Entwined

Starred review from February 28, 2011
Readers who enjoy stories of royalty, romance, and magic will delight in Dixon's first novel. Part confection, part acute observation, the story of Azalea and her sisters is a reimagining of "The Twelve Dancing Princesses" by an author who knows both the protocols and the pleasures of dance. The girls lose that when their mother dies in childbirth, and the castle is plunged into deepest mourning. Their father, whom they call "the King," banishes the girls from his sight and shortly thereafter goes off to war without saying good-bye. Grieving, angry, and bored, Azalea discovers a hidden passage out of the princesses' room, and the magical pavilion it leads to, guarded by the enigmatic spirit Keeper, is the perfect place to dance again. Or is it? Azalea, keenly aware of her duties as the Princess Royale, cannot trust a dream-come-true scenario nor can she forget the warm brown eyes of Mr. Bradford, met briefly and now warring beside the King. The language is simple, rendering Dixon's insights with a light touch without simplifying the problems Azalea faces or the nuances of the understanding she develops. Ages 12–up.

March 15, 2011
This retelling of "The 12 Dancing Princesses" includes all the familiar elements of the Grimms' fairy tale while adding detail and exciting events—with consummate panache. Azalea is the oldest child and has acted as second mother to her 11 younger sisters since the Queen died giving birth to little Ivy. The grieving king insists on deep mourning for all the court, forbidding the princesses to dance. Since the girls cannot give up dancing—it was their mother's gift to them—they find a path to an enchanted place under the castle, where the slightly sinister Keeper allows them to dance their slippers into shreds. His initial kindness—"[Y]ou are welcome to dance here, among the magic. Please. Come and mend your broken hearts here," he invites—changes to cruelty as he becomes ever more controlling. All 11 sisters are very real characters, adding considerable dimension to the story. The unfortunately gauche and clumsy king slowly shows his truly loving heart, especially as he arranges for the older girls to meet appropriate young men as suitors, also well-developed and rewarding characters. The plot zips along, becoming more and more suspenseful as the story progresses until it becomes almost too tense. Dixon balances the suspense with generous helpings of humor and sparkling dialogue. This charming, romantic story, told with a light touch, will appeal to older preteens on up. (Fantasy. 12 & up)

(COPYRIGHT (2011) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

May 1, 2011

Gr 7-10-This novelized reimagining of the Grimms' "The Twelve Dancing Princesses" is a successful and appealing blend of fantasy, romance, mystery, and creepiness. After her mother's death and the banning of all diversions by her grieving and distant father, the eldest of the 12 sisters, Princess Azalea, finds a magical entrance to a fantasy world of a dancing pavilion to which the sisters can escape each night. Azalea slowly begins to understand that the handsome and mysterious Pavilion Keeper has a sinister plan that will ensnare her, but it is only toward the climax that its terrible meaning becomes clear. Her battle with the Keeper will require all of her courage, ingenuity, and ultimately something magical beyond herself. While the plot has a fairy-tale feel, the relationships among the sisters have more of a contemporary domestic sensibility. There are hints of something deeper, too, with 16-year-old Azalea trying to fill the shoes of her mother even while she grieves for her, and struggling with the weight of that responsibility. Woven around the fantasy is a gentle romance theme accompanied by touches of humor, with the king attempting to marry off his daughters and the princesses insisting on their autonomy. Dixon successfully distinguishes the younger girls by emphasizing only one or two traits for each. The three eldest, Azalea, Bramble, and Clover, are more fully drawn. The suitors are by turns appealing and funny, but it is the Keeper who stays with readers. Fans of Gail Carson Levine's Fairest (HarperCollins, 2006) or Julie Kagawa's "Iron Fey" series (Harlequin Teen) will cheer on Azalea and her sisters in their quest for family and happiness.-Sue Giffard, Ethical Culture Fieldston School, New York City

Copyright 2011 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from February 1, 2011
Grades 7-10 *Starred Review* In the half-magical world of Eathesbury, Azalea is the oldest of 12 daughters and heir to her fathers throne. When the sisters mother dies after a long illness, the siblings find a hidden passageway to an enchanted pavilion under the castle where they can dance all night, secretly breaking the rules of mourning. The mysterious and alluring Keeper makes this possible, but he also seems to have less-than-honorable plans for the girls, especially Azalea. The tales atmosphere becomes increasingly dark and brooding as the truth from ages past comes out, and Azalea realizes just what evil they are pitted against. With several unexpected twists, the story, based on the original Grimms tale The Worn-Out Dancing Shoes, plunges toward a harrowing conclusion. This first novel is richly imagined with a gothic feel, and Dixons descriptions of the many dances are thrilling. Although the general story line will be familiar to readers of Jessica Day Georges Princess of the Midnight Ball (2009), this romantic fantasy is darker in tone, and the villain resembles the faeries in Nancy Werlins Impossible (2008) and O. R. Mellings The Hunters Moon (2005). The story gracefully explores significant themes of grief and loss, mercy and love. Full of mystery, lush settings, and fully orbed characters, Dixons debut is both suspenseful and rewarding.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)

May 1, 2011
"There were twelve dancing princesses...[and] one day, they found a magical land of silver and music, where they could dance and forget all their troubles." Filled with magic, treachery, romance, moral dilemmas, family problems, and plenty of action, this is an ambitious intertwining of folktale reimagining and coming-of-age novel. Azalea and her eleven younger sisters love to dance but are forbidden to do so while mourning their mother's death. However, the girls live in the royal palace of Eathesbury, which was magicked long ago by a mad king, and Azalea discovers a secret passage leading to a fantastical silver forest. There the princesses meet the mysterious, magical Mr. Keeper who allows them to dance in his pavilion every night. But Azalea eventually realizes a dark truth about Mr. Keeper that threatens her family's safety. Although there are a few unexplained plot points and the romantic relationships are fairly lackluster and obvious, Dixon's writing style is vividly descriptive -- especially evident in a particularly violent dance sequence halfway through the novel. And in Mr. Keeper Dixon creates a truly evil villain whose cunning, manipulative cruelty, and vindictive spirit add palpable tension to this first novel. cynthia k. ritter

(Copyright 2011 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

March 15, 2011
This retelling of "The 12 Dancing Princesses" includes all the familiar elements of the Grimms' fairy tale while adding detail and exciting events--with consummate panache. Azalea is the oldest child and has acted as second mother to her 11 younger sisters since the Queen died giving birth to little Ivy. The grieving king insists on deep mourning for all the court, forbidding the princesses to dance. Since the girls cannot give up dancing--it was their mother's gift to them--they find a path to an enchanted place under the castle, where the slightly sinister Keeper allows them to dance their slippers into shreds. His initial kindness--"[Y]ou are welcome to dance here, among the magic. Please. Come and mend your broken hearts here," he invites--changes to cruelty as he becomes ever more controlling. All 11 sisters are very real characters, adding considerable dimension to the story. The unfortunately gauche and clumsy king slowly shows his truly loving heart, especially as he arranges for the older girls to meet appropriate young men as suitors, also well-developed and rewarding characters. The plot zips along, becoming more and more suspenseful as the story progresses until it becomes almost too tense. Dixon balances the suspense with generous helpings of humor and sparkling dialogue. This charming, romantic story, told with a light touch, will appeal to older preteens on up. (Fantasy. 12 & up)

(COPYRIGHT (2011) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)