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Twisted Grimms: Fairy Tales Retold
Grimms' Fairy Tales like you've never seen them before...
What do you get when you cross Sleeping Beauty with vampire hunters?
The Youth Who Went Forth to Learn What Fear Was with vengeful ghosts?
What about Rapunzel in space?
Worlds collide in this anthology from SnowRidge Press, where your favorite fairy tales are reimagined with elements from the Fantasy, Sci-Fi, and Contemporary genres.
Featuring authors C.C. Urie, Beka Gremikova, Hannah Carter, Katie Hanna, Mariella Taylor, Allie Sarah, Eva Grace, Abigail McKenna, and Ben Hanna.
What do you get when you cross Sleeping Beauty with vampire hunters?
The Youth Who Went Forth to Learn What Fear Was with vengeful ghosts?
What about Rapunzel in space?
Worlds collide in this anthology from SnowRidge Press, where your favorite fairy tales are reimagined with elements from the Fantasy, Sci-Fi, and Contemporary genres.
Featuring authors C.C. Urie, Beka Gremikova, Hannah Carter, Katie Hanna, Mariella Taylor, Allie Sarah, Eva Grace, Abigail McKenna, and Ben Hanna.
272 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 31, 2023
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110 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
September 16, 2023
There are fewer stories here than I’m used to for anthologies by this group, so I’m going to review them individually, always optimistically hoping there'll be a More Twisted Grimms collection one day:
THE ONES WITH FEAR ENOUGH by Mariella Taylor
5 stars
This girl always manages to twist fairy tales into deliciously bittersweet pretzels, only that she’s one of those bakers who throw in a bit more of bitter and less sugar into the dough. Awful metaphors aside (mine!), this was my favourite story in the anthology, partly because of the character, and partly because I had to work to understand the “retelling” aspect (unless you’re extremely familiar with the Grimms, it’s not likely you could tell this is a retelling, and even less of which tale; it can pass for a regular story).
Jonathan is indeed one “daft badger” but he’s one adorable daft badger, and the deep loyalty towards his sister is so touching that almost made me murder my Kindle by means of angry defenestration. Once I stopped cursing into the street that this wasn’t how the tale goes, that the name’s Grimm with an extra M and not “grim,” and demanding a remake, I couldn’t stop laughing at myself for how hard it was to guess the inspiration fairy tale. Before I finally guessed, at about halfway through it, I’d have sworn that there’d be a romance by the end of the road… yeah, I’m getting old and my divination powers are fading.
RECONSTRUCTED by Katie Hanna
4 stars
The Star Wars homage is strong with this one.
It’s a “Rapunzel” retelling in a space setting, an already colonised and lived-in space setting rather than a spacefaring one, that’s undergoing a galaxies-wide conflict reminiscent of the one in the aforementioned film. To me, a moderate Force user with the most basic brush up on the lore, it read strongly like Han Solo waltzing roguishly into rescuing Jedi master Aayla Secura by pure dumb smuggler’s luck, with a dash of R2D2 commonsense and Anakin’s anti-sand philosophy for spice. I may have told Katie that, too…
BY THE PRICKING OF MY TEETH by Hannah Carter
4 stars
We’ve already had a cartload of “Sleeping Beauty” retellings with the beauty as the baddie and the evil fairy as the goodie, Miss H pondered as she inhaled fried fish fumes, so what if we made the prince the arsehole? And she outdid herself by making the beauty, the evil fairy, the godmothers, the prince, and the bush of roses a collective of arseholes.
I suspect there’s more nuance in this story as hinted at by details in the background, but it’s true that as presented in this retelling, nobody is a spotless goodie. I can see the reasoning behind Alastair’s questionable actions, the clever bastard, and why he’d like to wake up the beauty, but what I can’t see is what contingency plans he has in case this goes to Hell, as it’s bound to happen. Which is why this story is begging for a continuation, not just because it ends before we can see the consequences of Alistair’s scheme but also because the fairies and Old Talia (I can see what you did there, Miss H!) do need a backstory too.
THE SILVER MOON by Allie Sarah
1 star
This retelling of “Little Red Riding Hood” doesn’t follow either the Grimm version or the Perrault version but, disappointingly, is one more of those commonplace shapeshifter wolf + vampire/witch plots they try to pass as LRRH retellings with just the barest sprinkling of imagery (Wolf! Something red! Eat the grandma!). I find this practice objectionable myself, not just because I don’t enjoy shapeshifter stories or vampire stories, both my least favourite supernatural creatures, but also because it misappropriates the fairy tale, tosses away its metaphors & symbolism, and reheats the cold bones to serve Fantasy and Supernatural Romance clichés. It’s as bad as the Wounded Hero + Pretty Girl = Beauty and the Beast rubbish I despair at.
It didn’t help that the Red character here is into human sacrifice, which again has nothing to do with the tale, and it’s not clear to me whether these are vampires or cannibal witches, with probably unintentional hints at euthanasia (they show the sacrifices as the old and the weak from the village, even though they claim to choose only those that cross them). I simply don’t think this story can pass as LRRH even if you force it to fit the mould with a hammer.
THE RAVEN ON THE MOUNTAIN by C. C. Urie
3 stars
Great hero, great quest, and a tad cheesy love story.
“The Princess on the Glass Hill” is the tale this story retells, of which there are many versions in Europe, some with a female heroine but the Grimm version has a boy. There are no giants in the German version nor a shapeshifting raven, so those were nice little additions. Not so much the witch, which also doesn’t exist in the original tale and here is rather cartoonish for my tastes.
Because of the characterisation, I enjoyed the quest part far, far more than the climbing the hill to rescue the maiden part. Oh, and I can see the taste for cinnamon rolls is endemic in this writers’ group; Percival is so adorable!
CHEF’S KISS by Beka Gremikova
4 stars
I always have a big, silly smile whenever I remember the “love like salt” tales (there’s a gazillion variants all over the world) because I have eaten a meaty dish without salt that was simply delicious (there’s ways to flavour meat without salt, it’s all in the cooking and the ingredients, I was told) so the metaphor isn’t as impactful to me as it would otherwise. Yet, I love this fairy tale for its lessons on loyalty, familial love, forgiveness, and making reparations for one’s past mistakes.
And this retelling has it, with bonus cooking. True to her habit of writing cinnamon roll princes, she’s given us one here that can cook… mmm, sounds familiar… my fiancé is both a cinnamon roll and cooks… Anyway, where was I? Oh, yes, a prince that cooks and that got booted for using unsalted meat metaphors that hurt his dad’s ego and was demoted to house chef at a wealthy estate, where he cooks for a living and moons over the lady of the manor in his spare time. The atmosphere of this story has 1920s vibes, but it is an imaginary world and limited in scope, and all the action takes place in the estate. I liked that it’s the girl that facilitates the familial reconciliation, too, that was sweet.
Only one thing to note for correction: the title of sir isn’t used with the surname, only with the name (lord can be used with both name and surname). I do hope my nobiliary title consultant services are required before someone in Canada calls Chuck His Majesty the Queen, heh.
RED OF ROSES AND BLOOD by Eva Grace
4.5 stars
I’m anti-vampire, drat it! I founded the Bloodsuckers Suck Brigade before “Twilight” came and made it cool to hate on vampires! So why did this lady writer here have to be so inconsiderate and make me love a story with vampires in it, mmm?
Oh, well. Neil Gaiman and Tanith Lee made it cool to retell “Snow White” as a vampiric story a long time ago, so it’s not a new concept or one I’ve not read and liked before (authors are cruel, always write stuff I’m not supposed to like), but because of how this story begins, I wasn’t sure it’d be one to like. What made it for me? Two things: Snow White here is a child, like she is in the Grimms’ tale; yes, few know this but she’s really a child in the tale at the start, which is why the stepmother dupes her so easily three times, she’s older by the end of the tale. Most retellings have her as a young teen or adult, which contributes to her looking dumb for how easily she’s a victim of poisoning and makes it all the more awkward that she lives with adult dwarfs, though I imagine it’s fine for sexytimes with the prince…
All right, I’m digressing again. Back to the tale, Marquise. The second reason is that nobody is villainised because there’s vampires here. Really, there’s no villain yet. It reads like a sort of prequel, which is a refreshing novelty. I do hope Eva Grace writes a sequel, because Snow White is so young and there’s still much to be told and I want more from this my second favourite story.
HIJACK by Ben Hanna
3.5 stars
Another author that woke up one day with a goal to make readers’ brain cells work harder than usual at guessing which tale this was! No, I ain’t playin’ Don Corleone to you and spoonfeeding the answer to ya.
This is a very obscure Grimm, even I had completely forgotten it existed, taking my sweet, sweet time guessing its name. Anecdotally, my knee-jerk guess was that it was Rumpelstiltskin in a futuristic Sci-Fi world, but things didn’t add up as the plot unravelled, and it was only two-thirds into the story that my old & decrepit brain had a flash of sanity and skewered the right tale. And even then, I had to consult my Grimmcyclopaedia (I have several editions of the Grimm Bros’ tales—don’t ask how many—that I collectively call my Grimmcyclopaedia) to confirm it. All I’m going to say is that, even though there’s the element of offering up your child to a strange diminutive fellow, this is no Rumple retelling, and that Ben Hanna is better than his sister at setting up mood and atmosphere. Hopefully she doesn’t slip a laxative in his cereal as retaliation.
But the thing is, the first half shines bright, great mood and great characterization, while the second half is opaque. The reason is the two time jumps that happen in the second half following the first half, making this a short story with three major time jumps and none of the jumps are smooth. I wouldn’t have minded if all was only the first half with the poor man as the protagonist, maybe with a little more expanding, maybe more with the godfather-wannabe added in; but if it had to have the second half as is, it needed to modify the transition from one timeline to the next, especially the third jump because the second is more passable. Otherwise, it reads like the timelines were glued together after being written separately; and besides, you do depend on the reader’s knowledge of the Grimms to understand the point of this story.
THE TIES WE WEAVE AND BIND by Abigail McKenna
4 stars
The premise here is, what if the mysterious gold spinner isn’t the real Rumpelstiltskin?
The start of this retelling was very confusing, you’re thrown into the middle of the action when the girl is already trapped and we don’t know why, how, and by whom she’s trapped; that’ll become clear as the plot progresses, so be patient. I should also add that the story is written in lower case, not sure if it’s the author’s usual style or if it was deliberately chosen for this story. Whatever the reason, we have a capital-letter-challenged Rumple.
I liked the weirdness of this story, it took me a while to adjust because the writing isn’t very descriptive and you have to guess motivation for the characters at first, and I’m not sure if others will like the dumping of revelations by the end the way it was done, but for me it worked fine. I liked that there’s bonds of camaraderie and genuine care between all characters more than romance in this story, too.
So that is it! Nine stories and just one dud (you might think differently about that one, especially if you like sexy werewolves with . . . uh, remarkable behinds). Overall, it was one of the better anthologies SnowRidge Press have published, and I’m pleased that they’ve cut the number of entries, because there tended to be too many in past anthologies. I also appreciate that they didn’t reveal the fairy tales under the title of each story, though it could be a fine idea to add a list at the end, for the benefit of readers not that familiar with the Grimms. I personally wouldn’t, I like the challenge of not being told and figuring it out by myself.
And speaking of figuring it out yourself, no, I’m not going to tell you what tales Mariella and Ben chose. No, not even in spoiler brackets.
I guessed them both, that’s what counts. I remain a masterstrategist reviewer amateur Grimmologist whatever.
I received an ARC from the Goose Godmother in exchange for not plucking all the goslings’s feathers off. Well, that was the deal, I plucked ‘em off one anyway.
THE ONES WITH FEAR ENOUGH by Mariella Taylor
5 stars
This girl always manages to twist fairy tales into deliciously bittersweet pretzels, only that she’s one of those bakers who throw in a bit more of bitter and less sugar into the dough. Awful metaphors aside (mine!), this was my favourite story in the anthology, partly because of the character, and partly because I had to work to understand the “retelling” aspect (unless you’re extremely familiar with the Grimms, it’s not likely you could tell this is a retelling, and even less of which tale; it can pass for a regular story).
Jonathan is indeed one “daft badger” but he’s one adorable daft badger, and the deep loyalty towards his sister is so touching that almost made me murder my Kindle by means of angry defenestration. Once I stopped cursing into the street that this wasn’t how the tale goes, that the name’s Grimm with an extra M and not “grim,” and demanding a remake, I couldn’t stop laughing at myself for how hard it was to guess the inspiration fairy tale. Before I finally guessed, at about halfway through it, I’d have sworn that there’d be a romance by the end of the road… yeah, I’m getting old and my divination powers are fading.
RECONSTRUCTED by Katie Hanna
4 stars
The Star Wars homage is strong with this one.
It’s a “Rapunzel” retelling in a space setting, an already colonised and lived-in space setting rather than a spacefaring one, that’s undergoing a galaxies-wide conflict reminiscent of the one in the aforementioned film. To me, a moderate Force user with the most basic brush up on the lore, it read strongly like Han Solo waltzing roguishly into rescuing Jedi master Aayla Secura by pure dumb smuggler’s luck, with a dash of R2D2 commonsense and Anakin’s anti-sand philosophy for spice. I may have told Katie that, too…
BY THE PRICKING OF MY TEETH by Hannah Carter
4 stars
We’ve already had a cartload of “Sleeping Beauty” retellings with the beauty as the baddie and the evil fairy as the goodie, Miss H pondered as she inhaled fried fish fumes, so what if we made the prince the arsehole? And she outdid herself by making the beauty, the evil fairy, the godmothers, the prince, and the bush of roses a collective of arseholes.
I suspect there’s more nuance in this story as hinted at by details in the background, but it’s true that as presented in this retelling, nobody is a spotless goodie. I can see the reasoning behind Alastair’s questionable actions, the clever bastard, and why he’d like to wake up the beauty, but what I can’t see is what contingency plans he has in case this goes to Hell, as it’s bound to happen. Which is why this story is begging for a continuation, not just because it ends before we can see the consequences of Alistair’s scheme but also because the fairies and Old Talia (I can see what you did there, Miss H!) do need a backstory too.
THE SILVER MOON by Allie Sarah
1 star
This retelling of “Little Red Riding Hood” doesn’t follow either the Grimm version or the Perrault version but, disappointingly, is one more of those commonplace shapeshifter wolf + vampire/witch plots they try to pass as LRRH retellings with just the barest sprinkling of imagery (Wolf! Something red! Eat the grandma!). I find this practice objectionable myself, not just because I don’t enjoy shapeshifter stories or vampire stories, both my least favourite supernatural creatures, but also because it misappropriates the fairy tale, tosses away its metaphors & symbolism, and reheats the cold bones to serve Fantasy and Supernatural Romance clichés. It’s as bad as the Wounded Hero + Pretty Girl = Beauty and the Beast rubbish I despair at.
It didn’t help that the Red character here is into human sacrifice, which again has nothing to do with the tale, and it’s not clear to me whether these are vampires or cannibal witches, with probably unintentional hints at euthanasia (they show the sacrifices as the old and the weak from the village, even though they claim to choose only those that cross them). I simply don’t think this story can pass as LRRH even if you force it to fit the mould with a hammer.
THE RAVEN ON THE MOUNTAIN by C. C. Urie
3 stars
Great hero, great quest, and a tad cheesy love story.
“The Princess on the Glass Hill” is the tale this story retells, of which there are many versions in Europe, some with a female heroine but the Grimm version has a boy. There are no giants in the German version nor a shapeshifting raven, so those were nice little additions. Not so much the witch, which also doesn’t exist in the original tale and here is rather cartoonish for my tastes.
Because of the characterisation, I enjoyed the quest part far, far more than the climbing the hill to rescue the maiden part. Oh, and I can see the taste for cinnamon rolls is endemic in this writers’ group; Percival is so adorable!
CHEF’S KISS by Beka Gremikova
4 stars
I always have a big, silly smile whenever I remember the “love like salt” tales (there’s a gazillion variants all over the world) because I have eaten a meaty dish without salt that was simply delicious (there’s ways to flavour meat without salt, it’s all in the cooking and the ingredients, I was told) so the metaphor isn’t as impactful to me as it would otherwise. Yet, I love this fairy tale for its lessons on loyalty, familial love, forgiveness, and making reparations for one’s past mistakes.
And this retelling has it, with bonus cooking. True to her habit of writing cinnamon roll princes, she’s given us one here that can cook… mmm, sounds familiar… my fiancé is both a cinnamon roll and cooks… Anyway, where was I? Oh, yes, a prince that cooks and that got booted for using unsalted meat metaphors that hurt his dad’s ego and was demoted to house chef at a wealthy estate, where he cooks for a living and moons over the lady of the manor in his spare time. The atmosphere of this story has 1920s vibes, but it is an imaginary world and limited in scope, and all the action takes place in the estate. I liked that it’s the girl that facilitates the familial reconciliation, too, that was sweet.
Only one thing to note for correction: the title of sir isn’t used with the surname, only with the name (lord can be used with both name and surname). I do hope my nobiliary title consultant services are required before someone in Canada calls Chuck His Majesty the Queen, heh.
RED OF ROSES AND BLOOD by Eva Grace
4.5 stars
I’m anti-vampire, drat it! I founded the Bloodsuckers Suck Brigade before “Twilight” came and made it cool to hate on vampires! So why did this lady writer here have to be so inconsiderate and make me love a story with vampires in it, mmm?
Oh, well. Neil Gaiman and Tanith Lee made it cool to retell “Snow White” as a vampiric story a long time ago, so it’s not a new concept or one I’ve not read and liked before (authors are cruel, always write stuff I’m not supposed to like), but because of how this story begins, I wasn’t sure it’d be one to like. What made it for me? Two things: Snow White here is a child, like she is in the Grimms’ tale; yes, few know this but she’s really a child in the tale at the start, which is why the stepmother dupes her so easily three times, she’s older by the end of the tale. Most retellings have her as a young teen or adult, which contributes to her looking dumb for how easily she’s a victim of poisoning and makes it all the more awkward that she lives with adult dwarfs, though I imagine it’s fine for sexytimes with the prince…
All right, I’m digressing again. Back to the tale, Marquise. The second reason is that nobody is villainised because there’s vampires here. Really, there’s no villain yet. It reads like a sort of prequel, which is a refreshing novelty. I do hope Eva Grace writes a sequel, because Snow White is so young and there’s still much to be told and I want more from this my second favourite story.
HIJACK by Ben Hanna
3.5 stars
Another author that woke up one day with a goal to make readers’ brain cells work harder than usual at guessing which tale this was! No, I ain’t playin’ Don Corleone to you and spoonfeeding the answer to ya.
This is a very obscure Grimm, even I had completely forgotten it existed, taking my sweet, sweet time guessing its name. Anecdotally, my knee-jerk guess was that it was Rumpelstiltskin in a futuristic Sci-Fi world, but things didn’t add up as the plot unravelled, and it was only two-thirds into the story that my old & decrepit brain had a flash of sanity and skewered the right tale. And even then, I had to consult my Grimmcyclopaedia (I have several editions of the Grimm Bros’ tales—don’t ask how many—that I collectively call my Grimmcyclopaedia) to confirm it. All I’m going to say is that, even though there’s the element of offering up your child to a strange diminutive fellow, this is no Rumple retelling, and that Ben Hanna is better than his sister at setting up mood and atmosphere. Hopefully she doesn’t slip a laxative in his cereal as retaliation.
But the thing is, the first half shines bright, great mood and great characterization, while the second half is opaque. The reason is the two time jumps that happen in the second half following the first half, making this a short story with three major time jumps and none of the jumps are smooth. I wouldn’t have minded if all was only the first half with the poor man as the protagonist, maybe with a little more expanding, maybe more with the godfather-wannabe added in; but if it had to have the second half as is, it needed to modify the transition from one timeline to the next, especially the third jump because the second is more passable. Otherwise, it reads like the timelines were glued together after being written separately; and besides, you do depend on the reader’s knowledge of the Grimms to understand the point of this story.
THE TIES WE WEAVE AND BIND by Abigail McKenna
4 stars
The premise here is, what if the mysterious gold spinner isn’t the real Rumpelstiltskin?
The start of this retelling was very confusing, you’re thrown into the middle of the action when the girl is already trapped and we don’t know why, how, and by whom she’s trapped; that’ll become clear as the plot progresses, so be patient. I should also add that the story is written in lower case, not sure if it’s the author’s usual style or if it was deliberately chosen for this story. Whatever the reason, we have a capital-letter-challenged Rumple.
I liked the weirdness of this story, it took me a while to adjust because the writing isn’t very descriptive and you have to guess motivation for the characters at first, and I’m not sure if others will like the dumping of revelations by the end the way it was done, but for me it worked fine. I liked that there’s bonds of camaraderie and genuine care between all characters more than romance in this story, too.
So that is it! Nine stories and just one dud (you might think differently about that one, especially if you like sexy werewolves with . . . uh, remarkable behinds). Overall, it was one of the better anthologies SnowRidge Press have published, and I’m pleased that they’ve cut the number of entries, because there tended to be too many in past anthologies. I also appreciate that they didn’t reveal the fairy tales under the title of each story, though it could be a fine idea to add a list at the end, for the benefit of readers not that familiar with the Grimms. I personally wouldn’t, I like the challenge of not being told and figuring it out by myself.
And speaking of figuring it out yourself, no, I’m not going to tell you what tales Mariella and Ben chose. No, not even in spoiler brackets.
I guessed them both, that’s what counts. I remain a master
I received an ARC from the Goose Godmother in exchange for not plucking all the goslings’s feathers off. Well, that was the deal, I plucked ‘em off one anyway.
October 29, 2023
In a Nutshell: An interesting collection of fairy tale retellings, but with an unexpected twist. Not a bad anthology, but I expected it to blow my mind away – that didn’t happen, partly due to my reading preferences. A decent option for retelling/fantasy short fiction fans.
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This is a collection of nine stories, all of which are retellings of at least one of Grimm’s fairy tales. There is no editor’s note or author’s note in the collection nor any kind of foreword (Grrrrrrrr!), but thankfully, the title and the cover provide a clue about what to expect. You don’t need to know the original stories as these retold versions can be enjoyed on their own merit. But if you know your Brothers Grimm works, you will enjoy detecting which story (or stories!) have been chosen for the fresh take. I love how the authors didn’t stick to only the popular Grimm tales but opted for some esoteric titles as well.
Considering that there are only nine stories in a 270+ page book, the stories are obviously on the lengthier side of the short fiction scale. Many of them were too long for my liking. But I admire how the stories covered a variety of subgenres instead of being restricted to general dark fantasy. It was fun to see some of the modified fairy tales placed in sci-fi or dystopian settings.
If you are looking for the original story to be presented in a different packaging (say, through a different perspective or set in a different era) but without any significant changes to the plot flow, that’s not going to happen here. I guess a better way of describing these stories is by saying that they pay homage to the original fairy tale(s). So we may get some of the characters or situations from the foundational story, but the plot flow is almost always different. This becomes even more complicated as many authors chose to retell 2-3 Grimm works within a single story. I am not complaining. This approach brings a freshness to the retelling market that is flooded with diluted copycat versions. However, if you are particular about retellings being faithful to the original flow and structure, you might want to modify that expectation before picking this up.
Those who have read the original Grimm tales know that the stories are quite dark and even gory, not at all like the sugary-sweet concoctions that Disney has fed us. Many of the stories in this collection stay true to that aspect by going as dark and “Grimm” as needed. However, there are also some cutesy stories herein. This medley didn’t work well for me as the emotions were too far apart to enjoy in a single anthology. This factor also works against the book because readers who prefer dark stories will be turned off by the diabetic ones, and those who love their fairy tales to be twee will be scandalised by the macabre ones. I’d have liked it better if the book had picked one level of darkness and stuck to it throughout.
As always, I rated the stories individually. But something very interesting happened this time. From stories one to seven, my rating was a consistent 3.5 stars. In other words, I liked these seven tales but none caused me to go “Whoa!” I wondered where the final two stories would end up as these would be the deciders of the overall rating. Unfortunately, the eighth story bored me (it was haphazard in its structure and the content also didn’t appeal to me, even though I loved the story it chose to retell) and the ninth one, though interesting, was very distracting to read as it chose to kill off all CAPS letters and write the entire story in small case. I am too much of a purist to enjoy this kind of radical writing choice. (But a fervent ‘thank you’ to the author for retaining the quotation marks - Phew!)
Because of the mostly consistent performance, I cannot, as is my usual pattern, mention my top favourites here. But I hope my ratings indicate how balanced most of the stories are in terms of their writing and their impact.
Recommended to fantasy short fiction lovers who would love to try a different, twisty take on classic fairy tales.
3.25 stars, based on the average of my ratings for the stories.
I opted for a complimentary copy of this book through a mailing list promo by one of the contributing authors. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
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This is a collection of nine stories, all of which are retellings of at least one of Grimm’s fairy tales. There is no editor’s note or author’s note in the collection nor any kind of foreword (Grrrrrrrr!), but thankfully, the title and the cover provide a clue about what to expect. You don’t need to know the original stories as these retold versions can be enjoyed on their own merit. But if you know your Brothers Grimm works, you will enjoy detecting which story (or stories!) have been chosen for the fresh take. I love how the authors didn’t stick to only the popular Grimm tales but opted for some esoteric titles as well.
Considering that there are only nine stories in a 270+ page book, the stories are obviously on the lengthier side of the short fiction scale. Many of them were too long for my liking. But I admire how the stories covered a variety of subgenres instead of being restricted to general dark fantasy. It was fun to see some of the modified fairy tales placed in sci-fi or dystopian settings.
If you are looking for the original story to be presented in a different packaging (say, through a different perspective or set in a different era) but without any significant changes to the plot flow, that’s not going to happen here. I guess a better way of describing these stories is by saying that they pay homage to the original fairy tale(s). So we may get some of the characters or situations from the foundational story, but the plot flow is almost always different. This becomes even more complicated as many authors chose to retell 2-3 Grimm works within a single story. I am not complaining. This approach brings a freshness to the retelling market that is flooded with diluted copycat versions. However, if you are particular about retellings being faithful to the original flow and structure, you might want to modify that expectation before picking this up.
Those who have read the original Grimm tales know that the stories are quite dark and even gory, not at all like the sugary-sweet concoctions that Disney has fed us. Many of the stories in this collection stay true to that aspect by going as dark and “Grimm” as needed. However, there are also some cutesy stories herein. This medley didn’t work well for me as the emotions were too far apart to enjoy in a single anthology. This factor also works against the book because readers who prefer dark stories will be turned off by the diabetic ones, and those who love their fairy tales to be twee will be scandalised by the macabre ones. I’d have liked it better if the book had picked one level of darkness and stuck to it throughout.
As always, I rated the stories individually. But something very interesting happened this time. From stories one to seven, my rating was a consistent 3.5 stars. In other words, I liked these seven tales but none caused me to go “Whoa!” I wondered where the final two stories would end up as these would be the deciders of the overall rating. Unfortunately, the eighth story bored me (it was haphazard in its structure and the content also didn’t appeal to me, even though I loved the story it chose to retell) and the ninth one, though interesting, was very distracting to read as it chose to kill off all CAPS letters and write the entire story in small case. I am too much of a purist to enjoy this kind of radical writing choice. (But a fervent ‘thank you’ to the author for retaining the quotation marks - Phew!)
Because of the mostly consistent performance, I cannot, as is my usual pattern, mention my top favourites here. But I hope my ratings indicate how balanced most of the stories are in terms of their writing and their impact.
Recommended to fantasy short fiction lovers who would love to try a different, twisty take on classic fairy tales.
3.25 stars, based on the average of my ratings for the stories.
I opted for a complimentary copy of this book through a mailing list promo by one of the contributing authors. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
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September 16, 2023
MY REVIEW:
Twisted Grimms is a collection of fairy tale retellings by the authors of SnowRidge Press. I'm proud to be part of this group, and I love how each story included here brings something unique to the mix.
My personal favorite is Ben Hanna's story "Hijack," a very clever science fiction retelling of "Death's Godson" (also known as "Godfather Death"). I will warn you, though, it's got an ending like the kick of an Army mule. My brother and I have loved "Death's Godson" since we were young children together, and I really admire what he's done with the tale.
Meanwhile, my contribution to this anthology is "Reconstructed," a sci-fi retelling of Rapunzel with some good ol' fashioned Star Wars vibes:
After crashing on an alien planet, a smuggler stumbles on a mysterious watchtower where he's interrogated by a female cyborg and her loyal battle droids. But as the cyborg probes for answers, the smuggler begins to wonder... Which of them is the real prisoner?
Twisted Grimms releases October 31, but ARCs are available now! If you'd like a free review copy, comment below or shoot me a message.
Twisted Grimms is a collection of fairy tale retellings by the authors of SnowRidge Press. I'm proud to be part of this group, and I love how each story included here brings something unique to the mix.
My personal favorite is Ben Hanna's story "Hijack," a very clever science fiction retelling of "Death's Godson" (also known as "Godfather Death"). I will warn you, though, it's got an ending like the kick of an Army mule. My brother and I have loved "Death's Godson" since we were young children together, and I really admire what he's done with the tale.
Meanwhile, my contribution to this anthology is "Reconstructed," a sci-fi retelling of Rapunzel with some good ol' fashioned Star Wars vibes:
After crashing on an alien planet, a smuggler stumbles on a mysterious watchtower where he's interrogated by a female cyborg and her loyal battle droids. But as the cyborg probes for answers, the smuggler begins to wonder... Which of them is the real prisoner?
Twisted Grimms releases October 31, but ARCs are available now! If you'd like a free review copy, comment below or shoot me a message.
Read
October 5, 2023I'm forever going to be honored that I was asked to be part of this, and thrilled that I get to be among so many amazing stories. Each one is so different, but they're all perfect for the spooky season/end of autumn/start of winter vibes! (Also, a sidenote, I'm obsessed with every first line, which is just one of those things I love paying attention to, and they're all so 👏 good 👏)
On a personal note, "The Ties We Weave and Bind" is my take on the tale of Rumpelstiltskin, featuring Conrad, my sad boy with a lot of guilt who's determined to atone for his mistakes. I love this story, I really do. It spoke to me, before anyone else, and I'm so thankful for that. It's the first time writing an ending made me cry, and I hope it'll touch you too. ❤️
On a personal note, "The Ties We Weave and Bind" is my take on the tale of Rumpelstiltskin, featuring Conrad, my sad boy with a lot of guilt who's determined to atone for his mistakes. I love this story, I really do. It spoke to me, before anyone else, and I'm so thankful for that. It's the first time writing an ending made me cry, and I hope it'll touch you too. ❤️
Read
October 31, 2023October 31st, 2023: RELEASE DAY! *confetti* You can snag this collection of dark and whimsical retellings on Amazon - or, if you have a Kindle Unlimited subscription, you can borrow it now! :-D
September 7, 2023 Update: Advanced Reader Copies are now available! If you're interested in reading and reviewing on or around the release date of Halloween, comment or send me a private message and I will send you the link to download your advanced copy!
Since I'm a proofreader on this project, I can't leave an official review, but now that the cover has been revealed, I'd like to talk about my story in this collection!
"Chef's Kiss" is a combination of a few different things: my love of genderbent fairy tale retellings; my fascination with the Roaring Twenties; and my tendency to write male leads of the whimsical sunshine variety paired with serious, straight-laced-yet-still-sunshiney ladies.
I'd say, of all the stories in this collection, mine might be the one some dismiss as "fluffy," but if so, I hope it's fluff that will seep down your throat and choke you with Feels, too. Because despite the lighthearted story, I chose to retell two very dark fairytales, "All-Kinds-of-Fur" and "Cap-O-Rushes"...and there are major "Cinderella" vibes in there, too. So...yeah, it's fun and sweet, but I'm not shying away from some Themes.
A synopsis, for the Curious:
All Prince Terradok wants is to prove a point to the father who wronged him. After being cast out of his kingdom, Terradok finds solace—and love—in a nearby nobleman’s estate, where he masquerades as a chef and befriends the eldest daughter of the house. When his father arrives to attend an important dinner party, Terradok seizes the chance to show his father the error of his ways. But the prince’s hope to wreak havoc and revenge may cost him the one woman who has become too important to lose.
Other Things to Expect:
✨ themes of reconciliation, forgiveness, + repentance
✨ 1920s-inspired world: fancy dinner party, dancing, + magic
✨ sassy chef sidekick
✨ hidden identities, sabotage, + witty banter
September 7, 2023 Update: Advanced Reader Copies are now available! If you're interested in reading and reviewing on or around the release date of Halloween, comment or send me a private message and I will send you the link to download your advanced copy!
Since I'm a proofreader on this project, I can't leave an official review, but now that the cover has been revealed, I'd like to talk about my story in this collection!
"Chef's Kiss" is a combination of a few different things: my love of genderbent fairy tale retellings; my fascination with the Roaring Twenties; and my tendency to write male leads of the whimsical sunshine variety paired with serious, straight-laced-yet-still-sunshiney ladies.
I'd say, of all the stories in this collection, mine might be the one some dismiss as "fluffy," but if so, I hope it's fluff that will seep down your throat and choke you with Feels, too. Because despite the lighthearted story, I chose to retell two very dark fairytales, "All-Kinds-of-Fur" and "Cap-O-Rushes"...and there are major "Cinderella" vibes in there, too. So...yeah, it's fun and sweet, but I'm not shying away from some Themes.
A synopsis, for the Curious:
All Prince Terradok wants is to prove a point to the father who wronged him. After being cast out of his kingdom, Terradok finds solace—and love—in a nearby nobleman’s estate, where he masquerades as a chef and befriends the eldest daughter of the house. When his father arrives to attend an important dinner party, Terradok seizes the chance to show his father the error of his ways. But the prince’s hope to wreak havoc and revenge may cost him the one woman who has become too important to lose.
Other Things to Expect:
✨ themes of reconciliation, forgiveness, + repentance
✨ 1920s-inspired world: fancy dinner party, dancing, + magic
✨ sassy chef sidekick
✨ hidden identities, sabotage, + witty banter
September 28, 2023
TWISTED GRIMMS takes familiar fairytales (or maybe not so familiar tales!) and twists—genre, setting, heroes and villains, and reader expectations. This collection is full of unique takes and fresh voices! I enjoyed all the stories in the collection, but my particular favorites from this were THE ONES WITH FEAR ENOUGH, our opener that melds The Boy who Went out to Learn Fear with The Robber Bridegroom, and HIJACK, a retelling of Godfather Death (what can I say, I like a touch of the macabre!)
If you are looking for a short story collection for the fall season as the light begins to fade and a chill in the air creeps in, check this one out.
I received an ARC of this collection.
If you are looking for a short story collection for the fall season as the light begins to fade and a chill in the air creeps in, check this one out.
I received an ARC of this collection.
October 7, 2023
I most enjoyed Reconstructed by Katie Hanna, The Raven on the Mountain by C.C. Urie, Chef’s Kiss by Beka Gremikova, and The Ties We Weave and Bind by Abigail McKenna. Though all nine stories have merit in the writing and intrigue as fairytale retellings, there’s a stark contrast in the stories listed above and the vastly darker reimaginings found in the other titles.
On one side of the coin, half of this collection is well-suited for adult readers of dark, twisted narratives or those who like to tailor reading to seasons and are looking for fall/spooky/dark reads. Yet, on the other side, this collection leans more to an audience who enjoys light, romantasy stories. The harsh divide in approach and tone makes it difficult for me to know what to expect transitioning to a new title within the anthology (in an anxious way rather than a fun, suspenseful manner).
One story illustrates love conquering all and then another shows human sacrifice and crude, lustful language. One shows the beauty in truth of the potential to be more while another shows flesh eating monsters of men preying on young women. I typically enjoy variety in anthologies, but this collection seems a little disjointed to me. I understand all pull from original Grimm fairytales, some lesser known than others, but I wish there was a bit more cohesiveness in the approach (ie. All dark tales OR more hopeful narratives). I think the stark contrast in approach is going to make it difficult for readers to fall in love with the collection in its entirety (but every reader has subjective feelings so it is plausible some readers will see the disjointed tone as an inviting variety—to each their own, as the old adage goes).
One included story, unfortunately, includes a trope I cannot stand: someone planning to commit suicide because of their romantic partner’s death (It hurts my soul that this is a trope that I’m seeing more and more in media, both in books and television). I feel it needs to be shared with potential readers it is in the book; a content warning would be an appropriate addition to the beginning of the anthology, honestly. Overall, 2.5—between “meh” and “like.”
*I received an Advanced Reader's Copy of this book. I am leaving a review of my own volition, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
On one side of the coin, half of this collection is well-suited for adult readers of dark, twisted narratives or those who like to tailor reading to seasons and are looking for fall/spooky/dark reads. Yet, on the other side, this collection leans more to an audience who enjoys light, romantasy stories. The harsh divide in approach and tone makes it difficult for me to know what to expect transitioning to a new title within the anthology (in an anxious way rather than a fun, suspenseful manner).
One story illustrates love conquering all and then another shows human sacrifice and crude, lustful language. One shows the beauty in truth of the potential to be more while another shows flesh eating monsters of men preying on young women. I typically enjoy variety in anthologies, but this collection seems a little disjointed to me. I understand all pull from original Grimm fairytales, some lesser known than others, but I wish there was a bit more cohesiveness in the approach (ie. All dark tales OR more hopeful narratives). I think the stark contrast in approach is going to make it difficult for readers to fall in love with the collection in its entirety (but every reader has subjective feelings so it is plausible some readers will see the disjointed tone as an inviting variety—to each their own, as the old adage goes).
One included story, unfortunately, includes a trope I cannot stand: someone planning to commit suicide because of their romantic partner’s death (It hurts my soul that this is a trope that I’m seeing more and more in media, both in books and television). I feel it needs to be shared with potential readers it is in the book; a content warning would be an appropriate addition to the beginning of the anthology, honestly. Overall, 2.5—between “meh” and “like.”
*I received an Advanced Reader's Copy of this book. I am leaving a review of my own volition, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
October 5, 2023
As with most anthologies, this was a mixed bag. There were more good or decent stories than there were bad ones, thankfully, but I applaud the fact that several of the authors chose to retell some very obscure stories!
I'm not going to review every story individually, but here are some of the ones that stuck out to me:
The Ones with Fear Enough (Mariella Taylor)
Excellent, haunting read, and it's a retelling of The Boy Who Went Out to Learn Fear crossed with The Robber Bridegroom — so that's two very obscure tales in one! I absolutely loved this story, even though it's very dark, and if all the tales in the anthology were as good as this one, I would've needed ten stars to rate the book properly.
Chef's Kiss (Beka Gremikova)
1920s vibes! A disgraced prince in hiding as a chef! Family dynamics and reconciliation! There were a few elements of the story that confused me a little, but in general, this was really fun.
Hijack (Ben Hanna)
This one gets a mention because it's a retelling of Godfather Death, which is a story that fascinated me when I was younger. I'm not sure what to do with the ending, but I think the author did an excellent job adapting the story to a sci-fi setting.
The Ties We Weave and Bind (Abigail McKenna)
It's a weird story, but it's also a very cool take on Rumplestiltskin (with a little bit of Rapunzel thrown in), and I loved that Conrad was so determined to save everyone no matter the cost. And the ending was excellent.
I'm not going to review every story individually, but here are some of the ones that stuck out to me:
The Ones with Fear Enough (Mariella Taylor)
Excellent, haunting read, and it's a retelling of The Boy Who Went Out to Learn Fear crossed with The Robber Bridegroom — so that's two very obscure tales in one! I absolutely loved this story, even though it's very dark, and if all the tales in the anthology were as good as this one, I would've needed ten stars to rate the book properly.
Chef's Kiss (Beka Gremikova)
1920s vibes! A disgraced prince in hiding as a chef! Family dynamics and reconciliation! There were a few elements of the story that confused me a little, but in general, this was really fun.
Hijack (Ben Hanna)
This one gets a mention because it's a retelling of Godfather Death, which is a story that fascinated me when I was younger. I'm not sure what to do with the ending, but I think the author did an excellent job adapting the story to a sci-fi setting.
The Ties We Weave and Bind (Abigail McKenna)
It's a weird story, but it's also a very cool take on Rumplestiltskin (with a little bit of Rapunzel thrown in), and I loved that Conrad was so determined to save everyone no matter the cost. And the ending was excellent.
November 30, 2023
Maybe this is why I prefer to read fairytale retellings (in novel form) rather than the original fairytales themselves. I find myself constitutionally incapable of caring about short stories as much as I care about novels/novellas. For the life of me, I cannot overcome the degree of disconnection I feel every time I read a short story, so perhaps I just need to stop trying. (If you saw me ordering a collection of short stories from Thriftbooks last week, first of all, there’s an extenuating circumstance, and second of all, no, you didn’t, shut up.)
Regrettably, this anthology did my relationship with the genre no favors. There were a couple of good stories in here, certainly, but unfortunately these were the exception. In general, if the plot and exposition were decent, the writing was painfully weak. If the writing was good, there were bothersome gaps in plot, structure, characterization, pacing, etc. There were also several grammatical errors and formatting issues, which are always annoying in a published piece of literature.
Short stories usually require in medias res openings, and in my experience, most short story authors end up overcompensating for this, failing to achieve a golden medium of backstory exposition that flows naturally with the narrative and instead info-dumping in a way that’s even more inorganic than info-dumping usually is, due to the constricted length of the story. This anthology was no different – although The Ties We Weave and Bind, the last retelling in the collection, did a significantly better job with this. It was also, I believe, the strongest piece overall and certainly my favorite. (Of course, in the interests of full disclosure, I had read it individually, before this anthology’s publication, but my opinion still stands.)
I’m not going to review each story individually (although I am tempted), because doing so would feel like spreading pointless negativity about an anthology I was allowed to read for free. The star rating I’ve given the collection is simply the average of the ratings I’d give each story.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a review.
Regrettably, this anthology did my relationship with the genre no favors. There were a couple of good stories in here, certainly, but unfortunately these were the exception. In general, if the plot and exposition were decent, the writing was painfully weak. If the writing was good, there were bothersome gaps in plot, structure, characterization, pacing, etc. There were also several grammatical errors and formatting issues, which are always annoying in a published piece of literature.
Short stories usually require in medias res openings, and in my experience, most short story authors end up overcompensating for this, failing to achieve a golden medium of backstory exposition that flows naturally with the narrative and instead info-dumping in a way that’s even more inorganic than info-dumping usually is, due to the constricted length of the story. This anthology was no different – although The Ties We Weave and Bind, the last retelling in the collection, did a significantly better job with this. It was also, I believe, the strongest piece overall and certainly my favorite. (Of course, in the interests of full disclosure, I had read it individually, before this anthology’s publication, but my opinion still stands.)
I’m not going to review each story individually (although I am tempted), because doing so would feel like spreading pointless negativity about an anthology I was allowed to read for free. The star rating I’ve given the collection is simply the average of the ratings I’d give each story.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a review.
December 1, 2023
I am not a huge short story girl but this was a fun anthology to try. Even though not every story was for me, every writer had such cool twists on their prospective fairy tales. I definitely have my favorites but I think there will be readers who enjoy the stories I didn't!
5 stars:
- The Ties We Weave and Bind (engaging story, intriguing characters, good twists and a unique setting!)
4 stars:
- The Ones with Fear Enough (dark and gory, heartfelt, loved the ending)
- Reconstructed (fun, flirty, had a great time)
3 stars:
- By the Pricking of My Teeth (dark, intriguing, it's vampires baby)
- Chef's Kiss (cute but a little slow, Downton Abbey vibes)
2 stars:
- Hijack (lacked some worldbuilding but I liked the bittersweet ending)
- The Raven on the Moon (a little info-dumping, the tone kept changing, cool visuals)
1 star:
- Red of Roses and Blood (lots of head-hopping and plot holes, but appeared to be a prequel to something bigger)
- The Silver Moon (strong innuendos, child sacrifice, tried to be edgy but fell flat, cool twist on Red Riding Hood though)
5 stars:
- The Ties We Weave and Bind (engaging story, intriguing characters, good twists and a unique setting!)
4 stars:
- The Ones with Fear Enough (dark and gory, heartfelt, loved the ending)
- Reconstructed (fun, flirty, had a great time)
3 stars:
- By the Pricking of My Teeth (dark, intriguing, it's vampires baby)
- Chef's Kiss (cute but a little slow, Downton Abbey vibes)
2 stars:
- Hijack (lacked some worldbuilding but I liked the bittersweet ending)
- The Raven on the Moon (a little info-dumping, the tone kept changing, cool visuals)
1 star:
- Red of Roses and Blood (lots of head-hopping and plot holes, but appeared to be a prequel to something bigger)
- The Silver Moon (strong innuendos, child sacrifice, tried to be edgy but fell flat, cool twist on Red Riding Hood though)
October 16, 2023
Grimm Tidings
Twisted Grimms: Fairy Tales Retold is an anthology of many authors working together to re-imagine tales in short story form through a unique light.
With twists of fantasy & dystopia themes that Snowridge press is known for.
So what did I think?
The Ones with Fear Enough By Mariella Taylor
A brother's determination to gain justice or vengeance for the death of his sister. His twin. With another in his company he sets out.
Well constructed & Speaking true dedication and love of family
Reconstructed by Katie Hanna
A smuggler carrying dangerous incriminating information and a reconstructed cyborg guarding in a watchtower. Both on opposite sides.
Sci-fi eque story reminiscent of a low-key starwars intro, brings determination but furthermore truth to the characters.
By the Pricking of My Teeth By Hannah Carter
Princess Briar was aging normally and went to a vampire to get turned. Three fairies couldn't stop her so they cursed her to eternal sleep What happens when someone attempts to do the unthinkable?
A classically, rejuvenated version of sleeping beauty that brings dark vengeance to it's forefront.
Chef's Kiss by Beka Gremikova
A banished Prince disguised as a chef and a young lady tormented by her family... How will they attempt to fix their situations?
Enjoyed the underhanded way of
getting away from one family and reunited with another. Brought escape and uniting in a humorist light.
But if you want to know how they do it...read the story
Red of Roses and Blood By Eva Grace
Crossing of Snow White, Vampires, & Other creative measures.
It brought a short but captive tale depicting the eyes of a child in a time of war in unique world-building
Hijack By Ben Hannah
Compelling futuristic world centered around a man's decision for his son's life, leading to a successful life. Only to moving into eventual realizations and despair.
It evoked emotions of uncertainty, relatability, and the pain of the characters portrayed.
The Ties We Weave and Bind By Abigail Mckenna
Delightfully light-hearted tale to begin with, it's well spun. It spins through time itself in an attempt to help others reunite. A redo, groundhog's day approach to the retelling of Rupelstiltskin.
Reconciliation, sacrifice, & assistance are themes in this one.
These stories each held something special.
Some could easily be allocated a part two.
With some cliffhangers, it would be nice to read more.
On multiple journeys through the eyes of the characters, we see much of the classics from which they're inspired but also much of the newest takes told through unique light.
Thanks to Snowridge Press & all the talented authors involved.
I'm pleased to have had the opportunity to ARC read this anthology. My Opinions are my own honest ones.
Twisted Grimms: Fairy Tales Retold is an anthology of many authors working together to re-imagine tales in short story form through a unique light.
With twists of fantasy & dystopia themes that Snowridge press is known for.
So what did I think?
The Ones with Fear Enough By Mariella Taylor
A brother's determination to gain justice or vengeance for the death of his sister. His twin. With another in his company he sets out.
Well constructed & Speaking true dedication and love of family
Reconstructed by Katie Hanna
A smuggler carrying dangerous incriminating information and a reconstructed cyborg guarding in a watchtower. Both on opposite sides.
Sci-fi eque story reminiscent of a low-key starwars intro, brings determination but furthermore truth to the characters.
By the Pricking of My Teeth By Hannah Carter
Princess Briar was aging normally and went to a vampire to get turned. Three fairies couldn't stop her so they cursed her to eternal sleep What happens when someone attempts to do the unthinkable?
A classically, rejuvenated version of sleeping beauty that brings dark vengeance to it's forefront.
Chef's Kiss by Beka Gremikova
A banished Prince disguised as a chef and a young lady tormented by her family... How will they attempt to fix their situations?
Enjoyed the underhanded way of
getting away from one family and reunited with another. Brought escape and uniting in a humorist light.
But if you want to know how they do it...read the story
Red of Roses and Blood By Eva Grace
Crossing of Snow White, Vampires, & Other creative measures.
It brought a short but captive tale depicting the eyes of a child in a time of war in unique world-building
Hijack By Ben Hannah
Compelling futuristic world centered around a man's decision for his son's life, leading to a successful life. Only to moving into eventual realizations and despair.
It evoked emotions of uncertainty, relatability, and the pain of the characters portrayed.
The Ties We Weave and Bind By Abigail Mckenna
Delightfully light-hearted tale to begin with, it's well spun. It spins through time itself in an attempt to help others reunite. A redo, groundhog's day approach to the retelling of Rupelstiltskin.
Reconciliation, sacrifice, & assistance are themes in this one.
These stories each held something special.
Some could easily be allocated a part two.
With some cliffhangers, it would be nice to read more.
On multiple journeys through the eyes of the characters, we see much of the classics from which they're inspired but also much of the newest takes told through unique light.
Thanks to Snowridge Press & all the talented authors involved.
I'm pleased to have had the opportunity to ARC read this anthology. My Opinions are my own honest ones.
November 14, 2023
Reader’s Notes:
– this is a collection of stories
– the rating given to the collection is based off the rounded average of each story’s rating together
– the tales each story is based off on is not mentioned in the book (I put my best guess on the ones that aren’t mentioned in the summary) – I wish that there was a list of the tales so we could better find the originals of the stories we don’t already know
Reviews:
The Ones With Fear Enough by Mariella Taylor
⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3.5 stars)
(The Youth Who Went Forth to Learn What Fear Was retelling)
Notes: this story contained characters who were cannibals (we hear about what they did), there is many instances of violence & mentions of blood, there are spirits, there are about 3 not nice words
Honestly, my biggest issues with this story are all the notes. I don’t particularly enjoy these kinds of stories & it made me uncomfortable. However, the author’s writing was quite good as it did hold my attention and make me wonder what exactly the main character was doing in order to achieve his goal.
Reconstructed by Katie Hanna
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4.5 stars)
(Rapunzel retelling; science fiction, outer space)
Notes: it is mentioned that a group used nerve gas on children (discovered a recording of the event), this is told in dual point of view
This is almost 5 stars for me as it was written well, you can tell that this is a Rapunzel retelling, but it also leaves you with questions. It’s not 100% a complete story as we don’t discover our Rapunzel’s true origins, just that the main characters intend to figure it out. But it was a really good start & an interesting way to mix the tale with science fiction!
By the Pricking of My Teeth by Hannah Carter
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4.5 stars)
(Sleeping Beauty retelling; vampires)
Notes: blood oaths, fantasy violence & death
The blood oaths parts of this story wasn’t my favorite. Overall the story was interesting though. I liked how the two things were mixed together to complement each other.
The Silver Moon by Allie Sarah
⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3 stars)
(Red Riding Hood retelling?; wolf shifters + super magic users)
Notes: mentions the group participates in human sacrifices & drinking blood (during the event the story revolves around – we don’t see either), suggestive comments/innuendo
This seemed more like it should be an adult story with the different comments & innuendos thrown between the main character & her ‘enemy’. I also wasn’t a fan of hearing what the main character’s group does to people at this event that they clearly get excited for each time it comes up. So though the concept was interesting, this story just really wasn’t for me.
The Raven on the Mountain by C. C. Urie
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4.5 stars)
(The Glass Hill/The Princess on the Glass Hill retelling?)
Notes: some fantasy violence
I enjoyed this story! It read like a children’s story with an adventure, magical objects, & a character saving the one they love that’s trapped. Though I was a little confused by the villain’s motives/decisions & why they trapped their captive to begin with.
Chef’s Kiss by Beka Gremikova
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5 stars)
(I’m not sure what tale this is, maybe a gender flipped Cinderella?; historical fiction?)
Notes: dual point of view, one not nice word
I enjoyed this sweet romance! It was fun to see the story unfold from both of the characters’ positions and to see the lessons characters learned in the story. I also enjoyed a few of the side characters’ interactions and what they were going through during the events.
Red of Roses and Blood by Eva Grace
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5 stars)
(Snow White retelling; vampires)
Notes: some fantasy violence/mentions of death/blood, this is told from a few different points of view, (temporary) death of a child
Though this only retells the tale up to Snow White being found with the dwarves by the huntsman, I really enjoyed it! It felt like an origin story with Snow White being the rising hero. If there were to be more written I’d probably want to read the whole story!
Hijack by Ben Hanna
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4.5 stars)
(I’m not sure what tale this is;science fiction)
Notes: a character visits the seedy underworld in search of something & considers giving their small child to a life of crime
I was hoping for a happy ending but it ended up being tragic. I also wish we knew if the child turned man knew his godfather & what he thought of him. We don’t get much info on the godfather or why he offered himself to be the boy’s godfather.
The Ties We Weave and Bind by Abigail McKenna
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4 stars)
(Rumpelstiltskin retelling)
Notes: some fantasy violence & a death/blood
My major issue with this story is that for some reason anything that should have been capitalized was not (first letters of names, I, first letters of sentences). I would have liked to see more of Conrad’s attempts to fix things before finding out what exactly was happening. But overall, this was an interesting take on the Rumpelstiltskin tale and I enjoyed getting to see how this author made it their own.
– this is a collection of stories
– the rating given to the collection is based off the rounded average of each story’s rating together
– the tales each story is based off on is not mentioned in the book (I put my best guess on the ones that aren’t mentioned in the summary) – I wish that there was a list of the tales so we could better find the originals of the stories we don’t already know
Reviews:
The Ones With Fear Enough by Mariella Taylor
⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3.5 stars)
(The Youth Who Went Forth to Learn What Fear Was retelling)
Notes: this story contained characters who were cannibals (we hear about what they did), there is many instances of violence & mentions of blood, there are spirits, there are about 3 not nice words
Honestly, my biggest issues with this story are all the notes. I don’t particularly enjoy these kinds of stories & it made me uncomfortable. However, the author’s writing was quite good as it did hold my attention and make me wonder what exactly the main character was doing in order to achieve his goal.
Reconstructed by Katie Hanna
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4.5 stars)
(Rapunzel retelling; science fiction, outer space)
Notes: it is mentioned that a group used nerve gas on children (discovered a recording of the event), this is told in dual point of view
This is almost 5 stars for me as it was written well, you can tell that this is a Rapunzel retelling, but it also leaves you with questions. It’s not 100% a complete story as we don’t discover our Rapunzel’s true origins, just that the main characters intend to figure it out. But it was a really good start & an interesting way to mix the tale with science fiction!
By the Pricking of My Teeth by Hannah Carter
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4.5 stars)
(Sleeping Beauty retelling; vampires)
Notes: blood oaths, fantasy violence & death
The blood oaths parts of this story wasn’t my favorite. Overall the story was interesting though. I liked how the two things were mixed together to complement each other.
The Silver Moon by Allie Sarah
⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3 stars)
(Red Riding Hood retelling?; wolf shifters + super magic users)
Notes: mentions the group participates in human sacrifices & drinking blood (during the event the story revolves around – we don’t see either), suggestive comments/innuendo
This seemed more like it should be an adult story with the different comments & innuendos thrown between the main character & her ‘enemy’. I also wasn’t a fan of hearing what the main character’s group does to people at this event that they clearly get excited for each time it comes up. So though the concept was interesting, this story just really wasn’t for me.
The Raven on the Mountain by C. C. Urie
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4.5 stars)
(The Glass Hill/The Princess on the Glass Hill retelling?)
Notes: some fantasy violence
I enjoyed this story! It read like a children’s story with an adventure, magical objects, & a character saving the one they love that’s trapped. Though I was a little confused by the villain’s motives/decisions & why they trapped their captive to begin with.
Chef’s Kiss by Beka Gremikova
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5 stars)
(I’m not sure what tale this is, maybe a gender flipped Cinderella?; historical fiction?)
Notes: dual point of view, one not nice word
I enjoyed this sweet romance! It was fun to see the story unfold from both of the characters’ positions and to see the lessons characters learned in the story. I also enjoyed a few of the side characters’ interactions and what they were going through during the events.
Red of Roses and Blood by Eva Grace
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5 stars)
(Snow White retelling; vampires)
Notes: some fantasy violence/mentions of death/blood, this is told from a few different points of view, (temporary) death of a child
Though this only retells the tale up to Snow White being found with the dwarves by the huntsman, I really enjoyed it! It felt like an origin story with Snow White being the rising hero. If there were to be more written I’d probably want to read the whole story!
Hijack by Ben Hanna
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4.5 stars)
(I’m not sure what tale this is;science fiction)
Notes: a character visits the seedy underworld in search of something & considers giving their small child to a life of crime
I was hoping for a happy ending but it ended up being tragic. I also wish we knew if the child turned man knew his godfather & what he thought of him. We don’t get much info on the godfather or why he offered himself to be the boy’s godfather.
The Ties We Weave and Bind by Abigail McKenna
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4 stars)
(Rumpelstiltskin retelling)
Notes: some fantasy violence & a death/blood
My major issue with this story is that for some reason anything that should have been capitalized was not (first letters of names, I, first letters of sentences). I would have liked to see more of Conrad’s attempts to fix things before finding out what exactly was happening. But overall, this was an interesting take on the Rumpelstiltskin tale and I enjoyed getting to see how this author made it their own.
October 17, 2023
I wasn't sure how to rate this as a lot of the stories in this collection didn't appeal to me personally but that doesn't necessarily mean they were bad. That's why anthologies are great, there's something for everyone. I thought I would rate my personal favorites.
Reconstructed - 4 stars
Sci-fi Rapunzel is an excellent idea and its trappings are used brilliantly. I adored the way it was written and the character interactions were adorable. Had a lot of fun with this one.
Chef's Kiss -4 stars
This one was fun and fluffy a combination I've been needing. I loved the setting, time period, and hilarity of the whole situation. The characters were super unique and made you root for them.
Hijack - 3.5
Had so much potential, the writing was really strong and had me immersed in the beginning, but it kinda lost me after the time jump and somewhat rushed ending.
The Ties We Weave and Bind- 4.5
A beautifully written, incredibly unique, and intriguing take on Rumplestiltskin. I think this was one of the few in the collection that read like a proper fairytale to me. Ended up being my favorite, need more from this author.
Reconstructed - 4 stars
Sci-fi Rapunzel is an excellent idea and its trappings are used brilliantly. I adored the way it was written and the character interactions were adorable. Had a lot of fun with this one.
Chef's Kiss -4 stars
This one was fun and fluffy a combination I've been needing. I loved the setting, time period, and hilarity of the whole situation. The characters were super unique and made you root for them.
Hijack - 3.5
Had so much potential, the writing was really strong and had me immersed in the beginning, but it kinda lost me after the time jump and somewhat rushed ending.
The Ties We Weave and Bind- 4.5
A beautifully written, incredibly unique, and intriguing take on Rumplestiltskin. I think this was one of the few in the collection that read like a proper fairytale to me. Ended up being my favorite, need more from this author.
September 19, 2023
Delighted to receive an ARC for this book! Very happy fairy tale nerd here.
While I didn't love every story in the collection, I certainly found a few favorites (why else do we read anthologies if not to find new favorite authors?).
"The Raven on the Mountain," is a gorgeous retelling of "The Glass Mountain," featuring a knight in shining armor bumbling his way through the adventure and trying not to get squashed by giants,
"Chef's Kiss," is a snarky genderswapped Cinderella story set in the 1920s,
"Red of Roses and Blood" features a fantastic brother/sister dynamic...and Snow White as a vampire,
And "The Ties We Weave and Bind" is a time-travel Rumpelstiltskin story that is deeply gorgeous and is going to be haunting me (in the best way) for a while.
You can find a longer review (and more details on the book's darker themes) here: https://bookmarkedone.home.blog/2023/....
While I didn't love every story in the collection, I certainly found a few favorites (why else do we read anthologies if not to find new favorite authors?).
"The Raven on the Mountain," is a gorgeous retelling of "The Glass Mountain," featuring a knight in shining armor bumbling his way through the adventure and trying not to get squashed by giants,
"Chef's Kiss," is a snarky genderswapped Cinderella story set in the 1920s,
"Red of Roses and Blood" features a fantastic brother/sister dynamic...and Snow White as a vampire,
And "The Ties We Weave and Bind" is a time-travel Rumpelstiltskin story that is deeply gorgeous and is going to be haunting me (in the best way) for a while.
You can find a longer review (and more details on the book's darker themes) here: https://bookmarkedone.home.blog/2023/....
October 2, 2025
"Twisted Grimms" is everything I never knew I needed in a fairy tale anthology. Each story takes a familiar classic and flips it on its head in the most creative and unexpected ways. From vampire-hunting Sleeping Beauty to a ghostly retelling of The Youth Who Went Forth to Learn What Fear Was, and even Rapunzel reimagined in space, every twist kept me hooked.
December 8, 2023
The Ones with Fear enough and The ties we Weave behind were incredible.
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