Customer Reviews

Entwined

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Robin McKinley, Gail Carson Levine, Juliet Marillier, Patricia Wrede, Shannon Hale -- a lot of excellent fantasy writers have written adaptations of fairy tales.

And if you had to ask me, Heather Dixon might be added to the list sometime soon. Her debut novel "Entwined" is a silken tangle of family drama, magical happenings, romance and mild tragicomedy -- she gives a voice and personality to each one of the twelve dancing princesses, as well as a lusciously beautiful little kingdom filled with silvery beauty.

Azalea and her sisters are devastated when their warm-hearted mother dies during the Yuletide Ball. The grief-stricken King avoids his daughters and goes off to war, but not before he makes it clear that for the year of mourning, there will be NO DANCING. This devastates the girls, since their mother taught them every dance they know, and they see it as honoring her memory.

And one night, they find a magical passage under the castle, leading to a dancing pavilion in a silver forest. The mysterious Keeper allows them to come and dance every night, but Azalea soon discovers that he wants something from them -- something that could set the sinister man free. And as the King advertises for a man who can find the princesses' dancing place, Azalea discovers the horrifying truth of the Keeper's true identity...

Twelve sprightly princesses, an ancient castle riddled with magic, and a midnight dance in a silver forest. "Entwined" more or less follows the basic plot outline of the traditional fairy tale, but Heather Dixon fleshes it out with some new twists -- such as the undead Keeper, the rigid King's feud with his neglected daughters, and the reasons that the princesses are so desperate to dance.

Dixon's writing is sublime, managing to be magically ethereal and robust at the same time. Her dialogue has a slight British archness (even from characters with Germanic names), and her descriptions are shimmering, exquisite little things of satin, jewels and silver.

And despite all the grief and mourning, Dixon inserts some mild comedy into her story -- the suitors who pursue the princesses are handled in a hilarious way, especially one guy who's sent two kingdoms away on a wild goose chase. But she also excels at the creepier moments, which become more pronounced as we find out more creepy things about the Keeper ("He looked like a black, serpentine cobweb on the lattice").

And while she has a pretty large cast to flesh out, Dixon gives each of the princesses a distinct personality -- particular Azalea is an earnest, kindly young girl who just wants to protect her little sisters. The Keeper is a charming elegant gentleman who becomes more monstrous with every appearance, while Mr. Bradford is a quiet, sweet young gentleman who is obviously perfect for Azalea.

"Entwined" entwines its readers in a lush, haunting fantasy riddled with terrifying moments and robust comedy -- and you never quite know what Heather Dixon will pull out next. A delightful read.

On Christmas Day, Azalea's mother passes away and the whole country begins a year of mourning. During that time, Azalea and her eleven sisters have to wear black, stay inside the castle, aren't allowed to dance, and their father has grown distant and ignores them.

Desperate for some grasp at their former life, the girls begin dancing in secret. When they get caught by their father, however, they search for another location. When they discover a magic passage to a place ran by the Keeper, they are thrilled to be invited back every night to dance if they so desire.

When the Keeper starts becoming cruel and violent and demanding that Azalea find the magic object to free him, things become desperate for the princesses. To make matters worse, the king finds out about their evening dancing and puts out an advertisement asking single, eligible males who think they can solve the riddle of the princesses' evening excursions to come and give it a shot.

Will the princesses find a way to stop the Keeper? Will they be able to mend their broken family?

A retelling of the fairy tale, THE TWELVE DANCING PRINCESSES, this touching, entertaining version will delight fans of Jessica Day George, Mette Ivie Harrison, Gail Carson Levine, Cameron Dokey, and other fairy tale re-tellers for older readers. The characters are well-developed, and the plot does a great job of holding the reader's interest.

Those who like fantasy, adventure, romance, and comedy will all enjoy reading ENTWINED.

Reviewed by: Kira M

It’s very well written, and although the plot is a little slow to start off, I think it’s essential for it to go at that pace. It introduces the reader to a detailed world with a good amount of characters to read about. The sisters in the book are distinct enough so the reader can figure out who is who. Some of their personalities are stronger and more memorable than others (Bramble comes to mind). There’s real well placed moments of humor throughout the book and you do find yourself laughing here and there. The more fantastical and magical elements of the book are also well done, especially towards the ending where the pace of the book goes at whirlwind speed and keeps the reader engaged well until the last pages.

The character of the Keeper is also well written. As the book progresses his sinister side comes out and it does get a little, well creepy. It suits the story and the setting (where the Princesses go to dance). The setting itself does seem marvelous and beautiful but there’s a coldness and detachment to it - which is a very likely home for the Keeper himself as his personality also is a reflection to the setting.

The ‘couples’ of the book are well done and they suited each other.

It’s another retelling of Twelve Dancing Princesses but I feel that it’s much more than that. It’s well detailed, and despite it’s length, it’s a beautifully written story where when you’re done with the book, you feel satisfied, and complete. Definitely recommended for those in love with young adult books, fairy tales and the retelling of them, but also those that like fantasy stories without intense descriptions of magic.

This book was amazing! It completely whisked me away into this fictional world. it was an easy read but def is one of my favorites now. It made me think of East by Pattou. Fairytale lovers, you will not be disappointed!

What really caught my eye with this book was the cover.

I should first mention that this is a retelling of The Twelve Dancing Princesses, and I love retellings when they're done well. Dixon writes a very good book here, and makes it her own while still making it feel familiar to the fairtyale.

The imagery was beautifully written. The sisters were fun to read about. I loved the twist Dixon gave the story.

Before I was even halfway trough the book, I was hooked and I couldn't put it down. I loved the characters Dixon created- how they all had their own personalities and I could see them developing as the book went on. I also found parts of the book to be very creepy to read, which I find few authors to be able to do well at all, let alone in a fairytale book. But honestly, parts of this were just downright scary and I love that!

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed tis book and I can't wait to read it again