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thelastcolour 's review for:
Wildwood Dancing
by Juliet Marillier
“If a man has to say trust me, Gogu conveyed, it's a sure sign you cannot. Trust him, that is. Trust is a thing you know without words.”
I had heard from a few people that Marillier’s writing was a thing of beauty. Thus, my expectations for this book increased and, needless to say, I was not left disappointed. The world building was remarkable, the friendship’s created and the folklore, everything was beautiful and to be cherished. When one hears of Transylvania, one thinks of vampires but there was so much more to this part of the world, legends and folklore that Marillier, too, wanted to bring to light.
I came to this story for the faeries and the darkness that surrounded them was everything that I desired. Faeries aren’t just those one sees in Peter Pan, they’re selfish and feared and always look out for themselves. The portrayal in this book was excellent, the faerie queen was beautiful and deadly and respected. But there was an innocence as well. The story is told from the perspective of Jena, the second oldest of five sisters who all live at Piscul Dracului (don’t worry, there is a pronunciation guide at the back of the book!) with their sick father and no mother. The five sisters are very close and every full moon they travel through a portal to the other world to spend the night dancing with dwarves and trolls and other magical creatures. Jena is stubborn and intelligent and her best friend is her pet frog, Gogu, whom she trusts with everything.
There are multiple plot twists in this story, some I was able to predict but then Marillier still managed to surprise me! After a while, I became fully immersed into Jena’s world, so much so that reality slipped away and I knew that this book deserved a high rating, it had been so long since a book had had that effect on me.
There are dresses as delicate as butterflies, old castles and secret passages, the full moon showering the world in her silver light. There’s an old witch, those who wander with garlic in their pockets to ward off evil, there’s dancing until the stars disappear and the watery dawn light washes across the land. There’s a longing for love, secrets whispered in the woods, in the dead of night, beneath the stars. There’s an abundance of flowers and suffocating darkness. It’s the difficulties of being a women, the struggle for freedom, of being told what to do, who to be, what to wear. There’s billowing dresses, the feeling of silk against skin, the knowledge that you are beautiful. It’s boat rides across lakes, the rolling mist, the long shadows and strange sounds in the heart of the night. There’s music and nature and mirrors never to be trusted.
Please, please read this book. You won't regret it, I promise <3
I had heard from a few people that Marillier’s writing was a thing of beauty. Thus, my expectations for this book increased and, needless to say, I was not left disappointed. The world building was remarkable, the friendship’s created and the folklore, everything was beautiful and to be cherished. When one hears of Transylvania, one thinks of vampires but there was so much more to this part of the world, legends and folklore that Marillier, too, wanted to bring to light.
I came to this story for the faeries and the darkness that surrounded them was everything that I desired. Faeries aren’t just those one sees in Peter Pan, they’re selfish and feared and always look out for themselves. The portrayal in this book was excellent, the faerie queen was beautiful and deadly and respected. But there was an innocence as well. The story is told from the perspective of Jena, the second oldest of five sisters who all live at Piscul Dracului (don’t worry, there is a pronunciation guide at the back of the book!) with their sick father and no mother. The five sisters are very close and every full moon they travel through a portal to the other world to spend the night dancing with dwarves and trolls and other magical creatures. Jena is stubborn and intelligent and her best friend is her pet frog, Gogu, whom she trusts with everything.
There are multiple plot twists in this story, some I was able to predict but then Marillier still managed to surprise me! After a while, I became fully immersed into Jena’s world, so much so that reality slipped away and I knew that this book deserved a high rating, it had been so long since a book had had that effect on me.
There are dresses as delicate as butterflies, old castles and secret passages, the full moon showering the world in her silver light. There’s an old witch, those who wander with garlic in their pockets to ward off evil, there’s dancing until the stars disappear and the watery dawn light washes across the land. There’s a longing for love, secrets whispered in the woods, in the dead of night, beneath the stars. There’s an abundance of flowers and suffocating darkness. It’s the difficulties of being a women, the struggle for freedom, of being told what to do, who to be, what to wear. There’s billowing dresses, the feeling of silk against skin, the knowledge that you are beautiful. It’s boat rides across lakes, the rolling mist, the long shadows and strange sounds in the heart of the night. There’s music and nature and mirrors never to be trusted.
Please, please read this book. You won't regret it, I promise <3