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The Night Dance: A Retelling of the Twelve Dancing Princesses
Under the stars, in a secret world...
Rowena, the youngest of twelve sisters, loves to slip out of the castle at night and dance in a magical forest. Soon she convinces her sisters to join her. When Sir Ethan notices that his daughters' slippers look tattered every morning, he is certain they've been sneaking out. So he posts a challenge to all the suitors in the kingdom: The first man to discover where his daughters have been is free to marry the one he chooses.
Meanwhile a handsome young knight named Bedivere is involved in a challenge of his own: to return the powerful sword, Excalibur, to a mysterious lake. While looking for the lake, Bedivere meets the beautiful Rowena and falls for her. Bedivere knows that accepting Sir Ethan's challenge is the only opportunity for him to be with Rowena forever. But this puts both Bedivere and Rowena in a dangerous situation... one in which they risk their lives for a chance at love.
Rowena, the youngest of twelve sisters, loves to slip out of the castle at night and dance in a magical forest. Soon she convinces her sisters to join her. When Sir Ethan notices that his daughters' slippers look tattered every morning, he is certain they've been sneaking out. So he posts a challenge to all the suitors in the kingdom: The first man to discover where his daughters have been is free to marry the one he chooses.
Meanwhile a handsome young knight named Bedivere is involved in a challenge of his own: to return the powerful sword, Excalibur, to a mysterious lake. While looking for the lake, Bedivere meets the beautiful Rowena and falls for her. Bedivere knows that accepting Sir Ethan's challenge is the only opportunity for him to be with Rowena forever. But this puts both Bedivere and Rowena in a dangerous situation... one in which they risk their lives for a chance at love.
195 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published November 22, 2005
24 people are currently reading
7643 people want to read
About the author
Suzanne Weyn
207 books647 followersSuzanne Weyn grew up in Williston Park, Long Island, New York. She has three sisters and a brother. As a girl, she was very interested in theatre and in reading. Louisa May Alcott was her favorite author, but she also read every Sherlock Holmes story. Suzanne lived pretty close to the ocean and going to Jones Beach was one of her favorite activities. Even today, if she goes too long without seeing the ocean, she starts feeling restless.
Suzanne now lives in upper New York State with her husband, two teen daughters and Abby the cat. Her house is at the edge of the woods and is nearly 200 years old. She graduated from State University of New York at Binghamton and received her master's degree from Pace University. She teaches part-time at City College in New York.
Suzanne's other books for Simon Pulse include South Beach Sizzle, a romantic comedy written with Diana Gonzalez. Her novels for the Simon Pulse line "Once Upon a Time" are The Night Dance: A Retelling of the Twelve Dancing Princesses, Water Song: A Retelling of the Frog Prince, and The Crimson Thread: A Retelling of Rumplestiltskin. She very much enjoys rethinking these classic tales from an original point of view, always looking for the real psychological underpinning of the story. Suzanne is currently doing revisions on her fourth book in the line, which will be coming in 2009.
Suzanne's other recent novels are include The Bar Code Tattoo (2004) and its sequel, The Bar Code Rebellion (2006). The Bar Code Tattoo was selected by the American Library Assoc. (ALA) as a 2005 Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers and was a 2007 Nevada Library nominee for Best Young Adult Fiction. It is currently translated into German and was nominated for the 2007 Jugenliteraturpreis for Young People's Literature.
Suzanne now lives in upper New York State with her husband, two teen daughters and Abby the cat. Her house is at the edge of the woods and is nearly 200 years old. She graduated from State University of New York at Binghamton and received her master's degree from Pace University. She teaches part-time at City College in New York.
Suzanne's other books for Simon Pulse include South Beach Sizzle, a romantic comedy written with Diana Gonzalez. Her novels for the Simon Pulse line "Once Upon a Time" are The Night Dance: A Retelling of the Twelve Dancing Princesses, Water Song: A Retelling of the Frog Prince, and The Crimson Thread: A Retelling of Rumplestiltskin. She very much enjoys rethinking these classic tales from an original point of view, always looking for the real psychological underpinning of the story. Suzanne is currently doing revisions on her fourth book in the line, which will be coming in 2009.
Suzanne's other recent novels are include The Bar Code Tattoo (2004) and its sequel, The Bar Code Rebellion (2006). The Bar Code Tattoo was selected by the American Library Assoc. (ALA) as a 2005 Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers and was a 2007 Nevada Library nominee for Best Young Adult Fiction. It is currently translated into German and was nominated for the 2007 Jugenliteraturpreis for Young People's Literature.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 341 reviews
November 2, 2009
In all honesty after I finished reading this I could think of was "huh?" . Don't misinterpret me this is not a bad huh just I kind of confused one.
This time around I did have some background of the original tale from reading Jessica Day George's Princess of the Midnight Ball. Highly recommended! But on to this retelling. Suzanne Weyn in her other retellings always relies on a historical setting to place the fariy tales in. In this one she incorporated the well known Arthurian legends. That was a totally good move on her part. It weaved well in the story because we see her version of the life behind the mysterious Lady of the Lake, which in this tale turns out to be the mother of the dancing princesses.
Ok this is going to be an irrational irk on my part but it bothered me to no end that Rowena (the focus of the book) is the youngest of the sisters. This shouldn't have bothered me, but really she doesn't display too much of the characteristics of the youngest. Then there is sweet Bedivere that is simply devoteful, but I thought the whole "soulmate" bit was over done. I mean really that fast? The most ridiculous thing is when their father sets up the contest that any man can marry one of his daughters if they solve the mystery behind the girls worn out slippers. This is not what is ridiculous, but he lets the men stay in a room beside theirs to solve the mystery. Ummm... maybe I'm really smart but shouldn't have he tried to do this exact thing himself first? I think it's kind of obvious but I get why it was done because that was the only way to have the adventure that ensues.
It was lovely though, and the part where they go through the different forests was symbolic but a little too short. Good but not great and that's why all I thought in the end was huh , because I was expecting to love it since it had such good bones with the Arthurian legends to help it along. Could have been better but still worth a read.
This time around I did have some background of the original tale from reading Jessica Day George's Princess of the Midnight Ball. Highly recommended! But on to this retelling. Suzanne Weyn in her other retellings always relies on a historical setting to place the fariy tales in. In this one she incorporated the well known Arthurian legends. That was a totally good move on her part. It weaved well in the story because we see her version of the life behind the mysterious Lady of the Lake, which in this tale turns out to be the mother of the dancing princesses.
Ok this is going to be an irrational irk on my part but it bothered me to no end that Rowena (the focus of the book) is the youngest of the sisters. This shouldn't have bothered me, but really she doesn't display too much of the characteristics of the youngest. Then there is sweet Bedivere that is simply devoteful, but I thought the whole "soulmate" bit was over done. I mean really that fast? The most ridiculous thing is when their father sets up the contest that any man can marry one of his daughters if they solve the mystery behind the girls worn out slippers. This is not what is ridiculous, but he lets the men stay in a room beside theirs to solve the mystery. Ummm... maybe I'm really smart but shouldn't have he tried to do this exact thing himself first? I think it's kind of obvious but I get why it was done because that was the only way to have the adventure that ensues.
It was lovely though, and the part where they go through the different forests was symbolic but a little too short. Good but not great and that's why all I thought in the end was huh , because I was expecting to love it since it had such good bones with the Arthurian legends to help it along. Could have been better but still worth a read.
October 15, 2009
This was a good book. It was all nice and sweet. Just like every other book in the series true love prevails above all. Rowena is a good protagonist and Sir Bedivere is all you want in your knight-in-shining-armor.
I like the the story of the 12 dancing princesses and the way Weyn portrays the story is done well. But I couldn't get over the fact that out of all the 12 sisters Rowena just has to be the most beautiful, as well as the most adventurous and the only daughter with the second sight. Also Sir Bedivere just has to be the most handsome of all the knights aside from Arthur who dies. There is only one sister you really get to know other than Rowena. This is due to how short it is so its forgivable.
There isn't as much rising action as I would've hoped for. The struggle was just too easy for me. I like it when the characters have to work really hard to finally find there happiness. It makes it all the sweeter and it makes me feel like the characters are strong and they really deserve it. Its not that Rowena and Bedivere don't deserve happiness because they are good people but I felt like they just got it so easily.
The ending resolves everything. The good guys win and the bad guys lose. There is magic, love, and revenge so its a good read.
I like the the story of the 12 dancing princesses and the way Weyn portrays the story is done well. But I couldn't get over the fact that out of all the 12 sisters Rowena just has to be the most beautiful, as well as the most adventurous and the only daughter with the second sight. Also Sir Bedivere just has to be the most handsome of all the knights aside from Arthur who dies. There is only one sister you really get to know other than Rowena. This is due to how short it is so its forgivable.
There isn't as much rising action as I would've hoped for. The struggle was just too easy for me. I like it when the characters have to work really hard to finally find there happiness. It makes it all the sweeter and it makes me feel like the characters are strong and they really deserve it. Its not that Rowena and Bedivere don't deserve happiness because they are good people but I felt like they just got it so easily.
The ending resolves everything. The good guys win and the bad guys lose. There is magic, love, and revenge so its a good read.
January 23, 2014
Click here! http://enchantedlibraries.blogspot.com/ It's book stuff.
At the beginning of this book...
Everyone else around me at school and such:
Me: (Reading)
Middle and end of this book...
Everyone else around me at school and such:
Me: (Reading)
Really, what I'm trying to say is that at the beginning it was very tiring, boring and not interesting. But towards the end, it got way better. That's why it doesn't deserve 5 stars. You don't get 5 stars when only 1/3 cf the book is good.
This book had the sound of an old fairy tale, which is good because it is a retelling of one. You know, the usual, people falling in love at first sight. Evil spirits...I've actually seen a lot of people complaining about that, but they should get over themselves. What do you expect when you pick up a re-telling of a fairy tale? Jeez!
Also, the cover was pretty cool. Seriously. It's pretty amazing.
I don't have anything else to say. I think I've elaborated enough.
But wait! I forgot to tell you. I tried to party with the others and it didn't end too well...
At the beginning of this book...
Everyone else around me at school and such:
Me: (Reading)
Middle and end of this book...
Everyone else around me at school and such:
Me: (Reading)
Really, what I'm trying to say is that at the beginning it was very tiring, boring and not interesting. But towards the end, it got way better. That's why it doesn't deserve 5 stars. You don't get 5 stars when only 1/3 cf the book is good.
This book had the sound of an old fairy tale, which is good because it is a retelling of one. You know, the usual, people falling in love at first sight. Evil spirits...I've actually seen a lot of people complaining about that, but they should get over themselves. What do you expect when you pick up a re-telling of a fairy tale? Jeez!
Also, the cover was pretty cool. Seriously. It's pretty amazing.
I don't have anything else to say. I think I've elaborated enough.
But wait! I forgot to tell you. I tried to party with the others and it didn't end too well...
July 23, 2018
I love fairytale retellings. It's one of my favorite genres of books because unlike modern day stuff, these kinds can take on a world of their own.
Rowena doesn't know a lot about what happened between her father and her mother. When she was a baby, her mother left and never returned and her father shut all 12 children in a castle. They can have anything they want except the one thing they need...freedom. But when the girls discover a secret passage hidden within the floor of their castle, they explore and find so much more than they ever intended. And they might just find a way to free their mother from her watery prison.
This was a clean retelling of the Twelve Dancing Princesses which was interesting enough to keep reading but not good enough to remember. The way the author weaves in other legends into this one had me confused and the romance was anything but. Girl meets guy. They start kissing and professing love to each other within the next five pages.
This book is appropriate for ages 13+.
Rowena doesn't know a lot about what happened between her father and her mother. When she was a baby, her mother left and never returned and her father shut all 12 children in a castle. They can have anything they want except the one thing they need...freedom. But when the girls discover a secret passage hidden within the floor of their castle, they explore and find so much more than they ever intended. And they might just find a way to free their mother from her watery prison.
This was a clean retelling of the Twelve Dancing Princesses which was interesting enough to keep reading but not good enough to remember. The way the author weaves in other legends into this one had me confused and the romance was anything but. Girl meets guy. They start kissing and professing love to each other within the next five pages.
This book is appropriate for ages 13+.
March 8, 2019
The Night Dance was a cute retelling! I enjoyed this twist on "The Twelve Dancing Princesses". I felt bad for the mom and how she was trapped for so long. The dad was a little crazy and I felt he went overboard trying to protect his daughters.
The ending was really good and I loved that true love won. :D
The ending was really good and I loved that true love won. :D
October 3, 2012
The 1.5 stars I gave this is purely for the ingenuity of mixing "The Twelve Dancing Princesses" with Arthurian myths\legends. Other than that, it's just a bad book. It's badly done. My review might be a little confusing. My notes were a little hard to read so.....
Story
The Lady of the Lake, Vivienne,put a spell on fell in love with Sir Ethan and they had six sets of twins, all girls. When the eldest of the sets was 5-6 ish years old, Vivienne left their cottage for a walk and never returned. She managed to get herself trapped in the Lake that was moved underground and put a spell on by Morgan le Fay. Sir Ethan was so afraid that something should happen to his girls that he built up and around the cottage and turned it into a manor and built a wall around it that the girls could never leave the limited grounds. Other than themselves, the girls grew up with no friends or social interaction. There were also no boys around except for the stable boys etc, which could account for the way that some of them meet a guy and *poof* they are in love.
Rowena, the youngest of the girls, being a curious thing yearning for something more, finds herself a way out of the wall and finds her mother's scrying bowl.
Also in the forest, she sees Bedivere and he sees her in a vision\dream through use of Rowena's "magical abilities" that are not well thought out. It is never explained well or at all. After seeing Bedivere, this is Rowena, "She had already fallen so deeply and inexplicably in love with him that his death was too terrible to be considered for even a moment."
Bedivere just wants to pull the beautiful girl from his vision\dream to his side and kiss her. Yep, he's a real winner.
My reaction to both of these brainless twits:
The scrying bowl mentioned earlier allows Rowena see her mother trapped in the Lake but since she was baby when Vivienne left, Rowena doesn't recognize her. Using Vivienne's mute guidance and all of Eleanore's (the eldest) wits, the 12 girls find a trap door with music emanating from within. They dance their way down to tunnels and caves. But they don't find their mother. Morgan eventually send them suitors that dance them through the night. This whole thing was Morgan's brainchild to get Excalibur which Bedivere has. Don't worry, he's coming.
So the girls return from their night of dancing with their slippers torn and dirty. Ethan is outraged that they went to the OUTDOOR WOODS. He locks them inside their room and it happens again.
Also, at this time, Bedivere, a Knight of the Round Table, is on a quest to get Excalibur to the Lake. He swore that he would do so to Arthur as it was Arthur's dying wish\command. Bedivere finds his way to the manor but there is no lake. He meets Rowena outside and, literally, less than two (2!) pages later, they are "passionately" kissing one another.
Insta-love. Aarrrggggghhhhhh. *displeased and grumpy* After meeting him once, Rowena's POV thinks, " How would she go on if she could never see him again? She simply could not endure life without the possibility of seeing him. All that mattered now was Bedivere, her love of the North Country." What happened to getting to know one another. They *knew*, if you call it that, one another for less than five minutes. That is not love. That is attraction and infatuation. You have to know someone to truly love them. And, though they seemed to be willing to do anything for one another, there was never any proof that they had forged a unbreakable bond and if they had, how? It was not possible in the way it's written in the book. In addition, in all but ONE (1) scene, Bedivere and Rowena kiss "with desperate passion." It's really annoying.
Ethan sets up the contest where a man will attempt to find out where they are going and how they are accomplishing escaping. The girls put the first man to sleep with a potion. Bedivere is next and Rowena warns him not to drink the potion. And Bedivere conquers and Vivienne is set free and everybody is happy. They kiss, they dance, I don't care. The end. Not recommended. I would suggest Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George. It's another retelling of the "12 Dancing Princesses" and far better. It's awesome.
Story
The Lady of the Lake, Vivienne,
Rowena, the youngest of the girls, being a curious thing yearning for something more, finds herself a way out of the wall and finds her mother's scrying bowl.
Also in the forest, she sees Bedivere and he sees her in a vision\dream through use of Rowena's "magical abilities" that are not well thought out. It is never explained well or at all. After seeing Bedivere, this is Rowena, "She had already fallen so deeply and inexplicably in love with him that his death was too terrible to be considered for even a moment."
Bedivere just wants to pull the beautiful girl from his vision\dream to his side and kiss her. Yep, he's a real winner.
My reaction to both of these brainless twits:
The scrying bowl mentioned earlier allows Rowena see her mother trapped in the Lake but since she was baby when Vivienne left, Rowena doesn't recognize her. Using Vivienne's mute guidance and all of Eleanore's (the eldest) wits, the 12 girls find a trap door with music emanating from within. They dance their way down to tunnels and caves. But they don't find their mother. Morgan eventually send them suitors that dance them through the night. This whole thing was Morgan's brainchild to get Excalibur which Bedivere has. Don't worry, he's coming.
So the girls return from their night of dancing with their slippers torn and dirty. Ethan is outraged that they went to the OUTDOOR WOODS. He locks them inside their room and it happens again.
Also, at this time, Bedivere, a Knight of the Round Table, is on a quest to get Excalibur to the Lake. He swore that he would do so to Arthur as it was Arthur's dying wish\command. Bedivere finds his way to the manor but there is no lake. He meets Rowena outside and, literally, less than two (2!) pages later, they are "passionately" kissing one another.
Insta-love. Aarrrggggghhhhhh. *displeased and grumpy* After meeting him once, Rowena's POV thinks, " How would she go on if she could never see him again? She simply could not endure life without the possibility of seeing him. All that mattered now was Bedivere, her love of the North Country." What happened to getting to know one another. They *knew*, if you call it that, one another for less than five minutes. That is not love. That is attraction and infatuation. You have to know someone to truly love them. And, though they seemed to be willing to do anything for one another, there was never any proof that they had forged a unbreakable bond and if they had, how? It was not possible in the way it's written in the book. In addition, in all but ONE (1) scene, Bedivere and Rowena kiss "with desperate passion." It's really annoying.
Ethan sets up the contest where a man will attempt to find out where they are going and how they are accomplishing escaping. The girls put the first man to sleep with a potion. Bedivere is next and Rowena warns him not to drink the potion. And Bedivere conquers and Vivienne is set free and everybody is happy. They kiss, they dance, I don't care. The end. Not recommended. I would suggest Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George. It's another retelling of the "12 Dancing Princesses" and far better. It's awesome.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 25, 2009
The Night Dance is a wonderful combination of the fairy tale, The Twelve Dancing Princesses, and King Arthur legend. I was captivated at the first page, but at the same time wondering how the author could successfully tell this story and use the death of King Arthur and the sole remaining knight Bedivere's quest to return Excalibur to the Lady of the Lake. Well Ms. Weyn did an excellent job.
The Twelve Dancing Princesses has always been one of my favorite fairy tales. I was excited to read a fantasy story built around this tale. Ms. Weyn preserved the aspects of this story that I really liked, and gave them a different spin. I found I wanted to know more about the twelve princesses' dad, Sir Ethan Colchester, because we meet him and his wife, Vivienne, who happens to be the Lady of the Lake long before we meet the daughters. It was interesting seeing how the girls' parents met, and how this tied into the King Arthur myth. They are both shown as sympathetic characters who have reasons for why their actions have led to the princesses being motherless and locked away from the world. We also get to see the youngest daughter, Rowena find true love with the sole remaining knight, Bedivere. Also we see one of the oldest daughters fall in love with a would-be suitor who fails Sir Ethan's challenge to stay awake and see why his daughters' shoes are tattered every morning after being locked in their bedrooms. And we get to see what becomes of the other ten daughters as well. I don't want to tell you the whole story, and give too much away. It's short, but a rewarding read, especially if you like fairy retellings and King Arthur.
The Twelve Dancing Princesses has always been one of my favorite fairy tales. I was excited to read a fantasy story built around this tale. Ms. Weyn preserved the aspects of this story that I really liked, and gave them a different spin. I found I wanted to know more about the twelve princesses' dad, Sir Ethan Colchester, because we meet him and his wife, Vivienne, who happens to be the Lady of the Lake long before we meet the daughters. It was interesting seeing how the girls' parents met, and how this tied into the King Arthur myth. They are both shown as sympathetic characters who have reasons for why their actions have led to the princesses being motherless and locked away from the world. We also get to see the youngest daughter, Rowena find true love with the sole remaining knight, Bedivere. Also we see one of the oldest daughters fall in love with a would-be suitor who fails Sir Ethan's challenge to stay awake and see why his daughters' shoes are tattered every morning after being locked in their bedrooms. And we get to see what becomes of the other ten daughters as well. I don't want to tell you the whole story, and give too much away. It's short, but a rewarding read, especially if you like fairy retellings and King Arthur.
February 23, 2012
This was an interesting retelling of the Grimm Brothers' The Twelve Dancing Princesses, which took the original fairy tale and combined it with Arthurian legend, making the boy who figures out the mystery behind the girls' worn out shoes one of Arthur's Knights of the Round Table. In this story, the girls are the daughter of a self-made Count, who met their mother near a lake in the forest. The woman turns out to be Vivienne, the Lady of the Lake, and Arthur's aunt. She's trapped in the lake by Morgan Le Fay, causing Ethan, the husband, to think she left him. This makes him extremely overprotective of his daughters, whom he raises in a walled-in manor house.
I liked how the author switched the viewpoint of the narrator throughout, although it did get kind of clunky in some spots. Rowena (the youngest daughter) and Bevidere (the Knight) were my favorites, though. I've always had a problem with the lack of feeling that the sisters have for the men they end up tricking, causing them to lose their lives, and was glad that Weyn only had two men attempt it . I'm actually using this fairy tale as one of the stories I'm going to tell for my Storytelling class in Grad school, and have read many MANY versions of this story in preparation. This was definitely one of the more interesting ones.
I liked how the author switched the viewpoint of the narrator throughout, although it did get kind of clunky in some spots. Rowena (the youngest daughter) and Bevidere (the Knight) were my favorites, though. I've always had a problem with the lack of feeling that the sisters have for the men they end up tricking, causing them to lose their lives, and was glad that Weyn only had two men attempt it . I'm actually using this fairy tale as one of the stories I'm going to tell for my Storytelling class in Grad school, and have read many MANY versions of this story in preparation. This was definitely one of the more interesting ones.
February 18, 2017
I liked how this story blended Arthurian legend with the fairy tale of the Twelve Dancing Princesses. It made a nice original angle.
February 5, 2023
I couldn’t finish this one. It’s more a disjointed King Arthur than Twelve Dancing Princesses and it has too many points of views and side stories that it’s just dragging the pacing to an incredibly sluggish crawl.
November 30, 2023
Fine I guess? But there was too much going on. Compared to Crimson Thread and Water Song this one did not hit
January 7, 2024
DNF. The storyline is so fast paced yet the book is still 200 pages? It feels incredibly rushed.
August 21, 2018
So at first I was a little (Ok, a lot!) skeptical! I mean it's The 12 Dancing Princesses meets The Knights of the Round Table, you have to admit, it sounds just about as good as Cheetos and milk (weird right?)! But, not all weird things have to be bad. . . . And this book just happens to be one of them!
February 5, 2014
I was so excited about this book. I'd read a couple of the books in the Once Upon a Time... series and had enjoyed them (The Storyteller's Daughter is just fantastic). The story of the 12 Dancing Princesses is one of my all-time favorites, and I'm also a bit of a sucker for Arthurian legend. I thought that combining the two would be fantastic. Alas, I was disappointed. The story just never gelled. It followed two characters who were separated and then came together, but the way they met didn't really make sense. The magics weren't well defined (a problem for a fantasy novel) because they weren't exactly Arthurian, but then weren't like those in a typical fairy tale. The combination made one of the central elements very confusing and took away from the book. The plot was also a fusion that just didn't work. Sometimes it felt that I needed to be thinking about Camelot, yet at others I should have remembered the fairy tales. I love fusions and twist on fairy tales, but this time it just felt choppy. It didn't blend together like it needed to. Besides that, it was predictable. I didn't know exactly how everything was going to happen, but I knew ahead of time what was going on. I hate being able to guess a plot (and I'm also really terrible at it), and it really detracts from the story in my opinion.
The characters were nothing remarkable. The villain didn't seem that evil, and the good characters were on the boring side. I wanted depth and differences and found none. The romance was so blah. It was safe and typical complete with the whole "true love is magnificent, immediate, and conquers/heals all things" message. Maybe I'm just a cynic, but I think that it's more complicated than that. I guess I'm also comparing this retelling with Jessica Day George's magnificent Princess of the Midnight Ball, so it even weaker. The writing wasn't that great, so there was nothing to really save the book. The dialogue was unsophisticated and Weyn tended to drop information on you like a brick. There wasn't any nuance.
I was saddened by this book. I wanted it to be good and fun, but it failed me. If you want a better retelling of the same story grab the book by Jessica Day George that I mentioned because you won't regret it. Unfortunately, I can't say the same for this one.
Book from Library
The characters were nothing remarkable. The villain didn't seem that evil, and the good characters were on the boring side. I wanted depth and differences and found none. The romance was so blah. It was safe and typical complete with the whole "true love is magnificent, immediate, and conquers/heals all things" message. Maybe I'm just a cynic, but I think that it's more complicated than that. I guess I'm also comparing this retelling with Jessica Day George's magnificent Princess of the Midnight Ball, so it even weaker. The writing wasn't that great, so there was nothing to really save the book. The dialogue was unsophisticated and Weyn tended to drop information on you like a brick. There wasn't any nuance.
I was saddened by this book. I wanted it to be good and fun, but it failed me. If you want a better retelling of the same story grab the book by Jessica Day George that I mentioned because you won't regret it. Unfortunately, I can't say the same for this one.
Book from Library
February 6, 2017
This is a delightful tale, full of magic and familiarity with the story of the Twelve Dancing Princesses as well as the mythology of the Arthurian tales and the various familiar faces from there like Morgan LeFey, Arthur, the Lady of the Lake, and Bedivere. The reader can easily identify with Rowena and her sisters as they yearn for their freedom, especially when the older sisters are past their teenage years, as well as understanding the motivations of their father who still grieves the loss of his wife and can’t bare the idea of losing anyone else, even if he’s denying the idea that his daughters eventually need lives of their own as adults. Morgan is a nice touch, though trying to shoehorn the tale of the Twelve Dancing Princesses is a bit cumbersome since it makes the reader question why Morgan does certain things other than trying to keep to the tale of the Princesses (like, you’d think she would have just put some sort of block on the cavern rather than allowing the sisters to venture down there, or why go to the work of creating a magical place for them to dance all night creating the mystery of their worn out shoes when it would have made more sense just to make them sleep, and then the shoes wouldn’t be worn out, and there wouldn’t be a mystery attracting attention. And then there was shoehorning in the three enchanted forests from the original tale, which also didn’t feel like it fit properly into the story). And then there’s the usual YA insta-love, which just feels like the author couldn’t be bothered to have them naturally fall in love bit by bit, but then most of the love in fairytales is an insta-love.
November 14, 2012
It's a small book, but people who enjoy reading fairy tales re-told will find it a very pleasant light-read. It also intertwines with the legend of King Arthur and the Round Table. (having our main male protagonist being one of Arthur's knights)It doesn't follow King Arthur's specific story, but this book has some of the main characters in it, such as King Arthur (though he's in it for a very short time), Morgan Le Fay(and Morgan's son but I forget his name right now), the Lady of the Lake, and Bedivere. (I'm not certain if he's part of the story of Arthur, but his name could be one of a well-known Knight of the Round Table)
I don't want to give away any spoilers, but the title and small synopsis should be enough. Again, it's a small story, so don't go expecting too much. ;)
I recommend it for people 12 and up; it's a pretty clean book, having a few kissing parts and a couple of suggestive scenes where a girl uses seductive behavior; but it's on purpose for a prior plan, so it shouldn't cause too much worrying.
I don't want to give away any spoilers, but the title and small synopsis should be enough. Again, it's a small story, so don't go expecting too much. ;)
I recommend it for people 12 and up; it's a pretty clean book, having a few kissing parts and a couple of suggestive scenes where a girl uses seductive behavior; but it's on purpose for a prior plan, so it shouldn't cause too much worrying.
March 5, 2009
It's a pretty sweet idea-combining King Arthur and the 12 dancing princesses. In fact, it's a fabulous idea. And the way the story actually goes is also pretty great. But I had a very "My Fair Lady" reaction about the writing. You know that song where Eliza sings to Freddy, "Words! Words! Words! I'm so sick of words! I get words all day through; First from him, now from you! Is that all you blighters can do? Don't talk of stars Burning above; If you're in love, Show me!" That's how I felt about this book. Show me something! Stop just telling me what happened! Show me now!
July 20, 2010
This was one of the very first "Once Upon a Time" books I read...and it's still one of my favorite! A spin on "The Twelve Dancing Princesses," this version has an Arthurian Legend thread woven through it and I LOVE it! It has such a happy, happy ending as well! I have to say that Suzanne Weyn is probably my favorite contributor to the "Once Upon a Time" series!
December 7, 2009
I love to read fairy tale retellings and this one is amazing.
Ms. Weyn merged 12 Dancing Princesses with King Arthur lore and it turned out to be a wonderful story! The Lady of the Lake, Morgan le Fey, and Sir Bedivere Knight of the Round Table join Sir Ethan and his twelve daughters in this adventure that kept me captivated to the very last page.
Ms. Weyn merged 12 Dancing Princesses with King Arthur lore and it turned out to be a wonderful story! The Lady of the Lake, Morgan le Fey, and Sir Bedivere Knight of the Round Table join Sir Ethan and his twelve daughters in this adventure that kept me captivated to the very last page.
July 11, 2007
Only given 3 stars because the version of the 12 dancing princesses written by Juliet Marillier is so superior. This version, has its good points as well, but overall it was too cookie-cutter a story. The most captivating segments occur when the princesses travel to the underground caverns.
August 23, 2009
This story unexpectedly combines the fairy tale of the The Twelve Dancing Princesses with Arthurian legend.
January 13, 2019
Did not like this one compared to the others retellings by Suzanne Weyn. It was too simple for my taste....
December 21, 2024
A very interesting way to retell this tale of a dozen dancing princesses.
Sometimes adaptations of this story make it just a little more light-hearted or go for a very dark take as well as dwindling the number down to three. This one, The Night Dance, meets somewhere in the middle due to tone and keeps the large number.
I have it on my mythology shelf because well...it is how I view some of the elements that make this one interesting. I'll try not to spoil too much of the plot but in context, it is very common knowledge.
It all depends on where you stand with Arthurian legend.
The twelve daughters are six sets of twins born to a knight named Sir Ethan and Vivienne, the Lady of the Lake. Yes, the one who gave Arthur Excalibur that he pulled out of the stone. Vivienne here is also Arthur's maternal aunt but that isn't the only connect we get as the tale goes on...
One day, Vivienne goes missing and her husband soon becomes very overprotective of his daughters that Ethan has their modest cottage turned into a fortress and does not allow his girls to go anywhere. He does this over a span of twelve years that when she is now a teenager, his youngest daughter Rowena is able to find a way out into the forest.
There, Rowena starts to have visions of a handsome knight on a battlefield. Since her mother was not around to tell her that she had a gift of magic through Avalon, Rowena is only slightly surprised just believing her mother was a normal magic practitioner.
The knight however is very real and he seems to share a connection with Rowena because he can see an image of her. It ends up saving his life because everyone else upon the battlefield is now dead except for one person...King Arthur.
This is also the part of his legend where he has been struck a death blow by a poisoned sword and slain by his own son, Mordred. The last of his Knights of The Round Table, Sir Bedivere, makes a promise to a dying Arthur that he will return the sword Excalibur to the Lady of The Lake.
He soon discovers Rowena in real life and she and Bedivere fall in love just as Sir Ethan discovers that one daughter has been sneaking out. Believing it true for all his daughters, he locks them in their rooms at night but Sir Ethan discovers now twelve pairs of dancing shoes worn and dirty.
To figure out where his daughters are going, Sir Ethan promises the man who discovers the secret can have his choice of daughter to wed. Bedivere, now without his Camelot armour and in love, hopes to win Rowena. Rowena, in turn, wants the man of her dreams but enjoys the freedom she and her sisters find in a magical world hidden below the floor of their room.
None of them realize that this is all the work of Mordred's mother, Morgan LeFay. It is part of her evil plan to exact revenge on Arthur through his last surviving kinswoman - The Lady of The Lake and her daughters. Now the only thing standing between victory in claiming Excalibur's power is the power of love between a mother and her children and a man and his destiny...
If you aren't into the dancing princess angle but love a good book featuring Arthurian legend then you should check out The Night Dance for a good read.
Sometimes adaptations of this story make it just a little more light-hearted or go for a very dark take as well as dwindling the number down to three. This one, The Night Dance, meets somewhere in the middle due to tone and keeps the large number.
I have it on my mythology shelf because well...it is how I view some of the elements that make this one interesting. I'll try not to spoil too much of the plot but in context, it is very common knowledge.
It all depends on where you stand with Arthurian legend.
The twelve daughters are six sets of twins born to a knight named Sir Ethan and Vivienne, the Lady of the Lake. Yes, the one who gave Arthur Excalibur that he pulled out of the stone. Vivienne here is also Arthur's maternal aunt but that isn't the only connect we get as the tale goes on...
One day, Vivienne goes missing and her husband soon becomes very overprotective of his daughters that Ethan has their modest cottage turned into a fortress and does not allow his girls to go anywhere. He does this over a span of twelve years that when she is now a teenager, his youngest daughter Rowena is able to find a way out into the forest.
There, Rowena starts to have visions of a handsome knight on a battlefield. Since her mother was not around to tell her that she had a gift of magic through Avalon, Rowena is only slightly surprised just believing her mother was a normal magic practitioner.
The knight however is very real and he seems to share a connection with Rowena because he can see an image of her. It ends up saving his life because everyone else upon the battlefield is now dead except for one person...King Arthur.
This is also the part of his legend where he has been struck a death blow by a poisoned sword and slain by his own son, Mordred. The last of his Knights of The Round Table, Sir Bedivere, makes a promise to a dying Arthur that he will return the sword Excalibur to the Lady of The Lake.
He soon discovers Rowena in real life and she and Bedivere fall in love just as Sir Ethan discovers that one daughter has been sneaking out. Believing it true for all his daughters, he locks them in their rooms at night but Sir Ethan discovers now twelve pairs of dancing shoes worn and dirty.
To figure out where his daughters are going, Sir Ethan promises the man who discovers the secret can have his choice of daughter to wed. Bedivere, now without his Camelot armour and in love, hopes to win Rowena. Rowena, in turn, wants the man of her dreams but enjoys the freedom she and her sisters find in a magical world hidden below the floor of their room.
None of them realize that this is all the work of Mordred's mother, Morgan LeFay. It is part of her evil plan to exact revenge on Arthur through his last surviving kinswoman - The Lady of The Lake and her daughters. Now the only thing standing between victory in claiming Excalibur's power is the power of love between a mother and her children and a man and his destiny...
If you aren't into the dancing princess angle but love a good book featuring Arthurian legend then you should check out The Night Dance for a good read.
April 26, 2022
I always loved "The Twelve Dancing Princesses" story, and love this charming retelling, with an Arthurian twist. I loved how it truly honors the original fairytale with the basic storyline structure and details, while also combining Arthurian legends of the Lady of the Lake, Excalibur, Morgan Le Fay, and Bedivere, the last Knight of the Round Table. The insta-romance tracks not only for the Once Upon a Time series as a whole, but also because, well, King Arthur, chivalrous knights, rescuing damsels in distress, yada yada. This is PRIME material for insta-love!
For me, instant romances aren't really a "problem," so much as how they're portrayed. If an instant romance is in an epic story of magic, adventure, enchantment, and knights, it goes without saying. If the lovers in question are positive, supportive, and mutually loving and respectful, then that's all that matters. I'll never understand some of these reviews for these books.... it's like whining about instant-romance bullshit in the literal ROMANCE section. What on earth did you expect?!
This was a charming, fun little read, that was only put on hiatus because of work and life, but mostly finished in a day. In some ways, I enjoyed The Night Dance on the same level as The Storyteller's Daughter, albeit slightly more so, if only for the sake of loving the original fairytale.
For me, instant romances aren't really a "problem," so much as how they're portrayed. If an instant romance is in an epic story of magic, adventure, enchantment, and knights, it goes without saying. If the lovers in question are positive, supportive, and mutually loving and respectful, then that's all that matters. I'll never understand some of these reviews for these books.... it's like whining about instant-romance bullshit in the literal ROMANCE section. What on earth did you expect?!
This was a charming, fun little read, that was only put on hiatus because of work and life, but mostly finished in a day. In some ways, I enjoyed The Night Dance on the same level as The Storyteller's Daughter, albeit slightly more so, if only for the sake of loving the original fairytale.
May 31, 2018
This retelling presents a strange mixture of two different genres and eras and cultures, in the end, this decision doesn't give the book any good points, it only ruins it.
The myths and legends about the Great King of England - Author, are enormous and detrimental to the European culture, so trying to mix them with some fairy tale seems a bit strange and even though the author tries, the two parts of the story seem disconnected.
The other problem lies in the fairy tale itself, when it is told in an oral ad short form, as a fairy tale, it doesn't have any need to portray the characters as memorable and easily distinguishable. However, in a novel all 12 of them at least are supposed to be represented differently, so the reader could fell for them, sympathize with them. And unfortunately, here, in this story, the only interesting and a bit developed character is the youngest sister. And even she doesn't feel like a real character.
In addition, this book contains insta-love, not only it happens once, but twice (at least by the middle of the book, there might be additions later).
The major plot points are rather questionable, the plot is slow-moving and the writing style is not engaging.
The myths and legends about the Great King of England - Author, are enormous and detrimental to the European culture, so trying to mix them with some fairy tale seems a bit strange and even though the author tries, the two parts of the story seem disconnected.
The other problem lies in the fairy tale itself, when it is told in an oral ad short form, as a fairy tale, it doesn't have any need to portray the characters as memorable and easily distinguishable. However, in a novel all 12 of them at least are supposed to be represented differently, so the reader could fell for them, sympathize with them. And unfortunately, here, in this story, the only interesting and a bit developed character is the youngest sister. And even she doesn't feel like a real character.
In addition, this book contains insta-love, not only it happens once, but twice (at least by the middle of the book, there might be additions later).
The major plot points are rather questionable, the plot is slow-moving and the writing style is not engaging.
February 28, 2025
It was fine for the most part, as some had already pointed out, I think that putting Arthurian legends in it was cool! I would honestly say it's most of the reason I kept reading. The way the author could weave it so seamlessly was very captivating and kept me fueled to read the next pages. But what I do want to say is, perhaps it's my personal preference, but I honestly think the romance could've built up a bit more. Like I get it they're soulmates and all (which is like ok ig) but like... the first time they meet in person they kissed. Maybe it's because I prefer slow-burn romances rather than fast-paced ones. I wish that they could've had more connection with each other beyond those visions they see in their dreams.
March 13, 2018
This is Twelve Dancing Princesses meets Arthurian legend. I like what the author did in melding the two. It explains how there is an enchanted area under the princesses’ room and their nightly disappearances. I was interested in this story but I think it was poorly written. There is a lot of clunky exposition and is more explained than lived. The author tells the story rather than showing it. I hate love at first sight books and I felt that the kissing was a little over the top. Points for creativity in combining the two stories but I prefer other retellings to this one. (I recommend Jessica Day George’s Princess of the Midnight Ball or Merrie Haskell’s The Princess Curse).
October 25, 2017
This started out as a nice afternoon read. I have always been intrigued by this fairytale and am obsessed with anything to do with King Arther, so combining the two was a treat. The last few chapters however were rushed to put it nicely. So many details which would have seemed to be important were overlooked and characters suddenly lost their charm for sake of time. The story wrapped up in a way leaving me very confused. I found myself flipping back to make sure I had not skipped a page somewhere.
July 30, 2020
This was my Reading Challenge 2020 "book picked off the shelves with your eyes closed." I didn't hate it. The idea to put The 12 Dancing Princesses story together with the King Arthur legend was pretty great. I had to give it an extra star for that. It's just that these retellings are all kind of the same and in the end everything gets spat out in a hurried fashion and the book ends rather abruptly. Overall I didn't love it, but it wasn't the worst either. Not exactly a ringing endorsement, but when you chose a book off the shelf with your eyes closed what can you expect?
December 11, 2023
I found this to be a very charming quick fairytale read. Don't expect fancy world-building or too complex characters - after all, the fairytales we read as children weren't too strong at these either. This is a perfect story to read to your kids over the holidays or to enjoy yourself if you like visiting the fairy realm once in a while for the nostalgic and simple enjoyment that a good fairytale brings. I found the interweaving of two well-known stories - the Twelve Dancing Princesses and King Arthur legends to somehow be a perfect fit.
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