A swordmaiden's hand is not easily won. Theseus, king of the Court of Knowledge, is desperate. With the barrier to the Realm of Monsters wearing thin and the chaos of Midsummer Night approaching, he needs to do something drastic to save his Court. If he doesn't secure warriors to protect his Court from the monsters, his people, the Great Library, and all the knowledge of the Fae Realm that it contains could be destroyed.

The fae snatch humans as playthings to torment. The Primrose steals them back. Vowing that no other family would endure the same fear and pain she felt when her older sister was snatched by the fae, Brigid puts on an empty-headed façade while she rescues humans in the shadowy guise of the Primrose, hero to humans, bane to the fae. Her only regret is that she can’t tell the truth to Munch, the young man in the human realm who she’s trying very hard not to fall in love with.

Every year, Nessa's village sacrifices a maiden to the dragon in the mountain. If they don't, the dragon will sweep down from his lair and destroy them all. When Nessa is chosen to be that year's sacrifice, she's prepared to be eaten—as much as anyone can prepare for such a thing. Instead, she finds herself swept away to a world of dragons, gnomes, and fae creatures beyond her imagination, leaving her with more questions than answers.

If there’s one thing Rosemarie, an aspiring enchantress with budding magical powers, has learned throughout her studies, it's that magic must only be used for good. But when an egocentric prince breaks her sister’s heart, Rosemarie’s only focus is revenge, and what better way to enact it than with a well-chosen curse? A simple incantation is all it takes to transform the arrogant prince's appearance to match the state of his heart. But something goes wrong, causing the spell to affect not only the prince but its caster as well.

The human kingdom of Escarland and the elven kingdom of Tarenhiel have existed in an uneasy peace after their last wars ended with both kings dead. As tensions rise once again, desperate diplomacy might be the only way to avert war. If only negotiations between elves and humans were that simple. When a diplomatic meeting goes horribly wrong, Essie, a human princess, finds herself married to the elf prince and warrior Laesornysh. Fitting in to the serene, quiet elf culture might be a little difficult for this talkative princess, but she’s determined to make it work.

When Persis Ophne travels to Gelaira to heal the dark elf prince, the young dune elf stumbles into a kingdom brimming with prejudice and treachery. Her oath—and heart—are further tested when her mistress orders her to kill Prince Haryk. When she discovers the blind prince is under a malignant curse, she taps the deepest reserves of her sand magic to confront the sentient affliction devouring his body and soul. But trying to break Haryk's curse unearths long-buried secrets and an ancient evil that threatens to consume the Shadewood Forest.

A dragon, a fae, and a pixie walk into a bookstore… Sounds like a joke, right? For me, it's just an ordinary day on the job. At least, it has been ever since my aunt disappeared and left me with her store, her cat, and a whole lot of unanswered questions. My whole life, I've been told to stay hidden. Pretend I'm human. Sell books, drink tea, and never betray the truth of what I am. But it turns out my aunt had secrets, and a lot of those secrets seem to involve me ending up dead. To survive, I'm going to have to reckon with my past, even if it means placing my trust in a total stranger.

Charlotte has always longed to be accepted by her older sisters. She would gladly exchange her vaunted beauty for their friendship. But they ask a far higher price. Pushed into marriage with a stranger, Charlotte is left betrayed and alone. All she knows of her new husband is that he has secrets—and that her heart beats a little faster whenever he calls her Lottie.

Cadence and her sister possess the seeds of glory and ruin—or so their father always insisted. Cadence never understood what he meant until Airlie’s seed of power is activated, turning her into the most powerful mage in generations. Despite knowing it must mean her own dormant seed is much more malevolent, Cadence is swept away to the distant Mage’s Guild in her sister’s wake. She’s used to living in Airlie’s shadow, but she can’t see a place for herself in this new world. Nor can she believe in the apparent interest of the charming Zeke. No one has ever chosen her over her beautiful sister.

Calliope Cendrillon wants nothing more than for her bakery, “Sweet Pea’s Pumpkin Perfections,” to start turning a profit. After her father’s sudden death left her family in dire financial straits, Callie’s infamous pumpkin treats are the only thing standing between protecting her father’s legacy and losing it all.

Princess Riona was eight when the Revonian king murdered her family and conquered her kingdom with a mysterious magic. She has spent the last decade training—and waiting for her moment to avenge them all and reclaim her rightful title.

Basil, a rather scholarly fae, works as an assistant librarian at the Great Library of the Court of Knowledge. Lonely and unwilling to join the yearly Midsummer Revel to find a mate, Basil takes the advice of his talking horse companion and decides to steal a human bride instead. But Basil never expected to find a human girl waiting for him, wanting to be snatched. Nor had he expected a girl like Meg, an illiterate farmgirl who has no use for books. Will this unlikely pair put aside their differences long enough to save the Great Library from destruction?

With single-minded determination, Henrik has worked toward gaining his knighthood so he may rise above the lowly station in which he was born. But just when the coveted position is within his grasp, he’s tasked with a mission that proves to be far more difficult than expected - secretly keeping a watchful eye on Lady Clover, a nobleman’s daughter with a sharp tongue and a knack for starting fights.

Crown Princess Taryn is fully prepared to marry the man her parents have chosen for her in order to save her kingdom from ruin—until she falls for the son of her family’s greatest enemy, Crown Prince Xander. Despite their struggle to be the enemies expected of them, they cannot resist the secret friendship that transforms into a forbidden love. Regardless of their fear of discovery and the obstacles barring their way, they’re determined to find a way to be together, no matter the cost.

The first three fairy tale retellings from the Return to the Four Kingdoms series: The Secret Princess: A Retelling of The Goose Girl, The Mystery Princess: A Retelling of Cinderella, and The Desert Princess: A Retelling of Aladdin. These interconnected fairy tale retellings each feature a different heroine who finds herself friendless in a strange land and who must fight to save her new home and win her happily ever after.