Almendra: A Fairy Tale

by Farida Mestek

Almendra, the High Lady of The Upper Kingdom, is doomed. Many years ago, in a fit of rage and broken heart, her mother banished all the men from the country and plunged it into unhappiness. Almendra’s only companions are her old Nanny and Woo, the wolf. To get rid of the curse, Almendra must go to The Land of Men to find love that will restore The Upper Kingdom to all its former glory. But it’s a long way to The Land of Men and the outcome of the journey will change Almendra forever. Includes 6 illustrations by the author.

125 pages, Nook

First published February 10, 2011

About the author

Farida Mestek spends most of her time travelling between Regency England, magic forests, and different fantasy worlds that she discovers along the way, using the best means of transportation known to man: imagination. During her travels she meets a lot of interesting characters, whose stories she then narrates (with their permission) on the pages of her books. Her favourite companions are talking animals. Currently she is learning the language of the trees.

Reviews

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Imagine for a moment that you lived a life that limited your interaction with the world around you. Almendra, the High Lady of the Upper Kingdom, lives a sad and dull life. She shares every waking day with Woo, a grey wolf, and Nan, her nanny. Amendra has never seen a man before and the word “man” has never been uttered in her home. One day she stumbles upon a trunk filled with treasures, some unique and interesting to her and others not so much. She soon decides to embark on a journey to the Land of Men where she hopes to find love and break the curse her mother cast upon her and the Upper Kingdom forever.

Almendra: A Fairy Tale is a very unique story; unlike any I’ve read. While this is a short novella, it definitely has an interesting cast of colorful characters. The ending is one that you definitely won’t see coming. The history of the Upper Kingdom and the High ladies was fantastic, leaving me wanting to know more details about each of the High Ladies. Mestek includes several illustrations in the novella which, in my opinion, are placed very well within the story, adding a nice view into the authors unique vision of the characters. This is a fast and enjoyable read with an intriguing spin on the classic fairy tale.

[Sarah Huntington · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this book might have real magic within the pages, or a sprinkling of fairy dust. It was just the thing I needed to soothe my soul. It was sweet and charming, brilliantly written, exciting and had a clever twist too. It was so good to read this, I could practically feel the darkness lift and it was wonderful to smile again because I liked the created world so very much. A highly recommended enchanted read.

[Lorene Haupt · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an unexpected twist! Almost finished...