"The Curse of the Twelve Sisters": how a herb-girl turned out to be smarter than all the princes

      The Brothers Grimm did not burden themselves with answers, but American writer Merry Haskell did a magnificent job. She took a short story and transformed it into a full-fledged young adult fantasy with rich Romanian color, mythology, underground mysteries, and an incredibly lively heroine who is nothing like Cinderella waiting for a prince.

      Eat the apple — find out the truth

      The original novel "The Princess Curse" (16+) was released in English back in 2011. The book received a warm reception — it was even nominated for the prestigious Mythopoeic Award for contributions to fantasy in the spirit of the "Inklings" (the very same group that included Tolkien and Lewis). However, the story only reached the Russian reader in 2026. And, I must say, it was worth the wait. The setting is the fictional principality of Silvania, but with a clear nod to real Transylvania and Wallachia. It smells of medicinal herbs and anxiety, intrigues in the castle are thicker than compote, suitors disappear with enviable regularity, and the curse, which the author through the main character will call "the stupidest in history," turns out to be a cleverly woven ball of mysteries.

      The healer, the phantom, and a couple of extra pages

      And here comes Rebecca — a thirteen-year-old student of the court healer. This is the best part of the book. She is not a beautiful maiden, not a lost princess, and certainly not "the chosen one." Rebecca wants to receive a reward for lifting the curse so that... she can go to a monastery and peacefully grow lavender beds there. Her pragmatism, sharp tongue, and complete lack of coddling charm from the very first pages. She makes mistakes, argues with her elders, fears being discovered, and constantly seeks advice from a battered herbalist. This romance is not about languid glances, but about courage and stubbornness when you are only thirteen and it is so dark around that you could poke your eye out.

      By the way, there is no love line here in the conventional sense. There is only a light echo, a hint, a whisper — like the wind that touches your hair and immediately flies away. And that is right, because Rebecca needs to first figure herself out, and only then her feelings.

      But, as I said, the book is not without its faults. Haskell, like that very healer who cannot find the right root, takes too long to get going. The first forty percent of the text is a leisurely introduction to the castle, daily life, and secondary characters. Sometimes you want to shout: "Girl, let’s move on already!" And repetitions — yes, they are here too. The same thoughts of the heroine about fear and doubts are replayed with enviable persistence. If the text were shortened by fifty to seventy pages, it would become denser and more gripping.

      The slippers are worn out, but the ending...

      When Rebecca finally descends into that very Underworld — real magic begins. It is dark, sticky, frightening, and incredibly beautiful there. Haskell mixes Romanian beliefs, Greek myths (Persephone and Hades send their regards from afar), flying dragons, animated statues, and dancing ghosts in a cauldron. It turns into a porridge, yes. But an extremely interesting "porridge."

      The ending does not try to be good or right. It does not hand out princes to everyone and does not pretend that all problems are solved. The ending is logical, bold, and a bit bittersweet — like those very herbs that Rebecca collects.

      "The Curse of the Twelve Sisters" (16+) is a seesaw book. At first, you want to bury it in a distant corner of the garden, but then — gift it to your best friend with a note: "Hang in there until the middle, it will get hot." If you love dark retellings without pink snot — grab it without a second thought.

      And let’s not forget: this is still a young adult novel, with all its stretches, repetitions, and almost ballad-like seriousness. For its "own" reader — just right.