Once: A Speculative Fiction Princesses Microfiction Anthology

by Iron Faerie Publishing, Beth W. Patterson, Andra Dill

This is Once Upon a Time... with a twist! What happens when you combine fairy tale Princesses and Speculative Fiction? You get a great many stories of wonder and intrigue with a dash of magic and scifi thrown in for good measure. Because everything is better with Princesses! Featuring microfiction Andra Dill Andrea L. Staum Beth W. Patterson Chris Bannor Cindar Harrell Georgina Stancer McKenzie Richardson Rowanne S. Carberry Stacey Jaine McIntosh Zoey Xolton

65 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 15, 2020

Reviews

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting collection of short tales-speedy reads that would be great for a lunchbreak or quickie read before bed. So many clever twists on the familiar and some less well known fairy tale tropes. Haha-Princes and evil stepmothers beware! If you like your princesses kick-ass this is for you. I felt that quite a few of the stories would lend themselves to be expanded upon as I wanted to know more about the characters as see more of their worlds. I'd recommend taking a bite from the apple and giving this a read.

[David Green · Rating 5 out of 5]

An Enchanting Read

Once is a swift read through the imagination and talents of several female authors, exploring the unseen and untold of our favourite Princesses.

It would be unfair to single out a single author or piece of work in this anthology; the quality of the short-fiction is high throughout and the variation on show says a lot about the talent involved.

[McKenzie Richardson]

For more reviews, check out my blog: Craft-Cycle

A magical collection of princess-themed short reads that explore new spins on some classics as well as forging their own tales.

I adored the variety in this collection. There is so much packed into such a small package. From slaying dragons and steampunk adventures to moon magic and love at first sight. There is a wonderful range of princesses woven together with elements of fantasy and sci-fi that creates a wonderful reading experience.

Also, I loved the pocket-sized format of the paperback. It's adorable and worked perfectly for these tiny tales. A gorgeous book filled with splendid stories.

This collections includes my stories, "A Change in Power", "A Princess's Just Desserts", "A New Arrival on the Island", "A Warrior's Cry", "Meta's Eye", "Away from the Tower", "A Golden Princess", "The Princess with Galaxies in her Hair", and "What Happened in the Garden".

Each of the stories included in this book have their own magic, but here are a few of my favorites in order of appearance:
"Fairy Godbot" and "No Rescue Required" by Andrea L. Staum
"The Mouse King" by Beth W. Patterson
"The Stolen Kiss" by Rowanne S. Carberry
"Cinders" by Stacey Jaine McIntosh
"The Weeping Willow" by Zoey Xolton