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Five Hundred Kingdoms #1-3
Once Upon a Tale
Contains The Snow Queen, The Sleeping Beauty, & Beauty and the Werewolf
704 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2012
6 people are currently reading
922 people want to read
About the author
Mercedes Lackey
441 books9,532 followersMercedes entered this world on June 24, 1950, in Chicago, had a normal childhood and graduated from Purdue University in 1972. During the late 70's she worked as an artist's model and then went into the computer programming field, ending up with American Airlines in Tulsa, Oklahoma. In addition to her fantasy writing, she has written lyrics for and recorded nearly fifty songs for Firebird Arts & Music, a small recording company specializing in science fiction folk music.
"I'm a storyteller; that's what I see as 'my job'. My stories come out of my characters; how those characters would react to the given situation. Maybe that's why I get letters from readers as young as thirteen and as old as sixty-odd. One of the reasons I write song lyrics is because I see songs as a kind of 'story pill' -- they reduce a story to the barest essentials or encapsulate a particular crucial moment in time. I frequently will write a lyric when I am attempting to get to the heart of a crucial scene; I find that when I have done so, the scene has become absolutely clear in my mind, and I can write exactly what I wanted to say. Another reason is because of the kind of novels I am writing: that is, fantasy, set in an other-world semi-medieval atmosphere. Music is very important to medieval peoples; bards are the chief newsbringers. When I write the 'folk music' of these peoples, I am enriching my whole world, whether I actually use the song in the text or not.
"I began writing out of boredom; I continue out of addiction. I can't 'not' write, and as a result I have no social life! I began writing fantasy because I love it, but I try to construct my fantasy worlds with all the care of a 'high-tech' science fiction writer. I apply the principle of TANSTAAFL ['There ain't no such thing as free lunch', credited to Robert Heinlein) to magic, for instance; in my worlds, magic is paid for, and the cost to the magician is frequently a high one. I try to keep my world as solid and real as possible; people deal with stubborn pumps, bugs in the porridge, and love-lives that refuse to become untangled, right along with invading armies and evil magicians. And I try to make all of my characters, even the 'evil magicians,' something more than flat stereotypes. Even evil magicians get up in the night and look for cookies, sometimes.
"I suppose that in everything I write I try to expound the creed I gave my character Diana Tregarde in Burning Water:
"There's no such thing as 'one, true way'; the only answers worth having are the ones you find for yourself; leave the world better than you found it. Love, freedom, and the chance to do some good -- they're the things worth living and dying for, and if you aren't willing to die for the things worth living for, you might as well turn in your membership in the human race."
Also writes as Misty Lackey
Author's website
"I'm a storyteller; that's what I see as 'my job'. My stories come out of my characters; how those characters would react to the given situation. Maybe that's why I get letters from readers as young as thirteen and as old as sixty-odd. One of the reasons I write song lyrics is because I see songs as a kind of 'story pill' -- they reduce a story to the barest essentials or encapsulate a particular crucial moment in time. I frequently will write a lyric when I am attempting to get to the heart of a crucial scene; I find that when I have done so, the scene has become absolutely clear in my mind, and I can write exactly what I wanted to say. Another reason is because of the kind of novels I am writing: that is, fantasy, set in an other-world semi-medieval atmosphere. Music is very important to medieval peoples; bards are the chief newsbringers. When I write the 'folk music' of these peoples, I am enriching my whole world, whether I actually use the song in the text or not.
"I began writing out of boredom; I continue out of addiction. I can't 'not' write, and as a result I have no social life! I began writing fantasy because I love it, but I try to construct my fantasy worlds with all the care of a 'high-tech' science fiction writer. I apply the principle of TANSTAAFL ['There ain't no such thing as free lunch', credited to Robert Heinlein) to magic, for instance; in my worlds, magic is paid for, and the cost to the magician is frequently a high one. I try to keep my world as solid and real as possible; people deal with stubborn pumps, bugs in the porridge, and love-lives that refuse to become untangled, right along with invading armies and evil magicians. And I try to make all of my characters, even the 'evil magicians,' something more than flat stereotypes. Even evil magicians get up in the night and look for cookies, sometimes.
"I suppose that in everything I write I try to expound the creed I gave my character Diana Tregarde in Burning Water:
"There's no such thing as 'one, true way'; the only answers worth having are the ones you find for yourself; leave the world better than you found it. Love, freedom, and the chance to do some good -- they're the things worth living and dying for, and if you aren't willing to die for the things worth living for, you might as well turn in your membership in the human race."
Also writes as Misty Lackey
Author's website
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
September 10, 2023
super creative idea, writing is v familiar fairy tale style. as the book went on I got more and more uncomfortable with some of the characterizations :/
February 19, 2013
(Fantasy 2012) Another delightful read by Mercedes Lackey. This is the first of a set of multi-books, three-in-one here, on the theme of the Five Hundred Kingdoms. These are magical kingdoms which are overseen by the Godmothers, who work with witches, wizards, fairies, elves, brownies, Knights Errant, and other familiar figures from childhood stories. These however are not particularly geared for children! The underlying theme is the "Tradition" which seeks to push developing stories into familiar themes, but not always ones which fit the prospective main characters. The Godmothers must figure out how to make the stories and the lives work together to everyone's best benefit. There are three tales in this book - "The Fairy Godmother," "One good Knight," and "Fortune's Fool" - all delightful. I will read more of these!
February 19, 2013
(Fantasy 2012) The second in this enjoyable series. This time, the stories are "The Snow Queen", "The Sleeping Beauty" and "Beauty and the Werewolf." I loved reading these as much as I had the original three, and my only regret is that the next book is not ready to go yet. Fun, exciting, occasionally snarky, this is a series I hope goes on for a long while.
April 2, 2018
3 novels in one book - I didn't realize it was an omnibus edition when I picked it up. When one of the parts was familiar, I checked my bookshelf and I had one of the novels in an individual edition on my shelf already.
I enjoy the 500 Kingdoms books, and I will read more.
I enjoy the 500 Kingdoms books, and I will read more.
November 27, 2018
Great fun! An alternate take on the fairy tales we have grown up with.
February 8, 2023
First story was great but the others not so much
July 15, 2012
This is a three book anthology from the Science Fiction Book Club. I enjoyed these books. They are entertaining retelling of various fairy tales with a twist. The theme that runs through the books is the Tradition which is a magical energy that causes people throughout the Five Hundred Kingdoms to replay fairy tales in some shape or form. There are those that help shape the Tradition or redirect it, for good and bad, but there is no avoiding it. Filled with magical characters such as brainless unicorns who fawn over virgins, male or female.
In “The Fairy Godmother“, Elena is a Cinderella-figure with no Prince to rescue her. So being of a practical sort, she goes looking for a job and ends up becoming an apprentice Fairy Godmother where she learns all about Tradition and how to deal with it. She also learns how to start new traditions and manages to find her own “happily ever after”. Filled with evil step-mothers, spoiled step-sisters, magical animals, Faerie and princes who learn about something besides privilege.
In “One Good Knight“, a too-smart-for-her-own-good princess becomes the virgin sacrifice for a dragon but instead leads the tale to a completely nontraditional happy ending. Filled with dragons, maidens, a sorcerer, unusual Champions and love that knows no boundary.
In “Fortune’s Fool“, a not-so-helpless princess finds her prince only to have to solve the problem of an evil Jinn in a kingdom where he doesn’t belong. Filled with a Sea King, his daughter, a Fortunate Fool/Song Weaver, Queen of Copper Mountain, ghosts, rusklas, shapeshifters, magical maidens, wise animals, a origami bird and the unusual Champions.
If you like fairy tales these are good books to read. Good for adolescents (if you do not mind them reading a few sex scenes that are rather vague in details) and adults. I wouldn’t call the tales enthralling but they are engaging.
In “The Fairy Godmother“, Elena is a Cinderella-figure with no Prince to rescue her. So being of a practical sort, she goes looking for a job and ends up becoming an apprentice Fairy Godmother where she learns all about Tradition and how to deal with it. She also learns how to start new traditions and manages to find her own “happily ever after”. Filled with evil step-mothers, spoiled step-sisters, magical animals, Faerie and princes who learn about something besides privilege.
In “One Good Knight“, a too-smart-for-her-own-good princess becomes the virgin sacrifice for a dragon but instead leads the tale to a completely nontraditional happy ending. Filled with dragons, maidens, a sorcerer, unusual Champions and love that knows no boundary.
In “Fortune’s Fool“, a not-so-helpless princess finds her prince only to have to solve the problem of an evil Jinn in a kingdom where he doesn’t belong. Filled with a Sea King, his daughter, a Fortunate Fool/Song Weaver, Queen of Copper Mountain, ghosts, rusklas, shapeshifters, magical maidens, wise animals, a origami bird and the unusual Champions.
If you like fairy tales these are good books to read. Good for adolescents (if you do not mind them reading a few sex scenes that are rather vague in details) and adults. I wouldn’t call the tales enthralling but they are engaging.
June 13, 2016
1. The Fairy Godmother
read May 2012
great start to a new series with a fun twist on Cinderella
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2. One Good Knight
read May 2012
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3. Fortune's Fool
read June 2012
read May 2012
great start to a new series with a fun twist on Cinderella
==========================
2. One Good Knight
read May 2012
==========================
3. Fortune's Fool
read June 2012
October 8, 2012
She's a very gifted story teller. This book is oriented toward the woman read perhaps but is nonetheless a humorous and clever behind the scenes rendition of the classic fairy tail world.
January 9, 2013
I have always been a fan of twisted fairy tales, Mercedes Lackey takes a humorous and lively approach in her Five Hundred Kingdoms stories.
January 12, 2013
For some reason this site doesn't want to print the picture but this book was just as satisfying as vol. one. If you like a little spice with your fairy tales, and a little twist to the stories that are delightful then this book is for you. I hope that she keeps going in this Five Hundred Kingdom series. I just loved it.
Merged review:
I am a sucker for fairy tales and when someone can put a totally different spin on them for me and I enjoy it they have me for life. I enjoy Mercedes Lackey's work very much anyway and reading this volume was just relaxing, fun and a really good read.
Merged review:
I am a sucker for fairy tales and when someone can put a totally different spin on them for me and I enjoy it they have me for life. I enjoy Mercedes Lackey's work very much anyway and reading this volume was just relaxing, fun and a really good read.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews