Wildwood Dancing

I just finished Wildwood Dancing by Juliet Marillier. I thought it was quite brilliant, I loved it. It had me choked up by the end - and I never cry over books! It was beautiful, and tragic and still had a happy ending. I think my favorite part was the romance between Sorrow and Tatiana. Theirs was a dark, true, love of black velvet. I absolutely loved the Romanian backdrop, the locations and folklore, and the names. I've always wanted to visit Romania and this only encouraged me! The way the novel ended didn't seem to leave room for a sequel, but who knows. I do hope that one day she will revisit Piscul Dracului for another adventure.

The story is of five sisters, Tatiana, Jena, Paula, Iulia and Stela, who find a portal to the Other Kingdom. For years they visit the Other Kingdom on every Full Moon and there, in Dancing Glade, they partake in the revels of the land of the fey. One particular Full Moon a race of people show up called the Night People. They are basically vampires - but Marillier uses the term Night People to avoid any confusion with Dracula, the most famous Romanian folk tale that is often misjudged. Tati falls for one of them, Sorrow, and Jena is instantly suspicious. Throughout the novel, Jena must decide who is her enemy and who is her ally, and who is her true love. The girls' father is away in Constanta (pronounced Con-stahn-tsah) ill and it is not known if he will live. While he is away, Jena is put in charge, however, she must deal with her cousin, Cezar, who is the eldest male - his older brother Costin disappeared in the Deadwash ten years before. Jena must regain control of Piscul Dracului, save her sister, and the Other Kingdom, all while trying to figure out who her true love is.

It's a fabulous young adult novel, and my summary/review does it no justice. It is nearly impossible to put into words a beautiful peice of art such as Wildwood Dancing - just try it for yourself!