Night Dance is a blend of The Twelve Dancing Princesses and Arthurian lore, with Excalibur playing a major part in the plot and Morgana (here known as Morgan le Fey) as the villainness. It’s interesting how the two were blended together, and hats off to the author for the idea of tying in the two storylines.
It also reminded me of Orson Scott Card’s Enchantment (retelling of Sleeping Beauty, set in Russia hehe). I guess in the way the story was narrated, and the way magic was used throughout the story. Morgan le Fey reminded me of Baba Yaga in Enchantment, how they both can change into animals, and how they use primitive magic to call on the forces of nature.
The narration is really fairy tale-ish, like Enchantment, which makes it awkward to read at some points. There’s also a lot of teenage hormones flying about, gaggling girls, clumsy first kisses, etc — it’s quite dramatic, perfect for those experiencing teenage angst, hahaha. I guess that if I’d read it in high school I’d have loved it.
***
My copy: put up for mooching last year
My rating: 3/5 stars