Wildwood Dancing By Juliet Marillier Release Date: Buy it Today! Knopf Books for Young Readers Ratings Action Romance Characters Overall Preorder on Amazon. Preorder at Powell’s. Find independent bookstores near you.

Five adventurous sisters…
Four dark creatures…
Three magical gifts…
Two forbidden lovers…
One enchanted frog…
(Back of Book Text)

Set in the heart of Transylvania, where folklore is central to village life, Juliet Marillier takes us back to the time before Dracula, weaving a captivating romantic fairytale. A stunning mixture of old legends and familiar tales, the reader will enjoy the new interpretations and learn a bit about Transylvanian culture along the way.

Jena and her four sisters live in Piscul Dracului – Devil’s Peak – the Transylvanian castle which borders on an ancient forest and the lake, Tăul Ielelor. Every new moon for the last nine years, they – along with Jena’s best friend, the talking frog, Gogu – have shared a secret dual life. Every month, they travel through a portal in their room to the Other Kingdom, the land where the fairy folk rule over the woods around Piscul Dracului. There they partake in the nighttime dance with fairies, dwarves, and other magical creatures. Now things are changing for the sisters, as their father takes ill and must leave to spend the winter in a better climate, and the two oldest girls – Jena and Tati – begin their transition to adulthood, while still attempting to retain their ties to the Other Kingdom. As the Night People (think vampires, but with more ambiguous intentions) come to join the new moon festivities, Jena must fight with her own prejudices, shaped all her life by village folklore. Reminded that nothing is what it seems in the Other Kingdom and to trust her instincts, she still protests against Tati’s new love, due to his connection with the Night People.

Fighting to keep control of her own life, and to hold her sisters together as their dual lives begin to overlap, Jena is a strong young woman, portrayed realistically in her pre-industrial society. Throughout the course of the book, she is challenged to rethink the truths that she clings to and learn to overcome her insecurities.

Readers are fully drawn into the world of the book, from the intricate cover art, to the chapter layouts within.  The cover itself is a work of splendid art, and I often found myself just staring at it, each image gaining more impact as the plot deepened.

Magic, mystery, fairytales, and romance, this book has everything I look for in a good read. Ideally aimed at teenaged girls, any lover of fantasy should also enjoy this well-crafted tale, woven with enough twists and turns to keep you reading all night. Those interested in the history of Transylvania will also enjoy the book, as Marillier depicts a riveting backdrop, using the already magical land of Transylvania as a perfect setting for this book. Looking back to the tales before Dracula, the setting and detail alone will captivate readers.

Ratings Reasons:

Action 3 – Well, there was simply very little action in the book. Nothing wrong with that, but if you are looking for a swashbuckling epic, this probably isn’t your book today.

Romance 4 ½ - I loved the main romance; I thought it was created on a well-built foundation and realistically portrayed. Unfortunately, the secondary romance is mostly built on unexplained sudden love.  While the secondary couple is cute, they are less believable and could have used some more fleshing out. On the other hand, the main couple more than makes up for the secondary one, and the fact that the narration is through Jena’s eyes also effects how the secondary relationship is treated.

Characters 4 – Jena, the heroine, was a detailed and believable character, as were the other main characters.  The secondary characters were detailed, but the younger sisters tended to blend together as the story went on. I’m hoping the planned sequel might feature them more. Some might say that there is a lapse in Jena’s character when she mistrusts her long-time best friend, but I think that she handles it realistically, given the recent situations.  We’ve already seen her act suspiciously and wary of the unknown, despite all she might do to embrace the Other Kingdom.

Overall 4 ½ – Well, if the rest of my review hasn’t explained this, I found the book to be well crafted and I will certainly recommend it to friends.  It has earned itself a place on my ‘reread someday when life isn’t busy’ list. The plot is also well laid out, going in a logical direction, with no sudden “how did that happen??” moments that can be the pitfall of some fairy tales.

Extras:
It’s difficult to find internet resources for Transylvania, so if you want to learn more, you’re most likely going to need to visit your local library. Two books recommended by the author are, Lonely Planet Guide to Romania (Buy the book here) and A History of Transylvania by Stefan Pascu (A free online version is available here).
The tourism website for Romania also features some information about legends and culture.

This collection is mostly scholarly sources for stories from around the world. Finally, if you have some spare money for travel, you can take a tour of Romania for different mythological and historical interests, here.

One of the other central European fairytales in the book was The Twelve Dancing Princesses, which has always been a favorite of mine. Another excellent novel interpretation of this story is The Night Dance by Suzanne Weyn. This twist on the classic mixes with Arthurian legend and the two settings blend well.  For a more classic version, take a look at The Twelve Dancing Princess by Marianna Mayer.  I had this beautiful book as a child, and I recommend it for all parents, or anyone that enjoys a well-illustrated book.

And don’t forget the author’s website, always a great source of information for previous books and what might be in development.

For Parents:This book is appropriate for ages 10 and up, but will be most enjoyed by girls over the age of thirteen. No graphic violence, a few kisses, and one clumsy grope. This is an excellent book for any teenage girl, featuring a main character they can empathize with and whose problems they share.  You might have to explain though, that even the two in the main couple refer to each other as cousin, they are in fact second-cousins, and marriages were often set up to keep lands and money within the family.

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