Grimm Machinations

by Danielle Ackley-McPhail, James Chambers

Once Upon a Time…
…tales of wisdom and warning were passed from one generation to the next. Tales of humble makers and ruthless nobles, of helpful fae and evil tricksters. Tales of making and unmaking, caution and magic... classics that still echo in our hearts and memories even to this day, told from old, cherished books or from memory at Grandma's knee.

Oh yes, tales have been told... but never quite like these. Journey with us through the pages of Grimm Machinations to rediscover timeless truths through lenses polished in the age of steam.

With tales by James Chambers, Jeff Young, David Lee Summers, Christine Norris, Bernie Mojzes, Gordon Linzner, Cynthia Radthorne, Patrick Thomas, Danielle Ackley-McPhail, and Michelle D. Sonnier.

Genres: Retellings, Steampunk, Short Stories, Fairy Tales

188 pages, Paperback

Published August 1, 2023

About the author

Award-winning author, editor, and publisher Danielle Ackley-McPhail has worked both sides of the publishing industry for longer than she cares to admit. In 2014 she joined forces with husband Mike McPhail and friend Greg Schauer to form her own publishing house, eSpec Books (www.especbooks.com).

Her published works include eight novels, Yesterday's Dreams, Tomorrow's Memories, Today’s Promise, The Halfling’s Court, The Redcaps’ Queen, Daire’s Devils, The Play of Light, and Baba Ali and the Clockwork Djinn, written with Day Al-Mohamed. She is also the author of the solo collections Eternal Wanderings, A Legacy of Stars, Consigned to the Sea, Flash in the Can, Transcendence, Between Darkness and Light, The Fox’s Fire, The Kindly One, and the non-fiction writers’ guides The Literary Handyman, More Tips from the Handyman, and LH: Build-A-Book Workshop. She is the senior editor of the Bad-Ass Faeries anthology series, Gaslight & Grimm, Side of Good/Side of Evil, After Punk, and Footprints in the Stars. Her short stories are included in numerous other anthologies and collections.

In addition to her literary acclaim, she crafts and sells original costume horns under the moniker The Hornie Lady Custom Costume Horns, and homemade flavor-infused candied ginger under the brand of Ginger KICK! at literary conventions, on commission, and wholesale.

Danielle lives in New Jersey with her husband and fellow writer, Mike McPhail and four extremely spoiled cats.

Reviews

[Marquise · Rating 3 out of 5]

There’s a double-entendre going on with Jakob & Wilhelm’s surname that authors & editors like to play with to the point it’s sometimes counterproductive. The “Grimm” part of the title may lead you to expect grim plotlines, but it’s not always the case, and it bears mentioning that not all the stories retold here are from the Brothers Grimm, so we have that niggling bit of inaccuracy as well, but at least the “Machinations” part is entirely true; all the stories here are either Steampunk or Gaslamp retellings.

As a whole, the anthology has mostly average stories with a few select gems. We have ten stories in total, a commendably manageable amount. But I can tell that there was some sort of rigid limit on word count, because several of the stories have awfully abrupt endings, some to the point they feel underdeveloped and rushed, even cut short because of the word count, and thus the storytelling suffered. There were at least three stories that were ruined for me because of how unevenly paced and edited they were. This is something the editor should’ve been more careful with, it pays to be flexible with length limits when the quality of the story is at stake.

THE SOULS OF MISBEHAVED BOYS by James Chambers
2 stars
Not a Grimm tale because this is based on “Pinocchio,” the darker Carlo Collodi story, not the cheerier Disney version. In this retelling, Gepetto has lost his mind and is engaging in necromancy in an effort to have his “son” come to life and kidnaps children for experimenting how to bind metal and flesh through magic. Creepy? Yes, very, and for the most part the lessons of the original are there. But I don’t see why it had to be made into some wannabe Sherlock Holmes mystery plot, and I’m not sure Gepetto and the Blue Lady and the cricket had to be on the wrong side of the law; I don’t think it worked as intended. And there’s plenty of loose threads and unanswered questions (where did that talking puppet come out from? Where and how did Gepetto get that twisted magic from?).
This is one of the stories that definitely suffered most from the limits on length and that needed better editing.

THE FOX AND THE CLOCKWORK BIRD by Jeff Young
5 stars
Based on “The Wonderful Bird,” one of the lesser-known Grimm fairy tales that is similar to “The Firebird,” this story was by far the best in the anthology. The sorcerer and the king from the tale are here a fox that can shapeshift and a cunning queen with three sons she has to test to see whom to bestow the crown on. The “machinations” come from the nobility of this kingdom having to wear clever masks that show only desired emotions and hide character, and a wonderful mechanical bird and a cathedral also made from machinery, and the plot is put into cleverly put into motion by the riddles the fox poses that lead to an outcome showing it has been outfoxed.
The author of this story is very talented! I like how he writes as if it were a real fairy tale instead of a retelling, and I’ll keep an eye on future writings.

THREE DAYS OF THE CUCKOO by Bernie Mojzes
3 stars
As a retelling of “The Elves and the Shoemaker,” it broadly adhered to the tale’s plot. Keyword being “broadly.” I do appreciate it tried to be about indentured servitude and social progress through work ethics, but it blew its premise up by the twist in the second half that took the girl inventor elsewhere to work for the elves as payment for the “shoemaker’s” (here a clockmaker) debt to them. I’m not sure it makes much sense that they’d take her with them, she’s basically a slave to that man, but I liked the first half and I can see the gist of the plot would’ve been vastly better with smarter planning for the second half and better editing.

THE PORCELAIN PRINCESS by David Lee Summers
1 star
This one is based on “Snow White,” and not a very good retelling. It’s full of plotholes and unexplained elements that are never addressed. Like, how is the automaton’s “true” essence something as fragile as her flesh-and-blood heart? Anyone with a minimum of knowledge of machinery can surely realise that if energy went out, people connected to machines in hospitals would be in deep, deep trouble or even die if hospitals didn’t have their own generators to keep electricity on! But this girl can have all her inner machinery stopped by the Evil Queen via her alchemical concoctions and just… not die? Have you any idea of how long a heart can live without pumping? Google is your friend, you can look up how long after the heart has stopped pumping people can be resuscitated.
No, this was the worst retelling by far. Snow White just revives every time she’s “killed” and her heart is left without energy to keep pumping, even for hours! Methinks someone just wanted to have the original tale’s elements at any costs without thinking much of plausibility and suspension of disbelief being stretched to breaking point.

THE PIPES ARE CALLING by Patrick Thomas
4 stars
A fun take on “The Pied Piper of Hamelin” that has a protagonist with a bit of Han Solo vibes. Spellpunk Grimstone is a roguish adventurer from Earth that Baron Rogan is trying hard to get rid of but must hire to get the kidnapped boys from his city back when he finds out who is amongst the missing children, and oh does he deliver! The problem is solved a bit too quickly for my tastes, but the plot has a good pace, humorous dialogue, and a character that I think would be good to bring back for more stories, be it retellings or not.

THE BINDING CLAUSE by Cynthia Radthorne
2 star
This could’ve been my favourite story if not for the terribly abrupt ending. It’s not the first time I read a steampunk “Rumpelstiltskin,” but this one had a female inventor as the protagonist, something that was a definitely original twist. But… for all that we’re led to believe Emily is this tech prodigy and genius inventor, we don’t see her doing anything but essentially adjusting a few screws on an automaton, not enough to establish the reputation she enjoys, and she’s also too naïve and trusting of people she doesn’t know. She did everything to lose the bet with her far more cunning and unscrupulous employer, and nothing to win it, so that convenient ending where the solution is served to her on a gold platter and we’re not shown how it’d actually go down was disappointing. It felt like we’ve been thrown out of the story before we can see the climax. Will her boss comply? How will she tell him? What will she do if he honours his word? What will become of Ichabod? So many questions, no answers.

THE SIX CLOCKWORK SWANS by Christine Norris
3 stars
Another retelling with a female inventor! It’s easy to see what tale this retells, because it’s a very straightforward retelling of “The Six Swans.” But it has some curious mistakes, like the name of the Duke changing from Daniel to David and back to Daniel again, and the fact that we’re never told why exactly the Dowager Duchess is so mean to her daughter-in-law. She seems to be mean for the sake of the story needing a villain, and that cat that looks like a copy of Lucifer from Disney’s “Cinderella” being her way of getting her in trouble wasn’t an element I liked.
I did like, however, that the task given to un-curse her brothers was six music boxes. But again, like with Emily in the other story, we’re not shown her actually inventing but told she does. Besides, since she falls short of six boxes, I’m not sure how exactly the curse was broken if the conditions weren’t met at all. Also, the Duke is rather spineless for allowing the near-execution of his wife and only doing the right thing after other men step forward for his lady.

DRESS FOR THE OCCASION by Gordon Linzner
1 stars
This retelling of “The Emperor’s New Clothes” seems to want to mock the fashion obsession of some rich heiresses, at least that’s what Maxine Minuchi reads like: a socialite that only cares for fashion and trend-setting, and not to actually manage the emporium she inherits. Two clever seamstresses at one of her ventures promise her the most astounding dress ever, and she agrees, and is humiliated publicly when it turns out she’s been deceived.
I don’t think this story was plausible, the original Andersen tale (see, another non-Grimm tale) is metaphorical, but this take makes it literal, too literal as to be on-the-nose. And I don’t see how this fits in the subgenre for this anthology either; what was Steampunk about this? The sewing machines? I couldn’t say.

ALA AL-DIN AND THE CAVE OF WONDERS by Danielle Ackley-McPhail
2 stars
Boring take on Aladdin, which isn’t a Grimm or Western fairy tale. It was promising, with Ala al-Din being a disabled boy, a twist that had many possibilities for a good story. Sadly, it was just having him follow the usual Aladdin plot of retrieving the magic lamp from the cave (in this case a mechanical falcon), getting trapped, getting out via a Djinn, and happily ever after.
And again, there’s a female inventor in this story, Ala al-Din’s mother, but we’re not shown anything, merely told she invents. What’s with this anthology and female inventors not being given their time to shine onpage?

HEART OF STONE by Michelle D. Sonnier
4 stars
A retelling of “Stone Soup” set around the time of the Franco-Prussian war. At first, I was wondering if the Germans mentioned here were WWII soldiers and this would be some Jewish massacre plot (because of the golem), because the setting isn’t made to be all that distinctive as to what time period it’s supposed to be, it could be WWII as easily as it could be the Franco-Prussian War. This tale is one of the lesser-known Grimm stories as well, and personally I think it’s one of the nicer, cheerier (in spite of the background being a famine) and most heartwarming ones, as it teaches about group collaboration and neighbourly effort for the common good, which was preserved in this retelling.

I received an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This is my 200th review!

[Srivalli (Semi-Hiatus) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars

One Liner: An entertaining collection

Grimm Machinations is a collection of fairytale retellings with a steampunk/ gaslamp twist to the original. Each story is written by a different author, offering varied styles and themes.

Those who enjoy this subgenre will find the stories more appealing. Though I haven’t read Steampunk, I do like the concept and enjoy new takes on well-known fairytales.

As with every anthology, some stories are wonderful, while some are good, and some are okayish. Here’s a brief review of each retelling.

The Souls of Misbehaved Boys by James Chambers – 3.5 Stars

This is a retelling of Pinocchio. The atmosphere is spot on. The storyline has merit but feels rushed, with a few missing links. This could be because I barely remember the original, but even a retelling has to stand on its own. Maybe a slightly longer version would have helped. The steampunk twist, blending machines and magic is very well done. I enjoyed those bits.

The Fox and the Clockwork Bird by Jeff Young – 4 Stars

This is a retelling of The Wonderful Bird (adding a link as I read three versions before finding the actual one). This one is deftly done and reads exactly like a fairytale. It has a fox addressed as ‘they’, a kingdom in an industrial era where everyone wears masks, and a clever queen ruling the land. The story length is just right, provides the necessary information without going overboard, and has a smooth ending.

Three Days of the Cuckoo by Bernie Mojzes – 4 Stars

This story is a retelling of The Elves and the Shoemaker and combines steampunk, Elves, social commentary, etc. The storyline is strong and reads great until the last part. Then, it feels a little rushed, as if the ending needs to fit within a word limit. Yet, I love Lucia’s arc and the hopeful ending, different from how fairytales normally conclude. I’d have liked a little more description, but the writing is easy to follow.

The Porcelain Princess by David Lee Summers – 4 Stars

This story is based on Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. With the Snow White automation (that has a real heart), the dwarves as engineers, and the queen as an alchemist, the retelling is near perfect in presenting the original in a steampunk setting. The plot is elaborate but compact and has all the crucial elements with enough freshness to make for an entertaining read.

The Pipes Are Calling by Patrick Thomas – 4 Stars

As you might have guessed, this is a retelling of the Pied Piper. However, it comes from the POV of Spellpunk Grimstone, an earthling kidnapped and carried to a steampunk planet with airships and cool devices. But the sadistic Baron Rory was a pain. The plot blends the original with an innovative extension full of adventures and wit. I like the premise and the execution, even if the world-building is lacking.

The Binding Clause by Cynthia Radthorne – 4.5 Stars

This story is loosely based on Rumpelstiltskin. We have Emily, the only woman engineer in the steampunk city, working a boring and dangerous job for peanuts. She is excited when she gets an offer worth her caliber, but the warning bells in her head when signing the contract ring for a reason. So how does Emily outwit the other person? The setting is well-described without going overboard. The pacing is steady, and the ending is perfect.

The Six Clockwork Swans by Christine Norris – 4.5 Stars

This retelling of The Six Swans uses the original premise and recreates it in the steampunk setting. Kadie has to make six music box machinations to free her six older brothers of their curse. Her husband, Daniel, is a duke, and his mom is an evil mother-in-law. The story has a lot of ‘tell’ but combines it with enough descriptions to make the setting and characters come alive. The fairytale feel is intact and creates a great atmosphere.
Daniel becomes David at one point (I hope the error will be corrected in the final version).

Dress for the Occasion by Gordon Linzner – 3 Stars

This is a gender-reversed retelling of Emperor’s New Clothes. Maxine Minuchi takes over after her father’s death but is a terror to deal with. Rosa and Blanche are tailors who promise her the best dress ever seen in the history of the world. You can guess how it goes! I loved the idea of the gender reversal for the main characters. However, the plot doesn’t really offer anything else. The steampunk setting is a bare minimum and doesn’t even register its presence.

Ala al-Din and the Cave of Wonders by Danielle Ackley-McPhail – 3 Stars

This is a retelling of the Aladdin and the Lamp. Ala al-Din has a physical disability (his right hand is cut off at the wrist), which puts him at a disadvantage until a man claiming to be his uncle comes to bring a drastic change. The plot is true to the original and tries to recreate the same magic with mechanical birds and artful clocks. However, it doesn’t fully succeed in its attempt. It was interesting but not enough to wow me. (Also, I zoned out thrice in the beginning, which is never a good sign.)

Heart of Stone by Michelle D. Sonnier – 4 Stars

This is a retelling of the Stone Soup set in France in 1872. Lyse de Montre is a technomancer, an earth witch, without riches or backing. The Council provided her with basic skill training, but she needed to pay back the debt. Lyse took jobs, traveling from one town to another and completing her mission to earn a living. She needs to succeed in the Dambach-la-Ville mission or risk her life. The story is creative and provides a detailed backstory for the MC. I like how it uses the theme of Stone Soup in the steampunk setting. However, the climax feels rushed. Though it is heartwarming, the buildup is more than the main element.

As you can see, 7 out of 10 stories get a 4(+) rating. The collection can be read over a few days or at a time as they don’t feel repetitive. The author’s bios are at the end of the book. I wish there was an editor/ compiler’s note too.

To summarize, Grim Machinations is entertaining, creative, and fun take on fairytales. Most stories stay true to the original (mentioned right under the title) in some way or another. Grab this if you enjoy retelling with a good dose of gears, bolts, and machinations. ;)

Thank you, NetGalley and eSpec Books, for the eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

#NetGalley #GrimMachinations

[Chelsea · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review was made possible via an ARC on NetGalley by the publisher.

Grimm Machinations is an anthology of fairy tale retellings with a steampunk/gaslamp twist and features a lot of things that I love about fairy tales. New worlds and old, twists on well-known tropes, and short enough that you can fit a story in before bed on busy days.

My personal favorites were The Fox and the Clockwork Bird by James Young, The Six Clockwork Swans by Christine Norris, and The Binding Clause by Cynthia Radthorne. Their use of the steampunk theme in fairy tales were unique and reminded me a lot of the times I would spend all night reading the books of fairy tales I had when I was a kid. There aren't a ton of retellings of the Six Swans, so I was truly delighted to find Norris' retelling and left quite satisfied. The use of masks in Young's story was intriguing and the Fox and the prince finding each other hit all the right buttons for fairy tale readings.

Even for the stories that were not my favorites, I wanted to read more from the author and see those stories more fleshed out. It's a real testament to the ideas presented when you're hungry for more.

The Binding Clause, a retelling of Rumpelstiltskin, was probably my absolute favorite and the story that buried the elements of its original story the most. The set-up stayed true to the world and theme and the use of Rumpelstiltskin and the way Radthorne wove the story were both quite masterful. I especially loved the conversation around contracts and intellectual property if employees that was presented.

I'd love to see more from these authors in the steampunk and gaslamp subgenres as they are genres that don't get a lot of attention and the authors really showed the variety of ways the subgenres can be utilized: from a very clear retelling that follows all of the beats to an alternate history to very real topical issues.

I would recommend this to lovers of fairy tales and fans of steampunk and gaslamp. It scratches a very particular itch if Arcane left you hungry for more of what those worlds can offer.

[Jim Razinha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting spins on some grim and not so grim tales. I was unfamiliar with The Wonderful Bird and has to track it down and read it before the story in here based on it. Being short, the steampunk elements don’t get an extended introduction, and in some of the stories play only a light part.

I received a review copy of this from the publisher through LibraryThing.

[Denice Langley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ten tales that put a steam punk spin on some tales that are not so classical any longer. Anthologies live in a world all of their own. Authors flex their talents and skills by putting the most of a story into the least of a book and we are the winners. The assortments range across genre to introduce us to new to us authors or show off the talents of some of our favorites. These ten will definitely have you thinking differently when finished. Enjoy at your own risk!

[Amber Henson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely adore any book that is fairytale inspired, and the way these tales twist those traditional fairytale into something more interesting and dark hooked me from the first story. Absolutely loved this book and would recommend anyone to read it!

[Kaylyn Pautz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely love these short stories! They’re dark and twisty but awesome to read! I highly recommend reading this if you enjoy fairytales with a twist!

[Samantha Steipp · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just reviewed Grimm Machinations by edited by Danielle Ackley-McPhail. #GrimmMachinations #NetGalley
[NetGalley URL]. I loved the adaptation of all these short stories that turned our beloved fairy-tales into twisted depictions of themselves. The stories were so well written and have left me wanting to read more by the authors. Reading these stories in this book made me discover another side to myself in that I really enjoy these twisted tales. My initial thought was to read one short story every night, but once I read one I couldn't stop there. My weekend has been full of reading this book, and I don't regret it one bit. I could read this over and over and still feel what I did the first time I read this book. Thank you to Net Galley, and Danielle Ackley-Mcfail for this ARC in return for my honest review. I will be suggesting this to anyone asking for a book offering a thrilling good time.

[Amber Henson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely adore any book that is fairytale inspired, and the way these tales twist those traditional fairytale into something more interesting and dark hooked me from the first story. Absolutely loved this book and would recommend anyone to read it!

[Anastacia · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Steampunk collection of Brothers Grimm tales. These stories are great. There is Aladdin and the Magic Lamp, Snow White, and more. The stories themselves are engaging and well-written. I always love Steampunk, it sounds so magical and intriguing.

[Ellie Hawley · Rating 3 out of 5]

The writing in this anthology was well done and the stories were well thought out, but this one wasn't really for me. However, if you like fantasy, you'll like this.