Tag Archives: Fantasy

Fairest of All by Serena Valentino

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Image result for fairest of all book cover

Title: Fairest of All: A Tale of the Wicked Queen
Author: Serena Valentino
Series: Villains #1
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Fairy tales, Fantasy, Villains
Dates read: 4th – 16th January 2019
Pace: Medium
Format: Novel
Publisher: Disney Press
Year: 2009
5th sentence, 74th page: Given what Snow has already told us of them, I would advise we keep a close watch on the sisters, for I do not trust them.

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

The tale of the young princess Snow White and her evil stepmother the Wicked Queen is widely known. Despite a few variations from telling to telling, the story remains the same – the Queen was jealous of the girl’s beauty, and this jealousy culminated in the Queen’s attempt on the sweet, naive girl’s life.

Another tale far less often spoken of is the one that explains what caused the Queen to become so contemptuously vile. Still, some have attempted to guess at the reason. Perhaps the Queen’s true nature was that of a wicked hag and her beautiful, regal appearance a disguise used to fool the King. Others claim that the Queen might have hated the girl for her resemblance to the King’s first wife. Mostly, the Queen is painted as a morally abhorrent woman who never loved another being during the course of her miserable life.

In fact, the theories about exactly what caused the Queen’s obsessive vanity and jealous rage are too numerous to catalogue. This book recounts a version of the story that has remained untold until now. It is a tragic tale of love and loss, and it contains a bit of magic. It is a tale of the Wicked Queen…

Thoughts

I bought the first three books of this series on a whim because I saw their pretty covers on someone’s Facebook page. Normally I do a little research into a series before I do this. But I mostly just got a little bit too overexcited and just went for it. And I’m really glad that I did! This story takes the original Disney version of Snow White and gives it so many glorious twists and turns that leaves you understanding and sympathising with the villain. One of the scariest villains of my childhood for that matter – the Wicked Queen.

I was expecting a story that justified the Queen’s actions in the well-known Disney version fairy tale. What I wasn’t expecting was for the story to continue on beyond her turning, and to her actual decision making that occurs throughout the entire movie. And even continued on beyond the happily-ever-after. It gave the story a much more intense and intriguing storyline that I just wasn’t expecting.

Although you know that there isn’t really going to be a happily ever after, you still kind of hope for one. Valentino is just that good at inspiring sympathy for a villain. I haven’t had the fortune to read many villain-based tales and I thought that this was a great start into the sub- genre. Especially when considering that this is based on one of the best-known fairy tales. And it uses the Disney version which is the retellings most commonly recognised.

Throughout this story, my heart bled for the Queen. I was so incredibly attached to her and loved that although she turns evil as expected, you could understand more and more why she ended up that way. I can’t wait to pick up The Beast Within and find out how Valentino spins that tale.

 <- The Odd Sisters ReviewThe Beast Within Review ->
Image source: Disney Publishing Worldwide

The Atmosphere for Miracles by David Boop

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
A Fantastic Holiday Season

Title: The Atmosphere for Miracles
Author: David Boop
In: A Fantastic Holiday Season (Kevin J. Anderson & Keith J. Olexa)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Christmas, Fantasy, Westerns
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Publisher: World Fire Press
Year: 2014
5th sentence, 74th page: That is, until Sheriff Theodore Patrick walked into town.

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

A town is cursed with horrible luck, but a new sheriff in town and a big problem on the eve of Christmas might be just what’s needed to change it all.

Thoughts

I really liked this story. I kind of wish that it was part of a greater series… a small town that is perpetually cursed. Especially on a Wednesday. That in and of itself is a great premise for a novel or series. And then there’s the sheriff who came to drink himself to death. And the Indian man who is running around in a tuxedo… they don’t entirely fit into the Western theme.

I didn’t really get a Christmas spirit vibe or feeling from this story. The only thing that is Christmassy about this tale is the fact that it all takes place just before that special day of the year. And the fact that there is briefly snow. Because apparently snow means Christmas. For me, snow means… well, no point of the year. Because it never snows where I’m from…

 <- Christmas Eve at Harvey Wallbanger’s ReviewA Sufficiently Advanced Christmas Review ->
Image source: Goodreads

Christmas Eve at Harvey Wallbanger’s by Mike Resnick

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
A Fantastic Holiday Season

Title: Christmas Eve at Harvey Wallbanger’s
Author: Mike Resnick
In: A Fantastic Holiday Season (Kevin J. Anderson & Keith J. Olexa)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Christmas, Comedy, Fantasy
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: World Fire Press
Year: 2014
5th sentence, 74th page: Then it’d be Off, Dancer!

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

It might take a bet on the names of Saint Nick’s reindeers to finally get what is owed to him… but this debt collector and his motley crew will definitely do it.

Thoughts

I think that this story in some way relates to the characters in A Very Special Girl. And I enjoyed it just as much. It has the comedy and horror aspect that I’m beginning to associate with Resnick’s short stories. They’re funny and take some very typical aspects of fantasy and twist and turn them into something satirical and entertaining.

The fact that this story had not only a satirical spin, but also one that featured trying to name Santa’s reindeer made it incredibly fun. Especially when the names that were reported to be correct were kind of random. Yet, connected. It just worked beautifully. I need to find out if there is a greater series or something to sink my teeth into…

 <- Yes, Virginia2097c, There is a Santa Claus ReviewThe Atmosphere for Miracles Review ->
Image source: Goodreads

Greylands by Isobelle Carmody

Book Review, , ,





Overview
Image result for greylands isobelle carmody book cover

Title: Greylands
Author: Isobelle Carmody
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Death, Fantasy, Mental health
Dates read: 1st – 2nd January 2019
Pace: Medium
Format: Novel
Publisher: Ford St
Year: 1997
5th sentence, 74th page: She stroked the bundle of rags tenderly, and a strange thought entered Jack’s chilled mind.

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

One wakeful night in the aftermath of his mother’s death, Jack enters a land devoid of colour or scent. Here he meets the tragic laughing beast and Alice, a strange girl with a secret.

Will Jack escape before the terrifying wolvers find him? Or is he destined to be trapped in the Greylands forever?

Only the cats know…

Thoughts

I really had no idea what to expect from this novel. I know that I love Isobelle Carmody’s writing, but this is the first truly young novel that I have read by her. It is also, weirdly enough, the first standalone story that I have read. And man, I wasn’t disappointed. This was one of those stories that left me thinking, contemplating and wondering long after I turned the final page. This is certainly one of those stories that lingers long after you finish, in the best way possible.

The fragmented nature of this story highlights Jack’s misunderstandings and confusion beautifully well. As do the mystical and dreamy scapes in which he moves – both the real world and the Greylands. The settings are so incredibly vivid and yet vague that you can see the hazy contrast perfectly in your minds eye, and it emphasises the symbolism behind Jack’s confusion and grief.

Even if you don’t fully understand what is happening throughout Jack’s adventure, the beginning, middle and end (literally named this) give a great account as to what the symbolism means. And also the ways in which this reality bisects with our own. Having the character write his own story is a new-to-me ideal, and I loved how well it worked.

Dealing with grief and issues of mental health can always be quite difficult. And there are few literary pieces I’ve found that deal with such topics in an open, accessible way. The fact that this is done in a language that young children can access is all the more impressive and is exactly what helps this story to linger in my mind’s eye so strongly.

 <- Green Monkey Dreams ReviewMetro Winds Review ->
Image source: Ford Street Publishing

Mercury by Priya Sharma

Book Review, , ,
Overview
Image result for mad hatters and march hares ellen datlow book cover

Title: Mercury
Author: Priya Sharma
In: Mad Hatters and March Hares (Ellen Datlow)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Family, Fantasy
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Publisher: Tor
Year: 2017
5th sentence, 74th page: Beyond it were the cells.

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

Alice is taking care of her sick father in a prison cell and trying to sell his beautiful hats at the same time. But, sadly as his disease gets worse, so do their circumstances until there may be nothing left for either of them to salvage…

Thoughts

The idea for the Mad Hatter in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland comes from the idea of mercury poisoning in hatters. So I loved the idea of a short story based around this idea. Especially one that still encompasses the innocence of Alice and the land of Wonderland.

Since writing that first paragraph, I have probably spent about thirty minutes trying to think of what to write next. What to say to emphasise the awesomeness of this story. But, everything that I can think of gives away part of the storyline. This story takes you on such an unbelievable adventure that at once feels both modern and old. There is a great number of twists and turns that will leave you on the edge of your seat.

 <- Conjoined ReviewSome Kind of Wonderland Review ->
Image source: Bookdepository

Conjoined by Jane Yolen

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Image result for mad hatters and march hares ellen datlow book cover

Title: Conjoined
Author: Jane Yolen
In: Mad Hatters and March Hares (Ellen Datlow)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Animagus, Easy reading, Fantasy
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: Tor
Year: 2017
5th sentence, 74th page: “The value,” he used to say, “is not what a thing is worth intrinsically but what someone is willing to pay for it.”

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

Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum are constantly fighting, but that isn’t what makes their ape friend travel to Wonderland. Rather, a cheshire cat, a battle with the Jabber Wocky and a series of rather interesting events send him forth.

Thoughts

I thought that this story was going to be about Tweedledee and Tweedledum. Until I slowly realised that it is about an orangutan in the circus… which Tweedledee and Tweedledum are part of. Talk about a rapid change of direction!

Tweedledee and Tweedledum are both such humorous characters, but it wasn’t until I read this story that I really wondered how such human-like creatures could be in Wonderland. And then it really wasn’t until the very end that I felt like this was a great beginnings story. How the Tweedles made it to Wonderland, where the idea of “off with your head” came from… and so many other things.

The connectivity between modern-day circus performers and acts, the Cheshire Cat and the world of Wonderland was incredibly fun. And I was mostly just disappointed that the story was over so quickly… after all, I wanted to know more about the man-ape that took centre stage.

 <- Lily-White & the Thief of Lesser Night ReviewMercury Review ->
Image source: Bookdepository

My Own Invention by Delia Sherman

Book Review, , ,
Overview
Image result for mad hatters and march hares ellen datlow book cover

Title: My Own Invention
Author: Delia Sherman
In: Mad Hatters and March Hares (Ellen Datlow)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Fantasy, Wordplay
Pace: Fast
Format: Short story
Publisher: Tor
Year: 2017
5th sentence, 74th page: There is always an Alice in the seventh square.

Synopsis

The knight from the chessboard has another Alice to watch, and there is a lot of wordplay while he does so.

Thoughts

One of the things that I love about Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland is the incredibly insane wordplay. The fact that nothing quite makes sense and you feel like you’re on an intense trip. Well, Sherman captures that feeling perfectly in her short story, My Own Invention. It probably didn’t help that I had had a few glasses of wine when I read this story…

This tale almost takes a tiny snippet of Through the Looking-Glass and embellishes it with the experiences of the knight. The words are still twisted upon one another, and there are a few comments about there is always an Alice (implying that there are many). Like the original Carroll tale, I’m not really 100% sure what even happened in this… but I loved every minute of it!

<- Gentle AliceLily-White & the Thief of Lesser Night ->

Image source: Bookdepository

The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Image result for word cloud classics jungle book book cover

Title: The Jungle Book
Author: Rudyard Kipling
Series: Word Cloud Classics
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Classics, Easy reading, Fantasy
Pace: Slow
Format: Novel
Publisher: Word Cloud Classics
Year: 1894
5th sentence, 74th page: What’s that?” said Sea Vitch, and he struck the next walrus a blow with his tusks and waked him up, and the next struck the next, and so on till they were all awake and staring in every direction but the right one.

Synopsis

Penned by English Nobel laureate Rudyard Kipling in 1894, The Jungle Book is a collection of allegorical stories that take place in the Indian jungle. The most famous stories of The Jungle Book are those featuring a young boy named Mowgli who was raised by wolves, is friends with a panther, and was educated by the animals of the jungle. Also popular in this collection is “Rikki-Tikki-Tavi,” about a mongoose who protects his human family against cobras. This edition also features tales from Kipling’s Just So Stories. These origin fables answer many questions about why things are the way they are, and readers will delight in tales like “How the Rhinoceros Got His Skin,” “The Beginning of the Armadillos,” and “How the First Letter Was Written.” A treasure trove of children’s literature, The Jungle Book and Other Stories from the Word Cloud Classics series is a chic and affordable addition to any library.

Thoughts

I had no idea what to expect from The Jungle Book. I’d honestly only ever watched the Disney movie and hadn’t read any blurbs attached to Kipling’s writing. It was just one of my many impulsive moments where I picked up the book, ready to read it and unsure of what to expect. Which was nice, because I also didn’t have any huge expectations placed upon the words. My main expectation was just that it would be about Mowgli, which was wrong.

I did wonder how an entire book about a man cub would turn out, and I’m actually really glad that this wasn’t the case in any way, shape or form. I loved that there were only about half a dozen short stories (or chapters) devoted to Mowgli, and the rest were a series of stories and poems based all across the Indian countryside. It made me feel like I was transported to a different place and a different time. Learning about how things were in a fantastical land that is part fact, and part fiction.

This is definitely going to be one of those classics that I’ll pick up again and again and again, and I’ll probably find something new and interesting to say about it each time. A new story or meaning that I wasn’t able to pick up on before.

<- The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Other StoriesThe Phantom of the Opera ->

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