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Falada
Where I defend,
I will kill and rend,
For the word of witch
No man can bend
As the daughter of a queen who was also a vengeful and powerful witch, Géanna had always known that the wide world held terrors -- her own mother was one of them.
"Betray a witch, and you won't just level a village," her mother would smile. "Betray a witch, and the very air itself will burn and shatter across the miles and the storm will take your soul."
Now Géanna was faced with marriage to a stranger -- a king in a neighboring country -- along with a journey, a hidden evil, and an unthinkable choice. She would only have her friend, the talking horse Falada, to give her counsel in a new and dangerous land -- but Falada had his own secrets.
I will kill and rend,
For the word of witch
No man can bend
As the daughter of a queen who was also a vengeful and powerful witch, Géanna had always known that the wide world held terrors -- her own mother was one of them.
"Betray a witch, and you won't just level a village," her mother would smile. "Betray a witch, and the very air itself will burn and shatter across the miles and the storm will take your soul."
Now Géanna was faced with marriage to a stranger -- a king in a neighboring country -- along with a journey, a hidden evil, and an unthinkable choice. She would only have her friend, the talking horse Falada, to give her counsel in a new and dangerous land -- but Falada had his own secrets.
- GenresFantasy
77 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 10, 2015
About the author
Angela D. Mitchell
4 books12 followersAngela Mitchell is a writer, columnist and playwright whose stories and works have appeared in WRITER'S DIGEST, FABLES MAGAZINE, ANOTHEREALM, TERROR TALES, and more. Her story "Until My Dancing Days Are Done," received the Reader's Choice Award from FABLES MAGAZINE and inspired her latest release, the expanded novella DANCING DAYS.
Current works also include the novella FALADA, and the short story collection THE BETRAYALS OF WOMEN, both on sale at Amazon now. Her story THE BRIDGE is available for purchase as a Kindle single, and can also be found as part of the Westmarch collection IMAGINARIUM.
Angela has always been inspired by fairy tales and legends, as well as by authors like Robin McKinley, Angela Carter, Peter S. Beagle, Gregory Maguire and others who found new magic in the oldest of stories. She brings to her worlds a delicate sense of dread and enchantment, and of beauty and beastliness around every corner.
Current works also include the novella FALADA, and the short story collection THE BETRAYALS OF WOMEN, both on sale at Amazon now. Her story THE BRIDGE is available for purchase as a Kindle single, and can also be found as part of the Westmarch collection IMAGINARIUM.
Angela has always been inspired by fairy tales and legends, as well as by authors like Robin McKinley, Angela Carter, Peter S. Beagle, Gregory Maguire and others who found new magic in the oldest of stories. She brings to her worlds a delicate sense of dread and enchantment, and of beauty and beastliness around every corner.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
May 22, 2015
There is a kingdom in the moors and swamp, where darkness dwells in the form of a queen. Her wrath is legend and her anger smolders beneath the surface, except toward the young girl Marah, who suffers in silence, and the proud horse named Falada. When the queen marries off her daughter she sends her with three things, a walnut, a knife, and a handkerchief. Each possess some bit of magic, the handkerchief is to be opened upon crossing the river on the border of the kingdom, the knife to defend herself, and the walnut...well that was for her wedding day.
What starts off as a journey toward a new life becomes a journey to self. The choices made one day send ripples through out the rest of her days. It can all change with but a word, when faced with a terrible choice would you hold strong or would you fall into the darkest parts of you?
What starts off as a journey toward a new life becomes a journey to self. The choices made one day send ripples through out the rest of her days. It can all change with but a word, when faced with a terrible choice would you hold strong or would you fall into the darkest parts of you?
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June 30, 2018I started reading this novella at 2 am, thinking I'd read a few pages before going to sleep. I just couldn't put it down, I had to read it all in one go. FALADA is so hauntingly beautiful. Based on Grimm's A Goose Girl, FALADA is a dark fairytale with unexpected twists and turns. Leaving her powerful witch mother to marry a king in a distant country, Princess Geanna fears not meeting the king's expectations. As it turns out, that is the last thing she needs to worry about. A story about betrayal, corruption and power but also loyalty, sacrifice and staying true to oneself, FALADA had me in tears more than once. The characters are beautifully drawn, never all evil or all good, but always changing and developing. I loved the ending, just perfect for a modern fairytale.
I look forward to reading more of Angela D. Mitchell's work.
I look forward to reading more of Angela D. Mitchell's work.
June 11, 2015
I am not an avid reader, but I do love a good story. Falada drew me in from the very beginning. It’s not your average fairy tale where helpless girl meets prince and lives happily ever after. On the contrary, this story has very real characters who have very real choices to make. Geanna, is a wonderfully strong character who knows who she is, makes a difficult decision and then deals with the consequences of that decision with honor and dignity. Throughout the story, with all that is thrown at her, she stays true to her convictions. That’s not a bad lesson for all of us. I highly recommend this story and this author.
September 12, 2019
What I love about particular fandoms (yes, I'm looking at you, Dragon Age) is that they connect me with likeminded souls. Angela D Mitchell is one such writer, whose thought-provoking blogs have sent me down numerous nug warrens. Also, her fanfiction is especially lush – and she focuses so well on the nuances of characters' interaction with so much layering and a ring of authenticity. Naturally, when she mentioned that she also writes original fiction, her fantasy novella Falada ended up being an insta-buy on my list.
I'm going to go out on a limb and compare her writing style to Neil Gaiman's right off the bat. She has an understanding of story structure, especially in terms of taking the form of a fairytale and making it her own, then subverting it with all the touchstones we've come to know and love, from wicked witches, enchanted steeds and princesses.
Falada is the story of the princess Géanna, whose mother is the wicked witch. It's the tale we know all too well – a princess must marry a king and become queen. Only Géanna isn't your bog-standard, typical princess. And as much as she loves her mother, she chafes at her mother's manipulations. Yet Géanna is an obedient daughter, up until a point. It's when she starts to take matters into her own hands that her fate unravels, and she's faced with the task of trying to right the wrongs that have placed her where she is. Of course nothing runs smoothly, but I'm not going to spoil it for you.
Okay. I love Mitchell's writing. I will most likely go out and buy the next book she publishes without batting an eyelid. Was Falada perfect? It wasn't, but Mitchell's wordcraft is magic. I feel almost as if the novella wanted to be a novel rather than a novella, and that's my only real bone to pick. Things are left at a 'happy for now' by the end, but I feel that the outcome at the climax was a little bit rushed, too easily resolved almost. And I think this is something that might've been fixed with a brainstorming at the developmental stages of the writing.
This wasn't a dealbreaker, however, and if you've enjoyed Stardust, you'll most certainly enjoy Falada. Read it with my blessings. It's a lovely story, and one that I'll be thinking about for a while yet.
I'm going to go out on a limb and compare her writing style to Neil Gaiman's right off the bat. She has an understanding of story structure, especially in terms of taking the form of a fairytale and making it her own, then subverting it with all the touchstones we've come to know and love, from wicked witches, enchanted steeds and princesses.
Falada is the story of the princess Géanna, whose mother is the wicked witch. It's the tale we know all too well – a princess must marry a king and become queen. Only Géanna isn't your bog-standard, typical princess. And as much as she loves her mother, she chafes at her mother's manipulations. Yet Géanna is an obedient daughter, up until a point. It's when she starts to take matters into her own hands that her fate unravels, and she's faced with the task of trying to right the wrongs that have placed her where she is. Of course nothing runs smoothly, but I'm not going to spoil it for you.
Okay. I love Mitchell's writing. I will most likely go out and buy the next book she publishes without batting an eyelid. Was Falada perfect? It wasn't, but Mitchell's wordcraft is magic. I feel almost as if the novella wanted to be a novel rather than a novella, and that's my only real bone to pick. Things are left at a 'happy for now' by the end, but I feel that the outcome at the climax was a little bit rushed, too easily resolved almost. And I think this is something that might've been fixed with a brainstorming at the developmental stages of the writing.
This wasn't a dealbreaker, however, and if you've enjoyed Stardust, you'll most certainly enjoy Falada. Read it with my blessings. It's a lovely story, and one that I'll be thinking about for a while yet.
August 18, 2020
Fantastic!
I enjoyed every second of reading Falada.
A book full of magic and friendship and betrayal.
If you love a great tale. This book is wonderful!
I enjoyed every second of reading Falada.
A book full of magic and friendship and betrayal.
If you love a great tale. This book is wonderful!
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews