Revel: Twelve Dancing Princesses Retold

Revel: Twelve Dancing Princesses was, as the title states, a remake of the original, and yet another fantastic retelling in the series. It certainly fleshed out the rather 'weak tea' original version. It's book 4 in the series, but as with the others, you absolutely do not have to read the others to enjoy this. Now, there are some characters you might learn more about that would be fun, but that's a choice you'll not suffer from either way. Bianca is a princess from a rather large harem of the King's and has spent her life there, dreading the queen's notice (Bianca is not her daughter) and court intrigue in general. A pretty girl who hates being pretty for the attention in brings, she is sadly the victim of that very curse, and yet blessed with the magic of invisibility (gotta love that irony). The queen sends her away to a summer 'palace' where it is widely known to be where unwanted princesses are sent. This is where the mystery of the shoes wearing out nightly happens. Turns out, the girls are dancing their nights away with some mysterious men. Bianca having at least half a brain, sees the danger in this. Vasco, our hero in this story, is a simple soldier who has spent his life fighting after a tragic youth. After an injury that leaves him unable to perform satisfactorily, he is discharged and wanders about until he meets up with a witch who happens to be helping teach Bianca about her magic. He does odd jobs for her for a while, and eventually she sends him off to the palace to try and solve the mystery. The chemistry between the two is quick and easy, and quite enjoyable. Bianca doesn't begrudge him his lack of title and he simply wants to help her he's so enamored. Together they manage to save the day (of course), and get their happy ever after. I enjoyed very much that the hero of this story was a simple soldier. Both characters were likable and the story was engaging. The narrator has an interesting choice of accents, but she does a good job of it. If you enjoy your fantasy with some mystery, a little action, some steam, a tad bit of magic, and more than a few stuck-up princesses, this is a good read for you.

Bianca and Vasco must solve a deadly mystery before either of them succumb to it. This story contained a few scenes which I found to be a bit gruesome, but that did not detract much from overall. Bianca is delightfully strong and intelligent. Vasco overcomes both his demons within and those in the world. Easy-to-read. Entertaining. Great world building. Happily Ever After. Haunting.Romantic. Scary. Steamy. Tragic. Twisted. Unpredictable. Wonderful characters. I received a copy of this book as a gift from the author. This is my honest review.

I found it interesting how Demelza Carlton tied this retelling of the Twelve Dancing Princesses with her retelling of the Little Mermaid. I also like how her characters have magic and aren't merely damsels in distress. Bianca was a talented witch in addition to being a princess. She was also a bit of an amateur sleuth. It was fun. My complaint with this book is similar to the last one. The felt like YA, except it began and ended with sex. It was unnecessary and didn't fit the book.