The Princess and the Goblin

The Princess and the Goblin, a classic children's fantasy novel by George MacDonald, published in 1872, about a lonely princess, Irene, who discovers a race of malevolent goblins living beneath her castle and teams up with a brave miner boy, Curdie, to thwart their plot to take over the kingdom, aided by her mysterious, magical great-great-grandmother. The story is a blend of fairy tale, folklore, and Christian themes, and it has significantly influenced later fantasy writers like C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien.