The Fairy Godmother
by
Mercedes Lackey
Order:
USA
Can
Luna, 2004 (2004)
Hardcover
Reviewed by Martina Bexte
E
lena Klovis lives in the land of Five Hundred Kingdoms where everyone has their assigned role in life. But sometimes
Tradition
goes awry and one's path takes a bitter turn. Though Elena was supposed to be the Kingdom's
Cinderella
, it all goes horribly wrong after the untimely death of her mother. Soon afterwards her father brings home a jealous, spiteful, greedy new wife and her two jealous, spiteful, social climbing daughters. Then her father dies and is no sooner buried than
Madame
and her daughters, Daphne and Delphinium, begin shrieking incessant demands and orders -- in short relegating Elena's life to one of servitude. She spends her nights curled up beside the hearth. Soon all Elena's neighbours begin calling her Ella Cinders.
C
ould her life get any worse? Elena wonders. But as luck and
Tradition
would have it, her neighbour, Fleur, turns out to be her
Fairy Godmother
. When Fleur gives Elena the opportunity to become a
Fairy Godmother in Training
, Elena couldn't be more excited. After much studying of the ways of the Kingdom and its
Traditions
, Elena is ready to step into the slippers of a full-fledged fairy godmother. Assigned to oversee the marriage of a princess, Elena must test the princes sent to win her hand. Of the three brothers, Elena already knows that Julian will likely win the quest since he and the princess are most suited -- both are kind, generous and seek true love. Once he passes his critical first test she makes the rest of Julian's journey easy.
A
s for the other two, Octavian and Alexander, Elena decides they must each be taught lessons -- especially the bold and arrogant Alexander whose rudeness and superior attitude annoys Elena no end. In a moment of uncontrolled temper she turns him into a donkey, forcing him to work and survive like one six days of the week. On the seventh he's allowed to be himself and learn about humility and kindness. Elena has no idea what havoc she's wrought by unsuspectingly turning
Tradition
upside down. And most of all by falling in love with absolutely the wrong prince!
T
his is the first book in Harlequin's new fantasy romance line,
Luna
. Popular and prolific writer Mercedes Lackey has built a solid reputation in the fantasy genre with more than fifty books to her credit. She's also garnered a loyal following for her re-telling of various classic fairy tales.
The Fairy Godmother
is a light-hearted, often amusing and truly magical re-telling that will surely please her many fans and bring her a legion of new ones.
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