Princess Lily and her twin sister Sophia are off to make diplomatic alliances with the Duchy of Marin. Upon their arrival they discover that they are being forced to participate in a magical princess tournament to establish who will marry a cursed prince in a neighboring kingdom. The 12 participants range from ages 13-18, and have to descend into a magical underground realm every three days to compete in various feats of whit and skill. None of the princesses really wants to wed the cursed prince, but if they do not try their best one of their loved ones will suffer. As the oldest, Lily and Sophia know they are most likely to win, but Lily has a secret plan to protect her sister by trying her best to surpass her. The prince of Marin comes to first admire, then love Lily, so he doesn't want her to win. On the other hand, his own three sisters are competing as well, so he can understand Lily's determination to try to save the other girls. The couple also face political treachery within the land of Marin., Torn between duty and love, both know that following their hearts might bring ruin on their friends and family.
I was sick all this week, and this book was just the thing to get me through the worst times. The 12 Dancing Princesses has long been one of my favorite fairytales, and this is probably my favorite novel adaptation of the story I have read so far. Maybe because I was sick, I couldn't see how the author would resolve the conflict until right before the end. Lily is a charmingly human protagonist, who, although she knows she must not get to attached to Prince John, nevertheless, keeps finding herself unable to resist his comfort, support, and embraces. I liked this book enough that I put the second in the series on hold right away, and have already checked it out to read next. (2017, 444 p.)
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