Title: Entwined
Author: Heather Dixon
Series: n/a
Enchanting and Heartwarming!
I was complete taken with this novel! It might have gotten a tad tedious in the middle as the characters developed and I waited for something to happen, but I barely noticed, so swept up in the fairy tale. I wasn’t familiar with the tale of the twelve dancing princesses, but I googled it after and drew the parallels. I believe I much prefer this version. I usually read romance novels, but these days they revolve around sex, and this book was a nice break from that. In my estimation, it’s largely coming-of-age and family themed, with wonderfully woven subplots of mystery, fantasy, and heart-melting romance. And there’s humor! There were parts when I smiled and even laughed out loud at the girls’ antics. Overall it was about the girls and their father, the king, coping with the mother’s death and learning how important they were to one another as well as learning to love each other without the glue that was their mother’s will forcing them together. When the evil Keeper threatens to tear their family apart, they find strength in their love and overcome his dark magic. One thing, though–I’m afraid I didn’t fully grasp the meaning of the entwine dance and what exactly it was supposed to accomplish in the story. I kept trying to figure out where it would come into play and provide a plot twist or a resolution, but it never did, and I feel it may have been a bit of a missed opportunity. But that was really the only “loose end” I caught. Lastly, I listened to the audiobook, and the narrator, Mandy Williams, did an excellent job of bringing the story and characters to life. This is going on my keeper shelves!
