In my last review post, I mentioned 3 romantasy novels (of which two were retellings), and today I've got two more retellings - both are reimaginings of The 12 Dancing Princesses 🩰
🔨 The Blacksmith Princess by Rowan Mallory ★★★★
A gorgeous tale of a girl gaining her confidence through bonding with other princesses and showing kindness whenever possible. 😊
I was so glad that this story focused on the twelve princesses slowly getting to know each other and building lasting friendships instead of on romance. Truly, there was maybe 5% romance present that was so cute, and while it didn't leave a lasting impression on me, that was kind of the point. The 12 Dancing Princesses was always a story about sisterhood and overcoming problems together.
*and unfortunately, no, there was little to almost no dancing here 😅
Jax was such a sweet, silently strong person. While she couldn't hold the bow like Eira, or make potions like Dora, or know hand-to-hand combat like Anara, what she had was resiliency, resourcefulness, and the will to always help others first. The way she made everyone cooperate, and how she protected the ones she cared about, is what made her so special.
One of the best parts of the book was the fact that it highlighted how differences are what make us all wonderful. Each princess had a strength and the author didn't hide their weaknesses either. Jax was horrible at archery and had minimal swordplay knowledge. Others had similar dispositions. One was excellent at political intrigue, one had a way with words, one was great at swordplay etc. In the end, their teamwork made everything possible.
I just have to mention one other thing. The part of the book that most reminded me of the Barbie movies was the fact that sometimes, some scenes were so over-the-top dramatic dialogue-wise 😂 I thought it was funny and it didn't take away from the story, it sort of made me like it even more. This is mostly connected to the King and the way he treated everyone, he felt like a proper Barbie movie villain with his extravagant monologues and giving threats with a penchant for flair 😅 He truly was a male Duchess Rowena 😂
🕛 Curse of the Midnight King by Yakira Goldsberry ★★★★
An interesting retelling that combines two stories - 12 Dancing Princesses and Cinderella. I have to admit, I almost binged the whole book in one sitting because it was that addictive. This retelling is a much darker one compared to The Blacksmith Princess. It mainly focuses on Faye and her inner struggles, trying to save all of her sisters and survive the continuous emotional abuse Pathos inflicts on her.
I wanted to strangle Pathos basically every time he steps on the page 😂😂 I thought this book would be a dark, enemies-to-lovers story between Faye and the Midnight King, aka Pathos but boy was I wrong 😅 He's a true villain from start to finish and I have absolutely zero positive things to say about him. Leo on the other hand, is the true love interest, which, again, surprised me but in a good way. i have to admit he was super adorable and I rooted for him all the way.
Faye is so sweet and so broken by her own past mistakes. I just wanted to hug her all the time. She kept trying to fix everything, but couldn't and that drove her to madness even more. I just wanted her to be happy by the end of the book 😢
Beware, the book ends on a cliffhanger, and I wanted to read the sequel, but after reading some reviews for the second book, it seems this series is actually unfinished and there's no definite ending, which is sad.
💬 Have you read any of these books? Do you like The 12 Dancing Princesses fairytale? 💬
0 Comments