Wildwood Dancing by Juliet Marillier
Series: Wildwood (#1)
Rating: ★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆
High in the Transylvanian woods, at the castle Piscul Draculi, live five daughters and their doting father. It’s an idyllic life for Jena, the second eldest, who spends her time exploring the mysterious forest with her constant companion, a most unusual frog. But best by far is the castle’s hidden portal, known only to the sisters. Every Full Moon, they alone can pass through it into the enchanted world of the Other Kingdom. There they dance through the night with the fey creatures of this magical realm.
But their peace is shattered when Father falls ill and must go to the southern parts to recover, for that is when cousin Cezar arrives. Though he’s there to help the girls survive the brutal winter, Jena suspects he has darker motives in store. Meanwhile, Jena’s sister has fallen in love with a dangerous creature of the Other Kingdom–an impossible union it’s up to Jena to stop.
When Cezar’s grip of power begins to tighten, at stake is everything Jena loves: her home, her family, and the Other Kingdom she has come to cherish. To save her world, Jena will be tested in ways she can’t imagine–tests of trust, strength, and true love.
DNF @ 80%
Unbelievably disappointing. Utterly underwhelming. Filled with contrivances, plot holes, and rampant stupidity on the part of the MC.
I spent the entirety of this book PISSED, mostly at the weakness of our supposedly headstrong, intelligent, and capable heroine, because while I was told that she was all of these things, I was never shown that she was any of these things. All I saw of her was a weak-willed doormat of an MC, so spineless that I’m surprised she was able to stand upright. An equal measure of my rage was directed at her sullen, selfish ingrate of an older sister. Also, one dimensional villain is one dimensional. He’s a bully, got it. Got it the first time, actually. Telling me for the 1,546,353 time that he was a bully was just overkill. Patronizing, even.
UGH.
Entwined is a much better example of this retelling. Better paced, filled with compelling female characters and theirbelievable relationships as sisters, entertaining, poetic, and with an ending that didn’t make me want to curse the gods of deus ex machina.
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