Principal Role

Sadler's Wells #9

by Lorna Hill

Ninth book in the series involving the Sadler's Wells ballet this is the story of Fazia, a reluctant princess and brilliant dancer who just wants to be normal. She escapes her royal bodyguard and runs away, but finds that life is no easier for an ordinary girl.

Genres: Childrens, Young Adult, Fiction

Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1952

About the author

Hill attended school in Durham and then went to Le Manoir in Lausanne, on the shores of Lake Geneva, Switzerland. She obtained a BA at Durham University, and there met her husband, a clergyman. They moved to the remote parish of Matfen, Northumberland, where she played the organ in church and ran a Sunday school.

Hill's career as an author began when her daughter Vicki, then about ten years old, found a story her mother had written as a child and asked for about its characters. The result was a series of eight books about Marjorie & Co, illustrating them herself. These began to be published in London in 1948. They were followed by the Patience series and several others.

When Vicki left home to be a ballet student at Sadler's Wells in London, Hill missed her and began to write her Dream of Sadler's Wells series. She eventually wrote a total of 40 children's books, as well as La Sylphide, a commissioned biography of the dancer Marie Taglioni, and two romances for adults, published in 1978. Hill was then obliged to stop writing by ill health. She is said to have been firm with publishers and to have earned more from her books than many of her contemporaries. Translations of some titles into several other languages appeared, including less usual ones such as Finnish (by Pirkko Biström, 1991), Indonesian (1994), Czech (1995) and Slovenian (by Bernarda Petelinšek, 1996).

More information at Wikipedia.

Reviews

[Rosemary Atwell · Rating 4 out of 5]

The later volumes of the Wells books have, for many, been deemed as a series which offers a slow spiral of diminishing returns. For me, they remain immensely loved and nostalgic rereads, although I acknowledge that the fantasy elements sometimes get in the way of the main plot - still a four-star read, I’m afraid.

[Maruša · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ella is still the best part.

[Sue · Rating 3 out of 5]

A somewhat unrealistic story about an exiled princess from a small European country. She is an excellent dancer, and spends a term at the Royal Ballet School. Several characters from previous books in the series are mentioned, and there are some mildly interesting scenes in Switzerland in the first part of the book. But the writing style is rushed, and the characters not that well drawn.

Not a bad story if one suspends reality, although the number of minor characters would be a bit confusing to anyone who hasn't read any of the previous books. Written for children, yet the themes - of exiled royalty, and very mild love interests - are more for teenagers or young adults.

[Verity W · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the Wells books when I was younger and this was one of the ones I had never read. It's another fun tale of the struggle to be a ballet dancer. As an adult I find the fact that the ending is given away in the end flap and less than sutbly hinted at in the text a few times a bit irritating, but I still really enjoyed the book.

[Jane Irish Nelson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not quite as good as the previous books in this series, but still enjoyable, even if it does strain credibility at times.

Fazia is a princess, but has spent the last five years in exile. And since her brother the king, is fascinated by ballet (and a certain ballerina), she has also studied ballet, and will soon be joining the Royal Ballet School — but not with the aim of becoming a professional, even though she is extremely talented. All she really wants is to be a normal schoolgirl, and enjoy ordinary experiences, but she doesn't really know how. A few of the characters from the earlier books make appearances, but I must say I am confused as to how old Elizabeth Lister (Fazia's English governess) is, if she's a good friend of Mariella and Jane, as well as a college student!

[Rhona Connor · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the story of Fazia who is the youngest sister of Leopold, the King of Slavonia. She attends the Royal Ballet School, but before that she is on holiday with Elizabeth Lister and her bodyguard, Karl. She meets Timothy Roebottom who is on holiday. Fazia likes to take off without Karl and she goes off to Northumberland to visit him when she's supposed to visit her elder sister. It's a ok book. The best of the Wells books are 1 to 4. 5 is okay, 6, 7, 8, etc formulaic and book 10 I like as well. But for kids to read they are good books. If the kids like reading ballet books.

[Rachel Abercrombie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Covid Comfort Read #9

[Brina · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5*

I liked it way more than the other later books in the Sadler's Wells series. It actually had a plot twist that I didn't expect. Ariana is low key an icon.

+1 point for mentioning Sebastian, once as Veronicas husband and once as Sebastian Scott.
24/08/22

Again, I am in agreement with my past self. This book has a complete different turn of events than the others, for example it doesn’t have a happy ending, not the and they all lived happily ever after one anyway. Though it is quite a princess one, but not necessary happy. The plot is heart wrenching and the biggest surprise ever.

only love.

[Deborah · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Hilliverse goes rather exotic in the story, as it centres on Princess Fazia, the sister of (now exiled, and still in love with Ella) King Leopold of Slavonia. Fazia is, of course, a wonderful dancer, but she doesn’t care much for dancing: she wants to be free (ie, not a princess).

We get an excellent story here about her attempts to do this, and along the way Fazia bumps into practically every Wells character we've ever met, and Ella ends up engaged, so all in all it's very satisfying.

But the ending is - unusually for LH, I think - really rather sad.