1990: Madouc

The story follows the protagonist, Madouc, and the adventures around her quest for her pedigree. Casimir, the ruthlessly devious king of Lyonesse, has discovered that the girl he initially thought was his granddaughter, Madouc, is actually a changeling. Somehow this fact is wrapped up in the mystery around the son of the King of Troicenet, Dhrun, whom prophesy says will become the next king of the Elder Isles. This is not something that Casimir will allow to happen. The throne is meant for him alone.But at the same time there are far bigger, murkier schemes in play. Tamurello, an evil magician and the witch Desmei are plotting against the Elder Isle's greatest mage who is, alone, responsible for keeping the Elder Isle's from plummeting into the ocean.Why it's on the listMadouc is the last book in the trilogy of a classic Fantasy Tale. Vance takes the myths from a number of cultures and fuses them into an entirely enjoyable tale. The Elder Isles are eventually saved, although it is at a terrible cost. Finally Madouc even learns where she comes from. What is so entertaining is that the book surprises you with nifty little references to other ancient stories.All told - Madouc is a gorgeous closing chapter to an incredible trilogy.Read if you likeSword and Sorcery, Fairy Tales