Posted on  22/04/2020 14:47:34

My rating: 5 quirky stars

for one of the most original, funny and quirky fairy tales I've ever read!

It all starts with a talking book. Or perhaps with a dead knight, leading to a talking book? Because it is the book that entails his tale. One that begins like this:
'My name is Buckhunter Dornley, and I am dead.



This is the story of a man, a knight, a warrior, and the woman he loves. It is the story of a renewal, a restoration, a rebirth. All told from the POV of a dead man.

Sir Buckhunter Dornley was the mightiest hero in the land. As undefeated champion of every single tournament, he revels in his fame and fortune. And God forbid he should be caught in the infamous 'marriage' trap by any pretty maiden, regardless of how charming she may be! Our Sir Knight could not even imagine himself giving up his adventurous life, 'to raise a brood of dirty, noisy, pesky children.'
But maidens cling to his heels so he makes it a habit to always flee, before they even get a chance to bat their lashes. The humdrum existence of father and husband was definitely not the sort of life for him!

Now, taking all this into account, imagine his reaction when he starts being pestered by a sprightly little princess.
Mercy of Merris has the audacity to not only slap him and insult him, but also glower, command and even appropriate his prized war-stained tunic as a kitchen accessory!

Of course our Sir Knight bristled with anger grinding his teeth to keep from swearing and even resorted to turn his back on the infuriating creature, lest he be forced to do her bodily harm. Because HOW DARE SHE?!
Unfortunately for him, the fuming and fist clenching, along with all other manners of snappish behavior fail to impress the little 'chit'. And what's worse, she seems to be under the ludicrous impression that she is helping! Which irks our Sir Knight to no end. Especially since he even seems to cower like a whipped pup against her sassy tongue.

But when something suddenly seems wrong with chatty, happy-go-lucky, feathers-impossible-to-ruffle Mercy of Merris ... then comes the dreaded moment our Sir Knight realizes he had already fallen into the infamous trap. And he had fallen hard. For 'the vivacious princess with a mouth as large as a dragon's den and a heart as big as the open sky.'

But what our Sir Knight doesn’t know is, that Mercy lives under an ancient, terrible curse. And when he finds out, he swears he’ll do anything to break it.
There’s just that one little problem. The fact that he’s dead.

And yet, he's determined to rescue his princess. Even though he may, in fact be in need of some rescuing too.

Peppered with witty retorts and snarky humor, this little quirky fairy tale is one that will set a smile on your lips from the very first page. At times the deeds are a bit too monumental, but remember - this is a fairy tale after all. :D I absolutely loved both Sir Buck and the princess and their love story was so very sigh-worthy sweet!!!

You'll get a lot of adventure, fun and all sorts of magical creatures, including dragons and curses. All in a quirky and unique fast-paced tale with characters you can absolutely relate to and even get to love.

If you like fairy tales and are in a mood for a quick and out of the ordinary read, pick this one up and you won't regret it.
It is MAGICAL!

So go ahead and give it a try. And always remember:
'Do not ever be afraid to investigate the unexplored, to set sail on a wild sea, to climb a soaring mountain, or prove by faith that the impossible is possible.'


P.S. That talking book was AWESOME!!

Check out this book and more of Sarah Ashwood over at  https://sarahashwoodauthor.com/