Oriana

Book excerpt: The beautiful kingdom of Bohemia is ruled by a cruel and heartless King Lothar. The story begins when Flora, the Fairy Queen of the forest, sends him a magic fish. The magic will enable him to understand the language of animals thus making him the most powerful ruler in the world. It comes with one condition though. Only Tristan, his stable boy, must cook and serve it to him. Against the king's orders, Tristan tastes the fish and immediately discovers its magical power. This angers the king who sends him on a quest for Oriana, a beautiful princess with hair of spun gold and a gold star on her forehead, for the king to marry. Accompanied by his dog Max and his horse Pasha, armed with his newly acquired skill and guided by his good and generous heart, Tristan embarks on a long and dangerous journey. Along the way he befriends Tom, Dick and Harry, three unusual men with special skills of their own. They will encounter friends and foes and face many challenges. To find Oriana they must battle Immortal Blaze, retrieve a magic sword from the depth of the ocean, climb the Glass Mountain to obtain the Water of Life, find seeds of Vanisher and free the Bluebird of Luck from Morana's frozen land. At the end, with Oriana by his side, Tristan will need all his skills to face his biggest adversary yet. This tale is full of magic, awe-inspiring beasts and delightful characters. Tristan's nonstop struggle against evil will appeal to all readers, the very young as well as the young at hearts.