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A review by brandypainter
Wildwood Dancing by Juliet Marillier
4.0
Wildwood Dancing is a fairytale retelling two for one. It combines elements from both The Twelve Dancing Princesses and The Frog Prince. Add to that the traditional folklore of the Transylvania countryside where the story takes place and it makes for a compelling novel.
I loved every aspect of this novel. The setting of the wildwood, lake and the castle of Piscul Dracului were brought to life in beautiful prose that were never weighed down with too much description. The plot was intricate but never hard to follow. I particularly enjoyed how the author melded the realms of the mortal and fey world. They are separate but also the same, completely interconnected and requiring balance. In the hands of a lesser author conveying the complexities of this world would have been disastrous but Juliet Marillier makes it seem simple and renders it beautiful at the same time.
The novel is told in first person by Jena, the second eldest of five sisters who cross over to the world of the fairies to dance every full moon. Jena is the sensible practical sister. She is unique in that she has a constant companion in a frog named Gogu. She can hear Gogu's thoughts and he is her closest friend and most wise adviser. Jena, at fifteen, is learning what it means to be a grown woman. The readers is able to share in this remarkable journey with her and becomes invested in the outcome. There were times I wanted to yell at her (only a few) but mostly I loved living her life through her story. I loved Gogu too and was seriously concerned for his continued well being at many times.
Despite being a fairytale retelling the book was not a simple one. Happily Ever After is not attained easily and is not absolute. Forces for good and forces of evil are both present in the story and while the distinction between light and dark is made there is some ambiguity and confusion for the characters to sort out, nothing is made easy. And that to me makes a good book any day.
I loved every aspect of this novel. The setting of the wildwood, lake and the castle of Piscul Dracului were brought to life in beautiful prose that were never weighed down with too much description. The plot was intricate but never hard to follow. I particularly enjoyed how the author melded the realms of the mortal and fey world. They are separate but also the same, completely interconnected and requiring balance. In the hands of a lesser author conveying the complexities of this world would have been disastrous but Juliet Marillier makes it seem simple and renders it beautiful at the same time.
The novel is told in first person by Jena, the second eldest of five sisters who cross over to the world of the fairies to dance every full moon. Jena is the sensible practical sister. She is unique in that she has a constant companion in a frog named Gogu. She can hear Gogu's thoughts and he is her closest friend and most wise adviser. Jena, at fifteen, is learning what it means to be a grown woman. The readers is able to share in this remarkable journey with her and becomes invested in the outcome. There were times I wanted to yell at her (only a few) but mostly I loved living her life through her story. I loved Gogu too and was seriously concerned for his continued well being at many times.
Despite being a fairytale retelling the book was not a simple one. Happily Ever After is not attained easily and is not absolute. Forces for good and forces of evil are both present in the story and while the distinction between light and dark is made there is some ambiguity and confusion for the characters to sort out, nothing is made easy. And that to me makes a good book any day.