The Magic Three of Solatia

By Jane Yolen

Book Overview

Three silver buttons....three magic wishes Once there was Melinna, a mermaid who loved a prince. She shed her tail, walked painfully upon the land, and followed him up the hundred steps to his father's hall. There she gave him a coat with three silver buttons that had come from the depths of the sea. These three buttons had the power to grant wishes, but only if twisted in a special way, and always with consequences......The prince, too enamored of himself to return Melinna's love, took the coat, but did not listen to Melinna's words. And the secret of the Magic Three was lost. Now Melinna is Dread Mary, the sea witch who sings sailors down to their deaths in the cold, sunless sea. Her only passion is for the buttons that shine on dead men's coats--until her icy heart is melted by the plight of Sianna, a poor button maker's daughter. It is Sianna who discovers the power of the three wishes, Sianna who must choose whether to use them--and face the consequences......

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0765348071
• ISBN13: 9780765348074
• Release Date: November 2004
• Publisher: Starscape Books
• Length: 182 Pages
• Weight: 1.55 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.2" x 7.6"
• Age Range: 10 to 15 years
• Grade Range: Grades 5 to 10

Customer Reviews

Very well written and memorable

I read this around seventh grade I think, when I was gaga over anything fantasy/mythology/fairy tale related. I really enjoyed it, first of all because the stories are totally origional and not clearly derived from other stories or traditions. At the same time, the setting and characters were well developed and memorable. The Dread Mary, Bleakaard the wizard, the magic buttons...it all seemed very real to me, like the better Narnia stories or Le Guin's works. I'd be curious to try re-reading the stories now to see how well they held up to my older and hopefully somewhat more mature eyes.

Magical book

Fans of Jane Yolen and new readers will both love this book. I have never read another book like this one. It's comprised of three sections, connected somewhat by relationships between the characters, but moreso by the existance of three magic buttons. Each button and its wish aid the owner in a beautiful way.This book is magical and captivating, and the characters are very well written. Highly recommended!