Once Upon a Happy Ending: An Anthology of Reimagined Fairy Tales

by Ella Summers

What if Beauty was the beast? What if Little Red Riding Hood was a sacrifice? The stories of Cinderella, Rapunzel, and Sleeping Beauty have been told countless times over, but never quite like this…

Once Upon a Happy Ending features your favorite tales retold by 16 incredible authors, including Ella Summers, KM Shea, Cameron Jace, Rebecca Hamilton, RaShelle Workman, and many more! If you like enchanting worlds, witty heroines, and inventive reimaginings, then you’ll love a collection that takes the classics to a whole new level.

Buy Once Upon a Happy Ending to start the timeless anthology today!

Note:
The current available edition only contains 13 Stories from 14 different authors.

Genres: Fantasy, Anthologies, Fairy Tales, Retellings, Short Stories, Fiction, Fairy Tale Retellings

472 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 2, 2016

About the author

Ella Summers has been writing stories for as long as she could read; she's been coming up with tall tales even longer than that. One of her early year masterpieces was a story about a pigtailed princess and her dragon sidekick. Nowadays, she still writes fantasy. She likes books with layered plots, lots of action and adventure, and a touch of romance. When she is not busy writing or spending time with her two young children, she makes the world safe by fighting robots.

Originally from the U.S., Ella currently resides in Switzerland. She is the author of Sorcery and Science, a fantasy adventure series set in a world splintered by magic and technology.

Reviews

[kath 🖤 · Rating 1 out of 5]

i literally can’t
it’s so bad
DNF at 6% but i’ll still write a review for what i read
so RTC
but it’s so bad

[Treece · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: 4 1/2 stars

This anthology had some real gems. The only issue I had with this collection was sometimes the happy endings didn't always feel like a true HEA, leaving too much room for interpretation. One example is a retelling of Rumpelstiltskin that made me sad and angry at the injustice. The best part is there are NO boring stories at all. From the beginning to the end, every story is worth reading. My favorite was by K.M. Shea and the darkest was written by Cameron Jace, a retelling and reworking of The Wizard of Oz that is gritty, violent and so very brutally close to the ugliness of our reality.

I would recommend Once Upon a Happy Ending , which is overall a strong group of talented and creative authors. The Once Upon A Curse collection had some good moments but fell behind OUAHE. Next, I will be reading Once Upon a Kiss and can hope it keeps getting better. For lovers of fairy tales with a new invention, this is a nice series to collect and for .99 a real steal.

[KelticKat · Rating 4 out of 5]

This collection was and enjoyable, sometimes uncomfortable, but overall new twist on a few know and lesser know fairy tales.

For this review - I tried to keep my comments to one sentence - since these are short stories, I didn't want to give the inner workings of the stories away!

Twelve Dancing Angels - Ella Summers: Nyx has a problem - She goes to sleep fine but it's what she does while sleeping that is keeping her up at night.

The Goose Girl - Brittany Fitcher: A Curse/a case of mistaken identity/a kingdom hangs in the balance.

The Princess Who Chased Sheep - K.M. Shea: A clever princess banished for a year finds and is found by the unexpected.

Chains of Gold A Rupelstilzchen Retelling - Shari L. Tapscott: Shaken and Stirred - with a twist.

Rapunzel's Beauty - Casey Lane: Is beauty a curse or blessing? Will true love break the curse. Thus leaves us with the question what is true love and what happens when beauty fades?

Hansel and Gretel: Devil Children - Jamie Campbell: What if the witch wasn't evil? What if the children were?

Ellora's Tail Blood and Snow Book 12.1 - RaShelle Workman: Next Gen. - Little Mermaid.

The Woods - Rebecca Hamilton & Conner Kressley: What if defeating the Bid Bad is just the beginning?

A Fistful of Stars - A Short Story from the Throne of Oz Trilogy - Cameron Jace: Alternate Dimension, a troubling twist.

That Damn Pea - May Sage: What defines a Princess?

Beastly Beauty - T. Rae Mitchell: A one of a kind beast meets a one of a kind prince.

Sleeping Cyborg - Aya Ling: a loophole in the curse.

Vincent, the Tailor - A.W. Exley: This tailor's stitch save more than nine.

The Pastry Chef's Apprentice A Cinderella Tale - Melanie Cellier: Next Gen Cinderella/A Prince with an Apple/The Apprentice with the slipper.

Through the Mirror - Rachel Morgan: A mirror that's more than a mirror, A necklace that protects? A Stepmother who is out for herself.

While all the stories were entertaining. My Favorites were: Rapunzel's Beauty; The Woods and Vincent, the Tailor. I connected with the characters and definitely was left wanting more from them and their worlds.

The story I liked the least was - A Fistful of Stars - I would probably read more from this world - but it left me a bit disturbed (maybe that's what was meant to be..)

I Voluntarily and honestly reviewed this Advance Reader Copy and was not compensated in any way.

[Jessie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once Upon A Happy Ending

Overall, Once Upon a Happy Ending was a great collection! I loved how the retellings of Rapunzel and Hansen and Gretel completely retold the story in a new way. Some of the other stories stayed truer to their basic fairytale, and that was fun too. My favorite retellings were of the Goose Girl, The Dirty Shepherdess, Cinderella, and Sleeping Beauty.

Other stories gave me a peek into their fairytale world. I wished I had the whole story after the Little Mermaid and Snow White retellings.

There were a few stories that I stopped reading based on content. Here is the information that I wrote down, just in case you want to share this with a younger audience.

Twelve Dancing Angels (aka the twelve dancing princesses)
Lesser curse words (d and h), gladiator style fighting

The Woods (little red riding hood)
Language (at least the f- word, stopped reading there)

Fistful of Stars
(Wizard of Oz)
No swearing in prologue, starts in chapter 1, also talk of soldiers torturing and raping a woman for fun. I stopped reading at that point.

That D&$* Pea (princess and the pea)
Swearing (at least d-word and b-word both in the first page). I stopped reading there.

The Brave Little Tailor
Zombie violence

I bought this book for K. M. Shea's story, The Princess Who Chased Sheep. I loved that! I am glad to have been introduced to some other new authors too. I am definitely checking out The Princess Companion by Melanie Cellier now!

[Jemma · Rating 3 out of 5]

- Read as part of an anthology -

Super weird book that wasn't even a proper story.

Did not like.



Merged review:

Over all, I was pretty happy with the collection, given that I only paid 75c for it. All the stories where quite short, and the romance often felt a little rushed (the plots probably wouldn't have made it on a large scale), but they were interesting snippets, and a good introduction to the authors.

Twelve Dancing Angels
Was really weird and badly written. Did not like in the least. Some suggestive content.

The Goose Girl by Brittany Fitcher
I quite liked this one however, and I'm definitely more interested in the author's other work. Her writing appears to be quite good, and her characters were likable.

The Princess Who Chased Sheep by K.M. Shea
The reason I actually looked at the collection. Was a fun read and I quite liked the quirky characters.

Chains of Gold
This one was good... but the ending was a little off.

Rapunzel's Beauty
An interesting idea which was pulled off quite well. Also basically no romance, so that was a nice change :)

Hansel and Gretel
Bizarre murder children. Kinda on the disturbing side, well written for the most part, but the ending made no sense. Those kids aren't just going to 'reform' like that.

Ellora's Tail
Is actually literally just a couple of sample chapters. Not interested in the book.

The Woods
The were elements of this story that I quite liked, though the insta-love was a little too quick for my tastes... - one f-word

A Fistful of Stars
Was actually a really interesting idea, and felt like the longest and most mature book in the collection. But it is intense. Really intense. It's part of a larger series, but as an introduction it works quite well indeed. And I do like the wild west Oz kind of idea. But it's a hard kind of book. There is a lot of violence, and it's not the punching people kind either. It's more brutality against slaves and senseless violence towards them.
I might be interested in the series, but they do look quite adult.

Beastly Beauty
This one would have been really good if not for the fact that they literally had one conversation and loved each other for centuries. Other than that though :) - a little on the violent side, but nothing like the previous book.

The Sleeping Cyborg
Quite liked it :), the characters were fun, and it was an interesting twist on the story.

The Pastry Chef's Apprentice by Melanie Cellier
Probably needs the context of the second book of her series, which I happen to have read recently, so yay. Anyway, decent enough. I liked the twist, and I also thought the romance was pretty good too. Though the villains of the piece were a little on the over the top side.

Through the Mirror
Was interesting, and I kinda liked the idea behind it. Though I think the twist could have been built up a little more.


Overall, I was pretty happy with the collection, though I would recommend being careful of which stories younger people are allowed to read. Things like the Princess Who Chased Sheep are completely appropriate for all audiences, but I wouldn't give a Fistful of Stars to anyone younger than 17+ (I mean I'm 16, and was 15.364 when I read it, so use your own judgement there.)
And two of them had a surprise f-bomb, though I honestly cannot remember which one was the second.

[Shayla · Rating 2 out of 5]

Are we done yet?

I'm not usually a harsh reviewer, but each time I reached the end of a story in this anthology, I thought, "Crap! Another one?!" Plots are weak and sometimes rather contrived, characters are often painfully tropey, and I struggled with not abandoning it less than halfway through but I can't handle the taunt of seeing a progress percentage less than 95% on my Kindle.
A couplefew stories rise a bit above the chaff, but I'm not sure they're worth the bother for a completionist like me. The two stars are for those few stories and for all the fodder for my What Not To Do list.

[Stacey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ella Summers
Twelve dancing Angels
so what happens when a woman wakes up and finds she has no memories of who or what she is .
and what if every night she sleeps she is in a nightmare fighting and surviving .
and what if someone from her past tries to free her memories . but what if there is another which one can she trust , find out by getting the box set of 16 authors and stories but check out the Legion of Angels series .
Brittany Fichter
The Goose Girl
The Classical Kingdoms Collection Retelling

what happens when you cannot tell the one you love who you are but because of a curse you can't . and if the one who is meant for you can sense it but doesn't know for sure can he figure out who the goose girl is before he marries the wrong woman . or is all lost find out buy buying or KUing the box set , and read more on this series .

K,M. Shea
The Princess Who Chased Sheep

so what happens when her father sends her away to fend for herself due to her nature who reminds me of me sarcastic and witty and a castout . but what if shes not due to a noble who crosses her path as not a noble as she is but as a commoner a sheperdess . what may come of it and what of his identity can she love him . due to her fathers feelings towards the family or will her heart win out find out by buying this box set . and read the other 16 other books within this set of so far interesting and exciting books some new authors i have now read where others thats in this book like Cameron Jace and Rashelle Workman .

Shari L. Tapscott
Chains of Gold
A Rumplestilzchen Retelling

what happens when a young girl meets a handsome man but what if there is more a secret he can never tell or else he wont exist . can she find his name and will she say it if she does . find out what happens and so much more to explore .

Casey Lane
Rapunzel's Beauty
what happens when you make yourself younger only for your future to have no one in it but a curse of beauty . but is beauty skin deep or is beauty to go beyond the inner shell of a persons outter beauty .

Jamie Campbell

Hansel and Gretel
Devil Children


so what do you do when your step children threaten you do you fear them or teach them a lesson . also how do you tell your beloved husband who his children are . what happens when she comes across a gingerbread house does she use it on the children or live in fear for her life .

Rashelle Workman
Ellora's Tail
Blood and Snow 12.1

so what happens when you find out the truth on who you are and that your father knew who and what she was . but not only that but that her mom is alive . and more than that is related to the little mermaid . there is so much more to this story but you will want to read this short story as well as stay tuned for more or ELLORA'S STORY .

Rebecca Hamilton and Conner Kressley
The Woods

what do you get with a girl chosen a man a wolf and grandmas house . it reminds me of Little red riding hood . into the woods is like it but with a very interesting twist . and a guide and a truth revealed as to why a girl must wear the red cloak find out by reading this box set or watch out for it .

Cameron Jace

A Fistful of Stars
A Short Story from the Throne of Oz Trilogy
so if you love the wizard of oz but with a twist i have read Camerons books especially the Grimm books as well as a few others outside of the series . so what happens if Dorthy is of another name and what if the Author who created her found her and made her into a character but changed her name . can there be another place of America where it is violence and survival and not free to be yourself no matter the color of ones skin . as it was in the 1800's . find out to see what this thrilling story has in store . you wont be upset that you did you wont want to put the book down or this short story . of 16 books in one .

May Sage

That Damn Pea .

so what happens when you meet a man where you work but one day your daughter is there and the man is there yet who is he and why is he so intense about her and her daughter and what does he find out about them and can he finally find the woman meant to rule beside him . find out can she be the woman of his dreams and his kingdom .
T. Rae Mitchell
Beastly Beauty

so what if you were alone a beast . who meets a man in your domain . but what if he is much more . can the beast refrain from hurting him or will the beast do its worst . and what if centuries later the man still lives but once you thought he was gone can love conquer the beast . and love prevail .

Aya Ling
The Sleeping Cyborg

what happens in a plot twist can the girl who has dreams to leave a farm to the core i am having a star wars flash back with luke skywalker . but this is a twist of a girl who is more than she realizes . and what if a prince has eyes for her in a firing a gun tournament type but can there be more . what about a curse . and can the man who is a prince have a farm girl who can shoot as well as he can . find out by reading this book and check out the rest of the books .

A.W. Exley
Vincent the Tailor .
so what is a man to do when his parents wont let him join the war but be a tailor and be mocked but what if one day he must kill something that can turn others from not human to something else .
and what if the one woman he crushes on needs his help can he save her in time and will his parents let him do it . find out by reading this story and the multiple other books in this set .

Melanie Cellier
The Pastry Chef's Apprentice
A Cinderella Tale

what happens when your best friend is more than he seems and what if you have a nemisis who wants to ruin you and what if the nemisis wants your best friend but who is your best friend and why did he keep a secret from you and will it break them apart or somehow make it stronger and what if she was much more than she was . she is an apprentice yet is she more than she knows .

Rachel Morgan
Through the Mirror

what do you do when you find out the whole reason for your parents death and revenge but whose and why . will she figure the mirror out and will she choose to stay or leave and how will she come to terms in what may happen next . find out by buying this and read more of this series of Creepy Hollow and the rest of the Authors in this book .

there wwas 15 not 16 so i do not know who else was supposed to be in this box set but this was an awesome book to read . never a dull moment .

[Damian Southam · Rating 4 out of 5]

●☆■ 16 Reimagined stories of Fairy Tales in a different light, by numerous well known and reviewed authors. A star ☆ studded line-up ■☆●

Nyx has learnt throughout her recent life to avoid doing things that are in anyway physically exerting because the unnatural response from her body just freaks her out. Her supple and lithe arms lift things they shouldn't be able to, and running happens far quicker than it should: to name but a couple instances. To Nyx its more easily handled if she simply buries her head in the sand. She's pretty sure she's needs to play herself of as human as the alternatives are scary, especially if they involve the Legion. But then she can't remember anything before she woke up naked in a dark alley five years ago covered head to toe in dark red blood. Anything before that date could lead places she'd again rather leave alone.

In fact, had she not had the image of the name Nyx surrounded in a few decorative swirls tattoed on her hip, she's not sure if she'd actually remembered her name. The only memory she had from that night was the brutalisation and the way she'd been left for dead by the same two supernaturals. Which is why she still has nothing to do with them. She might have attributes that would expect the typical being to question their origin, but she has enough weird events happening of late to not need to dig deeper. Thankfully the officers she now works with at the Portland Police Station aren't the same who discovered her midnight naked stroll. That she was being forced nightly to fight for her life in her dreams was undoubtedly linked. That every other person who'd seen her called her Snow White, was just another in a long line of weird.

Life in Portland altered massively two-hundred years ago when the gates of hell spewed forth it's plethora of denizens. The gods came down in an effort to prevent civilisation from going to ruins. Whilst they managed to push back the hordes to reseal the realm, they could not rid the monsters entirely. In a last ditch effort to maintain an aspect of prior life, a saddened shadow of what it once was, the Legions built massive walls and domes of magic as a balwark to humanity's continuation. Portland is one such refuge where inside the wall life could still go on relatively easily; admittedly the paranormal became normal from that point on. Humans have begun to adapt and create technology built around magic (magitech) to even some of the odds, but the beings of myth are still amongst the strongest. Not all the pieces of society and their way of life were able to be pieced together again: humpty was together again but the poor guy will never be the same again. Some places were better than others, in Portland they had it better than most.

The events leading up to now stem from a single event in history where a being of duty made a choice to take the dive, literally and metaphorically, necessary to protect that which they had always protected. Gods and demigods play out their games and often the least powerful suffer. Just like her nickname Snow White, aspects of Nyx have been in a deep slumber, awaiting their prince to unlock them. Just which prince is racing and who will win is amongst other unknowns right up until the last few steps before the finishing line. Which prince wins however, is a crucial aspect that will influence what is recalled and how it is looked upon. With the latter being a potential return to how it was designed, or alternatively to a future where quite possibly the protector could become a pursuer.

A great short story with as much impact as would be expected from a plot much longer; and after reading a good number of Ella's works I am coming to understand that its to be expected. Fast pace, action rich, magic and fantasy thick, a world of wonder. Twelve Dancing Angels by Ella Summer is a rich find in an unexpected location. Having never gotten into fairy tales as a child and typically being a reader seeking more traditional fantasy, paranormal, urban, and supernatural suspense, I'm wrapped already with this compilation as its the last place I'd have thought to look for a story to meet all my usual requirements. The first story is most certainly a little treasure. I've loved the major series such Dragon Born by Ella and I'm happy to note a series mentioned herein, I've missed for unknown reasons, Legion of Angels. Its a complete tangent but its something I'll need to investigate and often this is a purpose of anthologies: to give lots of little tastes of authors you mighten have read anything of. Unless there's a complete downturn in what ever else remains, I'm pretty impressed and I haven't yet gotten to any of the other fifteen stories to go!

As expected the following stories contain what are more akin to you might expect from an anthology named Once Upon A Happy Ending. Princes, princesses, kings, queens, knights, farmers, peasants, the fey and the supernatural are the flour in the bread. They're the staple roles and flavour the sorts of reimagining involved in the fairy tales at the heart of the plots. Various kinds of life lessons are highlighted, and although differing maladies plague the key roles, a happy ending with a new understanding of the principles of life is what finishes off the stories. Save the first tale of the Twelve Dancing Angels, some of what follows could be read by even the youngest reader; there's a very safe 'G' rated content. Of course this will have its appeal only to certain types, adults and teens with a desire for more MA and R rated content might find they'll pick and choose what tales more suit their needs. Just as parents might do the same for children that open these pages. In and of itself this could be construed either way, but I guess at the end of the day that's the purpose and strength of anthologies; they have a range to suit a variety of moods and readers. Some tales are mundane whilst others are magical, but if you're being honest with yourself then at less than a dollar, anymore than one or two stories that suit your mood and you've a bargain in the making.

[Shruti · Rating 3 out of 5]

There were some really good stories in there. Very original and interesting. Yet even though some were really great, some others were not so much so I'd say this is more of an average book.

Personally , I won't exactly recommend it much.

[Marquise · Rating 3 out of 5]

Most of the stories aren't worth my while, the best for me was Shari L. Tapscott's story Chains of Gold.

[Lene Blackthorn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Twelve dancing angels by Ella Summers:
Very interesting variation on the classic fairytale. Twelve girls fighting supernatural creatures such as witches, elementals or vampires, in a nightmare realm, and who survives, dances the rest of the night only to be called back to fight the next one. God coming to break the curse of the First Angel is certainly a refreshment in the concept, interwoven with the tale of first fallen angel. I would like to read this story more in depth, at least like a novelette. The main characters are interesting enough to motivate a reader desire for more.

The Goose Girl by Brittany Fletcher
This one resembles the original classical tale the most. Evony was betrayed by her maid and put a curse on her so she cannot speak about her true identity to Maxence, her betrothed. She is exposed to the continuous threat from Joseph who wants to claim her, and her maid who wants to marry the prince and get rid of the true princess. But Evony finds a way to prove herself and wins the heart of her prince forever. Fast, short and lovely tale.

The Princess who Chased Sheep by K. M. Shea
Princess Collette is banished for one year from the castle, so she find herself a work as shepherdess. There, she meets sir Rainer, the son of King Gunther. When the smart princess and sly prince fall in love, they get engaged and return together to the castle- but her father thinks she was kidnapped and nearly starts a war. Once again, Collie's clever wits save the situation and their HEA does not wait long. This was a very nice retelling, humorous, with bright and lovable characters, and yes, sometimes even I wanted to slap Rainer for his irritating behavior, but he is so adorable a character I could not. Great read.

The Woods by Rebecca Hamilton and Conner Kressley
Thrilling and adventurous twisted version of the Red Hood that grabs the reader firmly at the first sentence and won't him let go freely until the end. Fast and amazing piece with some very inventive elements (like beasts sensitive to electromagnetic noise) has the feel of classic Grimm brother's tale, only being more magical and enchanting. The lenght did not cut the depth of the story and though lasting only a while, I felt a strong connection to the characters, intuitively knowing their personalities as if I knew them all my life (or full novel). Exceptional retelling.


Chains of Gold
Very interesting twist at the end, when the to-be-kidnapped daughter of the royal couple is actually made into the main character of another fairy tale. Quick and fast-paced, lined with raw emotions, deep feelings and adorable characters. Enjoyable read and one of the better retellings I have ever read.

Rapunzel
I never thought this particular fairy tale could be written as horror and make me think twice about who could be responsible for the lives lost. However, Casey Lane proved me wrong. Rapunzel losing her battle against darkest of dark magic and paying unimaginable price just for staying beautiful, that actually gave me creeps. This twist grabbed my attetion from the first page, and I really appreciate the tweak on its classical counterparty. The characters come out in totally different light, and although the reader still pities them, this time it happens for totally different reasons.
*more reviews coming as I read on*

[Gerd · Rating 3 out of 5]

A few enjoyable stories mixed in an otherwise haphazardly thrown together collection of mideocre storytelling.

Didn't like the opener, which stereoptypically plays out like every other Urban Fantasy / Paranormal Romance out there.

Most disappointing reading experience was "Ellora's Tail" which is actually only a preview for a (then) upcoming novel, just there to set the stage and then leaving everything open ended.

"A Fistful of Stars" however was a down right disgusting annoyance, IMO.
Going from an overlong prologue, which takes up twice as much space as any of the following chapters, it went straight into rape and victim fetishization - just what you expect to find in an anthology called "Once Upon a Happy Ending", not!

However there are some stories included I really enjoyed reading.
Following the weak opener we have some truly fun fairy tale retellings, like
"The Goose Girl" by Brittany Fitcher
"The Princess who chased Sheep" by K.M. Shea
"Chains of Gold" by Shari L. Tapscott

and most noteable
"Rapunzel's Beauty" by Casey Lane.
A most charming adventure tale mixing classic sword and sorcery elements with disneyesque characters to create the most original and witty entry in the set.

With Aya Ling's version of "Cinderella" the collection left on a high enough note to redeem the inclusion of a "Fistful of Stars" somewhat.

Therefore it manages a bare three Star rating in all from me.

[Allison (Azyrre) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lots of good stories from a variety of authors. This is a great way to discover authors, or to get a piece of a published story from another perspective. I liked some stories more than others; not all of them were well-written to my taste, but most were.

I bought this because A.W. Exley featured it and I've enjoyed her work and read everything else she's written, and was able to get part of her Serenity House story from a different character in a different town.

The one story that sticks out to me that I didn't enjoy was the one about Dorothy and Oz. Perhaps it was in part because I never much cared for the Wizard of Oz, but I also didn't like the way it was written. There was too much "telling" about what characters were like instead of just letting them speak for themselves, and some of the action scenes were just oddly done.

I enjoyed the other stories and consider this worth a read if you're into fairy tales and fantasy.

[Jenny Koch · Rating 2 out of 5]

Notable mentions in this anthology include:

Story #1: Twelve Dancing Angels
Good story - it peaked my interest enough to make me want to try reading other books by this author.

Story #3: The Princess Who Chased Sheep
I love this author so no surprise I also enjoyed this short story by her.

Story #4: Chains of Gold
I like this author but I have mixed feelings about this story. It's written well but it's more depressing than I was in the mood for.

Story #10: Beastly Beauty
An interesting take on the fae with s gender-swapped Beauty and the Beast.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Several good stories, several not so good...

I liked a good amount of these short stories. Several were just ok. Some were awful. I skipped the one that dealt with Oz. I don't read stories that involved rape or the mention of it. Some of the stories had bad language and I only skimmed those. That language had no basis for being in the stories. I've found a few authors that I will seek out for more reading material.

[Teri Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Faeries schameries! This anthology throws the book away!

It's hard not to have favorites, and I believe everyone will find one here. This collection of re-told tales, from different perspectives, is sure to jolt you out of your preconceived notions of princesses, damsels in distress, mermaids...oops! Better not leak any spoilers!

[Amber Christiansen · Rating 4 out of 5]

pretty good collection

I liked some of the stories better than others. Individually, I would rate each story between three and five stars. Most of the stories could have been longer, especially the ones I liked most, but not much to complain about otherwise. The stories that I would rate the lowest had more to do with my personal tastes than anything.

[Jackie · Rating 5 out of 5]

All the stories are amazing. Total different view on Beauty and the Beast, and more. Delightful way of presenting the stories. I for one still love fairy tales, but it was pure enjoyment to read them. Thanks for giving me a copy

[Amanda White · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although this was incredibly short and quick to read, I really enjoyed this small insight into Nyx. Definitely hoping for a more full length story about her further down the track!

[Mila · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a collection of various fairy tales retellings written by very different authors and I'm surprised that I actually enjoyed many of them. It's true that some writers don't completely understand how to write a short story and they write first chapters of the book instead. I also don't think that all of the stories have happy endings because there're sometimes no endings at all. But for the most part the stories are quite enjoyable. So here are my thoughts on each of them.

Twelve Dancing Angels by Ella Summers - 2 stars

Definitely the worst one in the whole book and a very bad choice for the opening story. It starts out okay, the premise sounds interesting and then it goes down with every page. The writing is mix between a poorly done fanfiction and an erotica novel (seriously, like every action of a man is described as "sexy"), the plot is ridiculous, the setting is so confusing and there's a love triangle with two very disgusting and abusive males. As you can see, I didn't like it at all.

The Goose Girl by Brittany Fichter - 4 stars

I'm actually not very familiar with the original fairy tale which this story was based on, but I quite enjoyed it nonetheless. It has a very good structure; it doesn't seem rushed or dragged out. My only complaint about this one is melodramatic characters.

The Princess Who Chased Sheep by K.M.Shea - 5 stars

The best one of the bunch (imho, obviously). It works very well specifically as a short story. Very developed characters, witty banter and a life lesson are included.

Chains of Gold by Shari L. Tapscott - 3,5 stars

A very interesting take on the fairy tale, turning the villian into someone close to the main heroine. And I really liked the transition to Rapunzel's story in the end, it was so cool I didn't like the characters' inconsistence, though. There was no flowing transition in Greta's opinion of the king, it was annoying

Rapunzel's Beauty by Casey Lane - 4 stars

Very creepy but in a good way. It didn't try to copy Disney's "Tangled" which is awesome. We can also see another side of Rapunzel's character in this story. But it's definitely rushed and that spoils the experience a bit.

Hansel and Gretel: Devil Children by Jamie Campbell - 4,5 stars

Creepy as hell and very imaginative. But the ending was too perfect for that level of creepiness.

Ellora's Tail by RaShelle Workman - 3 stars

These are opening chapters to a book, it tells you that in the beginning. And I have no desire to read the continuation because it mostly sounds like a generic YA retelling of "Little Mermaid" with no originality put in it.

The Woods by Rebecca Hamilton and Conner Kressley - 3,5 stars

This starts out like a book and then it speeds up like a 100 times in order to wrap everything up. But it only does it partially. And there's insta-love.

A Fistful of Stars by Cameron Jace - 4 stars

A very brutal and graphic story, it stands out like a very violent retelling. It's surely not for everyone but I personally would read more about Door and this fucked up Ozworld.

That Damn Pea by May Sage - 4,5 stars

Hilarious writing, there're so many funny quotes that I laughed out loud at. The dialogue is awkward at times and some of Finn's actions I would call questionable. But it's a very enjoyable story nonetheless.

Beastly Beauty by T.Rae Mitchell - 4 stars

I've always wondered how would a gender swap version of "Beauty and the Beast" work out and this story gave me the general idea of it. I liked that Fey were involved in the world setting but, ugh, I hated the insta-love so much.

Sleeping Cyborg by Aya Ling - 4 stars

I loved the sci-fi aspect of the fairy tale, the setting is quite original and creative. It was rushed in the middle but the ending twist was very strong, it helped the overall story a lot.

Vincent, the Tailor by A.W. Exley - 3 stars

Confusing world building, annoying main character, actions repeated over and over again. Only zombies saved this short story for me.

The Pastry Chef's Apprentice by Melanie Cellier - 3,5 stars

A Cinderella retelling that didn't provide with any actual reasons why I should like the main character. She's so sweet and kind and caring and she somehow has a personality of a toothpick. Stefan was great, though.

Through the Mirror by Rachel Morgan - 3 stars

This didn't capture my attention even with a stupid plot twist and it also didn't provide a complete story arc so it's just okay for me.

[Carly Kirk · Rating 4 out of 5]

There were a lot of really great stories in this collection (I only stopped reading 2 of them out of 15) so I'm going to rate each of them separately.

"Twelve Dancing Angels" by Ella Summers - 1 star
I enjoyed this story up until basically the end, then I was pissed off by the main character. Spoilers: She finds out she's an angel and joins the organization that everyone fears - in fact, she marches into headquarters doing her best to instill fear in everyone who's going to be under her now... Really? So your time as a regular mortal didn't change you in the slightest... made me hate her actually.

"The Goose Girl" by Brittany Fichter - 5 stars
This one was really great. The whole story is just really well written and engaging.

"The Princess Who Chased Sheep" by K.M. Shea - 5 stars
This is probably my favorite out of the whole book - I loved Princess Colette and Prince Rainer, they were so well matched and so much fun to read about. Definitely want to read more by this author!

"Chains of Gold" by Shari L. Tapscott - 2 stars
This one wasn't too bad, but I just wasn't a fan of the ending though it was well written. Spoilers: I just would have preferred that Greta would have ended up with Rune (aka Rumpelstilzchen) I mean if you're going to retell the story, why not go all out and change the ending totally into something a whole lot happier?

"Rapunzel's Beauty" by Casey Lane - 5 stars
Another great story, I loved that the hair was the prison-keeper and how Rapunzel was finally freed though she'll probably need a lot of counseling considering what she had to live through.

"Hansel and Gretel: Devil Children - 1 star
Spoilers: Considering the title and the fact that the kids admitted to killing their mother... the fact that their step-mother welcomes them back after scaring them a bit and thinks that they are going to be one big happy family strained my credulity just a bit. Seriously, I'm not usually a fan of killing off kids, but if that would have been where this story went, I wouldn't have minded because the author made a great case for them being totally evil and nothing to make it seem like they had had a life changing event.

"Ellora's Tail" by Rashelle Workman - 1 star
This was one of the stories I didn't finish. The story didn't flow very well, very choppy and it really read like a little kids book to me.

"The Woods" by Rebecca Hamilton and Conner Kressley - 4 stars
Though this story had a young feel to it as well, it was much better written and had a very interesting take on the whole Red Riding Hood story.

"A Fistful of Stars" by Cameron Jace - 1 star
This is the other story I quit reading. Reading the prologue I was pretty intrigued, then I started reading the story itself and immediately quit.

"That Damn Pea" by May Sage - 5 stars
Another fun read. I liked Prince Finn with his amazing bad taste in women, Maleficent his godmother, his best friend Charles, and Anya his proper love. I'm really hoping Ms. Sage has written more in this world and that her characters are always so engaging...

"Beastly Beauty" by T. Rae Mitchell - 3 stars
I enjoyed the flip of who was the beast in this retelling.

"Sleeping Cyborg" by Aya Ling - 3 stars
I liked that this one was futuristic/science fictioney.

"Vincent, the Tailor" by A. W. Exley - 4 stars
I was kind of surprised to find a zombie story included, but really enjoyed it and I'm definitely going to check out the other books set in this world.

"The Pastry Chef's Apprentice" by Melanie Cellier - 3 stars
This was an interesting take on the Cinderella story and I liked it well enough, but good lord the girl sucked up a whole hell of a lot of abuse - she should have had a halo!

"Through the Mirror" by Rachel Morgan - 3 stars
I kind of saw the twist that happened coming though I hoped I was wrong and it wouldn't happen... and I kind of want to know what happens to Bianca in the future, but I don't know that the author is planning on writing a book about her and I'm not sure I'm really interested in reading the series set in this world.

[Vera · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

Twelve Dancing Angels by Ella Summers (based on The Twelve Dancing Princesses)

Having read Summers’ ‘Legion of Angels’ series, I was looking forward to a story where I could see things from Nyx’s point of view. And Nyx doesn’t disappoint – she’s still the deadly warrior (complete with temporary memory loss) that we all know and love. I now better understand what exactly happened between her love interest and her (if you’ve read the series, you’ll know what I’m talking about) and why he no longer cares about being seen with her when he used to be.

The Goose Girl by Brittany Fichter (based on The Goose Girl)

It’s more a tale of friendship than romance, and how good will always triumph over evil.

The Princess Who Chased Sheep by KM Shea (based on The Dirty Shepherdess)

This is my favourite short story! It’s a sweet, fluffy and funny story that focuses on not just romantic love, but also family love. Recommended for those who enjoy reading romantic comedies.

Chains of Gold by Shari L. Tapscott (based on Rumplestilzchen)

This story was so tragic. I felt really sad for Rumplestilzchen, because he just wanted the love of the protagonist, but it was this love that led him to his doom.

Rapunzel’s Beauty by Casey Lane (based on Rapunzel)

The moral of this story is that magic always comes with a price. There’s no romance in the story, and it brings a fresh take on how exactly Rapunzel came to be locked up in her tower.

Hansel and Gretel Devil Children by Jamie Campbell (based on Hansel and Gretel)

Parents should take note of this tale if they want ideas on how to scare their children into behaving properly.

Ellora’s Tail by Rashelle Workman (based on The Little Mermaid)

Instead of being a full story, it’s more of an introduction. It highlights the bonds in family, and of the curses in it as well.

The Woods by Rebecca Hamilton & Conner Kressley (based on Little Red Riding Hood)

A kind of post-apocalyptic, magical take on Little Red Riding Hood. I felt that the explanations sometimes became a bit verbose, and skipped over some parts. The romance also wasn’t that great.

A Fistful of Stars by Cameron Jace (based on The Wizard of Oz)

The pacing, setting and characterisation was fantastic. Dorothy is such a kickass heroine here, and she obeys her own moral code. Well written and suspenseful.

Beastly Beauty by T. Rae Mitchell (based on Beauty and the Beast)

This one was not for me. There was too much instalove in it. I liked the synopsis of this story but not the way it was executed.

Sleeping Cyborg by Aya Ling (based on Sleeping Beauty)

While some parts felt rushed, the entire story flowed smoothly enough. It was nice to see how the protagonist could fend for herself.

The Pastry Chef’s Apprentice by Melanie Cellier (based on Cinderella)

Another cute story where a girl finds herself going from rags to riches. However, I wanted more background information about where she came from exactly.

Through the Mirror by Rachel Morgan (based on Snow White)

This story warns you how you can’t ever trust family, and that sometimes those who help you don’t have the best intentions. No romance here.

Overall, all the stories were a breath of fresh air as they offered a unique and different take on the fairytales we’ve all heard of.

(For more book reviews, please check out my website at http://verasbooks.wordpress.com.)

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's always a bit hard to rate/review an anthology, so I will go through the Good (4-5 stars), the Decent (3 stars) and the Bad (1-2 stars) and give my thoughts on each of the stories.

Good (4-5 stars)
- The Goose Girl by Brittany Fitcher. Cute little story with a cute little ending.
- Princess Who Chased Sheep by Km Shea. Another cute simple story, but I liked it anyway.
- Chains of Gold by Shari Tapscott. I am a bit torn on this one as it really didn't have the happy ending that the book title implies, but it was a well written story and a new take on Rumplestilzchen.
- Rapunzel's Beauty by Casey Lane. Hair as the enemy? New and unique!
- The Woods by Rebecca Hamilton and Conner Kressley. I liked the world, the story, the characters. Really well written, a full story with openings at the end to build into a longer novel.
- Sleeping Cyborg by Aya Ling. I really like this retelling, combining an old story with new technology. I would read more of this story.
- the Pastry Chef's Apprentice by Melanie Cellier. Not a huge deviation from the original Cinderella story, but it was a feel-good story with a few new ideas.


Decent (3 stars)
- Twelve Dancing Angels by Ella Summers. This was more an excerpt than short story, and I was not convinced by the main character's easy acceptance of her situation or her revelation at the end. I would try out a full length novel as I liked the world-building.
- Ellora's Tail by Rashelle Workman. It was OK. Not great or mind-blowing, but good enough that I would be interested in reading more. This also felt like a beginning to a larger work instead of a full story.
- Beastly Beauty by T Rae Mitchell. I honestly don't know how I feel about this one. I loved that it let you use more imagination and left some things unsaid, but it was a little weird. Not bad, just weird.
- Through the Mirror by Rachel Morgan. Not a bad story, but didn't wow me either. There was some room for expansion of the short story, but it was a little blah for me. Maybe if I read more and there was a bit more world building I would enjoy it more.

Bad (1-2 stars)
- Hansel and Gretel Devil Children by Jamie Campbell. I'm sorry, but I just didn't get into that the kids were evil. I kept thinking it was humorous imagining kids trying to intimidate me and it really wouldn't work.
- A Fistful of Stars by Cameron Jace. Western feeling "Oz" did not do it for me. Too much rape, torture, indiscriminate killing, and a ruthless Door (Dorthy) just didn't click and I didn't quite enjoy.

Overall a great collection of stories, most of them easy reads that just make you smile at the end. Just what I needed. Would recommend, but as with every anthology there are some stories that one will enjoy more than others.

[Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable and varied collection of short stories. There were a few I didn't like - one was rather bland, and a couple I found a bit disturbing. But I enjoyed most of the rest, and that's pretty good for an anthology. I particularly enjoyed the variety in this collection. In addition to several retellings in a traditional fairy tale world (what I expected), there was urban fantasy, dystopian fantasy, science fiction and modern day teen fiction. The great thing about collections like this is that it lets you try out lots of new authors without much commitment. I've found several that I look forward to reading more of, so I count that as a great success.

My favourite authors were Brittany Fichter, KM Shea, Aya Ling and Melanie Cellier. I also really enjoyed the retelling of Beauty and the Beast. I'd warn potential readers that Twelve Dancing Angels and A Fistful of Stars are probably not appropriate for a younger audience.

[Penny · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review is just for 12 Dancing Angels, a story in the set. Not really familiar with the original tale, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but even not knowing about it, I really enjoyed this re-telling! The main character doesn’t have memories beyond the last few years, and doesn’t know who or what she really is. Every night in her dreams she must fight and win to move up in the contests to another level, but nothing is really as it seems. The writing made the setting and characters so real I could almost hear and see everything go on and because of this, this writer is fast becoming one of my favorites. If this story is an example of whole set, this set is well-worth it! Thanks to the author for the e-copy which I voluntarily reviewed.

[Jami · Rating 5 out of 5]

Overall, Fantastic!

The collection of stories were great. I'm familiar with most of these authors and look forward to reading books from the other ones.

The story about Oz or the "real" America, is one I will be looking into. I loved the imagery and storyline. Although, I haven't read the original books, I think I can skip over it them and devour the retelling.

As for the last story which is a short story from the Creepy Hallow. I was impressed by it and was pretty happy with it.

Ana Ling's story was great, but I own all her work. She's a wonderful author.

Some of the stories in this are short stories, while others are the first few chapters of a book. Regardless, I would recommend this book to you. 💖💖

[Ross · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the type of book that you wanna read if you want something quick and easy. Although, I would have preferred if it was entire stories pero chapter instead of like an intro to a series or another book. I mean, I picked this up because I wanted something light to take my mind off the daily grind of life, and I ended up wondering more about the stories where it was apparently an opening to another longer story. I felt like I was left hanging or something. LOL

So, if you are like me looking for something short, with no strings attached, this book is not for you. If you are looking for a new series to start and not sure which one to pick, then get this book. It will open up some, I think, good new books to love.

[Jill · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn’t read all of the stories, but several were rather well done. I don’t typically read anthologies but it’s a nice way to discover new authors in a genre. In particular Ella Summers, Rebecca Hamilton & Conner Kressley, Casey Lane and Melanie Cellier had nice well rounded stories with fun characters and believable dialogue. There were several other authors who did a nice job, but either the characters and dialogue were a little too predictable and trite or the story felt crushed by the limitations of being short. And then a couple authors I simply couldn’t get into, those I just skipped.

Overall it’s worth giving a chance, just don’t plan on being blown away by the whole work.

[Kari Youngblood · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed a few of these short stories and look forward to checking out some more by some of the authors! Great way to sample their writing styles! I really enjoyed "The Goose Girl", "That Damn Pea", "Pastry Chef", and "The Princess who Chased Sheep". There were a few stories that I hated, A LOT! The one that sticks out the most was the Wizard of Oz short-it was disturbing and poorly written! I don't think they proofread it at all!

[Abby · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars. I'm into anthologies and fairy tale retellings so I didn't hesitate to read this book. The stories are great! I love it! The authors are awesome as well. My favorites are Rapunzel's Beauty and Hansel and Gretel: Devil Children. But I love That Damn Pea by Mae Sage the most! It's the best story for me and I'm looking forward to reading more about the characters. Overall, I love this book!