Content levels
Trigger warnings
Hero archetypes
Heroine archetypes
Protagonist archetypes
Tropes
Synopsis
Zita is not an ordinary servant girl—she's the thirteenth 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 twelfth 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 twelve 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.
Is The Thirteenth Princess appropriate for my child?
Suitable for most readers 10 and up.
A gentle fairy tale retelling with mild peril and themes of sisterhood and class inequality. The princesses are cursed to dance nightly, but the story resolves with courage and friendship rather than graphic content.
What to know going in
This book has mild violence, no sexual content, and clean language. Content notes include abandonment, class struggle, and chronic illness.
Who'll love this
Middle grade readers will love this magical adventure about a brave servant girl who saves her enchanted sisters from a mysterious curse.