(2) 4-6 Apprentice blacksmith Sand finds himself in the Sundered Castle--so called because everything is broken in two. Sand begins mending things; when he finds the corpse of Perrotte, a princess, he straightens her limbs, restoring her to life. Subtle parallels to "Sleeping Beauty" are omnipresent, but Sand and Perrotte's work of restoring the castle and avenging old wrongs takes its own, novel course.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2014

(2) 4-6 When kidnapped Princess Matilda is rescued by her maidservant and the handsome Parzival, the three set off to slay a dragon. Their first attempt is a disaster; future excursions start to give them a more nuanced view of the dangerous beasts. Taking Arthurian legends as her conventions, Haskell imparts medieval flavor through setting and attitude alone, keeping the language refreshingly light and modern.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2013

(3) 4-6 Thirteen-year-old Reveka, assistant herbalist of Castle Sylvian, is determined to break the curse that leaves the twelve princesses' shoes in tatters and causes other people to fall unconscious. Unfortunately, the key lies with a terrifying underworld zmeu (dragon). Haskell's "Twelve Dancing Princesses" reimagining tantalizingly incorporates classical mythology (most notably Persephone and Hades), historical references, and plant lore within its fictional Romanian context.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz