Fortune's Fool

Fortune's Fool
Fortune's Fool is the third book in the Five Hundred Kingdoms series by acclaimed fantasy writer Mercedes Lackey. It was published in 2007 by Luna Harlequin.

Plot Synopsis
"The seventh daughter of the Sea King, Ekaterina is more than a pampered princess; she's also the family spy. Which makes her the perfect emissary to check out interesting happenings in the neighboring kingdom…and nothing interests her more than Sasha, the seventh son of the king of Belrus. Ekaterina suspects he's far from the fool people think him. But before she can find out what lies beneath his facade, she is kidnapped! '

''Trapped in a castle at the mercy of a possessive Jinn, Ekaterina knows her chances of being found are slim. Now fortune, a fool and a paper bird are the only things she can count on along with her own clever mind and intrepid heart.…"''

Inspirations and Influences
The book draws heavily on the influences of several world literature traditions. Japanese, Russian, and Arabian legends all play a hand in the book, in addition to inspiration from the tales of Hans Christian Andersen.

Connections with Other Books In the Series
The Fairy Godmother - Although she does not make an appearance, Elena is mentioned towards the end of the book by Klava as the one who is training her to become the Godmother of Led Belrus. Sergei the Humpbacked Horse also makes an appearance as one of the prisoners of the Baba Yaga.

One Good Knight - Gina and Adamant are the Champions who are summoned by Katya when she needs help escaping from the Jinn's palace. At the conclusion of the story, Gina and Adamant are running a Chapter House for young Champions in Led Belrus.

Creatures, Characters, and Other Oddities
Creatures

Orca

Rusalka

Kingdoms

Qin

Items

Dragon's Blood