A Princess for Larkin

This is a fantasy novel with many fairy-tale elements. Larkin, the hero of this story, is a romantic youth who matures through encounters with women and with the images that spring from his own imagination. Like all young men, he experiences many strivings, hopes, fears, frustrations, and conflicts as he seeks to relate to the feminine side of life.

At the outset, Larkin dreams of a beautiful woman. Believing his destiny lies with her, he leaves home to find her. He hears of a sleeping princess inside a castle. Naive and reckless at this stage of his journey, he tries to hack his way through the surrounding shrubbery. The bushes trap him, however, and as he struggles he meets a peasant girl named Shanna.

After leaving that setting, he faces new challenges in the heart of a forest. They include an ogress and an overprotective giantess. Seeking to escape from their clutches, he meets and rescues a young boy named Billum. His subsequent travels bring him face to face with a woman of quiet spirituality, with a seductress, and with a hag whose beauty lies hidden beneath the surface.

He has still more adventures with Brinna, an agile young woman accompanied by a wolf. She comes to his aid at a crucial moment and enlists his help in rescuing Selador--her father, a great sorcerer--from Morlon, his sinister rival. Together, Larkin, Brinna, and the wolf must confront not only Morlon but the evil sorcerer's son and daughter as well. Larkin comes to regard Brinna as a sister in spirit and to recognize the feminine as an ally in his own quest.

After departing from his companions, Larkin plunges into a dream world in the heart of a mountain, where he encounters three singing maidens, a mysterious feminine guide, and an old wise woman. As a result of this immersion, he realizes that to fulfill his quest he must seek "the face behind the face" of the princess of his dreams.