Princess Of The Midnight Ball (2009) - Plot & Excerpts
I'm not always the best when it comes to reading books that have been rec'd by friends but I ended up giving this one a go because I've passed by this book many times at the library but never picked up due to it's trashy cover and uninspiring blurb. However! This goes to show you never judge a book by it's terrible font and "dear god another dress?" cover because I ended up really enjoying it. Thanks Lily! I hope you have a few more of these up your sleeve for me to get my hands on because I didn't realize how starved I was for a good retelling. Set in a fantasized medieval Germany, the world holds a charming classical Grimm atmosphere that many retellings lack. The narration is split between Galen, a solider who is returning from a war that he's been involved in since he was a boy and the eldest princess of twelve, Rose. I'm not usually a fan of split narrations, but this one didn't rub me the wrong way. It could have been the tight third person prose (a blessing relief from YA's fall back plan IF IT'S NOT FIRST PERSON THEN YOU'RE DOING IT WRONG) or the fact that Galen is one of the few book protagonists that I've really loved this year. He's delightfully complex, sweet, and carries the burden and memories of war in a very realistic and heart wrenching way. Rose appealed to me less, but she never bothered me like most other love interests and I respected how seriously she took her role as the eldest of her sisters and all the responsibility that went with it. Also, while not terribly complex I thought the relationship between the mains was cute and handled maturely. (however, at this point if they aren't shoving their tongues in each other's throats, seeing their hearts reflected in each other's eyes, or making poor and stupid decisions due to infatuation I'm usually ready to stamp a "mature" relationship sticker on it.)Also Galen knits. It's adorable. The reason I'm not going with a four star with this is that I felt like the "retelling" part was severely lacking. The author was obviously focusing on the characters as the stories focal point, but I really wished she spiced up the original myth as well. There were no twists or unexpected surprises, and I felt like it was an opportunity missed. With such a solid world and cast she could have pulled off a unique and refreshing take on the story. However, I'll take good characters over an original retelling any day since the lather is so much more rare. It's a good, quick read for anyone who wants to stave off their Grimm cravings with enjoyable characters and a convincing story world and doesn't mind the author playing it safe with their interpretation of the tale. 3 1/2 stars. I think The Princess of the Midnight Ball was very interesting. It kind of took me on an adventure. I also think this book is a little similar to the movie The 12 Dancing Princesses. It is similar in some ways like there are 12 daughters that love to dance, there mother died, and there is a main character that is the oldest. There were some parts of the book that I knew were going to happen like I knew Galen and Rose would fall in love and get married at the end by how they talk to each other in the book. I think The Princess of the Midnight Ball was romantic and interesting.The Princess of the Midnight Ball was mostly about saving the kingdom from the curse. The princesses and Galen try find a way to get rid of the curse. In the story as Galen and Rose spend more time together they start to fall in love with each other.This book should be recommended for girls. The princess of the Midnight Ball should be recommended to them because most girls like to read about princesses and romance.
What do You think about Princess Of The Midnight Ball (2009)?
No new twists but a good solid retelling and a good clean adventure fantasy.
—dell
This was a pretty good retelling of the 12 Dancing Princesses.
—brhoops
