Lucinda Chapdelaine is the daughter of a noble house, until her parents don't come home from a ball at the palace. Since then she has worked in her uncle and aunt's jewelry store, her uncle is kind, but Lucinda must accept terrible treatment at the hands of her aunt in exchange for food and shelter.
Until the day Beryl, the Amaranth Witch, walks in. Beryl is rumored to be a witch in the village and she has a task for the family gold shop. The witch brings a beautiful and unusual gem to be made into a necklace, even offers fifteen-year-old Lucinda employment, until her aunt's reaction causes Beryl to rescind the offer. In a day full of surprises, Beryl is not the only unusual visitor -- the prince too, walks in looking for a trinket for his betrothed.
When a pickpocket, Peter, seeks shelter in Lucinda's closet bedroom the kind girl lends the space. But Beryl's unusual stone disappears with Peter in the morning light. So too does Lucinda's uncle leave her, and with his death her aunt ejects Lucinda from the only home she's known.
Lucinda turns to the town's witch, Beryl with hopes of finding a place to land, but with the theft of her gem, Beryl requires something from the young woman. Lucinda agrees to find the gem, only to discover Peter has sold it to the prince. She convinces the pickpocket to teach her how to steal it back, but discovers her parent's carriage accident may not have been simply an accident. Now, someone is after Lucinda.
The Amaranth Enchantment was a quick and vivid tale of a young woman who takes charge of her life to survive, and in doing so discovers secrets in her past. Lucinda faces a world which wants to place her in the role of servant, yet she doesn't take it sitting down. A quick romance with the prince and a mystery round out the Cinderella story and create something more. A YA novel for middle readers, the story is enjoyable for all ages.
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