Review: Princess of the Midnight Ball

When twelve princesses turn up every three mornings with worn-out dancing slippers, and no evidence they left their rooms, what's a king to do? No matter how much he pleads and searches for an answer, he can't find one. So he invites other men--princes--to do it for him, in return for the hand of a princess in marriage.

And then Galen comes back from the war to find his mother's sister, the only family he has left. On the way home he gives food to an old lady, who in return gives him some rather surprising gifts.

She says he'll need them, but what for? 

A chance encounter with Princess Rose in the garden in which Galen works sets things in motion. But there's still the face that he is now a gardening boy. Kings don't let gardening boys find out princesses secrets.

Delightful! The Twelve Princesses was always one of my favorite fairy tales, and Princess of the Midnight Ball, by Jessica Day George, didn't come even near to ruining it. This fairytale retelling is true to the bone, and a wonderful adaption. I loved the insight into Galen's life. Though Jessica Day George only really dug deep into Princess Rose, I didn't really mind because it kept the whole "The Twelve Princesses" feel. 

I couldn't put it down, it was so exciting. Even though everyone knows the ending, I wanted to know how Galen solved it all! If you haven't read The Twelve Princesses, you will still find the book well-plotted. 

I haven't had this much fun reading a book in a while. I have no more to say. Read it.

Rating: 5 Stars

Clean?: Completely.

Length: 272 Pages

Most like: Spindle's End (which I loved)