Wildwood Dancing

By: Juliet Marillier

Narrated by: Kim Mai Guest

Length: 12 hrs and 53 mins

Publisher's summary

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.

©2008 Juliet Marillier (P)2008 Listening Library

Critic reviews

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

Superb story

Truly enjoyed this story which was so imaginative and unpredictable with many wonderful characters and wonderfully read. A must listen!

delightful.

I must say I enjoyed Wildwood Dancing very much. I liked that the characters were all built up and portrayed very well and that the plot stayed consistent and didn't wander aimlessly. The narrator did a perfect job of this book and I can't wait for more.

Excellent and imaginative.

Where does Wildwood Dancing rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Very high. Loved all the accents and enjoyed the narrators voic.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Wildwood Dancing?

When the main Character finally realizes she is in love.

What about Kim Mai Guest’s performance did you like?

The way she was able to give everyone a different voice and great accents.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

When the frog turned back into a man.

Any additional comments?

Overall, GREAT!

loved it! fantasy, love,struggles,etc

I loved it. The narrator did all the voices differently which makes it even better

A refreshing Fairy tale

What made the experience of listening to Wildwood Dancing the most enjoyable?

The story itself was so good and I enjoyed it for the most part

What did you like best about this story?

the relationship between Jenna and her frog .. It was interesting and I liked it .. also how the story took a spin into most of the fairy tales ( princess and the frog , twelve dancing princesses and Alice in wonderland )

What does Kim Mai Guest bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

her accent .. I really did believe her performance it was very good

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

yeah .. I laughed and melted down at the last scene of the story

Any additional comments?

the story was good and all but what really annoyed me is the eldest sister Tati .. she was a pain on the back through out the story and I wished if she just died LOL
I recommend this story for fairy tale lovers

Slow at first but totally impressed!

This is the first book I’ve listened to by Juliet Marillier and a subject way off base from my usual true crime listens. I wanted something completely different to listen to and boy, this was it! It was a little hard for me to get into the story at first and whether that was because it’s subject was out of the norm for me or because of the writing, I cannot clearly say. However, I realized that I did need to pay more attention to the people introduced near the beginning because something big happens then that will be the “gold thread” of the story, weaving in and out as the story progresses. It matters and has an impact on everyone involved. And what a beautiful journey I was taken on!Absorbing, impactful characters, a magical world and the inner strength realized on the part of the main character and those of her family shines through.
These characters made a difference in my world, entertaining me and carrying me into their story. I cared about them and what was happening. I didn’t want it to end and truly wish there were a second book for a series.
Although I do not listen to much fantasy type books, the author gave a strength and presence to this book that impacted me and made me believe in myself a bit more than before I’d listened. I think anyone of any age will appreciate the story itself, the characters and their lives as well as the arrangement of the story.
This is most definitely a book I don’t think you’ll be disappointed in. I don’t write many reviews but felt I had to take the time to say a bit about this remarkable read. I’ve put some of her other novels in my wish list and look forward to listening to them.

Amazing

I found this book a long time ago at a Borders and fell in love with the story. This story will stay with me till I am very very old. It lives in my heart and it's amazing. This story is everything I want in a fantasy novel and I'll never get tired of it.

Wildwood Dancing

Half of the first chapter was slow and hard to grasp. Once the engine got warmed up there was no stopping it. The characters really came together. Great imaginaation and very well written.

one of my most favorite stories!

Thank you to all who participated in this wonderful recording! Truly a great and adventurous story one of my favorites!

magical!

If you live good reading, magic and love, this is the book for you. Juliet Marillier does it again!