BOOK REVIEW: Princess of the Midnight Ball
Title: Princess of the Midnight Ball
Author: Jessica Day George
Series: Princess Series (Book 1)
The twelve princesses of Westfalin suffer from a curse. Every night, they are forced to dance with the princes of Under Stone until their slippers are worn through. Their father the King demands to know why, but same force behind the magic that compels them to dance each night prevents them from telling people about it. In order to find out where his daughters go each night, the King decides to set a contest. Any prince that can discover the truth behind his daughters’ midnight revels will win one of their hands in marriage. Many try, but none are successful. Will Galen, a soldier recently returned from war, succeed where so many others have failed?
Princess of the Midnight Ball is the third retelling of the fairy tale, “The Twelve Dancing Princesses,” that I have read. The other two are Juliet Marillier’s Wildwood Dancing, and Heather Dixon’s Entwined. Out of the three, I feel that each have their strengths and weaknesses, but all are ultimately good retellings. Princess of the Midnight Ball ranks about equal with Entwined, but is ultimately less compelling a tale than Wildwood Dancing, which interestingly, takes the most liberties with the tale. Still, what makes Princess of the Midnight Ball stand apart from other adaptations is the fact that it focuses less on the princesses and more on the hero, Galen the soldier, who finds himself in love with the eldest princess, Rose, and will do anything to help save her and her sisters from the curse.
Similar to Jessica Day George’s other works, Princess of the Midnight Ball is a fun work of young adult fantasy that you can fly through in just a few sittings. Although I didn’t find the writing to be as strong as in Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow, or the story to be as fun as Dragon Slippers, Princess of the Midnight Ball remains an enjoyable book due to the strength of it’s characters. Galen is a great protagonists. I liked the fact that on top of being a good fighter (a traditionally masculine trait), he’s also a knitter (a habit acquired due to knitting his own socks while out on the battlefield, much like real soldiers in history), and often finds success through his wits instead of his might. The twelve princesses do not come across as well developed as in Heather Dixon’s Entwined, but there are a handful that are bound to grab the reader's attention. The romance between Rose and Galen is sweet, although it would have been nice to see the author take more time to develop it. As far as the fairy tale elements go, Princess of the Midnight Ball is probably the most faithful adaptation of the original that I have read, but George doesn't depend too much on the tale, crafting a unique alternate Europe for it to take place in.
Final Thoughts: Princess of the Midnight Ball is another fast read by Jessica Day George, although not her strongest novel. This retelling of "The Twelve Dancing Princesses "is able to stand apart from others I have read due to it’s focus Galen, the solider, who is quite a likable protagonist. This is the first in a three book series, and I am planning on reading the rest. Four Stars
Next I will be reviewing The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater
Author: Jessica Day George
Series: Princess Series (Book 1)
The twelve princesses of Westfalin suffer from a curse. Every night, they are forced to dance with the princes of Under Stone until their slippers are worn through. Their father the King demands to know why, but same force behind the magic that compels them to dance each night prevents them from telling people about it. In order to find out where his daughters go each night, the King decides to set a contest. Any prince that can discover the truth behind his daughters’ midnight revels will win one of their hands in marriage. Many try, but none are successful. Will Galen, a soldier recently returned from war, succeed where so many others have failed?
Princess of the Midnight Ball is the third retelling of the fairy tale, “The Twelve Dancing Princesses,” that I have read. The other two are Juliet Marillier’s Wildwood Dancing, and Heather Dixon’s Entwined. Out of the three, I feel that each have their strengths and weaknesses, but all are ultimately good retellings. Princess of the Midnight Ball ranks about equal with Entwined, but is ultimately less compelling a tale than Wildwood Dancing, which interestingly, takes the most liberties with the tale. Still, what makes Princess of the Midnight Ball stand apart from other adaptations is the fact that it focuses less on the princesses and more on the hero, Galen the soldier, who finds himself in love with the eldest princess, Rose, and will do anything to help save her and her sisters from the curse.
Similar to Jessica Day George’s other works, Princess of the Midnight Ball is a fun work of young adult fantasy that you can fly through in just a few sittings. Although I didn’t find the writing to be as strong as in Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow, or the story to be as fun as Dragon Slippers, Princess of the Midnight Ball remains an enjoyable book due to the strength of it’s characters. Galen is a great protagonists. I liked the fact that on top of being a good fighter (a traditionally masculine trait), he’s also a knitter (a habit acquired due to knitting his own socks while out on the battlefield, much like real soldiers in history), and often finds success through his wits instead of his might. The twelve princesses do not come across as well developed as in Heather Dixon’s Entwined, but there are a handful that are bound to grab the reader's attention. The romance between Rose and Galen is sweet, although it would have been nice to see the author take more time to develop it. As far as the fairy tale elements go, Princess of the Midnight Ball is probably the most faithful adaptation of the original that I have read, but George doesn't depend too much on the tale, crafting a unique alternate Europe for it to take place in.
Final Thoughts: Princess of the Midnight Ball is another fast read by Jessica Day George, although not her strongest novel. This retelling of "The Twelve Dancing Princesses "is able to stand apart from others I have read due to it’s focus Galen, the solider, who is quite a likable protagonist. This is the first in a three book series, and I am planning on reading the rest. Four Stars
Next I will be reviewing The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater