Tag Archives: Fairy tales

Ivory Bones by Susan Wade

Book Review, , ,
Overview

Title: Ivory Bones
Author: Susan Wade
In: Silver Birch, Blood Moon (Ellen Datlow & Terri Windling)
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Fairy tales, Retellings
Pace: Fast
Format: eBook, Short story
Year: 1999

Thoughts

It is pretty clear from the very beginning of this story that there was not going to be a happy ending. I mean, it starts with an ivory skull that was made into a ring. There is no reality in which that is going to not have some kind of creep at the helm. Yet, it was still a fantastic story to read. One that I thoroughly enjoyed, even if it did make me feel the creeps. And have some sort of flashbacks to the Thumbelina movie I watched as a kid.

I love that this is a Thumbelina story retold from the point of view of the villain. He is no less villainous, but there is that somewhat horrifying justification for his actions. The treating of a beautiful woman / girl as an object and the reasons why he bought and trapped her. Again, it’s not pleasant, but wow was it wonderfully powerful.

This short story was incredibly beautiful and creepy. Wade has such a way with words that made me absolutely adore this story, even while I finished it feeling somewhat unsettled and, well, icky. I mean, this might be a fairy tale retelling. But, for me, ultimately, it highlighted the horrors that humans are capable of.

<- The Shell BoxThe Wild Heart ->

Image source: Wikipedia

Sister Twelve: Confessions of a Party Monster by Christopher Barzak

Book Review, , ,
Overview

Title: Sister Twelve: Confessions of a Party Monster
Author: Christopher Barzak
In: Glitter and Mayhem (Amber Benson)
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Fairy tales, Retellings
Pace: Slow
Format: eBook, Short story
Year: 2013

Thoughts

I don’t know what I was expecting to start this collection, but a retelling of The Twelve Dancing Princes wasn’t quite what I had in mind. And I loved it! Plus, there was a bit of a glam dance theme going on that I dug. And the father as the villain? A fantastic spin on the already eerily beautiful fairy tale.

The narrator of this is the quintessential stereotype of a youngest sibling – impulsive and just a little bit selfish. All she wants throughout this is her freedom and independence, which i can understand. However, there was also something painfully naive and selfish.

I’m not 100% about the choices made at the end of this story. I mean, she runs away to a world of dancing and independence. There’s also drugs and ambiguity, and living in a not quite there realm. It’s maybe better than being forced into a marriage with a gross old man, but I’m not entirely sure by how much…

<- Glitter and MayhemApex Jump ->

Image source: Amazon

The Frog Chauffeur by Garry Kilworth

Book Review, , ,
Overview

Title: The Frog Chauffeur
Author: Garry Kilworth
In: Silver Birch, Blood Moon (Ellen Datlow & Terri Windling)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Fairy tales, Retellings
Pace: Medium
Format: eBook, Short story
Year: 1999

Thoughts

This was an interesting twist on the Princess and the Frog, but on a more original version when the frog was transformed due to trauma, not a kiss. I kind of like this intense and violent version more. And then, there’s the whole idea that what genetic legacy did the Frog leave behind? Did he leave a whole heap of little, twisted tadpoles who could also be transformed at any given moment?

The Frog Chauffeur had a bit of a sad ending, one that definitely echoed the feeling of fairy tales, but a bittersweet one all the same. I thought the entire time throughout this story that there would be a lot of darkness at some point that would make me slightly uncomfortable and horrified. Instead, it was a sad ending, one that plucked at the heart strings and made me feel kind of… nostalgic for lack of a better term.

I love that driving has that same eerie and enjoyable feeling of swimming – and that missing the water makes the Frog enjoy driving through the trees. I can just picture the dappled green coming through the windshield on a nice, spring afternoon. And it brings peace.

<- The Sea HagThe Dybbuk in the Bottle ->

Image source: Wikipedia

The Sea Hag by Melissa Lee Shaw

Book Review, , , ,
Overview

Title: The Sea Hag
Author: Melissa Lee Shaw
In: Silver Birch, Blood Moon (Ellen Datlow & Terri Windling)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Fairy tales, Mermaids, Retellings
Pace: Medium
Format: eBook, Short story
Year: 1999

Thoughts

I absolutely, completely, totally and utterly freaking loved this Little Mermaid retelling. Particularly since it mostly borrows elements from the Disney version, not the original… it just made this all that much more potent and loveable. I love that the Sea Hag is the mother of the mermaids, and at the end of the day, everything she has done is in an attempt to help her beautiful children. The love of a mother is intense and irreplaceable, and I love that this is featured in this tale.

Although I really liked reading about this redemption arc and recovery, I really want to read about the battle that first put the Sea Hag in her horrible position. Or the one that I’m sure is about to take place now that she’s freed from the father’s evil clutches. I mean, she’s going to seriously kick butt for being taken from her children…

As much as I loved this short story, this was a great reminder of how femininity and womanhood tend to be vilified. How if you are old and no longer attractive, you are a hag and something to be feared. And how easy it can be to turn woman against each other with bad intentions and evilly whispered words.

<- PreciousThe Frog Chauffeur ->

Image source: Wikipedia

Precious by Nalo Hopkinson

Book Review, , , ,
Overview

Title: Precious
Author: Nalo Hopkinson
In: Silver Birch, Blood Moon (Ellen Datlow & Terri Windling)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Contemporary, Fairy tales, Retellings
Pace: Fast
Format: eBook, Short story
Year: 1999

Thoughts

I often wonder just what happens after the happily ever after in fairy tales. Marriage is honestly not the ending, but just the beginning of another chapter in life. And, although I like to imagine sometimes that the happily ever after moment and joy continues, I’m not always that optimistic. I like that Hopkinson took this idea and emphasised that sometimes we have to recreate our own happily ever after.

The name of the original fairy tale completely eludes me, but Precious / Isobel is a very familiar character. I love that originally, having diamonds, flowers and precious jewels fall from her lips was considered a gift. Yet, it ultimately turns into a curse. And, although her husband ‘saved’ her from servitude to her family, it was ultimately Isobel herself who was able to save herself from her curse and craft a whole new life for herself.

The rage of women and the frustration that we sometimes feel when we are constantly overlooked and ignored seems to be a bit of a note that I’m finding in stories lately. I love that Isobel is able to use this anger to actually release herself. Her final rant and moment of release was beautiful, and definitely a moment that I will continue to remember with fondness.

<- Clad in GossamerThe Sea Hag ->

Image source: Wikipedia

Catnyp by Delia Sherman

Book Review, , , ,
Overview

Title: Catnyp
Author: Delia Sherman
In: The Faery Reel (Ellen Datlow & Terri Windling)
Rating Out of 5:5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Fae, Fairy tales, Urban fantasy
Pace: Fast
Format: eBook, Short story
Year: 2004

Thoughts

Catnyp is a glorious fairytale, but kind of in reverse. Rather than a hero wanting to join the mythical world and change things, it’s a changeling wanting to not become a hero, and a hero-wannabe trying to join the real world. I mean, honestly, who would necessarily want to leave a world filled with magic and mystery for the mundane real world where you have to work and you know… act like an adult?

I thought that this was going to be a really cute little romance, but it turns out it was more a story about finding oneself. I love that the changeling in this fell in love, found out more about the world she lives in and what love means to humans. But, ultimately, decided that she valued herself and wanted to grow more. She is the hero of her own story, not the supporting cast in someone else’s.

I loved everything about the world building in this story. It was intense and brilliant, multilayered and incredibly intriguing. Mostly though, I loved the idea of the library and it’s sentience – how the presence of people and energies created magical beings that supported the world of the Between and the fae.

<- The Boys of Goose HillElvenbrood ->

Image source: Amazon

Vanishing Virgin by Harvey Jacobs

Book Review, , , , ,
Overview

Title: Vanishing Virgin
Author: Harvey Jacobs
In: Silver Birch, Blood Moon (Ellen Datlow & Terri Windling)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Fae, Fairy tales, Magic, Retellings
Pace: Slow
Format: eBook, Short story
Year: 1999

Thoughts

This short story had a very English, kind of carnie vibe to it. I love that it was a unique view of fae and Houdini and the joys of magic. Plus, it was a time that I find kind of intriguing, one that reminded me of The Greatest Showman.

I love how at the beginning of this story, it focused on Dr Ohm, who you thought was the main character. And then, it jumped to Molly. And, ultimately, it was about her happily ever after, not his. The flicking between who the protagonist was was kind of subtle, and although it’s obvious that it happened, it’s not obvious when it happened.

Houdini, magic and the fae, this is a really good mix of themes and plot lines. I absolutely adored this tale and enjoyable adventure. I love that Molly got a loving and happy ending, and even Dr Ohm had an ending that was enjoyable.

<- Glass CoffinClad in Gossamer ->

Image source: Wikipedia

Clad in Gossamer by Nancy Kress

Book Review, , ,
Overview

Title: Clad in Gossamer
Author: Nancy Kress
In: Silver Birch, Blood Moon (Ellen Datlow & Terri Windling)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Fairy tales, Retellings
Pace: Slow
Format: eBook, Short story
Year: 1999

Thoughts

This was an absolutely brilliant spin on the Emperor’s New Clothes. Honestly, there was a little surprise around every corner, and I was never completely sure of what to expect from one moment to the next. Yet, it still kind of captured the themes of the original, exactly what I tend to enjoy within a retelling.

I love that the Prince in this tried to upstage and destroy his brother, and in doing so, managed to destroy himself. Again, I was constantly surprised about what was going to happen next and how it was going to work out. But, mostly I just really enjoyed that the more you got to know and dislike the prince, the more you realised what a hole he was potentially digging himself.

There were so many layers to this short story, and I love that no matter how many times you read it, you’re going to find an extra moment to notice and interpret. I particularly loved how perceptions and interpretations can be so wrong. Specifically the Prince’s misunderstanding of the women within this story and how their actions were so seriously misunderstood.

I absolutely adored this short story, and thought that it was brilliantly executed. Definitely one that I’ll read again in the future.

<- The Vanishing VirginPrecious ->

Image source: Wikipedia

Longer Than the Threads of Time by Zoraida Cordova

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
A Universe of Wishes: A We Need Diverse Books Anthology by Dhonielle Clayton

Title: Longer Than the Threads of Time
Author: Zoraida Cordova
In: A Universe of Wishes (Dhonielle Clayton)
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Fae, Fairy tales, Retellings
Pace: Fast
Format: Short story
Publisher: Crown
Year: 2020

Thoughts

This short story was a fantastic, and very interesting Rapunzel retelling. And, even after finishing it (and thoroughly enjoying it), I’m actually not entirely sure who the villain is. It’s not a flipped on its head fairy tale in that Rapunzel is evil. But as you find out  more and more of the why and how of her entrapment in the tower… you realise she’s not entirely innocent either.

Danae (Cordova’s version of Rapunzel) begins this story as an innocent. And, even when you find out why she is trapped, I still thought of her as a bit of an innocent. I mean, being young and not having control over your actions doesn’t make you evil. But, then there’s the fact that she ends her entrapment by taking someone else’s sacrifice. And, when you look at it through that lens, is she really that innocent? I mean, she kind of set the lad up to be a victim here…

This short story was a somewhat dark and very unexpected Rapunzel retelling. I was pleasantly surprised upon reading it and would love to find out more about this magical world nestled in NYC. It was a dark and unexpected tale. One that I look forward to reading again in the near future.

<- The Beginning of MonstersHabibi ->

Image source: Goodreads

The Price by Patricia Briggs

Book Review, , ,
Overview

Title: The Price
Author: Patricia Briggs
In: Silver Birch, Blood Moon (Ellen Datlow & Terri Windling)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Fairy tales, Retellings
Pace: Fast
Format: eBook, Short story
Year: 1999

Thoughts

I could pretty much guarantee, before even reading this, that I would love it. Because I tend to love all things by Patricia Briggs. The fact that it was a Rumpelstiltskin retelling just made it all that much better. Mostly because I don’t get to read many retelling of this fairy tale…

I love that this story gives you a bit of backstory about Rumpelstiltskin. Rather than just being a character who takes advantage of the Miller’s daughter, there’s how they actually met. In fact, a good portion of this is about how the two met, and then how they bonded. It makes a whole lot more sense than the original if you think about it.

I also love that this retelling got a happily ever after. Not all retelling do, and I thought this one was even better than the original. In fact, I kind of want MORE of their story and happiness…

<- CarabosseGlass Coffin ->

Image source: Wikipedia