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But their peace is shattered when Father falls ill and must go to the southern parts to recover, for that is when cousin Cezar arrives. Though he's there to help the girls survive the brutal winter, Jena suspects he has darker motives in store. Meanwhile, Jena's sister has fallen in love with a dangerous creature of the Other Kingdom—an impossible union it's up to Jena to stop.
When Cezar's grip of power begins to tighten, at stake is everything Jena loves: her home, her family, and the Other Kingdom she has come to cherish. To save her world, Jena will be tested in ways she can't imagine—tests of trust, strength, and true love.
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Creators
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Series
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Publisher
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Awards
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Release date
January 13, 2009 -
Formats
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OverDrive Listen audiobook
- ISBN: 9780739379417
- File size: 371575 KB
- Duration: 12:54:06
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Languages
- English
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Levels
- Lexile® Measure: 770
- Text Difficulty: 3-4
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Reviews
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January 22, 2007
Combining several familiar fairy tales in her first novel for young readers, Australian author Marillier (Daughter of the Forest
, for adults) crafts a romantic fantasy rich in detail, magical creatures and strong female characters. The Wildwood is a magical place ruled by Draguta, "the witch of the wood." For nine years, narrator Jenica (aka Jena) and her four sisters have secretly visited the Other Kingdom, which appears in the Wildwood every Full Moon and where they dance until morning. Though Tati is the oldest, 15-year-old Jena is the responsible sister; people find Jena a bit odd because she travels with a frog named Gogu ("My dearest friend, my inseparable companion and my wise advisor," says she). But the sisters' idyllic world begins to crumble when their cousin Cezar takes over running their estate, Piscul Dracului, while their father is away. Cezar hates and fears the Other Kingdom as much as Jena and her sisters love it. He plans to destroy the trees in the Wildwood, and Jena frantically seeks a way to save the magical world. Marillier weaves the tale of the frog prince into this lush novel, peopled with vampires and forest witches, and adds a surprise twist (involving Jena and her amphibian companion). Ages 12-up. -
Clever use of motifs from THE TWELVE DANCING PRINCESSES and THE FROG PRINCE propel this variation on vampire romance. For nine years five sisters have experienced happy secret visits to the fairy kingdom's dancing glade at full moon. With a youthful light-soprano voice, Kim Mai Guest perfectly captures the young teen Jena, the practical second eldest, as she tells the tale. The sweet high voices of the sisters contrast with the slight Transylvanian accents of the supporting characters, both human and fairy. Heavier accents suggest the evil of several players who threaten the girls' youthful innocence. Plot surprises keep listeners engaged through some longer emotional passages as Jena struggles to maintain her independence and keep her sisters safe until her beloved father returns. R.H.H. (c) AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine
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