The Thirteenth Princess by Diane Zahler

The Thirteenth Princess by Diane Zahler 5 of 5 stars.

Zita is not an ordinary servant girl--she's the thirteenth daughter of a king who wanted only sons. When she was born, Zita's father banished her to the servants' quarters and she can only communicate with her royal sisters in secret. Then, after Zita's twelfth birthday, the princesses all fall mysteriously ill. The only clue is their strangely worn and tattered shoes. With the help of her friends--Breckin the stable boy, Babette the witch, and Milek the soldier--Zita follows her bewitched sisters into a magical world of endless dancing and dreams. But something sinister is afoot--and unless Zita and her friends can break the curse, the twelve princesses will surely dance to their deaths.

Though I thought the cover beautiful but a bit corny, I cannot deny the wonderful story Diane Zahler has woven into the pages of this book. Princess Zita is a fiery and brave narrator who tells the story of how she saves her sisters from their enchantment. The other character are life-like and full of passion that drives the story at an exciting pace. Re-writing a well known and well loved story is a risky thing, but Diane Zahler has done it with originality and beauty. I would suggest this book to anyone who loves a good fairy tale!


For fans of: Gail Carson Levine, Princess of the Midnight Ball, Fairy Tales