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Princess of the Midnight Ball
Princess of the Midnight Ball
Princess of the Midnight Ball
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Princess of the Midnight Ball

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

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About this ebook

New York Times bestselling author Jessica Day George re-imagines the classic fairy-tale, The Twelve Dancing Princesses, in this start to an enchanting YA fantasy series.

Rose is one of twelve princesses--sisters condemned to dance every night in the palace of the King Under Stone. Galen is a young soldier returning from war. Together they will search for a way to break the curse that forces the princesses to attend the endless midnight balls. All they need is an invisibility cloak, a black wool chain knit with silver needles, and that most critical fairy tale ingredient--true love.

Don't miss these other stories from New York Times bestselling author Jessica Day George:

The Twelve Dancing Princesses series
Princess of the Midnight Ball
Princess of Glass
Princess of the Silver Woods

Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow

Silver in the Blood

The Rose Legacy series
The Rose Legacy

Tuesdays at the Castle series
Tuesdays at the Castle
Wednesdays in the Tower
Thursdays with the Crown
Fridays with the Wizards
Saturdays at Sea

Dragon Slippers series
Dragon Slippers
Dragon Flight
Dragon Spear
LanguageEnglish
Release dateFeb 1, 2011
ISBN9781599907727
Author

Jessica Day George

JESSICA DAY GEORGE is the New York Times bestselling author of the Tuesdays at the Castle series, the Twelve Dancing Princesses series, and the Dragon Slippers trilogy. Originally from Idaho, she studied at Brigham Young University and worked as a librarian and bookseller before turning to writing full-time. She now lives in Salt Lake City, Utah, with her husband and their three young children. www.jessicadaygeorge.com @jessdaygeorge

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Rating: 3.898523994095941 out of 5 stars
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  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    A mediocre retelling of the fairy tale of the Twelve Dancing Princesses.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I've always enjoyed the Grimms' story of The Twelve Dancing Princesses, and I found this novel to be a sweet and exciting retelling. From what I recall about the traditional tale, it seems to follow pretty soundly. The story moved along at a good adventure pace, but I would have liked to seen a bit more character development. Though, I did fall for Galen a little bit myself. He can shoot a musket and knit, maybe even at the same time. :) Princess of the Midnight Ball is the perfect "get away from it all", romantic read.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I have read a few other books that were a retelling of the same story. Personally I thought the book Entwined was a better version of this story, but this was definitely a faster read.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Super charming retelling of the fairy tale of the Twelve Dancing Princesses. Galen is on his way home from the recently ended war when he comes across an old woman. He helps her, and in return she gifts him with an invisibility cloak. Bemused, he continues on his way to the capital, where he finds a job as gardener in the palace gardens. The princesses there are under a mysterious curse, and out of friendship and worry for the eldest princess Galen pledges to break it.

    And he does! With knitting and thoughtfulness and even some splendid riflework. I really liked Galen, and I liked the princesses too--although there are twelve of them, a number of them stood out as unique and memorable characters, especially Rose and Poppy.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I do love a good re-imagined fairy tale, and was ready to see the story of the Twelve Dancing Princesses get the treatment. While I enjoyed many elements of Jessica Day George's foray into the genre, especially her deft use of real historical Germanic customs, names, and words, something about it felt... flat to me. What George did a great job of: The knitting male protagonist (yes, really); capturing the feelings of a society embroiled in a generation-long war; differentiating the princesses, even thought there are 12 of them (though some get lost in the fray); keeping true to the original story; making the reader really like and feel for almost all the characters in the story.Things that are not so hot: Too much serendipity and deus ex machina, which is the major pitfall of almost any fantasy story; not writing the king as a consistent character; failing to develop the protagonist's relationship with his family; pacing the story a bit too fast. Actually, that last one is probably what made the story seem flattest to me. There was never any time for the reader to dwell on anything, and sometimes a little time for reflection is a good thing.Overall, a solid addition to the re-imagined fairy tale genre that will mostly appeal to younger girls, and that happens to have two sequels that I will probably bother to read.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I had often read this "fairy tale" to my daughter when she was young called "The Twelve Dancing Princesses". She loved the story and we read it night after night. When I saw this book, I did not realize it was the same story only in detail. A fun read with the same happily ever after ending.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I really enjoyed this retelling of one of my favorite fairy tales, the Twelve Dancing Princesses. The characters were well developed, interesting, the setting was key character of the story as well and there was a lot of action in this fairy tale, which is really refreshing. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves fairy tales.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    The style kept me hooked.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I always loved the story of the 12 Dancing Princesses, and this is a fantastic retelling. The author does an excellent job of giving each of the twelve sisters a distinct personality, the soldier is presented as a more complete character, and the gardeners are well done. The bad guys were a bit weak, and I don't know that the church needed to be brought into the story at all, but it was still entertaining.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Okay people, observe - this is how fluffy middle-grade/YA fantasy fiction should be done. Definitely a light tale, but the stakes were compelling, the plot and characters were thoughtfully constructed, and the writing was excellent. And if "soldier who knits" isn't high concept, I don't know what is. :)

    And now I have read my first book with knitting patterns included at the end.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I do love a good re-imagined fairy tale, and was ready to see the story of the Twelve Dancing Princesses get the treatment. While I enjoyed many elements of Jessica Day George's foray into the genre, especially her deft use of real historical Germanic customs, names, and words, something about it felt... flat to me. What George did a great job of: The knitting male protagonist (yes, really); capturing the feelings of a society embroiled in a generation-long war; differentiating the princesses, even thought there are 12 of them (though some get lost in the fray); keeping true to the original story; making the reader really like and feel for almost all the characters in the story.Things that are not so hot: Too much serendipity and deus ex machina, which is the major pitfall of almost any fantasy story; not writing the king as a consistent character; failing to develop the protagonist's relationship with his family; pacing the story a bit too fast. Actually, that last one is probably what made the story seem flattest to me. There was never any time for the reader to dwell on anything, and sometimes a little time for reflection is a good thing.Overall, a solid addition to the re-imagined fairy tale genre that will mostly appeal to younger girls, and that happens to have two sequels that I will probably bother to read.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I adore fairy tales. I am an adult woman with three teenage children so some may find that odd but I just find pleasure suspending disbelief and believing for awhile in magic, romance, castles, and princes and princesses. I may not be picky enough when it comes to my fairy tales though. No matter how they are written, no matter how they are changed or unchanged from the original tales, I still seem to at least mostly enjoy them. "Princess of the Midnight Ball" though went beyond my expectations. I love the story of the Twelve Dancing Princesses and I was actual thrilled to discover this was a retelling of that story rather than the one I assumed by the title, "Cinderella".I very much enjoyed this version about a young man home from war. He is making his way to the home of his aunt and uncle who are his only known living relatives. They don't know Galen and he isn't sure how they will feel about his sudden appearance in their lives. Galen has come to possess a magical item and I eagerly awaited finding out how he was going to use it. Galen is brave and kind. Everything you want in a hero. Plus he knits! How cool is that? He gets a job in the royal gardens that are run by his uncle. Rose is the eldest daughter of the King. The community is all gossiping about how Rose and her eleven sisters manage to wear out their dancing slippers every three nights. No one sees them come and go but without fail those slippers are ruined regularly. The girls physically can not explain what happens to them at night. They become tongue tied or start sprouting gibberish when the topic comes up. When the King declares that whomever can solve the mystery of the girls dancing slippers will earn the hand of one of the daughters, things get even crazier. Galen and Rose are attracted to each other but of course Rose can't think of loving a common man. But Galen is far from common.The story moves at a brisk pace. Even though I know this basic fairy tale very well, I was still completely captivated and eager to find out each new detail of the book. The underground world was portrayed beautifully. "The Midnight Ball" was creepy indeed but I did happen to find myself feeling somewhat sorry for the 12 men who had to dance nightly with the stubborn sisters. There was quite a bit of humor sprinkled throughout the story and I giggled out loud over a scene where the boat suddenly feels heavier and the princess is made to feel like she gained weight. Bottom line is that this book is delightful. Fairy tale lovers should grab this one. I am eager to read the two companion novels.Recommendations: Fans of this book will also fully appreciate Heather Dixon's "Entwined", another amazing version of the Twelve Dancing Princesses. The two books are different enough that you'll enjoy them both.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    A most refreshing tale by way of strong heroines, a likeable hero and a chaste romance, this book retells the fairy tale "The Twelve Dancing Princesses" from the perspectives of Rose (the eldest daughter) and the soldier-turned-gardener Galen as he tries to solve both a mystery and save the princesses from the curse in which they are forced to dance for the evil King Under Stone and eventually be forced to marry his 12 half-human sons. Thanks to the excerpt at the end of the book, I'm looking forward to Jessica Day George's second book in the series, Princess of Glass, to see how she spins a retelling of Cinderella with the princess Poppy from this story.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    A fun reselling of the 12 dancing princesses, a young man returns orphaned from a war and works with his uncle in the palace gardens. The princesses accused of plotting the death of the princes that try to solve the mystery of their slippers.Not as lush as Entwine or Wildwood Dancing.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This was a really good book and a fast read! A cute version of the Twelve Dancing Princesses fairy tale. I especially liked reading from Galen's point of view. This is the second Twelve Dancing Princesses book I've read in the past month or two, and I think I liked the other one slightly better. (Entwined by Heather Dixon) However, I really enjoyed this one in different ways. The romance was really sweet. Good book.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    One of my favorite fairy tales, fascinatingly retold. I love the story of the 12 Dancing Princesses, although the characters are cardboard at best and are frequently rewarded for behaving badly (stealing the tinderbox, for example). Here is the same story (more or less - she leaves out the dogs entirely), told with lively, interesting characters and good solid backgrounds for each. The princesses are hard to keep straight, despite being quite individual - well, twelve flower names?! But the heroine, Rose, is clear, and each one seems reasonably distinguishable by behavior, even if I'm not quite clear if it's Poppy or Pansy that's the youngest and so on. Galen is great - I like his story (soldier's son become soldier in his early teens, and now sick of war), his determination to work, his knitting (it's actually quite pertinent to the story), and his careful dancing around Rose. The king, the archbishop, the old gardener, the chief gardener and his family, the inquistor bishop - all of them are richly depicted and act from reasonable motivations. The explanation for the curse on the princesses actually makes sense; the (aforementioned) inquisitor bishop is a nice complication. The way Galen solves the puzzle, not quickly or easily but working his way through the possibilities, and occasionally being stalled until he gets help, again enriches the fairy tale beyond the rote movements of the original. I loved it. Now I need to find the next story in this series...Jessica Day George is definitely a new favorite.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    As a 2012 YRCA nominee, and a Bank Street Children's Book of the Year winner, Jessica day George's book "Princess of the Midnight Ball" will keep you entertained.A soldier looking for work after a long and viscious war, lands a job working as a gardener for the king. Unbeknownst to the soldier, there is trouble in the castle; the tweleve daughters of the king are keeping a secret that is putting the kingdom and thier health in jeapordy. The king offers marriage to one of his daughters and his kingdom for anyone who can discover where his daughters go every night and why they always need new shoes. This is a retelling of the fairy tale "The Twelve Dancing Princesses". I enjoyed the fact that Jesica day George was able to take a fairy tale and give it a sense of realism. I felt that this story could have been in a distinct time and place and not just another kingdom that is far, far away. Young readers will appreciate the humerous moments and the romantic episodes. I recommend this book for readers who love fairy tales and would like to take them to another level.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Cute story and well written. The best part is the fact that the male protagonist knits. What a great addition to the story!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    The Princess of the Midnight Ball is a retelling of the Grimm's fairytale, The Twelve Dancing Princesses. Galen is a young soldier returning from war, where he lost his father, mother and sister. At the age of eighteen, he has seen more tragedy and bloodshed than most have in their entire lives. Galen takes up residence with his mother's relatives and begins working on the palace grounds. There he meets Rose, the eldest of the twelve princesses, and begins hearing about a mystery surrounding them. Rose and her eleven sisters (Lily, Jonquil, Hyacinth, Violet, Poppy, Daisy, Lilac, Iris, Orchid, Pansy and Petunia) wear their dancing slippers out every third night. What is it that they do? No one has any idea. No one knows that they are cursed by King Under Stone, to travel to his hidden kingdom and dance until dawn. No one knows they are cursed with silence, unable to tell anyone of what they are subject to. No one knows that they will eventually become the brides of King Under Stone's twelve sons, blessing them with half-mortal children able to wander the living realm. King Gregor invites royalty from surrounding kingdoms to solve the puzzle, offering a marriage to one of his daughters as a prize. Princes travel from kingdoms near and far and attempt to discover the princesses' mystery. When none succeed in solving the riddle, and ultimately losing their lives, Galen steps up to the plate to save the princesses. All that he'll need is an invisibility cloak, a black wool chain knit with enchanted silver needles, and of course... true love. Simple enough...This book, more geared towards younger teens, was a delightful read. I've never actually read The Twelve Dancing Princesses so, while the title kind of gave you a glimpse, I wasn't quite sure what to expect. I would put this book up there with one of my favorites, Ella Enchanted.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Princess Rose is the eldest of twelve sisters, all of whom are forced to dance every night in the palace of the King of Under Stone but as hard as they try, they cannot explain to their father why their dancing slippers are full of holes in the morning. When Galen, freshly returned from war, joins the gardening staff at the palace, he develops a fondness for Rose and her sisters. When several princes die mysteriously after attempting to solve the mystery, in order to win the hand of one of the princesses, Galen offers his services to solve the mystery and save the princesses from their curse.This isn't so much a fairy tale retelling, as an expansion of the source material. George takes the simple tale of the Twelve Dancing Princesses provides distinctive characters, an intriguing magical world, and a world roughly based on Europe as best suits this tale as originally shared by the Brothers' Grimm. Rose is a lovely heroine, although not as well-developed as I would hope for. Galen, however, is a gem of a hero. He is charming, polite, and he knits (and there are two knitting patterns included in the back of the book for those who might enjoy such things). But this novel is remarkable mostly for the wonderful story. George has turned a very simple tale into one that is longer but full of magic, intrigue, political machinations, a light dash of romance, and still has that wonderful feel of being a fairy tale. A fantastic read.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    A perfect fairy-tale rendition that is both cleverly and expertly spun, Princess of the Midnight Ball is perfect for a sophisticated fairy-tale. The antagonist is perfectly imagined and the main characters are perfectly made. The story will draw you in and capture your heart.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I actually really enjoyed this one. I like fairy-tale retellings, where the author has taken the time to expand the story, and fill out otherwise flat characters. But this one shoots to the top of my list of favourite retellings.The characters are interesting, and likable, and the story keeps an interesting pace to keep the reader hooked. I had trouble with the ending, merely because I couldn't get the pages to turn fast enough. But all wrapped up satisfactorily and loose threads were tied off. Another thing that I really enjoyed was all the knitting references, and the fact that it was the *HERO* that did the knitting. While i am familiar with the concept of men knitting (One only needs to visit Ravelry.com to see how many there are), it was interesting to see a book hero actually doing it, and enjoying it. It was also a bonus to have the knitting patterns at the end of the book. :) While I doubt I'll ever make them, it is nice to have the temptation!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    The Twelve Dancing Princesses is my favorite fairy tale, and this book definitely didn't ruin the story for me. In fact, it made it even better! The story was amazing, and the characters were as well. I highly recommend this book.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A fun and fresh fairytale retelling with engaging characters and a plot that trips along at a nice pace.There's not a lot of depth here, but it's a lot of fun, and it delves into a fairytale that I was unfamiliar with.Rose is the oldest of twelve, all sisters, all princesses. Their mother made a deadly deal with the King of Under Stone, and since her death they have been cursed to dance every night until their shoes are in tatters. They can't tell anyone what they do or where they go. When the girls get sick and their all-night dancing means they struggle to recover, the worried king offers up their hands in marriage to any prince who can uncover their secret.After many failures and many mysterious deaths, a gardener and former soldier named Galen - armed with knitting needles and herblore - gives it a shot.If you like fairy tale retellings, I definitely recommend this. I recommend the sequel - Princess of Glass - even more.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Princess of the Midnight Ball is a retelling of the well-known fairy tale of the twelve dancing princesses. This time, the stakes are higher, the world is more vibrant, and the bargains are darker. Though there seems to be interesting niche out there for fairy tale retellings or expanded retellings (typically of the darker shade), I haven't read any of them, typically because I have other things on list and well, it always bugged me that I would know basically the entire plot of the book before even opening it. After mountains of recommendations, I thought I'd give Jessica Day George's Princess of the Midnight Ball a try.Set in a 15 century German-type country, readers meet young Galen, a solider returning from war who becomes a gardener for the royal family. But there's something strange about the king's twelve daughters -so strange that it becomes a scandal. Every third morning, the slippers of all the princesses are found in shreds, having been danced apart. No one seems to know what nighttime activities the girls may be engaging in, since they refuse to speak about it. Not only that, but the king locks them into their rooms every night with guards and even princes keeping a close eye on them. But still, no answer to the mystery. Meanwhile, Galen has fallen in love with the oldest princess, Rose, who seems to return his affections. But him being a soldier and gardener, rather than a prince, makes a future with Rose impossible. That is, unless he can solve the mystery of the dancing slippers...If you're in the mood for something simple and magical, easy and quick to read but still well-written, Princess of the Midnight Ball is a delightful read. Though, yes it's predictable and short, it's well-crafted, lightening-paced and enchanting. Sometimes, I just need something simple, and Princess of the Midnight Ball satisfies that need. The world is beautifully crafted, with just enough of a dark edge to make it more adult, and George makes a pointed effort to give adequate explanations to things that, in the original, were given no explanation because of the fairy tale nature of the story.Probably the only small issues with the story were the high predictability of the plot and the lack of characterization for the majority of the characters. Galen and Rose, the two romantic leads, were given good characterization along with the villain, but virtually of all the other characters: King Gregor,his advisors and many of the other princesses (okay, it's hard to balance twelve characters on the page at once).It's a little tough for me to admit that I like something so predictable and simple, but sometimes you just need that in a book and I'll admit -George does it exquisitely. Princess of the Midnight Ball is an enchanting, delightful read that will keep readers flipping pages and demanding more.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    There are two types of fairy tale novels: the first type does a fairly traditional retelling, rarely straying from the set plot and details of the most well-known versions of the tale, and is usually set in a fairy tale country; the second type uses the fairy tale as the skeleton of the story, but otherwise creates something new, or the result might be darker and edgier, or it might be a subversion or deconstruction of the fairy tale. Princess of the Midnight Ball is the first type of retelling.There isn't anything wrong with either type of retelling, and sometimes a more familiar rendition, with very traditional trappings, can be highly desired. Knowing everything about the story before reading it can be comforting, and having different versions of the same story by different authors might be like having slightly different ingredients in your mother's chicken noodle soup - always the same, but with just enough variety to keep from being too boring. On the other hand, the first type of retelling often leads to unimaginative settings or flat, boring characters.Thus I am a bit torn when it comes to talking about this book. I haven't read any versions of "The 12 Dancing Princesses" that weren't subversive or deconstructive short stories from the Terry Windling and Ellen Datlow anthologies, so it was quite nice to have this novel. When I read it, I was also in the mood for a book that wouldn't challenge me in any way, but which also wasn't something I'd read many times before - Princess of the Midnight Ball fit perfectly there.Yet the characters are flat and the setting boring. Galen, the hero, is perfect to the point of being annoying. Everything he does indicates that he is the Perfect Man, Husband, and Father. Even the heroes and heroines of fairy tales sometimes mess up, but not him. Any errors he makes are minor and not given any sort of gravity (I can think of one, and it is also present in the other versions of the story that I recall). I'm under the impression that George had Galen knit in order to give some sort of quirk or oddity to the character, but all the knitting did was make him even more irritating - obviously, since Galen can knit, he's an even more capable caregiver.The lack of personality and interest in the characters extends to the princesses, of course. It's to be expected that with twelve princess characters to have to work with, some will get short shrift, but the combination of that and the fact that none of the others in the story are particularly interesting, makes the lack of real depth to them even more obvious. Rose, the eldest of the sisters, is nominally in charge of them, but she's useless except as a mother-figure (and even then is useless when she gets ill), and never actually does anything unless it is with Galen or for Galen. Her personality seems to be "beautiful mother", and each of the other siblings gets a defining trait as well. One is "bookworm", another is "youngest", another is "religious fanatic" - they're all different ages, but you wouldn't really know a difference, other than the oldest two (Rose and Lily) and the youngest (Petunia), except that even the girls refer to themselves as "older set" and "younger set". Honestly, they all seemed to act alike, except for their defining trait (and some didn't even have that - one of them seems to be "the twin that isn't loud"), and their ages didn't seem to matter. Plus, one weird thing, is that there are 12 girls aged 7 through 17, one per year except for the twins, but four of them fit in between 15 and 17 (Rose is, I believe "barely seventeen"). The fourth sister's age is never given, so it's unclear if the names got mixed up at some point or what - it would have been easier to follow the introductions if George had said "Jonquil and Hyacinth are both 15, but not twins" or if she'd kept to the one girl per year thing. I will admit that getting hung up on the ages of the "older set" is a bit picky of me, but sometimes it's only the ages that helps delineate them from each other.As for the other major disappointment in the book, the setting is clearly based on an 18th century Europe, minus pesky things like the French Revolution or the Enlightenment (though guns exist). The countries and regions are all given new names, but they're clearly analogous to real places. I don't mind this - it's kind of lazy, but normal for a fairy tale novel. The trouble is that in placing it in a real world mirror, other real world things like Christianity came through, too, and that's where I had problems. The Catholic church plays a role in the story, and characters often reference God, praying, or heaven. In fact, one of the princesses is some kind of religious fanatic. It's very disconcerting to be reading about King Under World and magicians, then about an inquisition and God. Christianity and fairy tale magic just don't feel compatible to me, and I was half-hoping as I read that George would do more to integrate the two. But I grew up in a Catholic household and went to Catholic school from kindergarten through high school graduation, so I was steeped in a lot of religious education that told me magic (fairy tale magic particularly) is incompatible with Christianity.Ultimately, the problems with setting and characters made me less than satisfied with the book, even though I was reading it as a familiar story and didn't expect anything much out of it. It isn't an awful novel, but it isn't really good, either. I actually think it would be pretty decent to read out loud to young children, since a lot of problems of too-perfect characters or awkward setting don't bother young kids as much, and at least when I listen to books, I don't notice these kinds of problems as much as when I'm reading them.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    A retelling of the fairytale the twelve dancing princesses. I was rather impressed with this retelling. Though there were serendipitous events with no real explanation as to why they happened except to get the characters out of trouble, I did like it overall. The main plot was well developed, the characters had character, and the main romantic relationship was developed and worked. It was enjoyable and fun.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This book was pretty fun :] A retelling of the story of the Twelve Dancing Princesses, it was interesting and the descriptions well done. It was interesting to see the political side of this story and the ramifications it had. I would buy this book eventually because it is very cute and a well told retelling.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This is an adaptation of the fairy tale, "The Twelve Dancing Princesses." It is told with suspense and emotion through the viewpoint of a young soldier who becomes a gardener in the king's household.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A nice, enjoyable and slightly exciting retelling of the twelve dancing princesses. While the setting isn't modern, there's a slightly modern feel to the novel which makes it quite enjoyable. Much better than the previous novel of hers I read.

Book preview

Princess of the Midnight Ball - Jessica Day George

George

Prologue

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.

Do you understand our bargain? The king had a voice like a steel blade breaking on stone.

I do. The human queen’s voice was steady. Twelve years will I dance for you here below, and in return Westfalin shall be victorious.

Let us not forget the years you still owe me, the king said. Our first bargain is not yet fulfilled.

I know. She bowed her head in weariness. There were dark circles beneath her eyes and gray in her hair though she was a young woman still.

The King Under Stone stretched out his long white hand and lifted her chin. What a pity your daughters do not join you at our little fetes, he said. Such lovely girls, I am sure. And my twelve sons are pining for companionship. Again the feeling of triumph: the idea of these mortal girls dancing with his sons. There had always been the little problem, as his sons grew older, of where to find them brides.

Beautiful brides who could walk in the sun.

And then this mortal queen had come to him, begging for aid in bearing children with her fat, foolish husband. She had borne seven daughters so far, and once she had borne a dozen, Under Stone had decided that he would find a way to bring the girls below to meet their future husbands.

A look of horror spread across the queen’s face at his suggestion. My d-daughters are s-sweet, honorable girls, she stuttered. And young. Too young to be married!

Ah, but my sons are young, and their dear mothers were all sweet, honorable women, just like yourself and your little daughters! And my princes do long for companions of their own kind. Each of Under Stone’s sons had been born to a mortal woman, and he wanted their wives to be mortal as well. The King Under Stone brushed back a stray curl of the queen’s hair.

She drew back. Are we finished? I must go… the children… my husband….

Yes, yes. He waved a long hand. Our bargain is made. You may go.

She turned and hurried away. Away from the black palace on the shadowy shore. A silent figure, cloaked and hooded, rowed her across the sunless lake in a silver filagree boat and escorted her to the gate that led to the sunlight world.

The King Under Stone smiled as he watched Queen Maude hurry away. She would be back. She had to come back, every week. But that was not what made him smile. She had concealed her condition for quite some time, but as she settled into the boat it became apparent that the human queen was expecting her eighth child, precisely on schedule.

Another precious little princess for her and her darling Gregor, Under Stone said, the cold semblance of human feeling just barely tingeing his voice. And another beautiful bride for one of my sons.

Soldier

Exhausted almost beyond the point of thought, Galen nevertheless kept moving forward, alone in the middle of the dusty road. In his head he sang the marching song of his old regiment, but his feet stumbled more than they marched.

Left, left, left, left, left my wife and children too! Did I do right, right, right, right, right?

He laughed a little to himself. He was not quite nineteen years old, and he had spent most of his life on the battlefield. He had no wife or children to leave, only filthy tents, bad food, and death. Before him lay the endless road, dust, thirst, and life. Or so he hoped.

He drank the last swig of water from his canteen, hung it back on his belt, and stumbled on. The wind bit through his worn soldier’s coat; winter was coming.

All around him were fields that had lain fallow for years. In one, turnips that some hopeful family had planted had rotted in the earth with no one to harvest them. In another, the weeds were as tall as Galen. A cow and her calf were feasting there, and Galen veered from his path, taking a step toward them. They looked abandoned, so no one would mind if he filled his canteen with milk. But when he took a second step in their direction, the cow lowed with alarm and trotted away, her calf at her heels. She had been running wild for too long to suffer being milked.

With a sigh, Galen continued on. Every so often he came across other soldiers heading home. He would share a meager meal and camp with them overnight, walking for a while the next morning in the familiar company of other exhausted fighting men in blue tunics. But Galen never stayed with these other soldiers for long, something that they found very odd. It was said that in the heat of battle strangers became brothers and the bond was not severed by death or distance. Galen had never felt that way, though. He had seen his first battle when he was seven years old, had helped his mother care for the wounded and watched her wash enemy blood out of his father’s uniform afterward. To Galen, war was a disease, something to be avoided, not something he wanted to talk about with other afflicted men over the campfire.

Sometimes women or men too old to join the fight would offer him a ride in their cart. They often wanted to know if he had met their son or husband during the war. It was rare that he had: the army was vast, and Galen’s regiment had been from the city of Isen, far from these fields and forests.

Galen told people what he could, making light of the conditions the soldiers had lived in and celebrating with them over the end of the war. Westfalin had defeated the Analousians at last, but it was a grim victory. After twelve years at war, the country was deeply in debt to her allies, and many soldiers would not be returning home. Or, like Galen, they no longer had a home to return to.

The son of a soldier and an army laundress, Galen had been born in a cottage that looked out on the training grounds where his father marched in drills all day long. When he was six, the Analousians had attacked, and Galen’s father’s regiment had been sent to the front lines. His mother, the daughter of a soldier herself, had packed up Galen and his baby sister and joined the supply train. She had scrubbed blue tunics and darned gray socks right up until the day the lung sickness—a gift of the damp and cold—had claimed her life. Galen’s little sister, Ilsa, had also suffered from lung sickness. She had recovered, but her breath often came short, and so she had ridden on the supply wagons during the marches. She was killed when the wagon she was riding slipped off a steep mountain road in the rain and fell into the river below.

By that time Galen was twelve. He had been working with the soldiers since his eighth birthday: fetching powder and shot, reloading rifles and pistols, carrying messages from the generals to the field marshals. He could shoot a rifle or pistol, use a bayonet, peel potatoes, splint a broken leg, shine boots, wash shirts, and knit his own socks. He could also spit six feet with great accuracy, swear like the best of the sergeants, and scream insults at the Analousians in their own tongue. His father had been very proud.

Galen’s father made sergeant, and then lost his life to an Analousian bullet one morning when Galen was fifteen. Galen had buried him in the common grave dug after that battle, shouldered his father’s weapons, and marched away to the next skirmish. He didn’t know it, but just a week later, he shot the man who had killed his father, putting a bullet neatly into the same place his father had been shot—an inch to the left of the heart.

Those days were past, God be praised, and Galen hoped to never kill another man. He was headed north and east, away from Analousia and toward the heart of Westfalin. He hoped to find his mother’s family in the capital city of Bruch. With so many men lost in battle, Galen prayed that there might be a place for him at his aunt’s house, and in the family business as well. He couldn’t quite remember what his mother had said it was, but he thought that his uncle did something with trees. It seemed strange that he would find much work as a woodcutter in the heart of the city, but Galen wasn’t picky. He needed work, and food, and a place to rest his weary bones.

Oh, my weary, weary bones!

Galen stopped trudging with a start as someone echoed his thought. On the side of the road, a bundle of rags rearranged itself into a very old woman in a tattered dress and shawl. She stared up at Galen with bright blue eyes, her back bent and humped.

Hello there, young soldier!

Hello there, goodfrau, he replied.

I don’t suppose you have anything for an old woman to eat? She smacked her lips, revealing very few teeth.

With a groan Galen took off his pack and laid it on the ground. He groaned even louder as he lowered himself to sit next to the old woman. Let’s see, shall we?

He didn’t feel, as some other soldiers did, that the rest of the country owed him something. They had fought a war, true, but it was their job. The civilians had continued their jobs as well. Seamstresses had sewed, blacksmiths shod horses and made nails, those farmers not pressed into service had continued to farm. And Galen’s parents had instilled in him a deep respect for women and his elders, and the ancient creature before him was both.

He rummaged in his pack. I’ve drunk the last of my water, but I do have a swallow of wine here in this skin, he said, laying it before them. I have three hard biscuits, a wedge of old cheese, and a packet of dried meat. I also have some late berries I picked this morning. He felt a pang at offering these up: he had been saving them as a special treat. But he would feel even worse if he denied this old woman something that might give her pleasure as well.

Not enough teeth for the dried meat, or the biscuits, she said, grinning to reveal even more gaps than Galen had noticed before. But I wouldn’t mind a little cheese and wine, just like the fancy folks in the palace feast on.

Galen had two of the hard biscuits, and wished afterward that he had not. He had no water, and the old woman swallowed the wine in one gulp. Then she ate the cheese with much eye rolling and lip smacking, until he found himself smiling at her gusto.

Arching one eyebrow, the crone looked at the berries. Care to share, dearie?

Of course. Galen pushed them closer to her. She took a handful and slipped them into her mouth one at a time, savoring them as she had the cheese and wine. Glad that she had not taken the entire bag for herself, Galen scooped up his portion and ate them with equal pleasure.

Returning from the war, are you? Now that her hunger was sated, the old woman looked Galen over.

Yes, goodfrau, he said shortly. He didn’t want to know the name of the grandson, or great-grandson, who had been lost to an Analousian bullet.

He rewrapped the remaining biscuit, folded the cheese cloth and the berry bag, and stowed everything neatly in his pack. He put the wineskin on top, hoping to beg a swallow or two at the next farmhouse. I was on the front lines. Galen wasn’t sure why he added this, but it was his one source of pride. He had been to the front lines, and he had survived.

Ah. The crone shook her head sadly. A bad business, that. Worse than it needed to be, you know. She laid a finger alongside her crooked nose, winking.

Galen shook his head. I don’t understand.

She just sucked her teeth and nodded wisely. Just you remember: when you make a deal with them as lives below, there’s always a hidden price. She nodded again.

I see, Galen said in confusion. Thank you. He didn’t see. In fact, he thought the crone was quite senile, but it was hardly any of his concern. I’d best keep on while there’s still daylight, he said, standing up and shouldering his pack.

Indeed, indeed, for the nights are cold, the old woman said, clambering to her feet as well. She shivered and wrapped her thin shawl about her shoulders. The days are cold, too.

Galen didn’t hesitate. He unwrapped one of the scarves around his neck and offered it to her. It was blue wool, and very warm. Here, granny, take this.

I could not deprive you, poor soldier, she said even as she reached for it.

I’ve another, he said kindly. Plus wool and needles, should I wish to make more.

Holding the scarf up to the weak sunlight, the crone admired the tight knitting. Make this yourself, did you?

Aye. There’s time enough between battles to knit a dozen scarves and a hundred stockings, as well I know. He gave a little bark of laughter.

I thought soldiers spent their idle time dicing and wenching. She gave a surprisingly girlish giggle.

Dicing and wenching is all very well, but it doesn’t do you much good when there are holes in your socks and snow falling through the holes in your tent, he said grimly. Then he shook off the memory. Wear it in good health.

Galen wished that he had a shawl to give her, for the one she wore had great snags in it. But the only shawl he had ever knit had been given to a general’s daughter with soft brown eyes.

You have been very kind to an old woman, she said, very kind. She wrapped the scarf around her neck with the ends hanging down to protect her thin chest. It is only fitting that I repay your kindness.

He shook his head, bemused. What could she possibly give him? That’s not necessary, goodfrau, he assured her as her gnarled fingers fumbled under her shawl.

Oh, but it is, she said. In this cruel world kindness should always be repaid. So many people passed by me today and yesterday, without a gentle word or a morsel of food. And you have a look about you that I like.

She tugged at something behind her back, and his mouth gaped open. He had taken her for a hunchback, but now she pulled a bundle of cloth out of the back of her dress and held it up.

It was a short cloak, not unlike something an Analousian officer might wear. But instead of the green of the Analousian uniform, this was a dull purple color. It had a high, stiff collar and a gold chain to fasten it. The crone shook it, and Galen saw that it was lined with a pale gray silk.

You should wear this yourself to keep warm, he said.

The crone cackled. What, and be run over by a farm wagon? It’s madness to travel in such a thing!

Galen pursed his lips. The poor old woman really was quite out of her head. He wondered if he should help her to the next village. Surely someone would recognize her; she couldn’t have wandered far, at her age.

She leaned forward and said in a loud whisper, It’s an invisibility cloak, boy. Try it.

He looked around helplessly, but there was neither cottage nor barn to be seen in any direction. I really shouldn’t—Perhaps we should find your family.

Try it! She shrieked like an angry crow and flapped the cloak at him. Try it!

He held up his hands in surrender. All right. He took the cloak from her gingerly and threw it about his shoulders. It caught on his pack and he pulled it free impatiently. There! How do I look? He held out his arms. As nearly as he could tell, he was not invisible.

Rolling her eyes, the crone shook her head. "You must fasten it."

Not wanting to upset her again, Galen took the dangling end of the chain and fastened it to the gold clasp on the collar. He made to flourish the edges of the cape for dramatic effect but gave a yell instead. He couldn’t see his arms. Looking down, he couldn’t see any part of himself at all: only two footprints in the dust.

The old woman clapped her hands in delight. Wonderful! It fits like a dream!

I’m invisible, Galen said wonderingly. He walked in a circle, watching his footprints in the dust.

So you are, but listen to me, boy. It’s dangerous being invisible. For the first time she sounded truly lucid, following his footprints with her eyes. You can be trampled by horses or countless other things. This cloak is not to be used lightly, but only in times of real need.

Galen unfastened the cloak and watched his body ripple into view. With great reluctance he tried to hand the cloak back to the old woman. I couldn’t take something like this from you, goodfrau, he said respectfully. This is a magical treasure of some kind. You should guard it carefully, or find a magician or some such to sell it to. You could buy yourself a new dress, a cottage even, with the money from something like that.

The crone slapped him before he could duck. The cloak is not for sale, no matter if I starve to death. It’s to be given to the one who needs it most. And that’s you, soldier.

He shook his head to clear away the sting from her slap. But I have no need for it, he said, trying again to give it back. I’m just a soldier, as you say, or at least I was. I don’t have a home or a sweetheart or even work.

Pushing his hands away, the old woman cocked her head to one side. You’ll need this, and more. Again she rummaged among her rags, and this time pulled forth a large ball of white wool and a smaller one of black. The black is coarse, but strong, she said. The white is soft, but warm and strong in its own way. One can bind, the other protect. Black like an iron chain, white like a swan floating on the water. She pressed them into his hands, and he nearly dropped the wool and the cloak. Black like iron, white like a swan, she repeated, staring meaningfully into his face.

Without thinking, he repeated her words. One can bind, the other protect. Black like iron, white like a swan.

She turned and began walking in the direction Galen had just come from. You will have need of it, Galen, she said. "When you are in the palace, you will have great need. He must not be allowed above."

"Who must not

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