New Tales From Old Yarn

by Barbara Becc, Kat Lerner, A.S. Volk

An anthology of fairy tales and myths, rewritten and re-imagined by eleven writers from tumblr. Never before published short stories and poems. Well known tales with new twists and exciting new tales and myths from all over the world to read and enjoy in a new light.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Ebooks, Anthologies

186 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 18, 2017

Reviews

[Vanessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

"There's always three sides to a story," they'd warn. "There's yours, mine and the truth."

all my love to writeblr community anthologies!! We need more of them.

[A.M. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Six of these tumblr writers have listings as authors on GR, so I guess things are happening for them.

1. A fable of truth by Mari-Ann Copeland
A poem, and a cleverly done one too.
4 stars

2. Any other name by R White
What if the ‘rose’ was the Beast’s daughter?
3 stars

3. Beautiful anomalies by Audrey Rose B.
A fae Pied Piper vs Detective Sitara Galrind who has secrets of her own. She wonders if he has taken the children to the fae city of Mornreeve.

Of Mornreeve, she’d told Sitara this, “It is like an architect forced someone to stand on a ledge before a dizzying abyss of starlight, then pried that person open to take that vertigo and build a city from it.”

Nice.
Who is the real monster? There’s more story here for these MCs.
5 stars

4. Border Songs by Claire Patz
A retelling of the ancient Chinese tale of The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl which I have not heard of before. Immigrants in Chicago, he from Ireland with a magic violin, and she from South America (I think).
4 stars

5. Cinder and blood by Barbara Becc
Did not finish. Bit of a mess.

6. Clockpunk and the vitalizer by HK Lune
Superheros in the city. Clockpunk has an unfortunate crush on her greatest enemy.
3 stars

7. Collector’s edition by CDP Morkert
A dragon hiding as a librarian, with two patrons locked in opposition, as one is a basilisk and the other a weasel; mortal enemies.
It felt more like a fragment of a greater whole, than a complete short story, if that makes sense.
2 stars

8. Rapunzel by AS Volk
A joke stretched too far for me. Coacherella and the beard growing Rapunzel guy.
2 stars

9. The substance of a shadow by Meagan Fuentes
Peter Pan’s shadow’s PoV
2 stars

10. The way down by Anna Goss
Niobids retold as warring Mafia/assassin families.
It works.
3 stars

11. Three golden arrows
Robin Hood and the merry men are female and witches.
Too messy. Didn’t work for me.
2 stars

The usual problem with a collection; I like some and not others, but I think it averages out to about 3 stars.

[Soraya · Rating 3 out of 5]

These reworkings of old tales are not only inspired by Grimm or Anderson fairy tales, but from stories and myths from around the world. I think my favorite is "The Substance of a Shadow," by Megan Fuentes, which is about Peter Pan's poor shadow. I've read a few stories set in Neverland, but never anything telling the Shadow's story. Very creative.

There are 11 stories in this collection, so I'm sure you'll find something that catches your attention.

[Dani · Rating 4 out of 5]

These stories were so interesting! What a fascinating twist on some old tales, some of them new ones I had never even heard of but where wonderful nonetheless. Fantastic job.

[Bear · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked the last Robin Hood story but the others I ended up skipping completely or just didn’t like. I didn’t understand why they put two beauty and the beast stories right next to each other (tho I kind of liked the twist in the poem even if I didn’t like the writing itself??) and even it being gay was like. Idk. Boring. The rapunzel story was trying too hard and ended up just coming off as cringey like. I think it made a “did you assume my gender” joke and it definitely made a checked privilege joke and it was just like. Yikes. You really thought you’re Douglas Adams with that huh

[Morgan · Rating 2 out of 5]

It had a few decent short stories (I particularly liked "Cinder and Blood," "Collector's Edition," and "Three Golden Arrows") but the majority of them felt like they were trying too hard or were too contrived.

I also think the formatting of the stories could have been better, if the "introductions" were after the story. It's no fun at all being told exactly which fairytale or myth is being changed before I get the chance to figure it out myself.

[Ash · Rating 3 out of 5]

Let me be honest, fairy tales aren't my favourite genre. But I still found a few good and well-done reimagined stories in this, though not so many that I can give it any more than three stars. Just not my cup of tea.

[Angelina Titeryakova · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5

[Virginia · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.