![]() ![]() ![]() Incorporating elements of The Twelve Dancing Princesses and Beauty and the Beast, Merrie Haskell cleverly weaves myth, fairy tale, humor, and a touch of romance into her enchanting debut novel. ![]() Haskell leaves many details murky-perhaps necessarily when so much magical enchantment is involved-but the overall effect is engrossing.-Miriam Lang Budin, Chappaqua Public Library, NY Her quest involves her in political intrigue, a Persephone-like trip to the Underworld, and more than one romantic entanglement. At first she only wants the reward promised to anyone breaking the curse, but soon she becomes emotionally invested in saving the lives of the others who've tried to solve the mystery and now lie in near-death slumber in a tower of the castle. She is determined to discover the secret of the curse laid upon the 12 princesses. The curiosity and tenacity of 13-year-old Reveka, an apprentice herbalist at the castle of Prince Vasile, drive the narrative forward. Creatures such as the zmeu, a dragon that can assume human form, and the capcaun, a dog-headed ogre, as well as information about the failures and successes of medieval herbalists can be found within this unsettling tale. Gr 5-8-By layering the exoticism of Romanian folklore onto her novelization of "The Twelve Dancing Princesses," Haskell sets this expansion of the story apart from others in a popular genre. ![]()
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