Tag Archives: Tanith Lee

Elvenbrood by Tanith Lee

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Overview

Title: Elvenbrood
Author: Tanith Lee
In: The Faery Reel (Ellen Datlow & Terri Windling)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Fae, Family, Paranormal fantasy
Pace: Medium
Format: eBook, Short story
Year: 2004

Thoughts

Elvenbrood is a short story that is all about the fae and the deals that they make. I mean, in none of the literature have I ever read a story that makes me think, “hmmm, making deals with the fae is a good idea”. Lee is able to expand on this and drive home the many, many ways in which this isn’t the best idea around. And just why it might be a better idea to just… steer clear. Yet, with the deals being made and the horrors of this being unleashed, there are still surprising twists and turns that I just didn’t see coming.

There is a lot of darkness to the fae, and I love that this story carries that tone and feeling throughout. Plus, Jack is a brother who will do anything for his sister, even brave the darker moments of the fae. I love that, while this is a somewhat dark short story, it also has a lot of light and hopefulness to it, primarily in Jack’s love for his sister and his ability to fight for both her and his mother. Plus, the villain isn’t quite who you think it is, and the ending makes you grateful for loyalty and love.

Like all of the other Tanith Lee short stories I’ve read, I absolutely adored this one. I loved the darkness and the twists, brilliantly countered by the light and love Jack shows for his family. This story was seriously enjoyable and I will most definitely read more of her works in the future!

<- CatnypYour Garnet Eyes ->

Image source: Amazon

Why Light? by Tanith Lee

Book Review, , , , ,
Overview
Image result for teeth ellen datlow terri windling book cover

Title: Why Light?
Author: Tanith Lee
In: Teeth: Vampire Tales (Ellen Datlow & Terri Windling)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Paranormal fantasy, Vampires
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: Harper
Year: 2011

Thoughts

Why Light? is the short story that rounds out the Teeth collection. And it was kind of a nice way to end out this anthology if vampire stories. It was surprisingly sweet and cute. Not even remotely what I expected from the author and / or the start of the story.

I really like the idea of ‘sun kissed’ vampires and ‘healing’ vampires. It was a little less gothic and aggressive than I was expecting, which was kind of a nice change of pace. Plus, the idea of these two vampire types joining together was kind of fantastic. I’d read more about this in the future.

Although this story didn’t actually end with a ‘happy ending’, there were lots of hints to it. Because I’m an optimist and a romantic, I choose to believe that there was a happily ever after in the books for these two… even if they’re both taking a huge leap of faith and trust into the unknown.

<- My GenerationTroll’s Eye View ->

Image source: HarperCollins

Teeth edited by Ellen Datlow & Terri Windling

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Overview
Image result for teeth ellen datlow terri windling book cover

Title: Teeth: Vampire Tales
Author: Ellen Datlow, Terri Windling, Genevieve Valentine, Steve Berman, Christopher Barzak, Neil Gaiman, Delia Sherman, Garth Nix, Suzy McKee Charnas, Kaaron Warren, Cecil Castellucci, Jeffrey Ford, Nathan Ballingrud, Kathe Koja, Catherynne M. Valente, Melissa Marr, Ellen Kushner, Cassandra Clare, Holly Black, Lucius Shepard, Emma Bull & Tanith Lee
In: Teeth: Vampire Tales (Ellen Datlow & Terri Windling)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Paranormal fantasy, Short story collections, Vampires
Pace: Medium
Format: Anthology, eBook
Publisher: Harper
Year: 2011

Thoughts

This is one of those collections that I’ve stopped and started multiple times. Because sometimes that’s what I do with a short story collection. And yet, I have enjoyed reading it almost every step of the way. There’s always something fun and interesting about a collection edited by Ellen Datlow.

Vampire stories are one of those things that I’m very much on the fence about. I mean, I often enjoy them. But because of the naughties, they became something that was slightly overdone. Probably one of the reasons this book came in and out of my shelves so much – I enjoyed it but didn’t want to overdo it either.

The stories in this run the gambit of vampire characterisation. Some are classical. Some are romantic. Some are just a little bit bizarre. But every story was fun and worth reading again.

<- The PumaThings to Know About Being Dead ->

Image source: HarperCollins

Kiss Kiss by Tanith Lee

Book Review, , , , ,
Overview

Title: Kiss Kiss
Author: Tanith Lee
In: Silver Birch, Blood Moon (Ellen Datlow & Terri Windling) & Redder Than Blood (Tanith Lee)
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Fairy tales, Feminism, Retellings
Pace: Slow
Format: eBook, Short story
Year: 1999

Thoughts

I absolutely adored this Frog Prince retelling. It was kind of dark, a little bit twisted and definitely had a whole other approach than any other story of this sort that I’ve had the pleasure of reading before. Plus, I like dark, feminist twists to classic fairytales.

Even though this had some great feminist notes, but there wasn’t a good, happy ending. In fact, it was an incredibly tragic and annoying ending if I’m being honest. But also absolutely perfect.

This short story is a reminder that power corrupts. Even if you THINK a story is headed to a happy ending, the allure of power can be seriously consuming. A little heartbreaking in the end, but wonderful in its entirety.

<- Silver Birch, Blood MoonCarabosse ->

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Sirens and Other Daemon Lovers edited by Ellen Datlow & Terri Windling

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Overview
Image result for sirens and other daemon lovers book cover

Title: Sirens and Other Daemon Lovers: Magical Tales of Love and Seduction
Author: Ellen Datlow, Terri Windling, Storm Constantine, Delia Sherman, Joyce Carol Oates, Tanith Lee, Edward Bryant, Garry Kilworth, Michael Swanwick, Elizabeth E. Wein, Pat Murphy, Ellen Steiber, Jane Yolen, Dave Smeds, Neil Gaiman, Doris Egan, Melissa Lee Shaw, Kelley Eskridge, Brian Stableford, Conrad Williams, Mark W. Tiedemann, Ellen Kushner, Wendy Froud & Bruce Glassco
In: Sirens and Other Daemon Lovers (Ellen Datlow & Terri Windling)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Lust, Paranormal fantasy, Paranormal romance, Short story collections
Dates read: 6th January – 19th May 2020
Pace: Slow
Format: Anthology
Publisher: EOS
Year: 1998
5th sentence, 74th page: She abruptly saw herself as if from another’s eyes, toiling in dirty work clothes with the sharp blades, the mirror, the powdered remains.

Synopsis

Prepare to be seduced by powerful magic — the sorcery of lust, need, and sensuality. Multiple award-winners Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling have gathered together twenty-two tales of unearthly temptations wickedly concocted by some of today’s most potent literary conjurers — including Neil Gaiman, Jan Yolen, Michael Swanwick, and Joyce Carol Oates. Here are stories of incubi and succubi, of forbidden fruits harvested in erotic gardens, of pleasures that persist beyond death. So heed the sirens’ song. Lie back, relax, and submit to the darkest delights you have ever experienced.

Thoughts

This collection isn’t quite toe curling, it isn’t quite horrific, but a nice mix between the two. It makes you think about the weirdness of sexuality. And the uniqueness of those things that go bump in the night. And thrive upon our sexual, deepest, darkest desires. I was honestly expecting this to be a little more of an uncomfortable read. However, mostly, I just found it intriguing.

This is a great collection of some very familiar authors, and some very new authors. It was a good way to depart from the realities of the world and be entertained by the imaginations of some very creative people. It wasn’t necessarily my favourite collection ever, the thread tying each of these tales together wasn’t as distinct as other collections. But it was a seriously enjoyable journey regardless.

This is definitely a collection that I’ll pick up again at some point in the future. It’s fun, light and easy. Also, there are a number of authors that I still need to hunt out books for… I enjoyed each and everyone of these stories.

<- ToadMy Lady of the Hearth ->

Image source: Goodreads

Wolfed by Tanith Lee

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Image result for sirens and other daemon lovers book cover

Title: Wolfed
Author: Tanith Lee
In: Sirens and Other Daemon Lovers (Ellen Datlow & Terri Windling) & Redder Than Blood (Tanith Lee)
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Fairy tales, Lust, Retellings
Dates read: 6th January 2020
Pace: Fast
Format: Short story
Publisher: EOS
Year: 1998
5th sentence, 74th page: But then, anyway, the elevator was a private one and this was the penthouse suite, so it would be kind of unlikely he had taken the wrong route, or made any mistake at all.

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

Synopsis

Wolf is a man of the night. Then he runs into Rose, a gorgeous young woman who just wants to buy her “grandmother” a present…

Thoughts

I’ve just finished reading Lee’s Red as Blood collection. So I was kind of expecting something much, much darker than this story. It was incredibly lustful and intense in some ways, but it definitely wasn’t something I would call dark. There was also a point at the end which hints that they could, in fact, live happily ever after.

Actually this story didn’t just have a hint about happy endings, it had multiple. And pushed the boundaries of what I enjoy in a romance. This is the second story I’ve read which features a threesome, but, unlike the first one, I found this non-confronting. Actually, I found it kind of cute, funny and sweet in moments. Which was a very interesting reaction.

This was a fantastic short story. One that I will probably revisit in the future. There is just something fun about it, even when it’s dealing with a lot of sexuality. Maybe it’s because I’m reading a collection that deals with sexuality, but not in the truly intense way of Alien Sex.

<- Broke Heart BluesAshes on Her Lips ->

Image source: Goodreads

Red as Blood Collection by Tanith Lee

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Overview
Image result for red as blood tanith lee book cover

Title: Red as Blood Collection
Author: Tanith Lee
In: Red as Blood (Tanith Lee)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Dark fantasy, Fairy tales, Feminism, Retellings, Short story collections
Dates read: 23rd October – 17th December 2019
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: Wildside
Year: 1983
5th sentence, 74th page: There were carvings in the sides of the tower, the magic symbols from the chamber as it had been, the zodiac, the Crown, the Sword, the Chalice – she knew such seals must hold the spire safely.

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

Here are ten devilishly twisted fairy tales as the Brothers Grimm never dared to tell them. With her brilliantly macabre pen, Tanith Lee retells some familiar tales, and concocts some new and unusual ones, as she asks us to consider the possibility that things may not work as our fairy tales have them… In the title story, Lee shows us a perfectly good stepmother, whose Princess stepdaughter reeks of evil. Then there is Ashella, the Cinderella-like girl who, “When the Clock Strikes”, intends to give her Prince Charming a deadly surprise. In “Wolfland”, Lisel takes a trip through the woods to visit her grandmother – who bears little resemblance to the loving old woman we expect. And in “Thorns” you’ll find the haunting answer to the question, “What if awakening the Sleeping Beauty turns out to be the mistake of a lifetime – of several lifetimes, in fact?”

Populated with demons and devils, vengeful gods and not-so-innocent young girls, the ten tales of Red as Blood weave a tapestry of chilling visions, spun by the incomparably fiendish imagination of Tanith Lee!

Thoughts

This is the second feminist collection of fairy tales I’ve ever read. And I don’t know if I like this or Angela Carter’s version better. What I do know is that I love both of them and I will read them again and again. They’re fun, kind of brilliant and super dark. Much more likely in our lives than the pretty Disney-versions that I grew up with.

There wasn’t one story in this collection that I didn’t absolutely adore. Normally I’ll find one or two that just aren’t as good… but that most certainly wasn’t the case. This was brilliant! Honestly, as I turned the last page, I could have quite happily turned around and just started this all over again. I didn’t, because I have a whole stack of other books I want to read by the end of the year… but I don’t often have that desire in the first place.

Now I need to find some more Tanith Lee books. I have one other sitting in my shelf, but I want so much more now! There is no way that I won’t love it after this. Especially when you’re looking at a story which has a beautiful wordplay on the Brothers Grimm… equally dark versions, but with a focus on the women and the battles that they face.

 <- The Waters of Sorrow ReviewPaid Piper Review ->
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The Waters of Sorrow by Tanith Lee

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Image result for red as blood tanith lee book cover

Title: The Waters of Sorrow
Author: Tanith Lee
In: Red as Blood (Tanith Lee)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Fairy tales, Fantasy, Ghosts
Dates read: 17th December 2019
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Publisher: Wildside
Year: 1983
5th sentence, 74th page: Without some attention it must have been easy to miss the spot.

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Synopsis

Along the river there are the women who were destroyed by love. The women who find men on a long, dark night and dance him to death. But there is another story at the water of sorrows that needs to be told.

Thoughts

As an ending to the Red as Blood collection, this short story was completely on point. It was, interestingly enough, also the only romantic story in the whole collection. So, I kind of liked that it ended on this note. Don’t get me wrong, it was still super and dark like all of the other fairy tale retellings in the collection, but the romantic aspect made it a little more bittersweet and somehow nostalgic… I slightly (but only slightly) softer note to end on.

This was the last story I read before going to bed. And it was kind of perfect. Something about the surreal nature of the storyline and the atmosphere that sweeps you along actually worked really well when I was home alone late at night. The betrayed women late at night, dancing their deathly dance. The mystery of the young girls death… everything combined in such a brilliant way to create an unforgettable tapestry. One which worked in with the dark of outside and the time of the night.

I’m normally fairly good at predicting what is going to happen in the future… not so much in this story. There were enough hints throughout that you’re curiosity was peeked, but I never actually did predict the ending. There were just so many misleading moments throughout. Which of course, moves this to the top of my short story favourites pile… I love being drastically mislead throughout a story!

 <- Beauty ReviewRed as Blood Collection Review ->
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Beauty by Tanith Lee

Book Review, , , , ,
Overview
Image result for red as blood tanith lee book cover

Title: Beauty
Author: Tanith Lee
In: Red as Blood (Tanith Lee)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Aliens, Fairy tales, Retellings, Science fiction
Dates read: 17th December 2019
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: Wildside
Year: 1983
5th sentence, 74th page: There were no words at all.

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

When the rose arrives, the family must give up one of their own. When her time comes, she finds that maybe this new home with an alien being could be exactly what she was missing in her life. A beautiful, science fiction retelling of Beauty and the Beast.

Thoughts

I’ve been enjoying Beauty and the Beast retellings lately. I have never read one which is this intense though. And a SciFi version to boot. And it was just a short story! Beauty is brilliant, fun and gives an entirely new take on an old classic. Unlike most short stories that I fall this in love with though, I actually was happy with the length. I didn’t feel like it had to be expanded and added to. I didn’t think that it actually needed to be longer, it was kind of perfect all on its own.

I love that the “beast” in this story is an alien. Part of a race that is giving, helpful and constantly providing for humanity. But, the cost is that eventually some families have to give up their own child. There is so much mystery to this practice that you spend most of the tale just wondering why this is the case. And when the face of the beast is finally revealed to the young woman, what you believe is entirely wrong. It’s a great mislead and just makes it all that much more impossible to put the story down. This might be why I was happy for it to be short… I don’t know if I could sustain that kind of intensity.

As much as I’ve tried to convey the pure amazingness of this story, I don’t actually think I have the right words. Anywhere. In anyway, shape or form. Which is completely new for me. There is just something about this retelling that left me feeling in awe as the final page was closed. Happy, in awe and just fascinated.

 <- Black as Ink ReviewThe Waters of Sorrow Review ->
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Black as Ink by Tanith Lee

Book Review, , ,
Overview
Image result for red as blood tanith lee book cover

Title: Black as Ink
Author: Tanith Lee
In: Red as Blood (Tanith Lee)
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves:  Easy reading, Fairy tales
Dates read: 14th December 2019
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Publisher: Wildside
Year: 1983
5th sentence, 74th page: You hear me?

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

When Victor sees the woman of his dreams across the lake, he becomes infatuated. That is, until he meets the uncle. Years later, he runs across the same girl. And discovers that she has become black as ink.

Thoughts

Unlike the rest of the short stories in the Red as Blood collection, this is not a retelling of any fairy tale that I recognise. Yet, there was still that lilting, fairy tale feel to the tale that made me feel like almost, almost this could be a story which I’ve read before. If I could just remember it… that’s how it felt anyway.

As with many of the stories in this collection, the ending to this was a little tragic. Actually, something about the poetic sweetness of the ending made it all that much more unfortunate. Especially since at the beginning you kind of believe that this could be a love story… hint. It’s not. It’s something… darker about our hidden instincts and desires. The ones that are black as ink.

Like the rest of the short stories in this collection, Black as Ink is kind of dark. A little bit twisted. And a really, really enjoyable read. One that I will probably pick up again in the future when I don’t want / need all those happily ever afters that tend to fill my shelves.

 <- Wolfland ReviewBeauty Review ->
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