looks pretty good to me.

i read a pretty fantastic book the other day...

here's the synopsis from shannon hale's website:

When Dashti, a maid, and Lady Saren, her mistress, are shut in a tower for seven years because of 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. With the arrival outside the tower of Saren’s two suitors—one welcome, the other decidedly less so—the girls are confronted with 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 little-known classic fairy tale from the Brothers Grimm is reimagined and reset in a land inspired by the Asian steppes; it is a completely unique retelling filled with adventure and romance, drama and disguise.

i really enjoyed it and finished it in about 2 days. the story was compelling and i found myself thinking about it when i wasn't reading it. i'm still thinking about it.

the main character, dashti, is such a strong presence throughout the book. she moved the story forward with her actions and i felt like she wasn't just there in order to narrate the book. (it's written in journal format: "day 1, day 187, etc" from dashti's point of view).

the other main character, lady saren, who dashti serves, was pretty annoying and i only (sort of) liked her at the end. but shannon hale wrote it so that you felt sympathy for her and understood why she was so annoying. i always enjoy when authors make you sympathize with characters that you initially dislike. makes you question some people you might dislike in your own life...

and the romance was very sweet. i think that's part of what made me like this book more than other shannon hale books i've read. i'm such a sucker for romance.

all in all...a good read!