Summary (from Goodreads):
All is not well in the crumbling castle high above the mountain village of Fracture. The sorceress Lady Lamorna has her heart set on a new robe. A very expensive new robe. To get the cash she will stop at nothing, including kidnapping, blackmail and more than a little black magic.
My Review:
I'm not usually a fan of fantasy books, but I had to read a fantasy novel for the Children's Literature course I've been taking, and after much struggle to find a book that fit the criteria my professor set out for me, I came across this book. I couldn’t put it down. This is the first book in the Tales from the Five Kingdoms series, published in 2007. My daughter’s 5th grade ELA teacher had given it to her, but I think it would have been more appropriate for 6th or 7th grade, given the vocabulary used in the story. The story centers around a Cinderella-like heroine named Gracie who, along with Prince Marcus, some talking bats, and a troll named Gubble, foils the plans of the evil sorceress Lady Lamorna. The sorceress has hatched a plan to hold several princesses and princes hostage for money, as she is broke and needs to pay for a fabulous new gown she wants. Unfortunately, Lady Lamorna has not left her castle in years, so she’s a bit behind on how the world works, which causes her plans to go awry.
This book ticks off all of the fantasy motif boxes - there’s magic, the story takes place in a completely made-up universe, and the good-versus-evil motif is central to the story, as is the heroism of the main character. The story employs several special character types, primarily Gubble the troll, but also three Ancient Crones who appear based on the Greek Fates. Just for added spice, Gracie’s evil stepsister happens to be half-werewolf, because why not. Finally, the prince helps Gracie via a map that is imbued with magical properties. And a bunch of royalty get turned into frogs - who doesn't love that? Read: February 2022
