Nancy Madore

I want to say I liked "Mrs. Fox" best, but I suspect a girl's favorite story might reveal which particular fantasy scenario appeals to her most. :)

I quite liked the opening of Mirror On the Wall though:

Once upon a time, in a kingdom known far and wide for its beautiful women, there lived a sorcerer who fell in love with one of the maidens who dwelt there. This maiden was untrue to the sorcerer, however, and shortly afterward, he died of a broken heart. With his last breath he cast a spell upon the entire kingdom and, for all I know, it remains there to this day.

Under the spell of the broken-hearted sorcerer, all the women of this kingdom suddenly appeared unfamiliar and disagreeable to their male counterparts and even to themselves. They immediately began a campaign to become the exact opposite of what nature intended them to be. First, they starved themselves almost to death, because this emaciated condition was thought to be more appealing than the normal womanly appearance that came from being healthy. Those who could not withstand this deprivation submitted to other humiliating methods of ridding themselves of the unwanted flesh. Next, their breasts had to be altered from their natural shape to a larger, stiffer prototype, which, though causing much pain and many health problems, had a more desirable effect for everyone. Aging was the most detestable of all the natural manifestations in women, and it was to be avoided at all costs. Women did everything in their power to prevent it, finally succumbing to dangerous medical procedures when all else failed.

Although such an existence may seem far-fetched and improbable to many a reader, I can assure you, it is quite true. One could not expound too earnestly on the lengths to which these poor creatures were willing to go in their efforts to be anything besides that which they were. [...]

In short, an intense misery came over the female inhabitants of this accursed land.

Pu that way, it sounds crazy, but it's true.… (more)

This has been sitting on my bookshelf for quite a while and I finally decided to read it. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I got into it. I can relate to the plight of the poor princesses who often suffer in silence while hoping to somehow find physical satisfaction from their husbands. Having a powerful wizardess around certainly helps to get things going. Of course, this also has a particularly nice bonus for the wizardess herself. I used to read these types of books when I was in my early 20s, but now that I am in my early 30s I feel that I can appreciate them even more. I can't wait to check out the other books from this author.… (more)