When Dashti, a maid, and Lady Saren, her mistress, are shut in a tower for seven years for Saren's refusal to marry a man she despises, the two prepare for a very long and dark imprisonment.
As food runs low and the days go from broiling hot to freezing cold, it is all Dashti can do to keep them fed and comfortable. But the arrival outside the tower of Saren's two suitors--one welcome, and the other decidedly less so--brings both hope and great danger, and Dashti must make the desperate choices of a girl whose life is worth more than she knows.
With Shannon Hale's lyrical language, this forgotten but classic fairy tale from the Brothers Grimm is reimagined and reset on the central Asian steppes; it is a completely unique retelling filled with adventure and romance, drama and disguise.
***
I am a sucker for a good story and beautiful writing. Shannon Hale provides both in this retelling of a Brothers Grimm Fairytale. Her language is poetic and musical. This was a book that I wanted to slowly digest, word by word and relish the taste of each one.
The characters developed beautifully over the course of the story. Both Dashti and her mistress, Saren, grow and change over the course of their companionship. I loved Dashti dearly, and cheered for her constantly. There was more romance than I had expected in this story, but I was glad of it. I was also glad that the story wasn't only about romance. I love books with a story to tell, and this one filled just about everything on my "must have" checklist.
I borrowed it from the library when I read it, but I just purchased the Kindle Edition. It's only $0.99 right now, so if you've ever been curious about Shannon Hale or this story in particular, it is the perfect time to try it out.
Happy reading!
Reading level: Ages 12 and up
Hardcover: 320 pages
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens; First Edition edition (September 18, 2007)
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