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Fairy Tales anthology series
Silver Birch, Blood Moon
Twenty-one darker, deeper, more adult takes on some of our favorite childhood fairy tales, from acclaimed contemporary fantasists
Long ago, when we were children, our dreams were inspired by the fairy tales we heard at our mothers’ and grandmothers’ knees—stories of princesses and princes and witches and wondrous enchantments, by the Brothers Grimm and Hans Christian Andersen, and from the pages of 1001 Arabian Nights. But, as World Fantasy Award–winning editors Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling remind us, these stories were often tamed and sanitized versions. The originals were frequently darker—and in Silver Birch, Blood Moon, they turn darker still.
Twenty-one modern Grimms and Andersens—masterful storytellers including Neil Gaiman, Nancy Kress, and Tanith Lee—now reinvent beloved bedtime stories for our time. The Sea Witch gets her say, relating the story of “The Little Mermaid” from her own point of view. “Thumbelina” becomes a tale of creeping horror, while a delightfully naughty spin is put on “The Emperor’s New Clothes.” Author Caitlin R. Kiernan transports Snow White to a dark, gritty, industrial urban setting, and Patricia Briggs details “The Price” of dealing with a royal and unrepentantly evil Rumpelstiltskin.
Rich, provocative, and unabashedly adult, each of these tales is a modern treasure, reminding us that wishes have consequences and not all genies have our best interests at heart.
Long ago, when we were children, our dreams were inspired by the fairy tales we heard at our mothers’ and grandmothers’ knees—stories of princesses and princes and witches and wondrous enchantments, by the Brothers Grimm and Hans Christian Andersen, and from the pages of 1001 Arabian Nights. But, as World Fantasy Award–winning editors Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling remind us, these stories were often tamed and sanitized versions. The originals were frequently darker—and in Silver Birch, Blood Moon, they turn darker still.
Twenty-one modern Grimms and Andersens—masterful storytellers including Neil Gaiman, Nancy Kress, and Tanith Lee—now reinvent beloved bedtime stories for our time. The Sea Witch gets her say, relating the story of “The Little Mermaid” from her own point of view. “Thumbelina” becomes a tale of creeping horror, while a delightfully naughty spin is put on “The Emperor’s New Clothes.” Author Caitlin R. Kiernan transports Snow White to a dark, gritty, industrial urban setting, and Patricia Briggs details “The Price” of dealing with a royal and unrepentantly evil Rumpelstiltskin.
Rich, provocative, and unabashedly adult, each of these tales is a modern treasure, reminding us that wishes have consequences and not all genies have our best interests at heart.
384 pages, ebook
First published March 1, 1999
425 people are currently reading
4129 people want to read
About the author
Ellen Datlow
274 books1,875 followersEllen Datlow has been editing science fiction, fantasy, and horror short fiction for forty years as fiction editor of OMNI Magazine and editor of Event Horizon and SCIFICTION. She currently acquires short stories and novellas for Tor.com. In addition, she has edited about one hundred science fiction, fantasy, and horror anthologies, including the annual The Best Horror of the Year series, The Doll Collection, Mad Hatters and March Hares, The Devil and the Deep: Horror Stories of the Sea, Echoes: The Saga Anthology of Ghost Stories, Edited By, and Final Cuts: New Tales of Hollywood Horror and Other Spectacles.
She's won multiple World Fantasy Awards, Locus Awards, Hugo Awards, Bram Stoker Awards, International Horror Guild Awards, Shirley Jackson Awards, and the 2012 Il Posto Nero Black Spot Award for Excellence as Best Foreign Editor. Datlow was named recipient of the 2007 Karl Edward Wagner Award, given at the British Fantasy Convention for "outstanding contribution to the genre," was honored with the Life Achievement Award by the Horror Writers Association, in acknowledgment of superior achievement over an entire career, and honored with the World Fantasy Life Achievement Award at the 2014 World Fantasy Convention.
She's won multiple World Fantasy Awards, Locus Awards, Hugo Awards, Bram Stoker Awards, International Horror Guild Awards, Shirley Jackson Awards, and the 2012 Il Posto Nero Black Spot Award for Excellence as Best Foreign Editor. Datlow was named recipient of the 2007 Karl Edward Wagner Award, given at the British Fantasy Convention for "outstanding contribution to the genre," was honored with the Life Achievement Award by the Horror Writers Association, in acknowledgment of superior achievement over an entire career, and honored with the World Fantasy Life Achievement Award at the 2014 World Fantasy Convention.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 121 reviews
April 11, 2020
In this fifth installment in the series of retold fairy tale anthologies by Datlow & Windling, the prevalent tale seems to be "The Frog Prince," judging from the number of stories, which though it isn't one fairy tale I care for, had one good reimagined version I enjoyed.
Datlow & Windling do have a nose for finding good storytellers to invite as contributors for their anthology series, because although the bane of all anthologies (varying quality) is to be found here, the gap isn't so huge as to be noticeable to the point a reader might think only this or that contributor did well and the rest aren't worth the price of the book. Amongst the stories selected, my personal favourites were:
PRECIOUS by Nalo Hopkinson
3.5 stars.
A modern-day retelling of the "Gifts" fairy tale in which one sister is cursed to spew disgusting reptiles out of her mouth every time she spoke because of her meanness, and the other is cursed to spew precious metals and stones every time she talks. The plot centres on what'd happen if the latter girl were to fall in love and marry a man who turns out to care more for the riches than for her as a person, and the abusive relationship that'd develop. Quite good, believable to an uncomfortable degree, and satisfying.
THE SEA HAG by Melissa Lee Shaw
4 stars.
Not a direct retelling, but it has enough elements to be easily recognised as a reimagination of "The Little Mermaid"... from the perspective of the Little Mermaid's mother. More I won't say, spoilers be too risky. Do read this! It's quite original, and a few surprises nobody has ever thought of before are awaiting to ambush the unsuspecting reader.
THE FROG CHAUFFEUR by Garry Kilworth
3.5 stars.
Clearly, the writers whom Datlow & Winding approached for this anthology are all types that had "What If?" questions making the rounds in their head since reading a particular fairy tale, and jumped at the chance to scratch the itch by writing an answer to said "What If?" In this case, the author was wondering whether the frog that's turned into a handsome prince by the kiss of a fair maiden had any sort of PTSD or leftover habits from his days as a froggy. Very clever idea, and so imaginative, though a touch tragic, and with a fairly irritating heroine.
YOU WANDERED OFF LIKE A FOOLISH CHILD TO BREAK YOUR HEART AND MINE by Pat York
4.5 stars.
This one was based on "Sleeping Beauty," and again it's from an unorthodox viewpoint: that of the mother of one of the princes who attempted to brave the murderous thornbushes to enter the castle and rescue the sleeping princess, and paid for it dearly. It was the saddest by far, and you get all the anguish and anger of a mother seeing her son and other valiant yet foolish youngesters throwing their life away for a chance at glory.
SKIN SO GREEN AND FINE by Wendy Wheeler
4.5 stars.
A "Beauty and the Beast" retelling set in the Caribbean. That setting alone makes it unique in spite of it being rather straightforward in its faithfulness to the original fairy tale, and it contains elements of the religious and magic rituals and beliefs, like vodoun, that the black slaves brought to these islands to work in the plantations kept and mixed with the Christian ones. It can work as a short romance story as well, for those who aren't familiar with the B&B plot.
I'm really enjoying this series for its quality and the editors' good criteria on what to include, and I'm going to continue till I finish all the books. I'd recommend this to anyone who loves fairy tales, and those who don't usually read Fantasy but would like to try it.
Datlow & Windling do have a nose for finding good storytellers to invite as contributors for their anthology series, because although the bane of all anthologies (varying quality) is to be found here, the gap isn't so huge as to be noticeable to the point a reader might think only this or that contributor did well and the rest aren't worth the price of the book. Amongst the stories selected, my personal favourites were:
PRECIOUS by Nalo Hopkinson
3.5 stars.
A modern-day retelling of the "Gifts" fairy tale in which one sister is cursed to spew disgusting reptiles out of her mouth every time she spoke because of her meanness, and the other is cursed to spew precious metals and stones every time she talks. The plot centres on what'd happen if the latter girl were to fall in love and marry a man who turns out to care more for the riches than for her as a person, and the abusive relationship that'd develop. Quite good, believable to an uncomfortable degree, and satisfying.
THE SEA HAG by Melissa Lee Shaw
4 stars.
Not a direct retelling, but it has enough elements to be easily recognised as a reimagination of "The Little Mermaid"... from the perspective of the Little Mermaid's mother. More I won't say, spoilers be too risky. Do read this! It's quite original, and a few surprises nobody has ever thought of before are awaiting to ambush the unsuspecting reader.
THE FROG CHAUFFEUR by Garry Kilworth
3.5 stars.
Clearly, the writers whom Datlow & Winding approached for this anthology are all types that had "What If?" questions making the rounds in their head since reading a particular fairy tale, and jumped at the chance to scratch the itch by writing an answer to said "What If?" In this case, the author was wondering whether the frog that's turned into a handsome prince by the kiss of a fair maiden had any sort of PTSD or leftover habits from his days as a froggy. Very clever idea, and so imaginative, though a touch tragic, and with a fairly irritating heroine.
YOU WANDERED OFF LIKE A FOOLISH CHILD TO BREAK YOUR HEART AND MINE by Pat York
4.5 stars.
This one was based on "Sleeping Beauty," and again it's from an unorthodox viewpoint: that of the mother of one of the princes who attempted to brave the murderous thornbushes to enter the castle and rescue the sleeping princess, and paid for it dearly. It was the saddest by far, and you get all the anguish and anger of a mother seeing her son and other valiant yet foolish youngesters throwing their life away for a chance at glory.
SKIN SO GREEN AND FINE by Wendy Wheeler
4.5 stars.
A "Beauty and the Beast" retelling set in the Caribbean. That setting alone makes it unique in spite of it being rather straightforward in its faithfulness to the original fairy tale, and it contains elements of the religious and magic rituals and beliefs, like vodoun, that the black slaves brought to these islands to work in the plantations kept and mixed with the Christian ones. It can work as a short romance story as well, for those who aren't familiar with the B&B plot.
I'm really enjoying this series for its quality and the editors' good criteria on what to include, and I'm going to continue till I finish all the books. I'd recommend this to anyone who loves fairy tales, and those who don't usually read Fantasy but would like to try it.
March 7, 2011
Like most anthologies, some good stories, some just okay, some really not for me. I picked it up because it includes some authors I generally like, but their stories didn't out to be the ones I preferred.
September 22, 2023
I'm only reading a few of the stories;
Marsh Magic by Robin McKinley 1star
-A rather dour story about a Mage who controls the throne of a kingdom for centuries by enslaving women from the marshes to bear the kings heir. I found it creepy and even though there is an happy ending of sorts, I still found it depressing. It's written in a distant 3rd person so I felt rather emotionless about it all.
The Price by Patricia Briggs 2stars
A cute early work by PB. A twist of Rumpelstiltskin where he isn't such a bad guy. Story didn't have much tension so it falls a bit flat. But I liked it better than 'Marsh Magic'.
Locks by Neil Gaiman 1star
This wasn't much of a story. It was an interesting peak into Neil's bedtime stories with his daughter. meh.
Clad in Gossamer by Nancy Kress 2.5starsI really liked this one at first. And it was pretty sly how the author turned the story around. But I found that I didn't want it turned around...
The Wild Heart by Ann Bishop 2.5stars
Well I liked this one the best of the ones I read, but I wished for more comeuppance for the villains in the end... like any comeuppance... maybe just a slap? anything? But it's a pretty inventive combination of several fairytales in one. Er rather anti-fairytales I guess.
All in all I found this collection to be pretty threadbare and unsatisfying.
Marsh Magic by Robin McKinley 1star
-A rather dour story about a Mage who controls the throne of a kingdom for centuries by enslaving women from the marshes to bear the kings heir. I found it creepy and even though there is an happy ending of sorts, I still found it depressing. It's written in a distant 3rd person so I felt rather emotionless about it all.
The Price by Patricia Briggs 2stars
A cute early work by PB. A twist of Rumpelstiltskin where he isn't such a bad guy. Story didn't have much tension so it falls a bit flat. But I liked it better than 'Marsh Magic'.
Locks by Neil Gaiman 1star
This wasn't much of a story. It was an interesting peak into Neil's bedtime stories with his daughter. meh.
Clad in Gossamer by Nancy Kress 2.5starsI really liked this one at first. And it was pretty sly how the author turned the story around. But I found that I didn't want it turned around...
The Wild Heart by Ann Bishop 2.5stars
Well I liked this one the best of the ones I read, but I wished for more comeuppance for the villains in the end... like any comeuppance... maybe just a slap? anything? But it's a pretty inventive combination of several fairytales in one. Er rather anti-fairytales I guess.
All in all I found this collection to be pretty threadbare and unsatisfying.
January 19, 2021
This is a collection of short stories that play with many well-know fairy tales, with new twists and often a darker edge. They consider real life problems (consequences of trauma, domestic abuse, greed, exploitation, etc.), rather than focusing on always wining and the supposed "happily ever after". Some are sad, some outright tragic, though some others will bring a smile to a reader's face.
Favourite stories:
Kiss Kiss: a re-telling of "The Frog Prince". A deeply feminist re-interpretation that paints a realistic picture of women's lives in historical context.
The Price: a re-telling of "Rumpelstiltskin". Though it had a lot of pain, it was a much more beautiful version than the original fairy tale.
The Sea Hag: a re-telling of "The Little Mermaid" from another perspective and with an interesting twist. While there was sadness and hurt in it, it was much more hopeful than the original tale.
Arabian Phoenix: a retelling of "Arabian Nights". It's a tale about a smart and tough young woman wanting an education in a backward Muslim country and a king, who wants a slow but permanent change rather than a failed revolution. Very touching, clever and hopeful.
Marsh-Magic a re-telling of "Rumpelstiltskin". I rich story that could easily be turned into an epic fantasy novel.
Favourite stories:
Kiss Kiss: a re-telling of "The Frog Prince". A deeply feminist re-interpretation that paints a realistic picture of women's lives in historical context.
The Price: a re-telling of "Rumpelstiltskin". Though it had a lot of pain, it was a much more beautiful version than the original fairy tale.
The Sea Hag: a re-telling of "The Little Mermaid" from another perspective and with an interesting twist. While there was sadness and hurt in it, it was much more hopeful than the original tale.
Arabian Phoenix: a retelling of "Arabian Nights". It's a tale about a smart and tough young woman wanting an education in a backward Muslim country and a king, who wants a slow but permanent change rather than a failed revolution. Very touching, clever and hopeful.
Marsh-Magic a re-telling of "Rumpelstiltskin". I rich story that could easily be turned into an epic fantasy novel.
September 29, 2013
One of Datlow & Windling's excellent series of anthologies of retold/reimagined fairy tales. Terri Windling's one of the only people I've ever written out & out fan mail to - - I'm just that totally in favor of everything she's worked to espouse in literature...
if you haven't seen her website, check it out! : http://www.endicott-studio.com/
Contents of the book are:
* 1 • Introduction • Terri Windling & Ellen Datlow
* 7 • Kiss Kiss • Tanith Lee
Lee's take on the story of The Frog Prince is at first droll, but later melancholy, as it shows how one doesn't always appreciate what one has until it is gone... As usual, beautiful and effective writing from Lee.
* 25 • Carabosse • Delia Sherman
A poem which gives the reader a different (feminist) take on the motivations of the fairy whose christening "gift" to Sleeping Beauty was perceived as a curse.
* 28 • The Price • Patricia Briggs
Briggs here transforms the tale of Rumplestiltskin into a romance... the strange-looking but not-unattractive title character uses his magic to try to save the young weaver he loves from the threats of the vicious king... updates the story while staying true to the 'soul' of the genre... very nice! I'll be looking up other work by this author!
* 48 • Glass Coffin • Caitlín R. Kiernan
A contemporary story of a group of young junkies trying to get by, living in a junkyard, and the itinerant drug-dealer boyfriend of one... Only indirectly inspired by the Sleeping Beauty and Snow White tales - fans of Kiernan will likely love this story; fans of fairy tales may not.
* 67 • The Vanishing Virgin • Harvey Jacobs
A weird and rather grotesque tale of a parlor-trick-type magician whose unloved assistant/wife is offered a chance to escape into another land through a secret passage in her trick cabinet... reminded me of Jonathan Carroll (whom I'm not personally a fan of).
* 81 • Clad in Gossamer • Nancy Kress
The Emperor's New Clothes - reimagined as a rather ill-conceived political plot that backfires on an embarrassed prince. A character study of a not-too-savvy individual!
* 92 • Precious • Nalo Hopkinson
Having rubies and diamonds fall from one's mouth at every word isn't necessarily all that fun. As a matter of fact, it's driven the woman in this story away from her abusive husband, who regards her only as a source of riches - and driven her into self-imposed silence - until she finds a way to use her gift/curse to solve both issues at once...
* 100 • The Sea Hag • Melissa Lee Shaw
In this version of The Little Mermaid, the main difference is that the undersea witch who performs the transforming magic for the mermaid is actually loving, not evil. It's the mermaid's father who turns out to be the bad guy. Shaw gives her mermaid a happy ending - but does it in a much more touching and romantic manner than the Disney version.
* 122 • The Frog Chauffeur • Garry Kilworth
When a middle-aged spinster wakes from a nap by the lake to find a young and beautiful naked man lying by her side, she finds she's pretty easily seduced... but a young lover who used to be a frog may have some rather unusual qualities....
* 132 • The Dybbuk in the Bottle • Russell William Asplund
When a poor Jewish farmer with dreams of grandeur finds a magical bottle, complete with 'genie,' of course he thinks he can use this spirit's powers to make himself great and renowned as the famous rabbis of yore... but soon the dybbuk has him in such a state, due to his twisting around of wishes, that he needs to seek out his own rabbi for help.
The story is both funny and touching, with the feel of an actual traditional tale from the Jewish tradition...
* 157 • The Shell Box • Karawynn Long
When a lonely woman receives the only offer of marriage she's ever had, she commits to her new husband totally, willing to sacrifice nearly everything to make him happy and do as he wishes. In her love, she is blind to the fact that the poor fisherman she has tied herself to is a proud, cruel and indifferent man. It takes her only friend to show her that her husband did not merely lose, but actively stole and hid that which was most valuable to her, in an attempt to totally control her.
Although this is definitely a 'story with a message' about abusive relationships, it's written with subtlety and sensitivity, and rises above its agenda.
* 193 • Ivory Bones • Susan Wade
A rather horrible (as in horrific, not 'bad') story of Thumbelina.... narrated by a man who bought Thumbelina from her mother as a curiosity, and imprisoned her in a gilded cage - with no comprehension of why she tried to escape (with tragic result).
* 203 • The Wild Heart • Anne Bishop
A retelling of Sleeping Beauty where the wall of thorns springs up as a protective reaction to the princess' rape by her mother's lover, and the resolution is that the princess, in order to be 'rescued,' must heal enough to rejoin with herself, not to be joined with a prince. Shares a lot, thematically, with her later Black Jewels trilogy. (Bishop was 'discovered' through her contributions to this series.)
* 215 • You Wandered Off Like a Foolish Child to Break Your Heart and Mine • Pat York
A gorily disturbing story of the mothers and families of princes caught in the legendary wall of thorns trying to prolong the lives of their loved ones, no matter what. A comment on the unhealthy aspects of motherly love? A statement about vain suffering? I'm not sure...
* 231 • Arabian Phoenix • India Edghill
Very much a feel-good story about a young girl in a modern Islamic kingdom, where the king is marrying a different young, intelligent girl every week or so... and none of the brides have been seen again. However, their fate may be just slightly different than in the traditional stories of this ilk you may have heard... A bit of wishful thinking in this one, but's it's still enjoyable.
* 251 • Toad-Rich • Michael Cadnum
Another story of the two sisters, one who has jewels spurt out of her mouth at every word, the other who has 'vermin' emit with her emissions... This one makes the point that rare spiders and reptiles may be more valuable in the long run than opals and pearls.
* 258 • Skin So Green and Fine • Wendy Wheeler
Here, the story of Beauty & the Beast is transposed into a tale of Haitian voodoo, when a Catholic girl leaves her poverty-stricken family to marry a rich but strange-looking and mysterious gentleman. Perhaps not culturally accurate, but a richly flavored and colorful story.
* 289 • The Willful Child, the Black Dog, and the Beanstalk • Melanie Tem
A social worker is briefly drawn into the life of a young girl obsessed with fairy tales who has murdered her foster mother. It reminds her uncomfortably of her loss of her own delinquent daughter.
* 313 • Locks • Neil Gaiman
A short poem about telling his daughter the story of Goldilocks.
* 319 • Marsh-Magic • Robin McKinley
A traditional but original fantasy of a kingdom where, generations ago, the royalty made a bargain with the fey and mysterious marsh-folk, seemingly to the benefit of both - each king will marry a marsh-woman, and in return the marsh folk will live in their own ways, without oppression or interference. But, twenty generations down the road, a bold young woman discovers that there are darker aspects to this mage-enforced bargain than either side suspected...
* 354 • Toad • Patricia A. McKillip
McKillip is one of my favorite authors, but this short musing on the story of the frog prince, while interesting, is not one of her most amazing works.
if you haven't seen her website, check it out! : http://www.endicott-studio.com/
Contents of the book are:
* 1 • Introduction • Terri Windling & Ellen Datlow
* 7 • Kiss Kiss • Tanith Lee
Lee's take on the story of The Frog Prince is at first droll, but later melancholy, as it shows how one doesn't always appreciate what one has until it is gone... As usual, beautiful and effective writing from Lee.
* 25 • Carabosse • Delia Sherman
A poem which gives the reader a different (feminist) take on the motivations of the fairy whose christening "gift" to Sleeping Beauty was perceived as a curse.
* 28 • The Price • Patricia Briggs
Briggs here transforms the tale of Rumplestiltskin into a romance... the strange-looking but not-unattractive title character uses his magic to try to save the young weaver he loves from the threats of the vicious king... updates the story while staying true to the 'soul' of the genre... very nice! I'll be looking up other work by this author!
* 48 • Glass Coffin • Caitlín R. Kiernan
A contemporary story of a group of young junkies trying to get by, living in a junkyard, and the itinerant drug-dealer boyfriend of one... Only indirectly inspired by the Sleeping Beauty and Snow White tales - fans of Kiernan will likely love this story; fans of fairy tales may not.
* 67 • The Vanishing Virgin • Harvey Jacobs
A weird and rather grotesque tale of a parlor-trick-type magician whose unloved assistant/wife is offered a chance to escape into another land through a secret passage in her trick cabinet... reminded me of Jonathan Carroll (whom I'm not personally a fan of).
* 81 • Clad in Gossamer • Nancy Kress
The Emperor's New Clothes - reimagined as a rather ill-conceived political plot that backfires on an embarrassed prince. A character study of a not-too-savvy individual!
* 92 • Precious • Nalo Hopkinson
Having rubies and diamonds fall from one's mouth at every word isn't necessarily all that fun. As a matter of fact, it's driven the woman in this story away from her abusive husband, who regards her only as a source of riches - and driven her into self-imposed silence - until she finds a way to use her gift/curse to solve both issues at once...
* 100 • The Sea Hag • Melissa Lee Shaw
In this version of The Little Mermaid, the main difference is that the undersea witch who performs the transforming magic for the mermaid is actually loving, not evil. It's the mermaid's father who turns out to be the bad guy. Shaw gives her mermaid a happy ending - but does it in a much more touching and romantic manner than the Disney version.
* 122 • The Frog Chauffeur • Garry Kilworth
When a middle-aged spinster wakes from a nap by the lake to find a young and beautiful naked man lying by her side, she finds she's pretty easily seduced... but a young lover who used to be a frog may have some rather unusual qualities....
* 132 • The Dybbuk in the Bottle • Russell William Asplund
When a poor Jewish farmer with dreams of grandeur finds a magical bottle, complete with 'genie,' of course he thinks he can use this spirit's powers to make himself great and renowned as the famous rabbis of yore... but soon the dybbuk has him in such a state, due to his twisting around of wishes, that he needs to seek out his own rabbi for help.
The story is both funny and touching, with the feel of an actual traditional tale from the Jewish tradition...
* 157 • The Shell Box • Karawynn Long
When a lonely woman receives the only offer of marriage she's ever had, she commits to her new husband totally, willing to sacrifice nearly everything to make him happy and do as he wishes. In her love, she is blind to the fact that the poor fisherman she has tied herself to is a proud, cruel and indifferent man. It takes her only friend to show her that her husband did not merely lose, but actively stole and hid that which was most valuable to her, in an attempt to totally control her.
Although this is definitely a 'story with a message' about abusive relationships, it's written with subtlety and sensitivity, and rises above its agenda.
* 193 • Ivory Bones • Susan Wade
A rather horrible (as in horrific, not 'bad') story of Thumbelina.... narrated by a man who bought Thumbelina from her mother as a curiosity, and imprisoned her in a gilded cage - with no comprehension of why she tried to escape (with tragic result).
* 203 • The Wild Heart • Anne Bishop
A retelling of Sleeping Beauty where the wall of thorns springs up as a protective reaction to the princess' rape by her mother's lover, and the resolution is that the princess, in order to be 'rescued,' must heal enough to rejoin with herself, not to be joined with a prince. Shares a lot, thematically, with her later Black Jewels trilogy. (Bishop was 'discovered' through her contributions to this series.)
* 215 • You Wandered Off Like a Foolish Child to Break Your Heart and Mine • Pat York
A gorily disturbing story of the mothers and families of princes caught in the legendary wall of thorns trying to prolong the lives of their loved ones, no matter what. A comment on the unhealthy aspects of motherly love? A statement about vain suffering? I'm not sure...
* 231 • Arabian Phoenix • India Edghill
Very much a feel-good story about a young girl in a modern Islamic kingdom, where the king is marrying a different young, intelligent girl every week or so... and none of the brides have been seen again. However, their fate may be just slightly different than in the traditional stories of this ilk you may have heard... A bit of wishful thinking in this one, but's it's still enjoyable.
* 251 • Toad-Rich • Michael Cadnum
Another story of the two sisters, one who has jewels spurt out of her mouth at every word, the other who has 'vermin' emit with her emissions... This one makes the point that rare spiders and reptiles may be more valuable in the long run than opals and pearls.
* 258 • Skin So Green and Fine • Wendy Wheeler
Here, the story of Beauty & the Beast is transposed into a tale of Haitian voodoo, when a Catholic girl leaves her poverty-stricken family to marry a rich but strange-looking and mysterious gentleman. Perhaps not culturally accurate, but a richly flavored and colorful story.
* 289 • The Willful Child, the Black Dog, and the Beanstalk • Melanie Tem
A social worker is briefly drawn into the life of a young girl obsessed with fairy tales who has murdered her foster mother. It reminds her uncomfortably of her loss of her own delinquent daughter.
* 313 • Locks • Neil Gaiman
A short poem about telling his daughter the story of Goldilocks.
* 319 • Marsh-Magic • Robin McKinley
A traditional but original fantasy of a kingdom where, generations ago, the royalty made a bargain with the fey and mysterious marsh-folk, seemingly to the benefit of both - each king will marry a marsh-woman, and in return the marsh folk will live in their own ways, without oppression or interference. But, twenty generations down the road, a bold young woman discovers that there are darker aspects to this mage-enforced bargain than either side suspected...
* 354 • Toad • Patricia A. McKillip
McKillip is one of my favorite authors, but this short musing on the story of the frog prince, while interesting, is not one of her most amazing works.
October 14, 2014
Anthology 3.4 starts
1. Kiss Kiss by Tanith Lee. The story of the princess and the frog without a happy ever after. Good story. ****
2. Carabosse by Delia Sherman. A poem. Ho-hum. **
3. The Price by Patricia Briggs. Retelling of Rumpelstiltskin. I loved this story. *****
4. The Glass Coffin by Caitlin Kiernan. Retelling of Sleeping Beauty in modern times, also without a happy ending. Very good story. *****
5. The Vanishing Virgin by Harvey Jacobs. Retelling/reshaping really of The Flea and the Professor. I hate insects so the paradise was anything but. The story was happy, gory. It was okay. ***
6. Clad in Gossamer by Nancy Kress. Retelling the Emperor's New Clothes. A trap turns on the person who planned it. Okay story. **1/2
7. Precious by Nalo Hopkinson. I don't remember a fairy tale about a woman who spits out jewels and flowers when she speaks. Turns out to be not such a blessing. ***1/2
8. The Sea Hag by Melissa Lee Shaw. Retelling of The Little Mermaid with the sea hag being tricked and misunderstood. Good. ***1/2
9. The Frog Chauffeur by Gary Kilworth. What if the frog prince left some froggy children, etc and every once in awhile one could change. Sweet story. ****
10. The Dubbuk in the Bottle by Russell William Asplund. I could not get into this story. I won't rate it because I didn't finish it.
11. The Shell Box by Karawynn Long. An enchanted mother leaving. A lonely girl finding herself trapped with the wrong man and then finding love with a woman. Sweet story. ****
12. Ivory Bones by Susan Wade. Retelling of Thumbelina. Sometimes having all sorts of pretty things is not enough. Pretty good story. ***
13. The Wild Heart by Anne Bishop. Another retelling of Sleeping Beauty but family lies and betrayal put Beauty to sleep. Enjoyable story. ***1/2
14. You Wandered Off Like a Foolish Child to Break Your Heart and Mine by Pat York. What happened to the princes who tried to rescue sleeping beauty? This story is about one of the princes and his family. Really good story. ****
15. Arabian Phoenix by India Edghill. A new bride (#48) learns what really happens to the King's brides and is more than happy about it. Loved the story. ****
16. Toad-Rich by Michael Cadnum. Retelling of The Fairy Gifts. Another story about the sisters - one who spits out gems and the other who spits out lizards, toads and insects. Surprising about which one is really happy. ***1/2
17. Skin so Green and Fine by Wendy Wheeler. A kind virgin marries a man who has snake features and they learn to love each other. ***1/2
18. The Willful Child, The Black Dot and The Beanstalk by Mellenie Tem. A story about when people think a fairy tale really is true. Strange ending. ***
19. Locks by Neil Gaiman. A father reading Goldilocks over and over again with his thoughts about the future and past interspersed in the retelling.
20. Marsh-Magic by Robin McKinley. Well, kind of boring. Reminded me of Genesis (the Bible, not the band) with the lineage of kings. Not my favorite. **
21. Toad by Patricia A. McKillip. Retelling of The Frog Prince. Super quick story about the frog's point of view and feelings. **1/2
1. Kiss Kiss by Tanith Lee. The story of the princess and the frog without a happy ever after. Good story. ****
2. Carabosse by Delia Sherman. A poem. Ho-hum. **
3. The Price by Patricia Briggs. Retelling of Rumpelstiltskin. I loved this story. *****
4. The Glass Coffin by Caitlin Kiernan. Retelling of Sleeping Beauty in modern times, also without a happy ending. Very good story. *****
5. The Vanishing Virgin by Harvey Jacobs. Retelling/reshaping really of The Flea and the Professor. I hate insects so the paradise was anything but. The story was happy, gory. It was okay. ***
6. Clad in Gossamer by Nancy Kress. Retelling the Emperor's New Clothes. A trap turns on the person who planned it. Okay story. **1/2
7. Precious by Nalo Hopkinson. I don't remember a fairy tale about a woman who spits out jewels and flowers when she speaks. Turns out to be not such a blessing. ***1/2
8. The Sea Hag by Melissa Lee Shaw. Retelling of The Little Mermaid with the sea hag being tricked and misunderstood. Good. ***1/2
9. The Frog Chauffeur by Gary Kilworth. What if the frog prince left some froggy children, etc and every once in awhile one could change. Sweet story. ****
10. The Dubbuk in the Bottle by Russell William Asplund. I could not get into this story. I won't rate it because I didn't finish it.
11. The Shell Box by Karawynn Long. An enchanted mother leaving. A lonely girl finding herself trapped with the wrong man and then finding love with a woman. Sweet story. ****
12. Ivory Bones by Susan Wade. Retelling of Thumbelina. Sometimes having all sorts of pretty things is not enough. Pretty good story. ***
13. The Wild Heart by Anne Bishop. Another retelling of Sleeping Beauty but family lies and betrayal put Beauty to sleep. Enjoyable story. ***1/2
14. You Wandered Off Like a Foolish Child to Break Your Heart and Mine by Pat York. What happened to the princes who tried to rescue sleeping beauty? This story is about one of the princes and his family. Really good story. ****
15. Arabian Phoenix by India Edghill. A new bride (#48) learns what really happens to the King's brides and is more than happy about it. Loved the story. ****
16. Toad-Rich by Michael Cadnum. Retelling of The Fairy Gifts. Another story about the sisters - one who spits out gems and the other who spits out lizards, toads and insects. Surprising about which one is really happy. ***1/2
17. Skin so Green and Fine by Wendy Wheeler. A kind virgin marries a man who has snake features and they learn to love each other. ***1/2
18. The Willful Child, The Black Dot and The Beanstalk by Mellenie Tem. A story about when people think a fairy tale really is true. Strange ending. ***
19. Locks by Neil Gaiman. A father reading Goldilocks over and over again with his thoughts about the future and past interspersed in the retelling.
20. Marsh-Magic by Robin McKinley. Well, kind of boring. Reminded me of Genesis (the Bible, not the band) with the lineage of kings. Not my favorite. **
21. Toad by Patricia A. McKillip. Retelling of The Frog Prince. Super quick story about the frog's point of view and feelings. **1/2
July 17, 2010
Kiss, Kiss :)
Caraboose :)
The Price :)
Glass Coffin :(
The Vanishing Virgin :(
Clad in Gossamer :(
Precious :)
The Sea Hag :)
The Frog Chauffuer :)
The Dybbuk in the Bottle :/
The Shell Box :)
Ivory Bones :/
The Wild Heart :/
You Wandered Off Like a Foolish Child to Break Your Heart and Mine :/
Arabian Phoenix :)
Toad Rich :)
Sking So Fine and Green :)
The Willful Child, The Black Dog and the Beanstalk :(
Locks :)
Marsh-Magic :)
Toad :/
Caraboose :)
The Price :)
Glass Coffin :(
The Vanishing Virgin :(
Clad in Gossamer :(
Precious :)
The Sea Hag :)
The Frog Chauffuer :)
The Dybbuk in the Bottle :/
The Shell Box :)
Ivory Bones :/
The Wild Heart :/
You Wandered Off Like a Foolish Child to Break Your Heart and Mine :/
Arabian Phoenix :)
Toad Rich :)
Sking So Fine and Green :)
The Willful Child, The Black Dog and the Beanstalk :(
Locks :)
Marsh-Magic :)
Toad :/
May 28, 2020
I only read the short story by Patricia Briggs "The Price" which is a Rumplestiltskin retelling. I did really like it.
May 24, 2022
Old book of fairy tales retold, republished. Just read my favorite authors. So fun!
February 3, 2022
To be fair, I did not read the entire book. I keep thinking I must be missing something in these anthologies, as they are fairytales for adults. This is the second volume I’ve attempted, I skimmed the reviews in goodreads and read three of the stories that were repeatedly well rated (the sea hag, the shell box, and you wandered off like a foolish child). I would give them each around two stars. They were ok, nothing I’d recommend to anyone else.
June 24, 2023
Clever adaptations of old fables, children’s stories and so on.
April 4, 2021
I do love new perspectives on old tales, or rather to see old tales from new perspectives, but I am not into dark fantasy—I get enough darkness in the real world. I did very much like, however, The Sea Hag, The Price, and Marsh-Magic.
And, although heart-wrenching, how wonderful to think of all the others in these stories who were just of side note, brave, but unsuccessful. Not evil—and perhaps foolish, but perhaps not...—but not the hero/heroine. Ordinary like so many of us. They didn’t triumph, but perhaps should not be so quickly dismissed and forgotten. You Wandered Off Like a Foolish Child to Break Your Heart and Mine reminds us there are so many stories in every tale, and not all of them are splendid.
And, although heart-wrenching, how wonderful to think of all the others in these stories who were just of side note, brave, but unsuccessful. Not evil—and perhaps foolish, but perhaps not...—but not the hero/heroine. Ordinary like so many of us. They didn’t triumph, but perhaps should not be so quickly dismissed and forgotten. You Wandered Off Like a Foolish Child to Break Your Heart and Mine reminds us there are so many stories in every tale, and not all of them are splendid.
August 22, 2023
I have accomplished absolutely nothing today.
Well, except to realize how very little leisure time our ancestors had. I wrote 6 letters today. It took me all day. The only other thing I have done is read a book, do my laundry, read Japanese for 10 minutes, and write a review besides this one. Where did the day go?!?
Typing is so much faster than writing. But there's something so much more meaningful and visceral about writing out a letter. It's kind of how like a kindle is awesome and all, and I love and adore my kindle, but reading a real book that you can play with the pages and smell the binding glue is just so much more enjoyable.
Anyway, this book. Meh. I bought it because of my epic trawl through McKinley's repertoire, and it has a short story that I had never read before. I would have checked it out from a library, but none of my FIVE libraries had it in their digital collections. Fortunately it was only $1.99 so I don't feel too awful guilty.
I actually kind of enjoy short story anthologies because they give me a glimpse of the writing styles of other people and I can see if I want to read any of their other work.
From this collection, I think that Tanith Lee is someone that I might enjoy reading, the short story in here was engaging, well-written, and thought provoking.
Delia Sherman was a fun and quirky poem that made me laugh and be willing to consider reading some of her other writing.
Patricia Briggs I've already read most of so there was nothing much new there.
Caitlin R. Kiernan and I do NOT get along. I repeat. Do NOT. Oh. My. Word. I finally learned what purple writing is by reading this short story. It was pure, unadulterated torture. This one story took more time for me to read than the rest of the book. COMBINED. Not only was the vocabulary superfluous in every way, but the diction! I needed to clean my brain out with peroxide after trying to decipher what on earth she was trying to say.
I went out to dinner with a friend of mine who happens to read some of my goodreads reviews and he was like 'but what do you mean by torturous diction?' (a phrase I tend to use frequently). I gave him the first paragraph to read. After stumbling 4 times, and having to go back and reread three or four times in the first FOUR SENTENCES, he understood what I meant. This story is impossible to read. The sentences are all strange and convoluted. The clauses don't follow where they should and you haven't the faintest idea what she is trying to say.
Not to mention the story had no point and was weird.
Harvey Jacobs' story was weird like he was going for a Lewis Carroll vibe. It was interesting, but I don't feel the need or desire to read more.
Nancy Kress was fairly amusing, a retake on the emperor's new clothes, but I don't feel the need to read any more of her either.
Nalo Hopkinson and Melissa Lee Shaw were both okay but their villains were over the top. Especially in the Sea Hag, there was no reason for why he did what he did. Why did he go into the ocean in the first place? He knew in the first split second that he could trick this all powerful spirit of the sea into giving him all of her power and then take over her kingdom? Seems a bit unusual for someone to decide that in the first split second of seeing something for the first time.
The frog chauffeur was hilarious and I want to read other things by Garry Kilworth.
The Dybbuk in the Bottle was also pretty funny and I am willing to read more by Russell Asplund. The man is clever and his story was clever.
The Ivory Bones was downright disturbing and I have no desire to read anything by Susan Wade again...unless I want to give myself nightmares...which I occasionally do...
The wild heart and the shell box I also wanted to put up with Nalo Hopkinson and Melissa Shaw. The stories weren't about the artistry, they were about the message and they pummeled the characters and stories into matching the message and it just was ham-handed and uninteresting and by this point I was tired of ultra-evil males who had not a single drop of human empathy in them. Super one-dimensional.
I don't remember the one by Pat York, so it must not have made much of an impression.
The Arabian Phoenix by India Edghill was interesting, it was impressive how she made an entire mythos come to life in one short story. Kudos.
Toad-Rich...don't remember.
Skin so green and fine I did not like. I'm not really sure why. I think maybe because the main character was Latin and didn't act at all like it. Granted, I've never actually visited Haiti, so maybe the Latins on Haiti are different because of all of the French influence, but the Haitians and Dominicans I've met still act and think quite Latin, so...I didn't think much of this character or this story.
Melanie Tem's was just plain boring and odd and disturbing. Meh.
Locks by Neil Gaiman, I had read before, and it remains as cute as ever.
Marsh Magic was okay, not the best McKinley story ever, not the worst.
I was very surprised to see Patricia McKellip in here. For some reason I thought she hadn't published anything recently. I haven't read anything by her since I was in high school. This was fun, so I think it shall be the impetus to go revisit all of her series' that I never got to finish. How very exciting. Hopefully one or more of my five libraries has them available in digital format, or I'll just have to wait until the next time I can go to the states and raid the libraries there for physical copies.
Well, except to realize how very little leisure time our ancestors had. I wrote 6 letters today. It took me all day. The only other thing I have done is read a book, do my laundry, read Japanese for 10 minutes, and write a review besides this one. Where did the day go?!?
Typing is so much faster than writing. But there's something so much more meaningful and visceral about writing out a letter. It's kind of how like a kindle is awesome and all, and I love and adore my kindle, but reading a real book that you can play with the pages and smell the binding glue is just so much more enjoyable.
Anyway, this book. Meh. I bought it because of my epic trawl through McKinley's repertoire, and it has a short story that I had never read before. I would have checked it out from a library, but none of my FIVE libraries had it in their digital collections. Fortunately it was only $1.99 so I don't feel too awful guilty.
I actually kind of enjoy short story anthologies because they give me a glimpse of the writing styles of other people and I can see if I want to read any of their other work.
From this collection, I think that Tanith Lee is someone that I might enjoy reading, the short story in here was engaging, well-written, and thought provoking.
Delia Sherman was a fun and quirky poem that made me laugh and be willing to consider reading some of her other writing.
Patricia Briggs I've already read most of so there was nothing much new there.
Caitlin R. Kiernan and I do NOT get along. I repeat. Do NOT. Oh. My. Word. I finally learned what purple writing is by reading this short story. It was pure, unadulterated torture. This one story took more time for me to read than the rest of the book. COMBINED. Not only was the vocabulary superfluous in every way, but the diction! I needed to clean my brain out with peroxide after trying to decipher what on earth she was trying to say.
I went out to dinner with a friend of mine who happens to read some of my goodreads reviews and he was like 'but what do you mean by torturous diction?' (a phrase I tend to use frequently). I gave him the first paragraph to read. After stumbling 4 times, and having to go back and reread three or four times in the first FOUR SENTENCES, he understood what I meant. This story is impossible to read. The sentences are all strange and convoluted. The clauses don't follow where they should and you haven't the faintest idea what she is trying to say.
Not to mention the story had no point and was weird.
Harvey Jacobs' story was weird like he was going for a Lewis Carroll vibe. It was interesting, but I don't feel the need or desire to read more.
Nancy Kress was fairly amusing, a retake on the emperor's new clothes, but I don't feel the need to read any more of her either.
Nalo Hopkinson and Melissa Lee Shaw were both okay but their villains were over the top. Especially in the Sea Hag, there was no reason for why he did what he did. Why did he go into the ocean in the first place? He knew in the first split second that he could trick this all powerful spirit of the sea into giving him all of her power and then take over her kingdom? Seems a bit unusual for someone to decide that in the first split second of seeing something for the first time.
The frog chauffeur was hilarious and I want to read other things by Garry Kilworth.
The Dybbuk in the Bottle was also pretty funny and I am willing to read more by Russell Asplund. The man is clever and his story was clever.
The Ivory Bones was downright disturbing and I have no desire to read anything by Susan Wade again...unless I want to give myself nightmares...which I occasionally do...
The wild heart and the shell box I also wanted to put up with Nalo Hopkinson and Melissa Shaw. The stories weren't about the artistry, they were about the message and they pummeled the characters and stories into matching the message and it just was ham-handed and uninteresting and by this point I was tired of ultra-evil males who had not a single drop of human empathy in them. Super one-dimensional.
I don't remember the one by Pat York, so it must not have made much of an impression.
The Arabian Phoenix by India Edghill was interesting, it was impressive how she made an entire mythos come to life in one short story. Kudos.
Toad-Rich...don't remember.
Skin so green and fine I did not like. I'm not really sure why. I think maybe because the main character was Latin and didn't act at all like it. Granted, I've never actually visited Haiti, so maybe the Latins on Haiti are different because of all of the French influence, but the Haitians and Dominicans I've met still act and think quite Latin, so...I didn't think much of this character or this story.
Melanie Tem's was just plain boring and odd and disturbing. Meh.
Locks by Neil Gaiman, I had read before, and it remains as cute as ever.
Marsh Magic was okay, not the best McKinley story ever, not the worst.
I was very surprised to see Patricia McKellip in here. For some reason I thought she hadn't published anything recently. I haven't read anything by her since I was in high school. This was fun, so I think it shall be the impetus to go revisit all of her series' that I never got to finish. How very exciting. Hopefully one or more of my five libraries has them available in digital format, or I'll just have to wait until the next time I can go to the states and raid the libraries there for physical copies.
March 28, 2022
I really enjoy reading short stories and fairytales. There is something nice and nostalgic within the stories. I enjoyed some of the short stories in this compilation more so than others, but overall think that it was still a good read. I intend to read more of these fairytale retelling volumes.
January 19, 2009
I loved this book, just as I loved the other ones:)
April 3, 2016
If you are a fan of reworked fairy tales, you will love this book! Excellent short stories by equally excellent authors!
April 2, 2023
A collection of retold and remixed fairy tales, much like the originals in tone. In some stories, there is a happy ending, but most end in blood, death, or other loss.
April 17, 2024
The Snow White, Blood Red series has always held a lurid fascination for me, but the volumes are usually either hit or miss. For example, the first book seemed to be a collection written for shock factor: I.E., these stories are meant for adults, so let us try to cram as much titillation and violence as possible. As the series progressed, the stories seemed better if no less horrific at times. There is a story in Ruby Slippers, Golden Tears, for instance, about a sadomasochiestic prince, (inspired by The Princess and the Pea), that still makes me sick to think about it. Anyhow, I stopped reading the series for a while but finally decided to try Silver Birch, Blood Moon.
The stories in this volume seem to be of higher quality and explore the traditional tales in interesting ways. The writing is more elegant, and when horrifying or disgusting things happen, they seem to do so for a reason. "Clad in Gossamer," by Nancy Kress, for example, is told from the perspective of an envious prince who hates his brother, and the foppery and foolishness sometimes apparent in court life is on full display.
Here are the stories that were my favorites:
"Kiss Kiss," by Tanith Lee. Inspired by "The Frog Prince," this is a very sad story about the loss of innocence. Perhaps princes who are turned into frogs should remain frogs. I loved the gentleness and innocence of the voice, which made the ending pack quite a punch.
"The Frog Chauffeur," by Gary Kilworth. By contrast, this story was hilarious! Also inspired by "The Frog Prince," this one was about future generations and about the love between a spinster and a younger man with some very curious habits. Made me laugh.
"The Dybbuk in the Bottle," by Russell William Asplund. A wonderful, lighthearted story about a lazy farmer who wants to be a wonder worker like the rabbis of old. A trickster dybbuk, and the wise Rabbi Meltzer might teach the farmer the value of hard work. "No wonders are greater than the natural wonders of God". I loved this story, which had deep meaning and was also funny. Russell William Asplund is a very good writer, and I also recommend his short story "The Rabbi and the Sorcerer," which can be found in Murder is No Mitzvah, edited by Abigail Browning.
"The Sea Hag, by Melissa Shaw. A thoroughly beautiful story inspired by "The Little Mermaid". The author explores middle-aged women and how they are often portrayed as villainesses. Shaw turnes this idea on its head, creates a new villain and makes the seawitch a very empathetic character who is not the monster we believe her to be. In fact, she is a very important character. THe story explores motherhood and familial love in a wonderful way.
"The Shell Box," by Karawyn Long. Another sea tale inspired by the selkies. A great story about domestic abuse and a woman's courage. I loved the idea of a "three strike" motif.
"Ivory Bones, by Susan Wade. A thoroughly chilling monologue from a collector, a "mole-like" man who loves a young maiden for her beautiful voice and desires to have her. Inspired by "Thumbelina," this story is quietly horrific, and the narrator will chill you to the bone. Reminded me strongly of one of my favorite poems, "My Last Duchess," by Robert Browning.
"The WIld Heart, by Anne Bishop. An enthralling retelling of "Sleeping Beauty". No princes here, and contains a very different meaning of the word spindle. The villainess was changed, and the premise made sense and brought bile to my throat. A great exploration of Jungian psychology, and a wonderful ending.
"You Wandered Off Like a Foolish Child to Break Your Heart and Mine, by Pat York. What of all the princes who fail their quests and are trapped in a thorny hedge/ Their deaths might not be instantaneous. And what of the people who must tend to them? A tear-jerking story which also explores a mother's love as well as the theme of those who are not victorious. Someone has to lose, and not everyone cheers when the princess awakens. Many mourn their dead. A very thought-provoking and heartrending story.
The other stories are good as well, although they did not grab me as effectively as the ones described above. However, this collection was far better than the others in the series, and I recommend starting with this one. If you enjoy stories inspired by fairy tales, then this is a good book.
God bless you all.
The stories in this volume seem to be of higher quality and explore the traditional tales in interesting ways. The writing is more elegant, and when horrifying or disgusting things happen, they seem to do so for a reason. "Clad in Gossamer," by Nancy Kress, for example, is told from the perspective of an envious prince who hates his brother, and the foppery and foolishness sometimes apparent in court life is on full display.
Here are the stories that were my favorites:
"Kiss Kiss," by Tanith Lee. Inspired by "The Frog Prince," this is a very sad story about the loss of innocence. Perhaps princes who are turned into frogs should remain frogs. I loved the gentleness and innocence of the voice, which made the ending pack quite a punch.
"The Frog Chauffeur," by Gary Kilworth. By contrast, this story was hilarious! Also inspired by "The Frog Prince," this one was about future generations and about the love between a spinster and a younger man with some very curious habits. Made me laugh.
"The Dybbuk in the Bottle," by Russell William Asplund. A wonderful, lighthearted story about a lazy farmer who wants to be a wonder worker like the rabbis of old. A trickster dybbuk, and the wise Rabbi Meltzer might teach the farmer the value of hard work. "No wonders are greater than the natural wonders of God". I loved this story, which had deep meaning and was also funny. Russell William Asplund is a very good writer, and I also recommend his short story "The Rabbi and the Sorcerer," which can be found in Murder is No Mitzvah, edited by Abigail Browning.
"The Sea Hag, by Melissa Shaw. A thoroughly beautiful story inspired by "The Little Mermaid". The author explores middle-aged women and how they are often portrayed as villainesses. Shaw turnes this idea on its head, creates a new villain and makes the seawitch a very empathetic character who is not the monster we believe her to be. In fact, she is a very important character. THe story explores motherhood and familial love in a wonderful way.
"The Shell Box," by Karawyn Long. Another sea tale inspired by the selkies. A great story about domestic abuse and a woman's courage. I loved the idea of a "three strike" motif.
"Ivory Bones, by Susan Wade. A thoroughly chilling monologue from a collector, a "mole-like" man who loves a young maiden for her beautiful voice and desires to have her. Inspired by "Thumbelina," this story is quietly horrific, and the narrator will chill you to the bone. Reminded me strongly of one of my favorite poems, "My Last Duchess," by Robert Browning.
"The WIld Heart, by Anne Bishop. An enthralling retelling of "Sleeping Beauty". No princes here, and contains a very different meaning of the word spindle. The villainess was changed, and the premise made sense and brought bile to my throat. A great exploration of Jungian psychology, and a wonderful ending.
"You Wandered Off Like a Foolish Child to Break Your Heart and Mine, by Pat York. What of all the princes who fail their quests and are trapped in a thorny hedge/ Their deaths might not be instantaneous. And what of the people who must tend to them? A tear-jerking story which also explores a mother's love as well as the theme of those who are not victorious. Someone has to lose, and not everyone cheers when the princess awakens. Many mourn their dead. A very thought-provoking and heartrending story.
The other stories are good as well, although they did not grab me as effectively as the ones described above. However, this collection was far better than the others in the series, and I recommend starting with this one. If you enjoy stories inspired by fairy tales, then this is a good book.
God bless you all.
September 13, 2020
Overall entertaining and interesting. Might read another of these anthologies. Good break between other books. Sometimes an anthology is what is needed.
1, Kiss Kiss by Tanith Lee - 3 stars. Not much to it. Sad though with the loss and outcome.
2, Carabosse by Delia Sherman - 3 stars, I guess? A poem was unexpected. Liked the take well enough.
3, The Price by Patricia Briggs - 3.5, 4 stars. Fun take. I enjoyed it.
4, Glass Coffin by Caitlin Kiernan - 2 stars. Not a fan of the writing style. Meandering. Was hard for me to keep track of things/characters in the beginning.
5, The Vanishing Virgin by Harvey Jacobs - 2 stars. Weird. Normal enough 'til entering the other location. Really dislike the magician but especially how his part goes.
6, Clad in Gossamer by Nancy Kress - 3 stars. Liked how it kept him guessing. Good concept.
7, Precious by Nalo Hopkinson - 4 stars. Appreciated this one!
8, The Sea Hag by Melissa Lee Shaw - 4 stars. Lee definitely accomplished her goal here. Lovely take.
9, The Frog Chauffeur by Garry Kilworth - 3 stars. Interesting enough. Too bad about the frogs but I guess it worked out in the end... Hm.
10, The Dybbuk in the Bottle by Russell William Asplund - 3 stars. Good moral.
11, The Shell Box by Karawynn Long - 5 stars. I really enjoyed this one. Definitely my favorite so far. I liked the flow, the style, the ending. All around great. Will check out others by this author.
12, Ivory Bones by Susan Wade - 2 stars. I just really don't like this storytelling type of story especially with the interspersed bits talking to the "audience." Props for Felicia though.
13, The Wild Heart by Anne Bishop - 3 stars. Kinda disappointed. Bishop is the main reason I picked this up. Wasn't bad and I liked the ending but, as with the one above, I don't like that storytelling aspect. At least it was just the first half...
14, You Wandered Off Like a Foolish Child to Break Your Heart and Mine by Pat York - (What a title... But makes sense.) 4 stars. I really like how he got the idea off Bishop's manuscript (from the above). Great story here and sad. Appreciated the ending. Might check for more by this author.
15, Arabian Phoenix by India Edghill - 3 stars. Turned out better than expected from the beginning. Liked the idea behind this and its end. Would be curious about how things progress for the two (and the sister).
16, Toad-Rich by Michael Cadnum - 2 stars. Did not like the main character. Anything to harm animals gets to me. Would make this 1 star but the writing is decent and at least she cared for her family, I suppose.
17, Skin So Green and Fine by Wendy Wheeler - 3 stars. Started not so great but had a strong finish.
18, The Willful Child, the Black Dog, and the Beanstalk by Melanie Tem - 2 stars. Meh. Just don't have anything to say about this.
19, Locks by Neil Gaiman - 2 stars. Not my cup of tea. Another poem too. Disappointed since Gaiman was the other author that brought me here...
20, Marsh-Magic by Robin McKinley - 2 stars. Because it had an interesting premise. I have read another story by this author (Sunshine) and it was one of the worst books I've read. I was dreading the time when this one came up. Again, soo many unnecessary words! Meanderings. I don't know if it was actually longer than most (if not all) the other stories but it certainly felt like it! D:
21, Toad by Patricia A. McKillip - 2 stars. Was okay...
1, Kiss Kiss by Tanith Lee - 3 stars. Not much to it. Sad though with the loss and outcome.
2, Carabosse by Delia Sherman - 3 stars, I guess? A poem was unexpected. Liked the take well enough.
3, The Price by Patricia Briggs - 3.5, 4 stars. Fun take. I enjoyed it.
4, Glass Coffin by Caitlin Kiernan - 2 stars. Not a fan of the writing style. Meandering. Was hard for me to keep track of things/characters in the beginning.
5, The Vanishing Virgin by Harvey Jacobs - 2 stars. Weird. Normal enough 'til entering the other location. Really dislike the magician but especially how his part goes.
6, Clad in Gossamer by Nancy Kress - 3 stars. Liked how it kept him guessing. Good concept.
7, Precious by Nalo Hopkinson - 4 stars. Appreciated this one!
8, The Sea Hag by Melissa Lee Shaw - 4 stars. Lee definitely accomplished her goal here. Lovely take.
9, The Frog Chauffeur by Garry Kilworth - 3 stars. Interesting enough. Too bad about the frogs but I guess it worked out in the end... Hm.
10, The Dybbuk in the Bottle by Russell William Asplund - 3 stars. Good moral.
11, The Shell Box by Karawynn Long - 5 stars. I really enjoyed this one. Definitely my favorite so far. I liked the flow, the style, the ending. All around great. Will check out others by this author.
12, Ivory Bones by Susan Wade - 2 stars. I just really don't like this storytelling type of story especially with the interspersed bits talking to the "audience." Props for Felicia though.
13, The Wild Heart by Anne Bishop - 3 stars. Kinda disappointed. Bishop is the main reason I picked this up. Wasn't bad and I liked the ending but, as with the one above, I don't like that storytelling aspect. At least it was just the first half...
14, You Wandered Off Like a Foolish Child to Break Your Heart and Mine by Pat York - (What a title... But makes sense.) 4 stars. I really like how he got the idea off Bishop's manuscript (from the above). Great story here and sad. Appreciated the ending. Might check for more by this author.
15, Arabian Phoenix by India Edghill - 3 stars. Turned out better than expected from the beginning. Liked the idea behind this and its end. Would be curious about how things progress for the two (and the sister).
16, Toad-Rich by Michael Cadnum - 2 stars. Did not like the main character. Anything to harm animals gets to me. Would make this 1 star but the writing is decent and at least she cared for her family, I suppose.
17, Skin So Green and Fine by Wendy Wheeler - 3 stars. Started not so great but had a strong finish.
18, The Willful Child, the Black Dog, and the Beanstalk by Melanie Tem - 2 stars. Meh. Just don't have anything to say about this.
19, Locks by Neil Gaiman - 2 stars. Not my cup of tea. Another poem too. Disappointed since Gaiman was the other author that brought me here...
20, Marsh-Magic by Robin McKinley - 2 stars. Because it had an interesting premise. I have read another story by this author (Sunshine) and it was one of the worst books I've read. I was dreading the time when this one came up. Again, soo many unnecessary words! Meanderings. I don't know if it was actually longer than most (if not all) the other stories but it certainly felt like it! D:
21, Toad by Patricia A. McKillip - 2 stars. Was okay...
February 16, 2024
I've been a long-time fan of Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling's fairy tale anthologies, and 2024 is the year to re-read them. Standouts from this anthology are:
- "Kiss Kiss": A melancholy take on The Frog Prince by Tanith Lee, one of the greats of the "reimagining fairy tales" genre. I see a lot of people talk about how this story reflects the tragic realities of a woman's life in Ye Olden Times™, but I think this story works best as a subtle meditation on the process and effects of grooming.
- "The Price": A lovely subversion of Rumpelstiltzkin. Is it perfect? No. Does it have a problematic trope that I tend to dislike ()? Yep. But something about this story by Patricia Briggs just...it gets me at my core. A love story about two artists who fundamentally understand each other because of their art, and someone helping another person without expectation of reciprocation.
- "You Wandered Off Like a Foolish Child to Break Your Heart and Mine": This story isn't for the faint of heart, but this is the one that truly stuck with me when I first read this anthology years ago. I was curious whether it would have the same impact now, years later, after some life experiences that give me a new perspective on this tale. The answer: if anything, it's even more impactful. In this tale, Pat York uses the story of Sleeping Beauty to examine the collateral damage that fairy tales often ignore. What about the princes who didn't make it through the thorns around the castle? What about their families? And in doing that, she invites the reader to question the line between madness and hope, the inherent unfairness of success versus suffering, how grief is a painful process that can begin long before loss, and most importantly of all: what is the compassionate thing to do for the people you love when they're suffering?
- "Kiss Kiss": A melancholy take on The Frog Prince by Tanith Lee, one of the greats of the "reimagining fairy tales" genre. I see a lot of people talk about how this story reflects the tragic realities of a woman's life in Ye Olden Times™, but I think this story works best as a subtle meditation on the process and effects of grooming.
- "The Price": A lovely subversion of Rumpelstiltzkin. Is it perfect? No. Does it have a problematic trope that I tend to dislike ()? Yep. But something about this story by Patricia Briggs just...it gets me at my core. A love story about two artists who fundamentally understand each other because of their art, and someone helping another person without expectation of reciprocation.
- "You Wandered Off Like a Foolish Child to Break Your Heart and Mine": This story isn't for the faint of heart, but this is the one that truly stuck with me when I first read this anthology years ago. I was curious whether it would have the same impact now, years later, after some life experiences that give me a new perspective on this tale. The answer: if anything, it's even more impactful. In this tale, Pat York uses the story of Sleeping Beauty to examine the collateral damage that fairy tales often ignore. What about the princes who didn't make it through the thorns around the castle? What about their families? And in doing that, she invites the reader to question the line between madness and hope, the inherent unfairness of success versus suffering, how grief is a painful process that can begin long before loss, and most importantly of all: what is the compassionate thing to do for the people you love when they're suffering?
April 28, 2020
A very good anthology on average. Almost every story had something to like about it, usually it's sense of style, and the ones I disliked tended not to have anything objectively bad about them other than density and opaqueness. The prevalence of 'frog prince' stories in this are interesting, and often remind me why it's a bit of a disappointing fairy tale - beauty and the beast with all the bite and charm sucked out.
My particular favorites were - Locks, by Neil Gaiman, Precious, The sea hag and especially You wondered off Like a Foolish Child to Break Your Heart and Mine. I disliked Arabian Pheonix, The Willful Child, the Black Dog, and the Beanstalk, The Glass Coffin and Toad. I dislike the first for feeling wildly appropriative, and the second for portraying mental illness so badly. The last two are a matter of stylistic taste.
Reading so many stories, often based on the same source material, just showed how retellings are often not as subversive as they'd like to be, repeating new tropes and tottering in the footsteps of writers like Angela Carter. On the whole, though, a robust collection.
3 and a half stars, edging to 4.
My particular favorites were - Locks, by Neil Gaiman, Precious, The sea hag and especially You wondered off Like a Foolish Child to Break Your Heart and Mine. I disliked Arabian Pheonix, The Willful Child, the Black Dog, and the Beanstalk, The Glass Coffin and Toad. I dislike the first for feeling wildly appropriative, and the second for portraying mental illness so badly. The last two are a matter of stylistic taste.
Reading so many stories, often based on the same source material, just showed how retellings are often not as subversive as they'd like to be, repeating new tropes and tottering in the footsteps of writers like Angela Carter. On the whole, though, a robust collection.
3 and a half stars, edging to 4.
February 12, 2019
A very varied bunch of stories
An interesting collection of fairytales made new. Some of them are just lovely; others are anything but. They're all interesting and wildly different from the stories you read as a kid or that mom might've read to you.
I think my favorite was the Rumplestiltskin remake as the miller's daughter was able to see beyond the surface and the Rumplestiltskin character wasn't an evil little gnome while the handsome young king was a jerk and stupidly cruel. There were a couple of stories I had a hard time getting into and a couple I didn't care much for, but mostly they were at least interesting and some were almost enough to make you cry happy tears
An interesting collection of fairytales made new. Some of them are just lovely; others are anything but. They're all interesting and wildly different from the stories you read as a kid or that mom might've read to you.
I think my favorite was the Rumplestiltskin remake as the miller's daughter was able to see beyond the surface and the Rumplestiltskin character wasn't an evil little gnome while the handsome young king was a jerk and stupidly cruel. There were a couple of stories I had a hard time getting into and a couple I didn't care much for, but mostly they were at least interesting and some were almost enough to make you cry happy tears
February 23, 2022
DNF.
This book is what you get if you asked people who hate fairytales to rewrite fairytales. The astounding amount of pulling the rug out from under the heroines to put them into abusive relationships or dismal endings instead of happily ever afters for the sake of being 'modern or clever' hot takes on the stories was just so gross and disappointing to read. There was also an over abundance of The Princess and the Frog stories...like really!? Pick one for your book, not multiples.
I borrowed this to read Neil Gaiman's contribution to the book, and honestly after reading a third or so of this book, the overall tone just left such a bad taste in my mouth that I had to stop. I think there were maybe two stories i actually enjoyed.
This book is what you get if you asked people who hate fairytales to rewrite fairytales. The astounding amount of pulling the rug out from under the heroines to put them into abusive relationships or dismal endings instead of happily ever afters for the sake of being 'modern or clever' hot takes on the stories was just so gross and disappointing to read. There was also an over abundance of The Princess and the Frog stories...like really!? Pick one for your book, not multiples.
I borrowed this to read Neil Gaiman's contribution to the book, and honestly after reading a third or so of this book, the overall tone just left such a bad taste in my mouth that I had to stop. I think there were maybe two stories i actually enjoyed.
September 5, 2017
I'm not even sure how to rate this one. I enjoyed this one more than I thought. I only checked it out of the library because of the story by Patricia Briggs, and sometimes I don't bother reading the remainder of the anthology when I do that. I was glad I read this one. I liked the various retellings of fairy tales with modern twists. I liked some of them more than others. The Little Mermaid one was perhaps my favorite. A couple of them were more weird than good, and at least one of them was so much so that it seemed unfinished. Most of them were good though!
March 12, 2018
As always with an anthology a bit hit or miss on the stories. I generally enjoy them and didn’t feel that any were particularly poor, however only a few stood out. This might be because a lot of the narratives seemed to choose Rumplestilskin as their inspiration, which made them blend a bit... There *were* two standouts that I quite enjoyed, both on the darker side:
"You Wandered Off Like a Foolish Child to Break Your Heart and Mine" by Pat York
"The Willful Child, the Black Dog and the Beanstalk" by Melanie Tem
"You Wandered Off Like a Foolish Child to Break Your Heart and Mine" by Pat York
"The Willful Child, the Black Dog and the Beanstalk" by Melanie Tem
January 20, 2019
ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS book, you'll want to take your time on it and not rush - allow some thinking time between each tale - the book consists of quite twisted fairy tales and I really enjoyed it, some (much) more than others, but that's only a matter of taste.
Before each story is an introduction of each author, which is now leading me to search out other works. Its a big enough endeavor to make me want o purchase a hard copy of this book, because I read it from a public library download. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
Before each story is an introduction of each author, which is now leading me to search out other works. Its a big enough endeavor to make me want o purchase a hard copy of this book, because I read it from a public library download. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
May 30, 2019
My favourites:
Kiss, Kiss by Tanith Lee. A girl that wants a friend meets a talking frog.
Carabosse by Delia Sherman. A magic gift giving the opportunity to be more than she would have been.
The Price by Patricia Briggs. The worth of beauty.
The Sea Hag by Melissa Lee Shaw. Counteracts the lack of sympathetic adults in fairy tales.
The Shell Box by Karawynn Long. A girl with a stolen voice.
The Wild Heart by Anne Bishop. A play on archetypes in Sleeping Beauty.
Arabian Phoenix by India Edgehill. A modern Scheherazade.
Kiss, Kiss by Tanith Lee. A girl that wants a friend meets a talking frog.
Carabosse by Delia Sherman. A magic gift giving the opportunity to be more than she would have been.
The Price by Patricia Briggs. The worth of beauty.
The Sea Hag by Melissa Lee Shaw. Counteracts the lack of sympathetic adults in fairy tales.
The Shell Box by Karawynn Long. A girl with a stolen voice.
The Wild Heart by Anne Bishop. A play on archetypes in Sleeping Beauty.
Arabian Phoenix by India Edgehill. A modern Scheherazade.
October 20, 2019
It seems that “Silver Birch Blood Red” is the 5th volume in the “Adult Fairy Tales” series of anthologies edited by Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling. This doesn’t really matter to the reader as this volume stands on its own. Each story is written by a modern fantasy writer, but is loosely based on a fairy tale. For example, variations of “The Frog Prince” are the first and last stories in the volume. The authors include Neil Gaiman, Tainth Lee, Patricia McKillip, and many others. These are great little short stories that any reader of fantasy can easily enjoy.
October 30, 2019
Normally when I pick up one of these anthologies of fairy tale retellings I expect the 'dark, and gritty modern' take. Keep in mind I dislike these, but I keep throwing myself at that wall anyway. This one though, this one was wonderful. The stories weren't dark and gritty for the sake of it, they were unique and interesting, and if anything I'd describe them as light (though they had darkness to them).
It was refreshing, there was only one story I skipped within the anthology and that was by an author I know I don't get on with so no harm no foul there.
It was refreshing, there was only one story I skipped within the anthology and that was by an author I know I don't get on with so no harm no foul there.
October 24, 2022
n this triumphant new collection of original fiction, twenty-one of today's leading writers spin the cherished fables of childhood into glittering gold--offering magical tales for adults, as seductive as they are sophisticated.
Heather's Notes
For the most part I did not care for this anthology. While I like retellings of fairy tales I find I want the HEA. I know the original stories don't usually have an HEA, but you are retelling it so you can give it one. If I had known before hand that wouldn't be the case I would probably have skipped it.
Heather's Notes
For the most part I did not care for this anthology. While I like retellings of fairy tales I find I want the HEA. I know the original stories don't usually have an HEA, but you are retelling it so you can give it one. If I had known before hand that wouldn't be the case I would probably have skipped it.
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