Set in the kingdom of Delain, the book follows the framing of Prince Peter for his father’s murder and the manipulations of the court magician Flagg, who is one of King’s great recurring villains.

The novel is built out of imprisonment, inheritance, conspiracy, and sibling rivalry, but the tone is closer to fable than splatter. It has always had a slightly odd place in King’s catalogue because it was written for his daughter and sits outside the usual horror machinery, which is part of why readers tend to remember it. The Palladini illustrations also give it a bit more physical presence than a standard King hardback. 

It is a genuine first, but not a scarce one. Beautifully illustrated and a hardback, but more of a reading copy or for a fan. Little marginalia (kinda cute, someone ticking off which King novels they've read) and the spine a little damaged.