Waiting on Wednesday: Ice by Sarah Beth Durst

"Waiting on" Wednesday was created by Jill of Breaking the Spine, and is a way for bloggers to share the upcoming books that they're longing for. This week I'm waiting on...

Ice
by Sarah Beth Durst
Published October 6th, 2009

When Cassie was a little girl, her grandmother told her a fairytale about her mother, who made a deal with the Polar Bear King and was swept away to the ends of the earth to become a prisoner of the trolls. Now that Cassie is older, she knows that this was a nice way of saying her mother had died. Cassie lives with her father at an Arctic research station, she is determined to become a scientist, and she has no time for make believe.

Then, on her eighteenth birthday, Cassie comes face to face with a polar bear who speaks to her. He tells her that her mother is alive, imprisoned in the troll castle. And that he can bring her back--if Cassie will agree to be his bride.

That is the beginning of Cassie's own real-life fairytale, one that sends her on an unbelievable journey across the brutal Arctic, through the Canadian boreal forest, and on the back of the North Wind to the land east of the sun and west of the moon. Before it is over, the world she knew will be swept away, and everything she holds dear will be taken from her--until she discovers the true meaning of love and family in the magical realm of Ice.

Why I'm waiting:
Sarah Beth Durst's previous novels, Into the Wild and Out of the Wild, were great fun and very imaginative. The cover and summary of Ice makes it look like it will be an equally as well written book, but aimed at an older audience. And while I've already read two retellings of East of the Sun, West of the Moon (Edith Pattou's East and Jessica Day George's Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow), I think Ice will still be original--for one thing it's set in modern times, while the other two were not.

Waiting on Wednesday: A Kiss in Time by Alex Flinn

"Waiting on" Wednesday was created by Jill of Breaking the Spine, and is a way for bloggers to share the upcoming books that they're longing for. This week I'm waiting on...

A Kiss in Time
by Alex Flinn
Released May 1st, 2009

Talia fell under a spell.... Jack broke the curse.

I was told to beware the accursed spindle, but it was so enchanting, so hypnotic....

I was looking for a little adventure the day I ditched my tour group. But finding a comatose town, with a hot-looking chick asleep in it, was so not what I had in mind.

I awakened in the same place but in another time—to a stranger's soft kiss.

I couldn't help kissing her. Sometimes you just have to kiss someone. I didn't know this would happen.

Now I am in dire trouble because my father, the king, says I have brought ruin upon our country. I have no choice but to run away with this commoner!

Now I'm stuck with a bratty princess and a trunk full of her jewels.... The good news: My parents will freak!

Think you have dating issues? Try locking lips with a snoozing stunner who turns out to be 316 years old. Can a kiss transcend all—even time?

Why I'm waiting:
Alex Flinn's books have been amazing so far! I can't wait to read her second venture into a new genre.

Princess of the Midnight Ball

by Jessica Day George

What?! Can it be? I think it is! A review! I'm quite amazed that I actually managed to write something, although it was quite easy because my thoughts on this are well defined already. So, without further ado...

Galen is an ordinary soldier returning from the war with no claims of fame or heroism. But when he meets an old woman by the side of the road and she gives him a marvelous cloak of invisibility, his fortunes are about to change. Although he is only an under-gardener in the royal gardens, Galen befriends Rose, the eldest of the twelve princesses.
It’s not long before the princesses are suffering from an illness that confines them to their beds—and yet the girls are still exhausted each morning, their dancing slippers worn to shreds. Galen knows that he must save his lovely friend and her sisters—though numerous princes have tried and failed (and then died through questionable circumstances)—and he thinks the invisibility cloak will be just the thing to solve the mystery.
But it’s not that easy—Galen soon learns that there are darker forces at work than spoiled princesses sneaking out to dance for a lark, and he must use his wits.... Or watch the entire kingdom crumble.

Jessica Day George’s books are always really good; they’re happy without being corny; the plots are just right, being neither too complicated or understand nor too simple; they’re mature enough for anyone to read, but yet are entirely clean, and they’re just delightfully fun every time. Princess of the Midnight Ball does not disappoint in any regard, and though it is a retelling of a common fairytale (The Twelve Dancing Princesses, in case you hadn’t figured it out), it still managed to be suspenseful enough that I read it in one day. If you enjoy this book, check out the author’s other books: Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow (a retelling of the Norwegian fairytale East of the Sun, West of the Moon) and Dragon Slippers, Dragon Flight, and the forthcoming Dragon Spear.

Palace of Mirrors

by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Although Cecilia Aurora Serindia Marie has grown up in a rustic little village far from the glamorous capital of Cortona, she’s always known that one day she will go there, to the famous Palace of Mirrors, and claim her rightful title. Why? Because Cecilia—also known as Eels or Eelsy—is the true princess, heir to the throne of Suala. After her parents were murdered when she was a baby, Cecilia was taken away and hidden; and to protect her from her enemies, a “fake” princess (a commoner named Desmia) was put in her place. But when Cecilia is fourteen, it looks like her enemies have found her. One night they attack, unsuccessfully trying to kill her, and Cecilia knows that this means her life in the peaceful village is over: despite the possible dangers, she must go to Cortona and take up her position as princess of Suala. So with her faithful friend Harper, his harp (yes, the name is quite literal), and a bag of food, she sets off to meet her fate—or is it really her fate after all?

Palace of Mirrors was a nice, easy, good read that I finished in a few hours and enjoyed. It isn’t based off a fairytale like Just Ella (although it’s set in the same world; Suala is at war with Ella’s country and Ella is in Suala as part of a peace delegation), but it has a fairytale-ish charm to it and things work out happily in the end, of course—even if not entirely as expected. Fans of Just Ella, Margaret Peterson Haddix, or fairytale stories in general will love this.

The Swan Maiden

by Heather Tomlinson

Doucette is the youngest, overshadowed by her two beautiful sorceress sisters, who have the one thing Doucette has always longed for: a swan skin. She was born without one, her parents tell her, and will never have the chance to transform herself and soar through the sky with the wings of a swan. But then one day, while cleaning the house like a good chatelaine, she finds something with soft white feathers, edged in gray; Her swan skin. Betrayed by her parents and giddy with her new power, what effects will Doucette’s roiling emotions have on those closest to her, including herself?

The Swan Maiden, inspired by French fairytales, tells a simple, sweet, and lovely story. It only took me one day to read, and kept me entertained, although not on the edge of my seat with excitement. My only real complaint with this book was that the romance—especially at first—was very rushed and undeveloped. We see Doucette and Jaume together only three times before “he’s so kind” and “I’ve always admired you” turns into “let’s get married”! Fortunately the fairytale feel of the novel keeps it from seeming completely ridiculous.

Look for the author’s Aurelie: A Faerie Tale, coming September 2008.

Fourth book read for Enna-Isilee’s Twisted Fairy Tale Challenge.

The Swan Kingdom

by Zoë Marriott

The wise women who practice the Old Ways have always looked after the Kingdom, keeping it fruitful, green, and peaceful. Just after her fifteenth birthday, Lady Alexandra must take the place of her recently deceased mother as protector of the land. But the Dark is creeping in, flashes of rot and greed are appearing. Alexandra’s own father is quickly besotted with—and betrothed to—Zella, a beautiful young woman who instantly charms everyone except Alexandra and her three brothers.
The night before their father is forever bound to Zella, the children decide they must take action, but they do not know the power of an angry witch. Hugh, David, and Robin flee the palace in the form of swans. It is up to Alexandra alone to unravel the spell that took her brothers from her, and then restore them to their true forms.

I really loved this book. Not so much for the storyline—which although good was not an amazingly unique retelling—but for Zoë Marriott’s wonderful writing style, which put me in mind of Monica Furlong’s Doran Trilogy (Juniper, Wise Child, and Colman). I could usually foresee slightly ahead of what would happen, but it still kept me reading because I wanted to see if my theory proved true. If you enjoy The Swan Kingdom, Ms. Marriott’s second book, titled Daughter of the Flames, will be released in the U.S. some time next year.

Third book read for Enna-Isilee’s Twisted Fairy Tale Challenge.

A Curse Dark as Gold

by Elizabeth C. Bunce

I’d been hearing a lot about this book—both positive and negative—that was making me want to read it a lot. It took me a while (had to request that my library buy a copy and then wait for it to be processed) but I was finally able to read it, and I’m so glad I got to.

The book opens with a funeral; Charlotte Miller and her sister Rosie are morning their father under a dark sky, which Charlotte believes signifies the beginning of the end—of life as she knows and it and of Stirwaters mill. But she is determined to stick it out as long as she can, despite her controlling uncle and the belief that a female can’t manage a factory...and the streak of bad luck the mill has undergone recently. Superstitious workers say it’s the Stirwaters Curse, but that’s just foolishness in Charlotte’s mind. How much will have to be taken from her before she accepts that there is something very strange afoot?

A Curse Dark as Gold was really good; I loved how it was so much of a retelling and—past the basic storyline of spun gold and the spinner’s discovered name—wasn’t at all predictable. With a first novel this good, I can’t wait to see what other golden stories Ms. Bunce will spin.

Once you’ve read the book, don’t miss Miss Erin’s excellent interview with the author.

Second book read for Enna Isilee’s Twisted Fairy Tale Challenge.

Beast

by Donna Jo Napoli

Persian Prince Orasmyn—with a soft spot for roses and no desire to go on hunts—is a good Muslim boy, but when a sacrificial camel is found to be imperfect right before the Feast of Sacrifices, Orasmyn covers it up. For his careless decision, a pari—or fairy—curses him as a Beast, tells him that no woman will ever love him, and announces that the Prince’s own father will kill him tomorrow.
To survive, Orasmyn must leave the palace, but to survive outside of the kingdom’s walls means he must give in to his feline instincts. If he can find a woman who loves him as Beast, Orasmyn might be able to break his curse, but he must search far and wide. What will his wanderings teach him?

Beast was a lot more about the lives of lions than I imagined it would be, which wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it wasn’t what I was expecting in a lot of ways. For a large part of the novel the prince tries to live as a lion without becoming entirely Beast, and it took quite a while to get into the parts that are actually in the fairytale, making it almost a Beauty and the Beast prequel. The ending seemed very sudden to me, and there was no indication of how Orasmyn knew he had to find his Belle to be changed back into a human.

This is the first book I’ve read for Enna Isilee’s Twisted Fairy Tale Challenge.

Beastly

by Alex Flinn

Kyle Kingsbury is rich, handsome, and friends with the cool people in his exclusive private school. But weird and mysterious Goth classmate Kendra Hilferty sees through his Mr. Popular façade to what he really is; to where he’s mean—anyone who’s not beautiful is ugly, anyone who’s not someone is worthless, to where he’s cruel just for a laugh. To where he’s beastly. Kyle sees her as just another unattractive freak, but there’s more to Kendra than he thinks—like the fact that she’s a witch. On the night if the spring dance, Kyle is especially spiteful and Kendra gives him what he deserves: for the next two years he’ll be in his appropriate form of a beast—unless true love’s kiss breaks the spell.
It doesn’t take long for Kyle to realize he has to change his ways—and fast, or else he might take a turn as an outcast freak...and for the rest of his life.

I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from Beastly, since it was nothing like the author’s previous books, but it didn’t let me down. It’s another easy-to-read, creative novel from “the queen of writing troubled yet multi-dimensional teens,” but with a new twist.
Alex Flinn cleverly weaves events from the original Beauty and the Beast story into the modern era, and gives it real emotions.

Twisted Fairy Tale Challenge

I just joined the

Hosted by Enna Isilee at Squeaky Books.

The goal is to: Read 4 books about twisted fairy tales by May 5, 2008, with the exceptions of:
You may read a book that is not directly based on a fairy tale, but has a very fairy-tale theme (i.e. Sarah Beth Durst's Into the Wild)
You may read more than 4

The books I'm so far thinking of reading are:

The Swan Maiden, by Heather Tomlinson
A Curse Dark as Gold, by Elizabeth C. Bunce
The Swan Kingdom, by Zoë Marriott
Beast, by Donna Jo Napoli
Cindy Ella, by Robin Palmer

Birdwing

by Rafe Martin

What if happily ever after isn’t perfect for everyone?
Meet Ardwin, the son of King Lugh. He and his brothers were enchanted—changed into swans—by their evil stepmother. Through their sister’s determination they were all changed back into humans—all but the youngest, Ardwin. He alone bears the mark of his time as a swan; in place of his left arm he carries a white wing. “Prince Freak,” people call him, staring and warding off evil as he passes. Ardwin is restless, wanting to return to the flock of swans he once flew with, where he would be accepted.
While Ardwin desperately wishes to be rid of his wing, it also reminds him of the wild freedom of the swans, and even gives him the ability to speak to animals. He is torn between wanting to fit in, and wanting to be himself.
But part of him has to choose when he learns of a plot to marry him off—under the condition of replacing his wing with a prosthetic arm. Horrified at the thought, Ardwin sets off for the world with his friends, Stephen and Skye. But soon he discovers the journey must be his alone.
Ardwin’s captivating and original story is born from the Brothers Grimm tale The Six Swans, and it’s not just a fairytale retold, but a fairytale continued, and Rafe Martin pulls it off beautifully; there is nothing stale or drawn-out about this book. If you like stories of self-discovery and -acceptance, adventure, magic, and a little romance, Birdwing is for you.
I’m really not doing Martin’s novel any justice in my description, because it was simply so, SO good. Just read it and find out for yourself!

****Also posted on YA Books Central.****

Fairytales: The Old and the Retold

What makes fairytales so appealing? I think Bravepandagirl explained it very well on her blog:

“The youngest, the poorest, the weakest, the ones who are cast out are the ones who’s stories we hear about in fairytales. They become better people. They slay evil, overcome their fears and turn into brave, wonderful people by the end of the story. I think this is why we love fairytales. This is why they are still around after hundreds of years. Because we can see some of ourselves in Cinderella, or in Vassilissa, or the youngest Tsarevich. We know that part of us is just like them, and we hope that one day our story might turn out as theirs did.”

Fairytales are not only just still “around,” but constantly in style. For instance, Wildwood Dancing has been so popular since its release in January that it was constantly checked out of my library until just last week. No wonder, as Juliet Marillier creates a story as rich and detailed as the cover of the novel. Jena is the daughter of a merchant who lives in an old castle called Piscul Dracului. She and her four sisters have kept a very large secret for nine years; every full moon they cross into Wildwood—the world of the fey—and dance the night away. But as the sisters grow older, changes come and the fairy court becomes more sinister. If you enjoy this novel, don’t miss the sequel, Cybele’s Secret.

Award-winning author Alex Flinn is changing course from her usual realistic fiction with her upcoming novel, Beastly. It’s a retelling of—guess—Beauty and the Beast set in modern times. I believe it will be told through the eyes of the Beast himself, a.k.a. Kyle Kingsbury. I am enormously anxious to see what Ms. Flinn will do with this new genre, as her previous books have been excellent.

Jim Henson’s The Storyteller is a very well done collection of fairytales from around the world—although mainly Russia and Germany—told by the Storyteller (John Hurt) and his dog (voiced by Brian Henson). The tales are told in a way that is enchanting for all ages, and offer a great cast including Miranda Richardson and Sean Bean.

Edith Pattou’s East is not too well known, but it should be. The 500-page plus book really doesn’t seem as long as it is because the whole thing is extremely engrossing, taking you into a world of sparkling snow, loneliness, and love. East is a retelling of East of the Sun, West of the Moon, a Norwegian folktale of a girl following her stolen love to the Troll Queen’s palace.

Just Ella, by Margaret Peterson Haddix, is a funny but not stupid retelling of Cinderella, which takes place after Ella is swept off in a carriage to live in the palace. Once she gets there, however, the perfect Prince Charming actually turns out to be Prince Dreary. Ella gets sick of it pretty quickly and has to find a way to escape—and from the dungeon, too, where she has been placed for unladylike behavior.

Shannon Hale’s The Goose Girl breathes a lot of life into the old fairytale, especially the new idea of wind-speak, although I found the beginning just a tad slow. Once past there, the book becomes a delightful and easy read (the sequels, Enna Burning and River Secrets, are also really good, but they move on to different plots than fairytales). Ms. Hale’s forthcoming Book of a Thousand Days is based on the little-known Brothers Grimm tale, Maid Maleen. I am not familiar with the story, nor is there much information about the book online, but I’m sure Shannon Hale will give readers another expertly woven plot and flowing narration.

Patrice Kindl creates a sort of fairytale-collage in Goose Chase; the beautiful Alexandria was formerly a goose girl and is now locked in a tower while two suitors fight over her. With the help of her twelve geese, Alexandria escapes the tower only to be tried by trolls, an evil baroness, and the foolishness of Prince Edmund of Dorloo. The plot is fast-paced and funny, but there are a few too many “by my troths!” in my opinion.

I don’t think there are many people in the world who haven’t seen—or at least heard of—The Princess Bride, but I’ll throw it in here anyway. The movie is the classic type of fairy story, including an evil prince, a captured princess, a giant, and Rodents of Unusual Size. If you haven’t watched it yet, I sincerely recommend that you do so. Maybe some of you don’t know of the novel on which the movie was based, The Princess Bride, by William Goldman.

More YA Fairytales:

Beauty Sleep, by Cameron Dokey
Before Midnight, by Cameron Dokey
Beast, by Donna Jo Napoli
Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister: A Novel, by Gregory Maguire
Crazy Jack, by Donna Jo Napoli
Fairest, by Gail Carson Levine
Golden, by Cameron Dokey
The Magic Circle, by Donna Jo Napoli
Midnight Pearls, by Debbie Viguié
Mira, Mirror, by Mette Harrison
The Night Dance, by Suzanne Weyn
The Phoenix Dance, by Dia Calhoun
The Rose and the Beast, by Francesca Lia Block
The Rose Bride: A Re-Telling of the White and Black Bride, by Nancy Holder
The Rumpelstiltskin Problem, by Vivian Vande Velde
Rose Daughter, by Robin McKinley
Scarlet Moon, by Debbie Viguié
Snow, by Tracy Lyn
Spindle’s End, by Robin McKinley
Spinners, by Donna Jo Napoli
Spirited, by Nancy Holder
The Storyteller’s Daughter, by Cameron Dokey
The Swan Maiden, by Heather Tomlinson
Water Song, by Suzanne Weyn
Zel, by Donna Jo Napoli

Juvenile Fairytale Retellings:

Beauty, by Robin McKinley
Ella Enchanted, by Gail Carson Levine
Rapunzel, the One with All the Hair, by Wendy Mass
Tales from the Brothers Grimm and the Sisters Weird, by Vivian Vande Velde
The Door in the Hedge, by Robin McKinley
The Frog Prince, Continued, by Jon Scieszka
-
The Frog Princess
Dragon’s Breath
Once Upon a Curse
No Place for Magic
The Salamander Spell, by E.D. Baker