What do you think?
Rate this book
Reversed Retellings #1
Till Midnight
Can a poor shoe cobbler save twelve princes from a terrible curse?
The twelve princes of Savony are a mystery. They rarely go out, refuse to marry, and disappear every fortnight, only to reappear with bruises and cuts. When Alix, a poor shoe cobbler, is enlisted to help mend the princes’ boots, she is asked to investigate the princes’ mystery in exchange for extra coin. Soon, she finds that the greatest danger isn’t getting caught by the handsome eldest prince, Theo, but the unspeakable terror that will threaten the safety of the entire kingdom.
The twelve princes of Savony are a mystery. They rarely go out, refuse to marry, and disappear every fortnight, only to reappear with bruises and cuts. When Alix, a poor shoe cobbler, is enlisted to help mend the princes’ boots, she is asked to investigate the princes’ mystery in exchange for extra coin. Soon, she finds that the greatest danger isn’t getting caught by the handsome eldest prince, Theo, but the unspeakable terror that will threaten the safety of the entire kingdom.
313 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 27, 2018
316 people are currently reading
769 people want to read
About the author
Arisa May
20 books14 followersArisa writes stories with a touch of magic, and is especially interested in portal fantasies (isekai) and the villainess trope. She has written over fifteen novels; several have been translated into French and Italian. She hails from Taiwan, where she can’t survive without air-conditioning, and when she’s not reading or writing, she enjoys baking desserts and dancing to Kpop.
*formerly published under the name of Aya Ling.
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
*formerly published under the name of Aya Ling.
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 75 reviews
May 18, 2019
i admit that i decided to read this book out of spite for homophobic amazon reviewers who complained about a prominent character in the book being gay. while i wish that character had gotten a bit more development in the book, i recognize that this book's strengths and weaknesses are both tied up in the fact that it's a fairly light-hearted fairytale retelling. i enjoyed it (i caught myself smiling plenty while reading), and i especially liked the protagonist, alix.
if you're looking for a meaty deconstruction of tropes, this ain't gonna be your jam. but if you want a sparkling magic-tinged romp (that has maybe a wee bit too much exposition, but nothing egregious), you'd probably have a good time reading this. it made for a lovely break from schoolwork in my case.
if you're looking for a meaty deconstruction of tropes, this ain't gonna be your jam. but if you want a sparkling magic-tinged romp (that has maybe a wee bit too much exposition, but nothing egregious), you'd probably have a good time reading this. it made for a lovely break from schoolwork in my case.
October 26, 2020
I have mixed feelings about this book. It's my first by Aya Ling, and I'm quite impressed by her writing style. I also liked the idea of a gender-swapped retelling of "The Twelve Dancing Princesses." The twist on this fairytale definitely suited that aspect and it made for a very intriguing plot!
Alix was a nice lead and I liked her calmness. The princes were each very distinct and unique! The twins might've been my favorite :)
I did love the worldbuilding in this one. I like how Savony is based off of France; I'm always a sucker for that kind of worldbuilding!
The biggest problem with me was that several of the characters are gay. I guess I can't say much on the fact that it's a side theme (side theme? Is that a thing?) except authors will do what authors will, but it did decrease my enjoyment quite a bit. So yeah, that'll bother some people.
That's about it, I guess. :)
Alix was a nice lead and I liked her calmness. The princes were each very distinct and unique! The twins might've been my favorite :)
I did love the worldbuilding in this one. I like how Savony is based off of France; I'm always a sucker for that kind of worldbuilding!
The biggest problem with me was that several of the characters are gay. I guess I can't say much on the fact that it's a side theme (side theme? Is that a thing?) except authors will do what authors will, but it did decrease my enjoyment quite a bit. So yeah, that'll bother some people.
That's about it, I guess. :)
Want to read
January 28, 2020🎁 FREE on Amazon today (1/28/2020)! 🎁
January 31, 2019
I'm going to say right up front that I did not like this book. I disliked this book to the extent that I could not complete reading this book. However, I made it well past the point where I realized this book was not going to redeem itself in my eyes.
I wouldn't say this is a horrible book. I have certainly read far worse, and the book was just good enough to keep me reading 3/4 of the way through. There were simply too many flaws that eventually convinced me this book was not worth finishing.
I've left out a lot of plot in the above summary, but that's because one of the story's main issues is how much plot is being covered in a relatively short book. The story moves at break-neck pace and suffers greatly from continually breaking the "show, don't tell" rule. To compound the issue, characters are commonly given minimal to no physical descriptions. Alix is the protagonist, and yet it isn't until the second chapter that we learn she has brown hair, and it isn't until chapter 10 that who know her eye color.
We know that Prince Gerald is attractive, but this is because we're told so more than getting an accurate description of his appearance. This is especially odd, considering his devastating good looks are the totality of this character's makeup and are mentioned every time the prince appears. It would not surprise me if Prince Gerald was under a terrible curse where everyone sees nothing of him but how heart-stopping attractive he is. To fix this issue, he wears spectacles. This is because we all know that anyone wearing glasses cannot look attractive, but just in case we're constantly reminded that Prince Gerald sure is lucky he's wearing those beauty-shielding spectacles!
I did like the idea behind this story. Gender-bending classic fairy tales sounds like a really fun and interesting way of giving these stories a new twist. However, the characters were under-developed, under-described, and unappealing, including both protagonist and love interest. The pacing was at top speed and at the expense of natural plot development - or even reader immersion. Finally, the use of "destined romance" that has no basis of developed relationship or even developed interest in either party - ends any interest on my part in finding out how this story ends.
Had the pacing of the story been slowed where it needed to be, more attention been paid to character development both in physical and personality respects, and the romantic aspect been a natural development rather than intervening fate, this story would have greatly improved.
I wouldn't say this is a horrible book. I have certainly read far worse, and the book was just good enough to keep me reading 3/4 of the way through. There were simply too many flaws that eventually convinced me this book was not worth finishing.
I've left out a lot of plot in the above summary, but that's because one of the story's main issues is how much plot is being covered in a relatively short book. The story moves at break-neck pace and suffers greatly from continually breaking the "show, don't tell" rule. To compound the issue, characters are commonly given minimal to no physical descriptions. Alix is the protagonist, and yet it isn't until the second chapter that we learn she has brown hair, and it isn't until chapter 10 that who know her eye color.
We know that Prince Gerald is attractive, but this is because we're told so more than getting an accurate description of his appearance. This is especially odd, considering his devastating good looks are the totality of this character's makeup and are mentioned every time the prince appears. It would not surprise me if Prince Gerald was under a terrible curse where everyone sees nothing of him but how heart-stopping attractive he is. To fix this issue, he wears spectacles. This is because we all know that anyone wearing glasses cannot look attractive, but just in case we're constantly reminded that Prince Gerald sure is lucky he's wearing those beauty-shielding spectacles!
I did like the idea behind this story. Gender-bending classic fairy tales sounds like a really fun and interesting way of giving these stories a new twist. However, the characters were under-developed, under-described, and unappealing, including both protagonist and love interest. The pacing was at top speed and at the expense of natural plot development - or even reader immersion. Finally, the use of "destined romance" that has no basis of developed relationship or even developed interest in either party - ends any interest on my part in finding out how this story ends.
Had the pacing of the story been slowed where it needed to be, more attention been paid to character development both in physical and personality respects, and the romantic aspect been a natural development rather than intervening fate, this story would have greatly improved.
March 21, 2020
I enjoyed a lot of things about this book. The characters are interesting, and I found myself caring what happened to them. The plot was interesting, and the first part held enough mystery to keep me turning pages to learn more.
But several things bothered me about Till Midnight. There were a lot of verb tense errors and other issues in the text that a good editor could have caught. I took off a star for that. The main character's sidekick is gay, and while I know preferring to avoid books that focus on that is a personal preference, it also bothered me that the author had to keep throwing that fact in readers' faces, bringing it up again and again. Sometimes it came across as really lame; for example, the mere thought of a prince with wet clothes clinging to him distracted the character so much that he accidentally poked his own leg with a needle hard enough that he needed to go to the clinic for medical care. (GIVE. ME. A. BREAK.) I took off another star for that. The third one I took off was because there were several places where events were "told" instead of "shown" - not just a few sentences, but whole scenes. In one section, this involved cutting out an important scene that the narrative had been building up to for a couple of chapters and that was a critical turning point in the story. Instead of actually having the scene that could easily have been an entire chapter or more, there were a few brief paragraphs that simply summarized the missing events. To be honest, it came across as though the author got tired of writing a story and chose to write a summary of a story instead.
I don't plan on reading any more in this series, but the book really isn't terrible. If you enjoy fantasy, don't mind gay characters, and aren't too picky about writing styles, you'll probably enjoy it. Give it a try.
But several things bothered me about Till Midnight. There were a lot of verb tense errors and other issues in the text that a good editor could have caught. I took off a star for that. The main character's sidekick is gay, and while I know preferring to avoid books that focus on that is a personal preference, it also bothered me that the author had to keep throwing that fact in readers' faces, bringing it up again and again. Sometimes it came across as really lame; for example, the mere thought of a prince with wet clothes clinging to him distracted the character so much that he accidentally poked his own leg with a needle hard enough that he needed to go to the clinic for medical care. (GIVE. ME. A. BREAK.) I took off another star for that. The third one I took off was because there were several places where events were "told" instead of "shown" - not just a few sentences, but whole scenes. In one section, this involved cutting out an important scene that the narrative had been building up to for a couple of chapters and that was a critical turning point in the story. Instead of actually having the scene that could easily have been an entire chapter or more, there were a few brief paragraphs that simply summarized the missing events. To be honest, it came across as though the author got tired of writing a story and chose to write a summary of a story instead.
I don't plan on reading any more in this series, but the book really isn't terrible. If you enjoy fantasy, don't mind gay characters, and aren't too picky about writing styles, you'll probably enjoy it. Give it a try.
March 22, 2020
Fluffy quarantine readz!!
December 28, 2021
I've put off reading this for a long time, as it was one of the first free books I got from Amazon. In that time, I've explored quite a few other fairytale retellings, so I have a lot of opinions about the genre. That said, this was good but not exceptional.
I don't know the story of the Twelve Dancing Princesses that well, but the first fairytale retelling I read was another one along these lines, that deals with issues as a curse rather than as something the twelve princesses (or princes in this case) enjoy. I like the idea of a family contract or curse that lies behind the twelve princesses and their story.
However, something about this fell flat. I do have to admit I was comparing it to the other similar retelling, Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George, and I do wonder if Ling's writing is at all inspired by George's trilogy, in the way that they approached the relationship as a curse, and in the exploration of magic in a world that mistrusts it.
The thing that makes or breaks a book for me is often the characters. In this book, I enjoyed Alix and her friend Fabio, but I didn't get as much of a feel for the princes or even the villains as I have in similar books. Aside from Fabio and Alix, none of the relationships (platonic and romantic) seemed to flow well, and the connection between Theo and Alix was weak.
However, Alix herself is a well-written character, and she somewhat makes up for what others lack. She has clear motives throughout the story and doesn't leave a lot unanswered in terms of her character and her actions.
I know other readers have brought up concerns about Fabio as the "gay best friend," or even just the fact that he is gay, but personally I think this was done well, While not exactly an example of incidental representation, as there is a lot of focus on his sexuality and his relationships, it is nevertheless well done in terms of him as a character. There needs to be more of these characters in fantasy, and this is the first traditional fairytale retelling I've read where there is a gay character of importance.
Aside from the characters, the plot was pretty well done. Alix's clear motives help the plot move smoothly, and there is not a lot to be desired. The ending also sets up a nice lead into the sequel without being too much of a cliffhanger. It's one of those books where you know there's more to figure out, but you can feel okay if you decide to stop after the first book.
Personally, I'm not sure if I'll read the second book. I don't think I would spend money on it, and it's not available in my libraries or any of the ones I can borrow from, but it seems interesting enough.
I don't know the story of the Twelve Dancing Princesses that well, but the first fairytale retelling I read was another one along these lines, that deals with issues as a curse rather than as something the twelve princesses (or princes in this case) enjoy. I like the idea of a family contract or curse that lies behind the twelve princesses and their story.
However, something about this fell flat. I do have to admit I was comparing it to the other similar retelling, Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George, and I do wonder if Ling's writing is at all inspired by George's trilogy, in the way that they approached the relationship as a curse, and in the exploration of magic in a world that mistrusts it.
The thing that makes or breaks a book for me is often the characters. In this book, I enjoyed Alix and her friend Fabio, but I didn't get as much of a feel for the princes or even the villains as I have in similar books. Aside from Fabio and Alix, none of the relationships (platonic and romantic) seemed to flow well, and the connection between Theo and Alix was weak.
However, Alix herself is a well-written character, and she somewhat makes up for what others lack. She has clear motives throughout the story and doesn't leave a lot unanswered in terms of her character and her actions.
I know other readers have brought up concerns about Fabio as the "gay best friend," or even just the fact that he is gay, but personally I think this was done well, While not exactly an example of incidental representation, as there is a lot of focus on his sexuality and his relationships, it is nevertheless well done in terms of him as a character. There needs to be more of these characters in fantasy, and this is the first traditional fairytale retelling I've read where there is a gay character of importance.
Aside from the characters, the plot was pretty well done. Alix's clear motives help the plot move smoothly, and there is not a lot to be desired. The ending also sets up a nice lead into the sequel without being too much of a cliffhanger. It's one of those books where you know there's more to figure out, but you can feel okay if you decide to stop after the first book.
Personally, I'm not sure if I'll read the second book. I don't think I would spend money on it, and it's not available in my libraries or any of the ones I can borrow from, but it seems interesting enough.
February 1, 2019
My least favorite book by Aya Ling. This one she seemed to have more of a serious plot and didnt bring the laughter and enjoyment to me as her other novels.
January 26, 2020
Quick fun read. I love retellings.
January 13, 2019
Since I was completely enamored with Aya Ling's Unfinished Fairy Tales books, I was thrilled to learn that she would be launching a new series of fairy tale adaptations. She has quickly raised in the ranks to become one of my favorite authors. Her new Reversed Retellings books portray gender-swapped versions of classic fairy tales, presenting brand new perspectives and challenging outdated gender stereotypes. The first book in the series is Till Midnight, based on the story of "The Twelve Dancing Princesses." However, this version has twelve handsome princes who are forced to sneak away at night due to a curse with a female cobbler who must solve the mystery of where they go. I absolutely loved this adaptation and cannot wait for her to release more gender-swapped fairy tales.
Till Midnight tells the story of Alix, a talented young lady working as a dressmaker's apprentice in an attempt to further her career beyond the family trade of cobbling shoes. Even though it is set in medieval times, Alix is an independent modern-day woman with strong ambitions and a kind heart. She is very focused on improving her value as an employee so that she can make more money to care for her sickly aunt. The book references a lot of real-life problems you don't normally see in princess stories, such as struggling to make rent and aspiring toward job promotions. Fortunately, there's plenty of fantasy to balance out the reality. Since this book challenges common gender stereotypes, it's only fitting that Alix has a gay best friend. Fabio works with her at the dressmaker shop and is pressured by his parents to marry a woman when he is only interested in men. Therefore, it's a dream come true when he and Alix are recruited to work at the castle with twelve strapping princes. Though his portrayal as a gay man in fashion is somewhat stereotypical, his exuberant nature is the perfect balance to Alix's seriousness toward her work and responsibilities.
Every novel adaptation I've read of "The Twelve Dancing Princesses" turns the secret late night dancing sessions into a curse that the twelve young royals cannot escape. This version was no different. As much I would love to read an adaptation where the princesses actually want to escape to their magical land of silver trees like in the Barbie movie and the original fairy tale, I still have to commend Aya Ling on her creative interpretation for Till Midnight. For most of the novel, it is just as much of a mystery to the reader as it is to Alix why the twelve princes disappear at night and return with gruesome injuries and torn up boots. When she finally does discover the cause, it is far more fitting for the gender reversal than dancing in ballgowns would have been. Just as other adaptations portray the princesses being forced do something against their will that women are stereotypically expected to enjoy, this portrays the princes being forced to do something that men are stereotypically expected to enjoy, which I found to be a clever twist.
The biggest challenge with this fairy tale is assigning distinctive enough personalities to all twelve princesses to make it possible to keep track of all of them. Shelley Duval's Faerie Tale Theatre series from the 1980s took a shortcut with this by changing their number for twelve to six. In Till Midnight, there are indeed twelve princes, but only about five of them are distinctive enough to be memorable. Theo, the oldest prince, has a reputation for being cold and distant, especially toward women, but that changes when Alix manages to worm her way into his heart through her compassion and understanding. The twins, Ethan and Enzo, are the most entertaining characters in the book. It is very funny to see them attempt to flirt with Alix when it is clear that they have no experience talking to women. Alix's confused reactions are equally amusing, as she is very serious by nature and not at all flirtatious. Roland, the youngest prince, is the emotional heart of the story. The danger that the curse wrought upon him is the final straw in motivating all the characters to break it. Gerald, the handsome scholar, is revealed become the "beauty" character in the next Reversed Retelling book, which will be based on "Beauty and the Beast."
There are so many things I loved about Till Midnight. It takes modern princess culture and incorporates it into a classic fairy tale setting. I loved that despite all the changes, Aya Ling didn't stray too far from the original story. It proves that it's completely possible to modernize a fairy tale without ripping it apart at its seams the way Frozen did. Even though I wished Fabio was a bit less of a stereotype, I loved how his flamboyance played off Alix's seriousness. As a Millenial, I found it easy to relate to Alix's struggles of advancing her career and making enough money to pay her aunt's rent. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys contemporary fairy tales, and I can't wait to read the next one!
Till Midnight tells the story of Alix, a talented young lady working as a dressmaker's apprentice in an attempt to further her career beyond the family trade of cobbling shoes. Even though it is set in medieval times, Alix is an independent modern-day woman with strong ambitions and a kind heart. She is very focused on improving her value as an employee so that she can make more money to care for her sickly aunt. The book references a lot of real-life problems you don't normally see in princess stories, such as struggling to make rent and aspiring toward job promotions. Fortunately, there's plenty of fantasy to balance out the reality. Since this book challenges common gender stereotypes, it's only fitting that Alix has a gay best friend. Fabio works with her at the dressmaker shop and is pressured by his parents to marry a woman when he is only interested in men. Therefore, it's a dream come true when he and Alix are recruited to work at the castle with twelve strapping princes. Though his portrayal as a gay man in fashion is somewhat stereotypical, his exuberant nature is the perfect balance to Alix's seriousness toward her work and responsibilities.
Every novel adaptation I've read of "The Twelve Dancing Princesses" turns the secret late night dancing sessions into a curse that the twelve young royals cannot escape. This version was no different. As much I would love to read an adaptation where the princesses actually want to escape to their magical land of silver trees like in the Barbie movie and the original fairy tale, I still have to commend Aya Ling on her creative interpretation for Till Midnight. For most of the novel, it is just as much of a mystery to the reader as it is to Alix why the twelve princes disappear at night and return with gruesome injuries and torn up boots. When she finally does discover the cause, it is far more fitting for the gender reversal than dancing in ballgowns would have been. Just as other adaptations portray the princesses being forced do something against their will that women are stereotypically expected to enjoy, this portrays the princes being forced to do something that men are stereotypically expected to enjoy, which I found to be a clever twist.
The biggest challenge with this fairy tale is assigning distinctive enough personalities to all twelve princesses to make it possible to keep track of all of them. Shelley Duval's Faerie Tale Theatre series from the 1980s took a shortcut with this by changing their number for twelve to six. In Till Midnight, there are indeed twelve princes, but only about five of them are distinctive enough to be memorable. Theo, the oldest prince, has a reputation for being cold and distant, especially toward women, but that changes when Alix manages to worm her way into his heart through her compassion and understanding. The twins, Ethan and Enzo, are the most entertaining characters in the book. It is very funny to see them attempt to flirt with Alix when it is clear that they have no experience talking to women. Alix's confused reactions are equally amusing, as she is very serious by nature and not at all flirtatious. Roland, the youngest prince, is the emotional heart of the story. The danger that the curse wrought upon him is the final straw in motivating all the characters to break it. Gerald, the handsome scholar, is revealed become the "beauty" character in the next Reversed Retelling book, which will be based on "Beauty and the Beast."
There are so many things I loved about Till Midnight. It takes modern princess culture and incorporates it into a classic fairy tale setting. I loved that despite all the changes, Aya Ling didn't stray too far from the original story. It proves that it's completely possible to modernize a fairy tale without ripping it apart at its seams the way Frozen did. Even though I wished Fabio was a bit less of a stereotype, I loved how his flamboyance played off Alix's seriousness. As a Millenial, I found it easy to relate to Alix's struggles of advancing her career and making enough money to pay her aunt's rent. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys contemporary fairy tales, and I can't wait to read the next one!
September 21, 2021
To say that I'm deeply disappointed by this book would be an understatement.
Aya Ling is the author I trust when it comes to Fantasy fairytales and so, I picked this one up expecting it to become one of my favourite book of the year. However, things took quite a turn when the book turned out to be... well, quite bad.
The suspense is dragged till the 70% of the book which bored me to the point where I was this 👌🏻 close to dnfing. And when it was finally revealed, it was so underwhelming.
The characters are bad, it felt like each of the brothers were assigned one quality.
The main character is your basic plain jane.
The last and most crucial portion of the book was entirely rushed.
So yeah bad book. Won't recommend.
Aya Ling is the author I trust when it comes to Fantasy fairytales and so, I picked this one up expecting it to become one of my favourite book of the year. However, things took quite a turn when the book turned out to be... well, quite bad.
The suspense is dragged till the 70% of the book which bored me to the point where I was this 👌🏻 close to dnfing. And when it was finally revealed, it was so underwhelming.
The characters are bad, it felt like each of the brothers were assigned one quality.
The main character is your basic plain jane.
The last and most crucial portion of the book was entirely rushed.
So yeah bad book. Won't recommend.
March 27, 2019
Delightful fairytale reimagining of the twelve dancing...princes.
January 31, 2020
I snagged this on kindle unlimited the moment I read it was a gender-reversed retelling of the twelve dancing princesses. I should've read a bit more of the description, though, as the twist of the princes disappearing only every fortnight and coming back wounded... has issues. What was wrong with having them be cursed to dance? Did wearing out dancing shoes every night seem too foppish or something? I probably would have skipped it had I noticed before opting in already. But since I didn't, I chalked it up to my mistake and read the rest of the book.
Other than that initial issue, my biggest irritation was the constant nattering about how Gerald wears glasses to hide his beauty and it only detracts a little. As someone who wears glasses in a family of glasses-wearers, this comes off as both incredibly grating and incredibly shallow. Yes! You can be beautiful while wearing glasses! Some people even look better in them! I know it was supposed to underscore just how gorgeous he is, but instead it came off as if the author really can't imagine how anyone who wears glasses could be good-looking, so OMG it must be MAGICAL. Didn't we leave this trope back in the 60s or something? We certainly should have.
Other quibbles are the instalove (dragging the story out over fortnights doesn't fix it if the leads still only interact a handful of times), and the fact that the author seemed to lose track of time. So on one page Alix is discovering something crucial on the first or maybe second day of a new fortnight, and the next it's the end of the fortnight and she's rushing to tell Theo... so what did she do for the two weeks in between?
Other than that initial issue, my biggest irritation was the constant nattering about how Gerald wears glasses to hide his beauty and it only detracts a little. As someone who wears glasses in a family of glasses-wearers, this comes off as both incredibly grating and incredibly shallow. Yes! You can be beautiful while wearing glasses! Some people even look better in them! I know it was supposed to underscore just how gorgeous he is, but instead it came off as if the author really can't imagine how anyone who wears glasses could be good-looking, so OMG it must be MAGICAL. Didn't we leave this trope back in the 60s or something? We certainly should have.
Other quibbles are the instalove (dragging the story out over fortnights doesn't fix it if the leads still only interact a handful of times), and the fact that the author seemed to lose track of time. So on one page Alix is discovering something crucial on the first or maybe second day of a new fortnight, and the next it's the end of the fortnight and she's rushing to tell Theo... so what did she do for the two weeks in between?
January 19, 2020
From chapter one I found the main character to be annoying . In fact I even found the character that was supposed to her enemy, or whatever to be more tolerable. Maybe because the MC was manipulating and taking advantage of a rich woman's vanity to sell more things . That was one of the reasons I dnf'ed .
The second was the writing , I wasn't feeling it ,let's just say that. I'm not here to bash the author .
The third reason was the MC's best friend
( Fabio) ,during the few chapters that I read ,she was acting like he we as some helpless kid , she was supposed to be the shoe maker ,but instead she's trying to sell Fabio's clothing ,when that's his job ?? Like what the heck.
For some reason she was acting like he was an infant who couldn't think for himself the only reason that it seemed to be because he was gay ?? " Oh no heaven forbid that the castle find out about his preferences" . Lady can you not come out and say it ?? Even though she 'supports' his identity she just acts weird about the whole thing . Also we got it the first time when we found out he was gay WE DONT NEED A REMINDER EVERY FIVE BLOODY MINUTES . Ok jeeze every book I've ever read with gay characters , said characters have no personality besides being gay and are always babied , no matter if they're older than the MC or not . I just find that to be weird .
The second was the writing , I wasn't feeling it ,let's just say that. I'm not here to bash the author .
The third reason was the MC's best friend
( Fabio) ,during the few chapters that I read ,she was acting like he we as some helpless kid , she was supposed to be the shoe maker ,but instead she's trying to sell Fabio's clothing ,when that's his job ?? Like what the heck.
For some reason she was acting like he was an infant who couldn't think for himself the only reason that it seemed to be because he was gay ?? " Oh no heaven forbid that the castle find out about his preferences" . Lady can you not come out and say it ?? Even though she 'supports' his identity she just acts weird about the whole thing . Also we got it the first time when we found out he was gay WE DONT NEED A REMINDER EVERY FIVE BLOODY MINUTES . Ok jeeze every book I've ever read with gay characters , said characters have no personality besides being gay and are always babied , no matter if they're older than the MC or not . I just find that to be weird .
February 2, 2020
I'm hesitant about fairy tale re-tellings, but since this book was free I decided to give it a try. I'm so glad I did. I loved Alix as the main character; she's got her feet on the ground and has a sensible head on her shoulders. Even though she admits she thinks Prince Theo is handsome, she doesn't spend all her time mooning over him. Instead, she is disregards him because he's so rude and dismissive. It's was very refreshing to see her focus on caring for her ailing aunt, not on a handsome prince with a bad attitude. Prince Theo on the other hand, admits his attraction to her, but like Alix, he's focused on caring for his brothers and making sure they survive their curse. That's doesn't mean he doesn't think about Alix though, and I think he might have actually mooned about her more than she thought about him. Anyway, it was a quick read; it only took me about three days, and while I was hooked from the very beginning, I'll admit there were parts of the book that maybe could have gone more in-depth description wise, especially towards the end. It felt a bit rushed to me (the end) but I was hooked enough that I could over-look that. Even so, I give this book a five star rating, and am planning to read the next book in the series.
December 11, 2019
An interesting take I could not put down!
I really enjoyed this telling of the 12 dancing princes. There were a lot of twists and turns that you didn't see coming as well as quite a few budding romances occuring. I am excited to see what comes next in this collection. The story does not end here but instead seems to fracture and will continue with some of the same characters from this book. It was a gret retelling and definitely worth the read!
I really enjoyed this telling of the 12 dancing princes. There were a lot of twists and turns that you didn't see coming as well as quite a few budding romances occuring. I am excited to see what comes next in this collection. The story does not end here but instead seems to fracture and will continue with some of the same characters from this book. It was a gret retelling and definitely worth the read!
February 8, 2019
This book had so much potential from the synopsis, but like another reviewer mentioned, the character descriptions/development fell flat. Additionally, the "gay best friend who's totally into fashion" felt very.. token and stereotypical? I don't know. I finished the story, hoping things would improve as the story continued, but it was a disappointing read.
March 30, 2019
Till midnight is the first book in the gender bend fairy tale retelling series. The idea is brilliant and what's more is that the author is Aya Ling. I've read all of her books and am a huge fan of her works. So when I heard the announcement that the author intended to write gender bend re tellings, I was naturally curious and hopeful. And it turned out well. I am so looking forward to see what the author would do with Beauty and the Beast in her next book.
In my opinion the author has managed to do justice to the original story. There are all the major facts present from The Twelve Dancing Princess with a twist. The romance is kept to minimal level so that it doesn't distract or divert the attention from the entire setting. It is obviously present but not all consuming. So it might turn out be disappointing to some if that was what they were looking but otherwise the book is amazing.
The only thing missing were the witty engaging dialogues and the enchanting style of the author's writing(the one thing the wanted the most). So I wasn't very enamored or enchanted . The book was a lot more plain by the author's standards but I think it was more because of the personality of the characters and less of the author's fault. Atleast I hope so. Maybe the next book would keep me hooked unlike this one and the we'll figure out the truth.
In my opinion the author has managed to do justice to the original story. There are all the major facts present from The Twelve Dancing Princess with a twist. The romance is kept to minimal level so that it doesn't distract or divert the attention from the entire setting. It is obviously present but not all consuming. So it might turn out be disappointing to some if that was what they were looking but otherwise the book is amazing.
The only thing missing were the witty engaging dialogues and the enchanting style of the author's writing(the one thing the wanted the most). So I wasn't very enamored or enchanted . The book was a lot more plain by the author's standards but I think it was more because of the personality of the characters and less of the author's fault. Atleast I hope so. Maybe the next book would keep me hooked unlike this one and the we'll figure out the truth.
October 25, 2019
Oh wow. I have mixed feelings about this book because the concept is great and the writing was good, but somehow it was lackluster. The general feeling was that something exciting was about to happen but it never really materialized.
Admittedly, the first half of the book dragged a bit. It provided some good world building and allowed us to get to know the characters to provide the foundation for our reverse fairy tale, but it could’ve been a bit shorter if that was the goal. When things picked up, it felt rushed and the final confrontation was a letdown.
The romance was so-so. There seemed to be a bit of P&P dynamic between Alix and Theo, but even that doesn’t get much development. Of course, what with the curse and all, it’s understandable that they didn’t focus too much on their feelings but the writing gave hints to their growing attraction. Indeed, their “slow burn” looked like it was finally warming up then got doused pretty quickly by an abrupt switch at the end. I don’t necessarily need a wedding or anything, but a bit more insight to this couple would’ve been nice before the setup for the next one.
Overall, it is a good read. The writing and tone is more mature and thoughtful than other YA fairy tale retellings (a nice change), but I can’t help feeling that it didn’t quite live up to its potential.
Admittedly, the first half of the book dragged a bit. It provided some good world building and allowed us to get to know the characters to provide the foundation for our reverse fairy tale, but it could’ve been a bit shorter if that was the goal. When things picked up, it felt rushed and the final confrontation was a letdown.
The romance was so-so. There seemed to be a bit of P&P dynamic between Alix and Theo, but even that doesn’t get much development. Of course, what with the curse and all, it’s understandable that they didn’t focus too much on their feelings but the writing gave hints to their growing attraction. Indeed, their “slow burn” looked like it was finally warming up then got doused pretty quickly by an abrupt switch at the end. I don’t necessarily need a wedding or anything, but a bit more insight to this couple would’ve been nice before the setup for the next one.
Overall, it is a good read. The writing and tone is more mature and thoughtful than other YA fairy tale retellings (a nice change), but I can’t help feeling that it didn’t quite live up to its potential.
May 19, 2019
Till Midnight is by no means a bad book, but this is currently my least favorite by Aya Ling. I adore her imagination and writing style. Though her writing in this book needed a little more…something. I felt like a spark was missing. Despite being about three hundred something pages, I felt like a lot was just being told to me and brushed over quickly.
I thought the retelling was unique. I liked that aspect. I can't say much of the princes except for a few of them (one is tooo pretty and one is a grump, etc..) One nit picky thing was way too much repetition of so-and-so's pretty face or eye color and what-not. I don't need these things repeated to me like I'm five.
There is gay rep (but it feels too much like the gay best friend who loves fashion trope--nevertheless, he's a lovable character). I like Prince Theo, the crown prince. I just love ice cold princes who melt for that right person. At the same time though, I wasn't really feeling the romance between Theo and Alix. There wasn't enough one on one interaction for me to get that 'I ship them' feeling. I like them together but..like I said..no spark.
I am immediately jumping into book two and I hope it will be better.
I thought the retelling was unique. I liked that aspect. I can't say much of the princes except for a few of them (one is tooo pretty and one is a grump, etc..) One nit picky thing was way too much repetition of so-and-so's pretty face or eye color and what-not. I don't need these things repeated to me like I'm five.
There is gay rep (but it feels too much like the gay best friend who loves fashion trope--nevertheless, he's a lovable character). I like Prince Theo, the crown prince. I just love ice cold princes who melt for that right person. At the same time though, I wasn't really feeling the romance between Theo and Alix. There wasn't enough one on one interaction for me to get that 'I ship them' feeling. I like them together but..like I said..no spark.
I am immediately jumping into book two and I hope it will be better.
June 3, 2019
This is a very clever idea, and one I don't think I've ever seen attempted before--a series of books reversing the genders of the main protagonists of fairy tales. I was immediately intrigued, and even though I was drawn to the Beauty and the Beast retelling, decided to start with the first book in the series.
I was not disappointed. This one is a retelling of the Twelve Dancing Princesses, but instead of twelve sisters sneaking off to a midnight ball, twelve brother princes disappear and return with mysterious, and sometimes serious, injuries that they can't talk about. The rumors of their use of dark magic are beginning to grow louder than whispers. Alix is a young apprentice dressmaker hired as temporary work at the palace, and stumbles upon the mystery first when she encounters the princes in the infirmary, and then when she is brought a pair of shredded shoes and told she must repair them. She makes friends with a few of the princes and has tempestuous encounters with the eldest, and becomes embroiled in a blackmail scheme to try to discover where they go when they disappear.
Exciting, and I enjoyed the unfolding of the mystery. The characters were entertaining, though as often happens with Twelve Dancing Princesses retellings the middle princes blended together. This isn't a fault of the story, there are just a lot of them and no story can focus on them all without feeling overcrowded.
I detected setup at least for Beauty and the Beast, and Sleeping Beauty. It will be interesting to see what else was there that I might have missed.
I was not disappointed. This one is a retelling of the Twelve Dancing Princesses, but instead of twelve sisters sneaking off to a midnight ball, twelve brother princes disappear and return with mysterious, and sometimes serious, injuries that they can't talk about. The rumors of their use of dark magic are beginning to grow louder than whispers. Alix is a young apprentice dressmaker hired as temporary work at the palace, and stumbles upon the mystery first when she encounters the princes in the infirmary, and then when she is brought a pair of shredded shoes and told she must repair them. She makes friends with a few of the princes and has tempestuous encounters with the eldest, and becomes embroiled in a blackmail scheme to try to discover where they go when they disappear.
Exciting, and I enjoyed the unfolding of the mystery. The characters were entertaining, though as often happens with Twelve Dancing Princesses retellings the middle princes blended together. This isn't a fault of the story, there are just a lot of them and no story can focus on them all without feeling overcrowded.
I detected setup at least for Beauty and the Beast, and Sleeping Beauty. It will be interesting to see what else was there that I might have missed.
March 16, 2020
Even though I'm quite too old to keep reading fairy tales, I really enjoy fairy tale retellings. I like to find out how much my childhood classics can be changed and how much they can still keep the little bit of its original essence, just enough to guess which fairy tale it is related to. When I thought I've already seen all possible versions of it, I stumble into this Reversed Retellings series and I just loved how the Twelve Dancing Princesses became the Twelve Fighting Princes. Also, throughout the story, one can really feel the burden these princes have to shoulder due to the obligation to go underground so often, especially Theo.
Honestly, I felt a bit sorry to find out that this series is just a trilogy. With 12 handsome princes gracing this first book's pages and so many fairy tales to serve as inspiration, I wish all of them could have their own HEA. Still, it was a most enjoyable reading and I'm sure the rest of the series will be just the same.
Honestly, I felt a bit sorry to find out that this series is just a trilogy. With 12 handsome princes gracing this first book's pages and so many fairy tales to serve as inspiration, I wish all of them could have their own HEA. Still, it was a most enjoyable reading and I'm sure the rest of the series will be just the same.
June 29, 2021
2.5
As someone who wears glasses, I didn't exactly appreciate the constant reminder of Gerald wearing "spectacles" to "dim his beauty." This was mentioned what felt like every 5 pages. Even if it weren't offensive to say glasses made someone uglier, the repetition itself should've been caught in the editing process.
There were also mentions of waist lines of "proper women" yet being beautiful despite not having said waistline.
I did enjoy having characters who were gay but I felt like they were poorly written. Gay does not equal bubbly, immature, and needing to be coddled. Though I guess to be fair none of the relationships were really all that convincing. Theo and Alix fall in love after what felt like a cumulative 30 minutes of conversation? And they didn't really even speak to each other until the last few chapters.
The plot overall was a bit dull too. I like the idea of gender-bending the original story but it just didn't hit the mark for me.
As someone who wears glasses, I didn't exactly appreciate the constant reminder of Gerald wearing "spectacles" to "dim his beauty." This was mentioned what felt like every 5 pages. Even if it weren't offensive to say glasses made someone uglier, the repetition itself should've been caught in the editing process.
There were also mentions of waist lines of "proper women" yet being beautiful despite not having said waistline.
I did enjoy having characters who were gay but I felt like they were poorly written. Gay does not equal bubbly, immature, and needing to be coddled. Though I guess to be fair none of the relationships were really all that convincing. Theo and Alix fall in love after what felt like a cumulative 30 minutes of conversation? And they didn't really even speak to each other until the last few chapters.
The plot overall was a bit dull too. I like the idea of gender-bending the original story but it just didn't hit the mark for me.
February 5, 2019
This book was well written, with a dangerous mystery to solve and a commoner that must save the day or a kingdom may fall!
This was a very interesting start to a reversed telling of the twelve dancing princesses.
You meet the heroin in the beginning who is sent to work at the castle and slowly starts to meet the princes. Very little is known about the twelve princes as they are very secretive and do not let anyone get close to them except a few trusted servants. This fact explains why there is not more information about the princes and why you do begin to understand them until the last 1/4 of the book. If you read this story like the original versions of it, it is an intriguing mystery that no one can solve and takes a special "hero" to save the day and the princes. It ends with the beginning of the other princes adventures, I can't wait to see where their travels will take them.
This was a very interesting start to a reversed telling of the twelve dancing princesses.
You meet the heroin in the beginning who is sent to work at the castle and slowly starts to meet the princes. Very little is known about the twelve princes as they are very secretive and do not let anyone get close to them except a few trusted servants. This fact explains why there is not more information about the princes and why you do begin to understand them until the last 1/4 of the book. If you read this story like the original versions of it, it is an intriguing mystery that no one can solve and takes a special "hero" to save the day and the princes. It ends with the beginning of the other princes adventures, I can't wait to see where their travels will take them.
November 27, 2021
What a fun retelling of the 12 dancing princesses. I don’t think I have ever read the original story. But I have read other adaptations. This one cleverly reversed the gender roles. In this story the 12 princes are rescued by a woman. Theo is the oldest prince. Most women are scared by his outward demeanor. However, Alix is not one of those females. She is a strong character. I struggled to like her completely because of all the lies she told. She had reasons for keeping her own secrets. But when she found out the real reason for the prince’s fortnight ritual and disappearances she still was trying to figure out the best way to get the money she wanted from the chancellor. It also surprising me that she didn’t recognize sooner that the chancellor wasn’t really concerned for the prince’s but instead was trying for the throne himself. Over all I found the story fun and entertaining.
June 13, 2020
So. I know this isn't labeled "romance" but there was obviously an element of it. We start with "yeah he's looking handsome but he's obnoxious" to "yeah, I'm gonna marry this guy" and I'm just like
Why
How
On what base?
There is this part in which she says something like "he cares for his brothers, he cares for me" and I'm like how in the world would you reach that conclusion girl. How did you get here? You literally only know his name and us as readers don't know a whole lot out of you either. We pretty much just see the characters as an overview.
I'm so sad about it since I loved the Ugly Step Sister series. I'd say that the world building was a positive point here but to be honest I just don't care about it.
Why
How
On what base?
There is this part in which she says something like "he cares for his brothers, he cares for me" and I'm like how in the world would you reach that conclusion girl. How did you get here? You literally only know his name and us as readers don't know a whole lot out of you either. We pretty much just see the characters as an overview.
I'm so sad about it since I loved the Ugly Step Sister series. I'd say that the world building was a positive point here but to be honest I just don't care about it.
January 20, 2019
The idea of switching around the genders of fairy tales is interesting. The 12 dancing princesses are now princes, and they have to face a curse and get help from a poor girl with an invisibility cloak. All good fun to see the changes.
AND THERE’S A GAY BEST FRIEND WHO IS GREAT AND LIKABLE AND ENDS UP WITH A BOYFRIEND. Gotta love that.
But otherwise, this is a rather unremarkable story. Nothing offensively bad, bit nothing particularly noteworthy. I didn’t connect to many of the characters, and the writing was okay at best.
I wouldn’t recommend this to anyone, but I also wouldn’t dissuade them if they thought about picking it up.
AND THERE’S A GAY BEST FRIEND WHO IS GREAT AND LIKABLE AND ENDS UP WITH A BOYFRIEND. Gotta love that.
But otherwise, this is a rather unremarkable story. Nothing offensively bad, bit nothing particularly noteworthy. I didn’t connect to many of the characters, and the writing was okay at best.
I wouldn’t recommend this to anyone, but I also wouldn’t dissuade them if they thought about picking it up.
February 8, 2019
The story is imaginative and well-written. I liked the characters and the world building Aya Ling always manages to add enough detail to help you 'see' the world without getting so far into the minutiae that it slows down the story. It's a clean story with one exception, the heroine has a homosexual friend who's interest in his own gender is frequently discussed. Not my thing, but it doesn't bother me. To each his own, in my opinion. However you may not want younger teens or those with religious/personal objections to homosexuality to read this. I like Aya LIng's writing and will continue to read her books.
March 18, 2019
I’m happy. Ling has hurt my heart with another book, but I am in love once again.
So she’s doing a twist. Reverse fairytales and I’m more than happy that the first book was one of my favorite fairytales.
So instead of royalty going missing every night, it’s about every two weeks and because it’s men. That means WE ARE WARRIORS. I won’t say more to avoid spoilers.
I will say that I enjoyed seeing the plot unfold. The ending wasn’t so much an ending as the closing of a chapter as the threat is still there. There are still some questions to be answered and I can’t wait for the next book to see if some will be answered.
So she’s doing a twist. Reverse fairytales and I’m more than happy that the first book was one of my favorite fairytales.
So instead of royalty going missing every night, it’s about every two weeks and because it’s men. That means WE ARE WARRIORS. I won’t say more to avoid spoilers.
I will say that I enjoyed seeing the plot unfold. The ending wasn’t so much an ending as the closing of a chapter as the threat is still there. There are still some questions to be answered and I can’t wait for the next book to see if some will be answered.
March 28, 2019
Alix is a shoe cobbler that struggles every month to survive with what little she earns, in the kingdom of Savony. By some twist of destiny, she ends up working in the palace. At the beginning she is happy for her new job, but rapidly gets mixed in the palace intrigues, and nowhere to run.
At the palace she meets the princes of Savony, who are keeping some kind of secret, and she must discover what they are hiding.
As always, Aya Ling books are exceptional. The story will get you enthralled, with complex characters and unexpected twists.
I really recommend you this book if you love fairytales, magic, romance, mysteries and an exceptional good book.
At the palace she meets the princes of Savony, who are keeping some kind of secret, and she must discover what they are hiding.
As always, Aya Ling books are exceptional. The story will get you enthralled, with complex characters and unexpected twists.
I really recommend you this book if you love fairytales, magic, romance, mysteries and an exceptional good book.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 75 reviews