The Fools' War

This overly elaborate fairy tale concerns a foolish king obsessed with a lady (``I love her like a madman'') who does not return his affections. The besotted ruler ignores the invading army of Turks outside his castle; seeks the magical, less than successful prayers of a blind wise man and a steadfast farmer in an attempt to win the lady's favor; and gets involved in a host of other subplots. Kisling's narrative rattles along in a loose, unconvincing manner, finally lurching to an unsatisfying and predictable conclusion. The author throws too many balls into the air and crams too many cliches into too short a tale. Further, he fails to infuse the story's disparate elements with any sense of wonder. Lloyd Alexander remains the undisputed champion of this kind of romp. Ages 10-up. (Oct.)