I love good fantasy and Mercedes Lackey has been serving it up. I just finished reading Fortune's Fool and One Good Knight which are part of the Five Hundred Kingdoms series.

I like these books because they are based on traditional fairy tales and mythology. Both of these books have kings, queens, princes, and princesses. They also have dragons, witches, godmothers, wizards, sirens, mermaids, brownies, and unicorns. The stories contain creatures that I've rarely heard of so I might have to get out a mythology reference book. It all depends on the setting as to the creatures that inhabit it. Sea King's realm involves sea creatures. Land kingdoms involve birds and beasts. You know- Baba Yaga, Sergei the Humpback Horse.

And because they are based on traditional tales and magic, they come with traditional plots like the evil stepmother and the dragons who are given virgins for supper (supposedly). As in any good story, there are many twists and turns and some modern ideas in the events that move the story along. There is the common use of three wishes, three tasks, three obstacles. Lackey is uncommon in the use of women as clever, beautiful, leaders, and main characters who have an unusual gift. Not to say that the evil woman is left out. No, she is just as evil as her male counterpart.

Lackey is right in step with Tolkien and J.R. Rowlings in bringing back the old evils of Greece, Europe, Russia, and Japan. Fortune's Fool was a great set up for the next book in the series. It involves the seventh son of a king of the land and the Sea King's seventh daughter. What a way to go? This is the Five Hundred Kingdoms series.