Review: Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George

Review: Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George
Rating: A sweet and easy fairy tale read with gorgeous imagery and a lovely romance.



Galen is a young soldier returning from war; Rose is one of twelve princesses condemned to dance each night for the King Under Stone. Together Galen and Rose will search for a way to break the curse that forces the princesses to dance at the midnight balls. All they need is one invisibility cloak, a black wool chain knit with enchanted silver needles, and that most critical ingredient of all—true love—to conquer their foes in the dark halls below. But malevolent forces are working against them above ground as well, and as cruel as the King Under Stone has seemed, his wrath is mere irritation compared to the evil that awaits Galen and Rose in the brighter world above.

Captivating from start to finish, Jessica Day George’s take on the Grimms’ tale The Twelve Dancing Princesses demonstrates yet again her mastery at spinning something entirely fresh out of a story you thought you knew.

What I liked about this book was that it was actually quite loyal to the original fairy tale. It was less an interpretation of the tale than an expansion of it, deepening every character and the world around them. The princesses are given names and personalities (though not too much-- I actually favored the lighter characterization in this book, as it contributes to the fairy tale feel), as is Galen, the hero. 

Nineteen-year-old Galen has just returned from a long and brutal war between his country of Westfalin and the country of Analousia. Each country Jessica Day George mentions is a slight fantasy version of a real place. If you're familiar with European geography, you'll recognize which regions the author is vaguely referencing; if you don't, that's perfectly all right. I just enjoyed those little nods, almost like inside jokes. Plus, they helped me visualize the world of Ionia, which is already a rich, visual place.

The magic of this book felt original while still managing to reflect classic fairy tales. The realm of the King Under Stone is delightfully creepy, though not so horrible you'll have nightmares, or anything. Essentially, the twelve princess-- all of them from seventeen-year-old Rose to six-year-old Petunia-- are cursed to dance below every third night, even when deathly ill. They wear out both their shoes and their health, and soon, the curse begins to take its toll on Westfalin's political future as well.

That's where handsome cutie pie Galen comes in. He's determined to rescue the princesses, and he just may be the only man with the tools to do it. He and Princess Rose have a bit of the insta-love, but what would a fairy tale be without a bit of the insta-love? Their romance is very sweet and natural. Galen is a worthy hero (who KNITS!) and Rose is a strong girl with a lot of love for her sisters.

I would recommend this to anyone who adores fairy tales and likes their reads absolutely squeaky clean. I think this would also be a pretty good starter book for those who think they want to get into reading fairy tale adaptations, but aren't sure if they'll like it. All in all, I really loved this book. Not completely perfect, but such a sweet delight to read. It was fast and fun and very well-written.