Mundie Moms

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Book Review- Entwined

Released on April
Source- ARC for review from publisher
4.5 stars- I really enjoyed it!

"Azalea and her younger sisters dance in the mysterious silver forever every night, escaping from the sadness of the palace and their father's grief. What they don't understand-although as time passes they being to get an inkling of the danger they are in- is that the mysterious and dashing Keeper is tightening his snare with deadly purpose. Lush, romantic, and compelling, this debut novel by Heather Dixon will thrill fans." (quoted from the back of the ARC).

I absolutely love a well written retelling of a classic fairy tale, and Heather Dixon has done a wonderful job with her retelling of The Twelve Dancing Princesses. Entwined isn't just a book with a lust worthy cover (I would love to try that dress on), it's a clean cut intriguing story with bits of romance, action and a charming mystery.

Entwined has a cast of wonderful characters, and I really liked how close Azalea and her sisters are. I adored the King. Though he's often times viewed as rough around the edges, though I can't blame him after what he's just dwelt with, I loved the fact he wanted to make sure his girls were able to fall in love with someone of their choosing. Azalea is a wonderful character. Given the charge to care for her eleven younger sisters, she also has to learn to become the next Queen. When tragedy strikes her family, she really steps up to the plate. What I admired most about her character is she doesn't stand by and wait for her "prince charming" to come. When things start happening in the castle, she takes matters into her own hands, which allows her to grow more as a character. She's someone who learns from her mistakes and that makes her a stronger person and allows her to become the heroine in the story. I loved how fiercely protective of her sisters she is, even standing up to the King a few times.

No fairy tale is complete with out a villain and Entwined has a fabulously twisted one. Not only is he charming, intriguing and handsome in his own right, his magical powers make him intriguing and by the time Azalea figures out what he is, it's too late. What was engaging about this story and the villain is the history of the castle and the King's family. It wasn't hard to fall in love with the world and time period the Entwined takes place in. There's not only pretty girls and dashing young suitors, but a lot of dancing and alluring magic.

I really enjoyed Entwined. The book has a lot of wonderful elements to it that I enjoy, along with some great characters. Entwined's fairy tale message isn't the normal "and they lived happily ever after". Don't get me wrong, there's a wonderful romance entwined into the story, but the real message of love is that of family. Yes, there are a few surprising twists with the romance and in the end a sigh worthy scene happens. I think fans of Shannon Hale will fall in love with Heather's writing. This is a fabulous debut and one I recommend picking up. I'm really looking forward to reading more of Heather's books.

Entwined is our Debut Book of the month. You can join our discussions about it here.

7 comments:

  1. Thank you for this review! I've been wodnering if this was worth a read because of all the negative reviews I've read. I'm glad to hear there's a bit of romance mixed in because we all know how necessary that is for me. I've heard the writing is good, too. Glad you enjoyed it!

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  2. DJ- LOL Yes, romance is a plus for me too. I like that the romance part of the story is settle and sweet. I think you'll enjoy it. The writing is awesome! Heather is a fantastic story teller.

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  3. I love the fairy tale and am definitely picking it up today! Thank you for the well written review, MMs.

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  4. Great review. I have to read this one. From your review, I think I'll like it.

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  5. Can't wait to read this one! The cover is SO pretty!

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  6. I've been kind of on the fence about reading this one. I loved the fairytale of the twelve dancing sisters as a kid, but I've read a lot of mixed reviews on Entwined. Yours definitely sparked my interest again though, so I think I'm going to give it a shot!

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  7. Sophie- Thank you! I think you'll love it!

    Natalie- Thank you! I hope you enjoy it!! :)

    Lindsay- The cover is one of my favorites!

    Natalie- I hope you enjoy it! To be honest, it took me a bit to really get into the story, but once I did I LOVED it!!

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