The Night Dance: A Retelling of "The Twelve Dancing Princesses" (Once upon a Time)

If some of the Once Upon a Time books have reenvisioned the stories they tell, this is not one of them. It is a fine retelling of the Twelve Dancing Princesses, but the attempt to make it new through Bedivere is not successful. Weyn satisfactorily explains why the twelve are locked away (their father worries that he will lose them like he lost his wife.) She helps us like the girls, though they are largely a gaggle, with only Rowena and Eleanore sticking out as individuals. She has a convincing reason for this magical underworld appearing under their house and how their access to it might have happened without their father's knowledge. Unfortunately, while wrapping up these loose ends, she has too few pages left to expand the story into something new. I might have liked where the book ended up a bit more if she had another hundred pages or so to do it. Teens who enjoy the series will be happy with this one, but you may have to explain who Bedivere is. Although it doesn't especially shine amid the current crop of fairy tales retold, it is solid enough and safe enough to be worth it for some.

This won was good not my favorite but well done. I like it when they are nothing like the original.

Almost magically, Sir Ethan of Colchester finds himself pulled to Vivienne and is shortly living in a small cottage with his wife and six pairs of daughters beside an enchanting lake. Dismissing claims of his wife being a witch, he cannot altogether ignore her disappearances into the night, until one evening she does not return. Sir Ethan eventually searches his wife's bearings, finding jewels of all kinds, and sells them to make the beginnings of his fortune. The house is renovated and a wall is built to prevent anything from entering or exiting. But no one can forget the lake, or what was until Vivienne's sudden leaving causes the strange lake to disappear. As the story unravels itself, the role of Camelot becomes clear. Not only is this a retelling of the Twelve Dancing Princesses, but is a tale of Morgan le Fey, Mordred, Merlin, Arthur, Bedivere, and the Lady of the Lake. It is told in the points of Sir Ethan of Colchester (the father), Lady Vivienne of the Lake (the mother), Sir Bedivere (gorgeous Knight of the Round Table), Eleanore (the oldest), Rowena (the youngest), and Morgan le Fey (the wicked witch). They each tie in their own part to the story, and make it interesting to read. As your learning grows of the dealings in Avalon and the fate of Vivienne, so does your intrigue for the characters and the adventures of Excalibur. And what would a classic fairy tale be without a little romance? The problem I found is that the culture portrayed was nothing like that in the Arthurian era. The people seemed to hold no respect for someone so great as Bedivere, nor did they seem to care about Arthur and his endeavors. But, nonetheless, it was an appealing story, and my favorite in the Once Upon a Time Series...

This rendition of the classic story, "The Twelve Dancing Princesses" is extremely well written, and terribly intruiging. In the original fairy tale, not much background is given, nor storyline other than they are wearing their shoes out, and a woodcutter manages to find their secret hide-a-way, and becomes King after marrying the eldest princess. Not a bad story on any accounts, but this new book explores the possibilities and fills in annoying gaps. The woodcutter is no woodcutter, but the last remaining knight of the round table, sworn to throw Excalibur back in the lake from whence it came. (The problem is, poor Bedivere has no idea where to find this lake, and everyone who could help him *Merlin and Arthur* is already dead.) And the oldest princess is not the oldest (although the oldest is most certainly there), but the youngest, who is dying of curiosity as to what happened to her mother, who disappeared many years ago. These two souls meet, and a bunch of cool stuff happens, so all in all, it is an amazing book. I highly recommend it!

Rowena, the youngest of twelve sisters, has been held a prisoner in her home, along with her elders, since the day her mother disappeared years ago. While her home is larger than a castle, and quite comfortable, living within the walls of it day after day, never seeing sunlight slowly eats away at Rowena, until she cannot take the imprisonment anymore. So, over the course of a few weeks, she breaks a hole in the wall, and each day, when everyone is preoccupied, she wiggles her way through the hole, and dances in a magical forest. Over time, she invites her sisters to join her. But when their father, Sir Ethan, discovers that their slippers are tattered and torn each morning, he posts a challenge to all the men in the village that whoever is able to tell him where the girls are slipping off to at night, can marry the daughter of his choice. Meanwhile, Rowena has already had her heart captured by Bedivere, a knight who must return the powerful sword, Excalibur, to a mysterious lake. Bedivere wants nothing more than to marry Rowena, but Sir Ethan's challenge is his only way. Now Rowena must choose if revealing her secret to Bedivere is truly worth it... I have read every ONCE UPON A TIME...book since they were first released. Some are marvelous, while others are mediocre. Suzanne Weyn's THE NIGHT DANCE - based on the story THE TWELVE DANCING PRINCESSES - is one of those installments that is great. The characters are enchanting, and the descriptions of the magical forest, and lake where Excalibur must be returned are magical. Weyn's descriptive talent truly brings the story to life, so much so that the reader feels as if they are dancing alongside Rowena and her sisters in the forest. Overall, this is a magical story. One that must be read by all fans of fairytales. Erika Sorocco Book Review Columnist for The Community Bugle Newspaper