Faeries Never Lie: Tales to Revel In

Untold Legends

by Zoraida Córdova (Editor), Natalie C. Parker (Editor), Nafiza Azad

Faeries Never Lie, the next young adult collection in the Untold Legends series edited by Zoraida Córdova and Natalie C. Parker, is filled with fourteen short stories to revel in, that center faeries of varying genders and cultures!

There’s something to be said for starting your first day in faerie boarding school, for chasing a faerie through Chang’an during the Tang Dynasty, for searching for the missing part of your throuple who may have run away with a faerie prince, for descending into madness after spending countless nights plagued by the same faerie dream—and much more.

Fly into this revelry filled with tricksters, lovers, monsters, and the like, in this exciting collection for those who love faeries and those who are experiencing them for the first time!

Edited by Zoraida Córdova and Natalie C. Parker, Faeries Never Lie features short stories from beloved authors Nafiza Azad, Holly Black, Dhonielle Clayton, Christine Day, Chloe Gong, Tessa Gratton, Kwame Mbalia, Ryan La Sala, L.L. McKinney, Anna-Marie McLemore, Kaitlyn Sage Patterson, Rory Power.

Genres: Fantasy, Anthologies, Short Stories, Young Adult, Fae, Fairies, Fiction

336 pages, Hardcover

First published September 24, 2024

About the author

Zoraida Córdova is the author of many fantasy novels for kids and teens, including the award-winning Brooklyn Brujas series, Incendiary, and Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge: A Crash of Fate. Her short fiction has appeared in the New York Times bestselling anthology Star Wars: From a Certain Point of View, Star Wars The Clone Wars: Stories of Light and Dark, Come on In: 15 Stories About Immigration and Finding Home, and Toil & Trouble: 15 Tales of Women and Witchcraft. She is the co-editor of the bestselling anthology Vampires Never Get Old. Her debut middle grade novel is The Way to Rio Luna. She is the co-host of the podcast Deadline City with Dhonielle Clayton. Zoraida was born in Ecuador and raised in Queens, New York. When she isn’t working on her next novel, she’s planning a new adventure.

NOTE: Direct messages on this account may not be seen. Send her an email at zoraidabooks@gmail.com

Reviews

[Melanie (meltotheany)]

♡ Vampires Never Get Old ★★
♡ Mermaids Never Drown ★★★★

new fae stories by holly black, tessa gratton, and anna-marie mclemore? higher powers were thinking of me for sure

blog | instagram | youtube | kofi | spotify | amazon

[Ivory Winterley]

chloe gong!! holly black!! so excited!!

[Beenish · Rating 3 out of 5]

3★ | Stepping into the world of faerie is an invitation to dream and imagine. A metaphor for experiences that defy all reason, and leave us feeling outside the norm.

my ratings of the stories:
• An Eternal Fire by Chloe Gong — 4★
• Fool by Rory Power — 3.5★
• The Senescence by Dhonielle Clayton — 2.5★
• Rotten by Kaitlyn Sage Patterson — 3★
• Blue Amber by Anna-Marie and Elliott McLemore — 3★
• Revelry by Kwame Mbalia — 3.5★
• La Tierra Del Olvido by Zoraida Córdova — 4★
• Always There and Never Seen by Natalie C. Parker — 5★
• Dear Diary by L. L. McKinney — 1★
• The Night and Her Darkness by Nafiza Azad — 3.5★
• The New Girl at Autumn Prep by Christine Day — 3★
• The Honest Folk by Holly Black — 5★
• Ask Twice by Ryan La Sala — 3.5★
• Birch Kiss by Tessa Gratton — 3★


***

So, I guess my very first experience of Chloe Gong’s writing is going to be that of a short story from the Untold Legends Anthology series. Things almost never seem to be happening as planned, and yet, we plan.


***


Here for that Vivi and Heather story!

[hailee · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5***

the eternal fire: ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
a really good start to this anthology! i would have liked a little more background about the mythology but i really enjoyed the characters & the twist. it also made me tear up so!

fool: ☆ ☆ ☆
the writing in this one was great but i wish it had been centered more on faeries. i’d have loved to see more of mab & her relationship with glass, the main character.

the senescence: ☆ ☆ ☆
this author had written a short story for vampires never get old & it was one of my favorites in that anthology. when i saw this story was set in that same world, i was so excited!! this one was pretty well done but the writing felt slightly juvenile this time around. that being said, i would still read an entire book/series set in this world.

rotten: ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
THIS ONE!! i love when faeries are actually eerie & evil tricksters, not the buff alpha “fae” we so often see in romantasy now (not that i haven’t enjoyed books with that - i just enjoy this type of faerie more). also enjoyed the main character & her reasoning - feeling trapped & resentful of her own life. the writing in this was also great!

blue amber: ☆ ☆ ☆
interesting concept but not the best execution. i felt thrown into this world with no explanation (which sometimes is fun but in this case was unenjoyable). i really liked the magic & the description of the dresses created.

revelry: ☆ ☆ ☆
really intriguing setting but was thrown off by the writing a bit. i would have liked to see more of this! also love a good faerie revelry so that was fun - again, would have liked to see more of that!

la tierra del olvido: ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
LOVED this one!! the ending was super satisfying, the romance was cute, & i really felt for the main character. beautiful writing.

always there and never seen: ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
a really great representation of grief & complicated familial relationships. would have liked a bit more faeries but still good!

dear diary: ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
creepy!!!! i’m a sucker for unique formatting & the diary entries were perfect. i loved how you saw the slow descent into madness from the narrator while she sees it happening to her friend. i was genuinely freaked out by this one.

the night and her darkness: ☆ ☆
writing style was interesting but needed more from this one. i would have liked more showing instead of telling and further exploration into the faeries of this world.

the new girl at autumn prep: ☆ ☆
the only thing i liked about this - it gave similar vibes as the fairies of pixie hollow. felt like an introduction & then right to the resolution…with literally nothing to show for it.

the honest folk: ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
i’m biased bc literally anything by holly black taking place in elfhame gets 5 stars from me sorry! really tho this was so good & i loved being in heather’s head after the fiasco that happened with her & vivi.

ask twice: ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
i really liked the characters/setting/writing but this felt like more of a horror story than a story about faeries. i would have really liked to see that & some more explanation about the shadow creature. also cried at the end of this one!!

birch kiss: ☆ ☆ ☆
beautiful writing & interesting concept but execution was off (the “you” got to be a bit confusing).

overall this was a solid 3.5 star read!!

[Rhi · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The Honest Folk" by Holly Black, from Fairies Never Lie, is such a sweet story! I only picked up the book for this particular short story, but maybe I’ll try out the others someday as well.

It was so nice to see what happens between Vivi and Heather during The Queen of Nothing. It was simple, sweet, and worth the read! 🧚✨

[ash🐞 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Only read this for the Folk of the Air chapter

[Emily Danielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short stories can be such a hit or miss so you can imagine my surprise when I realized how much I enjoyed each one! Each story is so diverse and immersive, really bringing the world of faeries to life. The world building into each story was immaculate, I could picture the setting SO clearly. I wanted MORE from each story because it was just so good that I didn’t want them to end! I’m going to rate each one for context 🧚🍃🍊

🧺An Eternal Fire by Chloe Gong - 4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

🍇Fool by Rory Power - 4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

🌬️The Senescence by Dhonielle Clayton - 3 ⭐️⭐️⭐️

🌲Rotten by Kaitlyn Sage Patterson - 4.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

🧝🏻‍♀️Blue Ember by Anna-Marie McLemore - 3 ⭐️⭐️⭐️

🦷Revelry by Kwame Mbalia- 3.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

🫀La Tierra Del Olvido by Zoraida Códova - 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

🕯️Always There and Never Seen by Natalie C. Parker - 3.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

🪶Dear Diary by L.L. McKinney - 4.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

🍄The Night and Her Darkness by Nafiza Azad - 3 ⭐️⭐️⭐️

🌙The New Girl at Autumn Prep by Christine Day - 4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

🌈The Honest Folk by Holly Black - 4.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

🥝Ask Twice by Ryan La Sala - 3 ⭐️⭐️⭐️

🍷Birch Kiss by Tessa Gratton - 2.5 ⭐️⭐️✨

[Elevetha · Rating 2 out of 5]

I will never give up anthologies, despite hardly ever finding one I actually like.

Only mentioning those I read.

An Eternal Fire by Chloe Gong - 3 stars. A girl, her grandpa, and a mythological creature.

Fool by Rory Power - 2 stars. A faerie obsesses over a ballet dancer.

Blue Ember by Anna-Marie McLemore - 2 stars. Felt a little thrown into this one. Not bad but it also seemed to exist for the sake of existing.

La Tierra Del Olvido by Zoraida Códova - 4 stars. I do wish there existed a single man in this story that wasn't a lying abusive cheating SOB, but otherwise good.

Dear Diary by L.L. McKinney - 2 stars. Unsettling in a good way

The New Girl at Autumn Prep by Christine Day - 2 stars. Fine but a little pointless?

[Tami · Rating 5 out of 5]

Story read: The Honest Folk by Holly Black ★★★★★ (5 stars)

A delightful short story featuring Vivienne and Heather from The Folk of the Air series. This story explores the fallout of Heather asking Vivi to remove her memories of faeries. It’s a tale about how they rekindled their relationship, with Holly Black’s signature blend of magic and human emotion.

[Malli (Chapter Malliumpkin) · Rating 3 out of 5]

✨ Mermaids Never Drown ★★★★

I finally finished this anthology! It felt like this took me too long to read and I wish I would have loved this so much more than I did. I found a few stories in this anthology I enjoyed, but overall, this anthology felt like it dragged on or there were a lot of stories that just didn't fit in with the other stories in this anthology. I do recommend this to all the faerie lovers out there, though!


✨ An Eternal Fire by Chloe Gong ★★★★★
Content/Trigger Warnings: Talk of death, talk of a medical condition

I really enjoyed this story. It was fun, intriguing, but what surprised me the most was how soft and mushy the ending of this story had me. The ending had a lot of emotional pull, but also had a sweet endearing ending. It was a really good balance that left me wanting more from these characters.

✨ Fool by Rory Power 4.5 ★
Author cw/tw: Fire, implied threat of sexual assault

Content/Trigger Warnings: Blood, brief moment of implied bullying, stalking, implied sexual assault, fire, grief

This felt like an emotional roller coaster of a story. It had mischief you often see in faeries, love and yearning, but also sadness and grief. It was very well-written and it reminded me of why I enjoyed this author's writing.

✨ The Senescence by Dhonielle Clayton 2.5 ★
Content/Trigger Warnings: Anxiety, loss of a sibling (recounted), grief, loneliness

I don't know what to really say about this story other than the fact that this didn't feel like a faerie story at all. I don't often like comparing books or stories, but if you're someone who's been around the block with stories by faeries then you'll probably feel as frustrated or even as bored with this story. I know when I was reading this I kept asking myself when something was going to happen. Plus, the way this story ended was on such a high sad note that the story left me feeling less than thrilled.

✨ Rotten by Kaitlyn Sage Patterson ★★★★
Content/Trigger Warnings: Mentions of cheating, intrusive thoughts of self-harm/suicide, loneliness, under age drinking, loss of a parent (in the past)

How many times have any of us wanted to wander off into the woods to find faeries so we could join them in their shenanigans or leave our lives behind for something magical? Well that's what this story is. Our MC wants to leave her life behind, wanting to take her place among the faeries. I loved how we got a good taste of Appalachian beliefs in this story, I loved the atmosphere especially when the faeries are finally introduced, and I just had a really fun time. This was a really fun read and the ending left me wanting to read more faerie stories, stories in general, from this author going forward!

✨ Blue Amber by Anna-Marie McLemore ★★★★
I really enjoyed this story. I've always been drawn to the stories of Fae and clothing maker stories. So this one hit a soft spot for me. However, my only issue with this story is that I wish it wasn't tied to an actual book. I would have preferred if this was it's own standalone short story or something because this story almost makes you feel obligated to go pick up the book it's tied to.

✨ Revelry by Kwame Mbalia 2.5 ★
Content/Trigger Warnings: Talk of war themes, mentions of blood, grief, forced drugging

This was an okay read. I thought it was a really good take on faeries having wars, taking on the powers of gods and using humans as pawns/sacrifices. The author did a really good job of describing and building all of that. However, I just wanted more from this story. I didn't really care about the setting or even much out of the story besides the history of the fae and then the missing brother. I just wanted a lot more than I got from this.

✨ La Tierra Del Olvido by Zoraida Córdova ★★★★
Content/Trigger Warnings: Very brief mentions of a drowning, depictions of domestic abuse, alcoholism, mentions loss of a sibling, grief, violence, adultery

I devour stories where a mortal saves a faerie. I think that would have to be my top three favorite type of fae stories to read about and this delivered such a good story. I loved the chemistry between the mc and the fae she rescued and their ending is what really won me over for this story. My only issue with this story was the fact that this story felt dragged out when it didn't need to be. Other than that, this was a really enjoyable story.

✨ Always Here And Never Seen by Natalie C. Parker 2.5 ★
Content/Trigger Warnings: Loss of a loved one, grief, biphobia, brief mentions of divorce

I'll be honest, I expected more from this story. I was expecting more of an emotional pull, maybe some crying, but that's definitely not what I got. I did really love the sentimental moments of the main character remembering her grandfather, but other than that, this was... fine, I guess. I think I was expecting faeries to play a bigger role in this story and they just didn't.

✨ Dear Diary by L.L. McKinney ★★★★
Content/Trigger Warnings: Drugs/drug dealing, on page animal deaths, mentions of racism, mentions of violence

I thought it was interesting how the pages were darker than all the other pages in the book. However, the thing that really got me was how the dreams and the diary entries became more erratic as you began to read on. The other thing that made me really enjoy this story was the fact that this is story involved The Raven Queen. I personally feel The Raven Queen doesn't get enough stories. So that really filled my heart.

✨ The Night and Her Darkness by Nafiza Azad 2.5 ★
Content/Trigger Warnings: Child abuse, mentions of starvation, blood, violence

Author Cw/Tw: Child abuse

I honestly don't know what to think about this story and it also didn't feel like it belonged in this anthology. I think the biggest thing that hindered this story was we're supposed to believe the parents are abusive and the main character builds up their parents as really horrible, abusive people. Yet at the end of this story, we don't see any of that when the author had the opportunity to show instead of just telling. The whole story felt very off and it just wasn't what I was expecting.

✨ The New Girl At Autumn Prep by Christine Day ★★★★
Content/Trigger Warnings: Bullying, harassment, brief mentions of war

I really liked this story. We really get to see bits and pieces of fae from all different courts, but the main focus in this story is the Spring Court. I really enjoyed the backstory for the Spring Court and I loved how our main character was resilient despite all they had to face. I do think the author could have given us more when it came to the main character's resilience and the challenges she was facing, but overall I really liked this story.

✨ The Honest Folk by Holly Black 2.5 ★
Content/Trigger Warnings: Grief, medical talk/medical scenes, blood

I would have loved this more if it didn't feel like it directly tie into the Folk of Air series. I think fans of that world will eat this story up, but for those who haven't started or finished this series, skip this one just in case.

✨ Ask Twice by Ryan La Sala ★★★★
Content/Trigger Warnings: Blood, grief, abandonment

I was pleasantly surprised by this story. I wish we had more stories that revolved around this particular faerie. They often don't get the spotlight the way a lot of other fae do. So this was a pleasant surprise and you could feel how much emotion the author really poured into this story.

✨ Birch Kiss by Tessa Gratton ★★★★★
Content/Trigger Warnings: Blood & grief

I adored this story a lot! This was such a good story to end this anthology on and Gratton's writing is always just so beautifully lyrical. Between Gratton's writing and this centering around the fae, it felt like the perfect combination. Chef's kiss, everything I wanted from a story of fae!


All thoughts, feelings, experiences, and opinions are honest and my own.

Instagram|Ko-fi|Throne

[Cathlina Bergman · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF. Read a few of the short stories and skimmed the rest of the book. Not my vibe.

[Natalie · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I read faerie stories I'm looking for a certain mix of otherworldliness, deception, allure, and unease with the aesthetic of the almost natural world. These were elements in most stories, yet some didn't feel fully fleshed out to warrant their ties to a faerie theme. But I also want to note that the queer and diverse inclusions definitely added to the reading experience.

An Eternal Fire, Chloe Gong: 1.5 stars
Set in the past in China, a family heirloom is stolen by a mythological being. We follow a girl as she goes around her city trying to win it back.

Fool, Rory Power: 3 stars
A faerie who admires ballet so much that they obsess over dancers and give up everything to have a part of it. Liked the underlying theme of having ownership over a person, shown as both being owned and wanting to own.

The Senescence, Dhonielle Clayton: 1.5 stars
Set in two different realms of New Orleans, a faerie princess is sent to the mortal realm to entrap mortals with faerie fruit. Although I like the premise, this felt like a shortened beginning of a book(all setup) rather than a short story.

Rotten, Kaitlyn Sage Patterson: 2.25 stars
A girl is apprehensive about her future so she purposely tries to entrap herself by faeries (so real).

Blue Amber, Anna-Marie McLemore: 2.25 stars
We follow a princess' attendant who's been blessed by a faerie. The conclusion to this one felt rushed to me, with an overly simplistic message.

Revelry, Kwame Mbalia: 2.5 stars
The best structured short story so far. A boy and his friends go to a party steeped in mythology, but what the boy really seeks is his brother who disappeared at the same party the year prior.

La Tierra Del Olvido, Zoraida Córdova: 4 stars
Set in rural Ecuador in the 50s, a girl saves a faerie and is granted a wish (I'll always fall for this formula). The story revolves around women's expected roles and lack of choice, and the generational harm it does. I loved reading this one. Not only for the familiar faerie aspects but for the setting and storytelling of it.

Always There and Never Seen, Natalie C. Parker: 3 stars
A daughter visits her grandmother with her mother after her grandpa has died. She and her mother have a tenuous relationship, and while there she acts on her grandpa's connection to a well-known version of a faerie story. The mother-daughter relationship felt relatable, with the daughter wanting to be seen by her mother and recognize the wrong of what she's put her through. The ending choice has strong symbolism too.

Dear Diary, L.L. McKinney: 2.5 stars
Told in the format of journal entries, a girl starts going to a faerie-cursed school. Loved the mysterious unnatural-acting ravens.

The Night and Her Darkness, Nafiza Azad: 2.75 stars
A child rebels against her abusive parents while aiding a nature spirit by possession for the night. An untethered writing style that felt a little like a fever dream, in a good way.

The New Girl at Autumn Prep, Christine Day: 2 stars
Set in a fantasy world at a prestigious academy, a faerie from a persecuted group chooses to attend it. A metaphor for indigenous communities and the decision to assimilate or not.

The Honest Folk, Holly Black: 3 stars
Biased here, a story from The Folk of the Air from Heather's POV (spoilers for that series). Takes place after Heather forgets a week of memories, we see how it affects her and how Vivi tries not to lose her. Love the faerie powers and their effects on display, but probably doesn't work as well as an isolated story.

Ask Twice, Ryan La Sala: 3.25 stars
A runaway kid joins a drag nightclub as a performer while battling with their identity. Creepy and atmospheric with the portrayal of the fear of yourself and of not being accepted. Also thematic with the question of who makes up your family.

Birch Kiss, Tessa Gratton: 3.5 stars
Ending on a high note, atmospheric again in both the writing and descriptions. The plot focuses on two friends out of a trio trying to figure out if a faerie has taken their missing friend. Gender identity plays into it too.

[seasalted.citrus (Topaz, Oliver) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I haven’t read “Vampires Never Grow Old” so I have no authority to review or criticize that anthology, but I did read “Mermaids Never Drown”, and can say that I thought this one was so much better?!?! That one was fun, yes, but I thought the stories in “Faeries Never Lie” stuck with me more, on both a writing and emotional standpoint. Though, more of my favorites were from the authors I wasn’t as familiar with. (Ryan La Sala’s story was underwhelming, and I was really looking forward to it. Conflicted on what to feel about Rory Power’s story because I didn’t dig the flowery writing, but I loved the ending and how messed up it was.)

Perhaps it’s also because there’s a bit more substance to connect all the stories together. Are they in an interconnected universe? Absolutely not. (Some of these stories are even from existing books by the authors they’re written by. See: “Blue Amber” and “The Honest Folk”.) However, they all captured the allure, mystery, and even threat of faeries, even if the degrees of each thing varied based on the author. A couple of these were willing to go the horror route, actually, and while those didn’t end up on my favorites list, they were still enjoyable. (See: “Fool” and “Dear Diary”.)

I’ll admit, though, there were some stories I just thought were mediocre or rushed. A couple of these ideas seem like they’d work better in a longer form, like the magic school we see a glimpse of in “The New Girl At Autumn Prep”. (I also liked the idea of showing colonialism through the bits of history on the Courts, and white-centric beauty standards through the glamours! I just disliked how because of the length, the exposition was plentiful and rushed. Gah.) (…reading about an Indigenous-coded character going to a magic school to exceed in a space meant for her colonizers really makes me want to move “To Shape A Dragon’s Breath” up my TBR.) The only other story I can think of feeling rushed like that was “Revelry”, everything happened at a breakneck pace and the cliffhanger was frustrating.

Enough rambling! I’ll list my favorites: “Rotten”(5⭐️), “Blue Amber”(4.5⭐️), “The Honest Folk”(5⭐️), “Birch Kiss”(4.5⭐️), and “La Tierra Del Olvido”(4.25⭐️). “Rotten” was surprisingly unpredictable, with a snarky and intelligent protagonist that still found a way to meet her downfall, and I liked the Southern setting. “Blue Amber” was a stellar continuation of a universe I never thought I’d want to read from again, and captured some of the magic and poetry I’ve adored Anna-Marie McLemore’s books for. “The Honest Folk” was gripping from start to end, providing a memorable story that people who hadn’t read Folk Of The Air can still enjoy, and giving nods to the lore that longtime fans will love. “Birch Kiss” was a beautiful exploration of love, grief and gender—even the Prince is just a woman who uses that title!! The gender-fuckery is everywhere!—although, I do think that East’s dysphoric yearning about West could get toxic at times.

If you’re limiting yourself to only checking out one of the Untold Legends anthologies, I’d recommend this one! It was great.

[Bryce · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded up. As always with an anthology, some stories were better than others but I still found something to like about each one. "The Honest Folk," "An Eternal Fire," and "The Senescence," were my favorites. Faeries have always intrigued me, and I'm mostly satisfied by what this anthology had to offer. However, there were only three stories that had a faerie as a main POV character, and the fae aspect to some of the stories felt a little lacking. I was hoping to read more stories actually set in the world of faerie, rather than just the mortal world.

"An Eternal Fire," by Chloe Gong
4 stars

A thoughtful, entertaining story set in ancient China.


"Fool," by Rory Power
2.5 stars

Intriguing, though I was rather confused at times. The main character was also not given much description, but I did enjoy their mission from Queen Mab.


"The Senescence," by Dhonielle Clayton
4.5 stars

Arguably one of the most beautifully written stories thought it felt a little unfinished, the world was so rich I want to read a whole novel set in it.


"Rotten," by Kaitlyn Sage Patterson
4 stars

Begging the faeries to take you is so real.


"Blue Amber," by Anna-Marie McLemore
3 stars

This one felt a little underdeveloped, but I will always love anything Anna-Marie McLemore writes.


"Revelry," by Kwame Mbalia
2.5 stars

Another one that felt unfinished though it was a bit more structured and the setting was intriguing.


"La Tierra Del Olvido" by Zoraida Córdova
4 stars

No notes.


"Always There and Never Seen," by Natalie C. Parker
3 stars

Not enough faeries but it was still interesting.


"Dear Diary," by L.L. McKinney
3 stars

I was rather confused with this one and fae presence was minimal.


"The Night and Her Darkness," by Nafiza Azad
3.5 stars

I wasn't as sure about this one at first but the ending made it worth it.


"The New Girl at Autumn Prep," by Christine Day
2 stars

I liked and understood the message, but there was way too much info dumping and description for such a short story.


"The Honest Folk," by Holly Black
5 stars

Okay I'm a little biased but it felt so good being back in the Elfhame world and I loved how we got some more Heather/Vivi content.


"Ask Twice," by Ryan La Sala
3.5 stars

I really liked this one but the faerie part wasn't very big which was disappointing.


"Birch Kiss," by Tessa Gratton
4 stars

The 2nd person tense choice was a bit jarring at times but it was still a wild and fun story.



Ratings are out of 5 stars

[Lauren Stoolfire · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some of these are hit and miss but overall it's a good collection. My top five favorites from it are An Eternal Fire by Chloe Gong, La Tierra del Olvido by Zoraida Córdova, Always There and Never Seen by Natalie C. Parker (probably my #1 here), Dear Diary by L.L. McKinney, The Honest Folk by Holly Black (Heather and Vivi!). Definitely recommended if you're interested in any kind of faeries.

[Kendall · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️! I only read Holly Blacks story. I loved the pov of Heather!!!

[Hare Llow · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

Hubieron pocos relatos que me gustaron 🤧

[Pamela · Rating 3 out of 5]

The stories were an interesting blend. I enjoyed some more than others and a few I would like to see expanded.

[Siobhan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall collection rating: 3.5⭐️

Another short story collection for my creative writing module, and this is my favourite one yet, with many unique and diverse explorations of Faerie! I enjoyed more of these stories than I expected, but this collection’s main issue is that many of these stories just don’t work as short stories, and should’ve been long form pieces instead, which lowered the ratings of a fair few. I’ll provide the individual story ratings below!

An Eternal Fire by Chloe Gong = 4⭐️
- a fun and playful story! Intriguing faerie lore!
- Some of the language was far too modern for the setting, which took me out of the story a few times

Fool by Rory Powers = 3.5⭐️
- intriguing and dark, eerie, beautiful balletic setting
- Middle section seemed a bit rushed, and ending a bit confusing to me

The Senescence by Dhonielle Clayton = 3.5⭐️
- I loved the worldbuilding, lore, and history in this one! It was so original and intriguing
- I just don’t think this story worked in short story format, but I would’ve loved it as a long form piece because I was invested and then it was over prematurely I felt

Rotten by Kaitlyn Sage Patterson = 2⭐️
- Not a big fan, didn’t connect with it and found the MC really annoying

Blue Amber by Anna-Marie McLemore = 4.5⭐️
- I really enjoyed this one! A tale of confidence and ownership of one’s self and abilities! I just wish I knew more about the world and story this is from

Revelry by Kwame Mali = 3⭐️
- I was so invested in the lore and world building and history and then it was over! This story did not work as a short story in my opinion, and would work better as a long form piece of some variety. Made it quite underwhelming in the end

La Tierra Del Olvido by Zoraida Córdova = 4.5⭐️
- I was really invested in this one! Great characterisation and relationships (loved the banter) and a compelling storyline!

Always There And Never Seen by Natalie C. Parker = 3⭐️
- don’t really have any feelings about this one, pretty neutral, faerie aspects were a bit underwhelming

Dear Diary by L.L. McKinney = 3⭐️
- Really intriguing concept and I loved the unique formatting, I just wanted a bit more out of it, especially the ending

The Night and Her Darkness by Nafiza Azad = 2⭐️
- Had potential, but the writing felt a bit messy and all over the place

The New Girl at Autumn Prep by Christine Day = 2⭐️
- I like the history and message, but as a story this was just very boring and bit juvenile in style

The Honest Folk by Holly Black = 5⭐️
- I love being back in this world and with these characters so much! I’ve missed them (maybe time for a Folk of the Air reread next year??). A fun plot and mystery with all the usual faerie mischief! My favourite in this collection!

Ask Twice by Ryan la Sala = 5⭐️
- this one had me getting a bit emotional! A beautiful story of found family and finding and accepting yourself, with slight hints of horror!

Birch Kiss by Tessa Gratton = 2.5⭐️
- liked the narrative style and prose and unique use of perspective, but otherwise I felt quite indifferent to this one

[Dana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I must be one of the few who aren't here to read the Holly Black story. Which to be quite honest I was really looking forward to until I learned it was part of the Folk of the Air series which I didn't care for my first time around (I will attempt to read it again I think).

'An Eternal Fire' by Chloe Gong
4 stars
I really liked this opener! It's a fae mythology I'm unfamiliar with but I felt like I didn't quite get enough context to figure out what Tian'er was (clearly a faerie, but what kind?). However, I did really like the little twist with her grandfather.

'Fool' by Rory Power
2 stars
I wasn't sure who or what our narrator was. They just... existed. Then all of a sudden, didn't. I wasn't sure what it mean that the door had closed and they were on the wrong side, especially since they were also not in Paris anymore either. I supposed they were trapped in an in between space. Not entirely sure.

'The Senescence' by Dhonielle Clayton
4 stars
Super interesting despite having not read the other short story that this world is based on. I liked it a lot even though I found the end somewhat rushed. I know it's a short story and so they have a limited space, but I didn't understand what made Lelah worthy? But all in all, I still really liked it.

'Rotten' by Kaitlyn Sage Patterson
3 stars
Don't get me wrong; I liked it. But I found the narrator to be abrasive as she's meant to be, but it didn't make me want to connect with her. However, I did like how it ended.

'Blue Amber' by Anna-Marie McLemore
4 stars
Ooh I really liked this one. It had a fairytale feel to it which is kinda like duh because these all have faeries. But I really enjoyed the writing and feeling of this story and world. I would certainly read a novel length story about this magic spinning dressmaker.

'Revelry' by Kwame Mbalia
4 stars
Also really well written. It feels like the first chapter to a full novel and oh that ending left me craving more! I really enjoy stories that feel full of life and complete.

'La Tierra Del Olvido' by Zoraida Córdova
5 stars
This was so good, it made me reevaluate the past few stories. I absolutely loved it. I can't even form the words to describe it.

'Always There and Never Seen' by Natalie C. Parker
2 stars
This one needed maybe one more page. Something to show our main character making an effort and not to end on a note of hopelessness. It felt like that to me at least. Especially since her mother is homophobic and likely to never accept her. Maybe it's that I just didn't see her reasons for staying very clearly.

'Dear Diary' by L.L. McKinney
5 stars
Just super eerie and creepy and told through journal entries that give the reader the perfect amount of information while instilling in us that this is an unreliable narrator. Plus the changes in font and the stuff on the journal "pages"? Super cool and unique! Well done!

'The Night and Her Darkness' by Nafiza Azad
3 stars
I enjoyed it enough but it was difficult at times to read as there is a trigger warning for child abuse for a reason. A very interesting take on a faerie but didn't really explain it much at all.

'The New Girl at Autumn Prep' by Christine Day
4 stars
I loooved that. It was a great analogy and I enjoyed having a faerie be our main character this time. My only wish was that we did see her during school and how she learned and grew from the bullying and prejudices.

'The Honest Folk' by Holly Black
3 stars
As a story on its own, it's okay. Heather kind of figures things out really quickly and it's clear there's more to this story with the hints towards Jude and Cardan and so on. Overall, its good but needs the context to be great.

'Ask Twice' by Ryan La Sala
4 stars
I love stories with Changelings. And I felt like it really fits perfectly with drag. I definitely almost cried reading the climax and resolution of this one. Stunning short story.

'Birch Kiss' by Tessa Gratton
3 stars
Told in 2nd POV, it got confusing more than once. I didn't know who was who, what had happened, and how they were going to fix it. But I love when queers are allowed to learn so I did enjoy it enough.

Overall, that's 50/70 stars making it roughly 3.5 stars rounded up because the ones I loved, I really loved. Well done anthology!

[eva🫶🏻 · Rating 5 out of 5]

i loved loved loved this book!! to be honest, my expectations weren’t quite high, as i was reading it just for the holly black feature, but every single story ended up captivating me in some way. of course, some stories were better than the others. “the honest folk” and “la tierra del olvido” were my favourites. i also felt like some of them were lacking the faerie element, but overall all of them were amazing.

“an eternal fire” - 3 stars
interesting story!! i love me some ancient china elements, however i would have liked to see tian’er’s backstory.

“fool” - 3.5 stars
loved this one and its tragic ending, however the setting was a little bit confusing and i even had to read some paragraphs again to fully understand what was going on.

“the senescence” - 2.5 stars
i wasn’t a huge fan of the modern setting and I was even a little bit confused at one point in the story, but it was overall pretty good.

“rotten” - 4 stars
begging the faeries to kidnap you is so real.

“blue ember” - 2 stars
i will be honest, i couldn’t quite remember what this story was about. but it was short and sweet, and the writing was beautiful.

“revelry” - 3.5 stars
this was a great story and i was really caught up in it. however, it felt incomplete and i would love to see more of it.

“la tierra del olvido” - 5 stars
one of my favourites clearly. i loved the 50s setting and the hispanic elements and the portrayal of gender norms back then. the main character resonated with me a lot because she also didn’t care for marriage, unlike her sisters and i’m happy that she escaped that life. the ending was really beautiful, really intriguing.

“always there and never seen” - 4 stars
i really liked this one and, at the beginning, i sensed some peter pan references - i was right! i loved how the story ended on a hopeful note, choosing to stay with her parents, even if just to spite them.

“dear diary” - 3 stars
this one was a little bit confusing for me, but i really liked the creepy vibe. however, the faerie element was kind of missing from the story apart from one mention or two.

“the night and her darkness” -3.5 stars
i really liked this one, it was beautiful and it really captivated me.

“the new girl at autumn prep” - 4.5 stars
also one of my favourites! it kind of had winx club vibes, which was maybe one of the reasons i liked it so much as winx club was one of my favourite childhood shows. very cute story and the aesthetic was immaculate.

“the honest folk” - 5 stars
there it is, the reason why i read this book in the first place. gosh i missed vivi and heather. i really liked this story, it was really cute and i was so happy when jude and cardan (my babies <3) were mentioned. it was great to revisit the world of the folk of the air, i really missed it. immaculate story as always, holly never misses.

“ask twice” - 4 stars
also really liked this one. i’m a sucker for the found family trope so i ate it up. really really cute short story.

“birch kiss” - 2 stars
i was a little bit confused about this one, as it was narrated in second person, but i loved the writing style and it was pretty enjoyable.

[teresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

If I averaged my star ratings for each story, my rating would be closer to a 3.75 than a 3, but overall, this collection feels more like a 3 star than a 4 for me.

As is typical for a short story collection, this one was a bit of a mixed bag for me. I thought a lot of the stories were just okay. I felt like some of them were too short, more of a snippet of a story than a well-rounded short story. There were a couple that I almost felt should be the first chapter of a novel rather than a short story. They had a lot of world-building and set up a whole plot just for the story to end. I did also find it interesting that a few of these stories were related to existing series/books outside of this collection. I still can't decide how I feel about this, despite the fact that I loved getting to read about Vivi and Heather in Holly Black's story. There were a handful of stories that I really enjoyed though, and I didn't dislike any of them enough to give them below a 3-star rating.

The standout stories for me were Fool by Rory Power, La Tierra Del Olvido by Zoraida Cordova, Dear Diary by LL McKinney, The Honest Folk by Holly Black (of course), and Birch Kiss by Tessa Gratton.

Here are my ratings for each story:

An Eternal Fire by Chloe Gong - ★★★
Fool by Rory Power - ★★★★
The Senescence by Dhonielle Clayton - ★★★
Rotten by Kaitlyn Sage Patterson- ★★★★
Blue Amber by Anna-Marie McLemore - ★★★
Revelry by Kwame Mbalia - ★★★.5
La Tierra Del Olvido by Zoraida Cordova - ★★★★★
Always There and Never Seen by Natalie C. Parker - ★★★
Dear Diary by L.L. McKinney - ★★★★
The Night and Her Darkness by Nafiza Azad- ★★★
The New Girl at Autumn Prep by Christine Day - ★★★
The Honest Folk by Holly Black - ★★★★★
Ask Twice by Ryan La Sala - ★★★★
Birch Kiss by Tessa Gratton - ★★★★★

P.S. I recommend reading Birch Kiss after doing some gardening, if you know what I mean hehe

[judy lee-duvoisin · Rating 5 out of 5]

➝ 5 stars


this anthology isn’t getting five stars bc every story in it was five stars across the board. it’s getting five stars bc despite the varied ratings, each author and story was able to craft us a completely unique take on the fae and make it genuinely intriguing. faeries have been my favorites of the fantastical creatures written about in this anthology series so far, so i’m pleased to say that i greatly enjoyed this entire reading experience despite not necessarily loving every single story included.

the two main standouts imo were dhonielle clayton and christine day’s stories, as they were both wondrously unique, fascinating stories that perfectly embodied the magic, beauty and whimsy that you want to read about in a story about the fae. both stories are from the perspectives of the faeries themselves, which makes me wonder if that’s also a reason they personally appealed to me so much. holly black’s story about vivi and heather was the only other one in this collection to get five stars from me, and i can honestly say that it was an unquestionably biased five star rating from someone who is a big fan of the folk of the air trilogy. getting to finally see how vivi and heather managed to find their way back to each other in this short story from heather’s perspective was all we ever needed to round out their story, and i really appreciated that.


ratings for each story below:

an eternal fire - 4 stars
fool - 2.5 stars
the senescence - 5 stars
rotten - 3 stars
blue amber - 3.5 stars
revelry - 3 stars
la tierra del olvido - 3.5 stars
always there and never seen - 1.5 stars
dear diary - 2.5 stars
the night and her darkness - 3.5 stars
the new girl at autumn prep - 5 stars
the honest folk - 5 stars
ask twice - 2.5 stars
birch kiss - 1 star

[ari · Rating 3 out of 5]

In my era of DNF'ing without guilt. Read what I want to read!

An Eternal Fire by Chloe Gong
A girl plays a game with a trickster xian to win her family's heirloom back while her grandfather's life hangs in the balance.
4.5/5 Enjoyed this one a lot! Tian'er was multidimensional and helped her cope with mortality and grief. Very touching.

Fool by Rory Power
Glass is Mab's creature, enchanted by human ballet dancers. She tries to bring one back to Faerie with disastrous results.
3/5 Confused by characters' motivations. Bleak ending.

The Senescence by Dhonielle Clayton
Ambrosia is sent to the mortal world to collect mortals to strengthen her family's court.
4/5 This one probably had the most complex worldbuilding. Interesting but too short.

Rotten by Kaitlyn Sage Patterson
MC is weirdly nihilistic and seeks out faeries in the woods after being told not to. A mimic takes over her old life?
2.5/5 Didn't understand why the MC was so unhappy with her life and why she had a death wish.

Blue Amber by Anna-Marie McLemore
A princess's attendant uses her magic to alter clothing while infiltrating an enemy kingdom and avoiding her crush.
3/5 Interesting premise and I loved the descriptions of the magic but overall underdeveloped.

The Honest Folk by Holly Black
Events from Heather's POV after Viv erases her memories. Heather outsmarts tricky faeries.
4.5/5 Loved seeing Heather's perspective and learning more about her and Vivi's relationship. I was so proud of Heather when she figured almost everything out on her own and gave Vivi another chance.

[Josie · Rating 4 out of 5]

My rating: 4.5

This was so good! I heard about this anthology from Holly Black's email list, because she wrote a story for it that's set in the world of The Cruel Prince. Needless to say, I zoomed to the bookstore the next day (shoutout to B&N's after Christmas hardback sale)!

I love faerie stories and anthologies, and this one didn't disappoint! Aside from HB I was familiar with most of the authors in here, either by name from my TBR or from my past reads. And the ones I didn't know I've now marked to look into, because wow the writing was so good in all of these stories! One thing I love about fairy/faerie tales is how pervasive they are in our society, which translates into lots of source material to pick from for fictional stories. Despite the diversity, they often share similar themes/motifs, which I enjoy picking out as I read. All of these stores had a different take on faeries, but they also felt very cohesive.

"The Honest Folk" by Holly Black was my favorite story, because I love The Cruel Prince and I'm always excited for new material within that world, but there were so many good ones! "Dear Diary" by L.L. McKinney freaked me out, "Fool" by Rory Power made me nostalgic for my hometown, and "Ask Twice" by Ryan La Sala was just lovely. I highly recommend this anthology!




CW (not applicable to every story): death, physical violence, massacre/genocide, invasion/war, blood, slef-harm, suicidal ideation, mental health issues, parent/grandparent death, loss of a child (implied), domestic violence, child abuse (physical)

[Bailey · Rating 4 out of 5]

These all felt so wildly different... and that's the mark of a good anthology! Sure, there was some overlap (two had ballet/the theater as a main setting) but we get some with a touch of romance/infatuation, a friendship thrown in for good measure, and a surprising remain either open ended (makes me wonder if they're actually treatments for future series) or on a straight-up melancholy note/dealt with death (a common bargain made with the Fae is immortality, either for themselves or beloved family members on the verge of death). The writing was superb; when I say I felt lost/dizzy, that's a compliment; so many times when Fairies are in play, the rules are laid out in full, our character is in control. Really though, Fae are a trickster sort; I liked the emphasis on not trusting them (one the stories says the rules for dealing with Fae, down to not eating their food/giving a real name). As a reader "where am I?" is what I need to be saying. Bonus: a few had references to other stories/fairy tales (i.e. Sleeping Beauty, RRH, and even Peter Pan!) As always, stars stemmed from the one I liked:

-"An Eternal Fire"-Chloe Gong
-"Fool"-Rory Power
-"Revelry"-Kwame Mbalia
-"Always There and Never Seen"-Natalie C. Parker
*AKA: the Peter Pan sequel (?)/variant
-"The Honest Folk"-Holly Black
*This is set in The Folk of the Air series
-"Birch Kiss"-Tessa Gratton
*The Sleeping Beauty motifs are strong with this one. I liked the characters/writing style... but what was up with the "You" insert? That was the cringey part... felt like a y/n fanfic to me.

[Brittany · Rating 5 out of 5]

Actual Rating: 4.5 Stars
Faeries Never Lie is a Young Adult anthology written by various diverse authors with the common theme being the fae and faeries.
Individual ratings:
An Eternal Fire by Chloe Gong - 5/5
Fool by Rory Power - 4/5
The Senescence by Dhonielle Clayton - 5/5
Rotten by Kaitlyn Sage Patterson - 3/5
Blue Amber by Anna-Marie McLemore - 4/5
Revelry by Kwane Mbalia - 4/5
La Tierra Del Olvido by Zoraida Córdova - 5/5
Always There and Never Seen by Natalie C. Parker - 5/5
Dear Diary by L.L. McKinney - 4.5/5
The Night and Her Darkness by Nafiza Azad - 4/5
The New Girl at Autumn Prep by Christine Day - 5/5
The Honest Folk by Holly Black - 4/5 Stars
Ask Twice by Ryan La Sala- 4.5/5
Birch Kiss by Tessa Gratton - 3/5
You can find the mini reviews for each of these stories in the updates for this book.
I will definitely say that this anthology series really does an amazing job with choosing the authors who are in this anthology. I really loved a lot of the stories and the fact that these stories were so diverse in their world view. I really loved seeing the different perspectives that different cultures have around faeries and the fae.
I think this is a very worthwhile book to pick up because it was really fascinating to read these different perspectives.

[Lala]

Note: I only read one story in this collection, so that will be the only one that I am reviewing.

-The Honest Folk- The Folk of the Air story. Heather is heartbroken and has no memories of why- or who- it was she loved.
Heather was never a very interesting character, and this story doesn't change my mind about that. This takes place during a very short segment of the series, and was just unnecessary. Nowhere near as great as the rest of the series.

-Birch Kiss- I did attempt to read Tessa Gratton's story - an author I usually like- but I disliked how it was written (stream of consciousness, all while talking directly to someone else). Also, all of the characters were undefined which made the whole thing more confusing than it needed to be and so I put it down.

Personal history: Borrowed from library.

Folk of the Air:
1. The Cruel Prince
2. The Lost Sisters
3. The Wicked King
4. The Queen of Nothing
5. How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Faeries Never Lie: I was looking forward to this one, but didn't end up loving it. Felt kinda meh about most of the stories (and several are companions to other books by their authors, some of which I haven't read). I may have DNF-ed a couple, but I didn't take notes so I'm not completely sure. I was really hoping we'd get a story exploring the "changeling myth as explanation for autistic kids" concept, but no luck there (there is a story about a changeling, but it's being used to make a statement about queerness, not disability). Would have loved to get a story from one of the talented autistic fantasy writers out there, like Corinne Duyvis or Marieke Nijkamp!

Anyway, here's the list of stories included (* for my favorites):

*An Eternal Fire
*Fool
The Senescence
Rotten
Blue Amber
Revelry
La Tierra Del Olvido
Always There and Never Seen
Dear Diary
The Night and Her Darkness
The New Girl at Autumn Prep
The Honest Folk
*Ask Twice
*Birch Kiss

[Valentina Markasović · Rating 3 out of 5]

An Eternal Fire by Chloe Gong - liked!

Fool by Rory Power - interesting

The Senescence by Dhonielle Clayton - realized I actually dislike urban fantasy with faeries

Rotten by Kaitlyn Sage Patterson - interesting

Blue Ember by Anna-Marie McLemore - had to open the book to remember what this one was about --> indicative - did not like overmuch

Revelry by Kwame Mbalia - felt incomplete

La Tierra Del Olvido by Zoraida Códova - loved

Always There and Never Seen by Natalie C. Parker - liked!

Dear Diary by L.L. McKinney - liked!

The Night and Her Darkness by Nafiza Azad - interesting

The New Girl at Autumn Prep by Christine Day - cool; the metaphor was a bit very heavy-handed

The Honest Folk by Holly Black - the reason I read this (liked)

Ask Twice by Ryan La Sala - interesting

Birch Kiss by Tessa Gratton - meh