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The Princesses of Westfalin Trilogy #2
Princess of Glass
The engrossing companion novel to Princess of the Midnight Ball, with a wicked twist on Cinderella.
Hoping to escape the troubles in her kingdom, Princess Poppy reluctantly agrees to take part in a royal exchange program, whereby young princes and princesses travel to each other’s countries in the name of better political alliances—and potential marriages. It’s got the makings of a fairy tale—until a hapless servant named Eleanor is tricked by a vengeful fairy godmother into competing with Poppy for the eligible prince. Ballgowns, cinders, and enchanted glass slippers fly in this romantic and action-packed happily-ever-after quest from an author with a flair for embroidering tales in her own delightful way.
Hoping to escape the troubles in her kingdom, Princess Poppy reluctantly agrees to take part in a royal exchange program, whereby young princes and princesses travel to each other’s countries in the name of better political alliances—and potential marriages. It’s got the makings of a fairy tale—until a hapless servant named Eleanor is tricked by a vengeful fairy godmother into competing with Poppy for the eligible prince. Ballgowns, cinders, and enchanted glass slippers fly in this romantic and action-packed happily-ever-after quest from an author with a flair for embroidering tales in her own delightful way.
272 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 25, 2010
About the author
Jessica Day George
24 books5,803 followersJessica Day George likes chocolate, knitting, books, travel, movies, dragons, horses, dogs, and her family. These are all things to keep in mind if you ever meet her. For instance, you could bring her chocolate to make the meeting go more smoothly. You could also talk about how adorable her children are, even if you have never seen them. You could discuss dog breeds (she had a Maltese named Pippin, and grew up with a poodle mix and a Brittany Spaniel. Right now she has a Coton de Tulear named Sunny). You could talk about Norway, and how it's the Greatest Place On Earth, and Germany, The Second Greatest Place On Earth. You could ask her about yarn, and indicate a willingness to learn to knit your own socks, if you can't already do so.
And, well, you could talk about books. Jessica's books, other people's books. It's really all about the books. To paraphrase Jerry Seinfeld: Friends, family, school, they were just obstacles in the way of getting more books.
She would like it if books came with chocolate to eat while reading them.
And, well, you could talk about books. Jessica's books, other people's books. It's really all about the books. To paraphrase Jerry Seinfeld: Friends, family, school, they were just obstacles in the way of getting more books.
She would like it if books came with chocolate to eat while reading them.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,906 reviews
May 30, 2016
Brilliant!
Basically I wanted to explore what would happen to one of the Twelve Dancing Princesses after their curse had ended. In the original story it says, And they lived happily ever after, and they never danced again. So I decided to stick one of the girls into a new fairy tale, one where she had to dance, and see what she would do. Also, I love writing Poppy's snappy dialogue and rather sarcastic outlook, so I decided to give her her own book!
Basically I wanted to explore what would happen to one of the Twelve Dancing Princesses after their curse had ended. In the original story it says, And they lived happily ever after, and they never danced again. So I decided to stick one of the girls into a new fairy tale, one where she had to dance, and see what she would do. Also, I love writing Poppy's snappy dialogue and rather sarcastic outlook, so I decided to give her her own book!
July 21, 2016
Final review, first posted on Fantasy Literature:
Three years after they have solved the problem of the evil underground King of Stone and his twelve sons in Princess of the Midnight Ball (or have they?), the king of Westfalin and his twelve daughters are still dealing with the aftermath. Some of the girls are suffering from PTSD, and the rulers of neighboring kingdoms are still bitter about the loss of their princes and other young men who died while trying to figure out the mystery of the dancing princesses in the first book. So the king of Westfalin institutes a type of exchange program, sending his daughters to other countries for extended stays with their royal families, to try to repair the relations with them and perhaps even to form some helpful alliances through marriages.
Princess of Glass follows one of the younger sisters, Poppy, now 16 years old, as she travels to the country of Breton and tries to deal with the social scene there. Poppy is so traumatized by her many years of midnight underground dances that she never wishes to dance again, but turning down dance invitations from important nobles is a bit tricky, as is dealing with the temperamental King Rupert of Breton. However, when Poppy meets Christian, a personable and handsome young prince who’s also visiting Breton from the country of Danelaw, she begins to think life in Breton might not be so bad. Her new friends in Breton try to help her ease back into society … and dancing.
But new problems arise, in the form of a resentful Cinderella character with a highly questionable fairy godmother. Ellen Parker is hopelessly inept and clumsy, in addition to being resentful and angry ― not a great combination for a servant. She’s also hiding the fact that she’s the former Eleanora Parke-Whittington, a gentleman’s daughter, descended into servitude when her family’s fortunes failed. When a mysterious fairy godmother offers to help Ellen regain her glory days and capture the affections of Prince Christian, Ellen is delighted that her fortunes are finally changing.
But the Corley, her fairy godmother, clearly doesn’t have Ellen’s best interests at heart. Godmother melts glass directly onto Ellen’s feet, shaping them into magical dancing slippers. She also creates an enchantment that affects the young men at the balls, making them forget every woman except Ellen (who is now, appropriately, going by Ella). The magical knitting that was so important in the first book comes back into play in Princess of Glass, as do other types of white magic.
Jessica Day George comments about Princess of Glass in her Goodreads review: “Basically I wanted to explore what would happen to one of the Twelve Dancing Princesses after their curse had ended. In the original story it says, ‘And they lived happily ever after, and they never danced again.’ So I decided to stick one of the girls into a new fairy tale, one where she had to dance, and see what she would do.” The aftereffects from the traumatic events of the first book still linger, and George explores several of the secondary effects in this sequel. It’s a nice touch, examining the question of “what happens next?” with an eye to the logical consequences of what came before. Poppy is periodically troubled by vivid dreams of the evil underground prince that she used to dance with, but at least in this book, these dreams remain just that. Readers will find out in the third book whether her dreams are created by memories of her past or are portents of problems to come!
Poppy is a delightful heroine, with a lot more snarkiness in her personality than her older sister Rose, the main character in Princess of the Midnight Ball. Despite being troubled by her past experiences, Poppy is determined and knows her mind, but is concerned about others at the same time. It’s a good thing that Poppy is so appealing, because Ellen/Ella is the opposite: she’s angry, conflicted, jealous of what she’s lost and what the ladies that she serves still have, and frustrated with both her appalling ineptitude and her lower status in life. In other words, an ideal victim for the fairy godmother’s schemes. She’s also a brat. For most of the book she’s a highly unlikeable character, which may put off some readers. The Corley, the villainess, struck me as a bit cartoonish, rather than as a truly ominous threat.
Overall I found Princess of Glass a charming read. I especially appreciated the element of surprise added by the greater creativity of the plot in this volume, as opposed to the first. While it’s firmly in the middle grade/younger YA category, I still recommend it for readers of any age who like lighter, young adult fairy tale retellings.
Three years after they have solved the problem of the evil underground King of Stone and his twelve sons in Princess of the Midnight Ball (or have they?), the king of Westfalin and his twelve daughters are still dealing with the aftermath. Some of the girls are suffering from PTSD, and the rulers of neighboring kingdoms are still bitter about the loss of their princes and other young men who died while trying to figure out the mystery of the dancing princesses in the first book. So the king of Westfalin institutes a type of exchange program, sending his daughters to other countries for extended stays with their royal families, to try to repair the relations with them and perhaps even to form some helpful alliances through marriages.
Princess of Glass follows one of the younger sisters, Poppy, now 16 years old, as she travels to the country of Breton and tries to deal with the social scene there. Poppy is so traumatized by her many years of midnight underground dances that she never wishes to dance again, but turning down dance invitations from important nobles is a bit tricky, as is dealing with the temperamental King Rupert of Breton. However, when Poppy meets Christian, a personable and handsome young prince who’s also visiting Breton from the country of Danelaw, she begins to think life in Breton might not be so bad. Her new friends in Breton try to help her ease back into society … and dancing.
But new problems arise, in the form of a resentful Cinderella character with a highly questionable fairy godmother. Ellen Parker is hopelessly inept and clumsy, in addition to being resentful and angry ― not a great combination for a servant. She’s also hiding the fact that she’s the former Eleanora Parke-Whittington, a gentleman’s daughter, descended into servitude when her family’s fortunes failed. When a mysterious fairy godmother offers to help Ellen regain her glory days and capture the affections of Prince Christian, Ellen is delighted that her fortunes are finally changing.
But the Corley, her fairy godmother, clearly doesn’t have Ellen’s best interests at heart. Godmother melts glass directly onto Ellen’s feet, shaping them into magical dancing slippers. She also creates an enchantment that affects the young men at the balls, making them forget every woman except Ellen (who is now, appropriately, going by Ella). The magical knitting that was so important in the first book comes back into play in Princess of Glass, as do other types of white magic.
Jessica Day George comments about Princess of Glass in her Goodreads review: “Basically I wanted to explore what would happen to one of the Twelve Dancing Princesses after their curse had ended. In the original story it says, ‘And they lived happily ever after, and they never danced again.’ So I decided to stick one of the girls into a new fairy tale, one where she had to dance, and see what she would do.” The aftereffects from the traumatic events of the first book still linger, and George explores several of the secondary effects in this sequel. It’s a nice touch, examining the question of “what happens next?” with an eye to the logical consequences of what came before. Poppy is periodically troubled by vivid dreams of the evil underground prince that she used to dance with, but at least in this book, these dreams remain just that. Readers will find out in the third book whether her dreams are created by memories of her past or are portents of problems to come!
Poppy is a delightful heroine, with a lot more snarkiness in her personality than her older sister Rose, the main character in Princess of the Midnight Ball. Despite being troubled by her past experiences, Poppy is determined and knows her mind, but is concerned about others at the same time. It’s a good thing that Poppy is so appealing, because Ellen/Ella is the opposite: she’s angry, conflicted, jealous of what she’s lost and what the ladies that she serves still have, and frustrated with both her appalling ineptitude and her lower status in life. In other words, an ideal victim for the fairy godmother’s schemes. She’s also a brat. For most of the book she’s a highly unlikeable character, which may put off some readers. The Corley, the villainess, struck me as a bit cartoonish, rather than as a truly ominous threat.
Overall I found Princess of Glass a charming read. I especially appreciated the element of surprise added by the greater creativity of the plot in this volume, as opposed to the first. While it’s firmly in the middle grade/younger YA category, I still recommend it for readers of any age who like lighter, young adult fairy tale retellings.
July 28, 2024
The twelve Dancing Princesses Meet Cinderella!
Well, one of the twelve princesses meets Cinderella.
Ok, fine.
One of the Twelve Dancing Princesses meets a version of Cinderella.
I liked that you get a kind of fairytale mash-up with this one. And I liked that Cinderella was kind of a dick at first. I mean, you feel sorry for her but she doesn't exactly endear herself to the people around her with her shitty attitude.
The take on the glass slippers, though? That was pure nightmare fuel.
Once again, you also have an underlying story about evil fae and some hints that Poppy and her sisters may not have seen the end of Underhill.
Book 3 deals with this more, but the seeds of that are planted here.
Poppy and her prince made a good team and I liked the way it ended.
I've enjoyed these books and would recommend them to anyone looking for fairytale retellings.
Well, one of the twelve princesses meets Cinderella.
Ok, fine.
One of the Twelve Dancing Princesses meets a version of Cinderella.
I liked that you get a kind of fairytale mash-up with this one. And I liked that Cinderella was kind of a dick at first. I mean, you feel sorry for her but she doesn't exactly endear herself to the people around her with her shitty attitude.
The take on the glass slippers, though? That was pure nightmare fuel.
Once again, you also have an underlying story about evil fae and some hints that Poppy and her sisters may not have seen the end of Underhill.
Book 3 deals with this more, but the seeds of that are planted here.
Poppy and her prince made a good team and I liked the way it ended.
I've enjoyed these books and would recommend them to anyone looking for fairytale retellings.
January 24, 2019
Having had a few years to recover from the Westfalin-Analousian War, the kings and queens of the Ionian continent have devised a novel peacekeeping plan: they’ll all exchange children for several months to a year, hopefully securing many marriage alliances and lifelong goodwill.
Most young Ionian royals find this plan annoying, but it’s actually painful for Poppy and Daisy, twin princesses of Westfalin. Not too long ago, they and their ten sisters were under a curse that left several Ionian princes dead. It wasn’t the girls’ fault at all, but the truth is not widely known. In some places the sisters are still suspected of witchcraft.
So Poppy finds herself alone in her late mother’s homeland of Breton. The Breton King is already hosting Prince Christian of the Danelaw, so Poppy is instead housed by the noble Seadown family. She makes fast friends with Marianne Seadown, the brothers Roger and Dickon Thwaite, and even the wary Christian…
…but their comraderie collapses when mysterious Lady Ella turns up at the King’s ball. Nothing is known of this girl save her first name, yet every eligible bachelor in Breton is after her. And she has her cap set at Christian, whom Poppy was starting to really like.
At first Poppy’s just hurt, as one is when slighted by a kind and handsome prince. But previous experience tells her there’s something fouler at work here than a swain-snagging siren. She’s aided by Roger, who thinks he knows Ella’s true identity. What follows is a caper of card games, masquerades, glittering chandeliers, shiny ball gowns, and horrors from the Underworld.
Content Advisory
Violence: Poppy has to shoot an evil creature with a silver bullet.
Sex: Dickon shocks the Breton court by showing up to a masquerade with no shirt, and Marianne coordinates with a midriff-baring top.
Language: Poppy turns the air blue by saying things like “blast it.”
Substance: Dickon gets drunk at one of the parties.
Nightmare Fuel: .
Conclusions
This is a lighter, more sparkling book than Princess of the Midnight Ball. Its atmosphere is bright, glittery, and fast-paced – so much so that the underground sorceress with plans to take over the upper world seems almost foreign to the rest of the book.
The Corley doesn’t seem diabolically evil so much as a demented granny who enjoys matchmaking too much—not very frightening compared to the villain of the first book. Her powers over glass are a clever and legitimately scary twist on Cinderella’s godmother, but she never seemed all that intimidating. The current King Under Stone, Rionin, is a lot more frightening. He should have been in more of the book.
Poppy is a fun main character with a winning mix of traits. She loves fashion and frippery, but balances that with the practicality and grit she needs to survive a family curse. She’s witty, brave, and equally lethal with a pistol or a knitting needle. Cool!
Christian is a charming, adorable, awkward, typical boy. Unfortunately, he spends most of the book in an enchanted stupor, which he doesn’t conquer until the last few pages. I liked him, but he’s too out of it to claim my heart like Galen did in the first book. Galen was shrewd and crafty and dauntless, a trickster and a warrior. Christian’s a good kid, but was befuddled and in need of rescue for most of the story. He’s more victim than hero.
This is a good sequel to Princess of the Midnight Ball—squeaky-clean, romantic adventure with a neat twist on a fairytale. To me, it lacked the tension and depth of the first book. But I did enjoy it quite a bit, and I look forward to the end of the trilogy.
Most young Ionian royals find this plan annoying, but it’s actually painful for Poppy and Daisy, twin princesses of Westfalin. Not too long ago, they and their ten sisters were under a curse that left several Ionian princes dead. It wasn’t the girls’ fault at all, but the truth is not widely known. In some places the sisters are still suspected of witchcraft.
So Poppy finds herself alone in her late mother’s homeland of Breton. The Breton King is already hosting Prince Christian of the Danelaw, so Poppy is instead housed by the noble Seadown family. She makes fast friends with Marianne Seadown, the brothers Roger and Dickon Thwaite, and even the wary Christian…
…but their comraderie collapses when mysterious Lady Ella turns up at the King’s ball. Nothing is known of this girl save her first name, yet every eligible bachelor in Breton is after her. And she has her cap set at Christian, whom Poppy was starting to really like.
At first Poppy’s just hurt, as one is when slighted by a kind and handsome prince. But previous experience tells her there’s something fouler at work here than a swain-snagging siren. She’s aided by Roger, who thinks he knows Ella’s true identity. What follows is a caper of card games, masquerades, glittering chandeliers, shiny ball gowns, and horrors from the Underworld.
Content Advisory
Violence: Poppy has to shoot an evil creature with a silver bullet.
Sex: Dickon shocks the Breton court by showing up to a masquerade with no shirt, and Marianne coordinates with a midriff-baring top.
Language: Poppy turns the air blue by saying things like “blast it.”
Substance: Dickon gets drunk at one of the parties.
Nightmare Fuel: .
Conclusions
This is a lighter, more sparkling book than Princess of the Midnight Ball. Its atmosphere is bright, glittery, and fast-paced – so much so that the underground sorceress with plans to take over the upper world seems almost foreign to the rest of the book.
The Corley doesn’t seem diabolically evil so much as a demented granny who enjoys matchmaking too much—not very frightening compared to the villain of the first book. Her powers over glass are a clever and legitimately scary twist on Cinderella’s godmother, but she never seemed all that intimidating. The current King Under Stone, Rionin, is a lot more frightening. He should have been in more of the book.
Poppy is a fun main character with a winning mix of traits. She loves fashion and frippery, but balances that with the practicality and grit she needs to survive a family curse. She’s witty, brave, and equally lethal with a pistol or a knitting needle. Cool!
Christian is a charming, adorable, awkward, typical boy. Unfortunately, he spends most of the book in an enchanted stupor, which he doesn’t conquer until the last few pages. I liked him, but he’s too out of it to claim my heart like Galen did in the first book. Galen was shrewd and crafty and dauntless, a trickster and a warrior. Christian’s a good kid, but was befuddled and in need of rescue for most of the story. He’s more victim than hero.
This is a good sequel to Princess of the Midnight Ball—squeaky-clean, romantic adventure with a neat twist on a fairytale. To me, it lacked the tension and depth of the first book. But I did enjoy it quite a bit, and I look forward to the end of the trilogy.
March 2, 2024
Interesting twist on Cinderella. I didn't love the romance or any of the characters really, but parts were interesting.
July 19, 2010
I was dissappointed by the first book - Princess of the Midnight Ball - and really hope this one would be better. The thing I have noticed so far with the author is that her books are wonderfully written and engaging up until the ending. About 50 pages - give or take - before the end I feel like the author is anxious to be done and rushes through what should be the most amazing, wonderful, and exciting part of the book. The climax comes too quickly and leaves the reader totally unsatisfied. As a result I feel it also leaves the romance and relationship a little unbelievable too because things are wrapped up so quickly it's hard to really feel or believe it. This author has great potential and I really want to like her books, but I hope she improves upon her endings. I want to sit back and say, "Now that was fun! or Great" or whatever - not be left feeling frustrated and rewriting the ending in my head.
October 9, 2014
January 2013: I enjoyed this just as much the second time around. I loved that even though Christian was under a spell he still thought of Poppy. Cute couple. A fun read.
July 2010: Loved it! This was an interesting take on the Cinderella story, told from the perspective of Poppy, Christian and Eleanora. I’m thinking Eleanora is supposed to be the “Cinderella” character, but the main characters are really Poppy and Christian. I loved both, they were fun to read and I enjoyed their relationship. Poppy is a fun and unique heroine. She is a bit of a tom-boy, but is striving to be a little more lady like. She doesn’t take any gruff from people and jumps in to help when she sees her friends in trouble. Christian was also a great leading man, even when he was “enchanted” with Ella his feeling for Poppy kept him grounded. I hope I haven’t given away too much there. This is a sequle/companion to Princess of the Midnight Ball, it could probably stand on its own, but I would recommend reading them in order.
The story unfolded smoothly, was well paced, and full of surprises. Day was able to mix in common elements of the Cinderella story while still creating a very unique and enjoyable version. I think Day is an amazing author and I love her books, I truly hope there will be many more!
Content: Squeaky clean.
July 2010: Loved it! This was an interesting take on the Cinderella story, told from the perspective of Poppy, Christian and Eleanora. I’m thinking Eleanora is supposed to be the “Cinderella” character, but the main characters are really Poppy and Christian. I loved both, they were fun to read and I enjoyed their relationship. Poppy is a fun and unique heroine. She is a bit of a tom-boy, but is striving to be a little more lady like. She doesn’t take any gruff from people and jumps in to help when she sees her friends in trouble. Christian was also a great leading man, even when he was “enchanted” with Ella his feeling for Poppy kept him grounded. I hope I haven’t given away too much there. This is a sequle/companion to Princess of the Midnight Ball, it could probably stand on its own, but I would recommend reading them in order.
The story unfolded smoothly, was well paced, and full of surprises. Day was able to mix in common elements of the Cinderella story while still creating a very unique and enjoyable version. I think Day is an amazing author and I love her books, I truly hope there will be many more!
Content: Squeaky clean.
September 19, 2013
I didn't like this one quite as much as the first one. I loved Poppy, and I like the whole Cinderella twist. Christian was okay, but he seemed a little stupid to me the whole time. (I know, I know, he was bewitched and under a love spell like HALF THE BOOK, but still.)
The end was SUPER confusing. Like, I had no idea what even happened. One second everyone is doomed, then next Rose and Galen show up and TADA all is well. Whaaaaaat.
I'm not exactly sure why I didn't like this book. It just didn't do it for me.
The end was SUPER confusing. Like, I had no idea what even happened. One second everyone is doomed, then next Rose and Galen show up and TADA all is well. Whaaaaaat.
I'm not exactly sure why I didn't like this book. It just didn't do it for me.
February 15, 2017
From my experience, Jessica Day George's books have proved to be light, fun, and inventive reads. Well, Princess of Glass definitely fit in that description.
I loved the unique way that she retold the Cinderella story. It was so much different than any other Cinderella story I've read/seen, and I loved that. Creativity = very epic. (Do not doubt the mathematical accuracy of this formula. XD)
The characters were loads of fun, though I have to admit, some of them acted rather ridiculous most of the book. (I suppose that wasn't really their fault...you know what I mean if you've read this. ;)) OKAY, BUT POPPY. She was the best. I liked her a LOT more than Rose from the first book. She just felt a lot more fleshed-out and interesting than Rose. I loved the thoughts going through her head. *chuckles*
SO YES. It was a fun, fluffy read. I thought the resolution of conflict near the ending felt rather rushed and *cough* lame. But all in all, I heartily enjoyed this book and can't wait to see what the author has in store in book three!
I loved the unique way that she retold the Cinderella story. It was so much different than any other Cinderella story I've read/seen, and I loved that. Creativity = very epic. (Do not doubt the mathematical accuracy of this formula. XD)
The characters were loads of fun, though I have to admit, some of them acted rather ridiculous most of the book. (I suppose that wasn't really their fault...you know what I mean if you've read this. ;)) OKAY, BUT POPPY. She was the best. I liked her a LOT more than Rose from the first book. She just felt a lot more fleshed-out and interesting than Rose. I loved the thoughts going through her head. *chuckles*
SO YES. It was a fun, fluffy read. I thought the resolution of conflict near the ending felt rather rushed and *cough* lame. But all in all, I heartily enjoyed this book and can't wait to see what the author has in store in book three!
July 21, 2010
When I first heard there was going to be a companion novel to Princess of the Midnight Ball I got so excited I didn't even bother to find out what the next book was going to be about. I'm glad I didn't because I might have been turned off that it's a retelling of the Cinderella story. It's hard to make this original, but the author did a good job of making sure the story stayed fresh and yet keep true to the heart of the retelling.
This time around Poppy (one of the twins from the previous novel) is the main character and though I don't recall much about each sister, Poppy definitely stands out in her own story. Poppy, just like her other sisters who are unmarried, are sent to be guest in other countries to show unity and no ill will. While in Bretoner she will stumble upon sinister plans from the Corley, but she has already been through one curse can she live to tell tale of this one?
Poppy is a perfect character for this retelling. She's levelheaded, fun, a shark at cards, and bright and just the right character to help solve the mystery of what is happening to Eleanora/Ellen/Lady Ella (no kidding she has that many names in the book). The Eleanora character with the three names annoyed the heck out of me for most of the story, though in the end I understood why she acted stupid, it would have been nice to like her more from the beginning. The retelling is told from a kind of outsider perspective since Poppy is not the actually Cinderella. It makes the reader experience the story from another angle. There of course has to be a prince, in this case his name is Christian and he will get entrapped into the Corley's plan as well.
I'm glad the author made sure to kind of gradually recap what happened in the previous book without it distracting from this story, because new readers wouldn't probably understand why Poppy had such a hate for dancing when she is so good at it. Throughout the book I was just anticipating how they all were going to take down the Corley, but this is where the book kind of fell flat to me. When I read it I thought ...that was it? In Princess of the Midnight Ball the ending was more intricate and I had expected something similar here. Other than that though I do recommend it highly to fairytale lovers.
I wanted to mention that at the end of the book Jessica Day George gives instructions on how to knit some of the items mentioned in the book. That is neat of her to do that, but too bad I don't know how to knit!
This time around Poppy (one of the twins from the previous novel) is the main character and though I don't recall much about each sister, Poppy definitely stands out in her own story. Poppy, just like her other sisters who are unmarried, are sent to be guest in other countries to show unity and no ill will. While in Bretoner she will stumble upon sinister plans from the Corley, but she has already been through one curse can she live to tell tale of this one?
Poppy is a perfect character for this retelling. She's levelheaded, fun, a shark at cards, and bright and just the right character to help solve the mystery of what is happening to Eleanora/Ellen/Lady Ella (no kidding she has that many names in the book). The Eleanora character with the three names annoyed the heck out of me for most of the story, though in the end I understood why she acted stupid, it would have been nice to like her more from the beginning. The retelling is told from a kind of outsider perspective since Poppy is not the actually Cinderella. It makes the reader experience the story from another angle. There of course has to be a prince, in this case his name is Christian and he will get entrapped into the Corley's plan as well.
I'm glad the author made sure to kind of gradually recap what happened in the previous book without it distracting from this story, because new readers wouldn't probably understand why Poppy had such a hate for dancing when she is so good at it. Throughout the book I was just anticipating how they all were going to take down the Corley, but this is where the book kind of fell flat to me. When I read it I thought ...that was it? In Princess of the Midnight Ball the ending was more intricate and I had expected something similar here. Other than that though I do recommend it highly to fairytale lovers.
I wanted to mention that at the end of the book Jessica Day George gives instructions on how to knit some of the items mentioned in the book. That is neat of her to do that, but too bad I don't know how to knit!
September 16, 2017
I read this book for the BookTubeAThon 2017 (Challenge #3: Finish a book in one day)
“Dancing? You, Poppy? I never thought..."
I adore this series. It's one of the sweeter retellings I've found so far - much more adapted to younger readers, but still enjoyable for those of us (like myself) who's older. And I like how the author interpreted the end of the original story of the 12 Dancing Princesses - "They lived happily ever after and they never danced again." - in order to explore what happily ever after and no more dancing meant.
In this story, we follow Poppy, one of the princesses made to dance every night for the King Under Stone. In an attempt to bring peace between the nations the royals have begun an exchange program - and Poppy has left her home country to stay in anot. Another exchange student is Prince Christian of Danelaw and the two become friends. One of the servants at the house Poppy is staying at, however, has a dark secret and wants to snatch Prince Christian for herself, and when a mysterious woman charms the court - wooing all the men and making all the women jealous - Poppy finds herself having to solve a magical mystery. Who is the woman with the glass slippers?
This retelling of Cinderella is much more in tune with the original story - not the Disney one - which I prefer. That some problems are solved far too easy, some of the characters feel a bit flat and the story progresses quite fast (which is most likely perfectly fine with a younger audience, but perhaps not with an older one) prevents me from giving it a 5 star rating. But definitely a good book and I am looking forward to reading the next one already!
“Dancing? You, Poppy? I never thought..."
I adore this series. It's one of the sweeter retellings I've found so far - much more adapted to younger readers, but still enjoyable for those of us (like myself) who's older. And I like how the author interpreted the end of the original story of the 12 Dancing Princesses - "They lived happily ever after and they never danced again." - in order to explore what happily ever after and no more dancing meant.
In this story, we follow Poppy, one of the princesses made to dance every night for the King Under Stone. In an attempt to bring peace between the nations the royals have begun an exchange program - and Poppy has left her home country to stay in anot. Another exchange student is Prince Christian of Danelaw and the two become friends. One of the servants at the house Poppy is staying at, however, has a dark secret and wants to snatch Prince Christian for herself, and when a mysterious woman charms the court - wooing all the men and making all the women jealous - Poppy finds herself having to solve a magical mystery. Who is the woman with the glass slippers?
This retelling of Cinderella is much more in tune with the original story - not the Disney one - which I prefer. That some problems are solved far too easy, some of the characters feel a bit flat and the story progresses quite fast (which is most likely perfectly fine with a younger audience, but perhaps not with an older one) prevents me from giving it a 5 star rating. But definitely a good book and I am looking forward to reading the next one already!
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August 28, 2017I loved this retelling of the Cinderella story. The melted glass slippers were so cool as was the glass bubble world the godmother lived in. Prince Charming was definitely charming and princess Poppy was a fun heroine. Loved the clothes and the balls and the cinders and ash and the disappearing carriages.
February 6, 2020
Was this perfect? No. But good grief, it's so fun. The way it retells Cinderella is so masterful, and GAH I just love Jessica's books a lot.
Poppy is a fantastic heroine. She's sassy, she's confident, she knits and dances and gambles and swears like a sailor and is still allowed to cry. And it's perfection. She's so iconic.
My one complaint in this book is that we don't get enough of Christian. I mean, this kid could have gone so far. He hears someone in trouble and just... yeets himself out the window to help. What an icon. But unfortunately he spends most of the book enchanted and we just don't get enough of him. I'm sad.
Overall, I still love this book. It holds such a special place in my heart and I don't think that will ever change. Four stars from me.
Poppy is a fantastic heroine. She's sassy, she's confident, she knits and dances and gambles and swears like a sailor and is still allowed to cry. And it's perfection. She's so iconic.
My one complaint in this book is that we don't get enough of Christian. I mean, this kid could have gone so far. He hears someone in trouble and just... yeets himself out the window to help. What an icon. But unfortunately he spends most of the book enchanted and we just don't get enough of him. I'm sad.
Overall, I still love this book. It holds such a special place in my heart and I don't think that will ever change. Four stars from me.
April 1, 2019
I loved this one, more so than Midnight Ball. I so enjoyed getting to know Princess Poppy. She is just so spunky and not your normal princess. I loved her.
I loved all of the characters really, they were fun to read and when it came to Prince Christian, his obliviousness towards his own appeal was quite enduring and It made me more attracted him.
The story is interesting and fun, the writing so fluid I was able to fly through each chapter (when I actually sat down to read). Highly recommended.
I loved all of the characters really, they were fun to read and when it came to Prince Christian, his obliviousness towards his own appeal was quite enduring and It made me more attracted him.
The story is interesting and fun, the writing so fluid I was able to fly through each chapter (when I actually sat down to read). Highly recommended.
January 23, 2021
This was my favorite book in third grade and it's still up there on the podium now.
December 30, 2012
Princesses rock. And not because they have cute dresses ;)
Princess Poppy is what I call force into a program where royals go to different countries in hope of marriage. I call it, 'Go there, get married, and give us your money.' Wait no, that sounds more like a commercial, except without the married part.
Eleanor is a new servant who gets into trouble often(No! She is NOT like me). She works in what I call a castle.
Princess Poppy is one of the twelve princesses who used to be cursed until her sisters betrothed saved them. She feels something isn't right and is getting to the bottom of it.
I liked this book. Compared to the first one, I think I liked this one better. Most likely because I like Cinderella. It's a retelling and here's the main conflict. Eleanor has met a fairy godmother who isn't as she seems. The godmother causes trouble and Poppy and another are getting to the bottom of this spell.
Book had good plots and conflicts with the characters. The ending was nice, but I won't say what.
I recommend to 11-Teenager.
Princess Poppy is what I call force into a program where royals go to different countries in hope of marriage. I call it, 'Go there, get married, and give us your money.' Wait no, that sounds more like a commercial, except without the married part.
Eleanor is a new servant who gets into trouble often(No! She is NOT like me). She works in what I call a castle.
Princess Poppy is one of the twelve princesses who used to be cursed until her sisters betrothed saved them. She feels something isn't right and is getting to the bottom of it.
I liked this book. Compared to the first one, I think I liked this one better. Most likely because I like Cinderella. It's a retelling and here's the main conflict. Eleanor has met a fairy godmother who isn't as she seems. The godmother causes trouble and Poppy and another are getting to the bottom of this spell.
Book had good plots and conflicts with the characters. The ending was nice, but I won't say what.
I recommend to 11-Teenager.
September 4, 2012
Okay, I've given Ms. George's books glowing reviews before, but this one didn't really hit the spot for me. It was again inventive and exciting, but the ending was a little too clean cut for me. I'm not sure what happened to the villain in the end that somehow made her quit her quest and even her motives for chasing the characters was a little unclear. I liked the spin on the Cinderella story and enjoyed the characters and how they related to each other, but the ending left me feeling unsatisfied. It was uncertain why Poppy decided to take Ellen's place in the end and it seemed like a convention to add length to the story rather than something that added depth. Once Poppy is trapped, it seems that her escape was much more easy than the build up to it. I liked Poppy and certainly didn't want to see her demise, but if the escape was as easy as it was, then what did she need to wait for the Prince for? It just left a bad taste. I'll still read more of her books, but this one wasn't my favorite.
March 15, 2023
I was engrossed in the story as much as the first book but it was quite predictable.
It was refreshing to see Princess Poppy as the POV. She was the toughest and fiercest of the 12 sisters, and it was nice to see her as the heroine in this story. I also like the Cinderella fairytale mix into the story.
It was a great read. 3 stars.
It was refreshing to see Princess Poppy as the POV. She was the toughest and fiercest of the 12 sisters, and it was nice to see her as the heroine in this story. I also like the Cinderella fairytale mix into the story.
It was a great read. 3 stars.
March 23, 2021
Review 2/11/21
I enjoyed this the second time around, but admittedly, when reading them so close to one another, there are enough similarities that I am glad Jessica Day George did not attempt to write 12 of them.
This was the first Cinderella retelling I ever read (not counting Ella Enchanted in elementary school), and since then I've gone through Geekerella, Princess of Midnight, and Cinderella Is Dead, as well as maybe a few others I'm not remembering right now. I find it interesting how much of the creative elements outside of the original story overlap in these novels. I've read a few different retellings of Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, Snow White, and Sleeping Beauty since then as well, but I haven't found as much of the similarities between authors' interpretations of the stories as I have with Cinderella versions. I honestly love the ways that these various interpretations end up coming together through different authors. It's even more meaningful to me because I never liked the Disney version of Cinderella, but I've learned a lot over the years about the cultural prevalence of the story as well as the various interpretations. I appreciate all the things various authors are able to do with this story.
I did lower my rating from five to four stars for this reread, and there are a few reasons for this. One is that it is incredibly repetitive from the first book in a way that many series books are not. The idea of the curse is strong in both, but by the end of this second installment it already seems a little overused. There are also more plot holes in this story than there are in the first novel, and things do wrap up a little too quickly for my taste.
Even though I was less impressed with this novel the second time around, I am still excited that my library has the final installment as an audiobook, and I plan to read it as soon as there's a good time with my challenges.
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Review 5/4/19
This was the first sequel I've read all year. I have a habit of starting new series and then not continuing them for a long time, but since I had picked up both for free from my school for free, I was in the mood to continue the series. I'm really glad I did.
This retelling of Cinderella takes place a few years after Princess of the Midnight Ball, and features Rose's younger sister Poppy, who is involved in an exchange program with other royals. Poppy is in Breton, and she has sworn never to dance again after the battle with the King Under Stone. However, another royal on the exchange program, Prince Christian of the Danelaw, and a servant, Eleanora, who was formerly a noble, get mixed up with a new curse.
At first, I didn't like the characters as much as in the first Princesses of Westfalin novel, but Poppy grew on me, and I realized I see her kind of like myself. She is a princess who hadn't had to do much because she had her sisters, but she always knew she could, and I feel that way too. She is also sometimes unintentionally rude or tactless, and I can see myself that way as well. However, she recognizes that Eleanora is in trouble, and even though she didn't like her at first, she gave everything she could to help, even though the curse didn't affect her at all.
I think the one thing I found fault with was the ending. In Princess of the Midnight Ball, there is a lot of lead-up, but there is also a big battle with a lot of action at the end. Princess of Glass, on the other hand, had a lot of that lead up to a big climax, and then there wasn't a lot of action to defeat the witch. So I felt like that part was lacking a little bit.
I had meant to read this right after Princess of the Midnight Ball, but life and goodreads challenges got in the way, which ended up meaning I had to read other books throughout the month of April before I could circle back to this one. I'll probably need to wait another little while to read Princess of the Silver Woods as that is the only one I don't have, but I've really loved the series and I hope it won't be too long before I can continue with it.
I enjoyed this the second time around, but admittedly, when reading them so close to one another, there are enough similarities that I am glad Jessica Day George did not attempt to write 12 of them.
This was the first Cinderella retelling I ever read (not counting Ella Enchanted in elementary school), and since then I've gone through Geekerella, Princess of Midnight, and Cinderella Is Dead, as well as maybe a few others I'm not remembering right now. I find it interesting how much of the creative elements outside of the original story overlap in these novels. I've read a few different retellings of Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, Snow White, and Sleeping Beauty since then as well, but I haven't found as much of the similarities between authors' interpretations of the stories as I have with Cinderella versions. I honestly love the ways that these various interpretations end up coming together through different authors. It's even more meaningful to me because I never liked the Disney version of Cinderella, but I've learned a lot over the years about the cultural prevalence of the story as well as the various interpretations. I appreciate all the things various authors are able to do with this story.
I did lower my rating from five to four stars for this reread, and there are a few reasons for this. One is that it is incredibly repetitive from the first book in a way that many series books are not. The idea of the curse is strong in both, but by the end of this second installment it already seems a little overused. There are also more plot holes in this story than there are in the first novel, and things do wrap up a little too quickly for my taste.
Even though I was less impressed with this novel the second time around, I am still excited that my library has the final installment as an audiobook, and I plan to read it as soon as there's a good time with my challenges.
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Review 5/4/19
This was the first sequel I've read all year. I have a habit of starting new series and then not continuing them for a long time, but since I had picked up both for free from my school for free, I was in the mood to continue the series. I'm really glad I did.
This retelling of Cinderella takes place a few years after Princess of the Midnight Ball, and features Rose's younger sister Poppy, who is involved in an exchange program with other royals. Poppy is in Breton, and she has sworn never to dance again after the battle with the King Under Stone. However, another royal on the exchange program, Prince Christian of the Danelaw, and a servant, Eleanora, who was formerly a noble, get mixed up with a new curse.
At first, I didn't like the characters as much as in the first Princesses of Westfalin novel, but Poppy grew on me, and I realized I see her kind of like myself. She is a princess who hadn't had to do much because she had her sisters, but she always knew she could, and I feel that way too. She is also sometimes unintentionally rude or tactless, and I can see myself that way as well. However, she recognizes that Eleanora is in trouble, and even though she didn't like her at first, she gave everything she could to help, even though the curse didn't affect her at all.
I think the one thing I found fault with was the ending. In Princess of the Midnight Ball, there is a lot of lead-up, but there is also a big battle with a lot of action at the end. Princess of Glass, on the other hand, had a lot of that lead up to a big climax, and then there wasn't a lot of action to defeat the witch. So I felt like that part was lacking a little bit.
I had meant to read this right after Princess of the Midnight Ball, but life and goodreads challenges got in the way, which ended up meaning I had to read other books throughout the month of April before I could circle back to this one. I'll probably need to wait another little while to read Princess of the Silver Woods as that is the only one I don't have, but I've really loved the series and I hope it won't be too long before I can continue with it.
November 10, 2012
Reviewed by Jennifer Rummel for TeensReadToo.com
Poppy from PRINCESS OF THE MIDNIGHT BALL returns and, along with her unmarried sisters, is currently helping her father regain political alliances by participating in a royal exchange. Now she's living with her cousins, Lord and Lady Seadown, and their daughter, Marianne.
She turns down invitations to balls because she refuses to dance after surviving the curse from her mother. Society soon frowns upon her absence, thus forcing Poppy to attend the balls. Instead of dancing, she joins the gentlemen and plays cards. She and Marianne become friends with the young royal prince staying with the King.
When Prince Christian notices how different Poppy is from other girls, he's intrigued and happy to spend time with her. Some assume a marriage isn't far behind, but before anything transpires, a young, mysterious, beautiful woman enters the picture.
Before long, all the men are falling in love with her and making absolute fools of themselves, while the women detest her. Poppy notices that something's not right. Could the magical protection she's wearing stop her from seeing an enchantment?
Seeing clearly, she recognizes the mystery girl as a previously wealthy young lady fallen on hard times. Instead of dancing and enjoying frivolity, Ellen's now forced to become a maid. Can Poppy stop Ellen from making a terrible bargain with a creature who will demand something horrible in return?
Just when Poppy thought she'd finished with evil, she must battle the Corley to save the lives of those she loves dearly.
One can only hope that Jessica Day George will continue to write more about these charming sisters and their battles with magical, evil creatures. The friendship, sense of self, evil beings, drama, and romance make PRINCESS OF GLASS a must-read for lovers of fairytales and fantasy stories.
Poppy from PRINCESS OF THE MIDNIGHT BALL returns and, along with her unmarried sisters, is currently helping her father regain political alliances by participating in a royal exchange. Now she's living with her cousins, Lord and Lady Seadown, and their daughter, Marianne.
She turns down invitations to balls because she refuses to dance after surviving the curse from her mother. Society soon frowns upon her absence, thus forcing Poppy to attend the balls. Instead of dancing, she joins the gentlemen and plays cards. She and Marianne become friends with the young royal prince staying with the King.
When Prince Christian notices how different Poppy is from other girls, he's intrigued and happy to spend time with her. Some assume a marriage isn't far behind, but before anything transpires, a young, mysterious, beautiful woman enters the picture.
Before long, all the men are falling in love with her and making absolute fools of themselves, while the women detest her. Poppy notices that something's not right. Could the magical protection she's wearing stop her from seeing an enchantment?
Seeing clearly, she recognizes the mystery girl as a previously wealthy young lady fallen on hard times. Instead of dancing and enjoying frivolity, Ellen's now forced to become a maid. Can Poppy stop Ellen from making a terrible bargain with a creature who will demand something horrible in return?
Just when Poppy thought she'd finished with evil, she must battle the Corley to save the lives of those she loves dearly.
One can only hope that Jessica Day George will continue to write more about these charming sisters and their battles with magical, evil creatures. The friendship, sense of self, evil beings, drama, and romance make PRINCESS OF GLASS a must-read for lovers of fairytales and fantasy stories.
July 6, 2010
Ok, so like Valerie, I wasn't expecting too much greatness from this book pretty much for the same reason that the story of Cinderella has been done multiple times and there doesn't seem to be much more room for anything new; and because well, Princess of the Midnight Ball was amazing and how much creativity can you have left after something so great? (This sounds pretty lame written, but it made sense in my head.) But, I was delighted to find that Jessica Day George still has lots of creative juices left and now I know never to doubt her again!
I'm feeling lazy at the moment, so if you really want to know what the book is about, read other reviews or check out the summary.
Good points: the characters were adorable and each beautifully written, and I found myself able to root for them and hope they each got their deserved happily ever after. I love reading from more than one POV when it's done well, which can be hard to do sometimes because if the author isn't careful, character voices can blend and they all can sound the same. Not with this story, Poppy, Christian, and Eleanora each had their own unique voice and it was wonderful to read what they each were thinking and experiencing. And of course just the plot itself! It was new, exciting, and had me wondering how exactly everything was going to work out.
My only complaint, however is that I felt the villain got away/was defeated too easily and I'm a little confused on how that exactly worked out (of course, I was finishing up late at night after a long day, so if I missed anything, that's my excuse). I'll also add that the ending kinda wrapped itself up a little too neatly, but hey, happy endings are great, so I shouldn't complain.
This is definitely an amazing book that I want to add to my collection to read over and over again in the future!
I'm feeling lazy at the moment, so if you really want to know what the book is about, read other reviews or check out the summary.
Good points: the characters were adorable and each beautifully written, and I found myself able to root for them and hope they each got their deserved happily ever after. I love reading from more than one POV when it's done well, which can be hard to do sometimes because if the author isn't careful, character voices can blend and they all can sound the same. Not with this story, Poppy, Christian, and Eleanora each had their own unique voice and it was wonderful to read what they each were thinking and experiencing. And of course just the plot itself! It was new, exciting, and had me wondering how exactly everything was going to work out.
My only complaint, however is that I felt the villain got away/was defeated too easily and I'm a little confused on how that exactly worked out (of course, I was finishing up late at night after a long day, so if I missed anything, that's my excuse). I'll also add that the ending kinda wrapped itself up a little too neatly, but hey, happy endings are great, so I shouldn't complain.
This is definitely an amazing book that I want to add to my collection to read over and over again in the future!
April 15, 2018
This was good, I did like this book slightly better than the first book.
April 7, 2022
Awwwww
June 25, 2010
I was excited to read another book from George but I was bracing myself for a little disappointment because it was a retelling of the Cinderella story and there are so many that I wondered how many takes can one fairy-tale have? But I could take pleasure in it anyways and the main character is not the 'Cinderella' it's Poppy, one of the twelve dancing princess from Princess of the Midnight Ball. Seeing the Cinderella story unfold by an outsider’s eyes was nice.
Poppy is a twin somewhere in the middle if I can remember right, but she flys solo in this one. She and her other unwed sisters are sent out to smooth things over in other kingdoms because they think the twelve sisters are at fault for past princes' deaths and think the sisters are witches or something. The take on this one is different in the way Cinderella's (or in this case Eleanor’s) godmother isn't the sweet old woman that you remember from the Disney movie and that maybe ‘Cinderella’ was deceived.
Princess of Glass has some of the elements of Princess of the Midnight Ball like there is some knitting but not as much. It seems most all books by George have something to do with thread or cloth making; like this one and the one before it have to do with knitting, Dragon Slippers it was embroidery, and Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow I think there was a loom though that might be wrong. I actually contemplated whether I should take up knitting, I think I could be good at it but now I’m veering off the book. The story switches point of view from Poppy, to the Prince, to Eleanor. The prologue has the godmother’s point of view but that is the only time her POV is presented. I like the character of Poppy and it was fun to read her. Prince Christian is endearing, no complaints there.
The ending was done wisely and fitting. I think it would be a great idea if there were books about the rest of the princesses but that might take awhile.
Poppy is a twin somewhere in the middle if I can remember right, but she flys solo in this one. She and her other unwed sisters are sent out to smooth things over in other kingdoms because they think the twelve sisters are at fault for past princes' deaths and think the sisters are witches or something. The take on this one is different in the way Cinderella's (or in this case Eleanor’s) godmother isn't the sweet old woman that you remember from the Disney movie and that maybe ‘Cinderella’ was deceived.
Princess of Glass has some of the elements of Princess of the Midnight Ball like there is some knitting but not as much. It seems most all books by George have something to do with thread or cloth making; like this one and the one before it have to do with knitting, Dragon Slippers it was embroidery, and Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow I think there was a loom though that might be wrong. I actually contemplated whether I should take up knitting, I think I could be good at it but now I’m veering off the book. The story switches point of view from Poppy, to the Prince, to Eleanor. The prologue has the godmother’s point of view but that is the only time her POV is presented. I like the character of Poppy and it was fun to read her. Prince Christian is endearing, no complaints there.
The ending was done wisely and fitting. I think it would be a great idea if there were books about the rest of the princesses but that might take awhile.
February 14, 2016
This sequel/companion book to Princess of the Midnight Ball was very good!! Princess Poppy, the fifth oldest of the twelve dancing princesses, has reluctantly agreed to take part in a royal exchange program, princes and princesess from all kindgoms travel to other kingdoms in hopes of political alliances, and possible marriages.
Poppy goes to live with her mother's cousin in Breton. The "mysterioius, exotic princess" is a puzzle to the court, she refuses to dance. She would have also refused every ball (as her family was in the custom of doing) but realizing it was bringing grief to her hosts, agreese to attend (but not dance!) Haveing danced every third day since she could walk, for thirteen years under an enchantment, Poppy has learned that such things are never good.
So when the servant girl Ellen starts showing up at the balls in glittering gowns, jewels, and glass slippers, Poppy suspects something is up.
With some help from her brother-in-law Galen, a Prince named Christian, and some wicked polker skills, Poppy just might save the day.
This book make me laugh quite frequently. Poppy's brother-in-laws are soldiers, and besides teaching her to play polker, she can shoot, swear, build a fire, and knit.
I think I prefered Princess of the Midnight Ball better, and mostly due to inconsistencies in the plot. The climax turned out...unclimatic? the bad guy was defeated way to easily. She had no real motivation. Its *cough* entirely convenient that Marianne looks just like Poppy who looks like "Ella".
And...I'm sorry, but Prince Christian just isn't Galen. Galen was AWESOME and poor Prince Christian....well, its hard to live up to the guy who saved 12 princesses, got the girl of his dreams, and managed to stop one of the greatest threats to the kingdom.
But, Princess of Glass was a delightful book I would reccomend reading along with Princess of the Midnight Ball. I guarentee it will leave you wanting to attend a ball, and learning how to knit.
(the patterns in the back of the book are way cool)
Poppy goes to live with her mother's cousin in Breton. The "mysterioius, exotic princess" is a puzzle to the court, she refuses to dance. She would have also refused every ball (as her family was in the custom of doing) but realizing it was bringing grief to her hosts, agreese to attend (but not dance!) Haveing danced every third day since she could walk, for thirteen years under an enchantment, Poppy has learned that such things are never good.
So when the servant girl Ellen starts showing up at the balls in glittering gowns, jewels, and glass slippers, Poppy suspects something is up.
With some help from her brother-in-law Galen, a Prince named Christian, and some wicked polker skills, Poppy just might save the day.
This book make me laugh quite frequently. Poppy's brother-in-laws are soldiers, and besides teaching her to play polker, she can shoot, swear, build a fire, and knit.
I think I prefered Princess of the Midnight Ball better, and mostly due to inconsistencies in the plot. The climax turned out...unclimatic? the bad guy was defeated way to easily. She had no real motivation. Its *cough* entirely convenient that Marianne looks just like Poppy who looks like "Ella".
And...I'm sorry, but Prince Christian just isn't Galen. Galen was AWESOME and poor Prince Christian....well, its hard to live up to the guy who saved 12 princesses, got the girl of his dreams, and managed to stop one of the greatest threats to the kingdom.
But, Princess of Glass was a delightful book I would reccomend reading along with Princess of the Midnight Ball. I guarentee it will leave you wanting to attend a ball, and learning how to knit.
(the patterns in the back of the book are way cool)
June 27, 2014
Overall, I liked this better than the first book in the series. There was something just slightly flat about "Princess of the Midnight Ball", but this one was livelier.
This time the base fairy tale is "Cinderella", but the author has put a rather dark twist on it, which I liked, because I've never liked the original tale; Cinders is so very wet. The Cinders character in this isn't very bright, but she isn't wet, at least. She also isn't the heroine; Poppy, one of the twelve dancing princesses from the earlier book, is, and she has to save her handsome prince from the machinations of Cinderella's fairy godmother.
Once again, knitting plays a large part, and there are patterns at the end (I want to make the stole). The magic was quite clever - and in the godmother's case, very creepy. The characters were likeable, the story was fun, and I was going to give it four stars, but then I got to the end, and...well, the dénoument doesn't work for me. There's this big build-up, will they be able to save themselves, how will they get out of this, and then bang! It's over, they're all okay, and there's no visible reason for it. There was no fight, no struggle, just "oh look, we won, hooray". It was a distinct let-down. But right up until then I was loving it.
This time the base fairy tale is "Cinderella", but the author has put a rather dark twist on it, which I liked, because I've never liked the original tale; Cinders is so very wet. The Cinders character in this isn't very bright, but she isn't wet, at least. She also isn't the heroine; Poppy, one of the twelve dancing princesses from the earlier book, is, and she has to save her handsome prince from the machinations of Cinderella's fairy godmother.
Once again, knitting plays a large part, and there are patterns at the end (I want to make the stole). The magic was quite clever - and in the godmother's case, very creepy. The characters were likeable, the story was fun, and I was going to give it four stars, but then I got to the end, and...well, the dénoument doesn't work for me. There's this big build-up, will they be able to save themselves, how will they get out of this, and then bang! It's over, they're all okay, and there's no visible reason for it. There was no fight, no struggle, just "oh look, we won, hooray". It was a distinct let-down. But right up until then I was loving it.
September 8, 2014
This novel continues the tale of the 12 dancing princesses that started in Princess of the Midnight Ball. Here the protagonist is one of the younger princesses, Poppy. A few years have passed since the first novel. Poppy is sixteen and visiting her mother’s cousins in the neighboring kingdom of Breton. There is also a young Prince Christian, on a princely visit to Breton. They meet… you know that story.
There is also a maid Ella and lots of soot and cinder involved, glass slippers and an evil sorceress. The tale of Cinderella has a distant correlation to this book, but all the distinctive features of Cinderella are twisted out of recognition. It can’t be even called a retelling because it isn’t.
I didn’t like this story much but it was OK. It’ main attraction was Poppy – a strong and charming protagonist with an affinity for knitting. Poppy definitely saved this book from being a total bleh, just as she saved the maid Ella and the prince Christian and the rest of the bunch. Good girl all around.
There is also a maid Ella and lots of soot and cinder involved, glass slippers and an evil sorceress. The tale of Cinderella has a distant correlation to this book, but all the distinctive features of Cinderella are twisted out of recognition. It can’t be even called a retelling because it isn’t.
I didn’t like this story much but it was OK. It’ main attraction was Poppy – a strong and charming protagonist with an affinity for knitting. Poppy definitely saved this book from being a total bleh, just as she saved the maid Ella and the prince Christian and the rest of the bunch. Good girl all around.
July 3, 2018
4 stars from me. Any fairytale retelling catches me eye immediately and this was no exception. This book was very well written, and the storyline was great! I loved that it was a retelling of Cinderella, but told in a completely new way! Poppy is hilarious, strong, and loving. I really enjoyed her character:)
I give it 4 stars because of a few inappropriate comments. Nothing terrible, but they didn’t have to be added. (Ex. Marianne is dressed skimpily at a ball; couples wanting to run off with one another without being married; lots of mentions* of swearing, etc.) Again, there was nothing terribly descriptive, but nonetheless, did not need to be added.
The ending was also very abrupt!
VERY SMALL SPOILER (Poppy is marrying a man she barely knows at the age of 16!) END SPOILER
I did enjoyed this book, and will definitely read the last one. I have mixed feelings about this book.
I give it 4 stars because of a few inappropriate comments. Nothing terrible, but they didn’t have to be added. (Ex. Marianne is dressed skimpily at a ball; couples wanting to run off with one another without being married; lots of mentions* of swearing, etc.) Again, there was nothing terribly descriptive, but nonetheless, did not need to be added.
The ending was also very abrupt!
VERY SMALL SPOILER (Poppy is marrying a man she barely knows at the age of 16!) END SPOILER
I did enjoyed this book, and will definitely read the last one. I have mixed feelings about this book.
November 15, 2012
Zzzzz. Mmmm. Wha? Sorry? Oh right, I was reading, not sleeping. It's just that this book? Bored me to death. Too simple, too easy, too predictable, too vague for any real tension, nor for any real sense of character to develop for the entire cast. An interesting idea - what happened to the Twelve Dancing Princesses after their curse is ended - but turned out to be a rather blah, and uniformly boring read.
January 31, 2020
This book didn't click for me as much as I hoped and I had some issues with the execution... But Jessica Day George is a master of character and prose and even as I was feeling meh about it I couldn't stop reading.
And Poppy is amazing and I love her with every fiber of my being ❤️❤️❤️
And Poppy is amazing and I love her with every fiber of my being ❤️❤️❤️
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