A Prince Without a Kingdom

8 hrs. 10 min.

Language Russian

Author Timothée de Fombelle

Narrator Maria Abalkina

A two-volume set titled "Toby Lolness"—"One Step from Disaster" and "Eliza’s Eyes"—was published in France in 2006–2007, and then translated into 28 languages to become a worldwide bestseller. Winning around 20 prestigious French and international literary awards, this suspenseful fantasy novel brought global fame to its author—a young French writer and playwright, Timothée de Fombelle.

The first of the two books, "One Step from Disaster," introduces the main hero and the fairy-tale world in which the story takes place. Tiny Toby and his family live on a huge Tree. Toby’s father, a scientist, created a mechanism capable of turning tree sap into energy. He refuses to reveal the secret of his great invention because he is sure it could destroy the Tree and its people. The Lollness family is sent to prison. Only Toby manages to escape—but from that moment on, the boy’s life hangs by a thread. How can you save your parents from inevitable death? How do you stand up to an entire army of villains when your height is only one and a half millimeters? How do you accomplish the impossible and make sure your world doesn’t stop existing?

1. A Prince Without a Kingdom 2. Eliza's Eyes (narrated by Maria Abalkina)