Review: Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George

When twelve princesses turn up every three mornings with worn-out dancing slippers, and no evidence they left their rooms, what’s a king to do? No matter how much he pleads and searches for an answer, he can’t find one. So he invites other men–princes–to do it for him, in return for the hand of a princess in marriage.

Another character, Galen, comes back from the war to find his mother’s sister, the only family he has left. On the way home he gives food to an old lady, who in return gives him some rather surprising gifts.  She says he’ll need them, but what for? A chance encounter with Princess Rose in the garden where Galen works sets things in motion. But there’s still the fact that he is now a gardening boy. Kings don’t let gardening boys find out princesses’ secrets. Delightful! The Twelve Princesses was always one of my favorite fairy tales, and Princess of the Midnight Ball, by Jessica Day George, was a perfect adaptation. This fairytale retelling is true to the bone. I loved the insight into Galen’s life. We only get to know one of the princesses, Princess Rose, well.  I didn’t mind because it kept the whole “The Twelve Princesses” feel.

I couldn’t put it down, it was so exciting. Even though everyone knows the ending, I wanted to know how Galen solved it all! If you haven’t read The Twelve Princesses, you will still find the book well-plotted.

I haven’t had this much fun reading a book in a while. I have no more to say. Read it.  To request it from the Wake County library, click here.



Rating: 5 Stars Clean?: Completely. Length: 272 Pages Most like: Spindle’s End (which I loved) What are your favorite fairy tale retellings?