Tag Archives: Faery Tales and Nightmares

Winter’s Kiss by Melissa Marr

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Faery Tales and Nightmares

Title: Winter’s Kiss
Author: Melissa Marr
In: Faery Tales & Nightmares (Melissa Marr)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Fae, Magic, Paranormal fantasy
Pace: Fast
Format: Short story
Publisher: HarperCollins
Year: 2012

Thoughts

I was expecting a little more darkness in this short story. Pretty much because in my experience, Marr tends to angle towards the darker side of the fae. Although that’s what I love about her writing, I WAS pleasantly surprised by the fact that this was a pretty light and positive tale.

I absolutely adored how what is seen as a curse at the beginning of the story, eventually gets twisted around so that it is seen as a gift. The ways that in some circumstances being a bit different can be a negative, but then, if you find the right people to surround you, your weirdness and uniqueness can be seen as a gift instead. Yet, even though the girl doesn’t quite fit in where she was from, her father still loves her unconditionally.

While reading this, I was reminded a lot of North Child. There was the bear, the north and the snow. Finding acceptance somewhere that you never thought you would and finding love in a silent, strong type. In fact, this was such a beautiful short story that all I can think of now is to dive right back into North Child for a nostalgic reread…

<- Where Nightmares WalkTransition ->

Image source: HarperCollins Publishers

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Transition by Melissa Marr

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Faery Tales and Nightmares

Title: Transition
Author: Melissa Marr
In: Faery Tales & Nightmares (Melissa Marr) & Teeth (Ellen Datlow)
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Dark fantasy, Paranormal fantasy, Vampires
Pace: Fast
Format: Short story
Publisher: HarperCollins
Year: 2012

Thoughts

This was a wonderful short story, but not featuring the paranormal creatures I was expecting. Rather than being about the fae, this was a story of vampires. And it was brilliant. Nothing sexy and desirable about it, all blood and revenge. My kind of vampire tale.

This story had a very vampire noir feel to it. It was a totally different style to what I have been reading thus far from Marr, but I absolutely adored the dark and twisty nature of it. I’m not sure why, but as I read this, I was picturing the 20s flapper style clothing and hard-boiled detectives running around in the background. Even though neither thing was even touched upon in this story.

This whole story featured a ridiculously vicious cycle. Honestly, it started out as filled with the potential for a semi-decent relationship, but that quickly went away. Ending in a fairly dark and twisty conclusion which starts the vicious circle all over again.

<- Winter’s KissLove Struck ->

Image source: HarperCollins Publishers

Where Nightmares Walk by Melissa Marr

Book Review, , ,
Overview
Faery Tales and Nightmares

Title: Where Nightmares Walk
Author: Melissa Marr
In: Faery Tales & Nightmares (Melissa Marr)
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Dark fantasy, Paranormal fantasy
Dates read: 31st March 2021
Pace: Fast
Format: Short story
Publisher: HarperCollins
Year: 2012
5th sentence, 74th page: It doesn’t stop me as I try to heave myself higher.

Synopsis

We all have nightmares, but some of us need to run a little further than others…

Thoughts

This is a ridiculously short, short story. To the point that I wasn’t even sure whether to count it as a story read… but then I really enjoyed it and realised that I wanted to write about it. So I figured that that was fine. I mean, even the collection didn’t number the pages of this short story, but instead, had the roman numerals on all of the pages.

Having said all that, I absolutely adored this short story. It felt like a nightmare somehow. Just as reading nightmares should feel and sound. Or at least, that’s how I would explain it / how it felt to me. There was just a great surreal and abstract feel to this tale. One that perfectly sets up the writing by Melissa Marr that I’m sure is about to follow.

All in all, this short story was very haunting and beautiful. I loved the feeling that reading these few pages inspired in me and it made me want to pick up the Wicked Lovely books all over again and actually get to the end of the series for the first time!

<- Faery Tales & NightmaresWinter’s Kiss ->

Image source: HarperCollins Publishers

Love Struck by Melissa Marr

Book Review, , , , ,
Overview
Image result for love is hell book cover

Title: Love Struck
Author: Melissa Marr
In: Love is Hell ( Melissa Marr, Scott Westerfield, Justine Larbalestier, Gabrielle Zevin & Laurie Faria Stolarz) & Faery Tales and Nightmares (Melissa Marr)
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Celtic, Fae, Paranormal romance
Dates read: 24th September 2019
Pace: Medium
Format: Novella
Publisher: Harper Teen
Year: 2008
5th sentence, 74th page: He paused, considered telling her that he suspected that Veikko had entrapped her, and decided against it.

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Synopsis

Alana has been entrapped by a selchie. But what if all of the stories she’s heard aren’t true? What if it’s love, and not entrapment?

Thoughts

I’ve read quite a few stories about selkies and the fae. Or at least, stories which have a moment featuring them throughout. This was an incredibly different take on a familiar tale though. Which I’m beginning to expect from Melissa Marr. For starters, the selkie isn’t the one necessarily doing the entrapment, and vice versa.

Alana is kind of a perfect partner for a selkie. A race of seal-beings who are all about lust, love and sexual fixation. Alana on the other hand is basically living a celibate life. She doesn’t necessarily want to pursue the lust that her mother has so heavily involved herself in. And she really doesn’t want to tie herself down to one being, regardless of how deeply she is drawn to him. It acts as a nice balance to the traditional tales.

The betrayal and secrets interwoven throughout this story are kind of beautiful. Even though I was pretty sure I knew who the “good guy” was, there were still constant moments of doubt. Moments where you wonder if what you perceive to be the truth was really the truth and so on. It was enough of a mystery to hook me in and make me want to never put the story down. And then it ended. And I was left feeling the urge to pick up yet another Melissa Marr story.

 <- Fan Fictions ReviewLove is Hell Review ->
Image source: Harper Collins Publishers