When the baker's boy kills a dragon who attacks his village, he is called to the king's palace. On the way he encounters a bear, witches, giants, and picks up a talkative cat. At the palace the king refuses to believe he ever slayed a dragon and sends him on further dangerous missions, hoping to get rid of him.

Billy hates running, but his brother is a champion and Mum's golden boy. Dad's too busy to care. Luckily he's got Grandad on his side, who is going to run in the London Marathon dressed as a giant peanut, but no way is Billy. Not with all the media on hand. That is until he gets a pair of magic shoes.

A fantasy that begins with Toby in a dungeon, due to be executed for murdering his father, the king. His escape results in a hue and cry, instigated by his step-mother, the Queen. Toby must be caught and executed along with any who assist him. While on the run, he rescues a peasant, Far, and an aristocratic young woman, Orly, both of whom have had their families slaughtered. Class and passion complicate their relationship as they struggle to escape the marauding soldiers. Exhausted and battered, they find sanctuary in the cavern of a magician. There, Toby is told he must go down to the...