The Thirteenth Princess

By: Diane Zahler

Narrated by: Jenna Lamia

"My name is Zita, and I am the thirteenth princess. My twelve sisters are legendary, even in faraway kingdoms, but I am sure that you have never heard of me."

Zita is not an ordinary servant girl—she’s the13th daughter of a king who wanted only sons. When she was born, Zita’s father banished her to the servants’ quarters to work in the kitchens, where she can only communicate with her royal sisters in secret.

Then, after Zita’s 12th birthday, the princesses all fall mysteriously ill. The only clue is their strangely worn and tattered shoes. With the help of her friends—Breckin the stable boy, Babette the witch, and Milek the soldier—Zita follows her bewitched sisters into a magical world of endless dancing and dreams. But something more sinister is afoot—and unless Zita and her friends can break the curse, the 12 princesses will surely dance to their deaths.

A classic fairy tale with a bold twist, The Thirteenth Princess tells the unforgettable story of a magical castle, true love, spellbound princesses—and the young girl determined to save them all.

©2010 Diane Zahler (P)2010 HarperCollins Publishers

Critic reviews

" The Thirteenth Princess is a lucky find, a wheeling gavotte of a novel that refreshes an old fairy tale with new enchantment.” (Gregory Maguire, author of Wicked and A Lion Among Men)

A book I shared with my daughter

What did you love best about The Thirteenth Princess?

I have never lost my love for fairy tales, especially those with a refreshing point of view. Everyone has heard about the twelve dancing princesses, but this book's protagonist is the unknown

What did you like best about this story?

I am glad that my ten-year old daughter enjoyed the book as well, and listened to it at every waking moment until she finished the book.

My son loves the story

He liked the characters and the story. He says in his own words "it was awesome" and he liked how the king acted towards the end of the story.

Fun Read with Interesting Twists

This book will keep you guessing as it moves through several twists. It's a nice fantasy tale with characters you'll love. Everything works out satisfactorily in the end, although there is a death of an innocent.

Great story for kids!

What did you love best about The Thirteenth Princess?

My kids (7 - 11 y/o) and I were absolutely immerse in this story. Until the end you don't know what it will happen. Characters and narration are awesome!

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes you want to listen the book in one night!

Interesting but not complete

These characters are lacking depth. The backstory is incomplete and difficult to understand, not a smooth transition to the current day in the story.

Zita, the 13th princess, is beyond spoiled. She looks down upon the servants but she has been raised as one. Doesn't make sense. Her vocabulary is over the top wrong for a young girl who has no princess training.

This story might be enjoyable to young readers but the reader must have a higher level of vocabulary than her age. If you have a 4th grader who reads on a 12th grade level it can be very hard to find suitable books and this may be a good option. Otherwise it is not something that brings much substance to the reader's life.

I much prefer a book that makes me a better person after reading.

Score = eh.