Entwined

January 18, 2011 Heidi ARC, Book Review 3

Entwined

Author: Heather Dixon

Publisher: Greenwillow Books

Publication Date: March 29, 2011

Challenge: Debut Authors Challenge

ARC received from Different Area Codes Arc Tours at Just Another Book Blog

About the Book:

Azalea is trapped. Just when she should feel that everything is before her . . . beautiful gowns, dashing suitors, balls filled with dancing . . . it’s taken away. All of it.

The Keeper understands. He’s trapped, too, held for centuries within the walls of the palace. And so he extends an invitation.

Every night, Azalea and her eleven sisters may step through the enchanted passage in their room to dance in his silver forest.

But there is a cost.

The Keeper likes to keep things.

Azalea may not realize how tangled she is in his web until it is too late.

My Thoughts:

I was really excited to read this book. I am a huge fan of fairy tales retold and I recently read (and loved) Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George (a retelling of the same tale.) Also, just look at that cover… so pretty (even if it is a bit overdone!)

While I didn’t love this one as much as I thought I would, I did enjoy it. I guess it just wasn’t what I was expecting it to be. From the book description and the mention of “The Keeper” I thought it would be a bit… darker? Don’t get me wrong, it has its dark elements. They felt kind of surface to me. Every time that I started to get in to the “feel” of the story it seemed to change. It took about a third of the story for me to really get the “groove.” After that the story flowed better for me.

I loved that the twelve princesses were named in alphabetical order and after flowers (also true in Princess of the Midnight Ball.) I wish that they would have all been introduced in a more formal manner earlier in the book. I had a hard time placing them all at first. As the book progresses the reader sees their distinct personalities emerge and it’s easier to tell them apart.

I also really enjoyed the dances. They are featured heavily in the story (duh!) but it works. The moods of the princesses are reflected by the dances they perform. It was interesting to see how crucial dance was to the girls and how it lifted their spirits.

A couple of things didn’t work for me. The princesses’ relationship with their father was confusing. I had a hard time believing in the radical ways it changed. I also didn’t really “feel” the romances of the second and third eldest daughters, particularly the third. I’d be interested in seeing a book focused solely on her to develop it more. It has potential 😉

Overall I enjoyed it. I didn’t LOVE it. I’ll be ordering it for my school library but won’t be rushing out for my own copy. If you like retellings of fairy tales give this one a try. Read Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George while you wait for Entwined to be released.