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A review by amandasbookreview
Pirouette by Kenley Davidson
5.0
One of my favorite fairytales is the 12 Dancing Princesses. So when I found out that Pirouette by Kenley Davidson is a retelling of the 12 Dancing Princesses, I was ecstatic! It is the 3rd book in the Andari Chronicles and we FINALLY get Kyril’s story!!! Kyril and a few other spies are on a mission to find out more about the country of Caelan. One of his fellow spies, Brenna seems to have some sort of vendetta against him. It could be that he has quite the reputation at court. But that is the least of his worries. The Caelan palace is massive, magic is forbidden, and they have arrived right in the midst of the scandal. The King seems to be losing his mind, and his 12 daughters refuse to dance. Dancing is an important part of their culture. The only thing is, there are 13 daughters. The king refuses to acknowledge Ilani. Ilani was beaten when she was 7, causing her leg to be damaged for the rest of her life, so she can’t dance. Kyril is bewitched by Ilani’s beauty, wit, and strength. He has a mission but now will stop at nothing to help her.
I think this book has to be my favorite book in the series so far! We have a main heroine that has a disability, we visit a land that is not similar to English culture but to Middle-Eastern culture. I am loving all the diversity represented. I thought Kyril would be the highlight of this book because I have been looking forward to his story, but I was wrong. First, let’s discuss Ilani. She can no longer dance, walks with a cane, and is condemned by her family. She uses her invisibility to investigate what is happening in the palace. I love how the author discusses Ilani’s disability, but not making it the focus of the novel and she also doesn’t create some magical cure. Ilani accepts her disability, exudes strength, and has incredible smarts and wit! I want to see more characters like her.
Second, most fairytale retellings take place in a European-like setting. We get a different culture, different beliefs, and different rituals and our spies need to navigate this world. While there is something sinister behind the scenes, it is actually the work of a single villain. No spoilers. But the country itself isn’t sinister. It is a beautiful country with a fascinating heritage, that is ready for progress.
Overall, the pace is outstanding from beginning to end. I was desperate to figure out the mystery. The author does like to keep the readers guessing. I highly recommend this fairytale-fantasy-mystery-romance. It is delightful from beginning to end. 5 out of 5 stars!
I think this book has to be my favorite book in the series so far! We have a main heroine that has a disability, we visit a land that is not similar to English culture but to Middle-Eastern culture. I am loving all the diversity represented. I thought Kyril would be the highlight of this book because I have been looking forward to his story, but I was wrong. First, let’s discuss Ilani. She can no longer dance, walks with a cane, and is condemned by her family. She uses her invisibility to investigate what is happening in the palace. I love how the author discusses Ilani’s disability, but not making it the focus of the novel and she also doesn’t create some magical cure. Ilani accepts her disability, exudes strength, and has incredible smarts and wit! I want to see more characters like her.
Second, most fairytale retellings take place in a European-like setting. We get a different culture, different beliefs, and different rituals and our spies need to navigate this world. While there is something sinister behind the scenes, it is actually the work of a single villain. No spoilers. But the country itself isn’t sinister. It is a beautiful country with a fascinating heritage, that is ready for progress.
Overall, the pace is outstanding from beginning to end. I was desperate to figure out the mystery. The author does like to keep the readers guessing. I highly recommend this fairytale-fantasy-mystery-romance. It is delightful from beginning to end. 5 out of 5 stars!