A fantasist without equal, Patricia A. McKillip has created worlds of intricate beauty and unforgettably nuanced characters. For many years, she''s drawn readers into her spell, spinning modern-day fables with a grace rarely seen.

Now she presents a book of short stories, full of beautiful dragons, rueful princesses, and handsome bards, and written in the gorgeous - and often surprisingly funny - prose she''s known for. This is her world, wrapped up in the finery of fairy tales