Princess of the Midnight Ball

  Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George reminds me of a retelling of the movie Barbie and the 12 dancing princesses, but I like Jessica Day George's version much much better. The story begins with Queen Maude making a bargain with the horrible King Under Stone. Queen Maude and King Gregor of Burch of Westfalin have not been able to produce an heir to their throne. They have also been at war with Analousia for a very long time and were worried that they would lose the war. Queen Maude made a bargain with King Under Stone(he cant go into sunlight and isn't a vampire but is kinda like one) that if he used his magic to let her produce an heir and win the Analousian war. In return Queen Maude must dance for King Under Stone almost every night but little did she know that she would bare 12 girls in 11 years, die, and have her daughters dance for King Under Stone and his 12 half human sons who plan to make the princesses their brides. The oldest princess is Princess Rose who is eighteen. Every night the 12 flower named princesses must dance at the Midnight Ball for King Under Stone and dance and be courted by his sons until dawn where the King Gregor finds his daughters fast asleep and their shoes totally worn out. Every night maids and guards watch the princesses but are put under an enchantment and fall asleep at 11 o'clock.  King Gregor and bishop Schelker decide that whichever prince of a different kingdom who could figure out what the princesses did each night would win the kingdom and a princess of their choosing. Many princes have tried and died in bizarre accidents. Soon the evil bishop Angier is sent to Westfalin and accuses the palace of witchcraft and threatened to have the governess hung.

     Galen is a soldier returning from the war with no family because they were killed in the war. His only family is the Orms(palace gardeners of Westfalin and very honored). On his way to Westfalin, Galen, is nice enough to share his only food with an old crone who turns out to have an invisibility cloak and also happens to know Galen"s name without him telling her. Galen goes to Westfalin, meets his family, works in the palace gardens were he meets Rose, startles her, Rose falls in a fountain and all the princesses become sick. Galen decides to help the princesses, mainly Rose because they fancy each other. But can Galen and Rose break King Under Stone's curse and be free of him forever? Or will the princesses have to marry King Under Stone's sons and never see the sun or their father again while Galen dies a bizarre death?You will have to read this awesome book, Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George, to find out. I highly recommend this book because it has a lot of surprises, is written well, and is just really really good for those of you that like fairy tale retellings , magic, humour, and romance.