Once Upon a Spring: A Folk and Fairy Tale Anthology

by H.L. Macfarlane, Adie Hart, Ella T. Holmes

A hunter invades a blossoming grove and becomes obsessed with its beautiful spirit. In a world forever waiting for spring, two women with no pasts or memories find each other. A shapeshifting hare seeks her missing brother among the bluebells. The god of the underworld mourns the loss of his beloved wife, the goddess of spring. Once upon a time, stories travelled from place to place on the tongues of merchants and thieves and kings alike. Winter would thaw, and down rivers of melt water and roads cleared of snow a new round of stories would pop up like flowers in every village or town or city.

In the spirit of these age-old stories comes Once Upon a Spring, a seasonal anthology of folk and fairy tales from 16 authors across the globe. It covers everything from spring curses to fledgling romances to daring adventures, and features both intriguing twists on classic tales and exciting original stories.

The third of four planned seasonal anthologies from Macfarlane Lantern Publishing, Once Upon a Spring is sure to have a story for just about everyone. Grab your copy in time for April showers today!

Inside this :
But for a Dream by Ella T Holmes
Far Far Awake by Adie Hart
Season’s Keep by R. A. Gerritse
Darkness Green by Laila Amado
The Circus of Forgotten Things by Caroline Logan
She Vanishes by Josie Jaffrey
Be Careful What You Wish For by S. Markem
Forget-Me-Not Jones by Jake Curran-Pipe
Lady of the Flame by A. J. Van Belle
Perennial by Katherine ShawI
Like Quiet Places by Fiona Simpson
Spring Tide by Kate Longstone
To Name a Rose by Elanna Bellows
It Started with Bluebells by M. J. Weatherall
Radhakrishna by Bharat Krishnan
The Girls of Spring by Jenna Smithwick

Genres: Fantasy

355 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 21, 2024

About the author

Follow me on Bookbub! https://bit.ly/HLBookb

NOTE: H. L. Macfarlane is currently on a publishing hiatus to focus on her mental health. She hopes to return with new titles in early 2026 and appreciates your understanding in the meantime.

Hayley Louise Macfarlane hails from the very tiny hamlet of Balmaha on the shores of Loch Lomond in Scotland. After graduating with a PhD in molecular genetics she did a complete 180 and moved into writing fiction. Though she loves writing multiple genres (fantasy, romance, sci-fi, psychological fiction and horror so far!) she is most widely known for her enemies-to-lovers STEM rom-com, The Unbalanced Equation, and her Gothic, Scottish fairy tale, Prince of Foxes – book one of the Bright Spear trilogy.

Reviews

[Stephanie]

As usual with anthologies, I'm going to review as I go, dipping in and out.

I was lucky enough to be offered a copy of this one, and I snapped it up IMMEDIATELY because I was so eager to read the new Adie Hart short story! I love her cozy fantasy stories, full of sensible witches and sweet romance, so of course I read that one first, the moment I opened up my ebook. "Far, Far Awake" is a wonderful new take on Sleeping Beauty, told from the perspective of the librarian witch who's sent to investigate when the thorns disappear from the castle...and does NOT kiss the princess awake but does fall in love over weeks of banter and gardening and patiently helping Camellia recover from 600 years asleep. I especially loved this line, which I highlighted as I read:

"Maybe rescuing the princess wasn't about striding in here and waking her up. Maybe it was about staying with her so she wasn't afraid to go back to sleep." <3

***

I'll come back with more story reviews as I read them, but I couldn't wait to rave about this one!

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This was a lovely collection of fantasy stories about spring, nature, and all kinds of creatures. There were fae, unicorns, gods, and of course, humans. There was a range of moods, but most of them fit together nicely. I admit there were a few stories that I felt were so different that they shouldn't have been included, so it was a bit too mixed.

There were also a few stories where I felt that they should have been longer. Season's Keep, for example, felt like a couple of scenes cut out of a longer story, and I felt there was more missing than shown.

Several of the stories were queer, which was also a nice touch :)

[Heather - Just Geeking By · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally posted on Just Geeking by.

Content warnings:

‘But for a Dream’ by Ella T Holmes – Violence, death.
‘Far Far Awake’ by Adie Hart – Illness recovery.
‘Darkness Green’ by Laila Amado – Murdered girls, violence, death, blood, burned bodies.
‘The Circus of Forgotten Things’ by Caroline Logan – Stolen/missing children, blood,
‘She Vanishes’ by Josie Jaffrey – Death, grief, mention of suicide, toxic spousal relationship,
‘Forget-Me-Not Jones’ by Jake Curran-Pipe – Misogyny, sexual harassment, suicide ideation.
‘Perennial’ by Katherine Shaw – Toxic relationship (manipulative, obsessive, possessive), physical assault, victim blaming.
‘I Like Quiet Places’ by Fiona Simpson – Deaths, alcohol, brutal physical assault, heart attack, car accident (off page), hospital setting.
‘Spring Tide’ by Kate Longstone – Stolen child.
‘To Name a Rose’ by Elanna Bellows – Prejudice.
‘It Started with Bluebells’ by M. J. Weatherall – Effects of Climate Change, poisoning, details of someone slowly dying, animal death.
‘Radhakrishna’ by Bharat Krishnan – Racism, prejudice.
‘The Girls of Spring’ by Jenna Smithwick – Violence against women, death, victim blaming.


The third season-themed anthology released by Macfarlane Lantern Publishing, Once Upon a Spring: A Folk and Fairy Tale Anthology, was another solid four-star read for me. Unlike my previous reviews, I managed to read this one at the start of the appropriate season, and my timing fit beautifully with the themes of this anthology in particular. With themes of rebirth, renewal and change, Once Upon a Spring was the perfect read for me as I said goodbye to winter and watched the world around me change into spring.

I will note that having read the other anthologies at completely different times of the year from the season they were representing, it isn’t necessary to read them during the correct season. Sometimes it’s nice to read stories about summer during the cold heart of winter, or the cooler seasons during a blistering summer.

The anthology starts with the excellent ‘But for a Dream’ by Ella T Holmes, a bittersweet story of love, belonging and dreaming. Adie Hart continues her fabulous stories of sapphic witches in ‘Far Far Awake’ a spin on Sleeping Beauty. The universe Hart has created in these stories is just begging to be made into a full series of books. I have adored reading these stories in each anthology, with their incredible world-building and amazing characters. I want and need more.

‘Season’s Keep’ by R. A. Gerritse is beautiful, and this one truly touched me as I sat reading it at the start of spring. For those who like their stories a bit darker, the gothic horror of ‘Darkness Green’ by Laila Amado will be right up your alley. I lapped this one up with delight, wishing there was more. Caroline Logan’s ‘The Circus of Forgotten Things’ is a creepy delight that will stay with you long after you’ve finished; Logan nails it with that last line.

‘Forget-Me-Not Jones’ by Jake Curran-Pipe takes a much different approach, and I’m not usually a fan of magical realism. But the themes of misogyny in science and depression that Curran-Pipe tackles in this one caught my attention, and I liked the ending. This is one of those that you need to stick with. I love clever stories and ‘Lady of the Flame’ by A. J. Van Belle falls under that category. I was definitely kicking myself though for not realising things sooner though. Sometimes you can’t see what is right in front of you.

In ‘Perennial’ Katherine Shaw retells the Narcissus myth, and her story is heartbreaking. It is very well written, but please check the content warnings for this one. Another cleverly written story that reimagined folklore (I can’t say what because it’s a huge spoiler!) is ‘I Like Quiet Places’ by Fiona Simpson. This one stuck with me after I finished it.

‘To Name a Rose’ by Elanna Bellows focuses on the theme of change in multiple ways in this intriguing fantasy story. It is followed by ‘It Started with Bluebells’ by M. J. Weatherall a hauntingly dark tale of renewal that ticked all the boxes for me.

I enjoyed the variety of the stories in Once Upon a Spring and how the authors each interpreted the themes of change and renewal associated with Spring. There is something for everyone in this anthology.

The full list of stories in Once Upon a Spring: A Folk and Fairy Tale Anthology are:

‘But for a Dream’ by Ella T Holmes
‘Far Far Awake’ by Adie Hart
‘Season’s Keep’ by R. A. Gerritse
‘Darkness Green’ by Laila Amado
‘The Circus of Forgotten Things’ by Caroline Logan
‘She Vanishes’ by Josie Jaffrey
‘Be Careful What You Wish’ For by S. Markem
‘Forget-Me-Not Jones’ by Jake Curran-Pipe
‘Lady of the Flame’ by A. J. Van Belle
‘Perennial’ by Katherine Shaw
‘I Like Quiet Places’ by Fiona Simpson
‘Spring Tide’ by Kate Longstone
‘To Name a Rose’ by Elanna Bellows
‘It Started with Bluebells’ by M. J. Weatherall
‘Radhakrishna’ by Bharat Krishnan
‘The Girls of Spring’ by Jenna Smithwick

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[Emily Rennie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lovely collection of folklore stories that remind me exactly why I adore spring so much. I especially enjoyed Forget-Me-Not Jones for the engaging characters, dialogue and history.

[Alora Pendrak · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Once Upon a Spring" is a nice fairytale anthology with a few tales that stood out. As a long-time lover of fairy tales and folklore, I enjoyed some of the more interesting retelling. A few of the Greek myth reimaginings were fun reads. I particularly liked " PERENNIAL"

There were tales of suspense and chilling subject matter such as " I Like Quiet Places" and " The Circus of Forgotten Things." Then there were stories such as " Forgetmenotjones" which had a lot of things to say about life in a way that just hit hard.

Though a few felt unfinished if that makes sense. As if the authors had more to say but had a word limit or weren't quite sure how to finish the stories. " I Think When She Vanishes" was one of the weaker stories in the collection. It just felt a little unbaked, if that makes sense. There were good ideas there but I think the pacing felt a bit rushed.

But other than that I had a great time reading it and would recommend to other folklore and fairytale lovers.

Alora pendragon

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Annette Jordan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once Upon a Spring is the third in an ongoing series of folk and fairy tale anthologies and is another excellent addition to the collection. Each of the books has a seasonal theme and as you might expect from the Spring instalment there is a focus on rebirth and renewal but that does not mean that the collection is not without its darker moments. Having read the previous releases I was looking forward to more stories from some familiar authors but having some excellent stories from new contributors is always a welcome bonus.
There are sixteen stories in this collection and not a weak one among the bunch, but there were several standouts that I particularly enjoyed. Far Far Awake by Adie Hart features her district witches and is a wonderful Sleeping Beauty retelling. I have to admit that I always look forward to reading one of her stories. She Vanishes by Josie Jaffrey is an excellent version of the Orpheus/Eurydice myth mixed with that of Persephone. Speaking of mythology there is a unique Narcissus retelling by Katherine Shaw that caught my attention. Among the darker stories The Circus of Forgotten Things by Caroline Logan with its creepy setting and nod to the legends of Fairy changelings was genuinely disturbing while Kate Longshore's Spring Tide is a siren tale that I absolutely loved. Of course Spring is also the season for romance and the book opens with a beautiful but heart breaking tale from Ella T Holmes, But for a Dream is a love story that lingers in my memory. I could go on and on, every single story had something to offer, making me confident that this is a collection that many many readers will love if they give it a chance.
I read a free ARC but all opinions are my my own.

[Zoe Shakes · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a collection!

This book is full of evocative and beautiful stories, all tied together by the theme of spring. Spring takes several forms in this book - a time of hope and new life, a time of magic, a time of foreboding. In these pages, we revisit several classic fairytales and myths with fresh eyes, and travel to many different lands. Whether reading familiar tales with a twist or stories which were totally new to me, I was engrossed.

For me, the particular highlights were Adie Hart‘s Far Far Awake - a cosy, fun and thought provoking take on the Sleeping Beauty story - Caroline Logan‘s haunting The Circus of Forgotten Things, and Fiona Simpson‘s I Like Quiet Places: I’m a sucker for a story with a library involved. I also loved Josie Jaffrey‘s version of the Persephone/Orpheus and Euridice myths in She Vanishes. I could go on and on - basically, there’s not a single miss.

This book has something for every fantasy reader and is a lovely way to welcome in spring. Some stories will make you laugh, others will make you cry. Most will do both!

Favourite quote that stuck with me:
“Maybe rescuing the princess wasn’t about striding in here and waking her up. Maybe it was about staying with her so she wasn’t afraid to go back to sleep.”

[Sarah Bell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once Upon a Spring is the most recent in the Seasons Anthologies and another lovely collection of short stories.

As usual with anthologies there was some stories I enjoyed more than others, but there is an interesting mix with a little something for everyone.

Amongst my personal favourites were:

Adie Hart's latest District Witches story (which are always a stand-out of these collection for me) - Far Far Away. This was a cute retelling of Sleeping Beauty where, rather than having to wake the princess with true love kiss, we watch her rescuer fall for the princess whilst helping her readjust to life after being asleep for centuries.

The Circus of Forgotten Things by Caroline Logan - the story of a beloved favoured son and the circus he must avoid every spring which left me intrigued throughout.

And Perennial by Katherine Shaw. This was a thoughtful Narcissus retelling with a focus on the worth that is put on beauty above all else and an interesting exploration of consent and what people can - wrongly - think they are owed by their own attraction to another.

Overall, I think anyone with an interest in folklore or mythology will enjoy this collection.

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful collection of stories and fairy tales all centering around Spring.

I particularly enjoyed Far Far Awake by Adie Hart - a sapphic retelling of Sleeping Beauty. I just adore Hart's sense of humour and her charming characters. Her tender observations on loss and chronic illness touched my heart. I found myself laughing and crying reading this beautiful short story.
A huge surprise was Josie Jaffrey's She Vanishes. I am not ashamed to admit that I usually need to "psyche myself up" to read her stories as they tend to be on the bleak and creepy side. Her amazing Ring The Bell left me scarred. But this one? Sweet and charming and heartwarming.

As always, we also get some darker stories with surprising twists like I Like Quiet Places by Fiona Simpson and The Circus of Forgotten Things by Caroline Logan.

Highly recommend this Folk and Fairy Tale Anthology and looking forward to the Autumn edition.

[Ceri · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have really been enjoying this series of short story anthologies, so I was excited to receive an eArc of this third volume, Once Upon a Spring - a delightful collection of speculative short stories inspired by Spring.
Overall this was a really great collection. With any anthology, some stories will appeal to some readers more than others, and there were one or two that I didn’t love, but the vast majority were hugely enjoyable for me.
Stand out stories for me were: Far Far Awake by Adie Hart, whose cosy romantasy suits my tastes perfectly; She Vanishes by Josie Jaffrey, a fun take on a Greek myth told with Jaffrey’s usual wit and humour; and Perennial by Katherine Shaw, a fascinating retelling of the Narcissus myth that will stay with me for a long time.
Another fantastic anthology from editor H L Macfarlane. I will be eagerly awaiting the final volume in the autumn.

[Cat Bowser · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC copy and am leaving my review voluntarily.

I love spring; it’s my favorite season so naturally I was so excited for this anthology! And I was thrilled to see the authors use spring in all kinds of ways!

Fairy tales seem to naturally be drawn to spring and for good reason. It does seem to give off a sense of rebirth, new life and happiness. You’ll find several stories in here that tap into that feel.

But the authors here also manage to make siting fit some anxiety driven tales! That was a huge surprise to me! And a happy surprise! The creativity alone was worthy of merit.

So, in short, you will find stories on here that tickle every fancy. Enjoy your stroll through this season of imagination!

[Kokechii · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm giving this 4 stars because some stories in this definitely deserve a 4 star review, if not even 5.

As with almost all anthologies, some stories fell short, and some shined. What I loved is that they are really all connected with Spring so this was a perfect time to immerse myself in them. The standouts for me are strangely the first two stories, "But For A Dream" and "Far Far Awake". Both about grand loves but one sad and one happy.
I also really liked "I Love Quiet Places" although I wished for it to be a bit longer, if only to have a bit more conclusion with Afton and our lead.

Thank you to Booksirens! I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Shawny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once Upon A Spring is a lovely collection of short stories. It's a book you can pick up, read a story & put down again, perfect as a little palate cleanser or when you're not sure what to read.

It's a nice mix of stories, some familiar as retellings, while others are new (to me), set in different time periods ranging from way back when, to modern day, to timeless periods.

As this is an anthology, there are many authors, and I found some authors to be more preferable to me than others - but that's part of the beauty of this book! You may not be drawn into one story, but just a few pages later you have a new one to sink your teeth into.

Overall, an enjoyable read!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Kat M · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had enjoyed the previous two books in this anthology series, and this uses the Spring elements perfectly with the stories being told. I was enjoying the fantasy element in this collection of stories, each story had a great feel to it and I enjoyed how they worked with each other. I really enjoyed the Circus of Forgotten Things by Caroline Logan and the Girls of Spring by Jenna Smithwick, but all stories were really well done and worked with its season. Each author writes a great concept and characters in this story. I can't wait to read the last season in the Folk and Fairy Tale Anthology series.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This is a charming anthology of short stories by various authors. As the title suggests, the theme of springtime is evident in all of these stories. There's a little bit of everything - cottages and castles, princesses and pixies, goblins, dragons, unicorns… For the most part, these stories had the cosy, comforting quality that reminded me of the fairytales from childhood, though a few had slightly darker themes. I felt all of these stories had gorgeous springtime imagery, with particular emphasis on plants and flowers.

All of the stories in this anthology are quite short, so if you don't enjoy short stories, this won't be for you, but if you're looking for some light reading to get you in the mood for springtime, consider giving this a try.

Thank you to Booksirens and the author for a free copy to review.

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I did not expect to finish this book in 24 hours, but I definitely did! This collection of stories is excellent. Not only do I love the seasonal theme, but I really enjoyed the representation in these stories, such as a nonbinary Narcissus and a retelling of Hindu gods and the origin of the Holi festival. My favorite stories was "She Vanishes", which explores what Hades is up to (moping) while Persephone is overseeing springtime, and "To Name a Rose", a beauty and the beast-like story with unicorns. I look forward to reading the other volumes in this collection!

Disclaimer: I received a free advanced reader copy of this book and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Brittany Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This anthology is really something special and sweet! Each book in it takes you on an adventure and you don’t want to return to reality!

All the characters were well formed for the time limit each book had, great world building, and it flowed really nicely.

A wonderful pick me up book, very easy to read and perfect for the holiday season!! I was so pleased to receive this advanced copy at no cost to myself. I happily review this book voluntarily as I would recommend this book and will read it again and again.

[Proserpina Bookworm · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's my first time reading an anthology since childhood, but I have a mixed feelings about this one. Some are purely magical, Far Far Awake being my absolute favorite.

Others are poorly edited. Now I'm wondering if each author had different editors and just submitted their works afterwards. The anthology could have done with another round of check-ups and breaking up of really long sentences.

Overall, Once Upon A Spring is something you could easily lose yourself into. Just a *bit* more polishing.

[Doreen Fernandes · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like the variety of short stories which portray the beauty of spring alongside evil. Some of these stories are terrifying while others have valuable lessons to be learned. Can you steal lilies and break a pact? What about destroying nature to win the heart of a beautiful being? Hearing a scream and finding a wanderer has dire consequences. My favourite stories are The Circus of Forgotten Things and Darkness Green and The Girls of Spring. All in all a very enthralling book.

[Gina Zappa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. I love anthologies. I love fairy and folk tales. This would be really hard for me to dislike haha There was a great variety of moods and tones to these stories, which I really appreciate in a collection. As per usual with any collection some stories stood out more than others, but overall a very enjoyable read.

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fantastic collection of stories. A good mix of spooky, hopeful, and magical to keep things fresh and new. Each story was a hit and I found myself wishing for more as I finished the last page.

From unicorns, to sleeping princesses, to spirits of girls and spring finding themselves again, this collection has something for everyone.

[A.E. Bennett · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fantastic anthology! I was drawn to this collection because it features a tale by my author pal Katherine Shaw (whose story is amazing) - and I was happily introduced to a host of other indie authors weaving tales just as magical. If you like folk and fairy tales, you will very much enjoy this collection!

[Alexis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some stories were slower than others, but I loved them anyways. I’m going to read the rest of the series soon! (Got for free as an ARC reader)

[Sally · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall, not bad. Some stories were very good indeed. Far, Far, Awake by Adie Hart was a standout.

Others were not so great.

[Calum OB · Rating 5 out of 5]

A charming collection of folk tales.

[Nevaeh Ruegger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read my review at Nevy's Bookshelf

[Alissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

As is usually the case with anthologies, some of the stories you like and others are just ok. Still this was a fun read for spring.

2025 52 book challenge: #6 Genre One: Set in Spring (fantasy)