Evergreen: A Dryad's Tale & Other Short Stories

by Sara Goodwin

What if the pond in the park was a gateway to another world?
What if there really were faeries in the rose garden?
Within these pages are contained:
A dryad mistaken for a gardener
A bit of good old-fashioned frog kissing
Gnomes in love
A heroic faerie prince
Hot chocolate
An elk named Bianca
Four original fairytales, a short novella, and more--
inspired by the author's love of fairytales.

Genres: Fiction, Fantasy

78 pages, Paperback

Published May 27, 2022

About the author

Sara Goodwin does a lot of things. She once found cool Etruscan artifacts on an archaeological dig. Another time, she took a giant beetle to the side of the head on a hike and screamed bloody murder. She loves cats and takes it a bit personally when a cat is immune to her charms. She loves attending conventions, often cosplaying various characters while making and selling jewelry. She's trying to get a Ph.D. for some reason. Somehow, she found the time to write some fiction. Please enjoy the heck out of that.

Reviews

[Catherine Stein · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fun collection of different fairy/fairy tale stories, broken down into seasons of the year. Evergreen, the longest story, was my favorite, but they are all witty and charming. Some are more sweet, some more snarky, but they all make for fun little bits to enjoy when you need a quick read.

[Shelby Doré · Rating 5 out of 5]

These stories were so cute! I especially liked the longer story story at the end, the main title of the book. I do wish these stories were a little longer because they had really cute premises! They could definitely have been a whole book! I know the author said in her bio that she’s in the process of getting a doctorate degree, so I understand writing for the sake of writing but not having the time to commit to a full book. If she ever does write a full length novel, I’ll be first in line to buy it!

I met the author @SoSaidSara at the Charlestown, IN Renaissance faire! She had a cute booth along with several other people. I’m lucky I got to support a small and relatively local author!

[Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great collection of short stories featuring various fantasy creatures

[Maggie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sweet collection of short stories. Lots of magic and warm feelings inside.

[Kaylie · Rating 4 out of 5]

An extremely charming book with short stories and 1 longer story. I loved this quirky little book and I'm so happy to have it apart of my collection!

[Linda Luz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sweet and easy going.

[J · Rating 3 out of 5]

A small collection of short stories that focus heavily on faeries. They range from incredibly short little blips to one longer tale at the back end which carries the weight of the book in pages. A solid presentation by an independent author.

The stories are quite imaginative and for the most part smack heavily of old faery tales such as you might find in a Hans Christian Andersen collection or its ilk. The vibe is there, the imagination is there, though they lack that sense of meaning or messaging that many of those old classics carry.

The final story is a more lengthy romance story still with a strong emphasis on faeries and magic. The only story in the set with a true plot arc with setups and payoffs, feels a bit outside the box when compared to the rest.

They are cute overall, the writing and delivery is without any glaring flaws and the collection is a quick and worthwhile read, though much of the content feels perhaps more appropriate for middle age children.

[Ashley Castañón · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful, sweet, and funny, I almost cried reading Evergreen's story! it's like Ponyo or the Little Mermaid with a hint of the Velveteen Rabbit. It's short, vivid, and devastating in a way very few books can achieve. I want more.

[Meagan · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s hard to find short fantasy stories that are actually good, but these stories were so magical!