博客來 《歪歪小學的荒誕故事》作者路易斯．薩奇爾
首次推出奇幻小說
現代奇幻篇章，描述一段禁忌之戀
很久很久以前，在一個遙遠的地方（大概就是現今法國南部的某處），坐落著一個名叫艾斯卡維塔的王國。在那裡，一位名叫托莉亞的公主，處境就和她自己這搖搖欲墜的國度一樣危險。艾斯卡維塔必須趕緊跟其他國家結盟，因此，托莉亞的父王就安排了她跟一個討人厭的王子聯姻。偏偏，在這場「世紀婚禮」的一個月前，托莉亞愛上了一名抄寫員學徒。於是乎國王趕緊向安納托求助。這位受眾人詬病的魔法師，在17年前剛進駐城堡時，還曾經被譽為神童，經歷了一連串的失敗後（最近一次是點石成金），如今已經變成眾矢之的。唯一還相信他能力的人，只有公主。
國王命令安納托製作出一款魔法藥水，確保公主能夠答應這場婚姻。安納托面臨了他人生的重大抉擇，這個絕無僅有的機會，將能夠挽救這場婚姻、這個國家，甚至是他個人的名聲，究竟，他是否該背叛自己唯一的盟友—公主呢？(文／博客來外文館)
The beloved author of Holes presents his first adult novel, a modern fantasy classic of forbidden love, a crumbling kingdom, and the unexpected magic all around us.
Long ago and far away (and somewhere south of France) lies the kingdom of Esquaveta. There, Princess Tullia is in nearly as much peril as her struggling kingdom. Esquaveta desperately needs to forge an alliance, and to that end, Tullia’s father has arranged a marriage between her and an odious prince. However, one month before the “wedding of the century,” Tullia falls in love with a lowly apprentice scribe.
The king turns to Anatole, his much-maligned magician. Seventeen years earlier, when Anatole first came to the castle, he was regarded as something of a prodigy. But after a long series of failures—the latest being an attempt to transform sand into gold—he has become the object of contempt and ridicule. The only one who still believes in him is the princess.
When the king orders Anatole to brew a potion that will ensure Tullia agrees to the wedding, Anatole is faced with an impossible choice. With one chance to save the marriage, the kingdom, and, of most importance to him, his reputation, will he betray the princess—or risk ruin?
