You come across fairytale retellings all the time. They are always in demand and they're really interesting to retell. What differentiated The Princess Curse from many of the other retellings I have read is the shift in perspective. Most of us know the story of the twelve dancing princesses and most of the retellings tell the tale from the perspective of one of the princesses. Reveka is not a princess. Reveka is not even a noble. She is the gardener's daughter and the apothecary apprentice. And she is one of the most fun and interesting characters I have had the fortune to read. If I were to describe her in one word, it would be: irrepressible. Haskell creates a world that sometimes does seem to be placed under a glass dome, cut off from the rest of the countries but at the same time, she is detailed enough that it is easy enough to imagine the daily ongoings of a castle life. Her characterizations are spot on and her romances are unconventional. Also, there is a dragon. I love dragons. I liked how Haskell deals with the latter half of the story that has more in common with Beauty and the Beast than The 12 Dancing Princesses or maybe Hades and Persephone. Hm, yes, possibly the latter though there are definite shades of Beauty and the Beast also present. I don't know why this is not more widely read. It is charming, sincere and has a whole lot of heart. Of course there are no sparking creatures and brooding heroes - well, okay, there seems to be one but he's a bit...I think the kind word here would be, simple. Yeah. And Reveka's very young, fourteen or fifteen and no, it's not creepy at all because as I said, the romance is unconventional and not unbelievable (hey, double negatives, go me!). The writing, too, is absolutely gorgeous and later, when I can be bothered to move, I'll edit this and add in a quote that was very splendid. If you like adventurous, spunky heroines and fairytales, I urge you to pick up The Princess Curse. This story inside matches the beautiful cover outside. Read it!
