Fair Peril
#7983.64 adjusted 3.89 for sample size in the official ranking · full ranking
Books 1 book Status Complete 1996 Reading commitment Low Nancy Springer Last reviewed 2026-11-01
Overview
Fair Peril is a standalone modern fairy-tale fantasy by Nancy Springer, published by Avon Books in 1996. It is set in present-day Pennsylvania, where Buffy Murphy, a recently divorced professional storyteller, finds a talking frog in a pond who says he is a cursed prince. Her teenage daughter Emily kisses him, and the two soon pass through a shopping mall into Fair Peril, a fairy realm ruled by a dark queen, where wishes can turn into punishments. Buffy and her friends follow to bring Emily back, relying on her skill at storytelling. The book has no sequels and is not described as part of a series.
Urban fantasy, Fairy-tale retelling · For Adult
Core Canon: Reading Order (1 work) counts toward ranking
Fair Peril Nancy Springer
| Work | Year | Internal chron. | Canon | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Fair Peril | 1996 | 1 | core | 3.64 (216 ratings) |
A standalone modern fairy-tale fantasy about a storyteller and her daughter in the realm of Fair Peril.
Quick answers
- How many books are in Fair Peril? Fair Peril's Core Canon is 1 book.
- Is Fair Peril finished? Complete (1996).
- How much reading does Fair Peril take? Low reading commitment (estimated from 1 Core Canon book).
- How is Fair Peril ranked? #798 in this site's official ranking, based on 216 reader ratings across 1 Core Canon book. See the full ranking for how this is calculated.
Why is it ranked #798?
Ranked #798 in the official ranking.
- Average reader rating of 3.64 across 1 core book.
- A smaller readership (216 ratings), so the score carries less weight of numbers.
- 0.25 behind #797, Something Wicked This Way Comes.
- Below the top-10 average of 4.46.
Why explore this universe?
Modestly rated · 1 book · Complete · 216 ratings · Ranks #798 overall
Good choice if you want a quick, low-commitment urban fantasy universe that's already finished, so there's no wait for the next book.
Reading order
A single Core Canon work: no sequencing question to resolve.
Awards (verified)
- Mythopoeic Award, 1997: nominated: Fair Peril
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Official resources
Research details
Ranking metrics: weighted average 3.64 across 216 ratings on 1 Core Canon book. See Why is it ranked here? above for the full breakdown, or the full ranking.
How do we know this?
Admission: Canon Extension: 22 universes, among them The Ordered and Reflections of Eterna; four candidates ruled out accepted 2026-11-01
Sources: (see source tier definitions)
- Kirkus Reviews Tier 2
- Rambles review Tier 2
- Black Gate Tier 2
- Worlds Without End Tier 2
Last reviewed: 2026-11-01
Rule: Core Canon = the standalone novel Fair Peril (1996).