Dance: Cinderella Retold

Romance a Medieval Fairytale Series, Book 2

By: Demelza Carlton

Narrated by: Mary Sarah

A dutiful daughter. A prince forced to find a bride. If the shoe fits...Once upon a time...

When the Emperor's army comes recruiting, Mai signs up, seeing it as the perfect escape from her stepmother and a lifetime of drudgery. Armed with her mother's armor and a pair of magic shoes, Mai marches off to war...only to find herself sharing a tent with the General's arrogant nephew, Prince Yi.

The best swordsman in the Empire, Prince Yi wants to make war, not love, but the Emperor insists this will be Yi's last campaign before he must marry. Prince Yi has never met his match...until now.

Can one woman win the war and the prince's heart?

Contains mature themes.

©2017 Demelza Carlton (P)2018 Tantor

Mulan meets Cinderella

Initially I thought… this is just Mulan retold but had a few interesting twists. It was entertaining. Fun listen!

Really enjoyed

What a glorious and engenious retelling. A unique perpsective, an Asian Cinderella and Mulan combination with its own wonderful twists and turns.

✨ Book Review: Dance by Demelza Carlton ✨ 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Dance by Demelza Carlton is a breathtakingly whimsical retelling that sweeps you off your feet like a graceful waltz under moonlight. With her signature blend of rich world-building and lyrical prose, Carlton breathes new life into a classic fairytale, painting it with unexpected depth, romance, and a quiet strength that lingers long after the final page.

The story unfolds like a dream—elegant, mysterious, and hauntingly lovely. The heroine is no damsel in distress, but a quietly powerful force wrapped in grace and determination. Her journey feels both timeless and refreshingly modern, with moments of longing, hope, and the kind of slow-burning connection that makes your heart flutter.

Carlton’s writing dances beautifully between enchantment and darkness, giving us a world full of glimmering gowns, secret ballrooms, and the ever-present pull of destiny. Her attention to detail makes every scene feel immersive, every emotion feel honest.

If you’re someone who adores fairytales with a twist, strong heroines, and romances that bloom like roses at midnight, Dance will absolutely steal your heart.

Beautifully done!

I don’t know how this author comes up with such fascinating ways to intertwine the elements that make the fairytales what they are and her own really unique stories but it’s such an addictive style to listen to. I really enjoyed this and the Cinderella retelling (Enchant) that I listened to first. I highly recommend this author and the reader (who is slightly dramatic but very good)! I can’t wait to hear another story.

AWESOME BOOK

I love the book but I felt like I was listening to A remake of Mulan

A Mulan and A Cinderella retelling!

This book was a lot of fun. It starts off as a Mulan retelling with some minor differences. The MC is six and has talked her father into starting her training in the dance of War. Her father leaves for a trip one day and comes back with a very pregnant new wife. Years later, when war comes; the MC dresses as a boy and leaves to fight in her father's stead. In the end the story becomes a Cinderella retelling. Who knew you could mix the two fairy tales with the same MC! I enjoyed the whole thing.

I could not finish the book

This may have been a decent story if not for the narration. I could not finish the book due to her.