One Good Knight    by Mercedes Lackey Order:  USA  Can Luna, 2006 (2006) Hardcover    Reviewed by Belle Dessler Princess Andromeda is stuck in a rut. She has servants ready to obey her every whim, but she's surrounded by rules that govern every aspect of her life. She can't 'talk to anyone below the rank of noble, smile at any young men or speak her opinion unless it's asked for.' The list of things she can't do is endless, and royal etiquette is the bane of her existence. All she wants is to feel useful, to spend her days doing something more constructive than fawning over her appearance and attending balls, dinners and other boring receptions. She believes that her mother, Queen Cassiopeia of Arcadia, will never see her as anything more than a child, and sets out to prove otherwise. When the realm is threatened by a dragon, Queen Cassiopeia comes up with the perfect solution: send a virgin to the dragon once a week as a sacrifice. But what happens when it's Andie's turn to placate the dragon? Mercedes Lackey returns to the Five Hundred Kingdoms with One Good Knight, a tale that's pure fairytale fantasy in every way. Like many of Lackey's previous novels, this one takes well-known myths (in this case the Greek legend of Andromeda and Perseus, and the medieval fable of St. George and the Dragon) and adds a few unforeseen twists. Princess Andromeda is a bookworm, the kind of young woman most readers can relate to. She longs for adventure and a life of purpose, but is held back by others' expectations. Her life is described in painstaking detail, especially within the first hundred pages, but readers who persevere through this rather slow beginning will be rewarded by a feel-good fantasy adventure. Fans of sizzling, sexy romances with great chemistry between hero and heroine will not find what they're looking for in this fantasy novel. Lackey imbues her storytelling with a chaste fairytale quality, where hero and heroine are friends, and nothing more. Wedding bells may ring, but the foundation for this romance lies in mutual respect, platonic love and shared adversity. Although this gives the book a young adult feel, the story is nonetheless a good afternoon read. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Romance books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews