Tag Archives: Ellen Kushner

Troll’s-Eye View edited by Ellen Datlow & Terri Windling

April 12, 2019Book ReviewCatherynne M. Valente, Delia Sherman, Ellen Datlow, Ellen Kushner, Fairy tales, Garth Nix, Holly Black, Jane Yolen, Joseph Stanton, Kelly Link, Michael Cadnum, Midori Snyder, Nancy Farmer, Neil Gaiman, Nina Kiriki Hoffman, Peter S. Beagle, Retellings, Short Story Collections, Terri Windling, Troll's-Eye View, Villains, Wendy Froudskyebjenner

Image result for troll's-eye view book cover

Title: Troll’s-Eye View
Author: Ellen Datlow, Terri Windling, Delia Sherman, Garth Nix, Wendy Froud, Nina Kiriki Hoffman, Peter S. Beagle, Ellen Kushner, Joseph Stanton, Holly Black, Jane Yolen, Nancy Farmer, Michael Cadnum, Catherynne M. Valente, Midori Snyder, Neil Gaiman & Kelly Link
In: Troll’s-Eye View (Ellen Datlow & Terri Windling)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Fairy tales, Retellings, Short story collections, Villains
Dates read: 12th December 2018 – 1st March 2019
Pace: Medium
Format: Anthology
Publisher: Firebird Fantasy
Year: 2009
5th sentence, 74th page: I could have wept.

Everyone thinks they know the real story behind the villains in fairy tales – evil, no two ways about it. But the villains themselves beg to differ. In this book you’ll hear from:
the Giant’s wife from “Jack and the Beanstalk”
the oldest of the Twelve Dancing Princesses
Rumpelstiltskin
the witch from “Hansel and Gretel”
someone called Evil Cinderella

Just watch these old stories do new tricks!

This is an incredibly easy, fun and engaging short story collection. It takes some brilliant authors who take you on journeys through well known fairy tales. The fact that these retellings all focus on the villains of the stories just made me love it even more. I always love the highlighting of grey areas and alternate tellings.

Troll’s-Eye View is a collection that is written for a very young age group. It’s simple and quaint. Easily accessible and fun. But, that doesn’t mean that as an adult you can’t enjoy it. There was nothing I enjoyed more than sitting down at the end of a long day and reading one of these short stories or poems. It was a great, fun and quick escape from the real world at a time when I’ve been really quite overwhelmed and stressed.

Most of my anthologies and collections contain only novellas and short stories. Troll’s-Eye View also has poems. They were enough to break up the flow throughout the story and leave you with a smile on your face.

<- Why Light?

Wizard’s Apprentice ->

Image source: Amazon

The Shoes That Were Danced to Pieces by Ellen Kushner

February 1, 2019Book ReviewEllen Kushner, Fairy tales, Family, Troll's-Eye Viewskyebjenner

Title: The Shoes That Were Danced to Pieces
Author: Ellen Kushner
In: Troll’s-Eye View (Ellen Datlow & Terri Windling)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Fairy tales, Family
Pace: Fast
Format: Short story
Publisher: Firebird Fantasy
Year: 2009
5th sentence, 74th page: I couldn’t be responsible for all those men, as well as my horrible sisters.

Buy The Book Now at The Book Depository, Free Delivery World Wide

Sometimes being the eldest really sucks. Especially when you have eleven younger sisters who are determined to dance the night away. That is, until the “responsible” one finds a way out of their situation.

I’m an older sister. And it doesn’t matter how old my younger sister and I are. It doesn’t matter where life takes us. I will always be her big sister. And I will always feel responsible for her. And protective of her. So it’s really nice to read a short story that reminds me that I’m not the only one in this position. That is uses the story of the Twelve Dancing Princesses just makes it all the more fun and engaging.

Although this short story is in a collection about villains, I didn’t really feel that there was a villain in this story. after all, the oldest sister is just trying to watch out for the younger ones. Alright, they’re kind of bratty… but no one was truly evil. Or really cast as a villain in the story. But, mostly, I love the fact that although you can understand why the sister does what she does… everyone ultimately gets a nice ending and happiness.

<- Up the Down Beanstalk Review

Puss in Boots, the Sequel Review ->

Image source: Amazon

Under My Hat edited by Jonathan Strahan

November 11, 2017Book ReviewCharles de Lint, Delia Sherman, Diana Peterfreund, Easy Reading, Ellen Klages, Ellen Kushner, Frances Hardinge, Garth Nix, Holly Black, Isobelle Carmody, Jane Yolen, Jonathan Strahan, M. Rickert, Margo Lanagan, Neil Gaiman, Patricia A McKillip, Peter S. Beagle, Short Story Collections, Tanith Lee, Tim Pratt, Under My Hat, Witchesskyebjenner

Title: Under My Hat: Tales from the Cauldron
Author: Jonathan Strahan, Diana Peterfreund, Frances Hardinge, Garth Nix, Holly Black, Charles de Lint, Tanith Lee, Neil Gaiman, Ellen Klages, Ellen Kushner, Delia Sherman, Patricia A. McKillip, Tim Pratt, M. Rickert, Isobelle Carmody, Jane Yolen, Peter S. Beagle, Margo Lanagan
In: Under My Hat (Jonathan Strahan)
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Easy reading, Short story collections, Witches
Pace: Medium
Format: Collection
Publisher: Hot Key Books
Year: 2012
5th sentence, 74th page: “Was he?” asked Mari.

Broomsticks.
Black Cats.
Pointy Hats.

They can mean only one thing – somewhere nearby, there must be a witch. From fairy tales to fims to fiction, witches cast their spells and capture our imaginations.

Now the biggest names in fantasy and young adult literature have come together to make a little magic of their own. Neil Gaiman, Holly Black, Diana Peterfreund, Margo Lanagan, Peter S. Beagle, and Garth Nix are just a few of the authors who have toiled over their cauldrons and conjured up bewitching new creations inspired by and celebrating the might and mystery of the witch. Assembled by one of the most well-regarded anthologists in the science fiction/fantasy world, this rich, intelligent collection will enchant readers of all ages.

Short story collections are always good fun. They’re a great way to discover new authors, and the common thread through them can be so unique and different. Sometimes I even struggle to find the common thread! Not with this amazing collection though. It’s simple. Witches.

Strahan did a great job of putting together this fun and cute little collection of witch-y tales and I’m actually kind of disappointed that it’s over. Although I bought it to read B is for Bigfoot by Jim Butcher, the rest of the stories really jumped out at me. It’s actually difficult to pick an absolute favourite – they all had this twisted, fun, unexpected adventure that they took me on. Closing the cover of the book, I feel like I’ve gone on journeys through distant lands (and realms) and come back to land squarely on earth. Which is actually kind of disappointing… time to find my next epic journey of witchcraft and wings…

<- Crow and Caper, Caper and Crow

Stray Magic ->

Image source: Frances Hardinge

October 2017

October 31, 2017ListAngela Carter, Cecilia Dart-Thornton, Delia Sherman, Derek Landy, Ellen Kushner, Emily Rodda, Eva Ibbotson, Ilona Andrews, Jade Parker, Jennifer Fallon, Jim Butcher, Kate Forsyth, Meg Cabot, Neil Gaiman, October, Patricia A McKillip, Yami Lesterskyebjenner

October has been a super weird month, I’ve had a tonne of assignments due (finals here we come), quit a job and just generally felt a little lost and aimless. It’s meant a bit of reading since I tend to read when I’m overwhelmed, but I’m still feeling a little lost…

Image source: Van Vorst Park Association

The Threefold World by Ellen Kushner

October 18, 2017Book ReviewEasy Reading, Ellen Kushner, The World of Riverside, Under My Hat, Witchesskyebjenner

Title: The Threefold World
Author: Ellen Kushner
Series: The World of Riverside #0.1
In: Under My Hat (Jack Dann & Jonathan Strahan)
Rating Out of 5: 3.5 (Liked this)
My Bookshelves: Easy reading, Witches
Pace: Fast
Format: Short story
Publisher: Hot Key Books
Year: 2012
5th sentence, 74th page: Could his friends recite from memory the Latin poems of Virgil?

Elias Lönnrot is a young scholar with an unquenchable thirst for knowledge. He loves reading the Latin poetry of Virgil or the Greek classics like The Iliad and The Odyssey. However, he doesn’t give much thought to his own Finnish culture. In fact, he rather scorns it. His school friends try to sway his opinion by telling him about stories of their ancestors who sang spells that could change the world. Elias thinks this is nonsense until he meets an old peddler on the road one day who changes his mind in a dramatic way.

Pride cometh before the fall.

Or something like that. This great short story focuses on the ways in which our pride and ignorance can lead to some dire consequences. Yet, there is a nice, happy ending to this story. Although the main character’s pride almost leads to his death, it is his ability to let go of his pride and embrace his peoples’ history that ultimately saves him and creates a healthy life.

Although this is a story about a witch, it is also a tale about embracing your culture and history. I found it especially relevant in today’s society of globalisation. It is so easy to jump on the bandwagon of “progress” than it is to hold onto your cultural morals and norms.

<- The Education of a Witch Review

The Witch in the Wood Review ->

Earth and Skye

The ramblings of a bibliophile.