Thomas the Rhymer (novel)

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Thomas the Rhymer is a fantasy novel by Ellen Kushner, published in 1990. It reimagines the old ballad of Thomas the Rhymer, a man who loves the Queen of Elfland and is given the gift of prophecy.

Plot:
Thomas is a young harper at a royal court. He befriends a poor farmer named Gavin and his wife Meg, and falls in love with their neighbor Elspeth. The Fairy Queen comes for him and takes him to Elfland, where he becomes her lover for seven years. When he returns to the human world, he can only speak the truth. The story follows how this truth-telling gift and his time in Elfland affect his life and the lives of those around him.

Awards:
The book won the World Fantasy Award and the Mythopoeic Award in 1991.

Characters:
- Thomas: the harper and narrator
- Elspeth: the neighbor and Thomas’s love
- Gavin: a simple crofter who takes Thomas in
- Meg: Gavin’s wife
- The Fairy Queen: ruler of Elfland, powerful and sometimes merciful or cruel