Let's start with the star of the show: 'The Necklace of Princess Fiorimonde'. In a kingdom where the king desperately wants his daughter to marry, Princess Fiorimonde has other plans. She's clever, beautiful, and utterly opposed to being anyone's wife. Using magic, she creates a golden necklace. Whenever a suitor tries to win her hand, she tricks him into putting it on, and—poof—he becomes a gleaming bead strung next to the others. She's not a victim; she's the architect of her own freedom, in the most chilling way possible. The tension builds as a young kitchen boy, Yolande, discovers her secret and must find a way to stop her before he becomes the next ornament.

Why You Should Read It

What grabbed me was how these stories flip the script. De Morgan was writing in the shadow of the Brothers Grimm, but her characters have so much more going on. The princesses are often the smartest people in the room, the animals are wise counselors, and the magic feels wild and natural, like something just under the surface of the world. There's a warmth and a quiet humor here, too. It's not all darkness; there's wonder and kindness, but it's earned, not just wished for. Reading these, you get the sense De Morgan respected her readers, both young and old, and trusted them to understand that not all puzzles have easy answers, and not all power belongs to the people who shout the loudest.

Final Verdict

This book is a perfect little gem for anyone who thinks they know fairy tales. It's for readers who love the moral complexity of Oscar Wilde's stories or the inventive melancholy of Hans Christian Andersen, but want to explore a voice that's been unfairly overlooked. It's also a fantastic, slightly sophisticated pick for reading aloud to kids who enjoy a good shiver with their storytime. Short, beautifully written, and packed with ideas that linger, The Necklace of Princess Fiorimonde is a reminder that the best tales aren't always the most famous ones.