Publication
Luna, c2004
Collection
Status
Available
Description
Fantasy. Fiction. Romance. HTML: From the bestselling author of the Heralds of Valdemar series comes an enchanting novel. In the land of the Five Hundred Kingdoms, if you can't carry out your legendary role, life is no fairy tale.… 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…..… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member hcanton
I started out really liking this book, new twist on an old story, strong heroine, good character development, a fun new fairy tale. But about halfway through the book M. Lackey switches gears and starts getting bogged down in adding a "romance" element to the story that is in a totally different
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writing style, much more "hot and heavy, light-porn romance novel", than fairy tale, and which was unnecessary for the storyline. It drags and takes up valuable pages without accomplishing anything, except maybe appealing to Romance readers. Then, once Lackey gets her trashy romance out of the way, she gets back to the business of telling her fairytale, but now she's running out of page space and the culminating battle is weak, underdeveloped and unsatisfying. I really had the impression that while Lackey knew the story had to go here (the battle), that she was way out of her comfort zone and ability in writing it. So, although I started out loving the story and was prepared to rave about it, by the end I was ho-hum and had a bad-taste in my mouth from the pornish middle. Not a keeper for me. Show Less
LibraryThing member Jenson_AKA_DL
Elena (a.k.a. Ella Cinders) has always felt the weight of something pressing down on her, something else that she should be doing other than waiting hand and foot on her horrible step-mother and step-sisters. What she didn't realize is that "something" was The Tradition. A force of destiny that can
As with the other Mercedes Lackey novel I read, I found the beginning to be rather slow going as the story all falls into place. However, also as before once the story got underway it was certainly an adventure of enticing interest. I enjoyed Elena and her supporting cast of characters, even the unicorns (who weren't at all like what I have read in other stories LOL). I also liked Elena's reform of Alexander and thought that it was a great part of the story. I certainly sympathized with Elena's frustration over "The Tradition" as I have personally always found the idea of a pre-set destiny a rather disconcerting concept. Overall an enjoyable fantasy with some unique ideas.
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make a maid a princess, level a kingdom or turn a selfish prince into an ass (literally) depending on the tale it has decided to follow. With this realization Elena finds herself with a choice, to follow the course The Tradition has laid before her, or to forage into her future on her own.As with the other Mercedes Lackey novel I read, I found the beginning to be rather slow going as the story all falls into place. However, also as before once the story got underway it was certainly an adventure of enticing interest. I enjoyed Elena and her supporting cast of characters, even the unicorns (who weren't at all like what I have read in other stories LOL). I also liked Elena's reform of Alexander and thought that it was a great part of the story. I certainly sympathized with Elena's frustration over "The Tradition" as I have personally always found the idea of a pre-set destiny a rather disconcerting concept. Overall an enjoyable fantasy with some unique ideas.
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LibraryThing member LisaMaria_C
This just never hooked me. I'm something of a fan of Mercedes Lackey's books: I've read a majority of them, and she's a prolific author--certainly one of those, that when this first appeared, I reflexively went to give it a read. I particularly love her Valdemar books, which she's arguably best
I think one of Lackey's greatest strengths is her world-building: she creates original and engaging magical realms, and this take on a fairy-tale land with the "Tradition" that forces people into a fairy-tale mold is no exception; I loved her take on fairy godmothers and the tale is shot with a sly humor.
Yet I can't count this as a favorite among her novels, and after this story I didn't, as I usually do, continue to read the other books in this series, nor would I be inclined to reread this as I have other books of hers. Elena, the title character and her romance just never engaged me, and I felt the book dragged in a way Lackey's usually don't for me. I think there are stronger books by Lackey, stronger romantic fantasy out there, even stronger romantic fantasy fairy-tale novels by Lackey (such as her Elemental series which includes the Cinderella story Phoenix and Ashes)
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known for. I think one of Lackey's greatest strengths is her world-building: she creates original and engaging magical realms, and this take on a fairy-tale land with the "Tradition" that forces people into a fairy-tale mold is no exception; I loved her take on fairy godmothers and the tale is shot with a sly humor.
Yet I can't count this as a favorite among her novels, and after this story I didn't, as I usually do, continue to read the other books in this series, nor would I be inclined to reread this as I have other books of hers. Elena, the title character and her romance just never engaged me, and I felt the book dragged in a way Lackey's usually don't for me. I think there are stronger books by Lackey, stronger romantic fantasy out there, even stronger romantic fantasy fairy-tale novels by Lackey (such as her Elemental series which includes the Cinderella story Phoenix and Ashes)
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LibraryThing member hrstokes
This was definitely an amusing as well as entertaining look at one of the most well known fairy tales out there. I found myself drawn in from the start, actually caring about the main character, the difference between the fairy tale I know and the one unfolding on the pages, but, I will admit, in
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the end, I found myself disappointed due to the romance that was thrown in. It, in many ways, took away from the story and world you were learning about. Still, it's definitely a book I'd recommend to those who enjoy fairy tales. Show Less
LibraryThing member quoting_mungo
The Tradition is what shapes events in the Five Hundred Kingdoms. It gathers magic around those whose lives fit in on fairy tales and tries to shape their lives to go along with the tale. One of those people is Elena, who lives with her stepmother and two stepsisters, waiting on them every waking
A very entertaining tale, though I especially enjoyed the part where Elena was the Godmother Apprentice, and it's too bad that part didn't last longer. I like the idea of The Tradition as some rather stupid noncorporeal entity that tries to shepherd people into the paths from tales, and Fairy Godmothers as those who help facilitate the happy endings and attempt to prevent the unhappy tales from even starting. The characters were all distinct personalities, rather colorful such in some cases. Highly reccomended!
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moment after they have spent her father's fortune and can no longer afford proper servants. She should've been her kingdom's Cinderella, but the prince isn't old enough to sweep her off her feet on her sixteenth birthday. Nor on her eighteenth. When she gets a chance she resolves to make a new life for herself, and ends up getting a little help from none other than a Fairy Godmother, who takes her in as her Apprentice. A very entertaining tale, though I especially enjoyed the part where Elena was the Godmother Apprentice, and it's too bad that part didn't last longer. I like the idea of The Tradition as some rather stupid noncorporeal entity that tries to shepherd people into the paths from tales, and Fairy Godmothers as those who help facilitate the happy endings and attempt to prevent the unhappy tales from even starting. The characters were all distinct personalities, rather colorful such in some cases. Highly reccomended!
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LibraryThing member stephxsu
Elena’s miserable life as her stepfamily’s slave should’ve qualified her to have a Cinderella-like happy ending. However, things don’t quite work out that way. Instead, Elena becomes a fairy godmother-in-training. Her primary duty involves working with the Tradition, a powerful magic that
Being Fairy Godmother, however, is a lonely life, and Elena is not sure if her desire to love and be loved can handle such loneliness. Can she find a way to make everyone happy and get her own happy ending?
I have heard of Mercedes Lackey, of course—what fantasy reader hasn’t?—but, until this book, had not read anything by her. I picked up THE FAIRY GODMOTHER on a whim in the bookstore, when I was still on a post-Crown Duel high and desiring a similarly pleasurable fantasy read. THE FAIRY GODMOTHER definitely fulfilled that desire of mine. It’s a wonderfully unique concept, crafted by the hands of a master.
The most amazing part about this book is the thoroughness with which Mercedes Lackey explores an original fantasy concept. There are some pretty standard tropes in fairy tales: long-suffering good girl gets the prince, magic helps the overlooked but goodhearted and deserving third son, and so on. Lackey takes those common expectations and transforms it into the Tradition, a powerful and often dangerously insistent magical force that tries to carry out its tropes without any regard to people’s different wishes, and that must be appeased through subtle manipulations. It’s enchantingly clever, a new take on the fractured fairy tale, and would give someone like me oodles of delight as we consider how Lackey lays out the plot and rules in this world.
The characters, in contrast, do not shine as strongly. Elena is a fine, strong female protagonist, but she doesn’t particularly stand out beyond being a typical fine, strong female protagonist. The main plot here is the magical one, and so the romantic subplot is exactly that—a subplot, feeling a little forced and out of place at times.
Overall, though, I thoroughly enjoyed THE FAIRY GODMOTHER on account of its wonderfully executed original concept. Upon finishing this book, I eagerly went out and found the other books in this series, and will look forward to delving into them when I get the chance!
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tries to force people and situations into recognizable story arcs.Being Fairy Godmother, however, is a lonely life, and Elena is not sure if her desire to love and be loved can handle such loneliness. Can she find a way to make everyone happy and get her own happy ending?
I have heard of Mercedes Lackey, of course—what fantasy reader hasn’t?—but, until this book, had not read anything by her. I picked up THE FAIRY GODMOTHER on a whim in the bookstore, when I was still on a post-Crown Duel high and desiring a similarly pleasurable fantasy read. THE FAIRY GODMOTHER definitely fulfilled that desire of mine. It’s a wonderfully unique concept, crafted by the hands of a master.
The most amazing part about this book is the thoroughness with which Mercedes Lackey explores an original fantasy concept. There are some pretty standard tropes in fairy tales: long-suffering good girl gets the prince, magic helps the overlooked but goodhearted and deserving third son, and so on. Lackey takes those common expectations and transforms it into the Tradition, a powerful and often dangerously insistent magical force that tries to carry out its tropes without any regard to people’s different wishes, and that must be appeased through subtle manipulations. It’s enchantingly clever, a new take on the fractured fairy tale, and would give someone like me oodles of delight as we consider how Lackey lays out the plot and rules in this world.
The characters, in contrast, do not shine as strongly. Elena is a fine, strong female protagonist, but she doesn’t particularly stand out beyond being a typical fine, strong female protagonist. The main plot here is the magical one, and so the romantic subplot is exactly that—a subplot, feeling a little forced and out of place at times.
Overall, though, I thoroughly enjoyed THE FAIRY GODMOTHER on account of its wonderfully executed original concept. Upon finishing this book, I eagerly went out and found the other books in this series, and will look forward to delving into them when I get the chance!
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LibraryThing member wrighton-time
We have all heard the fairy tales where the Prince and Princess live happily ever after, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Princess and the Pea and Rapunzel. Then there are also the tales where children are stolen from their beds, with changelings left in their place, or the grandmother being eaten by
This is the story of one young woman born into the Five Hundred Kingdoms. All her life she has been worked hard, treated poorly and neglected by her Stepmother. She had become a virtual slave to her and her two stepdaughters as well. Well anyone knowing how the tradition works could see that this should have a happy ending. But as the years went on and Elena passed her eighteenth birthday all hope was lost. As her stepmother and stepsisters moved on one step ahead of the creditors, Elena was left on her own with nothing to her name.
Luckily, she was close to her neighbor’s, two older women who seemed to have just a little magic. So as the creditors came to strip the house of everything that was not nailed down she sat down for one of her first good meal in a long time. The elderly women fawned and petted over her, which gave her the courage to do what she felt she had to do. She needed to sell herself as a house cleaner and move on before her Stepmother and Stepsisters came back again to continue to make her life miserable. Off she goes to the town square where the mop fair is going on and jobs are offered each week, with her back straight and her hopes up. However, with each passing hour she began to lose hope. Not one to give up she stayed right were she was till the very end of day, knowing that it would just take that one person that would need what she had to offer and give her a job. As the day faded, away Elena started to head back to her empty home, and just as she did, she heard the carriage.
The cart that came around the corner was just as odd as the driver was, but the elderly woman had such kind eyes and Elena really needed a job. When the elderly woman asked her if she was looking for work, Elena jumped at the chance without even remembering to ask what the job was. It was so wonderful to find someone with such kind eyes. The woman invited her aboard the carriage and off they went. As they rounded the corner and lurched over a bump the carriage bounced into the air, and did not come down. Elena was terrified.
This is the Story of how Elena became the Fairy Godmother’s apprentice and then went on to become the Fairy Godmother of the Five Hundred Kingdoms. Even the Fey and magical creatures accepted her. She becomes the adored of the Unicorns, and if she still sometimes dreamed of meeting her prince, well no one ever knew for the longest time. She became a source to be reckoned with and helped to set up the questing for the young men trying to win the fair maiden. This is also the story of how she changed the Tradition and used it to build a stung and peaceful kingdom where only good would prevail. In addition, as luck, or the tradition would have it, could there still be a happily ever after for Elena?
This true adult fairytale with all the fun and enchantments that go with the tales we heard as a child. It is the story of believing in something with all your heart and finding that there really are happy endings. A fun read with likable characters. It may have been a little sugary but still had a very feel good ending.
This Book was received as a free book from Net galley. All opinions are my own based off my reading and understanding of the material.
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the big bad wolf. What we do not hear about is the tradition. The tradition is the all-powerful force that makes things happen, time after time, keeping the fairy tales repeating themselves repeatedly. It is a force that pushes and prods and creates opportunities or challenges that make things happen in just that certain way. This is the story of one young woman born into the Five Hundred Kingdoms. All her life she has been worked hard, treated poorly and neglected by her Stepmother. She had become a virtual slave to her and her two stepdaughters as well. Well anyone knowing how the tradition works could see that this should have a happy ending. But as the years went on and Elena passed her eighteenth birthday all hope was lost. As her stepmother and stepsisters moved on one step ahead of the creditors, Elena was left on her own with nothing to her name.
Luckily, she was close to her neighbor’s, two older women who seemed to have just a little magic. So as the creditors came to strip the house of everything that was not nailed down she sat down for one of her first good meal in a long time. The elderly women fawned and petted over her, which gave her the courage to do what she felt she had to do. She needed to sell herself as a house cleaner and move on before her Stepmother and Stepsisters came back again to continue to make her life miserable. Off she goes to the town square where the mop fair is going on and jobs are offered each week, with her back straight and her hopes up. However, with each passing hour she began to lose hope. Not one to give up she stayed right were she was till the very end of day, knowing that it would just take that one person that would need what she had to offer and give her a job. As the day faded, away Elena started to head back to her empty home, and just as she did, she heard the carriage.
The cart that came around the corner was just as odd as the driver was, but the elderly woman had such kind eyes and Elena really needed a job. When the elderly woman asked her if she was looking for work, Elena jumped at the chance without even remembering to ask what the job was. It was so wonderful to find someone with such kind eyes. The woman invited her aboard the carriage and off they went. As they rounded the corner and lurched over a bump the carriage bounced into the air, and did not come down. Elena was terrified.
This is the Story of how Elena became the Fairy Godmother’s apprentice and then went on to become the Fairy Godmother of the Five Hundred Kingdoms. Even the Fey and magical creatures accepted her. She becomes the adored of the Unicorns, and if she still sometimes dreamed of meeting her prince, well no one ever knew for the longest time. She became a source to be reckoned with and helped to set up the questing for the young men trying to win the fair maiden. This is also the story of how she changed the Tradition and used it to build a stung and peaceful kingdom where only good would prevail. In addition, as luck, or the tradition would have it, could there still be a happily ever after for Elena?
This true adult fairytale with all the fun and enchantments that go with the tales we heard as a child. It is the story of believing in something with all your heart and finding that there really are happy endings. A fun read with likable characters. It may have been a little sugary but still had a very feel good ending.
This Book was received as a free book from Net galley. All opinions are my own based off my reading and understanding of the material.
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LibraryThing member TheLostEntwife
This was my first Mercedes Lackey read ... and I loved it. I'm a big fan of fairy-tale retellings and when I saw the cover of this book and then read a little bit about it (just enough to know it was loosely based on Cinderella), I had to read it.
First of all, I'm a huge admirer when a fantasy
Spoilers Ahead!
I'm beyond thrilled that the book takes a twist away from the typical fairy tale into a realm that I never had considered - that of the training of the Godmothers. I was fascinated by every single magical creature, found myself snorting with laughter at the mirror-slave, Randolph, at the love-sick unicorns (I just snorted with laughter again), and at the.. odd turn of events which brought Alexander into Elena's life.
My only disappointment was the rather.. graphic, erotic turns the book took, but they were much smaller in number then they could have been so don't pass by this one if you are totally turned off by that sort of thing.
The witty writing, charm of the characters and sheer magic of the world made this book a delightful read, and one I'm glad to own (now.. to get my hands on the rest of them!).
First of all, I'm a huge admirer when a fantasy
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writer gets a magic system down so well that it's explained in a way that makes colors explode in my imagination - and that's what Lackey did in The Fairy Godmother. Spoilers Ahead!
I'm beyond thrilled that the book takes a twist away from the typical fairy tale into a realm that I never had considered - that of the training of the Godmothers. I was fascinated by every single magical creature, found myself snorting with laughter at the mirror-slave, Randolph, at the love-sick unicorns (I just snorted with laughter again), and at the.. odd turn of events which brought Alexander into Elena's life.
My only disappointment was the rather.. graphic, erotic turns the book took, but they were much smaller in number then they could have been so don't pass by this one if you are totally turned off by that sort of thing.
The witty writing, charm of the characters and sheer magic of the world made this book a delightful read, and one I'm glad to own (now.. to get my hands on the rest of them!).
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LibraryThing member jasmyn9
The Five Hundred Kingdoms continually live the fairy tales. It is part of the magic that holds the realms together. Elena was destined to follow in the footsteps of Cinderella, but her prince was just a baby so the fairy tale went wrong. The magic of the realm built up around her until her
I loved Elena. She was just the right mix of bold and confident with an underlying insecurity and doubt that she is good enough to perform her new role as godmother. She rises to the challenge and succeeds in ways she never quite thought possible. She is surrounded by a host of mythical creatures, each with its own unique personality and part to the story. The romance was definately there, but in a way that made it part of the story instead of the point of the story. I'm going to have to keep my eyes out for the others in the series.
4/5
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kingdom's godmother takes her in as an apprentice. Her life is filled with directing the magic to make her realms a better place and keepp the evil ones away. Throughout it all she makes brave and very inventive solutions to keep the tales alive but under control. At least until she breaks with tradition and takes an unruly prince under her wing. She is determined to make him a better person, but the fairy tales have another idea altogether.I loved Elena. She was just the right mix of bold and confident with an underlying insecurity and doubt that she is good enough to perform her new role as godmother. She rises to the challenge and succeeds in ways she never quite thought possible. She is surrounded by a host of mythical creatures, each with its own unique personality and part to the story. The romance was definately there, but in a way that made it part of the story instead of the point of the story. I'm going to have to keep my eyes out for the others in the series.
4/5
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LibraryThing member JeremyPreacher
Finally I read the first in the sequence! Like the others, it's serviceable, the premise is a neat way to approach traditional fairy-tale tropes, and the characters are typically charming. I just have to go on one minor tangential rant...
Look, I am not going to accuse Mercedes Lackey, of all
Look, I am not going to accuse Mercedes Lackey, of all
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people, of homophobia. She's won a freaking Lambda Award, of all things. But the offhand remark about "the clear impropriety of [the princess] falling in love with a woman" only failed to make me throw the book across the room because it happens in the last twenty or so pages. Look, I know Luna is a Harlequin imprint. I know lesbian romance doesn't sell for shit, and that Harlequin is militantly aware of that. And I know those two characters were definitely, obviously not supposed to fall in love anyway. But did you really have to confirm that this series will never, ever, have any relationships I can relate to? Because now I'm pretty soured on the whole thing. Show Less
LibraryThing member Murphy-Jacobs
Just finished re-reading this inaugural tale of the 500 Kingdoms, and I remember now what I like so much about the series.
I enjoy it when an author grabs a bunch of well-worn genre tropes, mixes them up, pours them on ice, adds a little umbrella and serves it on a hot day. That's what Lackey did
I didn't intent to reread this book right now, as I have an elbow high pile already waiting, some that must go back to the library shortly. Yet I did. I stayed up late reading it. I read it while eating breakfast. I enjoyed it and giggled at it and insisted that my husband one day read it (while it has all the earmarks of a sticky sweet "chick lit" read, it's a hair or two better than that.) I happened to open the cover while rearranging shelves, read the first page, and fell right in.
It's hard to resist a story where a failed Cinderella gets the chance to take over her fairy tale and bring about, not only her own happy ending, but happy endings (or, occasionally, less-than-tragic ones) for others.
Honestly, I'd have never read this book in the first place if I had not attended a convention where Ms. Lackey read a chapter aloud. I had to have the book before the week was over. That was nearly 6 years ago, and I still remember the story clearly and recommend it to others. I don't tend to read romance, as I find much of what makes a romance "romantic" (at least in modern genre terms) unbearably cloying, brainless, farfetched, infuriating, and likely to make me throw things. That Lackey doesn't go there with this book is one of the better things about it.
A word of warning -- I haven't found the other books in this series nearly as charming or fun, but none of them have been horrible. There are two more I have not read and I keep hoping for a return to the particular magic and freshness of this one. Hey, it could happen.
I enjoy it when an author grabs a bunch of well-worn genre tropes, mixes them up, pours them on ice, adds a little umbrella and serves it on a hot day. That's what Lackey did
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with this book. It's not deep -- although you can see the fine, fine threads of a long tradition going back to the 18th and 19th century Gothic taies. The story itself is concerned with and has as a major portion of the plot the understanding and reversing, shaping, or overthrowing of all those romantic fantasy tropes. That's where the humor is, and it isn't a mean humor, but a gentle, friendly one.I didn't intent to reread this book right now, as I have an elbow high pile already waiting, some that must go back to the library shortly. Yet I did. I stayed up late reading it. I read it while eating breakfast. I enjoyed it and giggled at it and insisted that my husband one day read it (while it has all the earmarks of a sticky sweet "chick lit" read, it's a hair or two better than that.) I happened to open the cover while rearranging shelves, read the first page, and fell right in.
It's hard to resist a story where a failed Cinderella gets the chance to take over her fairy tale and bring about, not only her own happy ending, but happy endings (or, occasionally, less-than-tragic ones) for others.
Honestly, I'd have never read this book in the first place if I had not attended a convention where Ms. Lackey read a chapter aloud. I had to have the book before the week was over. That was nearly 6 years ago, and I still remember the story clearly and recommend it to others. I don't tend to read romance, as I find much of what makes a romance "romantic" (at least in modern genre terms) unbearably cloying, brainless, farfetched, infuriating, and likely to make me throw things. That Lackey doesn't go there with this book is one of the better things about it.
A word of warning -- I haven't found the other books in this series nearly as charming or fun, but none of them have been horrible. There are two more I have not read and I keep hoping for a return to the particular magic and freshness of this one. Hey, it could happen.
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LibraryThing member wyvernfriend
Really enjoyable. Modern retelling of Fairy Stories, in a world where tradition has magical force.
LibraryThing member eljabo
I'm a sucker for a fractured fairy tale. What I liked best about this tale was that Elena was no damsel in distress. She took matters in her own hand, shaped her own destiny and even rescued her own prince. Much better than the hand-wringing that typically goes on in these novels!
The author created
The author created
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a fascinating world in this book - can't wait to visit it again! Show Less
LibraryThing member amurphy
An entertaining look at fairy tales
LibraryThing member TriciaDM
I really liked this, the concept of what a fairy godmother does exactly is really neat. I liked romance addition and the sarcasm was great!
LibraryThing member navelos
This was a pretty quick enjoyable read, though it doesn't have much conflict and didn't feel like much happened. It felt like a very long introduction to nothing. Elena started out as a promising character but I thought as soon as she became Godmother she lost all her personality. I guess I would
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have thought differently of the book if I'd realized it was really the story of Elena and Alexander, not so much the story of her exploits as fairy godmother, as the back of the book led me to believe. Although I enjoyed reading it I don't really feel compelled to get the next book in the series. Show Less
LibraryThing member tikilights
I read this with no previous experience in Fantasy literature other than Harry Potter and Chronicles of Narnia. I really enjoyed this story and found Lackey's The Fairy Godmother to be a unique spin on the general idea of "The Tradition" in fairy tales.
LibraryThing member kylesnova
This is a great read - a twist on the traditional Cinderella fairytale. The premise asks the question, "What happens to all of the girls who don't get the happy ending?" and then answers that question.
LibraryThing member puckrobin
What a great take on the Cinderella tale! Lackey's heroine is not only plucky and wonderfully sarcastic, she's innovative and smart. Familiar enough to feel good, new enough to be interesting.
LibraryThing member Alliebadger
This is probably one of my all-time favorite books and also the one that got me hooked on Mercedes Lackey. I recommend this very highly for women especially, please read it!
In this book, Elena is the classic Cinderella story. She lives with an evil stepmother and stepsisters, but she's been waiting
So Elena trains and succeeds, taking over the place of her predecessor. And she just may find her own path being shaped as well...
In this book, Elena is the classic Cinderella story. She lives with an evil stepmother and stepsisters, but she's been waiting
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for her prince to ride up for a long, long time. One day, she sneaks out to the job fair and is whisked away by a Fairy Godmother who explains what's been happening to her. The Tradition, the magical force in the 500 Kingdoms, nudges people's lives in such a way that it ends up in Traditional stories (ie Cinderella). But something has gone wrong while the Tradition was nudging Elena and could never let her tale finish, so the magic has been building up around her so much that she now has the makings to be a Fairy Godmother. The Godmothers help guide the Tradition; knowing Traditional paths, they try to help the Tradition give people happy endings, because sad ones are all too common.So Elena trains and succeeds, taking over the place of her predecessor. And she just may find her own path being shaped as well...
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LibraryThing member seekingflight
I started this with high hopes. I love alternate and contemporary retellings of the classic fairy tales. I love books that spell out and then play with traditional storytelling conventions. So I was hooked when I heard the premise of this series, which depicts a world ruled by The Tradition. The
So what would have happened to Cinderella if her prince was too old, or too young, or her Fairy Godmother never got there in time? This book plays with these ideas and more, but the execution wasn’t quite what I was hoping for, and the romance was predictable and did very little for me.
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more that your situation in life resembles a fairy-tale, the more magic gathers around you, trying to force you down a path that will fulfil the Tradition. So what would have happened to Cinderella if her prince was too old, or too young, or her Fairy Godmother never got there in time? This book plays with these ideas and more, but the execution wasn’t quite what I was hoping for, and the romance was predictable and did very little for me.
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LibraryThing member deslivres5
A fairy tale retelling of Cinderella becoming a fairy godmother instead (sort of). I enjoyed the "rags to magic" parts of the story, and the parts about evil getting its just rewards.
But I didn't enjoy the romance, which seemed, even in a fantasy story where you know that its coming, to resolve
But I didn't enjoy the romance, which seemed, even in a fantasy story where you know that its coming, to resolve
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too, too quickly (must have been the Tradition) but more than quick enough for the unexpected and strange MA-rated portions of the romance. Show Less
LibraryThing member TheDivineOomba
I found this book at the library, it looked interesting, so I checked it out. I was quickly dismayed that this book is not just fantasy, but also Romance, although romance with a higher quality writing. I was not happy. I wouldn't have checked the book out if I had known. There a few scenes in this
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book that I skipped, simply because it was gratuitous sex that added nothing to the plot, and was a bit too graphic for my taste. I suspect I would have enjoyed the book much more if it was labeled as Romance/Fantasy. But I read it thinking it was going to be light fiction, and its not. Show Less
LibraryThing member erinmcewen
500 Kingdoms = guilty pleasure. I've read this three times already & it's a silliness that seems to come from the base of my own brain. Lackey isn't Shakespeare, but she serves up fun stories in words that I seem to have already thought of. Comforting. Like macaroni and cheese.
LibraryThing member ericnguyen09
"Perhaps that was all that freedom really was, in the end, the knowledge that you had nothing and were nothing, and thus had nothing to lose or gain."
Heading another series that take well-known fairy tales and retells them (the first one being the "Elemental Masters" series), Mercedes Lackey
Made into a slave by her stepmother and stepsisters, 21-year-old Elena "Ella Cinders" Klovis's woes are further exasperated when the three, in the wake of Elena's father's death, decide to leave town to hide from debt collectors. "Keep the house tidy" were her last instructions and with that Elena is left alone. Seeing the abandonment as an opportunity for freedom, she runs away to sell her services as a maid.
Like the the original Cinderella, she is unexpectantly saved by an eccentrically dressed Godmother; unlike the original tale, Elena becomes Godmother Bella's apprentice, under the fact that her prince to-be is still a child, a sign that The Tradition--a force that guides the peoples of the Five Hundred Kingdoms into fairy tale stories wheather the like it or not--is not always perfect. And it with a later induction into the life of a Godmother that Elena comes to effectively fight against The Tradition.
While the novel is a romance, under the Harlequin imprint of Luna, Lackey focuses on magic rather than love and lust. In fact, while there are themes of love and lust, it is scattered and perhaps unskillfully added--for example, a chapter that quickly becomes a sex scene. However, Lackey also manages to write a very contemporary, very feminist story in which the characters metaphorically and literally break The Tradition (of gender roles): on the way, we meet feminine princes, a knight turned into a donkey for being a pig, and above all--very strong women. Added to this are humorous moments, magical fun, and an intelligent heroine to make a 400+ book into light reading that is ultimately about freedom and our ability to rewrite our stories for freedom.
Readers of her previous works might be taken by surprise and may even dislike this particular series; romance readers will find something new to try out; and her fans will enjoy this mediocre fantasy-romance that while different from her previous works, it can likely fit onto their shelves.
Heading another series that take well-known fairy tales and retells them (the first one being the "Elemental Masters" series), Mercedes Lackey
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starts her "Tale of the Five Hundred Kingdoms" with her own--thoroughly contemporary and highly feminist--version of Cinderella.Made into a slave by her stepmother and stepsisters, 21-year-old Elena "Ella Cinders" Klovis's woes are further exasperated when the three, in the wake of Elena's father's death, decide to leave town to hide from debt collectors. "Keep the house tidy" were her last instructions and with that Elena is left alone. Seeing the abandonment as an opportunity for freedom, she runs away to sell her services as a maid.
Like the the original Cinderella, she is unexpectantly saved by an eccentrically dressed Godmother; unlike the original tale, Elena becomes Godmother Bella's apprentice, under the fact that her prince to-be is still a child, a sign that The Tradition--a force that guides the peoples of the Five Hundred Kingdoms into fairy tale stories wheather the like it or not--is not always perfect. And it with a later induction into the life of a Godmother that Elena comes to effectively fight against The Tradition.
While the novel is a romance, under the Harlequin imprint of Luna, Lackey focuses on magic rather than love and lust. In fact, while there are themes of love and lust, it is scattered and perhaps unskillfully added--for example, a chapter that quickly becomes a sex scene. However, Lackey also manages to write a very contemporary, very feminist story in which the characters metaphorically and literally break The Tradition (of gender roles): on the way, we meet feminine princes, a knight turned into a donkey for being a pig, and above all--very strong women. Added to this are humorous moments, magical fun, and an intelligent heroine to make a 400+ book into light reading that is ultimately about freedom and our ability to rewrite our stories for freedom.
Readers of her previous works might be taken by surprise and may even dislike this particular series; romance readers will find something new to try out; and her fans will enjoy this mediocre fantasy-romance that while different from her previous works, it can likely fit onto their shelves.
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Language
Original language
English
ISBN
0373802455 / 9780373802456
Original publication date
2004-01