The King of Elfland’s Daughter is one of the most beloved fantasy novels of our time. Lord Dunsany, in his inventive, poetic style, tells the heartbreaking story of a marriage between a mortal man and an elf princess. This masterpiece has influenced some of our greatest contemporary fantasists, including Neil Gaiman, J.R. Tolkien, H.P. Lovecraft, Fritz Leiber, Ursula K. Le Guin, and C.L. Moore
It’s hard to overstate just how influential The King of Elfland’s Daughter has been to modern fantasy; particularly high fantasy, sword and sorcery, and high fantasy. Lyrical and dream like it takes us on a search for a fairy princess and the magic that man has always secretly craved. Masterfully written, poignant, and yet still full of exciting action and adventure.
It’s not simply the beauty of the language, the astute eye for character, the hint of humor, or even the spell of legendry and wonder, but Dunsany’s unique combination of all of the above.— Charles de LintA fantasy novel in a class with the Tolkien books.—L. Sprague de Camp
It could be the very best fairy story ever written.—Gahan Wilson
No amount of mere description can convey more than a fraction of Lord Dunsany’s pervasive charm.—H. P. Lovecraft
One of the greatest writers of this century.—Arthur C. Clarke