A rousing, even spellbinding tale-with outlines in the Grimms' Maid Maleen-is set in medieval Mongolia and told in journal form. Dashti is maid and scribe to Lady Saren, whose father has bricked both of them in a tower for Saren's crime of refusing to be married to vicious lord Khasar. Dashti knows healing songs from the steppes, and she needs them, as Saren is what we would now call schizophrenic. The girls' captivity is eased at first by visits of the Khan Tegus, but the Khasar visits, too, and threatens to burn the tower with them inside. The rats that have eaten their food supply also tunnel a way out, so they escape-and find Saren's father's city destroyed. They make their way to Khan Tegus, where both girls serve hidden in his kitchen. Dashti's healing songs are needed in a war between Khasar and Tegus, and who she is, and who they are, come forth in a strongly presented climax. Dashti's voice is bright and true; Hale captures her sturdy personality, Saren's mental fragility and Khan Tegus's romantic warrior as vibrantly as she limns the stark terror of the Mongolian cold and the ugly spirit from which Khasar draws his strength. (Fantasy. 12-15)
I’ll admit it: I’ve got a slight obsession with fairy tales. One of the main reasons I read YA (besides it being AWESOME) is for all of the clever fairy tale retellings. Still, with every true love comes an almost-insurmountable challenge, and mine is finding retellings that aren’t all based on Cinderella—there are a million brilliant ways to […]
The holiday season is a tough, pressure-filled time for all, because how on earth do you find that perfect gift for every loved one? And by “perfect gift,” I obviously mean “perfect book,” because I’m not a monster. The choice is hard, so rather than make it myself, I tortured 15 fabulous YA authors with the question: […]
Are you looking forward to Emma Swan’s “final battle” on <i>Once Upon a Time</i>? Or will the penultimate, musical episode always be your favorite? According to Jack Zipes, author of Spells of Enchantment, “Fairy tales are grounded in history: they emanate from specific struggles to humanize…barbaric forces.” As viewers of OUAT know, they also fulfill our […]