by Jack Vance
First published 2011
Princess Madouc hurls rotten fruit at anyone who tries to impose royal manners on her. Unlike her predecessor Princess Suldrun, who quietly accepted castle life, Madouc fights back against every courtesy lesson. King Casmir grows tired of her defiance and announces a marriage contest to rid himself of the troublesome girl. Madouc refuses to accept this fate. She recruits the stableboy she calls "Sir Pom-pom" and escapes on a quest to find her real father. Their journey leads them through encounters with con artists, magical creatures, trolls, ogres, and a knight seeking lost youth. They even stumble across the Holy Grail, though it proves less remarkable than expected. Meanwhile, the sorcerers Shimrod and Murgen sense approaching disaster in the magical realm. King Casmir plots a murder that will expand his dominion over all neighboring lands. His schemes seem certain to succeed, but he has made one critical mistake. He has underestimated Madouc.
Genres: fiction, adventure, fantasy, magic
Vibes: emotional, suspenseful, whimsical
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family
Setting: Holy Grail
219 pages · ebook · Hachette Digital