Title: Princess of the Midnight Ball
Author: Jessica Day George
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Children's Books
Release Date: January 20, 2009
ISBN: 978-1599903224
Size: 288 pages, hardcover
Genre: YA Fantasy
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A tale of twelve princesses doomed to dance until dawn… Galen is a young soldier returning from war; Rose is one of twelve princesses condemned to dance each night for the King Under Stone. Together Galen and Rose will search for a way to break the curse that forces the princesses to dance at the midnight balls. All they need is one invisibility cloak, a black wool chain knit with enchanted silver needles, and that most
critical ingredient of all—true love—to conquer their foes in the dark halls below. But malevolent forces are working against them above ground as well, and as cruel as the King Under Stone has seemed, his wrath is mere irritation compared to the evil that awaits Galen and Rose in the brighter world above.This book includes knitting patterns for a shawl and a chain of black wool that are key to the plot.
13 Reviews:
I plan to read this. I've love the other Jessica Day George books I've read (Dragon Slippers and its sequel). I'm also looking forward to finding time for "Sun, Moon, Ice and Snow"
I liked her first two books that much!
I'm in the same boat as Tarmy. I liked Dragon Slippers and Dragon Flight and the desciption of this one is intriguing. It's been on my wish list for months.
I can't wait to get this book. I have a Borders Gift Card that I got for Christmas and I've been saving it for this book. Just waiting for my local Borders to get it in.
I enjoyed Ms. George's retelling of '12 Dancing Princesses'. And the knitting was a very unique part of the story.
This book is so good! I love Jessica Day George, and knew I would love this just as much as her other books. I also love the names of the princess's in this book. All of them named after flowers. Very cute, and unique!;)
I liked the names in this book! All the flower names and Galen.
And I like the cover of this book!
My favorite LDS author is Jessica Day George. I love the way she writes, her books are wonderful, and her characters so real! Wonderful author, and really one of my very favorites!
I liked this book. It was much more enjoyable than the other 12 dancing princesses that I've read (perhaps in the Once Upon a Time series). It was well written
This is the first book I've ready by Jessica Day George and I absolutely LOVED it!
If I hadn't known before that this was based on a fairy tale, I never would have guessed, I would have simply thought it was a wonderful fantasy story. I thought the characters were well-rounded and engaging, and the background story had some small but delightful details, such as the addition of the church and the threat of excommunication, or the romance between Lily and Heinrich, but most especially Galen's army background giving him some of the skills he needed to solve the mystery. I certainly won't hesitate to read another Jessica Day George book if it should come my way.
I like the way the girl is rushing through the hall and not looking. It seems as if she is going somewhere she does not want to be going. The emotions on her face are wonderful also.
Review by Morgan.
Jessica Day George is a wonderful fantasy writer. She embellishes fairy tales with grace and charm, creating fascinating and believable stories. I loved reading her take on this particular fairy tale.
I thought the naming of the princesses was wonderful, and they each had their own personalities, talents, and interests. There were twelve of them and it was difficult to remember who was who, however, this was not a lack in George’s writing skill but rather the original story itself having so many young girls to keep track of.
I very much liked the character of Galen. He was kind and generous and brave but not so goody-goody as to make him unrealistic. The princesses, including Rose, paled by comparison to him. I would have liked to have seen Rose with a little more personality, but this is a small lack in the story and not one that really detracts from the enjoyment of the overall tale.
This story is targeted at middle grade readers and up, ages 11 to 16. Some younger readers may be frightened by the evil King Under Stone and his sons, but most will be able to handle it just fine.
I definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys fairy tale retellings. It is very much worth the read.
Comment by Tristi Pinkston.
I enjoyed this book, but I felt we should have gotten into the princess's viewpoint sooner. Starting out with the soldier did put a different spin on things, but I felt he should have been the second chapter and the princess first, just to set the tone. I loved the cover - I want a dress just like that.
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