Tag Archives: Fairy tales

Faery Tales by Wendy Froud

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Image result for troll's-eye view book cover

Title: Faery Tales
Author: Wendy Froud
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, Poetry, Villains
Pace: Fast
Format: Poem
Publisher: Firebird Fantasy
Year: 2009
5th sentence, 74th page: wished, as I had done.

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Synopsis

A poem that looks at the three different stages of women throughout fairy tales. It asks (and answers) the question “what happens after happily-ever-after”?

Thoughts

I really loved this poem. I tend to find with poetry, some things just strike me beautifully, and some don’t really pull me in at all. But, probably because this is a story that is based on the women of fairy tales, I adored it. There was a great passage of time throughout the three stanzas and they captured the ways in which we change over time.

What I liked most about this poetic tale was that it starts with the innocents – the goosegirls, the princesses. Then it travels to their happy endings – the princesses, the mothers. But, ultimately, it shows how these happy endings turn into not-so-happy-endings – the stepmothers and the evil witches. There is great duality right throughout this tale.

 <- An Unwelcome Guest ReviewRags and Riches Review ->
Image source: Amazon

Like a Red, Red Rose by Susan Wade

Book Review, ,
Overview
Image result for snow white, blood red book cover

Title: Like a Red, Red Rose
Author: Susan Wade
In: Snow White, Blood Red (Ellen Datlow & Terri Windling)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Fairy tales, Romance
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: Signet
Year: 1993
5th sentence, 74th page: Only now the roses blushed, their petals a rich, true pink.

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Synopsis

Blanche and her mother live on the outskirts of the local village, but when Blanche begins to fall in love, everything quickly starts to unravel and secrets will be revealed.

Thoughts

There’s something about fairy tales that I love. Have honestly always loved. Probably because they were what I grew up on. But there is also this lyricality and sense of surrealism that I just don’t get from any other type of writing. Recently, I read a series of fairy tales from The Grimm Brothers, and Like a Red, Red Rose worked in exactly the same way for me. It had that sense of darkness (which I always love) and the surrealistic lyricism that I know and love.

Because there is a dark twist in this fairy tale, these don’t necessarily make the best of bedtime tales. For a normal person. I’m not normal, and I freaking love dark twists to in any and all stories that I sink my teeth into. When this is partnered with a story of roses, love and tragedy… be still my beating heart.

In the introduction to this, it says that Wade wanted to write a Rapunzel / Beauty and the Beast style story. One which had a heavy emphasis on the roses that feature prominently in both (or at least the earlier versions). What she got was something completely different. And far more grimm-ly in its telling and creation. Now I can’t wait to see what else is in store in this collection!

 <- Snow White, Blood Red ReviewThe Moon Is Drowning While I Sleep Review ->
Image source: Amazon

Wizard’s Apprentice by Delia Sherman

Book Review, , , , ,
Overview
Image result for troll's-eye view book cover

Title: Wizard’s Apprentice
Author: Delia Sherman
In: Troll’s-Eye View (Ellen Datlow & Terri Windling)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Easy reading, Fairy tales, Villains, Wizards
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: Firebird Fantasy
Year: 2009
5th sentence, 74th page: And leave your boots by the door.

Synopsis

The evil wizard in the bookshop is about to take on a new apprentice, but their relationship is not all as it seems.

Thoughts

This short story made me smile. It’s a great start to a collection of villain-based rewritings of fairy tales. For starters, the evil wizard that is a pretty common standpoint of many fairy tales and modern retellings is not at all what you would expect. The apprentice (who I thought was going to be eaten or turned into a toad) is from the background that I was anticipating, but the actual apprentice himself wasn’t even remotely who I thought he would be.

This is the second short story that I have read by Delia Sherman, and something about her writing manages to infuse a subtle, cheeky sense of humour into her tale telling. Wizard’s Apprentice is a little less subtle than the other stories I’ve read by her, but it still has that great twisting joy that I’m beginning to associate with her name. It’s especially joyful and obvious at the conclusion of the short stories, there is a fun and entertaining twist that leaves a happy little smile lingering across my lips.

<- Troll’s-Eye ViewAn Unwelcome Guest ->

Image source: Amazon

When Water Sang Fire by Leigh Bardugo

Book Review, , , , , ,
Overview
Image result for the language of thorns book cover

Title: When Water Sang Fire
Author: Leigh Bardugo
Series: The Language of Thorns (Leigh Bardugo)
In: Grishaverse Companion
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Easy reading, Fairy tales, Fantasy, Illustrated
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: Imprint
Year: 2017
5th sentence, 74th page: The sands turned black and the waters froze and never warmed again, so now all the exist there are whaling villages and the few brave souls who can bear such empty places.

Synopsis

In this retelling of the wicked witch from The Little Mermaid, Ulla is a poor girl with a beautiful voice. But tragedy is about to strike, and twist her into something a little more bitter.

Thoughts

Holy crap.

Holy crap.

Holy crap

This was not expected. And it took me way longer to realise how this related to The Little Mermaid than I would like. Especially since I’m an incredibly big fan of the story (both the Disney version and Hans Christian Anderson’s version).

This is a story of creation. Not of The Little Mermaid, but how the evil with (Ursula) came about. And now I’m completely on her side, and can’t believe that there was ever any doubt as to the validity of Ursula (or in this case Ulla’s) point of view…

I want to say all these amazing and meaningful things about this story. But honestly, my entire reaction to this is simply HOLY CRAP.

<- The Soldier PrinceShadow and Bone ->

Image source: The Grishaverse Wiki

The Soldier Prince by Leigh Bardugo

Book Review, , , , , ,
Overview
Image result for the language of thorns book cover

Title: The Soldier Prince
Author: Leigh Bardugo
Series: The Language of Thorns (Leigh Bardugo)
In: Grishaverse Companion
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)My Bookshelves: Easy reading, Fairy tales, Fantasy, Illustrated
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Publisher: Imprint
Year: 2017
5th sentence, 74th page: I want.

Synopsis

A modern retake on the classic Nutcracker. A darker twist for a fairytale.

Thoughts

Something about The Nutcracker has always interested me. Or at least, something about it has drawn me in from the very beginning. So to read a short story, rewritten fairy tale that features the plotline of the nutcracker completely drew me in. The fact that it was kind of dark, and incredibly fun… just made it all that much more intriguing and engaging.

About halfway through this tale, I was kind of gunning for Clara and the Nutcracker. But then the discussion of an individuals’ wants and needs came into play, and I no longer wanted them to end up together. The story quickly stopped being about a romance between Clara and the Nutcracker, and something more. A tale of finding one’s own life and path. And maybe, just maybe, breaking free of a toxic past and toxic parents…

<- Little KnifeWhen Water Sang Fire ->

Image source: The Grishaverse Wiki

Little Knife by Leigh Bardugo

Book Review, , , , , ,
Overview
Image result for little knife leigh bardugo book cover

Title: Little Knife
Author: Leigh Bardugo
Series: The Language of Thorns (Leigh Bardugo)
In: Grishaverse Companion
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)My Bookshelves: Easy reading, Fairy tales, Fantasy, Illustrated
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Publisher: Imprint
Year: 2014
5th sentence, 74th page: She was so beautiful, in fact, that the midwife attending her mother snatched up the wailing infant and locked herself in a linen closet, begging for just another moment to gaze upon Yeva’s face and refusing to relinquish the baby until the duke called for an axe to break down the door.

Synopsis

In this third Ravkan folk tale from Leigh Bardugo, a beautiful girl finds that what her father wants for her and what she wants for herself are two different things.

It is a companion story to the third book of the Grisha Trilogy, Ruin and Rising, and the stories “The Witch of Duva” and “The Too-Clever Fox.”

Thoughts

I thought this was going to be very traditional-feeling. The overlooked suitor keeps on trying for the beautiful, rich bride. He gets help from an unpredictable source (in this case a river), and after completing task after task, he finally triumphs. That is until you remember that this is one of Bardugo’s fairy tales and they aren’t going to be like this at all.

One of my favourite recurring moments throughout is “it wouldn’t have happened if they just asked her what she wanted”. And it honestly reminded me of all the times that what I wanted / said / needed felt like it went ignored. And I remembered that most young women have probably felt the same – prized for their beauty / standing / whatever and had their wants and needs ignored. It was certainly the issue that I had in all of the Grimm Brothers fairy tales that I’ve read recently…

Little Knife is a wonderful story with (in my opinion) a happy ending. It is a great reminder that marriage, and social standing aren’t everything. It is about not taking things for granted, and not thinking that you own something just because it has helped you. Everything, everyone has a spirit and it is far better not to trap them… in case the worst should happen.

<- The Witch of DuvaThe Soldier Prince ->

Image source: Overdrive

The Witch of Duva by Leigh Bardugo

Book Review, , , , , ,
Overview
Image result for the witch of duva leigh bardugo book cover

Title: The Witch of Duva
Author: Leigh Bardugo
Series: The Language of Thorns (Leigh Bardugo)
In: Grishaverse Companion
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Easy reading, Fairy tales, Fantasy, Illustrated
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Publisher: Imprint
Year: 2012
5th sentence, 74th page: The trees are hungry tonight.

Synopsis

There was a time when the woods near Duva ate girls…or so the story goes. But it’s just possible that the danger may be a little bit closer to home. This story is a companion folk tale to Leigh Bardugo’s debut novel, Shadow and Bone.

Thoughts

I love the notes of a traditional fairy tale throughout this story. The idea of “don’t go into the woods”. Be careful of the wicked witch. A young girls’ life being turned upside down by the remarriage of her father (after the mother has passed away). But this is where many of the similarities end.

The Witch of Duva goes to show that sometimes the danger is actually a lot closer to home than we realise. That the big unknown isn’t actually what’s scary and dangerous. It turns the traditional tales and themes on their head. Nadya is sent off in to the woods to protect her. Her step mother acts the way she does for a completely unexpected reason.

Bardugo does an amazing job of rewriting fairy tales with a spin, that, at least for me, feels far more realistic than the traditional stories. And this tale tells us that it is often that which is close to home that is the more terrifying and dangerous…

<- The Too-Clever FoxLittle Knife ->

Image source: Goodreads

Ayama and the Thorn Wood by Leigh Bardugo

Book Review, , , , , ,
Overview
Image result for the language of thorns book cover

Title: Ayama and the Thorn Wood
Author: Leigh Bardugo
Series: The Language of Thorns (Leigh Bardugo)
In: Grishaverse Companion
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Easy reading, Fairy tales, Fantasy, Illustrated
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: Imprint
Year: 2017
5th sentence, 74th page: And what a brave girl to attempt such a task.

Synopsis

Ayama’s sister is beautiful, and she is often forgotten. Until the day that the King needs a messenger to go and negotiate with his beast of a son… then her entire world is changed.

Thoughts

Most stories, fairy tales, really anything that I read features a pretty girl. She is gifted by grace, beauty, kindness, yadda, yadda, yadda. But not so with this reimagined fairy tale story. This is all about the ugly (and somewhat forgotten) ugly sister.

Ayama isn’t beautiful, her voice sounds horrible, and even her parents are kind of freaked out by her. She’s a lot more like everyone else in the world, and it’s kind of nice to read about someone who isn’t beautiful. But she does have all of the characteristics that I have become used to in a lead girl in a fairy tale. Ayama is kind, and humble. She has a strong moral and ethical compass. And she isn’t afraid to love. Everything that a young girl should actually aspire to be.

Although there is a major point throughout the story of the difference in perceptions and acceptance of siblings, this isn’t actually seen to cause a rift between the two siblings. The sisters still love each other and treat each other with respect, even when the parents are a little lacking in this. Normally I would expect a level of bitterness throughout, and it was incredibly refreshing to not come across this.

<- The Language of ThornsThe Too-Clever Fox ->

Image source: The Grishaverse Wiki

110 Grimmer Fairy Tales by Brothers Grimm

Book Review, , , , ,
Overview
Image result for 110 grimmer fairy tales word cloud classics book cover

Title: 110 Grimmer Fairy Tales
Author: Brothers Grimm
Series: Word Cloud Classics
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Classics, Easy reading, Fairy tales, Short story collections
Pace: Slow
Format: Collection
Publisher: Word Cloud Classics
Year: 1819
5th sentence, 74th page: So she did the old woman’s bidding, placed herself at the window and looked on the distant country, as if she were very sorrowful.

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Synopsis

We all know the stories — or do we? We know who Snow White is, but what about Rose Red? And what happens to an all-too willful child? Learn more intriguing stories about “Wise Folks,” “The King’s Son Who Feared Nothing,” and . . . well . . . “Donkey Cabbages”–to name a few. Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm were well-known nineteenth-century German storytellers, academics, linguists, and cultural researchers who did not hold back when telling terrifying tales, including parables and fables designed to teach and entertain readers of all ages.

The Brothers Grimm Volume 2: 110 Grimmer Fairy Tales is perfect for the short story lover, and offers many entertaining tales to delight–and fright–literature lovers.

Thoughts

There seems to be a lot of stupid Hans’ in this collection. Or at least a patch towards the later middle that has a lot of stories that feature a dumb young man named Hans. And the recurrent theme seemed to be honesty, truth and fairness. Give to others. The typical ideas of fairy tales that I grew up with. Just with a far more twisted take and journey.

It’s a little difficult for me to seriously review a collection of traditional fairy tales. The things which normally trigger me and make me frustrated are rife throughout (stories of women beating, princess needing saving, etc.). But it is a different time, and I don’t really believe in rampaging about ideals of different times and places. The fact that the underlying message and themes are all about integrity and honesty. Not taking others for granted. Treating people as you wish to be treated. The kinds of things that I love to see perpetuated through tales, stories and journeys.

<- 101 Fairy TalesBulfinch’s Mythology ->

Image source: Amazon

The Language of Thorns by Leigh Bardugo

Book Review, , , , , , ,
Overview
Image result for the language of thorns book cover

Title: The Language of Thorns: Midnight Tales and Dangerous Magic
Author: Leigh Bardugo
Series: The Language of Thorns (Leigh Bardugo)
In: Grishaverse Companion
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Easy reading, Fairy tales, Fantasy, Illustrated, 
Short story collections
Pace: Medium
Format: Collection
Publisher: Imprint
Year: 2017
5th sentence, 74th page: The bear craved jokes.

Synopsis

Love speaks in flowers. Truth requires thorns.

Travel to a world of dark bargains struck by moonlight, of haunted towns and hungry woods, of talking beasts and gingerbread golems, where a young mermaid’s voice can summon deadly storms and where a river might do a lovestruck boy’s bidding but only for a terrible price.

Inspired by myth, fairy tale, and folklore, #1 New York Times–bestselling author Leigh Bardugo has crafted a deliciously atmospheric collection of short stories filled with betrayals, revenge, sacrifice, and love.

Perfect for new readers and dedicated fans, these tales will transport you to lands both familiar and strange—to a fully realized world of dangerous magic that millions have visited through the novels of the Grishaverse.

This collection of six stories includes three brand-new tales, all of them lavishly illustrated with art that changes with each turn of the page, culminating in six stunning full-spread illustrations as rich in detail as the stories themselves.

Thoughts

I found it almost impossible to put this damn book down. Which is a little problematic… since I have a whole heap of other productive things to do… the illustrations in this version just helped to make it ten thousand times more difficult to put down.

I’ve been on a bit of a fairytale binge lately. But there is always something that sits a little funny when I read the old school stories. They don’t really feature strong women, or women with any kind of power at all. Bardugo’s versions were completely different. They were dark and twisted. They featured women with power and independence.

One of the tales throughout this constantly says, it all would have been different if they’d just asked her what she wanted… and this works brilliantly as a theme throughout the entire collection.

The only disappointing thing about this novel was that it ended. I sat there staring into space for ages, wondering when I would next find such an amazing read… luckily there is a whole series to sink my teeth into now!

 <- More Leigh BardugoAyama and the Thorn Wood ->

Image source: The Grishaverse Wiki