Princess Una has finally come of age. She eagerly waits for a prince to come and pay his respects to her father and ask for her hand. However, she is disappointed by the arriving princes who fail to win her heart, especially Aethelbald, prince of Farthestshore. He is so boring, even as he warns of a dangerous dragon lurking in the land. Anne Elisabeth Stengl’s Heartless (2010) takes the form of a fairy tale while creating a completely new story to delight and inspire. Lyrical prose composes a stirring tale of adventure and romance, with clear inspiration from Scripture as well as the best themes of Grimm’s fairy tales, Andrew Yang, and George MacDonald.

Best for: Teen and adult fans of fairy tales, biblical allegory, or romantic fantasy.

Discern: Brief descriptions of violence from war and dragon attacks, people transformed into monsters.