The Fairy Godmother (Tales of the Five Hundred Kingdoms, Book 1) (Hardcover)

by Mercedes Lackey (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
The prolific Lackey (the Valdemar series) draws on the darker, Brothers Grimm side of fairy lore for her enchanting tale, the first title under a new Harlequin imprint to spotlight romantic fantasy. In the land of the Five Hundred Kingdoms, the Tradition, that ineffable magic, holds the promise of happily-ever-after for all deserving young maidens and courteous princes charming. But the Tradition also leads some in its thrall to pain, suffering and gruesome death. Feisty 19-year-old Elena Klovis seems destined to be an Ella of the Cinders (Cinderella), at the mercy of her wicked stepmother and greedy stepsisters. To escape their clutches, Elena tries to get work as a maidservant, but her fairy godmother, Madame Bella, has other plans for her. Elena becomes Madame Bella's apprentice, doing her best, among other challenges, to ensure that evil does not subvert Tradition. The only problem is that fairy godmothers are not themselves allowed to fall in love. It's up to Elena, who has vowed to reform a wayward prince, to tease out the threads of a new Tradition. Lackey has created an intelligent, self-possessed heroine with whom many readers will identify.
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From Booklist
The prolific Lackey will enchant readers with this delightful twist on traditional fairy tales. In the land of Five Hundred Kingdoms, "Tradition" rules, and everyone is expected to fit into established fairy tales. Enslaved by her wickedly avaricious stepmother and stepsisters, Elena should have had a Cinderella-like life, but when things didn't work out, she flees and seeks work. Her fairy godmother, in fact, the fairy godmother of several kingdoms, makes her apprentice fairy godmother, and it's her duty to prevent the bad things that come with Tradition. Her life takes yet another curious turn when, disguised as a crone to test three questing princes, she loses her temper with Prince Alexander. He acts like an ass, so she turns him into one. Unwilling to let a defenseless donkey wander the woods alone, she takes him home and puts him to work transforming his life. Lackey's satisfying fairy tale will captivate fantasy readers with its well-imagined world and romance fans, who will relish the growing relationship and sexy scenes. Diana Tixier Herald
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 432 pages
• Publisher: Luna; First Edition edition (January 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0373802021
• ISBN-13: 978-0373802029
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (91 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #681,601 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

• This is item 1 in The Tales of the Five Hundred Kingdoms Series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

52 of 55 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Charming and emotionally gripping, January 3, 2004

By	booksforabuck "BooksForABuck.com" (Dallas) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

The powerful force of tradition intended Elena to be a Cinderella, except that her prince was only eleven when Elena turned twenty-one. When her evil stepmother decides to try other lands for fortune, Elena is abandoned and forced to come up with a future of her own. She decides to become a servant--and at least get paid for working for others. Instead, a Fairy Godmother takes her on as an apprentice. The magical potential that has built up in her through the frustrated tradition gives her huge magical powers. Which she'll need, because tradition forces the inhabitants of her kingdoms into preset ways--some of which are positive and nice, but others of which are quite dark and evil. Elena, even aided by brownies and unicorns, has a lot to do.

When Prince Alexander behaves rudely to what he thinks is an old woman but is really Elena in test mode, she turns him into a donkey and brings him home to reform him. Which is fine as long as Alexander stays a donkey, but when he turns back into a man, attraction sizzles, which is a problem. Tradition doesn't hold with Fairy Godmothers having lovers, at least not lovers who don't betray them. And Elena is determined not to follow that tradition.

Author Mercedes Lackey melds together a number of fairy tale traditions to create a compelling story of fairie, magic, and romance. Elena is a strong character, who, as her brownies point out, would be wasted in the largely decorative role of princess. Alexander starts out something of a jerk, but manages to redeem himself through hard work and serious thought. A strong action sequence closes out the story answering readers who wonder whether Elena and Alexander will be able to create a new tradition where they can explore the strong attraction between them.

Mercedes Lackey's strong writing engages the reader emotionally and makes THE FAIRY GODMOTHER a compelling read. This is the launch novel in a new fantasy imprint--LUNA. LUNA will concentrate on female-driven fantasy. THE FAIRY GODMOTHER augers well for the new line.

25 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An enjoyable romp of a fantasy!, March 14, 2004

By	Matthew Pursley (Dallas, Texas United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

While I will agree with those who say that this novel is not on the same level as some Mercedes Lackey's other work, I truly enjoyed reading it. I don't think that this novel was intended to be an Epic Tale or a Deep Story. What it turns out to be is a fun and engaging story that puts a delightfully wry spin on the classic fairy tales that most of us grew up with. Dry humor is present in abundance, and I spent much of the time that I was reading the book in a state of simple delight. What brings together the admittedly improbable elements of a fairy tale? Where do Fairy Godmothers/Good Fairies come from? MUST they always be single? What happens when fairy tales ALMOST happen? What would happen if two lines of "fairy tale" mythology (West European and Russian, for example) bumped into eachother?

Lackey comes up with creative answers to all of those questions, and manages to keep a sense of fun flowing through this story of frustrated archetypes, unexpeced romance, fairy tale micro-management, and magical trouble-shooting.

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fairy Godmother, March 16, 2004

By	Broughton, Jane (Elizabethtown, KY USA) - See all my reviews

In a way, it seems to me that Mecedes Lackey is trying to branch out into another genra - that of fairy tales. Then again, to the right person, the tales of Valdemar could be considered fairy tales. At first I wasn't sure if I would even like the book. When I got to reading it, I thoroughly enjoyed the book. In fact, I read it twice in the week I had it from the library. The realm of fairy godmothers is pretty much unexplored. Mercedes gives it the realism of a responsible job done by responsible people with an affinity for seeing possibilities and working with the forces to ensure that any outcome is as far on the side of goodness as they can manage it. True, it dispells a little of the mythos of the fairy godmother as a being who can create instant miracles for all of her charges. However, it is a very entertaining and enjoyable book. I look forward to the paperback edition coming out so that I can add it to my personal library.