Curdie has a strange gift: he can tell who anybody is by reading their hands. But he's not sure what good that is when the kingdom starts falling apart. Along with his trusty monster, he must decide what to believe, who to help, and who to fight when the king grows mysteriously sick and the princess is helpless. Sequel to the classic fantasy The Princess and the Goblin, The Princess and Curdie is a clever fable of falsehood versus truth and appearance versus reality.

"I have never concealed the fact that I regarded [MacDonald] as my master; indeed I fancy I have never written a book in which I did not quote from him."