I’ve just finished one of the most beautiful books I’ve read in a very long time. I was originally attracted to it by the gorgeous cover art, the work of Kinuko Y. Craft, one of my favourite artists. I have found as a general rule, any book she illustrates the cover of is at least worth trying. I was well rewarded by Wildwood Dancing, the story of Jena and her four sisters living in rural Transylvania in their Father’s castle on the edge of the Wildwood.
Every month at full moon the girls open a secret portal in their bed chamber and cross a lake to join the faerie revels of the Other Kingdom. However, one winter with their Father gone to a foreign land the girls must fend for themselves, with sinister presences entering both their world and the magical kingdom they must untangle the mysteries around them before its to late, to keep their freedom and save eachother.
What I love about this book, is that it is an interesting retelling of The Dancing Princesses but it also weaves in a few other fairy tales that I can not mention without spoiling the plot! However, although it is based off these tales it is also a treasure in itself, and quite unique. The characters are all very real, and the main character Jena is a strong woman who nonetheless must learn a few lessons herself. I really loved the delicate balance the author established between traditional fairy tale morals and modern ideals. She also managed to include vampires in a way that was both subtle and fitting, which impressed me a lot as I am not fond of vampire stories usually.
I fully reccomend this book to anyone who loves fairy tales and fantasy, and especially if you love the tale of The Dancing Princesses, this is probably the most original and interesting retelling I have read! I was also pleasantly surprised to learn that the author lives in my own city, by our beautiful Swan River. It makes the book even more special to me and I think I will look for some more of her works now!
