The Intertwined Tales
By Laurie Lucking
I really enjoyed this book, which offered a unique twist on The Twelve Dancing Princesses. Princess Emelia and her four sisters are threatened with the destruction of their kingdom, Oneska, unless they comply with Prince Leonnar of Tsantar's demands. They were to be available at his bidding to grace the court of Tsantar whenever he sent his dragons to "escort" them to his gatherings. The goal is to marry one of the princesses and gain access to Oneska's secrets.
Emelia is stymied with little hope of thwarting the dragons until she tries to learn "Dragon Speech," which gets the attention of Merric, a new stable hand who has a way with horses. Merric has unique insights into dragons, which Emelia hopes will help. But first, she has to get past Merric's evasive wariness.
Could dragons be as good as Merric says? Or are they the beasts of destruction that Prince Leonnar claims? Princess Emelia must choose who to believe, the future of Oneska depends on it.
This was an enjoyable read, and I highly recommend it for fans of fairytale retellings or those who like clean romance that won't make you blush or cringe. (Raise your hand if you agree!) I was thoroughly engaged and enjoyed this book in one day. I always consider a book a good read when it makes me want to read the author's other works and Laurie Lucking did that with The Dancer and the Dragon Speaker.
I was provided a complimentary copy of this book with no expectations but that I provide my honest opinion. All thoughts expressed are my own.
About the Book:
Sisters trapped under threat of fire and destruction.
Dragons enslaved by a power-hungry prince.
A stable hand who must devise a plan to save them all.
Dragons circle the Oneskan palace at night, shrouding the kingdom in fear and mystery. Only Princess Emelia and her sisters know the fiends fly them to the enemy country of Tsantar under cover of darkness, where Prince Leonnar hopes to steal their secrets and gain control of Oneska. Their father’s proclamation that the man who drives away the hovering dragons will marry one of his daughters incites the princesses to redouble their efforts to escape Prince Leonnar’s tyranny.
When the enigmatic new stable hand, Merric, offers to help, Emelia finds him as frustrating as he is attractive. His superior knowledge of dragons gives her new hope, until he shatters her trust by showing more interest in protecting the vile creatures than getting rid of them. But only by finding a way to work with Merric—and with the dragons she detests—will Emelia have any chance of freeing herself, her sisters, and her kingdom from Tsantar’s clutches forever.
Retelling The Twelve Dancing Princesses and The Language of the Birds
The Intertwined Tales is a multi-author series of clean fairytale retellings. Each novella entwines a famous fairytale with a lesser-known story to create one happily ever after. These standalone stories can be enjoyed in any order.
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