Tag Archives: Fantasy

The Too-Clever Fox by Leigh Bardugo

Book Review, , ,
Overview
The Too-Clever Fox

Title: The Too-Clever Fox
Author: Leigh Bardugo
Series: Grishaverse Companion
In: The Language of Thorns (Leigh Bardugo) & Kisses & Curses (Lauren Burniac)
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Easy reading, Fantasy
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Publisher: Square Fish
Year: 2013
5th sentence, 74th page: What would he want with me?

Synopsis

In Ravka, just because you avoid one trap, it doesn’t mean you’ll escape the next. This story is a companion folk tale to Leigh Bardugo’s novel, Siege and Storm, the second book in the Grisha Trilogy.

Thoughts

This short story had such a great, traditional fairy tale feel to it. I’ve been reading a bit of Brothers Grimm and Hans Christian Andersen lately, and it would sit right in amongst all of their tales. The twisting, convoluted tale. And the ways in which this teaches a lesson, of some kind at the very end. The final twist is also exactly what I would expect from a Brothers Grimm fairy tale.

I like that the too-clever fox runs about outsmarting everyone. Until he meets his nemesis. Which isn’t quite what you expect, and shows you not to just trust the look of things. I love the twist, and if this is what a short story in this series is like, I can’t wait to find out what the greater novels within the series will be like…

<- Ayama and the Thorn WoodThe Witch of Duva ->

Image source: Goodreads

The Cypress Project by Gennifer Albin

Book Review, , , , ,

Overview

The Cypress ProjectTitle: The Cypress Project
Author: Gennifer Albin
Series: Crewel World #0.1
In: Kisses and Curses (Lauren Burniac)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Dystopia, Easy reading, Fantasy
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: Square Fish
Year: 2013
5th sentence, 74th page: It would stretch on until there was no one left, until it wiped out the entire world.

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Synopsis

Lucy Price spends her day much like other 16 year-old girls in wartime America: praying that her brother comes back from the front and hoping the war ends quickly. But as violence ravages the world, the end never seems in sight. All Lucy can do is wait and tend to her victory garden while her mother does her part at the ammunition factory in town. That is until the Department of Defense appears on her doorstep telling her she could end the fighting if she’ll join The Cypress Project.

When Joshua O’Donnell’s father packs him off to Yale, forbidding him to enlist, he hopes his son’s brains will keep him off the battlefield. But Joshua’s knack for quantum mechanics draws attentions from his professor, a genius in the field of experimental science, who is working on technology that could end World War Two. Promised a nonviolent end to the war effort, Joshua can hardly say no to helping The Cypress Project.

The war has made Howard Patton an even richer man. Son of railroad tycoon Randolph Patton, Howard was a millionaire before he was born, but with a war on, trains are more important than ever. It’s good business and Howard isn’t eager to see it end until the government approaches him with a proposal: fund the technology that could end the war and receive power beyond his imagination. But when Howard discovers the true nature of The Cypress Project, he realizes his real remuneration is the one thing that his money can’t buy.

Completing The Cypress Project will force them all to make choices between love, destiny and freedom, but as the secrets of the experiment are revealed, each must decide between the bloody war being waged on the world’s soil and a deception that could change the course of humanity.

Thoughts

I’m fascinated by alternate histories. And although this is a fantasy spin on an alternate history, it’s still a really fun read. And fits that little niche that fascinates me nicely. This is based in World War II and provides a point at which the Crewel World splits off from our reality. As someone who hasn’t read Crewel yet, I don’t quite understand how yet. But the introduction to this divergence was brilliant.

I liked the innocence of Lucy and her desire to just do something to help the boys fighting in the war. Her unwillingness to care about men, until she finds one that is worth her time, is kind of cute. And I’m wondering if she shows up again in the greater series. Because the ending to that aspect of the story felt very open and incomplete.

 <- Blue Moon Review The Too-Clever Fox Review ->
Image source: Goodreads

Stardust by Neil Gaiman

Book Review, , ,
Overview
Stardust

Title: Stardust
Author: Neil Gaiman
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Easy reading, Fae, Fantasy
Pace: Fast
Format: Novel
Publisher: Headline
Year: 1999
5th sentence, 74th page: Such a nice name.

Synopsis

THE SLEEPY ENGLISH COUNTRYSIDE…

At the dawn of the Victorian era, life moves at a leisurely pace in the tiny town of Wall. Young Tristran Thorn has lost his heart to the beautiful Victoria Forester, but Victoria is as cold and distant as the star she and Tristran see fall from the sky one evening. For the prize of Victoria’s hand, Tristran vows to retrieve the star for his beloved. It is an oath that sends the lovelorn swain over the town’s ancient wall and into a world that is dangerous and strange beyond imagining…

Thoughts

I had to buy this because I have loved the movie Stardust since I was a kid. Actually, I didn’t even realise that this was a book until it showed up in my suggested buys list. And, honestly, I was not disappointed for one single moment. This story was phenomenal, and fun, and took me on a wild adventure that I really couldn’t put down. Which was a problem, because I am an adult with other responsibilities…

Having watched the movie before reading the book, I knew roughly what was going to happen. And the main storyline really didn’t differ much between the two. Normally this annoys me in a movie adaptation, but it worked so brilliantly well. Gaiman’s lyrical writing and vivid descriptions sweep you away all on their own. The beauty of his words and the joy of the storyline just take you away as your toes curl up with the joy (and slight absurdity) of the story.

One of the things that I like about this story is that it leaves the world so open. Gaiman is a master of showing without telling, and there is so much that is left open to the readers’ imagination without getting bogged down in all of the details. I loved that even after I closed the final page of this book, I still continued to visit Faerie in my mind’s eye, imagining the many places that Tristan Thorn was able to visit throughout his life.

 <- Snow, Glass, ApplesStories: All New Tales ->

Image source: Amazon

Kisses and Curses edited by Lauren Burniac

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Overview

Kisses and CursesTitle: Kisses and Curses
Author: Lauren Burniac, Marissa Meyer, Marie Rutkoski, Jennifer Mathieu, Anna Banks, Emmy Laybourne, Courtney Alameda, Jessica Brody, Ann Aguirre, Lish McBride, Lindsay Smith, Katie Finn, Caragh M. O’Brien, Nikki Kelly, Gennifer Albin & Leigh Bardugo
In: Kisses and Curses (Lauren Burniac)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Easy reading, Fantasy, Short story collections
Pace: Fast
Format: Anthology
Publisher: Square Fish
Year: 2015
5th sentence, 74th page: “And I don’t know any other girls who skate, but it could still be kind of cool.”

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Synopsis

EVERY PAGE MORE FIERCE THAN THE LAST.

Enjoy a good monster love story? Or a dark, Russian-style folktale? How about a flashback to the secrets of a cyborg’s past, a post-apocalyptic romance, or a conversation between a boy and Death’s dead assistant, while both sit in a diner and eat waffles?

Whether you’re already a Fierce Reads fan or you’re a fan-to-be, this short story collection will satisfy your every bookish craving! Featuring multi-genre tales from some of the hottest YA authors around, including Ann Aguirre, Courtney Alameda, Gennifer Albin, Anna Banks, Leigh Bardugo, Jessica Brody, Katie Finn, Nikki Kelly, Emmy Laybourne, Jennifer Mathieu, Lish McBride, Marissa Meyer, Caragh M. O’Brien, Marie Rutkoski, and Lindsay Smith.

By turns uplifting and sad, light-hearted and powerful, startling and laugh-out-loud, these bite-sized gems have one thing in common: You won’t be able to put them down!

Thoughts

I loved, loved, loved, loved, loved this collection. It is everything that a short story collection should be – a common thread throughout the tales, but such a diverse array of tales that constantly draw you in. I had no idea about any of the authors in this collection, except for Marissa Meyer, and now I have a new set of 12 authors to dive into.

The fact that each of these tales is part of a greater series worked beautifully. Although, there were a few spoilers throughout. Which was a little disappointing. And makes me not only want to read all of these series, but also gives a hint as to what is going to happen in each of them. The wide array of styles and tales throughout made me thoroughly entrapped.

If you like fantasy tales, this is definitely a collection worth reading. It is also a great way to find new authors if you need to add to your library… maybe make sure you have a little bit of surplus cash before you crack the spine of this though.

 <- The Too-Clever Fox Review Glitches Review ->
Image source: Goodreads

Bridge of Snow by Marie Rutkoski

Book Review, , , , ,

Overview

Bridge of SnowTitle: Bridge of Snow
Author: Marie Rutkoski
Series: The Winner’s Trilogy #0.5
In: Kisses & Curses (Lauren Burniae)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Easy reading, Fantasy, Romance
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: Square Fish
Year: 2014
5th sentence, 74th page: His shoulders were rigid, his face tight.

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Synopsis

Ignore the stirrings of war. Let the carriage to a royal ball wait. There is a story to be told: of a starless night, a mother and her sick son, and a mortal who falls in love with the snow god, and will do anything to have her…

Thoughts

I really like stories that are retellings of traditional tales. Those tales that tell you how the milkyway was formed, how the emu got its name (one of the versions is really quite funny if you have a chance to look it up)… those kinds of tales. And apparently, according to this short story’s introduction, so does Rutkoski. Which was an incredibly fun and pleasant surprise for me. And now I get to start a new, exciting series that I have never heard of before! (Yes, there is a very good chance that I have a book shopping problem…)

The setting of Bridge of Snow is incredibly sweet. It’s the typical scene of a mother telling her child a bedtime story, and gives the entire tale (and the hint of its tragic end) a very loving and surreal feeling. Kind of like when there’s a power cut and you used to curl up by the fire with your family, just enjoying the flickering of the flames and the peace of being in a place that you know you are loved. The contrast provided by the tale that is told not only has slightly lingering overtones of The Snow Queen by Hans Christian Anderson, but a flavour entirely of its own.

Just reading this short story throws you into an incredible world where a mother’s love for her son is highlighted and the tragedy of his future is glimpsed at. I definitely can’t wait to begin reading The Winner’s Curse.

 <- Glitches Review Dynamite Junior Review ->
Image source: Goodreads

Smoke and Mirrorballs by Chris Abbey

Book Review, , , ,

Overview

Blood Lite IIITitle: Smoke and Mirrorballs
Author: Chris Abbey
In: Blood Lite III (Kevin J. Anderson)
Rating Out of 5: 3.5 (Liked this)
My Bookshelves: Comedy, Easy reading, Fantasy
Pace: Fast
Format: Short story
Publisher: Gallery Books
Year: 2012
5th sentence, 74th page: CASSANDRA: Don’t you mean you’ll leave him in the dust?

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Synopsis

What happens when dancing with the stars meets the supernatural community? Will heads roll?

Thoughts

I’m not a huge fan of reality TV. It always feels contrived and fake. Which, after reading this, I think that Chris Abbey might actually agree with me. This is a supernatural take on Dancing with the Stars. But one with a very sarcastic and ultimately funny twist. After all, most of the contestants are already dead, and those who are left… well, you’ll just have to read it to see.

Although this was a fun take on reality TV, it didn’t draw me in like a lot of other short stories. Although, the end did make me laugh. And I would probably read this again just to have the end of the tale go up in smoke again…

 <- A Misadventure to Call Your Own Review BRIANS!!! Review ->
Image source: Goodreads

Monster Crush by Anna Banks and Emmy Laybourne

Book Review, , , , ,

Overview

Kisses and CursesTitle: Monster Crush
Author: Anna Banks & Emmy Laybourne
In: Kisses & Curses (Lauren Burniae)
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Easy reading, Fantasy, Romance
Pace: Fast
Format: Short story
Publisher: Square Fish
Year: 2013
5th sentence, 74th page: But she would call them, and tell them she was staying in Colorado forever.

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Synopsis

Monster Crush is the tale of a young woman falling in love for the first time – with a Sasquatch. Told in the form of Twitter posts between two authors, it is incredibly unique and fun to read.

Thoughts

This was one of the most unique short stories I have ever read. Actually, it’s one of the most unique stories I’ve ever read period. Originally, this story was a twitter feed. And it is written as such – both Banks and Laybourne write their 140 character part and the tale is slowly spun.

I liked this story – it features the sasquatch after all. And somebody falling in love with him. And it’s just generally cute and simple. I like a good love story. And the unique way in which it’s told. And the great storyline all worked beautifully together to create a fantastic canvas upon which this journey can be taken.

 <- Dynamite Junior Review Fixer Review ->
Image source: Goodreads

Old MacDonald Had an Animal Farm by Lisa Morton

Book Review, , ,

Overview

Blood Lite IIITitle: Old MacDonald Had an Animal Farm
Author: Lisa Morton
In: Blood Lite III (Kevin J. Anderson)
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Easy reading, Fantasy
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: Gallery Books
Year: 2012
5th sentence, 74th page: I think most of the human slaves get fed by-products.

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Synopsis

Animals have decided to take over, and MacDonald is right in the middle of it.

Thoughts

I like it when stories flip our point of view right on its head. It’s kind of a different way to look at the world, and really think about your actions. The fact that this one is about pets, and while I was reading it, I had one dog behind me, and one in front…

The animals turn the tables on the humans. Lead, of course, by cats. I liked the way they did it too. And the fact that the voice telling the story is the only human who is really kept in a cage of any standard… he suddenly is forced to become the house pet when all of his fellow humans are forced into a very different form of slavery.

I think after reading this short story, I might let my puppy have the cuddles that she’s been pushing for for the last hour. You just never know.

 <- A Day in the Life Review Two for Transylvania Review ->
Image source: Goodreads

Once Upon a Curse by E.D. Baker

Book Review, , , ,

Overview

Once Upon a CurseTitle: Once Upon a Curse
Author: E.D. Baker
Series: The Tales of the Frog Princess #3
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Easy reading, Fairy tales, Fantasy
Pace: Medium
Format: Novel
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Year: 2004
5th sentence, 74th page: She’s very particular, our princess Hazel, and she deserves the best.

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Synopsis

It is one week before Princess Emma’s birthday, and with it comes the threat of the family curse. Many years before Emma’s time, an angry fairy cursed her ancestor, Princess Hazel. She decreed that Hazel and all her female descendants, upon reaching their sixteenth birthdays, could not touch a flower, or else all their beauty and kindness would be erased. No one before Emma has been powerful enough to find the fairy responsible, or undo her terrible work, but Emma is determined – it’s up to her to reverse the curse. But can she do it in time?

Thoughts

I love this story – it is a great way to round out The Tales of the Frog Princess series. Or at least, I used to think that until I recently discovered that there are another six books. Regardless, this is a nice little end to the curse arc of the story within this series. And still ties in beautifully to the rest of the tale – the swamp fairy, amongst others make another appearance.

I love the time travel aspect to this tale. When you first open one of Baker’s stories, you are already whisked back into an idealised version of medieval times. Yet, this tale takes that one step further – it shows us an even earlier date in this world’s history. Something that I found quite cute and enjoyable. Although, I definitely prefer Emma’s world and her current family and reality.

The way in which the day is won is also incredibly sweet and unexpected. It made me laugh and smile when I read it, and I’m certainly glad that there is another few books to read. After all, Emma might have solved the problem of the curse, but she hasn’t managed to tie the knot or do many, many other things in her role as Green Witch.

 <- Dragon’s Breath Review No Place for Magic Review ->
Image source: Bloomsbury Publishing

Dragon’s Breath by E.D. Baker

Book Review, , , ,

Overview

Dragon's BreathTitle: Dragon’s Breath
Author: E.D. Baker
Series: The Tales of the Frog Princess #2
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Easy reading, Fairy tales, Fantasy
Pace: Medium
Format: Novel
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Year: 2003
5th sentence, 74th page: When nothing came out, his eyes took on a wild look.

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Synopsis

Princess Emeralda, whose magic is still not quite perfect, is determined to get her favourite aunt, Grassina, back together again with her old beau-turned-otter, Haywood.

But this seemingly simple task becomes an epic quest when Emma discovers the recipe for breaking the spell:
A gossamer hair from mother of pearl,
The breath of a dragon, green.
A feather from an aged horse,
The husk of a magic bean.

From a trip to the bottom of the fishbowl sea to an incredible adventure at the Dragon Olympics, Emma and Prince Eadric, her formerly froggy friend, defy the wily witches and wizards of the magical world and prove that Emma is a witch very much worthy of her inherited powers.

A fast-paced and hilarious companion to The Frog Princess.

Thoughts

As a follow up to The Frog Princess, this is brilliant. It is just as funny, cute and witty as the first story and it takes us further into Emma and Eadric’s world of magic and mayhem. On a journey to break her Grandmother’s spell over Haywood, Emma and Eadric travel all across the magical kingdom to find four incredibly obscure ingredients.

I kind of loved the fact that the ingredients to reverse Olivene’s spell were so obscure and difficult. The poetry in the spell alone was fun to read, but the journey to actually obtain the ingredients… it took my favourite royal couple to many, many corners of the magical world. As I always do, I enjoyed the ways in which our reality is layered into a magical one. It made everything seem at once fantastic, and recognisable at the same time. Especially the magic markets – that is the kind of place that I would really love to visit.

Emma’s transformation from blundering witch-in-training to powerful witch in her own right kind of took me by surprise. I thought that her transformation from girl would take a lot longer in this series. Yet, instead of feeling cumbersome and as a means to a happy ending. It worked really, really well. It was entirely believable and I can’t wait to open the pages of the next book in this series.

 <- The Frog Princess Review Once Upon a Curse Review ->
Image source: Goodreads