Juliet Marillier

Wildwood Dancing

Christine

WOWWWWWWWWW
i unironically loved most of this andhcueuwisduhcjdjsjhff

maryam

Wished it had picked up more towards the earlier part of the book, it only became interesting towards the very end! 3.5

Zahra

Kira Butler

Maybe it’s the young girl in me rating this who loved reading the second book in this duo when I was in primary school. This world and the writing flowed so well for me and I feel sad it’s finished and that I’ll never experience it for the first time again. Juliet has talent and I’m so glad I found her book in my small town school library all those years ago

Story Eater

Wildwood Dancing is my first foray into Marillier’s compendium of fantasy, and it did not disappoint.  Bookish folk have been recommending Marillier for a while, and a particular bookish friend has been recommending her to me for quite some time, so I prioritized one of her books on my TBR and finally read one.  While this one is not the most highly recommended in Marillier’s list (Daughter of the Forest would be the most recommended title), and it is one of her YA novels, which I have heard are not as good as her adult works, I quite enjoyed this book in many ways, though it starts at quite a slogging pace.  By about 20% of the way through the book, the plot propels forward quickly, the events catch, and the story captivates all the way to the end in breathtaking rapture and captivation.

See my full review on my blog!

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Sheila Goicea

Five adventurous sisters...
Four dark creatures...
Three magical gifts...
Two forbidden lovers...
One enchanted frog...


I enjoyed this book more for the setting and location than anything else. (I can't help it.) I love the history and folklore of Romania. The story, as well, is enchanting.

The plot line itself quickly shows the reader the antagonizing events which try Jenica, in the masculine-dominant culture as her father travels to warmer climates and leaves the estate in her capable hands. Following Jenica's character, we are introduced to her four sisters who regularly travel to the faerie realm every full moon to dance the night away with mythical creatures. A retelling of the twelve dancing princesses (although they are five) and the frog prince, accompanied with local Romanian folklore, this tale is set in the beautiful and magical forests of Transylvania. 

Jenica, accompanied by her pet frog, is quickly challenged by her domineering cousin, Cezar, who does not think she is capable of handling her father's estate while he is away. The tension in the family quickly builds, as love interests develop in the Other Kingdom, and Cezar's foreboding shadow threatens to sidestep Jenica and take control of not only Piscul Dracului, but also her future. 

4 stars to a beautifully written tale of magic, sacrifice, endurance, and unexpected love.

#thatcoverthough

This review can also be viewed on my blog: She's Going Book Crazy

Nadia

** spoiler alert **
           Her cousin?? Really???
Also I did not realise it was YA, and it certainly showed that it was honestly. After Cybele's Secret I'm looking forward to reading her adult work more.

Elodia

** spoiler alert **
           I don’t think I’ve ever disliked a character as much as Tati. She’s selfish and annoying. She met this guy two times and she already can’t live without him to the point where she stops eating and losing weight? Jena annoyed me too, she let people walk over her then complain to her frog, but I learned to tolerate her a lot more toward the end. The three youngest sisters are fine and I wish the story was more focused on them. The villain is one dimensional and horrible throughout the book.

This may sound like I hated this but I actually really liked the story and the writing. It was very atmospheric, I almost wished I’d read it in the fall. I liked how the side characters were interwoven throughout the story and I want to know more about the Other Kingdom and its inhabitants. I’m kind of disappointed that there’s a companion instead of a sequel but I’m excited to explore more of the world.

Kaitlin Gates

Five sisters who live with their merchant father in Transylvania use a hidden portal in their home to cross over into a magical world, the Wildwood.

Wildwood Dancing

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