The Princess Curse

Merrie Haskell’s middle-grade fantasy novel Princess Curse is an imaginative retelling of the fairy tales The Twelve Dancing Princesses and Beauty and the Beast.
 
In the fifteenth-century kingdom of Sylvania, the prince offers a fabulous reward to anyone who cures the curse that forces the princesses to spend each night dancing to the point of exhaustion. Everyone who tries disappears or falls into an enchanted sleep.
 
Thirteen-year-old Reveka, a smart, courageous herbalist’s apprentice, decides to attempt to break the curse despite the danger. Unravelling the mystery behind the curse leads Reveka to the Underworld, and to save the princesses, Reveka will have to risk her soul.
 
Princess Curse combines magic, suspense, humor, and adventure into a story perfect for fans of Gail Carson Levine.

Twelve princesses suffer from a puzzling (if silly) curse, and anyone who ends it will win a reward. Reveka, a sharp-witted and irreverent apprentice herbalist, wants that reward. But her investigations lead to deeper mysteries and a daunting choice—will she break the curse at the peril of her own soul?

Haskell’s first novel offers a well-paced fantasy with an involving first-person narrative. - Booklist

[An] intriguing mix of fairy tale, Romanian folklore, and classic mythology…readers will likely be as anxious to return to the Underworld as Reveka. - Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

THE PRINCESS CURSE is a wonder of a book—myth and fairy tale, romance and high comedy. Reveka, the herbalist’s apprentice, takes us with her on a journey through our world and what lies beneath as she learns about life and death, love and loyalty, courage and despair. As I did, you will delight in this exciting and touchingly romantic story. I can’t wait to see what happens next to the fierce and strong Reveka. Read it. - Karen Cushman, Newbery Medalist author of THE MIDWIFE’S APPRENTICE and CATHERINE CALLED BIRDY

Imaginative, intriguing and spirited…In this impressive debut, the author artfully weaves humor, suspense, magic and myth into an intricate plot. - Kirkus Reviews

With a good sense of humor, an able and empowered protagonist, and a highly original take on this tale, Haskell’s story gives readers much to enjoy. - Publishers Weekly