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4.02 AVERAGE
4.02 AVERAGE
Wildwood Dancing started out really slow for me. I did like the descriptions of the Full Moon entities in the Other Kingdom, though. The story didn't pick up until around 190 pages in. But when it did pick up, it took off running! After that point, I could barely put the book down. I liked that there was a pronunciation guide in the back of the book. That helped with some of the trickier names in this book. The fact that was something I saw coming a mile off. I kind of felt I'm not sure that author wanted me to feel this way at this point. If I could rate the first half and the second half of the book differently, I would probably give the first half three stars because the pacing was slow, and the second half four stars. All in all, I enjoyed this book a lot and would recommend it to anyone who loves fantasy and fairy tale retellings.
Spoiler
Costi was actually GoguSpoiler
bad for Cezar at the end, when Aunt Bogdana is hugging Costi and ignoring Cezar.
This was amazing! I loved the twist on the 12 dancing princesses folktale, plus vampires, plus a frog prince... describing it this way makes it sound silly. but really, it was beautifully written. This author takes very familiar story lines and somehow weaves them into something new, thought-provoking, and magical.
This is a reread for me! I will love this book with my heart and soul forever! If you haven't read this pick it up and read it now!!!.
This book gets three stars, one for each aspect it attempts to retell:
1. Vampire Mythology
2. The Frog Prince
3. The 12 Dancing Princesses (or in this case, five)
It does an adequate job of retelling all of them, but it doesn't excel in any of them. Although the mash-up isn't entirely successful, Juliet Marillier's writing is detailed and evocative, and most of her characters are vivid, particularly the five sisters around whom the story centers. Indeed, the sister relationship is probably most compelling here, along with their struggle to maintain a semblance of "balance" between the real world and the faerie realm, as well as the understanding that they may not be able to live in both indefinitely. The sense of place is also strong. Still, the love story falls a little flat, and the true identity of the frog is too easy to figure out early on. And unfortunately, Cezar, main character' Jena's domineering, chauvenistic cousin, is more interesting than her too-perfect love interest.
I also don't think I'd particularly recommend the audio version of this book. The reader seems to try too hard to pull off a "Transylvanian" accent, and there are times when her delivery, tone, and voice seems to change between tracks.
1. Vampire Mythology
2. The Frog Prince
3. The 12 Dancing Princesses (or in this case, five)
It does an adequate job of retelling all of them, but it doesn't excel in any of them. Although the mash-up isn't entirely successful, Juliet Marillier's writing is detailed and evocative, and most of her characters are vivid, particularly the five sisters around whom the story centers. Indeed, the sister relationship is probably most compelling here, along with their struggle to maintain a semblance of "balance" between the real world and the faerie realm, as well as the understanding that they may not be able to live in both indefinitely. The sense of place is also strong. Still, the love story falls a little flat, and the true identity of the frog is too easy to figure out early on. And unfortunately, Cezar, main character' Jena's domineering, chauvenistic cousin, is more interesting than her too-perfect love interest.
I also don't think I'd particularly recommend the audio version of this book. The reader seems to try too hard to pull off a "Transylvanian" accent, and there are times when her delivery, tone, and voice seems to change between tracks.
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
4.5/5
I might be repeating myself when writing about Juliet Marillier's books, but they all evoke similar feelings in me: enchantment and even slight addiction. More often than not the plots are somewhat predictable, yet her stories are transportative despite having an idea of the general way things will unfold. And the crucial scenes always manage to exceed my expectations.
Wildwood Dancing also confirmed my theory that Marillier can bring to life pretty much any setting with its folktales and traditions. Following the lives of five sisters in Transylvania, where full moons are brimming with magic, was such a fascinating journey. One that I'll continue with the companion novel sooner rather than later.
I might be repeating myself when writing about Juliet Marillier's books, but they all evoke similar feelings in me: enchantment and even slight addiction. More often than not the plots are somewhat predictable, yet her stories are transportative despite having an idea of the general way things will unfold. And the crucial scenes always manage to exceed my expectations.
Wildwood Dancing also confirmed my theory that Marillier can bring to life pretty much any setting with its folktales and traditions. Following the lives of five sisters in Transylvania, where full moons are brimming with magic, was such a fascinating journey. One that I'll continue with the companion novel sooner rather than later.
i read this book a while ago and it probably deserves a re read.
Stopped reading about halfway through to see if everything I predicted happened, and it did. The characters acted in frustratingly stupid ways, and the actress doing the audiobook put on a tiresome accent. Perhaps it would have been less irritating in non-audio form, but I lost some of my previous respect for the author with this one.
Wished it had picked up more towards the earlier part of the book, it only became interesting towards the very end! 3.5
“Today feels odd [...], as if a whole new part of our lives is beginning.”