Fortune”s Fool by Mercedes Lackey (ISBN-13: 978-0-373-80266-1 or ISBN-10 0-373-80266-8) is another story from the 500 Kingdoms and is published by Luna, an imprint of Harlequin in 2007.

         Like the previous 500 Kingdom stories (one of which I reviewed), Fortune’s Fool is set in a fantasy land that has a magical force called The Tradition that nudges (or pushes) people toward well-known story-paths. The hero and heroine of Fortune’s Fool both come from families who have learned to, if not manipulate The Tradition, at least to influence it to the benefit of their respective kingdoms.

         Sasha’s great-grandfather, while he was still a Prince, procured the help of a Godmother to teach him, made a bargain with a dragon for the needed dragon blood and set about learning all he could about The Tradition. He taught his family that there always needed to be a Scholar, one who studied The Tradition and could predict and guide the family so that they and the kingdom prospered.

         Katya and her Sea-King family also knew of and used The Tradition to aid their kingdom. As magical creatures, mer-people were even more at the mercy of The Tradition. Katya’s father, while still a Prince, determined that they would instead control The Tradition. One such tradition he changed was the one that mermaids would sing sailors to their death. He sent out bards singing songs depicting an alternate story for mermaids, that said sailors merely forgot their One True Loves, at least until the One True Love managed to break the spell. And, soon, because of “seeding” The Tradition this way, that story became prominent.

         Both Katya and Sasha are the youngest in their families, seventh daughter and seventh son. According to The Tradition this was the position of Fool. Both families used this to their advantage. Sasha appeared foolish on the surface, but in reality went about singing songs that manipulated The Tradition and bringing prosperity to his kingdom. Katya, seemingly insignificant to those who bothered to notice her, slipped in and out of the Drylanders and the Sea Kingdoms, watching and listening and bringing reports back to her father, the Sea King of one of the most prosperous and benevolent sea kingdoms.

         Katya and Sasha meet and fall in love while on their many wanderings. Unlike many romances, this is really just the beginning of the story. When Katya is kidnapped by a djinn intent on gathering magical power and taking over neighboring kingdoms, Sasha begins his search. Both face many perils as they struggle to defeat the rising evil surrounding them.

         Mercedes Lackey creates a wonderfully detailed and believable fantasyscape. Her stories are a joy to read, with one exception. Physical intimacy is, while not casual is at least common in the land of the 500 Kingdoms. Sasha and Katya indulge in several explicit encounters. It is refreshing to learn that Sasha is a virgin, but both Katya’s and Sasha’s attitudes in that area are off-center of what is considered moral to a practicing Christian. Fortunately, the bulk of the intimate encounters occur in one short section, about halfway through the story. If you are so inclined, you could easily skip over those scenes. The rest of the story is an enchanting adventure and romance that you might well enjoy. I did.

ISBN: 0-373-80202-1; published in 2004 by Luna (www.luna-books.com).

         Elena Klovis, is a Cinderella-like character in the land of Five Hundred Kingdoms. Instead of a prince and a happily-ever-after, though, she is recruited as a Fairy Godmother Apprentice. As she learns to use magic, and when to use ingenuity and hard work, she also learns of The Tradition. The Tradition is a sort of magical force that is attracted to and influences people whose lives resemble a “tale.” If that “tale” doesn’t happen, as in Elena’s case, where her “prince” was only 10 years old, magic accumulates around that person, continually nudging them toward another suitable “tale.” It will continue to do so unless used or siphoned off by a magical being, preferably a good one, like a Godmother.

         Elena has so much magic around her as a result of her thwarted “happily-ever-after,” she attracts the attention of the current Fairy Godmother, who has been searching for an Apprentice for years. Madame Bella takes Elena as her Apprentice. Elena’s confidence and skill blossoms under Bella’s tutelage. In far too short a time, at least in Elena’s mind, Bella deems Elena ready to Godmother alone. She leaves, to wherever it is retired Godmothers go, and Elena takes over the task of watching and guiding and protecting the people of her kingdoms under her authority. And that is when the story gets really interesting.

         This is an good story, full of likable characters, real struggles and life lessons learned amid a truly unique world. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I really only have one objection. It is one that I find in many modern romances. Too much intimacy. It is the current “acceptable standard” and one I find particularly undesirable. There are multiple scenes of extended petting with detailed accounts of the participants’ reactions. To the author’s credit, there is not the usual insinuation that if they are feeling passion, it must be love. Elena and her lover become friends first and it is obvious the relationship is built on more than passion. Even so, the explicit nature of the intimate scenes is disappointing.

         Given that objection, you might wonder why I still give this book a positive recommendation. It is because of the story. The story and the characters. The characters come alive on the page. They are real, some with glaring faults and inadequacies. They learn life lessons and change (or not) while still retaining their own personality. The romance between Elena and her lover, while important to the story, is not the only focus of the story. Overall, this story is about living honorably, even (especially?) in one’s daily life and how that prepares that person if/when supreme and heroic action is warranted. This message is one completely compatible with Christian principles. Ancillary messages, such as “struggles and hardship create character” or “great power is best used in service” or “there is merit in helping others overcome life-muddles” further illustrate and support Christian values.

         This is an uplifting and entertaining story. Just be aware of the intimacy scenes, which are clustered in a couple of chapters in the last third of the book. If you can skip or otherwise not be offended by them, you will probably enjoy reading this as much as I did.