Wildwood Dancing

By: Juliet Marillier

Narrated by: Kim Mai Guest

High in the Transylvanian woods, at the castle Piscul Draculi, live five daughters and their doting father. It's an idyllic life for Jena, the second eldest, who spends her time exploring the mysterious forest with her constant companion, a most unusual frog. But best by far is the castle's hidden portal, known only to the sisters. Every Full Moon, they alone can pass through it into the enchanted world of the Other Kingdom. There they dance through the night with the fey creatures of this magical realm.

But their peace is shattered when Father falls ill and must go to the southern parts to recover, for that is when cousin Cezar arrives. Though he's there to help the girls survive the brutal winter, Jena suspects he has darker motives in store. Meanwhile, Jena's sister has fallen in love with a dangerous creature of the Other Kingdom--an impossible union it's up to Jena to stop.

When Cezar's grip of power begins to tighten, at stake is everything Jena loves: her home, her family, and the Other Kingdom she has come to cherish. To save her world, Jena will be tested in ways she can't imagine--tests of trust, strength, and true love.

Critic reviews

Starred review, School Library Journal, February 2007:
"Strong characters, two fully realized settings, and a fast-moving plot guarantee that readers will be spellbound by this page-turner."

I was going to skip this book, but glad I didn't

wonderful narrator. Juliet marillier's book are always like mystery fantasy's , and this does not disappoint.

Fantastic, fanciful folk fiction :)

Juliet Marillier provided an excellent escape into a folk fiction world once again. Loved it.

romantic fantasy with a bit of a dark twist

Any additional comments?

I enjoyed this book, but I had a couple of issues with it. I listened to the audio version, and the narrator did an excellent job. The story just dragged for me for awhile in the 2nd half, but I really did care about what happened to the characters, particularly the main character Jena and her endearing pet frog. So I stuck it out and I'm glad I did. The other issue I had was that although Jena had some strength and a mind of her own there were times when she was indecisive, too passive, slow to figure things out that should have been fairly obvious, and it caused the romantic angst, as well as the frustration and uncertainty of their problems, to drag on to the point that it was almost unbearable. I prefer female protagonists with a bit more spunk than Jenna had when things got tough. I kept wanting to shout at her to do "such and so" already! And several times was tempted to skip ahead, but didn't. If it weren't for that I would have given it four stars.

Overall an enjoyable read for a romantic fantasy with a bit of a dark twist. Teen and tween girls who like romance and fairy tales should like this one, and it's clean enough for particular parents.

I love Juliet Marillier

I really liked this book and the premise. But, it is not close to my favorite of Juliet Marillier. I will still finish the series, but it just wasn’t as good as her others IMO. I struggled with the main character— she bugged me a bit when it came to her decision making and logic. I love the story setting, though. It is still a very good book.

Amazing, Timeless Fiction

Would you listen to Wildwood Dancing again? Why?

Yes! Definitely! I didn't want this book to end. It is a great story - I laughed, I cried, I hoped, I despaired. You really get to know the characters; they become your friends, they become your enemies.

What did you like best about this story?

I really don't know what I liked best about this story... maybe the fantastical side to it. It has elements of Celtic legend, fairytales, and a fantasy staple: vampires. I loved it!

Have you listened to any of Kim Mai Guest’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I haven't listened to any other Kim Mai Guest performances, but this one was amazing. Some might find her voice kind of annoying, but I really liked her performance. She voiced different characters differently so you always knew who was talking even if their name wasn't mentioned.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

It made me laugh AND cry! I'm probably really sensitive and easily teary-eyed, but I loved how you feel like you grow with the characters. Amazing. Loved it. I wish there was more to this story!

Any additional comments?

Buy this! If you can handle Kim's higher-pitched voice, you'll love it. I wasn't bothered by her voice, but it is higher than most other female narraters I've heard. Also, she added accents and that made it awesome.