The Fairy Godmother

Tales of the Five Hundred Kingdoms, Book 1

By: Mercedes Lackey

Narrated by: Gabra Zackman

Length: 12 hrs and 59 mins

Publisher's summary

From the best-selling author of the Heralds of Valdemar series comes an enchanting new novel.

In the land of 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 an accident of fate left her with a completely inappropriate prince! Determined not to remain with her stepfamily, Elena set out to get a new job - and ended up becoming the Fairy Godmother for the land.

But "Breaking with Tradition" was no easy matter. True, she didn't have to sleep in the chimney, but she had to deal with arrogant, stuffed-shirt princes who kept trying to rise above their place in the tale. In fact, one of them was so ornery that Elena could do nothing but change him into a donkey.

Still, her practical nature couldn't let him roam the country, so she brought the donkey - er, the prince! - home to her cottage to teach him some lessons. All the while keeping in mind that breaking with tradition can land everyone into a kettle of fish - sometimes literally!

And so begins a whole new tale....

©2004 Mercedes Lackey (P)2013 Audible, Inc.

well done

I was feeling a bit dissappointed when I thought it was turning into a Cinderella story. A unique spin on on this old tale, delightful, cute & entertaining.

a nice variation

Good story. Fun read. Good narrator. Worth the Audible credit.

This is a Cinderella story where Cinderella rejects the traditional ending in favor of something new, or at least new-ish.

Fun Story

Would you try another book from Mercedes Lackey and/or Gabra Zackman?

I will definitely try another Mercedes Lackey book. This was a light, very enjoyable read.

Any additional comments?

I enjoyed the way the author brought a twist to the old Cinderella tale and interwove other fairy tale characters into the story. It was quite fun to suddenly see a connection to another story I've known all my life. Very creative and Gabra Zachman did a great job on the voices.

Great for a long car ride!

The narrator's voice brought the story to a colorful life. The story is a great imagination of how fairy tales work.

Fairytales for the lighted hearted

What would happen if Cinderella's prince charming was six years old, what is a fairy godmother to do. This is a most delightful tale.

Working with, and bucking the, "Tradition"

Great concept and very well-rendered in this fun and absorbing series. The opener is one of the best. I read this twice, long years past. Just listened to it a third time, and it is a wonderful twist on the Tradition, and a great opener to the series.

An Easy Listen

Of all the books I've listened to of this series, this is perhaps my favorite one. Not only as a book, but also as narrated by Ms. Zackman. Not all books can be listened to without a little annoyance, but this one she does well enough that I've listened to it multiple times without issue.

So good

Such a go girl story. Love love it. Am now listening to it for the 3rd time and than will not be the last. I am sure.

love it

excellent story, amazing performance if you like fantasy with some romance thrown in, I figure you'll love this one

quirky

well written and performed. Nowhere near as inane as those usually found in the genre.
Though not riveting or meaningful - it is a pleasent, imaginative and inoffensive offering from an author I usually find more serious.