Entwined by Heather Dixon

Azalea is trapped. Just when she should feel that everything is before her . . . beautiful gowns, dashing suitors, balls filled with dancing . . . it's taken away. All of it. The Keeper understands. He's trapped, too, held for centuries within the walls of the palace. And so he extends an invitation.
Every night, Azalea and her eleven sisters may step through the enchanted passage in their room to dance in his silver forest.
But there is a cost.
The Keeper likes to keep things.
Azalea may not realize how tangled she is in his web until it is too late.

What a thoroughly enjoyable book! I had no idea what to expect when I picked this up, but I certainly didn’t think I’d love it this much.

I’m most definitely a fan of fairy tale retellings, and Entwined is based on The Twelve Dancing Princesses. Azalea is the oldest of twelve sisters, and she takes them to a magical place where they can all deal with the death of their mother. They dance the night away, each night, until their slippers are completely worn out.

This story is about love and loss, and how different people deal with it in different ways. Some want to be closer to their lost loved one, and others need to distance themselves. But they both feel acute pain. This is much of the conflict between Azalea and her father, which leads to misunderstandings common between teenage daughters and fathers. I thought this was really well done.

The basic story is very compelling, though a little out-there at times. But I just took that as part of the fairy tale thing, so it didn’t bother me. I liked the way the new king would be chosen—a nice modern twist to traditional fairy tales—and I liked the way the author went about the process. The characters were likeable, even when Azalea was being a difficult teen. :)

Overall, this is a light and fun story for teens of all ages. Definitely recommended.