[Five Hundred Kingdoms 01] • Mercedes Lackey a Tale of the Five Hundred Kingdoms, Volume 1

""She'll keep you up long past your bedtime." -- #1" New York Times "bestselling author Stephen King"

""The prolific Lackey (the Valdemar series) draws on the darker, Brothers Grimm side of fairy lore for her enchanting tale..." -- Publisher's Weekly"

In the land of the Five Hundred Kingdoms, if you can't carry out your legendary role, life is no fairy tale....

THE FAIRY GODMOTHER

Elena Klovis was supposed to be her kingdom's Cinderella--until fate left her with a completely inappropriate prince! So she set out to make a new life for herself. But breaking with "The Tradition" was no easy matter--until she got a little help from her own fairy godmother. Who promptly offered Elena a most unexpected job....

Now, instead of sleeping in the chimney, she has to deal with arrogant, stuffed-shirt princes who keep trying to rise above their place in the tale. And there's one in particular who needs to be dealt with....

"Sometimes a fairy godmother's work is never done...."

"Book 1 of Five Hundred Kingdoms."

ONE GOOD KNIGHT

"When a dragon storms the castle, what should a (virgin) princess do?"

Why, turn to her studies, of course! But nothing practical-minded Princess Andromeda of Acadia finds gives a definitive solution. The only Traditional answer, though, is soothing the marauding dragon by a virgin sacrifice. Things are going fairly smoothly with the lottery--except for the women chosen, of course--until Princess Andromeda herself is picked!

But facing down the dragon doesn't go quite as planned, and now, with the help of her Champion, Sir George, Andromeda searches for the dragon's lair. But even--especially--in the Five Hundred Kingdoms, bucking Tradition isn't easy. It takes the strongest of wills, knowledge, quick wits and a refusal to give up, no matter what happens along the way....

"Book 2 of Five Hundred Kingdoms."