The Thirteenth Princess. Diane Zahler. 2010. HarperCollins. 245 pages.
My name is Zita, and I am the thirteenth of thirteen princesses. My twelve sisters have become the subject of legend, even in faraway kingdoms, but I am sure that you have never heard of me.
The Twelve Dancing Princesses. Chances are you've heard of them. Maybe you've even read a novelization of that fairy tale. There have been several released recently. This one adds a slightly different twist to the story. What if there were a thirteenth princess? A princess that proves integral to the story because she helps solve the mystery.
Zita, our heroine, is a likable narrator. She's been raised apart from her sisters because of her father's irrational anger. He's never gotten over his wife's death. He blames Zita for it. So from the day she was born, she's been raised by the servants, trained to be a servant. Zita didn't learn the truth about herself until later. How is a girl supposed to cope with news like this? Her father is alive. But he doesn't want her. He doesn't love her. She has sisters. Twelve of them. All beautiful. All loved by the king. All living in luxury. But her life, anything but luxurious. She waits on others, serves others. She's used to being invisible. How can she have a relationship with her sisters? How do they feel towards her?
The Thirteenth Princess was an interesting book. I would recommend it to those fantasy-lovers that like fairy tale novelizations.
© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews
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