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The Peddler
A traveling peddler enters a tavern on a stormy night.
She takes a seat at a table, opens her sailcloth bag, and removes a number of trinkets, ready to weave tales from her travels to her rapt audience… But where to begin?
…a mermaid seeking to walk on land to avenge a murder.
…a daughter of powerful nobles battling how she was raised and what she believes.
…a lighthouse keeper holding vigil for her long-lost love across the sea.
…a petty thief scamming the rich to help the poor.
…or perhaps something else to keep her audience on the edge of their seats.
This collection of fairytale retellings will introduce you to familiar characters you may no longer recognize. Perfect for fans of shadowy plots, criminals with hearts of gold, star-crossed lovers, and happily-ever-afters, The Peddler is sure to entertain you as much as her captive audience.
She takes a seat at a table, opens her sailcloth bag, and removes a number of trinkets, ready to weave tales from her travels to her rapt audience… But where to begin?
…a mermaid seeking to walk on land to avenge a murder.
…a daughter of powerful nobles battling how she was raised and what she believes.
…a lighthouse keeper holding vigil for her long-lost love across the sea.
…a petty thief scamming the rich to help the poor.
…or perhaps something else to keep her audience on the edge of their seats.
This collection of fairytale retellings will introduce you to familiar characters you may no longer recognize. Perfect for fans of shadowy plots, criminals with hearts of gold, star-crossed lovers, and happily-ever-afters, The Peddler is sure to entertain you as much as her captive audience.
- GenresFantasy
352 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 25, 2026
8 people are currently reading
32 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
February 27, 2026
This book has an interesting idea for a plot, similar to that of News of the World in a fantastical version and The Story Peddler without the part about stories that can kill. It’s about a wandering saleswoman that arrives on a stormy night at a tavern in a coastal town, where a few patrons are killing time sheltering from the heavy rain. Before this captive audience, Verre the peddler takes a bunch of strange objects out of her bag of wares to show to the curious crowd looking on. Is she going to sell these things?
Oh, no, she’s not going to sell them—and in any case, some of those objects are too valuable for her humble listeners to afford—as she’s a storyteller and is going to use them to tell stories.
More on those stories at my website.
Oh, no, she’s not going to sell them—and in any case, some of those objects are too valuable for her humble listeners to afford—as she’s a storyteller and is going to use them to tell stories.
More on those stories at my website.
March 7, 2026
In a Nutshell: A fantasy story collection with known fairy tales in a different presentation. The stories ranged from decent to great, but the structuring of the individual tales and of the overall book didn't work for me, though this might be more a ME problem.
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This story collection contains eight main stories, each of which is supposed to be a modified version of a popular fairytale or folklore. I could recognise some of the source material, but wasn’t familiar with a couple of the titles.
What I thought would make this collection stand out was the presentation framework - using a storyteller to tell us stories. The titular peddler, whose name is Verre, is the narrator of the tales. During a storm, she enters a tavern, feels that it's a "good night for telling stories", and sets up some exotic objects on a table. When curious customers walk to her and ask her questions about a specific item, Verre goes into the story of how the object came into her possession.
On paper, this sounds like a good way of collating disparate fairytales under a single collection. However, the implementation of this concept didn't click with me. But I also know that every reader won't feel the same way as I did.
You see, I'm a fusspot when it comes to writing formats. If something is said to be a newspaper article, I want it written in the tone of a newspaper article. A diary/journal should not sound like a commercial novel; a letter should not sound like an interview. So for this book, when I was promised stories narrated by a woman at a tavern, I expected a talented raconteur who would offer a delightful storytelling session. This structure necessitates narrative flamboyance and interactive listener experience. None of this happens. What we get instead is stories written in standard structure that simply don't sound like someone was narrating them to an audience.
Furthermore, while Verre's interludes are in third person, each story is written in first person. This should actually have been the other way around. Verre as the narrator of the whole book should have had the first-person voice, and while recounting stories, she should obviously have used third person the way most folktales do. My head simply couldn't accept the swap.
To top it all, each story has multiple sections (like chapters), which is impossible in oral narratives. One story is even written in the epistolary format!
I tried hard to forget that the stories were meant to be narrations and tried to enjoy them as typical short stories. This improved my experience somewhat but not enough to make the collection a memorable one for me. While I appreciate the creativity of the retellings – most stories are impossible to recognise from their base material, having just some components in common – I didn’t like how extended the tales felt. Many of the tales meandered in such a way that it was tough to figure out the destination of the plotline from the initial paragraphs. Plus, the first-person gets really repetitive after a while, resulting in all the stories blending into each other.
Every story is sandwiched between chapters containing Verre’s interactions at the tavern where she is narrating the stories. So after each story, we get to see her chat with the customer who queried about that object, and a build-up to the next story that focusses on another item in her collection. These interludes don’t add much to the plot except to provide a bridge towards the next story.
Verre’s name intrigued me. I had the feeling that it held significance, and my guess proved itself right in the final chapter containing a bonus ninth story. This was the only story in the entire book that actually sounded like a narration, perhaps helped by the fact that it was the only story written in third person. Though the shortest of the tales, it was a brilliant narrative, and the only story that won all five stars from me. Most of the other tales earned between 2.5 to 3.5 stars. Other than the final story, I liked ‘The Tale of the Brooch‘ (a modified version of ‘Little Red Riding Hood’; started very confusing but ended on a good note) and ‘The Tale of the Fang‘ (one of the darkest stories in the collection, with the ending being most impactful.)
If you can just forget that these are meant to be stories narrated by a raconteur in a public setting and instead read them like you would a typical short story collection, you might enjoy the book more. There’s no doubt that this debut author has some really creative plot ideas. I just wish I hadn’t found it so tough to accept the contradiction between promised structure and actual implementation.
Recommended to fans of atypical fairytale retellings in short fiction format.
3.2 stars based on the average of my ratings for each story.
My thanks to SnowRidge Press for providing the DRC of “The Peddler” via NetGalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I follow the Goodreads rating policy:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Lifelong favourite!
⭐⭐⭐⭐ - I loved the book.
⭐⭐⭐ - I liked the book.
⭐⭐ - I found the book average.
⭐ - I hated the book.
The decimals indicate the degree of the in-between feelings.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Connect with me through:
My Blog || The StoryGraph || Instagram || Facebook ||
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This story collection contains eight main stories, each of which is supposed to be a modified version of a popular fairytale or folklore. I could recognise some of the source material, but wasn’t familiar with a couple of the titles.
What I thought would make this collection stand out was the presentation framework - using a storyteller to tell us stories. The titular peddler, whose name is Verre, is the narrator of the tales. During a storm, she enters a tavern, feels that it's a "good night for telling stories", and sets up some exotic objects on a table. When curious customers walk to her and ask her questions about a specific item, Verre goes into the story of how the object came into her possession.
On paper, this sounds like a good way of collating disparate fairytales under a single collection. However, the implementation of this concept didn't click with me. But I also know that every reader won't feel the same way as I did.
You see, I'm a fusspot when it comes to writing formats. If something is said to be a newspaper article, I want it written in the tone of a newspaper article. A diary/journal should not sound like a commercial novel; a letter should not sound like an interview. So for this book, when I was promised stories narrated by a woman at a tavern, I expected a talented raconteur who would offer a delightful storytelling session. This structure necessitates narrative flamboyance and interactive listener experience. None of this happens. What we get instead is stories written in standard structure that simply don't sound like someone was narrating them to an audience.
Furthermore, while Verre's interludes are in third person, each story is written in first person. This should actually have been the other way around. Verre as the narrator of the whole book should have had the first-person voice, and while recounting stories, she should obviously have used third person the way most folktales do. My head simply couldn't accept the swap.
To top it all, each story has multiple sections (like chapters), which is impossible in oral narratives. One story is even written in the epistolary format!
I tried hard to forget that the stories were meant to be narrations and tried to enjoy them as typical short stories. This improved my experience somewhat but not enough to make the collection a memorable one for me. While I appreciate the creativity of the retellings – most stories are impossible to recognise from their base material, having just some components in common – I didn’t like how extended the tales felt. Many of the tales meandered in such a way that it was tough to figure out the destination of the plotline from the initial paragraphs. Plus, the first-person gets really repetitive after a while, resulting in all the stories blending into each other.
Every story is sandwiched between chapters containing Verre’s interactions at the tavern where she is narrating the stories. So after each story, we get to see her chat with the customer who queried about that object, and a build-up to the next story that focusses on another item in her collection. These interludes don’t add much to the plot except to provide a bridge towards the next story.
Verre’s name intrigued me. I had the feeling that it held significance, and my guess proved itself right in the final chapter containing a bonus ninth story. This was the only story in the entire book that actually sounded like a narration, perhaps helped by the fact that it was the only story written in third person. Though the shortest of the tales, it was a brilliant narrative, and the only story that won all five stars from me. Most of the other tales earned between 2.5 to 3.5 stars. Other than the final story, I liked ‘The Tale of the Brooch‘ (a modified version of ‘Little Red Riding Hood’; started very confusing but ended on a good note) and ‘The Tale of the Fang‘ (one of the darkest stories in the collection, with the ending being most impactful.)
If you can just forget that these are meant to be stories narrated by a raconteur in a public setting and instead read them like you would a typical short story collection, you might enjoy the book more. There’s no doubt that this debut author has some really creative plot ideas. I just wish I hadn’t found it so tough to accept the contradiction between promised structure and actual implementation.
Recommended to fans of atypical fairytale retellings in short fiction format.
3.2 stars based on the average of my ratings for each story.
My thanks to SnowRidge Press for providing the DRC of “The Peddler” via NetGalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I follow the Goodreads rating policy:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Lifelong favourite!
⭐⭐⭐⭐ - I loved the book.
⭐⭐⭐ - I liked the book.
⭐⭐ - I found the book average.
⭐ - I hated the book.
The decimals indicate the degree of the in-between feelings.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Connect with me through:
My Blog || The StoryGraph || Instagram || Facebook ||
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
A pleasant and cosy collection of retold fairy stories, linked together by a travelling storyteller.
Kudos to Schwendy for doing what seems impossible these days, giving familiar fairy-tale tropes an original spin. There’s a warmth and charm to the writing that makes it perfect for a cold, rainy day.
While it wasn’t quite my usual cup of tea, I can see fans of this style really enjoying it.
Worth a look.
With thanks to Snowridge Press for the ARC.
Kudos to Schwendy for doing what seems impossible these days, giving familiar fairy-tale tropes an original spin. There’s a warmth and charm to the writing that makes it perfect for a cold, rainy day.
While it wasn’t quite my usual cup of tea, I can see fans of this style really enjoying it.
Worth a look.
With thanks to Snowridge Press for the ARC.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
This is a super solid take on fairytale retellings. Not only are the retellings unique and add depth to stories we've heard since childhood, the tone and storytelling voice are so charming and thoughtful.
This is a super solid take on fairytale retellings. Not only are the retellings unique and add depth to stories we've heard since childhood, the tone and storytelling voice are so charming and thoughtful.
December 21, 2025
Didnt know if i was going to like this book when it began, but by the end i was wholly in tears and clutching at my chest. Schwendy is an author to watch and I cannot wait to see what else she comes up with.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Captivating! You may recognize the plots, but the re-tellings add new layers and depth. And the author's ability to describe a time and place really make you feel as if you are there - loved it! Looking forward to more from Elyssa.
Read
February 28, 2026Thank you to Net Galley for the ARC
This story is a retelling of fairytales, It's about a saleswoman who arrives on a stormy night in a small coastal town. She uses a bunch of strange objects to lure a crowd. She's a storyteller who uses her sources.
It was a very nice read.
This story is a retelling of fairytales, It's about a saleswoman who arrives on a stormy night in a small coastal town. She uses a bunch of strange objects to lure a crowd. She's a storyteller who uses her sources.
It was a very nice read.
February 11, 2026
What an incredible story by new author Elyssa Schwendy! I had such a blast trying to guess which classic fairy tale each tale was based on and loving how Schwendy remade these stories so they were inclusive, meaningful, and fun! I had started a list with which tales were my favorites and then almost all of them were on the list! This story was full of heart and a love letter to story telling - can’t wait to see what Schwendy does next!
Thank you to Snowridge Press for the eARC
Thank you to Snowridge Press for the eARC
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
March 8, 2026This was amazing. Short retellings of classic fairytales in a fascinating format. Each story was full of emotion, well written, and wrapped up nicely. The characters were all lovable (except the 'villains' obviously) and the stories were relatable (despite being fairytale like). Highly recommend for just about everyone!
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews