Princess of the Midnight Ball

by Jessica Day George

Dedication: "For Jenn, finally"

First paragraph: "Because he had once been human, the King Under Stone sometimes found himself plagued by human emotions. He was experiencing one now, as he faced the mortal woman before him, but it took a moment for him to give it a name. After a pause he labeled it 'triumph.'"

Review: This was a beautiful take on the famous and classic story of The Twelve Dancing Princesses.

After the war and losing his mother, father and younger sister, Galen makes his way to his aunt and uncle's home. Shortly after arriving Galen finds work in the family business as a gardener at the royal palace and he starts to hear strange rumors of worn out dancing slippers. More questions are formed as he watches Princess Rose struggle each day with some mysterious unseen burden. Eventually after witnessing prince after prince come and go with no success at solving the worn-out dancing shoes mystery, Galen decides to take it upon himself to rescue Rose and her eleven sisters from whatever forces drag them from their beds night after night.

I really liked this twist to the original story. There were several things I enjoyed about the book. It was complex and slightly twisted. It was entertaining and while I knew what would happen with the story, there were still twists along the way that caught me off guard and pulled me further into the fantasy world that the author had created.

Also, Galen is also a very complex character. He's a soldier through and through and yet he has a side to him that is completely unexpected and yet quite pleasant. His upbringing and slightly unusual skills for knitting are, in the end, vital to the success of his "mission".

I would suggest this book for anyone that is looking for a slightly complex entertaining read. I especially recommend it for those people who enjoy reading new takes on old fairy-tales. Definitely glad I decided to get this from the library and it only took a few days to read.

Click here for Jessica Day George's website for Princess of the Midnight Ball