Lindworm

by Jenny Prater

When a lindworm comes to the palace and begins demanding-then eating-brides, Marit is the third victim chosen to marry him. Against all odds, she survives her wedding night, but the trouble has only just begun. Separated from her family, bound to a traumatized prince who doesn't know how to be a man, Marit must protect her unwanted husband from his family, from his enemies, and from himself.

130 pages, Paperback

Published April 13, 2021

About the author

Jenny Prater is the author of four novels: Lindworm and Shards of Glass, both novels retelling Danish fairy tales, To Be Loved, a Beauty and the Beast retelling, and When the War Ends, an original fantasy romance. She has also written a short story collection and several books of poetry. She lives in a cottage in Minnesota with her dog, her cat, and 25 fairy tale anthologies. She’s been telling stories for as long as she’s been talking, and fairy stories have always been her favorite. When she isn't reading and writing, she likes to bike, sew, and rant about folklore on the internet. She is currently working as a medical transcriptionist by day, and editing her 5rd novel by night.

Reviews

[Blythe · Rating 5 out of 5]

i'm really into retellings of fairy tales. like super into them. i actively seek them out and read them again and again, but this is not your average retelling or reimagining. no no, it takes you past what the original story was and gives each character something to actually build from. it actually makes you care for the formerly nameless characters and makes you question the motives of them. this was such a good read that at times i had to put it down because i wanted to savor the story. i'll definitely be reading it over and over again. this now has a place of pride on my shelf and i'll probably destroy the book because of how often i'll go back to it. please read this book i beg you

[Ellie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book I didn't know I was looking for until I found it. I'm very glad I did.

[Veronica · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book several years ago. It’s a wonderful exploration of what happens after a fairy tale conflict supposedly reaches its happy end.

[Nathan Dehoff · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have followed this author on Tumblr for years, but only just got around to reading one of her books. It's based on a Scandinavian fairy tale alternately known as King Lindworm and Prince Lindworm, about a queen who gives birth to a sort of serpent that lives in the forest, often categorized as a sort of dragon. After the enchanted prince eats a few princesses, the king decides to marry him to a shepherd girl, who breaks the spell with some help from an old witch. This story is about what happens after that, with the girl, Marit, learning to become part of the royal family, and the prince, David, not only dealing with suddenly being human, but also dealing with the trauma of having killed people. The two of them have to help each other out with their issues and discomfort, with some help from sympathetic people. It's a good look at how this sort of supernatural situation might actually affect people.

[Freya Reilly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed how grounded everything felt, which is an odd thing to say when the plot revolves around a man who was a giant carnivorous worm, but all of the character's action felt understandable for the situations they were in