Captive Dance: The True Story of the Twelve Dancing Princesses

The Ever After Maneuver #2

by Kendra E. Ardnek

Because of her, he lost his hand. Because of him, she lost her country.

A political intrigue retelling of The Twelve Dancing Princesses where the twelve girls are collected from multiple countries and trapped in a tower.

135 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 23, 2025

About the author

Kendra E. Ardnek is the self-proclaimed Arista of Fairy Tales. She makes her home in the hills of central Texas with her fellow author husband, who she found at a writer’s conference. When not writing, you can usually find her crocheting her own cloaks, valiantly attempting to read every retelling ever written, and pretending that owning toy dragons makes her a dragon trainer.

Reviews

[Sara Downs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book!

This was an interesting twist on this story. I'm enjoying getting to know this world. Cedric and Amity have a lot to work through, but the choice to not hate each other is a good start! Looking forward to seeing them more in future books.

[Bri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great plot with complicated characters!

This book has everything you could ask for in a fairy tale retelling. The characters are complicated, and the emotions are messy. There's fae shenanigans and plots for revenge. It asks the question, "Is what I'm doing really necessary, or am I becoming the evil that I claim I'm fighting against?" But in the end, it is a story of second chances and new beginnings, and leaves you feeling hopeful for the future.

[Erin Konicki · Rating 1 out of 5]

Please get a new editor. There was an error on the first page and several throughout the novel.

[The Swoony Awards]

This book has been nominated for a 2025 Swoony Award, to vote for it click here: Swoony Awards.