The Princess Curse by Merrie Haskell

The Princess Curse, by Merrie Haskell, was a fun, light read.  The story is told from the point of view of Reveka, a young and sassy herbalist apprentice.  Though she is impatient with the conventions and restrictions of her role in life, she is an excellent herbalist, and attempts to use her plant knowledge to cure the mysteriously ailing princesses, who disappear every night and return exhausted and with their slippers worn through.

Her meddling brings her to the attention of the queen, who encourages her to keep trying.  As Reveka learns more about the history of the curse and the affect it's had on the entire kingdom, her worry increases, and she's drawn more and more intimately into the princesses' lives.

The story evolves about midway through to become a more recognizably Beauty and the Beast adaptation, with a strong flavor of Persephone thrown into the mix.  I loved the blend and the reasoning and the way the two tied together to make a strange underworld for Reveka to explore.

I think I would have liked more detail about the kingdom and its neighbors, and some more of the complexity of the political situation to come through in the story -- but I do think the book is suitable for younger readers and as such, readers who are (old) like me will find it a pretty quick read.

Definitely a delightful take on two of my favorite fairy tales.

Entwined by Heather Dixon

Entwined just may be my favorite new retelling of The Twelve Dancing Princesses.

Princess Azalea is the eldest of 11 sisters, and she loves to dance. But on the night of the Yule ball, her mother goes into labor early, and passes away giving birth to baby Lily. Now she and her sisters are cast into mourning, and pushed away by their father, the king, as he grieves for his lost wife--until they find a magical passage, and a way of dancing in secret. But their defiant dancing comes with a price, and they find they may be in deeper than they bargained for.

I've got to say, just first of all -- it's no little feat to make 12 princesses all distinctive characters, and Heather Dixon does it really well. Reading this, I felt like I knew all the girls. Sure, some of them stood out more than others, but none of them faded into the background so much that the rare mention brought a "who?" to my mind.

I didn't feel like the world-building was completely filled out in this book. It's a fictional kingdom, surrounded by other fictional lands, but they celebrate Christmas, and many of the cultural details that get mentioned are very non-fictional. However, it wasn't so distracting that I couldn't finish the book --

-- in fact I'd say it makes me speak more highly of the plot and characters, that the minor irritation of world-building did not stop me from devouring this book in delight. More than that, when I was done with the book, I wanted to go back again, and visit the sisters and their home.

It really is an enjoyable read, and I recommend it for fans of this particular story, or just fairy tale lovers in general. Also a good one to recommend to teens or reluctant readers because it's very engrossing.

Princess of Glass by Jessica Day George

In the follow-up to her Dancing Princesses novel, Princess of the Midnight Ball, Jessica Day George once again takes readers into her magical, alternate-Europe setting, this time focusing on one of the younger princesses of tattered slipper fame. Princess Poppy has vowed never to dance again, but she'll be put to the test in a visit to a neighboring kingdom where balls are still in fashion.

Another sinister fairy, a poor servant girl, and a visiting prince combine to make Poppy's visit far more interesting than she had expected, and Ms. George puts a new spin on Cinderella's dance.

If you liked the first book, you'll like this one. I wouldn't recommend reading them out of order; although the story stands on its own, it's nice to have Poppy's background in your reading history.

I've enjoyed both books in the series, and I hope Ms. George will continue the series. I've been pondering other fairy tales with a dancing motif -- Swan Lake? The Red Shoes? After that I'm stumped. Anyone else have ideas?

Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George

Isn't that ballgown just scrumptious? Couldn't you just... wear it? I could. Of course, the primary princess of the story is noted as wearing a red gown, so that just goes to show, you can't judge a book by its cover.

On the other hand, if this cover makes you want to pick this book up and fly through it, unable to put it down except by absolute necessity, and stay up until 2 in the morning to finish it... you'll have an experience close to mine. By the end of chapter one I was completely captivated: Ms. George draws the reader quickly and completely into her world and her story, a very successful retelling of the Twelve Dancing Princesses.

The two main characters are Princess Rose (with an entourage of sisters, of course) and Galen, a soldier who has just returned to the city from the front lines of the war that has gone on for 12 years. Rose and Galen are inevitably drawn to one another as they work to untangle the mystery and the curse surrounding the sisters and their worn out dancing shoes.

I won't give away anything more, but please, fairy tale lovers, do yourselves a favor and bump this to the top of your reading list!

Jessica Day George has a website with book information and news.

The Thirteenth Princess by Diane Zahler

The Thirteenth Princess by Diane Zahler is a variant of The Twelve Dancing Princesses in which Zita is the thirteenth born daughter of a king who longed for a son to be his heir. All the other princesses are cosseted in a lofty tower room, but Zita is sent at her birth down to the servants quarters where she lives until she finds out that she, too, is a princess.

I found this book to push my suspension of disbelief, as Zita is acknowledged as a princess by everyone in the castle, but still banished from her family. It's a strange dynamic and I'm not sure the story is successful at conveying it. However, the strong narrative pulled me through the book, and hints of other tales and shades of George McDonald--such as a godmother-esque witch in the woods, whom only the children can find--gave the text enough richness that overall it worked.

I would recommend this mostly to younger readers or those who particularly enjoy new versions of The Twelve Dancing Princesses.

The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm

This remnant from my childhood came up recently as I was going through the old VHS tapes for the ones that simply had to be updated to a new medium. You may recall the 2005 film The Brothers Grimm going by and throwing historic relevancy to the wind (although it had its own charms). This film, while whimsical, not to mention musical, does at least try to stick to some various historical details.

A few, anyway.

The musical tells the story of Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, both of whom are determined to be taken seriously as writers. As I recall, Wilhelm is insistent that they finish the autobiographies they've been commissioned, while Jacob is easily diverted by folklore. In the end they see that both are important to the history of their people and work together the rest of their lives writing stuff down. A happy ending for all!

Also included within the frame of the Brothers' story are three fairy tales: The Dancing Princess, The Cobbler and the Elves, and The Singing Bone. These were always my favorite parts of the movie as I was growing up.

The only one I could find an exerpt from:

The VHS is now available used on amazon.com, while the DVD appears to be catalogued but isn't available. You can sign up to be notified of availability, though, so I guess that's something!

If you haven't seen this, and you're part of this community, I'd recommend it just for the fairy tale shorts. Or just for the Brothers Grimm. Which means you've all now got a double recommendation. So, go, I bid thee, and inter-library loan.

Trollbridge by Jane Yolen and Adam Stemple

I've always been a little leery of books that use music as a major plot point. There are many things that I believe books are best for, but the truth is, you can't necessarily hear the music being described when an author goes on about the fiddler or the flautist. Now, having said that, I think Jane Yolen and Adam Stemple to an admirable job with their Rock'n'roll Fairy Tales, the second of which is Trollbridge. Although the two books are thematically connected, there's no plot line that carries over (that I recalled having read the first one long ago) that you would need to know from the first book to pick up the second one.

The story is its own creation, but takes elements of The 12 Dancing Princesses and The Three Billy Goats Gruff and blends them in a unique and remarkable way. I found it highly satisfying and I definitely recommend it, especially to those of us who enjoy a mix of several tales into one story.

Anyone who's already read this--I'm wondering about the butter carving tradition... any insight into where that may stem from? There's always the reverse, the changeling baby left for the human parents, but I wonder if there's anything in folklore that they borrowed from for the whole butter princess thing.

Author Recommendation: Juliet Marillier

Who here loves Juliet Marillier? Raise your hands! A lot of you, I'm sure, are happy to see that name come up here, filled with the warm glow of recognition when you see one of your favorite things come up somewhere in the vastness that is the internet. (Admit it, there's a warm glow.)

Starting with one of my absolute favorite books of all times -- an adaptation of one of my very favorite fairy tales:

Daughter of the Forest is, I want to say, a fairly close representation of The Wild Swans, although Marillier has taken liberties where they fit the story. Set in ancient Ireland, the story is fleshed out with details of the small domain of Sevenwaters, Celtic lore, and early Christian tradition, blending in a beautiful way. Sorcha is the youngest child and only daughter of the Lord of Sevenwaters, who remarries. His new wife turns to sorcery to eliminate his other children, and place her own son as heir. The brothers are turned to swans, and it is up to Sorcha to save them, and herself, from danger both human and supernatural.

Wolfskin is not as direct a translation of a particular fairy tale, but blends elements of Viking and Orkney mythology. Cultures clash, brotherhood is tested, and love is gained and lost... and perhaps gained again? I don't want to say too much, but there are some beautiful mythological elements, and for those of you who know the Singing Bone/Singing Harp fairy tale, there is a nice inclusion.

Wildwood Dancing is another beautifully complex piece in Marillier's mythology. This story of five sisters is taken from (have you guessed it yet) The 12 Dancing Princesses. (I guess 12 were too many even for Marillier to wrap her talented story telling around.) From their home in Piscul Dracului in Romania (but don't worry, no sparkly vampires), the girls discover a secret entrance into the Other Kingdom, where they must battle for love and wisdom.

All three of these are counted among my favorite books. Marillier not only retells some of my favorite stories, but she does so with a graceful prose that is hard to come by. Her stories are accessible without the dismissal of the beauty of language I see in a lot of modern fiction. Her captivating writing brings me back to her work as often as her subject matter.

BUT WAIT. THERE'S MORE!

That's right, more. Each of the books above has at least one sequel, so, although she doesn't directly translate other fairy tales in their respective series, she does allow us to continue to dwell in her wonderfully crafted worlds. So if you like those, don't worry, there's more to read after that.

Her website is here, with news and information about upcoming projects.