Wildwood Dancing

I first read Wildwood Dancing in 2009 and have it countless times since then; it was the first book I ever read by Juliet Marillier. Originally, I bought the book simply because it had a pretty cover; it sat on my bookshelf collecting dust for a long time, until I found myself bed-ridden after having my wisdom teeth surgically removed and with very little to occupy myself with. At first, I was reluctant to read Wildwood Dancing because back then I wasn't a huge fan of the fantasy genre. I was instantly assuaged by Marillier's practical and realistic approach to fantasy. The setting of Romania is also fascinating, and Marillier gives the reader a taste of Romanian folklore, culture, and geography. That is one thing I love about this author: she is well-researched and is curious about areas of the world that other YA authors haven't widely explored.The Plot: Wildwood Dancing is a retelling of the Twelve Dancing Princesses fairy-tale. The main character, Jenica, is responsible for looking out for her four sisters while their father is away from the castle for health reasons. Jena struggles to maintain control with her domineering cousin, Cezar, attempting to seize control. Cezar is deeply troubled by the loss of his elder brother, Costin, who is believed to have been taken by the folk that dwell in the mysterious forest. Cezar is determined to hunt down and kill all of the folk of the Wildwood to avenge his brother's death. This is problematic for Jenica and her sisters because they have visited the realm of the Other Kingdom for years, since they were children, and have come to regard the Wildwood folk as an extension of their family.What I love about this book: First of all, Marillier understands that a heroine can be strong without wielding a sword and marching off to war. Her female characters are strong of heart and conviction. Jenica is strong in that she would do anything to protect her family, sometimes to a fault. She is flawed like a human being, and throughout the story she learns how to overcome these faults. Second, I love the location, descriptions, and atmosphere. The fairy-tale creatures and festivities of the Other Kingdom are imagined in a way that makes your heart ache for it to be real. The atmosphere is soft, romantic, ethereal, and somewhat mysterious. Third, I love the love stories, plain and simple. There are two love stories in Wildwood Dancing; they are tell a different kind of story, and I think Marillier did a good job of balancing the two out. One is eloquent and somber, whereas the other sweet and light-heated. The first love story is apparent from the beginning and remains rather constant throughout the book, whereas the latter is revealed toward the end.SPOILERS...I have to say in defense of Tatiana and Sorrow... Even though I don't agree with Tati giving up on life and becoming so consumed by her love for Sorrow, I think it was realistic for her character to react the way she did because that was just the sort of person she was, whether you disagree with her actions or not. Personally, I don't think she had an easy choice to make and if you go on to read Cybele's Secret, you'll find that she is continuing to seek a solution for her predicament. Juliet Marillier has even mentioned in interviews that Tati's story has a few loose ends that need to be tired up in the third installment of the Wildwood trilogy (even though I wonder if she will actually ever get around to writing it.) Also, I thought Tati's and Sorrow's romance was a little more satisfying than Jena and Costi's because their love story is developed throughout the course of the entire book, whereas Jena and Costi don't become a thing until the last possible moment.END SPOILERS...Anyway, Wildwood Dancing, for me, is the type of book that is worth staying up all night to finish (which I did, against the influence of some pretty heavy medications...) My first time reading, there were parts that caught me so off guard that I literally screamed. Wildwood Dancing will certainly not collect dust on my bookshelf, and I recommend it to anyone, young and old, looking for a dreamy romantic fairy-tale. And I would also rec commend reading other books by Juliet Marillier, especially Daughter of the Forest.

This is such a charming story, for both young folk and adult alike. Taking the well-known fairy tales of THE FROG PRINCE and THE TWELVE DANCING PRINCESSES, author Juliet Marilier puts her own spin on them by setting this novel in the Roumanian forest. A lighter tale than her Sevenwaters Trilogy, nevertheless her characters do not have an easy time. This coming-of-age tale reflects the heartbreak and excitement as the five sisters begin to go their separate ways as they find their life partners. Both Tatiana and Jenica (the two eldest) find theirs in unlikely places.The only complaint I had about this novel was that some of the dialogue seemed too modern. This was especially so when Jenica was standing up for her family. For some reason the phrase "I'm not prepared to..." really jarred. I just wish that the language could have sounded older and less cliched. Four stars.

One of the hardest things to find these days, in my experience, is a good, satisfying read. Well-written, fun, and clever books are hard to write, and hard to find. I stumbled across this book in 2017, thinking it would be a fun read!Since I study East European & Slavic history, the story's setting interested me greatly! Rarely do people write about/set their stories in Romania, let alone proudly exhibit knowledge of the culture and language there. It was such a joy to read something in a lesser-known area.The setting alone, however, is not the book's main and only draw; I love how Marillier masterfully and exquisitely demonstrates how to deftly weave a good story. Marillier knows how to write characters very well. The characters are fun and easily definable. There are five sisters, and, instead of blandly giving them all the same descriptions, they each have their own personality, strengths, and weaknesses.Without a doubt, the best thing about this novel is the characters' growth throughout the book. All three main characters (I will not name all three for avoiding spoilers) go through so much testing, and endure lots of suffering to get to the places they are at the end. It is such a fun, innovative, and clever coming-of-age story which utilizes characters' choices to propel the novel. I love coming back to this novel during the autumn every other year!

It has the sisterly bonds of little women or pride and prejudice, mixed with fantastical elements and even stronger female characters.

Paperback básico, sem orelha, capa molinha e folhas mais cinzas.

This proved a disappointment after reading her “Blackthorn & Grimm” series. While Jena is supposedly smart and reasonable enough to be left in charge of the family business while her father is away, she is not really able to display those smarts and reasonableness as she is made helpless in multiple scenes.I didn’t feel that she had any deep bond with her sisters – at best she just nagged Tati and the others? – if there was ever meant to be one. Her sisters are also not all fully fleshed out, just mere caricatures: a scholar or studious one, a flirty one, and one who’s too young to have a personality apparently?The main antagonist was a patronizing man with tiny genitals who appeared in too many scenes, and the source of all this goings-on (a witch) had this crazy crazy reason why she allowed it to happen.

It's a great read - imaginative, well written and excellent character descriptions, with a mystery, danger, romance and excitement.

Es un libro romántico, entretenido, emocionante y hermoso, con un lenguaje bonito y escogido y con fragmentos poéticos. En ocasiones se hace un poco largo. Lo que menos me convence de Juliet Marillier es que sus personajes son planos, los malos son malísimos y parecen salirse con la suya con relativa facilidad y a los buenos les falta fuerza. Recomendable para los aficionados a los cuentos algo románticos.