Forbidden Fables

by Jacqueline Syne

What happens when two worlds collide?

On a dark night in search of answers, Gretel falls off a cliff. What she finds will change her life forever. Will she be able to survive the betrayal of someone so dear to her heart? Can she trust the frog who is telling her such treacherous things?

Red has six days to make it through the forbidden forest; however, things take a grim turn. It’s not just the townspeople who hunt for her… in the shadows, Bastion prowls. He’s famished, and only Red’s innocence will satisfy his hunger.

A kingdom in ruin, A lost princess of Atlantis, an entanglement of drunken lust and tentacles. Will true love win against the traditions of this strange kingdom? In the end, the decision of their destiny is left to that of a mere pearl...

Clara Nieves can’t lie. What was meant to be a gift bestowed upon her, turned out to be a curse. The only thing that can set her free? One year as the Warlock Geppetto’s toy, his plaything to do what he pleases with.

Rumpelstiltskin isn’t a man. The only thing he wants is to break Rapunzel, to make her bow to him. But she’s about to make a deal with the devil.

A swan maiden who belongs to neither land nor sky. When a forest witch cursed Prince Killian, she gave him a hundred years to find someone to love him and break his curse. But finding love won’t be easy for the Prince of Thorns.

Six romance authors have come together to bring you six completed mashup fairytales. In a forbidden fable, two souls follow their desires.

This book is intended for audiences 18+ due to explicit language, sex, and violence.

Genres: Fantasy, Retellings, Anthologies, Romance, Smut, Fairy Tale Retellings, Paranormal

600 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 14, 2023

About the author

J.Syne lives under the scorching sun of San Antonio with her husband and son. She loves everything spicy, smutty, and most of all monster loving.

She lives a double life as a Paranormal author and full-time Technical Support agent. She retired from the U.S Army and decide to take off her uniform and pull out the computer. It was time for the next chapter in her life.

When she isn't writing, she enjoys collecting teapots, visiting antique shops, and finding new places to try sushi.

Reviews

[Jessie K · Rating 5 out of 5]

*ARC person here who has read all six of these Forbidden Fables!*

This fairytale mash up was such an unknown type of read for me and I ended up enjoying it so much! Just as with classic fairytales such as Snow White and The Little Mermaid, these stories of In Dreams of Truth, Pearl of Fate, and the others of this anthology are adorable HEAs but with mature, dark themes. They are short, sweet, spooky, and to the love point.

I mean this in the best way possible: I will not be able to look at these classic fairytale characters in the same way ever again. Can we all just say gratuitous monster sex?! The takes on these characters humanizes them even more by showing the messy and ridiculously hot parts of falling in love. No little pecks on the lips here, people. We've got tentacles and hectocotylus and knots, ok?!

Have fun reading the Forbidden Fables and experiencing each of these little worlds for yourself! It gets better and better with each story!

[Matthew Cross · Rating 5 out of 5]

i was asked to read one of these as an honest review arc read
for now i have read three
gretal and the lost prince was fantastic i was hooked from start ton end i love both gretal and tads characters
the hunt for red
i absolutely loved this , i cant belive that i havent searched for a re telling of red riding hood !
pearl of fate
absolutely brilliant , it took be ages to realise the nods towards the little mermaid

[Bryanna Buff · Rating 2 out of 5]

Gretel and the Lost Prince

The basis of this story intrigued me. The concept was there and had so much potential however the execution was lacking. The story felt very rushed and there wasn’t much character development. I didn’t feel connected to Gretel and that made it hard for me to connect with the story. It was a pretty simple and easy read but personally I wouldn’t choose to read it again. I truly think with more character development, this has potential to be a really great book!

[Mackenzie Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

TL/Dr - Overall, I thought the stories were great little retelling of classic fables with a spicy spin on them. The book itself could have used another proofread or two, but that’s really my only complaint. A lot of thought went into these stories and I loved the character’s personalities.
4⭐️ avg. 2.75🌶️ avg.

1. Gretal & the Prince
The plot was very good, but I feel like the plot would have been better suited to a full length novel that would allow for more detail, rather than a novella or short story. Because it was made to be so short, some of the plot points felt too convenient, and the romance felt a bit forced. That being said, the characters were very likeable and their personalities and the world building was very well written.
2.5⭐️ 2🌶️

2. The Hunt for Red
I really enjoyed the plot and world building for this one. I felt like it was fleshed out well and very well executed. Red did get on my nerves at some points but overall, I liked her character and I LOVED Bastion (honestly, I would give him a hug if I could). The story as a whole could have gone through another round of proofreading or two, but overall, well done.
4⭐️ 1🌶️

3. Pearl of Fate
I loved this story. I thought it was extremely well written and the characters were great. I loved that it was a continuation of the Little Mermaid storyline with a grown-up Melody, and Lyrik gave me Princess Jasmine vibes during the beginning that I really liked. Overall, great story!!
5⭐️ 4🌶️

4. In Dreams of Truth
I absolutely adored everything about this story. I loved Clara and Gepetto. I love the Snow White retelling with Pinocchio elements as well. The romance was beautiful and the world building was flawlessly executed. I could totally read a full length novel about Clara and Gepetto.
5⭐️ 4🌶️

5. His to Wield
This one was really sweet and simple. I love the Rumplestilskin and Rapunzel elements and the characters themselves. The story seamlessly melded to two folktales together that, at times, I honestly couldn’t remember if they were ever separate to begin with. I liked how Rumple was inherently good from the beginning, despite viewing himself as a monster.
4⭐️ 3.5🌶️

6. Feather & Thorn
I loved the play on the Beauty and the Beast, with swan Princess vibes. Having the beast meet the beauty by seeking revenge against the witch who cursed him was very interesting and I loved the characters. The ending was a bit rushed for me, but overall was a good short story.
3.5⭐️ 2🌶️

I was provided this ARC in exchange for my honest review. 😍

[Kayleigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of this anthology!
Reviews are for the first two parts, will edit and add my reviews for the others once I finish them! 😊

Greta and the Lost Prince
I love how the cross over was done with this one! It was super fast-paced but that’s to be expected with this sort of thing. It did seem a little rushed at times, but I still enjoyed it!

The Hunt for Red
I really liked the twist with this! It was such an interesting retelling and I ADORE Red. She’s sassy and definitely kept me laughing. I only wish there was more tbh

[Veronica LaRoche · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gretel and the Lost Prince by Caitlin Denman
This was a very interesting twist to this classic. My heart goes out too Gretel who was blindsided and betrayed. I loved Tad & Gretel together. The ending was perfect.



The Hunt for Red by Jacqueline Syne
This was a quick interesting twist on Red Riding hood. Love Bastion & Red. I couldn’t get enough of them.



Pearl of Fate by Rhiannyn Rayne
I really enjoyed this twist of The Little Mermaid. Loved Lyrik & Melody. When they were together it was scorching hot. Quick read that I really enjoyed.

In Dreams of Truth by Santana Knox
Another quick retelling that I really enjoyed. I liked Clara and Gepetto (Warlock) together. Really an enjoyable story with like able characters.

His to Wield by Scarlett Reyes
Another great twist on a classic. I really enjoyed the story of Rumpelstiltskin & Rapunzel. I enjoy when they were together and they just fit. Great quick story.

Feather & Thorn by Violet Froste
This was by far my fav in this anthology. I absolutely love Beauty and the Beast and this retelling was amazing. I enjoyed the characters and their story. Isola & Killian are absolutely perfect for each other.

I’m so glad I got a chance too read this ARC because now I have new authors that I will definitely check out


I voluntarily reviewed this ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Sarah | Retro Girl Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay, so I’ve always loved a good fairytale retelling, and this anthology did not disappoint!! “Forbidden Fables” contains seven brilliantly written stories that held my attention and kept me invested. Each and every story was absolutely fantastic, and I’m so happy I had a chance to read this anthology. The seven authors are all extremely talented, and I will be looking into their other work. Even though all of these stories were incredible, I think my favorite one was the last one, which featured Killian and Isola. I loved Isola’s kindness and the way she was willing to stand up for herself, and I loved watching Killian figure out his feelings for her. All in all, this was an amazing read. 5 freaking stars!!!

[Vicki · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this book. It is very difficult to review anthologies but most of the stories in this book are solid. The first one was rushed, the characters weren't fleshed out well and I almost didn't continue on. Thankfully the rest were all pretty good. One reason this is getting a four is because the authors took lesser used fairy tales which I really loved. Some of the stories are multi-POV and the spice varies from story to story. Overall on the spice scale probably 🌶🌶. Anthologies can be pretty hit or miss with the stories in them but I think this book managed to get more good stories than bad. There weren't a lot of grammatical or continuity issues which is something I've seen in other anthologies. 4/5 stars, would probably re-read some of the stories and recommend them.
First story - would not recommend (Hansel and Gretal)
Second story - recommend if you're okay with primal play and monsters (Little Red Riding Hood)
Third story - recommend if you're into tentacles (Little Mermaid)
Fourth story - recommend if you're looking for lots of spice
Fifth story - recommend, lots of spice, good angst (Rapunzel)
Sixth story - recommend if you're into beauty and the beast. Although there are much better retellings out there this wasn't bad.

[Heather Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC reader here! I’ll update as I read more of the stories.

Gretel and the Lost Prince 4.25⭐️-
It honestly started out a little slow for me as well as being predictable. Not necessarily a bad thing in the predictability department as I still was screaming, “I KNEW IT! I KNEW IT! I KNEW IT!” When the time came haha. It really started to pick up in chapter 4 and from there I was hooked. Tad had me laughing so many times and I absolutely swoon for a man that falls first. All in all, a cute and fun read!

The Hunt for Red 3.5⭐️-
I just don’t even know where to begin on that ending? WHAT?! I liked Bastion and his love for Red, but THAT ENDING?! I felt like there could have been more to it and there were parts that felt rushed, but I will say, I did still enjoy reading it.

[Brooke · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 Read as an ARC this book was given to me in exchange for an honest review. This will be a more comprehensive review since I did want to put in effort for a book I was given, and for that, I'm very appreciative.

ARC readers were asked to read one story and review it. Unfortunately, the first story I chose was 'The Hunt for Red' by Jacqueline Syne, the second story in the book. While there are a few good points overall, this story was very much not for me. The good? We see diversity in our FMC; she's said to have tight spiral curls and dark skin. I love seeing diversity in fairytales, as heroines are almost always relegated to 'pure white as snow' status.

That's the good; the bad is I DNF'ed this in the middle of chapter 4 because I was so irritated.
The writing is a bit all over; the word "Diminuative" was used differently twice in the span of 3 sentences. This story read weird and very purple. While I assume this is set in the traditional yee olden days of fairytale land, modern language and phrases were tossed around easily,y such as 'but I'd still cut a bitch if it ever came down to it' and 'a muddy skirt for this asshole, that's for letting your children pick on me in grade school and doing nothing about it.' Grade school? I need clarity on when this story is because she lives in a hut with her mom and yet she went to 'grade school'. Also, the author may not realize that "tabby" is a coat pattern of a cat, not a color. Either the author or the main character seems to think 'tabby' only applies to orange-stripped cats. Red is not a smart girl...and about Red... she's almost the worst part of this story.

Red is a bitch. There is no good way around it she's quite entitled and unlikeable. She comes across as if she thinks she's so much better than everyone else and out the gate ruins the work her mother did in washing and mending for some of the townspeople. Red thinks that since the villagers didn't pay for it she can undo all the hard work her mother did by destroying property and flouncing by village homes throwing their now trash in their faces. Sounds like someone needs a reality check in property law.

Red makes weird choices, she chooses to leave for this horrifying spooky forest path to Grandma's at dusk. There was no real reason why she had to leave at dusk she just seemed to choose to. She also makes the majority of her choices with her vagina, as we women are clearly known to do. She flip-flops in a matter of 2 sentences about if she wants to run from this creature who is trying to kill her or being too hot for it even though at this point shes not even aware if it's sentient.

Moving on to the MMC. I'm not sure I ever made it far enough for him to say his name. Now, this anthology is a mix-up of traditional fairytales. This one is clearly red riding hood and I want to guess maybe Alice in wonderland? Not too sure about the second one, but what it felt more like a mashup of was the movie version of the Broadway adaptation of CATS. The leading man here is a cat man described very much as the unnerving CGI cats in the movie CATS. I love monster romances, which is why I was so excited to get my hands on this book. however, I guess I find my line of being weirded out when the FMC is described as a CATS character. Lizard men? Yes. CATS no.



Moving on, clearly that one was a no-go for me but I still rated this book 2.5 and that was because when I realized the first story I chose was not going to work out I chose another one that did.

The first in this lineup is Gretel and the Lost Prince by Caitlin Denman, this one was stronger overall and I would give it a generous 3. This was a mash-up of Hansel and Gretel as you may guess by the name, and then also the Frog Prince. I liked the author making Gretel not exactly pretty.. shes got curves but she's no beauty according to the book, what she is is relatively intelligent and well-loved by her people for being well grounded and reasonable. As with the vast majority of short stories in anthologies, this one could have used more fleshing-out, but I'm not going to hold the page count against the author here. While not perfect, I did enjoy this one for what it was, a fun little mix mashed retelling that kept me entertained.

I plan to read the rest of the stories in this collection and will update my rating and review accordingly, but for now, I wanted to get this out there.

[Sheena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Received this ARC in exchange for honest review.

This was a great collection of short stories of fairy tales with a twist and some spice. I loved all the ideas and concepts that went into each story and eagerly gobbled them up. I felt like each story got better and better as it went along and didn't want them to end. I had a few things that personally “irked” me a bit that kept this being a 5 star review which I’ll quickly list while trying to remain as spoiler free as possible.

Gretel & The Prince:
Lovely story; felt like it had so much potential but was lacking a bit of chemistry between H and h. The Hansel and Gretel/Princess and the Frog mashup was very interesting and I really loved the concept but it just felt rushed to me. Also is it wrong to have wanted more “frog” action? Felt it ended all too soon.

The Hunt for Red:
Again, I loved the story and the twist was great but felt like I was all over the place with h. First I loved her then within the span of two pages hated her and just felt like I spent the rest of the time back and forth. Bastion however <3 <3

Pearl of Fate:
THIS was interesting and I really enjoyed how it tied in with the Little Mermaid story line. Also, BIG fan of tentacle lovin if you know what I mean. I felt like the “conflict” of the story could have been better as it felt almost anticlimactic. However, this was a lovely spicy story so I wasn't all that fussed.

In Dreams of Truth:
This was a great story!! Loved the Snow White/Pinocchio mashup and honestly wished it was longer. Great world building and well executed story.

His to Wield:
This was one of my favourites out of the bunch and one I really wish was longer. Like, really the only problem I had was I needed more.

Feather & Thorn:
I really enjoyed this Beauty and the Beast/Swan princess mashup. I liked the character development between H and h and how in depth the story was which is why the ending to me just felt so rushed and abrupt. Nice slow burn compared the other stories and loved how true the characters stuck to their feelings. No insta love here no matter how many times you ask ;)

Honestly the biggest selling factor for me is that none of these stories ended with a cliffhanger making me have to wait for the next release as has been the case in the past. Overall this was a great anthology and I recommend this for lovers of spicy fairy tales who enjoy short stories and low to mild spice.

[Jesse Jacobs · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read a few of the short stories included in this book. And I agree with what many of the other reviews have said so far; getting an anthology right is challenging. With this one specifically, while there were some amazing stories included in the selection, some were better quality than others. For example, the first story in the book, Gretel and the Lost Prince by Caitlin Denman, reads like a Wattpad story. While I could clearly see what the author was trying to do and how she wanted the story to unfold, it unfortunately felt a bit rushed. Understandably, this is a short story after all, and so that can be excused. There were many enjoyable elements to the story, but a lot of it was ruined by some strange plot points. Without giving too much away, the main character is to be queen of the kingdom and emphasis is placed on her competency. But then, she makes many mistakes that prove her to be the exact opposite of what she is described. No hate to the author though, the story was still entertaining, but there are quite a few things that can be improved upon.

In comparison, though, and the reason the book received four stars is for the inclusion of the second short story, The Hunt for Red by Jacqueline Syne. With all the other stories in the book being more than ten chapters, I was disappointed to find here was only seven for this one, as it was my favourite.
I was pleasantly surprised by how fulfilling the story was, despite it only being seven chapters long. The writing was good (save for one or two typos in the text), and all the characters were well-written and explored in the short time I spent with them. If there were a short story I would like to see turned into a full-length book, then it would be this one. Partially because I feel the lore she included can be greatly explored, and I would like to know more about the monsters of this world. Furthermore, I am really interested to explore Red's past even more and see how she became the person she currently is.

However, I might be a bit biased with this story, as it reminds me of Opal Rayne's Duskwalker series. And most importantly, the spice in this short story was a solid 5/5. The spice for the overall book would earn a 3.5/5 from me.

[Booksplainedmom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Forbidden Fables Review:
By: Multiple Authors

This book was given to me for review. All opinions are my own. Happy reading!

I really enjoyed this book. Some stories more then the others but overall the stories and combinations were really great! I did put mini reviews for each below, which tell you what tales they are based on in my opinion. So if you like to go in blind don’t read any further.

Trigger warnings for all the stories: blood, violence, explicit language, hunting foreplay, kidnapping, torture, monster fucking, coercive behavior, poisoning, infertility

The first story is Gretel and the Lost Prince; Hansel and Gretel mixed with the Princess and the Frog. I never knew I needed this until I read it. I really enjoyed this dark and spicy retelling!
Author @caitlindenmanbooks on Instagram.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Second story is the Hunt for Red; little red ridding hood with a monster lover. I need to see some art of Bastion I found it hard for me to imagine this creature. However by the end I didn’t care! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Third story is Real of Fate; Little Mermaid
Ursula’s descendent is your future mother in law? Well I think I should say that I’m not sure if I like mermaid stuff so this one was slow for me. I liked the story line but there’s a lot of spice in this short story. ⭐️⭐️

Fourth story is In Dreams of Truth; Snow White and Pinocchio dash of Ella Enchanted. This was a very interesting world I really enjoyed it! I think that the combination of the story’s are so good. I also loved the villain character and the use of dreams. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Fifth fifth story is This to Weild; Rumpelstiltskin and Rapunzel. It’s important to know that coercion and manipulation are apart of this story’s trigger warnings. This is one that I did not enjoy. I did like the blend of the stories but this one was not my favorite. ⭐️

Sixth story is Feather and Thorn;Beauty and the Beast and the Swan Princess. I really liked this one a lot! It’s a slow burn compared to the other stories. I really liked the ending of this one better it’s more realistic then a magical Disney ending. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Kara Mondor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Was sent this as an arc and was given the option to review one of the short stories, but I'm gonna review them all. I loved them all, and would definitely read them if they were full length books.



Gretel and the lost prince
• gretel the future queen to her kingdom with her twin brother Hansel as her captain of the guard. After being hopelessly blind by heartbreaking betrayals and finding love in an unusual way. Gretel will finally reclaim what was hers to begin with.

The hunt for red
• when on her way to visit her cranky grandmother leaving behind her naive mother and infant sister. Red did not expect to be caught by one of the worst creatures in the forest, but as sudden urges and feelings developed over time. She couldn't come to turns leaving him behind.

Pearl of fate
• As a tragic hits melodys home, she was left to wonder into a kingdom she doesn't know. Melody was to compete in order to find out what happened to her kingdom.

In dreams of truth
• when her dad passed away, she did not expect her stepmom to take over her kingdom and with dark magic along. As Clara turned 18, she ran away from her kingdom and took her curse along with her. What Clara did not expect was to run into a little small cabin that belonged to the dark wizard Gepetto. In order to save her life and from her curse, Gepetto must make some important life choices.

His to wield
• when a war is happening between 2 countries , rapunzel didn't quite understand why the war was to see where she belonged too. When an unexpected guest showed up to take her away from the only place she knows, she had to take it. When rapunzel makes a deal with rumpelsiltskin, she wasn't sure what would happen to her.

Feather & thorn
• When a cruel prince comes across a witch for injuring her daughter, he expected to kill her but instead found himself turned into a beast. After having this curse for so many years, he decided to steal something extremely precious to her.

[Littlebookishbirdie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an anthology with six different stories that are centered around fairytales and combining two within each one. Everything from Hansel and Gretel to The Little Mermaid to Pinocchio. They are darker spicier spins, really living up to the Grimm Sisters title.

The first three are centered more around animalistic men and though I didn’t mind that, they weren’t my favorite. Not compared to the last three. There were moments where they were just too beast like for my taste, giving me a little bit of a feeling of beastiality. 😅

So up until halfway through this, I thought maybe this wasn’t for me. Thank goodness for the last three stories because they turned it around for me. I loved the darker retelling of Pinocchio and Snow White. They had these sweet intense moments in their dreams. I also really loved the Rapunzel and Rumpelstiltskin as well. The scene where he comes to her rescue? 𝑺𝒘𝒐𝒐𝒏.

And the Swan Princess mixed with the Beast? Perfect. Overall, this was great. I really loved the spice with the darkness mixed into fairytales from my childhood. Some were recognizable and others were harder to know but I think if you like spicy fairytales and novella short stories, this is a great one to check out. ✨

𝐀𝐥𝐬𝐨 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐜 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰. 🤍

[Dianna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this book and am leaving my honest review. I cant read ebooks (they give me headaches and nausea), but I was able to finish "His to Wield" and.O..M..G.. I want this book so bad! They story is a collab of Rumplestiltskin and Rapunzel. The author did a magnificent job blending the two.
The spice level??...OMG its up there. It was so good I wanted more of it. She made me fall for a monster, you read his features and are like eww, but then he becomes dangerously hot as you keep reading. I would leave the story 5 stars, but since Im not able to finish the book, (like I said cant read ebooks) im leaving 4. I need the physical copy of this STAT because I want to read its entirety.
Im adding to this review because I HAD to try to read one more story. I read Gretel and The Lost Prince. This was a four star story. Should I tell you the combined story or let you figure it out? From the title you can already guess one is Hansel and Gretel. I give the spice about a 2. Its a story of action and betrayal. Of course theres a witch. You guys should really read this. Im not kidding. I cant say any more because Itll give things away

[Kapua MB · Rating 5 out of 5]

I went in blind and beyond the description of the book, I didn’t know what to expect. I absolutely loved all of the stories! Each are a retelling of our classic Grimm stories with monsters and smut ***fanning myself while smiling***

Gretel and The Lost Prince by Caitlin Denman has a soft spot in my heart. I didn’t expect to start the book with heartbreak and betrayal. Tears streamed down my face at the emotions Gretel experienced from the person she loved the most and the ending was heartbreaking, yet so well done! Great character development on all sides with a HEA that had me feel warm inside.

I would say the store that surprised me the most and has a reoccurring reel playing in my mind is The Hunt for Red by Jacqueline Syne. OMG I did not anticipate Bastian and he is everything I didn’t know I needed in a big furry tabby bastard! From the cleaning, to the purring, and his absolute love and devotion to Red stole my heart. This story has an open ending and room to develop more which I’m here for all day!!! Please please please make this a full-length book!

[Blair Warner · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review is specifically for Santana Knox’s “In Dreams of Truth” portion of this anthology. Everything that Santana Knox writes is gold. If you are sitting on her stuff and just waiting that is a huge mistake. I love her approach and that she doesn’t write the “typical love story”. Clara wants the curse to end. She must always tell the truth. This story is a definitely inspired by multiple fairy tales and have been mixed into one with a twist. You can also tell it has inspiration from The lord of the rings too. Something I have come to know is that Santana loves Tolkien! It is mentioned throughout heartless heathens! While I know this is in an anthology I would absolutely love if she wrote more full length novels of these types of stories too. Anything she writes I will read. If you want a little introduction to her this is perfect. 5 stars and I will be reading the other stories in this anthology. I have a feelings they are going to be just as good

[JLA · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this as an ARC on my kindle. I'm glad I felt the need to read the whole book in order to give an honest review, because if I had only read the first story I probably would have thrown this in the trash. I liked that the short stories are all combinations of more than one fairytale. There are light trigger warnings, but nothing terrible. The book could have used a bit of proofreading. I have gone through each story below. There may be spoilers.

1. Gretel and the lost prince ⭐⭐
This was a Hansel and Gretel/Princess and the Frog retelling. This story was not great. It was like reading a webnovel. The only part I liked was Thad. TW torture

2. The Hunt for Red⭐⭐⭐⭐
Little Red Riding Hood/Puss in boots
I enjoyed the primal play. I had a love/hate relationship with Red. I was hoping for a werewolf, but ended up with a cat shifter, which made me think of the creepy Cats musical. I feel like this was a missed opportunity for penis spines. Also, cats don't knot during breeding like dogs. The ending was abrupt.

3. Pearl of fate⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Little mermaid sequel meets Princess and the Pea
This was probably my favorite story in the book. Mermaids and tentacles. No banxiety. Decent plot. Straight to sex.


4. In dreams of truth⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Snow White/Pinocchio
Dream sex one of my favorites. I liked the story. Except for saying Gepetto during sex. As if that's not a turn off....

5. His to Wield ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Rumpelstiltskin/Rapunzel
I pictured Rumpelstiltskin as an orc like creature, but who knows. Praise, Breeding, knot, I'll kill all your enemies. All good things.
Ew to the whole virginal, pure/ innocent talk at the beginning.

6. Feather & thorn ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Swan lake/ Beauty and the Beast
Pretty straight forward.
TW- kidnapping

[Amanda · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was so excited to receive this ARC. The cover is gorgeous, the concept is great, and the blurb for each story intrigued me. I had even preordered it because I was so sure I’d love it. But unfortunately, my expectations were way too high.

I don’t usually leave negative reviews unless a book is problematic, but this instance is different since I got it as an ARC.

The writing for all stories in this anthology felt juvenile. They all read like rushed, first drafts. I’m usually not at all picky when it comes to writing styles, so this says a lot. However, I’ve been reading some other ARC reviews and a lot of people seem to really like it. I would never not recommend a book (unless it’s problematic and/or hurtful), so take my review with a grain of salt. Everyone’s tastes and opinions are different.

[Rachel Stephens · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Dreams of Truth by Santana Knox
Loved it!
I love how the author incorporated bits of different fairtytales. It was magical, with a little darkness and some delicious steam!
Clara is a cursed princess that has led a lonely life. She seeks out the wizard for help to rid her of her curse. In turn the Wizard wants something from her.

His to Wield by Scarlett Reyes
Great Read!
Such an interesting and original story using fairtytale characters. Rapunzel and Rumplestiltskin. Told in dual POV. They both strike a deal to gain something for themselves. Turns out maybe they only needed each other.
There was magic, a bit of mystery and lots of steam!

[Jenna Bryant · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this mashup of short stories. I honest to god wished they had been longer. I read through them so fast my head spun, and now I have disappointed myself by finishing them too fast. There were a few spelling errors and what not but it didn’t bother me too much. There were a few cringey spots here and there but I think it’s because they aren’t full novels so some stuff had to be hurried. But overall I loved the concepts of mixing fairytales together and seeing a more adult version of some favorite childhood stories. Will definitely read again when I’m in need of an in between series cleanse!

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this collection as a whole! For brevity's sake I will just be focusing though on  In Dreams of Truth by Santana Knox.  I absolutely loved her take and blend of Snow White and Pinocchio as inspiration pieces. Clara was an easily likable character and her relationship with The Warlock was everything I could ever ask for. This story gave me all the vibes of Sauron in his helm and I was HERE FOR IT! It allowed me to read through one of my biggest fantasies. Overall definitely check out this anthology if you're a lover of reimagined retellings of beloved childhood tales!

[Sonya · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Dreams of Truth by Santana Knox

A story full of dark, delicious fairy tale references. These are the fairy tales mama never told me about.

Clara is a cursed princess who has lived an isolated life. She went in search of the dark wizard to help her break her curse. The wizard expects something in return but what neither of them anticipated was to fall in revocably in love with one another.

What started out as Clara seeking to be healed from a curse she also became everything the evil wizard never knew he needed.

[Louise · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Dreams of Truth by Santana Knox

I loved Santana’s take on these fairytales and the way she told this story, there was plenty of twists that came along and I was hooked.

Living under her stepmothers rule, Clara wants to break her curse. Deciding to run away, she finds herself at a cabin within the woods and ultimately comes across the dark warlock Gepetto.

I loved this world that was created. It was the perfect amount of dark and twisted.
I would happily read a whole book about these two characters. Or a whole book of twisted fairy tales from Santana. Her style of writing is amazing.

His to wield by Scarlett Reyes

I loved these two characters and how perfect they were for each other.

Rumpel wants to use Rapunzel for her magic to help himself. He’s spent his life isolating himself and he isn’t expecting her, the feelings that come along or how their relationship develops.

This story had everything you needed including angst, spice and a plot that kept me drawn in.

Again I could have read a full story about these two.

Looking forward to reading the other stories in this anthology.

[Haley Crane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to the authors for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review! Just finished Gretel and the Lost Prince and it was a fun mashup of some classic fairytales! A short read that was action packed and worked for a great palate cleanser. I’ll be reading the rest of the short stories and adding to the review soon!

[Alise · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s thrilling to read about all the fairy tales and how twisted and exciting they can turn out to be when it means to be for adults.
All of the stories have left something to think about. Weight pros and cons, some i liked, some i din't, we cant all love it all.

My fave was "His to wield" by Scarlett Reyes and "Feather & Thorn" by Violet Froste.

I would still recommend to read all if them.

[Belle Manuel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gretel and the Lost Prince

I had the pleasure of reading this story, and I really enjoyed it. I liked Gretel and the take on the story, I liked the twisting of the original premise. My only complaint is that I wish it were longer. A whole book of this would be so good to gobble right up.

[Nikki Irwin · Rating 3 out of 5]

ARC - I read the first 2 stories (Gretel and Red) and they both started off amazing. World building - great! Character setup - great! I just feel like both could have done with more writing. I feel like the endings were rushed on both which I'm gutted about because they were both so promising!

[Cleocutie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great set of twisted fairy tales. Each story takes a classic tale and turns it into something with a twists and some heat. I loved how they were done and how very different the takes on the same idea were.