"Beauty and the Werewolf" by Mercedes Lackey, 329 pages
(Tale of the Five Hundred Kingdoms Series)
Bella Beauchamps is the daughter of a wealthy merchant who lives with her father, stepmother and two stepsisters. In a world where "The Tradition" makes everyone's lives follow fairytales, this sounds like the set up for a "Cinderella" story. However, Bella's mother is more loving than cruel and her two stepsisters are very affectionate with their sister. When Bella ventures into the woods to visit "Granny", the town's witch, she encounters a very strange wolf. After she is attacked and bit by the wolf, the king has Bella whisked away to a castle where she discovers she was actually bit by a werewolf. And not just any werewolf - a Sorcerer Duke. With the help of spirit elementals, a quirky witch and a fairy godmother, Bella will soon learn the truth about the werewolf and what will be required of her to help him. Will "The Tradition" push her together with the werewolf for a "Beauty and the Beast Tale" or will it push her with another for an entirely different story? Filled with funny moments, romance, adventure, mystery and suspense, you'll be hard-pressed to put this book down.
