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Once Upon A Curse
Seventeen magical stories from NY Times and USA Today bestsellers and award-winning authors that will entice you to the darker side of faerie tales. More Grimm than Disney, in this collection you’ll find twists on Snow White, Hansel & Gretel, Rumplestilstskin, The Snow Queen, Cinderella, The Pied Piper, Alice in Wonderland, and Red Riding Hood, plus new tales paying homage to the old traditions.
Shadows cannot exist without light, however, and you’ll find enough happily-ever-afters to lift your spirits in this anthology full of adventure, dark powers, and ultimately the enduring power of true love.
YARROW, STURDY AND BRIGHT by Devon Monk – Sweet music cannot hide a wicked heart…
FAE HORSE by Anthea Sharp – Faerie bargains can grant any desire, but be careful what you wish for.
THE QUEEN OF FROST AND DARKNESS by Christine Pope - Her heart is the only thing colder than a Russian winter….
BONES by Yasmine Galenorn - Sometimes, your most cherished dream can turn out to be a nightmare.
MAGIC AFTER MIDNIGHT by C. Gockel – The Wicked Stepmother is about to meet her match…
DANCE WITH THE DEVIL by Donna Augustine - When the devil makes a deal with a dancer, he gets more than he bargained for.
NO GIFT OF WORDS by Annie Bellet - Never steal from a witch...
THE GRIM BROTHER by Audrey Faye – Not all walks in the wood end well…
BEAUTY INSIDE BEAST by Danielle Monsch - Happily Ever After ain't guaranteed when Once Upon a Time is here.
FAESCORNED by Jenna Elizabeth Johnson - The Morrigan, Celtic goddess of war and strife, must relive a painful memory that reminds her of what she can never have.
DRAWN TO THE BRINK by Tara Maya - Sajiana's job is to hunt down monsters brought alive from paintings. She never expected to meet one so handsome... or to need his help.
THE VARIANCE COURT by Alexia Purdy - Anna, a struggling college student, discovers a mysterious ring that turns her quiet life chaotic when the ring's magic doesn't do what it's told.
THE MORRIGAN by Phaedra Weldon – A young man discovers he has leprechaun blood – and is wanted by dark faerie forces.
ALICE by Julia Crane - A twisted tale of Alice and Wonderland. Facing madness and an ominous prophecy, Alice chooses to follow her heart despite knowing her world is about to change forever.
STILL RED by Sabrina Locke – When the Hunters come, can there be any escape?
THE FINAL STRAW by Jennifer Blackstream - To banish a gold-spinning demon, first you must guess his name...
THE UNICORN HUNTER by Alethea Kontis – Only Snow White knows what really happened in the forest…
Shadows cannot exist without light, however, and you’ll find enough happily-ever-afters to lift your spirits in this anthology full of adventure, dark powers, and ultimately the enduring power of true love.
YARROW, STURDY AND BRIGHT by Devon Monk – Sweet music cannot hide a wicked heart…
FAE HORSE by Anthea Sharp – Faerie bargains can grant any desire, but be careful what you wish for.
THE QUEEN OF FROST AND DARKNESS by Christine Pope - Her heart is the only thing colder than a Russian winter….
BONES by Yasmine Galenorn - Sometimes, your most cherished dream can turn out to be a nightmare.
MAGIC AFTER MIDNIGHT by C. Gockel – The Wicked Stepmother is about to meet her match…
DANCE WITH THE DEVIL by Donna Augustine - When the devil makes a deal with a dancer, he gets more than he bargained for.
NO GIFT OF WORDS by Annie Bellet - Never steal from a witch...
THE GRIM BROTHER by Audrey Faye – Not all walks in the wood end well…
BEAUTY INSIDE BEAST by Danielle Monsch - Happily Ever After ain't guaranteed when Once Upon a Time is here.
FAESCORNED by Jenna Elizabeth Johnson - The Morrigan, Celtic goddess of war and strife, must relive a painful memory that reminds her of what she can never have.
DRAWN TO THE BRINK by Tara Maya - Sajiana's job is to hunt down monsters brought alive from paintings. She never expected to meet one so handsome... or to need his help.
THE VARIANCE COURT by Alexia Purdy - Anna, a struggling college student, discovers a mysterious ring that turns her quiet life chaotic when the ring's magic doesn't do what it's told.
THE MORRIGAN by Phaedra Weldon – A young man discovers he has leprechaun blood – and is wanted by dark faerie forces.
ALICE by Julia Crane - A twisted tale of Alice and Wonderland. Facing madness and an ominous prophecy, Alice chooses to follow her heart despite knowing her world is about to change forever.
STILL RED by Sabrina Locke – When the Hunters come, can there be any escape?
THE FINAL STRAW by Jennifer Blackstream - To banish a gold-spinning demon, first you must guess his name...
THE UNICORN HUNTER by Alethea Kontis – Only Snow White knows what really happened in the forest…
360 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 22, 2016
1591 people are currently reading
3205 people want to read
About the author
Yasmine Galenorn
247 books3,471 followersNOTE: I SELDOM visit Goodreads and do very little here. Please see my website for more information on my work: https://galenorn.com
New York Times, Publishers Weekly, and USA Today bestselling author Yasmine Galenorn writes urban fantasy and paranormal romance, and is the author of over 80 books & numerous series, including the Wild Hunt Series, the Moonshadow Bay Series, the Fury Unbound Series, the Otherworld Series, the Bewitching Bedlam Series, and more. She wrote for trad publishers for 20 years until she went indie in 2016.
She’s also written nonfiction metaphysical books. She is the 2011 Career Achievement Award Winner in Urban Fantasy, given by RT Magazine. Yasmine has been in the Craft since 1980, is a shamanic witch and High Priestess. She describes her life as a blend of teacups and tattoos. She lives in Kirkland, WA, with her husband Samwise and their cats. Yasmine can be reached via her web site at Galenorn.com. Sign up for her newsletter at: http://galenorn.com/newsletter/
NOTE: ALWAYS check the website and blog, and please sign up for her newsletter there to keep current with new and upcoming releases. Facebook, Goodreads, and Twitter are NOT viable places to find out all this information.
New York Times, Publishers Weekly, and USA Today bestselling author Yasmine Galenorn writes urban fantasy and paranormal romance, and is the author of over 80 books & numerous series, including the Wild Hunt Series, the Moonshadow Bay Series, the Fury Unbound Series, the Otherworld Series, the Bewitching Bedlam Series, and more. She wrote for trad publishers for 20 years until she went indie in 2016.
She’s also written nonfiction metaphysical books. She is the 2011 Career Achievement Award Winner in Urban Fantasy, given by RT Magazine. Yasmine has been in the Craft since 1980, is a shamanic witch and High Priestess. She describes her life as a blend of teacups and tattoos. She lives in Kirkland, WA, with her husband Samwise and their cats. Yasmine can be reached via her web site at Galenorn.com. Sign up for her newsletter at: http://galenorn.com/newsletter/
NOTE: ALWAYS check the website and blog, and please sign up for her newsletter there to keep current with new and upcoming releases. Facebook, Goodreads, and Twitter are NOT viable places to find out all this information.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 244 reviews
August 16, 2018
Update: I read about half of this collection of semi-but-mostly-not-dark fairy tale-inspired fantasy short stories last night. Of the first five stories, four were noticeably amateurish, in a couple of cases almost painfully so; definitely not professional quality stories. "The Queen of Frost and Darkness" (inspired by "The Snow Queen," with a thin Russian setting) was a cut above the rest, but still rough around the edges and with an overly abrupt ending. "Magic After Midnight" - kind of an urban fantasy take on Cinderella, with vampires, excuse me, bloodsucking Dark Elves with fangs - had an interesting underlying concept but was almost incoherently written in parts.
After this very rough start, I jumped ahead to a couple of stories that other reviewers recommended. "Dance with the Devil," about a would-be professional ballerina who literally makes a deal with the devil, is fun if you don't take the underlying concept seriously, and it has a twist that caught me by surprise. I haven't finished "Beauty Inside Beast" but so far it seems like a pretty good short story. "No Gift of Words," an African fairy tale, is decent as well.
The definite winner is "The Unicorn Hunter," the very last story in the collection, a sort of Snow White Goes Unicorn Hunting with a Demon tale. Though it's still a bit rough around the edges, this one I could see being published in a respectable collection. As long as the collection is free, I'd say download it if only for this one story.
I may check out the rest sometime but I'm not in any hurry to do that. For now I'm going to call it good and go read The Language of Thorns for my fantasy short story fix instead.
Initial post: This collection of 17 dark fairy tale retellings is a Kindle freebie, Aug. 14, 2018. GR friends' reviews say these fantasy short stories are a mixed bag but that there are a few good ones mixed in, so maybe worth downloading and checking out if you like the genre.
After this very rough start, I jumped ahead to a couple of stories that other reviewers recommended. "Dance with the Devil," about a would-be professional ballerina who literally makes a deal with the devil, is fun if you don't take the underlying concept seriously, and it has a twist that caught me by surprise. I haven't finished "Beauty Inside Beast" but so far it seems like a pretty good short story. "No Gift of Words," an African fairy tale, is decent as well.
The definite winner is "The Unicorn Hunter," the very last story in the collection, a sort of Snow White Goes Unicorn Hunting with a Demon tale. Though it's still a bit rough around the edges, this one I could see being published in a respectable collection. As long as the collection is free, I'd say download it if only for this one story.
I may check out the rest sometime but I'm not in any hurry to do that. For now I'm going to call it good and go read The Language of Thorns for my fantasy short story fix instead.
Initial post: This collection of 17 dark fairy tale retellings is a Kindle freebie, Aug. 14, 2018. GR friends' reviews say these fantasy short stories are a mixed bag but that there are a few good ones mixed in, so maybe worth downloading and checking out if you like the genre.
October 24, 2017
A poor anthology on the whole, with all of its 17 retellings not worth above a 1-2 stars rating, in my opinion, save for four short stories that stood out to me. The editor in charge didn't have high standards for choosing what to include, is the impression I'm getting, for anything/everything submitted seems to have been accepted. The stories are dull and forgettable, when not downright bad, and besides that, the book is mislabelled. "Dark Faerie Tales," the title says, but what exactly is dark about Happily Ever After and Happy For Now endings? Because that's how the great majority of these retellings wrap up. So it's either a remarkable lack of imagination on the part of the writers to pull out a dark/shocking twist or good old false marketing. Or both.
For outstanding retellings found here, I'd name:
THE QUEEN OF FROST AND DARKNESS by Christine Pope
4 stars
A retelling of Andersen's The Snow Queen set in Czarist Russia. Such a lovely and resourceful heroine, and it had a scene that for a second made me think it was an Anna Karenina homage moment, specifically the ball where Vronsky snubs Kitty to dance with Anna. A bit shorter than I'd have liked, and it ends happily, but the atmosphere is "dark" enough in tone.
DANCE WITH THE DEVIL by Donna Augustine
3.5 stars
I didn't recognise which fairy tale this one reworked, my guess is that it's not a retelling of a tale proper but of the Faust legend. You know, striking a deal with the Devil in exchange for something you want so badly you'd give him your soul. In this story, the original element is that the Dr Faustus figure is a female. A tad too predictable, and the ending wasn't exactly earned, on top of being too happy for the plot.
BEAUTY INSIDE BEAST by Danielle Monsch
4 stars
The title already tells what tale this is, in case you failed to spot it right away from paragraph one. Predictable? Not so fast! The Beauty figure here is more of an Agent Scully than a sweet little damsel self-sacrificing for a rose thievery, which was the original twist I liked best. My quibbles? Two: that the Beast figure is off-screen all the cursed time and that this turned out to not be a full short story but an excerpt from a longer one, probably a novel from what I could judge after the abrupt, cliffhangery ending. How irritating! I wish editors would stop doing this.
THE UNICORN HUNTER by Alethea Kontis
5 stars
Aaaand... the star of the anthology at last. Alethea Kontis is an author I had never read before, nor had I heard about her before either, and her retelling of Snow White was a complete surprise to me in every sense: the writing, the setting, the twists, the characters, and the ending. It was an odd mix of humorous and tragic, and so hauntingly bittersweet.
Only these stories made the anthology not be a complete waste of my time, and make me feel a bit bad for giving it an overall low 2.5 stars rating. I hope naming them and rating them separately will compensate!
For outstanding retellings found here, I'd name:
THE QUEEN OF FROST AND DARKNESS by Christine Pope
4 stars
A retelling of Andersen's The Snow Queen set in Czarist Russia. Such a lovely and resourceful heroine, and it had a scene that for a second made me think it was an Anna Karenina homage moment, specifically the ball where Vronsky snubs Kitty to dance with Anna. A bit shorter than I'd have liked, and it ends happily, but the atmosphere is "dark" enough in tone.
DANCE WITH THE DEVIL by Donna Augustine
3.5 stars
I didn't recognise which fairy tale this one reworked, my guess is that it's not a retelling of a tale proper but of the Faust legend. You know, striking a deal with the Devil in exchange for something you want so badly you'd give him your soul. In this story, the original element is that the Dr Faustus figure is a female. A tad too predictable, and the ending wasn't exactly earned, on top of being too happy for the plot.
BEAUTY INSIDE BEAST by Danielle Monsch
4 stars
The title already tells what tale this is, in case you failed to spot it right away from paragraph one. Predictable? Not so fast! The Beauty figure here is more of an Agent Scully than a sweet little damsel self-sacrificing for a rose thievery, which was the original twist I liked best. My quibbles? Two: that the Beast figure is off-screen all the cursed time and that this turned out to not be a full short story but an excerpt from a longer one, probably a novel from what I could judge after the abrupt, cliffhangery ending. How irritating! I wish editors would stop doing this.
THE UNICORN HUNTER by Alethea Kontis
5 stars
Aaaand... the star of the anthology at last. Alethea Kontis is an author I had never read before, nor had I heard about her before either, and her retelling of Snow White was a complete surprise to me in every sense: the writing, the setting, the twists, the characters, and the ending. It was an odd mix of humorous and tragic, and so hauntingly bittersweet.
Only these stories made the anthology not be a complete waste of my time, and make me feel a bit bad for giving it an overall low 2.5 stars rating. I hope naming them and rating them separately will compensate!
December 8, 2016
Some of these stories were pretty good, and some were quite good. However quite a few seemed more like teasers for longer stories than polished stand-alone stories. Oh, and as a side comment, I really like the cover.
July 20, 2019
Read: July 2019
Yarrow, sturdy and bright by Devon Monk - 4/5 stars
Fae horse by Anthea Sharp - 4/5 stars
The queen of frost and darkness by Christine Pope - 3.5/5 stars
Bones by Yasmine Galenorn - 4/5 stars
Magic after midnight by C. Gockel - 5/5 stars FAVOURITE
Dance with the devil by Donna Augustine - 4/5 stars
No gift of words by Annie Bellet - 3/5 stars
The grim brother by Audrey Faye - 3.5/5 stars
Beauty inside beast by Danielle Monsch - 3/5 stars
Faescorned by Jenna Elizabeth Johnson - 1/5 stars
Drawn to the brink by Tara Maya - 3/5 stars
The variance court by Alexia Purdy - 1/5 stars
The morrigan by Phaedra Weldon - 4/5 stars
Alice by Julia Crane - 3/5 stars
Still red by Sabrina Locke - 4/5 stars
The final straw by Jennifer Blackstream - 3/5 stars
The unicorn hunter by Aletha Kontis - 5/5 stars FAVOURITE
Yarrow, sturdy and bright by Devon Monk - 4/5 stars
Fae horse by Anthea Sharp - 4/5 stars
The queen of frost and darkness by Christine Pope - 3.5/5 stars
Bones by Yasmine Galenorn - 4/5 stars
Magic after midnight by C. Gockel - 5/5 stars FAVOURITE
Dance with the devil by Donna Augustine - 4/5 stars
No gift of words by Annie Bellet - 3/5 stars
The grim brother by Audrey Faye - 3.5/5 stars
Beauty inside beast by Danielle Monsch - 3/5 stars
Faescorned by Jenna Elizabeth Johnson - 1/5 stars
Drawn to the brink by Tara Maya - 3/5 stars
The variance court by Alexia Purdy - 1/5 stars
The morrigan by Phaedra Weldon - 4/5 stars
Alice by Julia Crane - 3/5 stars
Still red by Sabrina Locke - 4/5 stars
The final straw by Jennifer Blackstream - 3/5 stars
The unicorn hunter by Aletha Kontis - 5/5 stars FAVOURITE
September 8, 2018
Fairytale retellings are a favorite of mine, it turns out 😊
June 20, 2016
Interesting anthology....
My biggest gripe with the book is that most of the stories left us with a "HUH???" when they were finished. It's like some of them were chapters out of other stories and just ended abruptly. Others, we got no hint of back story and when something happened I just looked around like "WTF just happened here?"
Not all of them were "dark", lots had some sort of happy ending. Others were just plain WEIRD.
So it was ok... But I won't put it in my reread pile.
My biggest gripe with the book is that most of the stories left us with a "HUH???" when they were finished. It's like some of them were chapters out of other stories and just ended abruptly. Others, we got no hint of back story and when something happened I just looked around like "WTF just happened here?"
Not all of them were "dark", lots had some sort of happy ending. Others were just plain WEIRD.
So it was ok... But I won't put it in my reread pile.
August 31, 2016
Actual rating 3.5
As with all anthologies, there are some stand outs and some passable stories. Overall, an enjoyable read and a great way to sample some new fantasy authors. :)
As with all anthologies, there are some stand outs and some passable stories. Overall, an enjoyable read and a great way to sample some new fantasy authors. :)
Want to read
August 11, 2018💝FREE on Amazon today (8/11/2018)!💝
June 2, 2016
Incredible ! I purchased this book because I love Yasmine Galenorn's stories. I knew her story "Bones" would be spectacular. It was. I wouldn't mind seeing a new spinoff from this story. This book is filled with 17 glorious stories by very talented authors. I loved it! Every possible variation of faery tale I've heard- and many I've not- are here. Thrilling, twisted, sizzling, spine tingling. mesmerizing stories that will have your brain spinning. Oh, are you in for a treat !
September 19, 2017
This collection of fantasy and fairy-tale short stories is excellent. I have read all the stories in the collection, and the standard of writing is consistently very high. There are a couple of outstanding tales in the mix, but I'm not going to play favourites here.
My recommendation is simple. Get a copy, read it, discover - at least - a dozen authors you want more of! As I write, the price on Amazon is $0.99. What are you waiting for?
My recommendation is simple. Get a copy, read it, discover - at least - a dozen authors you want more of! As I write, the price on Amazon is $0.99. What are you waiting for?
September 22, 2018
Yarrow, Sturdy and Bright by Devon Monk (9/14/18)
Fae Horse by Anthea Sharp (9/14/18)
The Queen of Frost and Darkness by Christine Pope (9/15/18)
Bones by Yasmine Galenorn (9/15/18)
Magic After Midnight by C. Gockel (9/17/18)
Dance with the Devil by Donna Augustine (9/17/18)
No Gift of Words by Annie Bellet (9/17/18)
The Grim Brother by Audrey Faye (9/17/18)
Beauty Inside Beast by Danielle Monsch (9/18/18)
Faescorned by Jenna Elizabeth Johnson (9/18/18)
Drawn to the Brink by Tara Maya (9/18/19)
The Variance Court by Alexia Purdy (9/19/18)
The Morrigan by Phaedra Weldon (9/20/18)
Alice by Julia Crane (9/20/18)
Still Red by Sabrina Locke (9/21/18)
The Final Straw by Jennifer Blackstream (9/21/18)
The Unicorn Hunter by Alethea Kontis (9/21/18)
Overall rating 2.4*
Fae Horse by Anthea Sharp (9/14/18)
The Queen of Frost and Darkness by Christine Pope (9/15/18)
Bones by Yasmine Galenorn (9/15/18)
Magic After Midnight by C. Gockel (9/17/18)
Dance with the Devil by Donna Augustine (9/17/18)
No Gift of Words by Annie Bellet (9/17/18)
The Grim Brother by Audrey Faye (9/17/18)
Beauty Inside Beast by Danielle Monsch (9/18/18)
Faescorned by Jenna Elizabeth Johnson (9/18/18)
Drawn to the Brink by Tara Maya (9/18/19)
The Variance Court by Alexia Purdy (9/19/18)
The Morrigan by Phaedra Weldon (9/20/18)
Alice by Julia Crane (9/20/18)
Still Red by Sabrina Locke (9/21/18)
The Final Straw by Jennifer Blackstream (9/21/18)
The Unicorn Hunter by Alethea Kontis (9/21/18)
Overall rating 2.4*
June 4, 2018
I've been trying to avoid anthologies recently because they just never really seem to be that good, but I bought this a few years ago because it featured a short story by C. Gockel set in the same universe as her I Bring the Fire series. Her story was okay but looking back not really great enough to justify me buying and reading this entire book. I started out really liking the first few stories and then it just dragged on and on until I didn't even read 3 or 4 of them near the end because I was just so over it.
I think it suffers from the same problems I have with most anthologies - stories are too similar and I hate how there seems to be no standard length for the stories as well. i mean obviously not every story is going to be the exact same length but when one story takes up probably a fifth of the page space while others are only a few pages long it gets kind of annoying. Overall there were some decent stories here and if you generally enjoy anthologies then you might have better luck with it than I did.
I think it suffers from the same problems I have with most anthologies - stories are too similar and I hate how there seems to be no standard length for the stories as well. i mean obviously not every story is going to be the exact same length but when one story takes up probably a fifth of the page space while others are only a few pages long it gets kind of annoying. Overall there were some decent stories here and if you generally enjoy anthologies then you might have better luck with it than I did.
May 18, 2017
This was pretty good...I liked most of the stories...I am even going to read the series of a few based off of these short ones. I really enjoy these short story reads especially when they are based off of fairy tales. There are a few that just left you wanting, like it wasn't wrapped up like I feel it should be for a book like this. Some of the shorts seemed like you were only getting a small piece while wanting you to buy the full length...That is not why I enjoy these stories. Though I do admit I do read the full length when they are exceptionally written. I feel like they should be their own little story. I can still want more, but I won't be hurting for it if I just read the short.
Overall I really like these stories...very different in a really good way! I would highly recommend this book to anyone that enjoys the classic stories with a twist!
Overall I really like these stories...very different in a really good way! I would highly recommend this book to anyone that enjoys the classic stories with a twist!
September 2, 2018
Don’t pass this one by!
These are interesting takes on some fairy tale classics. I like the dark twists. I Love the magical elements. It is what makes this collection of stories amazing!
These are interesting takes on some fairy tale classics. I like the dark twists. I Love the magical elements. It is what makes this collection of stories amazing!
September 9, 2018
Fabulous!
A thoroughly enjoyable read, which began my education in Celtic Myth and fuelled my curiosity for the same. I look forward to reading more by the authors, and the other books in this series.
A thoroughly enjoyable read, which began my education in Celtic Myth and fuelled my curiosity for the same. I look forward to reading more by the authors, and the other books in this series.
December 8, 2020
This is a book of short stories of varying lengths, by 17 different authors. I remember buying this a while back for 99p on Kindle. The presentation of the stories is a little amateur; after most of the stories was an "about the author" section including links to their Amazon page to buy more of their work and links to their website or email newsletter. It felt a lot like self-promotion. I don't doubt that short story collections are about self-promotion, but this was a bit obvious for me. I'm rebellious in that as soon as I saw one of these sections I knew I wouldn't be looking up any of these authors any further.
Like I said, the short stories are of varying lengths - some taking only five minutes to read, and some spread over several short chapters. I enjoyed the longer stories the most because it gave most opportunity for character development and my actually caring about them. Some of the shorter stories seemed frustratingly cut-off, as though the author ran out of ideas for what happened next or was trying to entice the reader to buy a book to continue the story. A few of the stories dumped a load of world-building information at the beginning and made me almost not want to continue reading. It took the form of exposition from the characters ("telling" not "showing"), or it was woven into the jargon of the world. Here's an example I've made up: "She stood looking over her group of flibbers and could feel her yassi power grow because of the lonker inside her". I mean please, you're killing me with it.
All in all, I quite enjoyed reading a selection of short stories because they were fairly low-commitment and good for when my concentration wasn't good. Some were quite nice, some were recognisably inspired by fairytales, some not at all, and a few I thought were nice self-contained short stories with a satisfying ending. I won't be picking up another of these 'Once Upon a...' books, as it's more of the same but with different themes. It did make me read outside of my normal genres, but I'm happy to move past it now.
Like I said, the short stories are of varying lengths - some taking only five minutes to read, and some spread over several short chapters. I enjoyed the longer stories the most because it gave most opportunity for character development and my actually caring about them. Some of the shorter stories seemed frustratingly cut-off, as though the author ran out of ideas for what happened next or was trying to entice the reader to buy a book to continue the story. A few of the stories dumped a load of world-building information at the beginning and made me almost not want to continue reading. It took the form of exposition from the characters ("telling" not "showing"), or it was woven into the jargon of the world. Here's an example I've made up: "She stood looking over her group of flibbers and could feel her yassi power grow because of the lonker inside her". I mean please, you're killing me with it.
All in all, I quite enjoyed reading a selection of short stories because they were fairly low-commitment and good for when my concentration wasn't good. Some were quite nice, some were recognisably inspired by fairytales, some not at all, and a few I thought were nice self-contained short stories with a satisfying ending. I won't be picking up another of these 'Once Upon a...' books, as it's more of the same but with different themes. It did make me read outside of my normal genres, but I'm happy to move past it now.
January 16, 2018
As is often the case with anthologies, I liked some of these shorts a lot more than others. I don't know how this is usually handled with anthologies, but it didn't feel like the whole book was edited by one editor. I'd really enjoy one story, and then the next one would have spelling mistakes, missing words, and other grammar issues. Given that the whole book was advertised as having been written by bestselling authors, I was disappointed with the quality.
Some shorts ended in surprising ways, while others didn't feel finished. There were a couple which ended so abruptly it felt more like the author had contributed a couple of chapters from her book but hadn't adjusted them to work as a short story, while others only felt partly concluded with the main enemy still undefeated. And then two were so much longer than the others I almost forgot I was reading an anthology.
The thing most humans didn't understand was that desperation had to age like a fine wine. If it were served too soon, it wouldn't yield nearly the same full-bodied taste. But now she was ready.
I recognised most of the originals behind the short stories which I always love, especially when new twists are introduced. I grew up with fairy tales and didn't realise until last year how much I enjoy a good retelling!
My favourites were Yarrow, Sturdy and Bright; Dance with the Devil; No Gift of Words; The Grim Brother; and Still Red. The rest fell flat for me unfortunately.
I'd recommend this if you're curious about anthologies or love dark fairy tale re-tellings. And if you find your new favourite author in this book, you'll be thrilled to find details of other releases at the end of each story.
Some shorts ended in surprising ways, while others didn't feel finished. There were a couple which ended so abruptly it felt more like the author had contributed a couple of chapters from her book but hadn't adjusted them to work as a short story, while others only felt partly concluded with the main enemy still undefeated. And then two were so much longer than the others I almost forgot I was reading an anthology.
The thing most humans didn't understand was that desperation had to age like a fine wine. If it were served too soon, it wouldn't yield nearly the same full-bodied taste. But now she was ready.
I recognised most of the originals behind the short stories which I always love, especially when new twists are introduced. I grew up with fairy tales and didn't realise until last year how much I enjoy a good retelling!
My favourites were Yarrow, Sturdy and Bright; Dance with the Devil; No Gift of Words; The Grim Brother; and Still Red. The rest fell flat for me unfortunately.
I'd recommend this if you're curious about anthologies or love dark fairy tale re-tellings. And if you find your new favourite author in this book, you'll be thrilled to find details of other releases at the end of each story.
September 7, 2018
YARROW, STURDY AND BRIGHT by Devon Monk
A twist on the pied piper. A girl must find her love and bring him back from the piper who blows a bone pipe that takes children away.
FAE HORSE by Anthea Sharp
I like this author and this story is good too.
THE QUEEN OF FROST AND DARKNESS by Christine Pope
I think what made this story interesting was that it played in Russia. With all the russian names it felt like a russian fairy tale or a Tolstoi novel.
BONES by Yasmine Galenorn
Like so many true fairytales, there is a warning (don't wander off on paths forbidden) and not a real HEA.
MAGIC AFTER MIDNIGHT by C. Gockel
The best of all, not only because it is a bit longer. The first chapter drew me into this topsy-turvy funny Cinderella story and hold me till the end.
DANCE WITH THE DEVIL by Donna Augustine
Didn't impress me very much, especially the end.
NO GIFT OF WORDS by Annie Bellet - Never steal from a witch...
Interesting, as it was set in an exotic maybe fantasy world, ressambling Africa.
THE GRIM BROTHER by Audrey Faye
Good twisted take on the Grimm brothers.
BEAUTY INSIDE BEAST by Danielle Monsch
Strange ending and I couldn't figure out the story.
more to read...
A twist on the pied piper. A girl must find her love and bring him back from the piper who blows a bone pipe that takes children away.
FAE HORSE by Anthea Sharp
I like this author and this story is good too.
THE QUEEN OF FROST AND DARKNESS by Christine Pope
I think what made this story interesting was that it played in Russia. With all the russian names it felt like a russian fairy tale or a Tolstoi novel.
BONES by Yasmine Galenorn
Like so many true fairytales, there is a warning (don't wander off on paths forbidden) and not a real HEA.
MAGIC AFTER MIDNIGHT by C. Gockel
The best of all, not only because it is a bit longer. The first chapter drew me into this topsy-turvy funny Cinderella story and hold me till the end.
DANCE WITH THE DEVIL by Donna Augustine
Didn't impress me very much, especially the end.
NO GIFT OF WORDS by Annie Bellet - Never steal from a witch...
Interesting, as it was set in an exotic maybe fantasy world, ressambling Africa.
THE GRIM BROTHER by Audrey Faye
Good twisted take on the Grimm brothers.
BEAUTY INSIDE BEAST by Danielle Monsch
Strange ending and I couldn't figure out the story.
more to read...
January 9, 2020
It's an anthology of short stories that loosely fit the definition of fairy tales. Most are retelling of classics. I didn't find any of them particularly dark nor particularly memorable. "The Queen of Frost and Darkness" was one of the better adaptations and a little better than the rest of the collection.
I don't recognize the names of any of the authors, but their websites and social media links are in the Kindle version of the book should someone want to read more of their works. Most seem to write self-published paranormal romance, the kind of thing with covers of muscle-bound men who don’t seem to own shirts or of heavily tattooed women with improbable measurements drawn to look simultaneously alluring and like they'll slit a man’s throat who would dare take them up on the advertisement suggested by their smoldering pout.
Obviously, it didn't work for me. This was a free download from Amazon, so I'm not really out anything but time. It was a lackluster way to start a new reading year, though.
I don't recognize the names of any of the authors, but their websites and social media links are in the Kindle version of the book should someone want to read more of their works. Most seem to write self-published paranormal romance, the kind of thing with covers of muscle-bound men who don’t seem to own shirts or of heavily tattooed women with improbable measurements drawn to look simultaneously alluring and like they'll slit a man’s throat who would dare take them up on the advertisement suggested by their smoldering pout.
Obviously, it didn't work for me. This was a free download from Amazon, so I'm not really out anything but time. It was a lackluster way to start a new reading year, though.
August 26, 2019
A nice collection of fantasy stories based on familiar fairy tales or written following familiar fairy tale tropes. Easy to read, but not particularly thrilling.
I was somewhat disappointed in the number of stories treading the too-familiar ground of Celtic mythology (if you read a lot of fantasy this will feel a bit tired to you), and also the unevenness of the stories overall. Many were complete and very enjoyable but others were clearly just excerpts from books: I get that anthologies like this are an opportunity for authors to get readers interested in their full length work, but the pieces chosen should still stand alone. One author’s story ended so abruptly I wondered if pages were missing, and was surprised to find her biographical pages almost as long as the story itself. I did discover two authors whose series I am now checking out though, so mission accomplished overall.
I was somewhat disappointed in the number of stories treading the too-familiar ground of Celtic mythology (if you read a lot of fantasy this will feel a bit tired to you), and also the unevenness of the stories overall. Many were complete and very enjoyable but others were clearly just excerpts from books: I get that anthologies like this are an opportunity for authors to get readers interested in their full length work, but the pieces chosen should still stand alone. One author’s story ended so abruptly I wondered if pages were missing, and was surprised to find her biographical pages almost as long as the story itself. I did discover two authors whose series I am now checking out though, so mission accomplished overall.
September 30, 2018
So... I'm not sure what happened with this collection of "dark" fairytales. I enjoyed the first handful of stories which were well rounded with a clear ending, but then the stories seemed to just be snippets from novels with no real ending whatsoever. Also, I think the dark element was over-hyped. There wasn't sunshine and rainbows and happy ever afters, but they weren't dark either. More like bittersweet.
October 4, 2021
I've been working on this book for Actual Forever and am finally throwing in the towel. The short story aspect is fine, but some of the stories are Good, some are "hm...", and some are a passing thought disguised as a short story. I think I gave up around the point where we got to the novella-ish length one. Another one for the DNF shelf.
June 22, 2021
Very disappointing. When I read a collection of short stories, I expect them to be STORIES, not a way to entice readers to read authors' other works. That really annoyed me. Most of them felt like a chapter in a book, not an actual story. I won't be reading any others in this series.
September 9, 2018
Tales
Some were scary, some were sad, some were just plain crazy. I enjoyed every one of them! Readers take note.
Some were scary, some were sad, some were just plain crazy. I enjoyed every one of them! Readers take note.
August 20, 2019
Some of the stories were very good. Some slow.
March 3, 2021
A couple of these stories were really good, but most were mediocre at best. The beginning and the end of the collection had the best stories, so if you're tempted to skip a few in the middle, go for it.
May 12, 2017
A collection of short stories which take our favorite fairy tale
characters & creatures & spins the tales we know. I really enjoyed reading each story
& love the darker twist on each one.
characters & creatures & spins the tales we know. I really enjoyed reading each story
& love the darker twist on each one.
November 15, 2017
http://leiturasdelaura.blogspot.com.b...
Nas minhas leituras noturnas diárias eu tenho dado preferência por livros de contos ou que não me mantenham acordada a noite inteira, e como no mês passado o tema era livros que lembrassem o Halloween (essa resenha está atrasada, claro), achei que uma coletânea de contos de fada um pouco mais dark seria bastante apropriado. E a capa, a capa desse livro é linda, totalmente irresistível na hora de comprar, levando em consideração que eu gosto do tema, claro.
Infelizmente, a coletânea não foi tão interessante quanto eu esperava. Nem muito porque os contos eram ruins (apesar de que alguns realmente caíram nessa classificação, o que acontece em coletâneas, mas eram minoria), mas porque muitos tinham mais jeito de amostra grátis para alguma obra do autor do que de contos mesmo. Muito desagradável você chegar no final de um suposto conto e ter um link para comprar a continuação. E isso aconteceu algumas vezes nesse livro.
Em contraste com isso, alguns contos, uns dois em especial, eu realmente gostei, e o fato de ler lido o livro no aplicativo do celular facilitou muito, pois, como mencionei, no final dos contos sempre tinha links para as páginas dos autores, e eu confesso que aproveitei e comprei alguns livros no processo. Compradores compulsivos de livros, fiquem avisados. Leiam sem wi-fi ou em papel.
Na média, infelizmente, o seleção do livro não ficou tão boa, apesar das minhas compras.
Nas minhas leituras noturnas diárias eu tenho dado preferência por livros de contos ou que não me mantenham acordada a noite inteira, e como no mês passado o tema era livros que lembrassem o Halloween (essa resenha está atrasada, claro), achei que uma coletânea de contos de fada um pouco mais dark seria bastante apropriado. E a capa, a capa desse livro é linda, totalmente irresistível na hora de comprar, levando em consideração que eu gosto do tema, claro.
Infelizmente, a coletânea não foi tão interessante quanto eu esperava. Nem muito porque os contos eram ruins (apesar de que alguns realmente caíram nessa classificação, o que acontece em coletâneas, mas eram minoria), mas porque muitos tinham mais jeito de amostra grátis para alguma obra do autor do que de contos mesmo. Muito desagradável você chegar no final de um suposto conto e ter um link para comprar a continuação. E isso aconteceu algumas vezes nesse livro.
Em contraste com isso, alguns contos, uns dois em especial, eu realmente gostei, e o fato de ler lido o livro no aplicativo do celular facilitou muito, pois, como mencionei, no final dos contos sempre tinha links para as páginas dos autores, e eu confesso que aproveitei e comprei alguns livros no processo. Compradores compulsivos de livros, fiquem avisados. Leiam sem wi-fi ou em papel.
Na média, infelizmente, o seleção do livro não ficou tão boa, apesar das minhas compras.
March 12, 2019
This was a very enjoyable anthology of stories though it was definitely noticeable that some of them were part of already established worlds and series.
Yarrow, Sturdy and Bright by Devon Monk:
This story and the way it was written reminded me very much of a traditional fairy tale. I also found there to be lots of elements in this story that reminded me or traditional fairy-tales. However, I found that the style of writing really added to the atmosphere of the story and actually heightened my enjoyment. I loved the way it unravelled and thought it a brilliant start to this anthology!
Fae Horse by Anthea Sharp:
I loved this one. Once again, in parts it reminded me of a traditional fairy-tale but it was also clearly it's own separate thing. The story drew me in right from the start and I loved the ending. I also feel like it really fitted what I expected coming into this anthology which I really liked.
The Queen of Frost and Darkness by Christine Pope:
I really liked this one. It's clearly inspired by 'The Snow Queen' and I liked how it was easily recognisable but also still it's own story. I really liked the main character and her grit and determination. This is also the first thing I have read by this author and it definitely makes me want to read more!
Bones by Yasmine Galenorn:
I absolutely loved this one! I think it's a retelling of the myth of Hades and Persephone but it was also still it's own thing and I loved the twist at the end which I didn't see coming at all. I loved the main character and her soft fight throughout the story. I also loved this author's writing style and am now eager to read more by her! Definitely one of my favourites!
Magic After Midnight by C. Gockel:
I also loved this one! I loved the characters and the twist on the traditional fairy-tale of Cinderella. The story was wonderfully plotted and I could never really tell what was going to happen next. I also love the author's writing style and this story really just reminded me that I needed to check out more of this author's work! Definitely one of me favourites!
Dance with the Devil by Donna Augustine:
This one was interesting. I really liked the beginning and the way it unravelled though I felt like the ending fell a little flat. If I'm being honest, I wanted a bit more explanation as I was left feeling slightly confused. This is the first thing I ever read by this author and I definitely liked it enough to think about checking out more of her work!
No Gift of Words by Annie Bellet:
I really liked the first half of this story though I must admit that I was a little disappointed by the ending. It felt rather rushed and personally I would have liked a little more explanation. I did sort of like the main character but I was slightly more interested in the plot and how that would unfold. I also must admit that I have had to rely on my notes while writing this review as I don't remember of the story itself.
The Grim Brother by Audrey Faye:
This was a really short story however I loved every second of it. It was the definition of a twisted fairy-tale and I didn't want it to end. This was a brilliant short story and made me really want to check out the author's other work.
Beauty Inside Beast by Danielle Monsch:
I really liked the beginning of this story and the way it moved between the past and the present. I also really liked the main character and found the story very intriguing as it constantly let you guessing. However, I hated the reveal at the end that it was part of a larger series of short stories and therefore had no real conclusion. That pissed me off and completely ruined the rest of the story for me.
FaeScorned by Jenna Elizabeth Johnson:
I feel like this one would have worked much better as a scene in a book. Because that's what it felt like- a scene in the middle of a book. It was clearly set in an already established world and I got the impression that it was a novella type story meant to give background on a character that couldn't be fitted into the book. Definitely not my favourite.
Drawn to the Brink by Tara Maya:
This was a really cool short story! While it was clearly set in an already established world I was never felt lost or confused as everything was clearly explained. I liked both of the main characters and the strong world-building. I also desperately want to read more stuff set in this world and by this author!
The Variance Court by Alexia Purdy:
I don't quite know what to feel about this story. I didn't really feel any sort of connection to the main character and I knew that the ring was bad news as soon as it was introduced. I just don't know, it feels like it should be a good short story but I just found it slightly underwhelming.
The Morrigan by Phaedra Wilson:
I quite liked this one, especially the beginning. However, I do feel like it might have worked better as a full novel, especially as it was clear from the ending that there was another part to the story. This was mainly due to the fact that there was no proper conclusion. However, it is a great advisement for this author's work and definitely put her on my radar!
Alice by Julia Crane:
This one really annoyed me. It was so clearly the first or first few chapters of a novel. However, I am intrigued by the character of Alice so I might check out the author's other work.
Still Red by Sabrina Locke:
I really liked the twist on 'Little Red Riding Hood' and the start of the story with the old woman. However, the ending left me a little confused and I couldn't help but feel like there was more to the story. But I did enjoy it and found it to be a good introduction to this author's work.
The Final Straw by Jennifer Blackstream:
I was really intrigued by the start of this novel and I had many questions. However, I also found that I finished the story with pretty much the same questions. This story is clearly part of an already established world and so I felt like the world-building was a little thin on the ground. However, I am intrigued enough to check out what this is part of!
The Unicorn Hunter by Althea Kontis:
This was a lovely end to this anthology. I really liked the twist on what I think was the fairy-tale of 'Snow White'. I really liked both of the leads and how their relationship with each other developed. This was a brilliant end to a rather good anthology and definitely made me want to check out this author's other work!
Yarrow, Sturdy and Bright by Devon Monk:
This story and the way it was written reminded me very much of a traditional fairy tale. I also found there to be lots of elements in this story that reminded me or traditional fairy-tales. However, I found that the style of writing really added to the atmosphere of the story and actually heightened my enjoyment. I loved the way it unravelled and thought it a brilliant start to this anthology!
Fae Horse by Anthea Sharp:
I loved this one. Once again, in parts it reminded me of a traditional fairy-tale but it was also clearly it's own separate thing. The story drew me in right from the start and I loved the ending. I also feel like it really fitted what I expected coming into this anthology which I really liked.
The Queen of Frost and Darkness by Christine Pope:
I really liked this one. It's clearly inspired by 'The Snow Queen' and I liked how it was easily recognisable but also still it's own story. I really liked the main character and her grit and determination. This is also the first thing I have read by this author and it definitely makes me want to read more!
Bones by Yasmine Galenorn:
I absolutely loved this one! I think it's a retelling of the myth of Hades and Persephone but it was also still it's own thing and I loved the twist at the end which I didn't see coming at all. I loved the main character and her soft fight throughout the story. I also loved this author's writing style and am now eager to read more by her! Definitely one of my favourites!
Magic After Midnight by C. Gockel:
I also loved this one! I loved the characters and the twist on the traditional fairy-tale of Cinderella. The story was wonderfully plotted and I could never really tell what was going to happen next. I also love the author's writing style and this story really just reminded me that I needed to check out more of this author's work! Definitely one of me favourites!
Dance with the Devil by Donna Augustine:
This one was interesting. I really liked the beginning and the way it unravelled though I felt like the ending fell a little flat. If I'm being honest, I wanted a bit more explanation as I was left feeling slightly confused. This is the first thing I ever read by this author and I definitely liked it enough to think about checking out more of her work!
No Gift of Words by Annie Bellet:
I really liked the first half of this story though I must admit that I was a little disappointed by the ending. It felt rather rushed and personally I would have liked a little more explanation. I did sort of like the main character but I was slightly more interested in the plot and how that would unfold. I also must admit that I have had to rely on my notes while writing this review as I don't remember of the story itself.
The Grim Brother by Audrey Faye:
This was a really short story however I loved every second of it. It was the definition of a twisted fairy-tale and I didn't want it to end. This was a brilliant short story and made me really want to check out the author's other work.
Beauty Inside Beast by Danielle Monsch:
I really liked the beginning of this story and the way it moved between the past and the present. I also really liked the main character and found the story very intriguing as it constantly let you guessing. However, I hated the reveal at the end that it was part of a larger series of short stories and therefore had no real conclusion. That pissed me off and completely ruined the rest of the story for me.
FaeScorned by Jenna Elizabeth Johnson:
I feel like this one would have worked much better as a scene in a book. Because that's what it felt like- a scene in the middle of a book. It was clearly set in an already established world and I got the impression that it was a novella type story meant to give background on a character that couldn't be fitted into the book. Definitely not my favourite.
Drawn to the Brink by Tara Maya:
This was a really cool short story! While it was clearly set in an already established world I was never felt lost or confused as everything was clearly explained. I liked both of the main characters and the strong world-building. I also desperately want to read more stuff set in this world and by this author!
The Variance Court by Alexia Purdy:
I don't quite know what to feel about this story. I didn't really feel any sort of connection to the main character and I knew that the ring was bad news as soon as it was introduced. I just don't know, it feels like it should be a good short story but I just found it slightly underwhelming.
The Morrigan by Phaedra Wilson:
I quite liked this one, especially the beginning. However, I do feel like it might have worked better as a full novel, especially as it was clear from the ending that there was another part to the story. This was mainly due to the fact that there was no proper conclusion. However, it is a great advisement for this author's work and definitely put her on my radar!
Alice by Julia Crane:
This one really annoyed me. It was so clearly the first or first few chapters of a novel. However, I am intrigued by the character of Alice so I might check out the author's other work.
Still Red by Sabrina Locke:
I really liked the twist on 'Little Red Riding Hood' and the start of the story with the old woman. However, the ending left me a little confused and I couldn't help but feel like there was more to the story. But I did enjoy it and found it to be a good introduction to this author's work.
The Final Straw by Jennifer Blackstream:
I was really intrigued by the start of this novel and I had many questions. However, I also found that I finished the story with pretty much the same questions. This story is clearly part of an already established world and so I felt like the world-building was a little thin on the ground. However, I am intrigued enough to check out what this is part of!
The Unicorn Hunter by Althea Kontis:
This was a lovely end to this anthology. I really liked the twist on what I think was the fairy-tale of 'Snow White'. I really liked both of the leads and how their relationship with each other developed. This was a brilliant end to a rather good anthology and definitely made me want to check out this author's other work!
May 25, 2016
Not All Curses Are Created Equal
••• So far I have only read one story from this Anthology. I will update my review as I read more :) •••
The Variance Court by : Alexia Purdy
Far From Faerie
This seems to be a stand alone story. Hopefully it won't always be :)
Aylin is a nonmagickal girl living within a very magical world. Variance is incredibly dangerous for those without magick so she has never left her home. Her father used to go to town and trade at least once a year but he died. Should she stay safe at home? Or venture forth to find the things she needs? How will she survive without her father? Is she destined to die alone never even meeting anyone new?
Anna is just a normal girl living in the human world and trying to make a better life for herself. She is in college and trying very hard to get good grades... Too bad she just failed her Biochemistry Midterm and it looks like all her hard work has been for nothing! Why does the homeless guy near campus seem to be taking an interest in her? How can he seem to be a handsome well dressed man and a bum at almost the same time? Is she losing her mind? Or is there more to him than meets the eye? What can he possibly want with her?
***This story is suitable for young adult through adult readers who enjoy a bit of whimsy in their modern faerie tales filled with magick and mystery :)
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