Wildwood Dancing
Wildwood Dancing
By: Juliet Marillier
By now I think you all know how much I enjoy re-writes of fairy tales. This book was no exception! In fact, it's one of the best!
The setting: Transylvania
The Problem: Jena's father is sick and needs to go away for the winter to recover. Jena needs to run the finances of the house and business, take care of her 4 sisters, and go to the Other Kingdom at every Full Moon for dancing with her sisters. (Can you guess the tale?)
Of course, nothing is as it should be. Months go by and Jena doesn't hear from her father. A horrific accident occurs causing Jena's cousin Cezar to think he can control her, her sisters, their home, and their father's business. He takes things so far that he eventually imprisons his cousins in their own home, all to make himself feel powerful and in charge. Although Jena and Cezar have been friends since childhood, he's gone too far in his desire to destroy Jena's spirit and the Wildwood. (The forest area around Piscal Dracului and Varful cu Negura which is controlled by Draguta - a name that brings fear and respect at the same time to everyone except Cezar - and inhabited by fairies, elves, dwarves and a huge variety of other characters.)
Then we bring in the fact that Jena's beautiful sister Tati has fallen in love with a member of the Night People. She is so distressed by their separation (he lives in the Other Kingdom) that she wastes away. Jena doesn't trust Sorrow, but when she looks into Draguta's mirror she learns about his history that brings her an understanding she never would have had previously. That one look also causes her much sorrow, for the man she knows she could love is there, and he turns into a monster and chases her sisters: that, she can not tolerate, and when the creature that is dearest to her in the world makes a startling transformation, Jena doesn't know if she can trust him or not. It takes the Queen of the Fairies to realize who can be trusted, who can't, and what love is really worth; even if it means giving up someone or something that you hold dearly.
I have to say, Cezar was a character I loved to hate. You feel badly for him as he has suffered a deep, personal loss, but at the same time his choices reflect the kind of person he is fast becoming. I don't want to give too much away, but he does have a chance to redeem himself, and his choice will affect all of those around him!
Jena was a narrator that I completely loved. You could really feel her anguish when she was trying to make the decisions that were the best for her family. She has an enormous responsibility on her shoulders, but she does manage, even when she thinks she's failing. She learns how to adapt to things she can and can not control, and she grows up a lot in the months during which the novel takes place.
This is a tale full of family-love, responsibility, how our choices affect us and those around us, and how to live in harmony with those who are different from us. The characters, the settings, the descriptions - all of it was wonderful! I had a hard time putting this one down this weekend. The story literally will sweep you away!
Recommended To:
- My fairy-tale re-write friends!
- Historical fiction fans - the author describes her works as those of historical fantasy. Don't let the fantasy scare you if that's "not your thing." This book is really, truly, wonderful!
- Everyone!
Juliet Marillier http://www.julietmarillier.com/default.htm
Juliet has written for mostly adults. This is her first foray into Young Adult literature. It was wonderful, I'm going to have to look up her adult novels, and the sequel to this, Cybele's Secret, won't be out until September. *sigh, I want it now!*
Notes on the Cover:
Cover art by Kinuko Y. Craft - you can get to her website from the Books page and holy cow! This is one talented lady, but one look at the cover of this book and you'll realize that! It is gorgeous. Okay, this is a kind of art that I love: folksy, whimsical, and so full of detail that you can get lost in the cover. If you look closely you can identify many of the characters from the book on the cover. I love that! It seems to me that covers just aren't what they could be these days. Many are objective and don't really give you a sense of the book. So what about this cover? This cover invites you into another world where things may not be as they seem, but it's beautiful and imaginative and detailed to give you a fantastic glimpse of the Other Kingdom. Another note: her art reminds me of Richard Doyle's fairy paintings. Not that they're identical or specific, but there's magic in there!
Sorry, we do not have this title at this time and most likely won't in the fall. You'll have to go to the public library to get it. You can ILL it through the TDS Public Library link on our webpage if you have a library card (it's yellow). The local library doesn't appear to have it at this time, but St. Peter does!