Helpful Score: 1
I have a weakness for fairy tale retellings. I wasn't expecting this to be one, but I was delighted to discover it was a take on the twelve dancing princesses and the frog prince rolled into one. Jena is the second eldest of five sisters who have a secret - every full moon they can open a portal in their room that leads to a dancing glade in the faerie world where they dance the night away. Trouble comes into their lives when their beloved father falls ill and he must leave them for a warmer climate to get his health back, leaving their uncle in charge. But their cousin Cezar has other, sinister plans. Then their eldest sister Tatiana falls in love with one of the mysterious vampire-like Night People, and Jena is desperate to prevent their relationship from becoming serious. It's a wonderful tale about the power of love and trust and good and evil, with a strong heroine and a magical atmosphere. Marillier knows how to spin a fantastic web to capture her readers' imagination and engage their emotions.
