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gerdursif's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
geekcharming270's review against another edition
4.0
This one genuinely made me cry. It was beautiful to see the trust bloom between the two leads. And the breaking of generational trauma was masterful.
a_ab's review against another edition
3.0
Based on the first 2 books in this series I had high hopes for this retelling, even though the base story is one I don't care for.
I appreciated the deviations from the traditional fairytale — they were both meaningful and unexpected, breathing fresh life into the old plot. But I did not enjoy the setting and the characters populating it.
I appreciated the deviations from the traditional fairytale — they were both meaningful and unexpected, breathing fresh life into the old plot. But I did not enjoy the setting and the characters populating it.
story_sanctuary's review against another edition
5.0
I've been a huge fan of this whole series. I like that each book branches out further into the storyworld, with a mix of both familiar and new characters. The relationships between characters always draw me in. One of my favorite things about the series is that these aren't strict retellings of the stories. Pirouette bears some similar elements to The Twelve Dancing Princesses, but it has a lot of additional political intrigue and some romance as well. I think this author really has a gift for retelling a familiar story in a new way and crafting interesting worlds and characters I immediately care about. I definitely recommend this series to readers who like fairytale retellings. They remind me a little bit of the stories by Robin McKinley.
brii_brii's review
challenging
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
lilytholfsen's review against another edition
5.0
This book was my favorite in the series (so far, heh heh heh), and was a brilliant twist on the classic fairy tale, that to be honest, I have grown a bit bored with. I think this book has a lot more representation than most in the genre (disability, race), although still no gays (I'm holding out though). Some parts of the plot were predictable, but towards the climax, most things took me by surprise. I also appreciated that the romance wasn't I-just-met-you-now-let's-get-married, and actually built up to love (unlike other books in this series). So good.
emmylou5's review against another edition
3.0
This book was fun to read. And Kyril is my favorite male protagonist in Davidson's series. Still, the world-building is unfortunately lack-luster, considering that the entire book's plot depends the politics and culture of the Caelan Empire. I think part of problem is that Davidson goes too far out of her way to adhere to the classic "Twelve Dancing Princess" storyline. The classic is so outlandish that trying to apply it to a more realistic setting doesn't work very well.
Spoiler
After all, the idea that so many people secretly have magical talents and aren't exploiting that fact? And the fact that no one knows about silver's magic-negating qualities in spite of having dealt with magic for centuries? And then there's the over-emphasis of dance as a desirable feminine trait. It's all a little hard to swallow.summersage's review against another edition
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0