The tale of a storytelling princess and her traveling musician.
Kaela doesn't fit in at court. She much prefers telling tales to peasant children over the constraints of palace life. This is a problem considering she's a princess, and her behavior reflects poorly on her father. After many, many failed attempts to restrain his daughter's wild ways, the King of Visin offers Kaela's hand in marriage to the cold and ruthless Duke Gavrin, who would surely make her life a living hell. Knowing that it would be pointless to beg her father to change his mind, Kaela runs away.Her first stop is an inn where she meets Kippen, a wondering minstrel on his way back to his hometown of Cymyl. After Kippen finds out about her situation, the two travelers begin their long journey. Kaela uses her talent for storytelling and Kippen his skill with playing a flute in exchange for meals and lodging.
Upon learning of his daughter's disappearance, the King employs Stafgrym, a powerful sorcerer whose magic will aid him in the hunt for Kaela better than regular soldiers. However, Stafgrym has his own plans, and isn't so inclined to leave the wayward princess alive.
A Necklace of Fallen Stars is a 1979 children's fantasy novel written by Beth Hilgartner with illustrations by Michael R. Hague.
There are five additional short stories integrated within the novel:
- "A Wizard's Duel": A fledgling sorceress and a master sorcerer are forced to battle each other for the entertainment of a tyrannical King.
- "Bottled Palindrome": A boy with a palindromic
name becomes the target of a greedy sorcerer, who wants to use him as an ingredient for a powerful spell. - "The Player and the Knave": A traveling actress meets a love-struck rich girl and tries to help her win the resident lady killer's heart.
- "The Colors of the Wind": A hot-headed girl goes to live with her aunt and ends up befriending a wise women, who's been labeled a witch by the local townsfolk.
- "A Necklace of Fallen Stars": A headstrong woman's uncle tries to find her possible suitors, unaware that she's already fallen for a minstrel.
To keep from having to specify which is which, A Necklace of Fallen Stars the novel will be referred to as just "the novel" and A Necklace of Fallen Stars the In-Universe story will be referred to with its actual title.
This novel includes examples of:
- Ambiguous Ending: "Bottled Palindrome" ends with Muffum asking Snuggles' if he's actually a sorcerer-king in disguise, only for him to change his mind regarding an answer.
- Bittersweet Ending:
- The novel ends with the King of Visin renouncing his charge of treason against Kaela then dying shortly afterword. This gives Kaela the freedom she wants, but she doesn't get the chance to reconcile with her father.
- "The Colors of the Wind" ends with Chala dying in order to escape the mob. However, Malni has grown from the experience and finally glimpses the colors of the wind.
- Black-and-White Morality: It's easy to spot who the good and bad guys are. The only character who can really be said to be gray is Tamera, and she doesn't stay that way for long.
- Evil Is Burning Hot: Stafgrym uses a fire based spell to bind Kippen. The spell is one of the more destructive in existence.
- Green-Eyed Monster: Downplayed. Tamera does envy Kaela and Melina, but she limits her shows of envy to petty displays.
- Hair of Gold, Heart of Gold: Melina has blonde hair and is one of the kindest characters in the book. Kippen is blond as well, and he's a pretty gentle soul too.
- Human Resources: In "Bottled Palindrome", the essential ingredient that Tararat needs? Muffum's blood. All of it.
- Humble Goal: Kaela just wants to be able to tell stories and live how she wishes.
- I Just Want to Be Normal: Kaela often bemoans being born into royalty, finding court life too stifling.
- Ladykiller in Love: Alar of "The Player and the Knave" is the local heartthrob and he genuinely falls for Tantia.
- Master of Illusion: In "A Wizard's Duel", both Lidra and Fordryn use illusions to trick their audience into thinking that genuine harm might befall each other.
- Metafictional Title: The novel is named after the last story Kaela tells.
- The Namesake: The novel is named after "A Necklace of Fallen Stars", the final tale Kaela tells.
- No Ending: "A Necklace of Fallen Stars" abruptly ends with Vyria waiting for Amden's answer to her confession of love.
- No Name Given: Despite being one of the more significant characters, the King of Visin is only ever referred to as "the King".
- The Noun and the Noun: The title of Tantia's story is called "The Player and the Knave". The "player" refers to Tantia and the "knave" refers to Alar.
- Rebellious Princess: Kaela is one of the princesses of Visin, and she hates the pageantry and formality of court life.
- Remembered Too Late: Melina remembers that Tamera's rooms oversee the ocean cliff. This means she was able to view Melina throwing Stafgrym's talisman into the sea.
- Shaming the Mob: Instead of getting angry at the valley folk, Malni of "The Colors of the Wind" instead tells them how much she pities them for their small-mindedness. When she walks away, they don't follow her.
- The Stoic: Duke Gavrin shows very little emotion.
- The Storyteller: Kaela has always been able to tell stories with or without any prompt. This talent helps both of them on more than one occasion.
- Story Within a Story: As a storyteller, Kaela naturally tells tales throughout her journey. The first one she relates is part of a bargain: if she tells a satisfying story, Kippen's captors will let both him and Kaela free.
- Wandering Minstrel: Kippen of the novel is a flutist who travels across the land. He was tutored by a wondering minstrel himself, who gave him his current instrument. Kaela bases one of her characters off of Kippen, including what instrument he plays.
- Whole-Plot Reference: Kaela purposefully recites to Kippen a slimmed down version of her own story about a headstrong woman who rejects an arranged marriage and ends up falling in love with a traveling musician. "A Necklace of Fallen Stars" is Kaela's roundabout way of confessing to Kippen that she loves him and wants to stay by his side.
- Why Couldn't You Be Different?: The King has this attitude towards Kaela. Her unruly behavior and refusal to act like a proper princess causes him constant grief.
- The X of Y: The title of Malni's story is called "The Colors of the Wind", a reference to how Chala can see things ordinary people cannot.
