The Faerie Handmaiden of Annwyn

'The Faerie Handmaiden of Annwyn', or as I affectionally call it, 'Penni's Story', is a retelling of a classic Welsh story about a man called Pelling who marries a fairy called Penelope, and the trials their love goes through.

I've always liked the traditional story, and I've also had a long, long fascination with King Maelgwn.  Maelgwn ruled north Wales in the first half of the sixth century, and had a fearsome reputation for being a tyrant.  There are lots of myths and legends about this colourful character, and as the fairy wife story is undated it's been a brilliant opportunity to combine the two elements without, I hope, conflicting either thread.

My story started three or four years ago during one of many family holidays to north Wales, where we visited the meadow in the Nant y Betws valley where Penni and her fellow-fairies danced.  The meadow itself, sadly, is now a sewage works and caravan park, but beyond them the valley is as pretty as any in north Wales, and the day renewed my interest in the story.  The original doesn't have enough flesh for a full novel, but including a Maelgwn element lengthened it and added interest, not padding.

Here's the book's buy link

Here's the blurb:

Dancing with her friends in the mortal realm, Penni, the fairest Tylwyth Teg, has no idea of what she will unleash by disobeying the law. A mortal attacks the handmaidens and blocks Penni’s return to Annwyn.

Banished for breaking the law, Penni is forced to take refuge with Pelling, a mortal, and his family. Penni and Pelling find love and marry, despite his brother’s hatred of the fairy folk. He wants to sell her – Tylwyth Teg slaves fetch a princely price, a great temptation for a poor farmer. The couple moves to the capital of sixth century Wales where King Maelgyn rules. Subjected to prejudice and cruelty, they are trapped in the bitter struggle between Christianity and the Old Ways of paganism. Can their love surmount the differences in cultures and religion?

Andrew Richardson, author of The Footholder's Tale and The Door into War, brings to life the classic legends of the Tylwyth Teg and King Maelgyn, weaving the mystical beliefs of the period with the timeless myths.

Finally, here's a picture of  the Llyn y Dywarchen, a lake playing a role in the story, to show how stunning the scenery is.