Lord Dunsany 
The King of Elfland’s Daughter 

First published in 1924, “The King of Elfland’s Daughter” is Lord Dunsany’s most famous and popular novel. A masterpiece of classic, high fantasy, it is the charming and romantic tale of a lovesick prince and his fairy bride. The ruler of the human land of Erl is told by his people that they want a magical lord, so he sends his son, Alveric, to Elfland to marry the fairy king’s daughter, Lirazel. Alveric is able to win her hand and return to Erl with his bride and they soon have a son together. The fairy princess does not adapt well to the human world however and returns to her father and her home. Alveric pines for his missing wife and spends his days in a hopeless journey to find her. Lirazel comes to miss her husband and child as well and her father uses his magic to reunite the heartbroken lovers. While Lord Dunsany’s fantastical fairytale was relatively obscure for many years, interest was renewed when the novel was republished in 1969. “The King of Elfland’s Daughter” is often hailed as one of the best fantasy novels ever written and continues to enchant readers and critics alike. This edition includes a biographical afterword.