he seeks out his Aunt and Uncle. Galen's uncle is employed as the royal family gardner, and offers the hard working youth a position in the family firm. It is in the gardens that Galen first meets Princess Rose, the eldest of 12 royal princesses, and finds himself swept up in an unexpected adventure as he tries to free Rose and her sisters from a powerful curse.
There are many things to like about this book. Galen, the hero, is a charming character, and not just because he is an accomplished knitter. I was rooting for him to succeed after the first few pages. I found Galen's history particularly interesting. The author also did a nice job of including many of the details from the original fairy tale that I know and love. The story flows along quickly, and there really never is a lull in the action. Young adults will likely appreciate this retelling as it provides a handsome and dashing, yet kind and sensitive hero, and some wholesome romance. The character of Princess Rose is also no fainting blossom waiting to be rescued. She and her sisters all seem to be doing their best to save themselves.
I did find the writing at times a bit disjointed. At some points, I found myself noticing particular sentences that didn't seem to flow very well. For example the author described a character as, "he was so very much not happy...." I'm not usually such a picky reader, as I prefer to lose myself in the story, but at times the authors voice seemed a bit unrefined. All that being said however, I found this a very pleasant read, and one that I would recommend for fans of fairy tale retellings. Read more ›

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars The Definitive Retelling of "The Twelve Dancing Princesses" November 1, 2009

By Jennifer Mo VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

With one exception, all of the recent retellings of "The Twelve Dancing Princesses" have been spectacularly mediocre. There's Dia Calhoun's overtly psychological The Phoenix Dance, Suzanne Weyn's overwrought The Night Dance (Once Upon a Time), and Juliet Marillier's forgettable Wildwood Dancing.

Princess of the Midnight Ball blows them all out of the water. Seamless storytelling meets understated magic, sure-footed prose, and surreptitious knitting in this satisfying retelling.

Yes, knitting. Don't ask me to explain, because part of the book's appeal lies in seeing how Jessica Day George takes the framework of the original and makes it her own. Suddenly, all the logic gaps, unmotivated actions, and rough edges of the original are given a context in which they make sense.

As the story opens, the kingdom of Westfalin has just ended a long war. Eighteen year old soldier Galen has had enough violence for a lifetime and is on his way back to civilian life. En route to the capital, he encounters an odd old woman who gives him an even odder cloak and two balls of yarn: one fine and white to protect, the other strong and black to bind. And with a few enigmatic words of advice, she's gone.

Meanwhile, back at the castle, the king frets over both his troubled kingdom and his twelve daughters, who mysteriously wear out their slippers every third night.... It soon becomes clear that the princesses are not willing participants, but rather the victims of a bargain their mother struck long ago with the King Under Stone in his twilight world. As his true intentions grow clearer, so does the princesses' peril. After several princes fail to discover the secret and die in mysterious circumstances (which, not surprisingly, incurs international hostility), it's up to one clever soldier-turned-gardener to save the princesses, the kingdom, and himself from the queen's mistake and its widespread consequences.

Jessica Day George writes with the warmth and assurance of a seasoned storyteller, spinning (knitting?) a beautifully plotted and paced story that never stalls nor rushes. Without being slavishly realistic, the world of Westfalin feels solid, a deft mixture of the courtly and the common, real decisions and real consequences, good and evil.

If Princess of the Midnight Ball has one shortcoming, it's that the author is better at telling stories than creating characters. Galen and the eldest princess, Rose, are likable and sympathetic, though not highly memorable; Rose's eleven sisters, although reasonably feisty, blend into a forgettable bouquet of names. But that was probably inevitable, and the story works so well as a whole that you might not even notice.

As far as I'm concerned, this is the definitive retelling of "The Twelve Dancing Princesses." Recommended, especially to fans of Robin McKinley, Sharon Shinn, and Shannon Hale.

Jennifer Mo, [...] Read more ›

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Thoroughly Delightful! January 31, 2009

By Virginia Smith

Format:Hardcover

A beautifully written fantasy novel based on the fairy tale "Twelve Dancing Princesses." There are many delightful twists that make this story all its own. The hero is a wonderful character, and he knits! The princesses are appealing, and I got caught up in their conflict. The plot is involved and compelling, and has enough depth to satisfy the tastes of adventure lovers everywhere.

I have loved the author's previous novels, so when I say this is my favorite so far, that's saying a lot. Highly recommended to anyone who enjoys fantasy or fairy tales or adventure novels.