Tag Archives: Fairy tales

Curiouser and Curiouser by Melanie Karsak

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Image result for curiouser and curiouser book cover

Title: Curiouser and Curiouser
Author: Melanie Karsak
Series: Steampunk Fairytales #1
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Fairy tales, Retellings, Steampunk
Dates read: 25th – 28th July 2019
Pace: Fast
Format: Novel
Publisher: Clockpunk Press
Year: 2017
5th sentence, 74th page: Nonsense.

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Synopsis

To save the Hatter, Alice must work with the one man she despises so much that she might still love him.

Alice thought she’d turned over a new leaf. No more working for Jabberwocky. No more making deals with the ruthless Queen of Hearts. No more hanging around The Mushroom with tinkers, tarts, scoundrels, and thieves in London’s criminal underbelly. But she’d been bonkers to dream.

Hatter’s reckless behavior leads Alic back to the one person she never wanted to see again, Caterpillar. Pulled into Caterpillar’s mad schemes, Alice must steal a very big diamond from a very royal lady. The heist is not problem for this Bandersnatch. But protecting her heart from the man she once loved? Impossible.

Thoughts

I seriously love Alice in Wonderland. Or anything that uses themes and imagery from this story. And it’s moved beyond the Lewis Carroll original to something more. As time has moved and the many, many, many retellings have weaved their way into pop culture, the story has taken on more and more of a life of its own. Which is also probably why I love it so much. Each person’s take is amazing. Each aspect of the story that is focused on… but I’ve never read a steampunk retelling of this tale. Until now. And wow.

Every single moment in this story had an allusion to Alice in Wonderland. Yet, the creation of this world in a steampunk underbelly also made it completely disjointed from the original. I loved the way that these two ideas sit against each other. Alice is full of muchness (much like the original), but she’s also older, wiser and in a much darker world. The Queen of Hearts is also far more terrifying than she is in Carroll’s version. This separation between the two realities was just fantastic and it made me sink my nose into this book and refuse to get out. A bit like falling down the rabbit hole…

One of my favourite things about this retelling is the repurposing of the names throughout. Alice becomes the Bandersnatch, her father-figure the Jabberwocky and her love interest Caterpillar. They’re such familiar names and characters, and whilst I could still recognise them in the characterisation, they added a new layer, an extra something that was previously not there. It was so cleverly and seamlessly done that it would be so easily missed if I hadn’t recently been on an Alice in Wonderland binge.

Although this is an amazing retelling that just completely sweeps you into a whole new world, it is also a fantastic story in and of itself. Even if you have been living under a rock and had absolutely zero exposure to Alice in Wonderland, it is still something that you’d thoroughly enjoy. Actually, this is something that is almost impossible to put down. And I really wouldn’t suggest that anyone do so. It’s amazing! I can’t wait to read the next Steampunk Fairytales.

<- More Melanie KarsakIce and Embers ->

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Stealing Snow by Danielle Paige

Book Review, , , , ,
Overview
Image result for stealing snow book cover

Title: Stealing Snow
Author: Danielle Paige
Series: Stealing Snow #1
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Fairy tales, Magic, Paranormal fantasy, Young adult
Dates read: 10th – 15th July 2019
Pace: Medium
Format: Novel
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Year: 2016
5th sentence, 74th page: The fever isn’t breaking.

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Synopsis

SHE WILL BRING DOWN THE WORLD

Snow barely remembers a time before she was locked in a psychiatric hospital. But when the love of her life disappears in the night, Snow must follow a mysterious stranger into a magical frozen world to find him.

Amidst witches, thieves and spells, secrets unravel as Snow discovers she is heir to this world’s corrupt and twisted king.

And she has great ice powers of her own.

Now Snow faces choices that will decide the fate of a kingdom – and if she can ever return to the life she knew before.

WORLDS COLLIDE AND HEARTS MELT IN THIS FIRST NOVEL IN AN ICILY GLAMOROUS AND EPIC NEW SERIES

Thoughts

I read the two prequel novellas to this story months and months ago. They were on my kobo and I figured why not. And then I had to wait to read this novel. And boy was it worth the wait. Not quite what I was expecting, and definitely able to twist me into knots far more than I expected, but this was nonetheless amazing. The kind of book that I would have quite happily read in one sitting… if I didn’t have a job and a PhD to take up the majority of my time…

From the blurb I knew that this story started with Snow in a mental asylum. What I really wasn’t expecting was how intense that aspect of the story was going to be. Not only did it rip my heart out in multiple places that this was all she had ever known, but it also made me begin to question where the story was going to go. I had just kind of assumed that this was going to be a nice fantasy story with a Snow White influence. And it was that… but it was also a lot darker and twistier than I had ever anticipated. Not only in these beginnings, but also in the betrayal at the end. That one left me with my mouth hanging open and a tear on my cheek.

In the original Snow White, I’m fairly certain that there aren’t any dwarves. But I do like the Disney version, and although the idea of the seven dwarves doesn’t necessarily come up strongly in this story, it is still there. In Snow’s pills. There were many little allusions to fairy tales throughout this story, some of which I actually went and googled or flicked through my many collections after I finished this story. They were just so well done.

Stealing Snow was a good, easy and fun read. But it was also much darker and heart rending than anything that I was expecting. Not only in reading about Snow’s upbringing, but also the betrayal after betrayal that she experiences. Her loss and her confusion. Every chapter seemed to drive a new wedge into my heart and make me fall more and more in love with her. I can’t wait to read the next book, I’m hoping that there will eventually be a happy ending!!!

 <- Queen Rising ReviewUntitled Review ->
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The Senorita and the Cactus Thorn by Kim Antieau

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Image result for coyote road book cover

Title: The Senorita and the Cactus Thorn
Author: Kim Antieau
In: The Coyote Road (Ellen Datlow & Terri Windling)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Fairy tales, Fantasy, Tricksters
Dates read: 12th July 2019
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: Firebird Fantasy
Year: 2007
5th sentence, 74th page: He asked her to join him, so she did.

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Synopsis

She knows that she wants to marry him, but before she can have her happily ever after, she must get past the mother-in-law. A little bit of gumption, magic and trickery is what it might take to survive in this new desert world.

Thoughts

The Princess and the Pea has always been one of those stories that is kind of iconic for me. I’m not sure why, since I don’t often enjoy stories about princessy princesses. But, this version of it using tricksters and the desert is far more to my taste. Actually, I was incredibly disappointed when it was over.

Mother-in-laws always seem to be the terrifying part of marriage (not for me, I have an awesome mother-in-law). Which made this an incredibly relatable story for almost everyone who has found their significant other and now just has to run the gauntlet. They seem to have a power and reserve for judgement that makes many people tremble, and it’s only after their acceptance that people feel settled and accepted. Or at least, that’s how it’s always been in my social circles. Which made this story completely relatable and kind of perfect. The senorita wasn’t able to finally have her happily ever after until she finally managed to secure the acceptance of the mother of her husband-to-be.

Coyote is one of my favourite tricksters of folklore. There is something about his stories and persona that makes me dive deep into any and all stories which feature this character. Using Coyote in this story worked perfectly for me and sorely disappointed that the tale was ended. Even if it was only allusions to the trickster, rather than an outright story.

 <- Always the Same Story ReviewBlack Rock Blues Review ->
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Stronger Than Time by Patricia C. Wrede

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Image result for black thorn white rose book cover

Title: Stronger Than Time
Author: Patricia C. Wrede
In: Black Thorn, White Rose (Ellen Datlow & Terri Windling)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Fairy tales, Retellings, Romance
Dates read: 7th May 2019
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: Prime Books
Year: 1994
5th sentence, 74th page: “I know the plant,” Arven said shortly.

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Synopsis

What would happen if Sleeping Beauty’s prince was just a bit off on his timing? How would the two star crossed lovers meet and live their happily ever after?

Thoughts

This was such a beautifully bittersweet storyline. Sleeping Beauty (the Disneyfied version) has always felt a little bittersweet to me. After all, a mistake on her parents’ behalf curses her to a hundred years in sleep. A hundred years in which her loved ones, friends, acquaintances are all unable to live their lives. And it is just the single kiss of a man who is fighting brambles which saves her. In this retelling, Wrede asks just what would happen if the prince were too early or too late? What would happen if the fairy tale just didn’t quite happen the way it was supposed to?

I’m a big believer in destiny. I like the idea that you have a soul mate and that there is someone out there for you. I love when I’m reading the idea of being pulled towards a certain moment or person in time. But I’ve never really thought about what happens when you’re a little too excited and you just don’t quite manage to get the timing down pat. What happens when an impulsive young fool decides that he should ignore everything that has been laid out before him. And it’s this idea that makes the storyline so bittersweet. It made me love the ending and clutch this book to my chest with a happy little sigh.

<- Words Like Pale StonesSomnus’s Fair Maid ->

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Words Like Pale Stones by Nancy Kress

Book Review, , ,
Overview
Image result for black thorn white rose book cover

Title: Words Like Pale Stones
Author: Nancy Kress
In: Black Thorn, White Rose (Ellen Datlow & Terri Windling)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Fairy tales, Retellings
Dates read: 6th May 2019
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: Prime Books
Year: 1994
5th sentence, 74th page: He had made me forget for a few minutes what awaited me in the morning.

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Synopsis

A young peasant girl has a boastful mother. But, when that boasting gets her into trouble, she finds that things are going to go very, very wrong.

Thoughts

Rumpelstiltskin is one of my preferred fairy tales. There is just something about it that I love, and the fact that it was has been used across many of the different retellings and TV series that I have watched makes it even more thrilling. Which meant that having a Rumpelstiltskin story to open the collection Black Thorn, White Rose made me really happy. It was a great, slightly darker start to these adult fairy tale retellings.

Most stories of Rumpelstiltskin paint the young woman as an innocent, and one that falls in love with the prince. Although she still begins this story as an innocent, the prince isn’t so… pure. Actually, he’s a class A a-hole. And then there’s the fact that she is supposed to give up her first born. But, as in all good retellings, the reason why she gives up her first born isn’t quite what is expected. Actually, I really wasn’t sure why she was riding off with her child in readiness to give him away until the very last moment. And even now, I’m not sure that I like the way in which it ends…

<- Black Thorn, White RoseStronger Than Time ->

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Snow White, Blood Red edited by Ellen Datlow & Terri Windling

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Overview
Image result for snow white, blood red book cover

Title: Snow White, Blood Red
Author: Ellen Datlow, Terri Windling, Susan Wade, Charles de Lint, Gahan Wilson, Nancy Kress, Tanith Lee, Wendy Wheeler, Kathe Koja, Gregory Frost, Elizabeth A. Lynn, Harvey Jacobs, Steve Rasnic Tem, Melanie Tem, Caroline Stevermer, Ryan Edmonds, Neil Gaiman, Leonard Rysdyk, Esther M. Friesner, Jack Dann, Jane Yolen, Patricia A. McKillip & Lisa Goldstein
Series: Adult Fairy Tales #1
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, Retellings,Short story collections
Dates read: 17th December 2018 – 12th April 2019
Pace: Slow
Format: Anthology
Publisher: Signet
Year: 1993
5th sentence, 74th page: It’ll still mean that I’m willing to let someone die, just so I can have my own way.

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Synopsis

Snow White, Blood Red is a brand new collection of fairy tales. But be warned. It is not a collection for the faint-hearted. Or even one to lull the innocent towards the sleeping realms of dreams. For Snow White, Blood Red is a modern book of wonders: a boundless expanse of nightmares, lusts and fables for the grown-up child in us all.

Through richly imaginative retellings of existing fairy tales, twenty-one of the world’s top fantasy authors recreate the full mythical, magical, mind-bending power of humankind’s oldest fables. Prepare to be seduced by stories that bite – stories that are frightening, erotic, dark and compelling. Because as Terri Windling reminds us in the introduction: ‘Something still stirs inside us when we hear those old, evocative words: Once upon a time.’ Only this time, in this world, there is no happy ending…

Thoughts

I’ve had this book on my wish list for a very, very long time. So, when I finally managed to find a second hand copy and get it delivered to my door, I couldn’t wait to sink my teeth into it. After all, I love fairy tales, I like stories with a dark twist, and I’m fascinated by retellings and the ways in which people are able to twist and turn classic themes to fit a more contemporary or recognisable setting. Which makes this kind of the perfect short story collection to sit on my shelves.

Some of the stories in this collection are kind of dark and twisted. Some are incredibly sexual. And some are just a great, contemporary retelling that makes childish fairy tales far more relatable. I got goosebumps reading some of these stories. While others left a smile on my face. You know it’s a fantastic collection when it takes you through the rollercoaster of emotions and leaves you feeling incredibly happy at the close of the last page.

Anybody who loves fantasy, horror or fairy tales, this is a great collection to add to your shelves. It is one that I won’t be getting out of my head anytime soon, that’s for sure…

<- Taking LoupLike a Red, Red Rose ->

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Breadcrumbs and Stones by Lisa Goldstein

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

Title: Breadcrumbs and Stones
Author: Lisa Goldstein
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, Retellings, War
Dates read: 12th April 2019
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Publisher: Signet
Year: 1993
5th sentence, 74th page: There was no reason for us to stay.

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Synopsis

A Holocaust retelling of Hansel and Gretel. A story filled with sadness and tragedy.

Thoughts

It’s kind of obvious from the title of this short story that this is a retelling and tale of Hansel and Gretel. But it wasn’t the kind of retelling that I was expecting. From beginning to end this was a bit of a surprise. Immediately I thought that this tale would be one in which the parent would betray her child (like in the original fairy tale).

The parallels drawn between Hansel and Gretel and the Holocaust are intense. Especially the use of ovens, betrayal and the sacrifice of children. It is a kind of heartbreaking story. Just like the original tale. Hansel and Gretel is kind of one of the most horrible fairy tales that I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading. And the Holocaust is one of the most tragic tales of modern history. Mix them together… and wow, what a powerful, potent and very uncomfortable short story. But one that I can’t wait to read again and again and again.

 <- The Snow Queen ReviewSupernatural Noir Review ->
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Knives by Jane Yolen

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

Title: Knives
Author: Jane Yolen
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, Poetry, Retellings
Dates read: 1st April 2019
Pace: Slow
Format: Poem
Publisher: Signet
Year: 1993
5th sentence, 74th page: in the language of love:

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Synopsis

A poem which gives a more adult, and slightly more disturbed outlook to the original tale of Cinderella.

Thoughts

One of my favourite things about poems is the multitude of meanings that a very few words can describe. The multitude of ways in which mere words can tell an entire story. It’s something that prose just can’t quite manage. Prose can fill in more information, but I find that poetry can often find more meaning.

I’ve always liked (ok, maybe loved) the original version more than the Disney PG one. It’s far more gory, the revenge that Cinderella is able to get it way better and it just is so much more yay. At least for my crazy brain. And this poem manages to take it a whole extra step. Making Cinderella’s voice far less passive and more aggressive. Which I just completely ate up.

 <- The Glass Casket ReviewThe Snow Queen Review ->
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The Glass Casket by Jack Dann

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

Title: The Glass Casket
Author: Jack Dann
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: Easy reading, Fairy tales, Romance
Dates read: 1st April 2019
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: Signet
Year: 1993
5th sentence, 74th page: Before him a huge black bull and a red stag were charging at each other.

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Synopsis

A Renaissance Italy retelling of a classic Brothers Grimm fairytale. One that doesn’t have a happy ending, but a beautiful bittersweet one.

Thoughts

This short story had an incredibly bittersweet ending. One that I enjoyed thoroughly. It wasn’t sad, it wasn’t happy, mostly it was just incredibly lonely. A tale that makes you think about the things that you could have had, if only you stopped wishing for something just over the horizon.

The wording of this tale and the setting were kind of a nice, romanticised version of Renaissance Italy. Unlike some of the other preceding stories in this collection, there wasn’t a heavily sexual component, there were hints, but it was kind of a floating hint. Something that you can see and find, but you have to actually concentrate and look for it.

This was one of those fairy tales that made me content reading it. There was no intensity and chaos, but it was just an easy, happy and comfortable read. One that I will probably pick up again and again.

 <- Puss ReviewKnives Review ->
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Puss by Esther M. Friesner

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

Title: Puss
Author: Esther M. Friesner
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: Dark fantasy, Fairy tales
Dates read: 28th March 2019
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: Signet
Year: 1993
5th sentence, 74th page: Wizard? My sister asked, nose wrinkling with greed.

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Synopsis

A dark, adult twist on the classic fairytale of Puss in Boots. One that I find far more interesting and fun.

Thoughts

I kind of loved this version of Puss-in-Boots. After all, the original was so PG, and kind of didn’t explain just why the cat was so loyal and giving to his owners. There was just something a little too innocent about it, and I don’t love the idea of a character who is obviously powerful and intelligent from weighing hand and foot on such a horrible, selfish and downright irritating man. This short story put that all to rights.

I loved the idea of a contract and a blood oath to keep puss tied to his owners. The dark pacts that are made in a way that kind of surprised me, but definitely made me incredibly happy. It also added this great fantasy element to the fairy tale that I wasn’t expecting. One that I wish could be expanded on. After all, there is a whole race of beings that are able to help humans, make pacts with them and be changed. Something that intrigues me… and makes me yearn for more.

 <- A Sound, Like Angels Singing ReviewThe Glass Casket Review ->
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