A Necklace of Fallen Stars

by Beth Hilgartner, Michael Hague (Illustrator)

Give up her colorful, independent life telling stories in the marketplace to marry the cold, ruthless Duke Gavrin? Princess Kaela vows "Never!" Flouting her father's wishes -- and resolving to ignore her sister's fears -- Kaela sets out alone for a distant kingdom, determined to make her own way and live her own life in the way she loves best: by weaving tales for anyone who will lend an ear. Her gift serves her well, for it is as the result of the first tale she tells in a village inn that she meets up with Kippen, the minstrel who accompanies her on her journey -- a journey that becomes perilous when the two discover that Kaela is being pursued by an unscrupulous sorcerer who has been sent by her outraged father to track her down.

Living by their talents and their wits, Kaela and Kippen wander the back roads and byways of the kingdom, winning not only their daily bread, but many friends as well. Like a necklace of fallen stars, the stories Kaela tells along the way are strung together by strands of adventure and romance in this lively, forthright, yet magical tale.

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult

209 pages, Hardcover

First published October 25, 1979

About the author

Beth Hilgartner has published ten books. In addition to her writing, she is an Episcopal priest (now retired), a musician (recorders and voice), a musical editor (modern performing editions of relatively unknown 17th and 18th century composers), an equestrian (dressage), an accomplished knitter, and an avid gardener. She returns to the publishing scene with The Ivory Mask (which she promises, absolutely, is NOT the first book in a series!), after a prolonged absence during which other priorities bumped writing to the bottom of the To Do list. She lives in Vermont with her husband of 45 years, their two cats (Lewis and Clark) and her elderly dressage horse, Solace.

Reviews

[Emily Foster · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fairytale about a princess who loves to tell stories. I read this book as a kid and really appreciated my read through as an adult ❤️

[Arya · Rating 5 out of 5]

What do I say about this book? I love it so much. I have read it multiple times and would read it again if my library hadn't somehow lost it and it was out of print (I am trying to get a hold of a copy!)

The characters are vital and the stories are magical. Kaela weaves a tale like Scherhazade, with majesty and magic. Her stories are powerful and alive.

When Kaela runs away from her country she must make her own way. She cannot tell anyone she is a princess, and thus the natural respect and assistance which would usually be provided to one of her rank is not an option, so she decides to tell tales for a living. She is a gifted storyteller, talking her way out of multiple scrapes and aquiring a new companion along the way.

Kippen is a minstral and together they will tame the winds and embrace their destiny.

Full of magic, this novel is written in a lyrical prose; this is a masterpiece of fantasy fiction. Ms. Hilgartner is a gifted author! I will never forget this book!

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit like Tolkien in that it feels like high fantasy, but a bit like the Chronicles of Narnia in that a lot happens in few words. I enjoyed it reading for the first time as an adult, but I think I would have loved it reading it for the first time as a girl.

[Mary List · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love it when you find such treasures at the library & they stay on your have to have this book for your own library. I love Ms. Hilgartner's tale telling princess, who refuses to follow crowd.

[Kristen Stieffel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I re-read this beloved book of my childhood for the first time in a long time. The writing is not as skillful as some of my newer favorites, but I'm not going to knock a star off for that because for me, what makes this book five-stars is the fact that it stayed with me for so many years. I was probably 13 when I first read it. I got it from the library, and for years every time I returned to the library I would take it down and read my favorite parts again. I lost track of the number of times I read this book. I grew up and moved away and every once in a while, in bookstores, especially used bookstores, I would look for this book, but I never found it. I mentioned it in one of those "ten books that changed your life" Facebook games, and a friend bought me an ex-library copy off Amazon. So appropriate that I now have a library copy. This is a charming story about a clever couple of teens, and the thing I remember most — the wistful, magical way it made me feel — has not dimmed with time. I love this book.

[Bt · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was one of those (somewhat rare) books where the characters tell a lot of stories, but I didn't get bored with the stories-within-a-story. In fact, some of the mini-stories were better than the main one. My favorite one was the one with the troupe of actors, and the actress who befriends the prince. But I'm an actress, so I can't help it.

I thought the beginning of the book was too simplistic and/or not super believable. But whatever. I enjoyed the book overall. Though I'll admit that a few months later, I don't remember much except the story with the actress and a basic outline of the main story and one other mini-story. So it was ok, I guess. Didn't leave a big imprint.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I absolutely LOVE Beth Hilgartner's writing. It is beautiful, facinating....it draws the reader in and wraps around them like a friend. Yet, I often struggle with her plots. "A Necklace of Fallen Stars" is no different. The plot is overly dramatic, every character is super-good unless they are bad, in which case they are super evil. I did enjoy how 'short stories' that were woven in. It was a good book, not amazing, most noteworthy for its writing style

[Aime' · Rating 5 out of 5]

Recommended to me by a friend who remembers it from when he read it very young. This is really gorgeous, a lovely story within a story, and fast read, for upper elementary and beyond. Unfortunately it is a little hard to find, but I got it through inter-library loan and hopefully you can too. Copies can be found to by used, though if you are so inclined... I am!

[Carolyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very fun to read, especially when Kaela tells a tale. This author is very good with the creation of stories inside of stories. The ending is so romantic, but so classical. I would suggest this book to fairy-tale lovers and romantisists.

[Alycia Wandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highly recommend this book! Wish it was still in print!