The Night Dance (Once Upon a Time)

Title: The Night Dance

Series: Once Upon a Time

Year: 2005

Author: Suzanne Weyn

Summary: Under the stars, in a secret world...

Rowena, the youngest of twelve sisters, loves to slip out of the castle at night and dance in a magical forest. Soon she convinces her sisters to join her. When Sir Ethan notices that his daughters' slippers look tattered every morning, he is certain they've been sneaking out. So he posts a challenge to all the suitors in the kingdom: The first man to discover where his daughters have been is free to marry the one he chooses.

Meanwhile a handsome young knight named Bedivere is involved in a challenge of his own: to return the powerful sword, Excalibur, to a mysterious lake. While looking for the lake, Bedivere meets the beautiful Rowena and falls for her. Bedivere knows that accepting Sir Ethan's challenge is the only opportunity for him to be with Rowena forever. But this puts both Bedivere and Rowena in a dangerous situation... one in which they risk their lives for a chance at love.

Review: This review was originally written for publication on Fairy Tale Central. Click here to read the full review.

Have you ever wondered what would happen if you crossed the story of the Twelve Dancing Princesses with Arthurian legends? Bet you didn't think of it until now -- and the result has got to be something amazing, right?

Almost.

When Sir Ethan stumbles into a seemingly enchanted forest and falls in love with a mysterious woman, he has little idea who she really is -- other than his devoted, one true love, that is. After the horrors of battle, he's eager to settle down with his beloved and start a new life for himself. And for a good while, all things are just as happy as he could want them.

His wife gives birth to a set of twin girls. And then nine months later, has another set of twin girls. Nine months pass -- twin girls again. And again. Until there are twelve girls in total, all twins and all super close in age. Their little cottage is crowded, but life is still happy for Ethan and his thirteen women.

Until his wife starts acting strangely. She slips out at random times and has no real answer for him about what she's doing or where she's gone when she gets back. Because he loves her, he doesn't question her -- and then one day she doesn't return. When every search proves fruitless, Ethan does the next best thing he can: he turns their tiny cottage in the woods into a secure manor, the perfect prison that will keep his daughters always close to him, without ever having to fear that they, too, will leave him.

Advisory: Obviously, be prepared for some romance. With this much insta-love, we've got several kisses. Additionally, there are a few scenes that describe a woman with more-or-less transparent clothing on; while the author doesn't go into detail, those hints are definitely there.

One of the suitors trying his hand at the mysterious worn-out shoe challenge is a bit lustful in my way of thinking. He flirts pretty shamelessly with the sisters and very nearly takes one to bed with him, [spoiler ahead] the same sister that later believes herself falling in love with him because he said he was willing to marry her over her other sisters if she told him the secret [end spoiler]. That, I found a little distasteful and I wanted to slap them both in the face, him for his lecherous behavior and her for her lack of common sense.

The knight Bedivere is a knight under King Arthur, so naturally there follows him some fighting, injury, and death of his fellows in battle. The violence is not over the top in any way, and I thought it was well-handled for the novel.

Again, click here to read the full review. And be sure to check out all the other fun Twelve Dancing Princesses posts on Fairy Tale Central this month!

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

The Girls at the Kingfisher Club

Title: The Girls at the Kingfisher Club

Series: None

Year: 2014

Author: Genevieve Valentine

Summary: From award-winning author Genevieve Valentine, a "gorgeous and bewitching" (Scott Westerfeld) reimagining of the fairytale of the Twelve Dancing Princesses as flappers during the Roaring Twenties in Manhattan.

Jo, the firstborn, "The General" to her eleven sisters, is the only thing the Hamilton girls have in place of a mother. She is the one who taught them how to dance, the one who gives the signal each night, as they slip out of the confines of their father's townhouse to await the cabs that will take them to the speakeasy. Together they elude their distant and controlling father, until the day he decides to marry them all off.

The girls, meanwhile, continue to dance, from Salon Renaud to the Swan and, finally, the Kingfisher, the club they come to call home. They dance until one night when they are caught in a raid, separated, and Jo is thrust face-to-face with someone from her past: a bootlegger named Tom whom she hasn't seen in almost ten years. Suddenly Jo must weigh in the balance not only the demands of her father and eleven sisters, but those she must make of herself.

With The Girls at the Kingfisher Club, award-winning writer Genevieve Valentine takes her superb storytelling gifts to new heights, joining the leagues of such Jazz Age depicters as Amor Towles and Paula McClain, and penning a dazzling tale about love, sisterhood, and freedom.

Review: If ever there was a period in history more suited to a fairytale, this is it. The story of twelve sisters sneaking out at night to dance fits perfectly with the speakeasy life of the Roaring Twenties. Throw in an over-controlling father, and it's the perfect recipe for an epic Twelve Dancing Princesses retelling.

Jo is the oldest of twelve sisters -- all of whom are an object of shame for their father. Ever the business man, Mr. Hamilton wants nothing more than a son to carry on his name and business. However, twelve daughters later, his wife perishes and there is no son to be had.

The girls are kept upstairs mostly in the family townhouse. No one outside is quite sure how many Hamilton daughters there are, since most people have never seen more than two or three outside together at any time. And that's just how their father likes it; the girls are much easier to control and take care of as long as they stay out of the public eye. After all, he doesn't have his coveted son; what use would twelve daughters be to him?

But problems are only just beginning at home. With the strict rules their father enforces upon them, Jo fears her sisters may break under the pressure and run away. She's determined to keep the family together, to take care of her eleven sisters herself -- whatever it takes. So, to give them a taste at freedom, she takes them out dancing at speakeasies during the night while their father sleeps.

And that's where their adventure begins.

I wish so badly that I could fangirl hard over this story. It's everything you could wish for a 12DP tale set during the Roaring Twenties. Unfortunately, there were several objectionable things that kinda ruined this story for me.

Jo is called "The General" by her sisters -- and for a good reason. It's she who starts taking her sisters out at night for a small taste of freedom to keep them from fleeing home. She isn't squeamish about dishing out the orders; she keeps everything rolling smoothly. Each night for her is down to a strategic science, and her sisters don't disobey.

I really did like Jo a lot. She was a good balance of recklessness and control, and in many ways reminded me much of the eldest princess from the original fairytale. She was such a flawed character, but she loved her sisters almost to a fault. She'd do anything for them, and did everything she could to keep the order and to keep them all at home. Her character growth and understanding that she can't control everything was one of my favorite parts of the book -- as an older sister myself, I can completely sympathize with that. The whole tone of sisterhood in this book was phenomenal. There's bickering, but there's love and laughter, too; the relationship they all had felt very genuine.

Some of the girls, like Lou and Doris and Ella, really stood out among the twelve girls, but it was difficult to really see a ton of character development with the other sisters. Which, I'll agree, makes sense for the length of the book; there's only so much you can focus on without writing something to rival Tolstoy and Hugo. The author did try to give the sisters each different personalities, but it was still hard to pull some of the younger ones apart.

There is definitely a lot of dancing in this book. Jo and Lou first begin the love of dancing -- sneaking into movies to memorize routines and different sequences and then bringing them home to practice at night. Once they begin sneaking out, there are a few different speakeasies they visit, each one packed with whatever waltz, Charleston, etc. etc. you could wish for. Kingfisher Club is the one they call home, but they're actually not there for a good portion of the book. Odd, I thought, when that's the club sponsored so loudly in the title. No one knows that the twelve girls showing up to dance are all sisters, and the girls never give out their name (as per Jo's instructions), so everyone just calls them "Princess" -- a clever and appreciative nod to the original fairytale.

The style of the book took me a bit to get into, honestly. At first, I thought it was really choppy, since you've got a number of shorter scenes and flashbacks that are constantly flipping back and forth. The amount of backstory, particularly for Jo, was a lot of telling on the author's part, and I think I would have preferred to see that action happen in real time, not in choppy flashbacks.

Advisory: Mild peril and violence. Police raid a speakeasy, and a few characters are injured in that scene and in a few others, but nothing is terribly graphic.

On the issue of romance and sexual content... oh my. Obviously a few of the girls fall in love throughout the course of the book, but since we're sneaking out and getting drunk, it's not kept clean. One sister partakes in an off-page sex scene (not described, but definitely hinted that it happened), while others flirt, discuss the touchiness of boys, give kisses, etc. [Spoiler alert] Once their father announces his plan to marry them off one by one, the sisters arrange a marriage with a boy from their speakeasy acquaintance to free her from the father's control; the same boy is in love with another sister, but marries the other to help her out. He later returns to possibly claim his true love while still being married to the other sister. It's just an odd situation. [End spoiler]

The whole life of the speakeasies was one that kinda bothered me. For an illegal activity, it's not exactly portrayed as such. The girls don't have any problems with sneaking out and dancing. Granted, it's the alcohol portion of that life that was illegal during Prohibition years, but the girls partake of that as well (I don't remember any of them getting completely drunk, though). The speakeasy life is the only way they can actually control what's going on, and it's described really as their source of freedom. [Spoiler alert] Once they break free from their father's control, it's the life most of them return to. The illegal life becomes their happily ever after -- which really didn't end the book on a good moral tone for me. [End spoiler]

This other advisory note may be the first time I've had to write this on a review here: the author does include some hints/light descriptions of homosexual/possibly transgender characters. Jo realizes the Kingfisher is a good club for secrets when she spots two men together dancing cheek to cheek. One of the sisters is mentioned more than once for enjoying dancing with other women rather than men, and has a special female friend by the end of the book. Another sister begins to don men's clothing despite looking scandalous, though it is a little unclear if she's truly transgender. For me, this was one of the biggest problems/letdowns of the book. I believe that God created two different and distinct genders and set clear definitions for His plan for romance and marriage. It makes me feel sick and sorrowful to see people participating this in gender confusion and perverting something beautiful that God created.

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

The City Beyond the Glass

Title: The City Beyond the Glass

Series: A Fairy Tale Retold (Book #6)

Year: 2018

Author: Suzannah Rowntree

Summary: In Renaissance Venice, the daughters of nobility must marry - or live and die trapped behind convent walls. Impulsive and adventurous, Gemma Caloprini thanks her stars that she's destined for marriage...until an unwanted betrothal goads her to defy her father and risk her most dangerous secret: the Glass Doge, a sinister nobleman who lives behind the glass of her mirror.

Now Gemma faces a brutal dilemma. If the suitors competing for her youngest sister's hand discover her secret, she'll be locked in a convent. If the Inquisitors find out, she'll burn as a witch. And if she can't pay her debt to the Glass Doge, she'll lose her soul forever.

THE CITY BEYOND THE GLASS is a dark and spellbinding YA retelling of THE TWELVE DANCING PRINCESSES.

Review: This review was originally written for publication on Fairy Tale Central. Click here to read the full review.

The Twelve Dancing Princesses has long been one of my favorite fairytales. I grew up with four sisters, so I guess it's natural for me to love a good sister story. Here, we don't have the classic twelve princesses to keep track of, but this story is definitely a gem in the field of fairytales.

Gemma and her two sisters have grown up in a convent -- which is where most girls of their ranking in Venice will stay until the end of their days. However, Gemma has a chance at freedom. One daughter in each family can marry and be saved from life in the convent. When her father arranges such a marriage for her, Gemma is thrilled by the opportunity but also skeptical about her father's pick -- especially since he won't give her the man's name. So, she decides to take matters into her own hands and figure out what exactly it is her father has planned for her future.

However, her plans go terribly awry when a stranger named Gonzaga steps in and literally rips her off her path, and everything turns upside-down in a moment with her reputation and future at stake.

Advisory: Some violence and action, but nothing terribly overdone or out of tone for the novel. Gemma's character is called into question because of the worn-out shoes, but the author handles this topic with a lot of care.

I wouldn't say language is a big caution of this story (at least for my own ranking), but for those wanting to know, one character uses "damned."

Magical elements also play a big part of the story, particularly in the mirror-realm that Gemma and her sisters visit. Even though the story is set in historical Venice, the whole tale reads very much like a true fairytale with the usual fairytale-type magic. Things do get a little dark in the mirror-realm once Gemma begins to learn its secrets, but she's not about to give up hope at buying freedom for herself and her two sisters.

Again, click here to read the full review on Fairy Tale Central. And be sure to check out all the other fun posts celebrating a month of Twelve Dancing Princesses!

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Related Reviews: Death Be Not Proud (mini review)

Mechanical Heart

Title: Mechanical Heart

Series: None (published as part of the Golden Braids collection)

Year: 2019

Author: Sarah Pennington

Summary: Can you save someone who doesn’t know if she’s alive?

Breen lives locked away, separated from the world by the walls of her clock tower and the machine of gems, gears, and magic that replaces her heart. That is, until an unexpected visitor appears in her tower, offering a dangerous gift: freedom. His promises awaken hope for a life unbound by the tower walls — but she knows that if he learns about her heart, it’s only a matter of time before he turns on her.

Josiah is powerless. Though he’s the crown prince of the mighty Chanian empire, he feels stifled by his inability to protect his people from the schemes of corrupt nobles. When he discovers a girl trapped in a locked clock tower, he thinks he’s finally found a problem he can solve . . . but more than just walls keep her captive.

From the royal palace to the streets of Rivenford to the tops of clock towers, secrets hide around every corner in this steampunk retelling of Rapunzel. Breen and Josiah hold the keys to each other's struggles — if they can break down the barriers that divide them.

Review: First off, this review is severely overdue. I was supposed to have it done and published back in August when the Golden Braids collection books were set for publication. Many apologies to the author!

But seriously, folks. The Golden Braids collection has some of the most unique Rapunzel stories I have ever read. Five different books, with five different perspectives on the classic tale, all by five different authors. You will not regret picking up any of these books. Add them at once to your TBR list.

This book. THIS BOOK. It's sooo hard to review because there's so much there. I mean, all the Golden Braids books were awesome, but I think this one nudges out the others for my favorite. Let me see if I can explain why. Wish me luck. I'm still kinda having mental repercussions from finishing it.

Breen is locked in a clock tower... but she enjoys her work there, cleaning the gears and making sure everything runs in tip-top shape. Besides, she could never venture out since society at large would consider her very existence an abomination; she will also be looked down on and be unable to communicate with everyone since she's deaf. And for the cherry on top, if she leaves the tower, she leaves behind her ability to live -- her mechanical heart runs on a magical crystal that won't last very long outside without being recharged. Madame Gottling may be hard on her, but her secluded life in the clock tower is the best thing for her.

Josiah is a prince who cares about solving people's problems. His days are mainly spent in the Senate, listening to the different arguments and laws and petitions and weighing in mightily with questions and research of his own. He takes a particular interest in how the people in his kingdom are treated. So, when he sees a lone figure silhouetted in the clock tower -- a place that should be off-limits to all people -- he decides to investigate. And he can't figure out why that lone person in the clock doesn't want to be rescued.

And from there, things only get more complicated. The Senate jumps into months of discussion surrounding the topic of blood alchemy. Illegal and mysterious, some claim that blood alchemy has the power to save lives. But that's only through a certain type of blood -- death blood, the blood taken from a dying body. Josiah is intrigued by the promises blood alchemy puts forward, but morally, is it the right choice for their kingdom to legalize the practice? If blood alchemy gets into the wrong hands, it could kill more innocent lives than it would save.

When I first started reading this book, I felt that I had opened a retelling of The Hunchback of Notre Dame, rather than a retelling of Rapunzel. Breen is, in some ways, a lot like Quasimodo. She's isolated in the tower, deafened by the bells, told she's an abomination, and likes watching the people live below the tower. She doesn't make friends easily, but once she's certain of their friendship, she's loyal to the bitter end. I don't know that I've ever read a book with a deaf heroine, but it fits so perfectly into this story. I really loved that angle.

If you read this book looking for the Rapunzel elements, you'll find them; if you read it without paying attention, you'll go right over them. They're definitely there (with the exception of the long hair; but we get a mechanical lift that's really cool instead), but they don't jump out into your face. Instead, Sarah wove them so seamlessly into the rest of the story.

The characters were so much fun to follow around in this story! Luis was fantastic, I adored Grace, and even Stephen made a small, heart-wrenching appearance from which I shall never recover. The sibling relationship between Josiah and Grace was super heartwarming; I love good sibling scenes like those! The evilness of Madame Gottling and her crew without seeming like it was a forced/sub-par wickedness -- wow.

I will admit that Breen got on my nerves a bit for the first half of the book, given her temperament towards Josiah. I know the her giving him permission to come visit made sense for the book, but to me, it just felt very annoying and rude on her part. Friends visit friends; that's how it works. But yes, I agree Josiah was pushy. He needed some boundaries; I just thought Breen and Grace took it a little too far. But that could be just me. I did like how we didn't have a huge, romantic angle as part of the main focus of the book. It gave the reader a lot more interest in what was going on to the world as a whole.

Which, yes, the world-building was amazing. I can't write a review of this without mentioning that. This is not a small, secluded kingdom we're talking about. Even just by reading this one book, we've got extensive glimpses into its past, its future, and how it interacts not only within its own borders but with the world around it.

For people not into a lot of politics talk, there are a lot of scenes in the Senate. It was fun to follow Josiah through the arguments and all, but I thought it was a lot of political talk to wade through. However, the blood alchemy is a huge part of the book, so I completely understand why those scenes are so important. The last scenes in the Senate were just golden; (no spoilers, but...) I love how our heroes got the last word.

Humor, political battles, daring steampunk, dark mysteries, tall towers, and epic adventures... there's just so much to love in this book. Seriously, if you haven't read it yet, you're sadly missing out on something spectacular. I just need to end my review here before I start writing another novel. Please just go read it.

Advisory: Some violence. Since the blood alchemists require "death blood" to practice, there are some descriptions of them killing people as well. Several injuries occur throughout the book, but I didn't think them terribly graphic. This may not be the best of books for a more squeamish reader, but it didn't bother me.

Some magic. The art was dubbed "magic" in the book, but to me it really just felt like an extended part of the steampunk aspect. The characters use a special kind of crystal that emits power for running things like machines and mechanical body organs. However, close quarters with a human body wears the crystal down until it needs to be recharged to be of use; recharging the crystal seemed to fall under the scope of the blood alchemy, as some of the death blood was necessary for the potion to recharge the crystal.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars