Title: Princess of the Midnight Ball
Author: Jessica Day George
Summary: After twelve years of war, the country Westfalin has finally managed a victory. It’s a grim victory with the country deeply in debt to her allies and many soldiers lost. As the King attempts to raise the spirits of his countrymen, a palace mystery begins to create more strife for the entire country. It has been discovered that every third night the King’s twelve daughters disappear for hours and return exhausted with worn out dancing slippers. Unbeknownst to all, the princesses have been cursed to travel deep into the earth and dance with the King Under Stone’s twelve sons . Cursed so that they are unable to speak about the forced midnight balls, the princesses must continue to dance through exhaustion and illness.
In hopes of winning the hand of one of the princesses, princes from neighboring countries travel to Westfalin to try to solve the mystery. All who try meet with failure and the future for the princesses looks bleak as they are now forced to dance every night. But then a brave young soldier, Galen, comes to town and starts work in the king’s garden. There he meets the eldest princess, Rose, and is moved to action by her misery. Armed with an invisibility cloak, enchanted silver knitting needles, and a little magically assistance Galen attempts to solve the mystery and break the curse that holds the princesses enslaved.
Who will like this book? Fans of fairy tales and romantic adventures.
If you like this, try this: Beastly by Alex Flinn, Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine, The Tale of Despereaux: Being the Story of a Mouse, a Princess, Some Soup and a Spool of Thread by Kate Dicamillo, Zel by Donna Jo Napoli, Beauty by Robin McKinley, and The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale
Recommended by: Jen, Fairfield Woods Branch Teen Librarian