"Sonorous and suspenseful, always with the feeling of a twinkle in its eye, and every page is splendidly illustrated. . . . A wonderfully classic fairy tale that still surprises and delights." -Booklist (starred review)

Studious Prince Lir is next in line to become the Wolfhound King, but he can't ride a horse, lift a sword, or summon the fabled wolfhounds. So his stepmother decrees that her own son will inherit the crown instead, sending Lir away on a seemingly impossible-and assuredly fatal-quest: to rescue the maiden Cethlenn from the once-fearsome dragon Lasvarg. Rather than wage battle, Lir insists that Lasvarg, now decidedly past his prime, honor tradition by setting him three tasks to perform-starting with tackling the mold encrusting the dragon's cave. As Lir improves Lasvarg's life, he grows closer to Cethlenn . . . as well as the wolfhound puppy strangely devoted to her. In time, they learn more of the dark magic that may be making pawns of them all-and how Cethlenn could be the key to breaking a spell that clouds the entire kingdom. With transporting language, New York Times best-selling author Eoin Colfer and award-winning illustrator P.J. Lynch make their own magic in this classic fantasy with a light feminist twist.