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Once Upon a Short Story #1-6
Once Upon a Short Story: Volume One: Six Short Retellings of Favorite Fairy Tales
Once Upon a Time…
Your favorite fairy tales didn’t exist. Or at least, not as you know them.
What if Cinderella’s fairy godmother was a spider? Or Little Red Riding Hood fought more than one wolf? Or the princess was bruised, but not from a pea?
Find the answers in six standalone short stories that transform classic fairy tales into fresh adventures. Romance, intrigue, and humor abound as A.G. Marshall turns your favorite stories inside out and upside down. From heart warming to heart wrenching, these quick reads will keep you turning the pages and wishing for more.
Sometimes your happily ever after isn’t quite what you expect…
Your favorite fairy tales didn’t exist. Or at least, not as you know them.
What if Cinderella’s fairy godmother was a spider? Or Little Red Riding Hood fought more than one wolf? Or the princess was bruised, but not from a pea?
Find the answers in six standalone short stories that transform classic fairy tales into fresh adventures. Romance, intrigue, and humor abound as A.G. Marshall turns your favorite stories inside out and upside down. From heart warming to heart wrenching, these quick reads will keep you turning the pages and wishing for more.
Sometimes your happily ever after isn’t quite what you expect…
138 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 13, 2019
29 people are currently reading
124 people want to read
About the author
A.G. Marshall
24 books308 followersAngela Marshall loves fairy tales and has been writing stories since she could hold a pencil. She works as a professional pianist and teacher and enjoys crocheting.
In addition to writing books, she has published numerous piano solos including Romanza, Forgotten Waltz, and Notes from the Past.
In addition to writing books, she has published numerous piano solos including Romanza, Forgotten Waltz, and Notes from the Past.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
April 18, 2020
I'd read most of the stories in this collection before, but there were two ("The Dwarf Ring" and "Swan Song") that I hadn't gotten the chance to read yet.
I'm always hugely impressed by authors who can write short stories, as I've always found them particularly tricky. But A.G. Marshall certainly doesn't disappoint with these retellings! My personal favorites are "The Bruised Princess," "A Curse of Gold," and "The Dwarf Ring," but they are all really good--the only one I'd say I didn't care for was the last one, "Swan Song." I also really liked the author's notes at the end of each story!
From what I understand, A.G. Marshall is still planning on writing more of these, and I'm definitely looking forward to them! (In fact, since this collection was published, she's already written another short story, "The Princess and the Lamp," a spin on Aladdin).
I'm always hugely impressed by authors who can write short stories, as I've always found them particularly tricky. But A.G. Marshall certainly doesn't disappoint with these retellings! My personal favorites are "The Bruised Princess," "A Curse of Gold," and "The Dwarf Ring," but they are all really good--the only one I'd say I didn't care for was the last one, "Swan Song." I also really liked the author's notes at the end of each story!
From what I understand, A.G. Marshall is still planning on writing more of these, and I'm definitely looking forward to them! (In fact, since this collection was published, she's already written another short story, "The Princess and the Lamp," a spin on Aladdin).
September 17, 2019
I quite enjoyed this lovely little collection of retold fairy tales. Each of these had a twist or something curious that just made me go, hmm, that's interesting! I especially enjoyed the Rumplestiltskin retelling, "The Curse of Gold," for both the idea of a girl who really can spin straw into gold (and why!), and the twist at the end. Recommended to fairy tale fans and those looking for a quick, fun set of shorts.
Actual rating: 3.5
Actual rating: 3.5
August 1, 2020
A delightful set of short stories that reimagine a few popular fairy tales. They stick close to the original, remaining in a high fantasy setting full of magic, but all have a different twist that will surprise you. I loved that they all sought to find reasons behind the events, whether it still relied on magic or not.
My favourites were The Curse of Gold (for giving us a romantic take on Rumplestiltskin with a girl who really can spin gold), The Bruised Princess (for making the Princess and the Pea oddly believable, if sad), and Swan Song (because yay, subversion!)
It's rare for short stories to feel as satisfyingly tied up as for the most part these do (be warned about "The Dwarf Ring" if you don't like hanging endings though). The writing's easygoing, a bit YA in style but not dumbed down, and the quality across all the stories is very high. I could have wished for a little more description, or some of them to explain why a character did something other than because the original story made them do it, but for short stories they're very well rounded.
Perfect quick reads for fairy tale lovers!
My favourites were The Curse of Gold (for giving us a romantic take on Rumplestiltskin with a girl who really can spin gold), The Bruised Princess (for making the Princess and the Pea oddly believable, if sad), and Swan Song (because yay, subversion!)
It's rare for short stories to feel as satisfyingly tied up as for the most part these do (be warned about "The Dwarf Ring" if you don't like hanging endings though). The writing's easygoing, a bit YA in style but not dumbed down, and the quality across all the stories is very high. I could have wished for a little more description, or some of them to explain why a character did something other than because the original story made them do it, but for short stories they're very well rounded.
Perfect quick reads for fairy tale lovers!
November 27, 2020
This is a really solid anthology of six short stories. they're fairy tale retellings, and as always A.G. Marshall handles the genre with a unique spin on each story. I just love the atmospheres she writes, the characters she creates, and the theming of each tale. each retelling has a really fascinating twist to it that I super enjoy. My favorite 2 are Curse of gold and the Bruised Princess. Both are just so beautifully told. All are good, don't get me wrong, but those two spoke to me in a way the others didn't. Swan Song is really great too. If you want a good glimpse at A.G. marshall's amazing way of storytelling, this would be a good introductory. Really enjoyed reading these.
July 13, 2020
After reading all six of the stories, my two favorite tales in this collection of retellings are the first and the third.
The first one took me into an area of fantasy I've never entered on purpose before, and I likely never will, but the twist is a great one for a rather poignant story.
And the third—my, what a well-spun, romantic read. It wonderfully brings the believable into the fantastical and adds substance beyond simple fairy-tale developments.
The first one took me into an area of fantasy I've never entered on purpose before, and I likely never will, but the twist is a great one for a rather poignant story.
And the third—my, what a well-spun, romantic read. It wonderfully brings the believable into the fantastical and adds substance beyond simple fairy-tale developments.
August 27, 2020
I want so much more!
I picked out these stories to read because I didn’t want to commit to anything long. That being said, these stories are so fun and so unique that I wish they were longer! They each had their own flavor, some darker and some light hearted, but all were great to read!
I picked out these stories to read because I didn’t want to commit to anything long. That being said, these stories are so fun and so unique that I wish they were longer! They each had their own flavor, some darker and some light hearted, but all were great to read!
October 30, 2021
The author has a knack for spinning new twists and turns into the classic fairy tales, whether those twists and turns involve surprising reinterpretations or unusual mixes with other tales. The end result is a number of regrettably short yet charming stories that stretch the reader's imagination in truly creative ways.
May 12, 2020
Short story: 4/5. 3 stars. Confusion, lack of description. Interesting premises mostly.
These stories mostly had interesting premises, but I found them confusing and lacking description. I felt disconnected at a lot of points because of that.
I did really love parts of the Sleeping Beauty one.
These stories mostly had interesting premises, but I found them confusing and lacking description. I felt disconnected at a lot of points because of that.
I did really love parts of the Sleeping Beauty one.
April 21, 2023
Creative and interesting retellings! My favorites were definitely A Gown of Spider Silk and The Curse of Gold.
CW: The Bruised Princess: Domestic abuse
The Curse of Gold: Kidnapping, threat of forced marriage
CW: The Bruised Princess: Domestic abuse
The Curse of Gold: Kidnapping, threat of forced marriage
April 15, 2021
These stories go behind the scenes of the author's main books.
This was a short, quick read.
This was a short, quick read.
May 2, 2021
I enjoyed these. It was fun to see new takes on old familiar fairy tales.
April 26, 2023
I don't remember the classic stories that well, but I enjoyed these short retellings. A different view that touches some of the current sensitive issues.
July 29, 2024
1.5 ⭐️
Rumpelstiltskin was the only good story
Rumpelstiltskin was the only good story
November 26, 2025
Twisted take on some fairy tales, only issue they weren't long enough.
April 17, 2020
(Read this months ago and Life Things Happened So I’m just now publishing the review because I forgot I hadn’t before. Sorry!)
In a collection like this, there’s always inevitably a story that isn’t up to par with the others. With this, though, all of them were absolutely fantastic. The Bruised Princess was my favorite, with Straw Into Gold coming in just behind it. I love how she doesn’t just develop the princesses, but the princes as well. There were even a few elements that I thought I wouldn’t like but actually ended up being good. For example, spiders are a key element of the Cinderella retelling, but they were more the Charlotte’s Web type than the horror movie type. One story has an open ending, which I typically don’t like, but for that story it worked well.
One of my favorite parts of reading this was jumping into each story not knowing what fairytale it retold. Some were obvious from the get-go, while others took a little bit of reading before you recognized the elements.
Another thing I really enjoyed was the twists. The twists were very imaginative, and I loved how she used them while still keeping a lot of the original elements.
Other things I liked:
- Squeaky clean!
-Pretty cover (yes, I am petty like that)
-Humor (the banter in this is the best)
-The little note after each story (it made it feel even more personal)
I honestly cannot think of a single thing I disliked about this. In fact, ol’ miserly me actually relinquished some of my hard-earned cash for some of this author’s other books, because folks, this stuff is amazing.
I’d recommend this to anyone who wants some bite-sized fairytale magic to brighten their day.
In a collection like this, there’s always inevitably a story that isn’t up to par with the others. With this, though, all of them were absolutely fantastic. The Bruised Princess was my favorite, with Straw Into Gold coming in just behind it. I love how she doesn’t just develop the princesses, but the princes as well. There were even a few elements that I thought I wouldn’t like but actually ended up being good. For example, spiders are a key element of the Cinderella retelling, but they were more the Charlotte’s Web type than the horror movie type. One story has an open ending, which I typically don’t like, but for that story it worked well.
One of my favorite parts of reading this was jumping into each story not knowing what fairytale it retold. Some were obvious from the get-go, while others took a little bit of reading before you recognized the elements.
Another thing I really enjoyed was the twists. The twists were very imaginative, and I loved how she used them while still keeping a lot of the original elements.
Other things I liked:
- Squeaky clean!
-Pretty cover (yes, I am petty like that)
-Humor (the banter in this is the best)
-The little note after each story (it made it feel even more personal)
I honestly cannot think of a single thing I disliked about this. In fact, ol’ miserly me actually relinquished some of my hard-earned cash for some of this author’s other books, because folks, this stuff is amazing.
I’d recommend this to anyone who wants some bite-sized fairytale magic to brighten their day.
March 6, 2020
Awesome shorts
Short stories are what Ms. Marshall does best. The creativity and originality of her retellings is amazing. Though the stories are .... well short, they never feel incomplete. The tale and characters are well-written. Although I would truly love to see them expand into novels. The ideas that she chooses for the retellings is what amazes me the most. The book is clean, without any swearing and makes for a short crispy read that is sure to warm your heart and delight you.
Short stories are what Ms. Marshall does best. The creativity and originality of her retellings is amazing. Though the stories are .... well short, they never feel incomplete. The tale and characters are well-written. Although I would truly love to see them expand into novels. The ideas that she chooses for the retellings is what amazes me the most. The book is clean, without any swearing and makes for a short crispy read that is sure to warm your heart and delight you.
January 12, 2020
There's an enormous cottage-industry in fairy-tale retellings, and it's hard to stand out from that crowd. This one does, I think. Each fairy tale has a tweak so it's still identifiable, but comes out quite differently. They're pretty short, too, which is good: just long enough to be a story, but short enough that the twist doesn't pall over time. You can buy each of them individually, but you might as well get the whole collection.
I read some of the stories to my girls (6 and 9) and they liked it, particularly the Snow White one where the good and bad characters are flipped. (I didn't read them the one about the abused daughter, for obvious reasons, but I thought that was an excellent story too.) My favorite happens to be the Cinderella retelling where there's no fairy godmother, but someone else who makes the dress and has an agenda of their own.
I read some of the stories to my girls (6 and 9) and they liked it, particularly the Snow White one where the good and bad characters are flipped. (I didn't read them the one about the abused daughter, for obvious reasons, but I thought that was an excellent story too.) My favorite happens to be the Cinderella retelling where there's no fairy godmother, but someone else who makes the dress and has an agenda of their own.
October 8, 2019
Fun collection
This was a fun collection of retellings. The stories are common enough that almost anyone would recognize them, but the spin on each is unique. I just wish they were longer. If A.G. Marshall ever expands on these, I'd be excited to read them. My favorite was The Bruised Princess, and The Curse of Gold was a close second, but I thoroughly enjoyed all of the stories.
This was a fun collection of retellings. The stories are common enough that almost anyone would recognize them, but the spin on each is unique. I just wish they were longer. If A.G. Marshall ever expands on these, I'd be excited to read them. My favorite was The Bruised Princess, and The Curse of Gold was a close second, but I thoroughly enjoyed all of the stories.
September 30, 2019
This is a really neat collection of fairytale retellings short stories. They are a really quick read with lots of twists and turns packed into such a small space. Great for a rainy day, quick read!
October 15, 2020
I liked this book! The author’s fairy tale retellings were very creative and enticing. A very good read!
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews