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The bonds of love...
The bonds of matrimony...
The bonds between husband and wife...
Let's face it-some bonds are made to be broken.
Here, for the first time ever, are four stories from today's most provocative authors that take the classic idea of the "faerie tale wedding" and give it a swift kick in the bustle.
“Can He Bake a Cherry Pie?” by Laurell K. Hamilton.
“The Shadow of Mist” by Yasmine Galenorn.
“The Tangleroot Palace” by Marjorie M. Liu.
“The Wrong Bridegroom” by Sharon Shinn.
The bonds of matrimony...
The bonds between husband and wife...
Let's face it-some bonds are made to be broken.
Here, for the first time ever, are four stories from today's most provocative authors that take the classic idea of the "faerie tale wedding" and give it a swift kick in the bustle.
“Can He Bake a Cherry Pie?” by Laurell K. Hamilton.
“The Shadow of Mist” by Yasmine Galenorn.
“The Tangleroot Palace” by Marjorie M. Liu.
“The Wrong Bridegroom” by Sharon Shinn.
393 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2009
82 people are currently reading
3792 people want to read
About the author
Laurell K. Hamilton
422 books25.7k followersLaurell K. Hamilton is one of the leading writers of paranormal fiction. A #1 New York Times bestselling author, Hamilton writes the popular Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter novels and the Meredith Gentry series. She is also the creator of a bestselling comic book series based on her Anita Blake novels and published by Marvel Comics. Hamilton is a full-time writer and lives in the suburbs of St. Louis with her family.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 214 reviews
October 28, 2009
Surprisingly tame, but most of the leading ladies manage to pull off their own 'happily ever afters' - no fairy godmothers required
From my own expectations, I am guessing that Never After is not at all what most readers are expecting from an anthology headlined by Laurell K Hamilton. In fact, though the mention of a couple topics here and there keeps these from being kiddy bedtime fairy tales, the four stories are pretty much G rated - a kiss is as racy as things get.
1) "Can he Bake a Cherry Pie" -Laurell K Hamilton - Our heroine would rather die than marry her intended, so she sets off on a `suicidal mission' to rescue a legendary prince - I haven't read much by Hamilton, but I suspect fans will think she's been kidnapped by aliens. Neither of Hamilton's normal heroines (Anita or Merry) are anywhere in sight and Hamilton's offering feels like the type of a classic fairy tale that you'd read to your daughters, because `I'm gonna rescue myself' is a much better lesson than `someday my prince will come'. (3.5 stars - 36 pages)
2) "Shadow of the Mist" - Yasmine Galenorn - The selkie heroine in Galenorn's tale gets a little help from the D'Artigo sisters (and Smokey) when a horrid prince from her past threatens her happily ever after which is at long last within her grasp - Readers who follow Galenorn's Sisters of the Moon series will likely enjoy this one but I just am not a fan - though I've tried - and I lost interest about mid-way through and ended up skimming the rest (2 stars - 105 pages)
3) "Tangleroot Palace" - Marjorie M Liu - A princess seeks an alternative to marriage with a barbarian warlord by journeying to a dangerous enchanted forest and hooks up with an intriguing troupe of traveling entertainers - This one was probably my favorite of the four, I liked the down to earth princess and the 'fearsome' warlord. (4 stars - 89 pages)
4) "The Wrong Bridegroom" - Sharon Shinn- A tie in a contest for a princess' hand results in two vastly different potential bridegrooms. Both have it all strength, bravery and brains, but who is really Mr. Right and who is Mr. Wrong? - I have never read anything from Shinn before, but I ended up liking the hero and the ending of the story a great deal and this story was really long enough to develop the supporting characters and to allow the princess to grow past her shallow beginnings. (4 stars - 150 pages)
If you've always wanted to see how well your favorite authors' writing holds up when there is no steamy stuff to pump up the volume, here's your chance. For me, expectations are pretty hard to overcome, so I didn't love Never After, but it was a pleasant enough for a change of pace.
From my own expectations, I am guessing that Never After is not at all what most readers are expecting from an anthology headlined by Laurell K Hamilton. In fact, though the mention of a couple topics here and there keeps these from being kiddy bedtime fairy tales, the four stories are pretty much G rated - a kiss is as racy as things get.
1) "Can he Bake a Cherry Pie" -Laurell K Hamilton - Our heroine would rather die than marry her intended, so she sets off on a `suicidal mission' to rescue a legendary prince - I haven't read much by Hamilton, but I suspect fans will think she's been kidnapped by aliens. Neither of Hamilton's normal heroines (Anita or Merry) are anywhere in sight and Hamilton's offering feels like the type of a classic fairy tale that you'd read to your daughters, because `I'm gonna rescue myself' is a much better lesson than `someday my prince will come'. (3.5 stars - 36 pages)
2) "Shadow of the Mist" - Yasmine Galenorn - The selkie heroine in Galenorn's tale gets a little help from the D'Artigo sisters (and Smokey) when a horrid prince from her past threatens her happily ever after which is at long last within her grasp - Readers who follow Galenorn's Sisters of the Moon series will likely enjoy this one but I just am not a fan - though I've tried - and I lost interest about mid-way through and ended up skimming the rest (2 stars - 105 pages)
3) "Tangleroot Palace" - Marjorie M Liu - A princess seeks an alternative to marriage with a barbarian warlord by journeying to a dangerous enchanted forest and hooks up with an intriguing troupe of traveling entertainers - This one was probably my favorite of the four, I liked the down to earth princess and the 'fearsome' warlord. (4 stars - 89 pages)
4) "The Wrong Bridegroom" - Sharon Shinn- A tie in a contest for a princess' hand results in two vastly different potential bridegrooms. Both have it all strength, bravery and brains, but who is really Mr. Right and who is Mr. Wrong? - I have never read anything from Shinn before, but I ended up liking the hero and the ending of the story a great deal and this story was really long enough to develop the supporting characters and to allow the princess to grow past her shallow beginnings. (4 stars - 150 pages)
If you've always wanted to see how well your favorite authors' writing holds up when there is no steamy stuff to pump up the volume, here's your chance. For me, expectations are pretty hard to overcome, so I didn't love Never After, but it was a pleasant enough for a change of pace.
February 23, 2011
As with any anthology, this had some good stories and some weak stories.
I was surprised that I truly enjoyed the Laurell K. Hamilton entry, "Can He Bake a Cherry Pie?," since I'm not fond of her books. It was exactly as long as it needed to be and had a very intriguing story.
Yasmine Galenorn's "The Shadow of Mist" is the weak entry in this anthology. I found the plot muddled, the characters one-note. It just didn't work for me.
Marjorie M. Liu's story was full of twists and turns I didn't expect. Though there was a mystery about one character that I figured out long before it was revealed, all in all I found it very enjoyable.
Sharon Shinn did a great job of creating a main character that is initially very unappealing, but through the course of the story becomes intriguing. Olivia seems like a jerk at first, but as the story progresses we learn why she is the way she is, and she grows into a better person. This may have been my favorite story in the volume.
I was surprised that I truly enjoyed the Laurell K. Hamilton entry, "Can He Bake a Cherry Pie?," since I'm not fond of her books. It was exactly as long as it needed to be and had a very intriguing story.
Yasmine Galenorn's "The Shadow of Mist" is the weak entry in this anthology. I found the plot muddled, the characters one-note. It just didn't work for me.
Marjorie M. Liu's story was full of twists and turns I didn't expect. Though there was a mystery about one character that I figured out long before it was revealed, all in all I found it very enjoyable.
Sharon Shinn did a great job of creating a main character that is initially very unappealing, but through the course of the story becomes intriguing. Olivia seems like a jerk at first, but as the story progresses we learn why she is the way she is, and she grows into a better person. This may have been my favorite story in the volume.
September 4, 2015
I only read this for Sharon Shinn's story, The Wrong Bridegroom, which was SHEER PERFECTION. I loved that it had all the elements of a traditional fairytale -- the beautiful princess, the dashing suitor, the wicked stepmother -- but turned the concepts completely on their head. The romance had elements of Emma/Mr Knightley to it, which was glorious. I love a heroine whom you can't help liking, even though you know she has an awful lot to learn, and Olivia was exactly that. The supporting characters were all kinds of wonderful, but Gisele was my absolute favourite. ♥ And the ending was divine. Five stars for this story alone!
The Tangleroot Palace, by Marjorie M. Liu, was also rather good. I loved Sally's dry sense of humour, and her bravery, and the travelling performers she fell in with. And the idea of the power of belief was also very interesting. Four stars.
Can He Bake A Cherry Pie? by Laurell K. Hamilton was a bit of a paint-by-numbers fairytale. I loved this line: They never tell you in fairy tales that sometimes the prize may not be worth the effort. But Elinore passed two of the tests just by closing her eyes and not running away, which... I get that's a different kind of bravery to outright fighting someone, but I wouldn't call it effort. All of the tasks were kind of anticlimactic and repetitive, but I did appreciate the non-traditional ending. Two stars.
The Shadow Of Mist, by Yasmine Galenorn, was the worst of the lot. I'm guessing it was based around the author's already existing characters/world? There was a lot of name-dropping and references to events that had already happened, which I obviously wasn't interested in. I'm not a fan of urban fantasy in general -- far too many Mary-Sues -- but this story really highlighted what I hate about that genre. The heroine just flopped around uselessly, relying on more powerful friends to help her out. First she calls three sisters: a fae sorceress, a werecat, and a vampire. And when they end up in trouble, the sorceress's albino dragon husband conveniently turns up to save the day. It was so ridiculous I'm surprised my eyes didn't roll right out of my head. NO STARS.
The Tangleroot Palace, by Marjorie M. Liu, was also rather good. I loved Sally's dry sense of humour, and her bravery, and the travelling performers she fell in with. And the idea of the power of belief was also very interesting. Four stars.
Can He Bake A Cherry Pie? by Laurell K. Hamilton was a bit of a paint-by-numbers fairytale. I loved this line: They never tell you in fairy tales that sometimes the prize may not be worth the effort. But Elinore passed two of the tests just by closing her eyes and not running away, which... I get that's a different kind of bravery to outright fighting someone, but I wouldn't call it effort. All of the tasks were kind of anticlimactic and repetitive, but I did appreciate the non-traditional ending. Two stars.
The Shadow Of Mist, by Yasmine Galenorn, was the worst of the lot. I'm guessing it was based around the author's already existing characters/world? There was a lot of name-dropping and references to events that had already happened, which I obviously wasn't interested in. I'm not a fan of urban fantasy in general -- far too many Mary-Sues -- but this story really highlighted what I hate about that genre. The heroine just flopped around uselessly, relying on more powerful friends to help her out. First she calls three sisters: a fae sorceress, a werecat, and a vampire. And when they end up in trouble, the sorceress's albino dragon husband conveniently turns up to save the day. It was so ridiculous I'm surprised my eyes didn't roll right out of my head. NO STARS.
December 29, 2009
I had the pleasure of chatting with Marjorie M Liu awhile back after her interview and really enjoyed an insight into her writing habits. During her interview she mentioned this book among her new releases and I thought it would be a good time to check her work and some of the other authors I haven't read yet (Shinn and Galenorn).
Although the spine labels this as urban fantasy to appeal to the UF/PR crowd, I'd say this was more fantasy/fantasy romance which is one of my top fave genres. Only one story is really urban fantasy (Galenorn's) and it was one of the standout stories. Each tale deals with a princess who attempts to make her own Happily Ever After. I have to say Liu's & Galenorn's stories Were my favorites. Both were delightful reads with great world building, a wonderful array of characters and a nice twist on and old theme.
Hamilton's story, Can He Bake A Cherry Pie? was my least favorite, the shortest and least coherent one which is strange because it's the main draw. Despite the continuous proclamations of the heroine being strong and so awesome, there was never anything she particularly did to face and conquer each trial. The story felt like someone was telling it to you third party and left out much of the juicy details. More subtlety would have worked here along with a stronger heroine to "show" rather "tell" her intelligence and skills. I do like the fact that a bake-off was sort of the final battle. That was different.
This story exemplifies one of the main problems I have with Hamilton's writing. The "heroine" doesn't really do anything but she and everyone around her shouts how wonderful she is because she is female. I'm all for female empowerment but even more so I want a lead character to root for. The princess in this story never does anything to prove that she is a hero. She doesn't fight her way through or face any adversity all the while being showered with praise.
Next is Yasmine Galenorn's The Shadow of the Mist (I love that title) which I read third. I really liked this story of a young pregnant woman escaping her violent former fiance. After moving on with a new life and a wonderful new fiance who cares for her, he finds her and threatens to force her into marriage. I haven't read any of Galenorn's Otherworld series but if it's anywhere near as suspenseful and well paced as this one, I'm definitely going to dive right on into them. I liked the fact that each sister that helped the main character Siobhan (herself a Selkie) had different powers and paranormal backgrounds. Each character was interesting and even though they only popped in for a few moments, they had their own mark on the story through their personalities. The villain, Siobhan's ex, was a vile one and I was glad when he was defeated. Great urban fantasy story.
Then comes Marjorie M. Liu's The Tangleroot Palace. What a gorgeous story! I loved the world building here which was haunting and very beautiful. This was definitely a fantasy romance I wanted to get lost in and the story turned out at a suspenseful pace that kept me flipping pages. Although the twist at the end may come as no surprise to most folks, I have to admit I was nicely taken off guard. This story deals with a princess on the run from an upcoming engagement who she deems to a barbarian. While she is escaping, she meets a traveling entertainment act (their scenes and dialogue are one of my faves in the story) and a magical forest. There's a nice scene at the climax where the heroine comes out a true heroine and it didn't seem heavy handed or forced at all. Really enjoyed this fantasy romance.
Lastly, there's Sharon Shinn's The Wrong Bridegroom. Usually I don't generally like the first person narrative unless the narrator is a well written character. If not, they can be a bit of a pain to follow the story along with. Unfortunately that happened to me here, unlike with the Galenorn story where I can identify and sympathize with the main character's plight. Here, Princess Olivia was a rather unlikeable protagonist so it was hard to identify with her throughout the story. She had many moments musing about why certain people didn't stay in their place or fall over their feet whenever they were in her presence. She definitely embodied the spoiled princess personality. I had hoped she would be redeemed, maybe learn a bit of humility and grow up a little in the end, but instead we get some flashes of maturity and selflessness that may give us hope for her future. Thankfully the surrounding characters more than made up for it. This story is probably third on my list for this anthology. Although it was a fantasy romance, there were some themes that occurred in here that were just too modern for believability. I got the idea that this was in a world not unlike medieval times and the thinking would be entirely different when presented to some things occurring here. All in all, I liked the secondary characters and the descriptions of the towns, magic and world here which made the story enjoyable.
1 out of 5 Can He Bake A Cherry Pie
4.5 out of 5 The Shadow of Mist
5 out of 5 The Tangleroot Palace
3 out of 5 The Wrong Bridegroom?
November 5, 2009
Interesting and entertaining set of fairy tale like stories, all centered on marriages that don't quite work out the way originally planned, but the heroine achieves a "Happy ever after" anyway. Hamilton's story is a take-off on the quest story (and is the shortest of the four stories). Our damsel declares she is off the rescue the long lost prince, rather than marry the old duke her father has selected. This is a quest with a twist, and unexpected results--very clever. Galenorn's story is the most somber as it involves our heroine escaping from a very bad marriage to a nice, satisfying ending. Liu's and Shinn's stories are about young princesses and their suitors. Liu's princess is told she is to marry the fearsome Warlord. She is appalled, runs away and meets the most likable young entertainer. But what came come of that? Shinn's princess doesn't want to marry her boring suitor, so her father devises a competition; she will marry the winner. Oops, maybe she should have married Mr. Boring.
All in all, a very enjoyable collection.
All in all, a very enjoyable collection.
November 6, 2009
i only read the LKH.
i had this theory that if LKH walked away from the Anita Blake series and the Merry Gentry series for awhile maybe her writing would return to the level of quality everyone fell in love with.
if this is any type of indication of what would come out of something fresh i was very, very wrong.
meep.
i had this theory that if LKH walked away from the Anita Blake series and the Merry Gentry series for awhile maybe her writing would return to the level of quality everyone fell in love with.
if this is any type of indication of what would come out of something fresh i was very, very wrong.
meep.
January 9, 2020
An interesting tale, wasn't very impressed with Laurel K. Hamilton's story. The whole reason I picked up the anthology. It was a lighter read than most of her work and it fulfilled a reading challenge.
February 12, 2020
I could not put this book down! I mean, fair warning, two of the stories have definite trigger material. But every story had compelling characters, and beautiful messages about kindness, friendship, and bravery. An exhilarating, uplifting read!
February 26, 2019
An anthology where each story subverts the "fairy tale wedding" trope. Here are my takes on the individual stories:
Can He Bake a Cherry Pie? by Laurell K. Hamilton - 4.5 stars
I. Loved. This. So. Much. For so many reasons. It's not too long, and just about perfect. I feel like the main character and I could be BFFs.
The Shadow of Mist by Yasmine Galenorn - 4 stars
"Prince Charming can go suck rocks. I've met my true love and he's a contractor." Ha! This is part of a series I'm unfamiliar with, but that doesn't impact the story too much. How do you escape your psycho ex-fiance when the whole world seems to be working to ensure you can't? With courage and a little help from your friends. And murder.
The Tangleroot Palace by Marjorie M. Liu - 3 stars
The magic in this story was a little difficult to understand, but I really enjoyed the characters and the world. The plot was pretty predictable, which took things down a notch though.
The Wrong Bridegroom by Sharon Shinn - 2 stars
I got about 10 pages in and was so fed up with the main character's stupidity that I lightly skimmed until the end and read the last 10 pages just to see how things turned out. I hate when an otherwise intelligent and compassionate character is made to behave like a stupid, spoiled brat for the sake of plot. That being said, I enjoyed the ending, so make of it what you will.
Can He Bake a Cherry Pie? by Laurell K. Hamilton - 4.5 stars
I. Loved. This. So. Much. For so many reasons. It's not too long, and just about perfect. I feel like the main character and I could be BFFs.
The Shadow of Mist by Yasmine Galenorn - 4 stars
"Prince Charming can go suck rocks. I've met my true love and he's a contractor." Ha! This is part of a series I'm unfamiliar with, but that doesn't impact the story too much. How do you escape your psycho ex-fiance when the whole world seems to be working to ensure you can't? With courage and a little help from your friends. And murder.
The Tangleroot Palace by Marjorie M. Liu - 3 stars
The magic in this story was a little difficult to understand, but I really enjoyed the characters and the world. The plot was pretty predictable, which took things down a notch though.
The Wrong Bridegroom by Sharon Shinn - 2 stars
I got about 10 pages in and was so fed up with the main character's stupidity that I lightly skimmed until the end and read the last 10 pages just to see how things turned out. I hate when an otherwise intelligent and compassionate character is made to behave like a stupid, spoiled brat for the sake of plot. That being said, I enjoyed the ending, so make of it what you will.
February 4, 2013
"Can He Bake a Cherry Pie?" by Laurell K. Hamilton was a cute yet dark story that had a very "fairy tale" feel to it. The protagonist Elinore has been promised to an old and lecherous earl by her father for political gain and she only sees one way out: save Prince True from the sorceress who trapped him fifty years ago or die trying. Overall, cute and interesting mixed with poetic justice for both Elinore and Prince True. Rating: 3 1/2 Stars
"The Shadow of Mist" by Yasmine Galenorn was an emotional and fast - paced story set in the Otherworld universe. Siobhan, a Selkie with a secret past, is happy with her upcoming marriage and the birth of her first child when her past literally calls her and turns her world upside down. Now Siobhan must enlist the help of her friends the D'Artigo sisters if she wants to save herself, her child, and the man she loves. I enjoyed this story as I am a fan of the series and I liked this glimpse into the background of a secondary character. I recommend this story to fans of the series as it ties in with Camille, Menolly, ans Delilah. Rating: 4 Stars
"The Tangleroot Palace" by Marjorie M. Liu was an interesting story reminiscent of age old fairy tales involving a rebellious, headstrong princess set to be married to a warlord said to be fierce and deadly by her aging father the king. As the time draws closer for Sally to meet her future husband, she begins dreaming of the forest beyond her home with a queen and children, and decides an expedition is in order that will not only introduce her to secrets long hidden by her deceased mother, but also to an interesting troupe of "actors" that will change everything in her life forever. This was a good story with a hint of the paranormal that had complex characters and a subtle yet profound love story that was satisfying although a little odd in the beginning. Another nice addition to this anthology! Rating: 4 Stars
"The Wrong Bridegroom" by Sharon Shinn was a cautionary tale that reinvented the old adage, "Never judge a book by its cover."
We find Olivia, princess and heir to the kingdom her father the king now holds, watching as would-be suitors battle against one another for her hand in marriage after she refuses to be wed to the man her father had chosen. She was dazzled by the magician who passed all the tests and thought him to be the prince of her dreams. Of course, the other victor of the tests was none other than her disgarded fiance and he has no intention of letting his princess toss him over without trying one last time to show her he would be the perfect husband for her.
I found Olivia unbelievably shallow and selfish and also unduly cruel to both Harwin and her stepmother Gisele throughout the story. I almost hated the story until I realized this was the authors' intention all along: to make her lead character less desirable and flawed with the chance of redemption before the end of the story. It totally worked in this anthology and I really did enjoy the "twist" with the king in the end as well. Rating: 3 1/2 Stars
Overall, a pretty nice ensemble of stories were written in this anthology. They all had the same "theme" of matrimony gone wrong tinged with the supernatural, but only Yasmine Galenorn's story really did not fit as its world was more reticent of present times and places as opposed to the old, 17th century, English countryside feel of the other three stories. I would recommend this anthology to fans of authors themselves or people who enjoy light romance with a bit of adventure! Rating Overall: 3 1/2 Stars
"The Shadow of Mist" by Yasmine Galenorn was an emotional and fast - paced story set in the Otherworld universe. Siobhan, a Selkie with a secret past, is happy with her upcoming marriage and the birth of her first child when her past literally calls her and turns her world upside down. Now Siobhan must enlist the help of her friends the D'Artigo sisters if she wants to save herself, her child, and the man she loves. I enjoyed this story as I am a fan of the series and I liked this glimpse into the background of a secondary character. I recommend this story to fans of the series as it ties in with Camille, Menolly, ans Delilah. Rating: 4 Stars
"The Tangleroot Palace" by Marjorie M. Liu was an interesting story reminiscent of age old fairy tales involving a rebellious, headstrong princess set to be married to a warlord said to be fierce and deadly by her aging father the king. As the time draws closer for Sally to meet her future husband, she begins dreaming of the forest beyond her home with a queen and children, and decides an expedition is in order that will not only introduce her to secrets long hidden by her deceased mother, but also to an interesting troupe of "actors" that will change everything in her life forever. This was a good story with a hint of the paranormal that had complex characters and a subtle yet profound love story that was satisfying although a little odd in the beginning. Another nice addition to this anthology! Rating: 4 Stars
"The Wrong Bridegroom" by Sharon Shinn was a cautionary tale that reinvented the old adage, "Never judge a book by its cover."
We find Olivia, princess and heir to the kingdom her father the king now holds, watching as would-be suitors battle against one another for her hand in marriage after she refuses to be wed to the man her father had chosen. She was dazzled by the magician who passed all the tests and thought him to be the prince of her dreams. Of course, the other victor of the tests was none other than her disgarded fiance and he has no intention of letting his princess toss him over without trying one last time to show her he would be the perfect husband for her.
I found Olivia unbelievably shallow and selfish and also unduly cruel to both Harwin and her stepmother Gisele throughout the story. I almost hated the story until I realized this was the authors' intention all along: to make her lead character less desirable and flawed with the chance of redemption before the end of the story. It totally worked in this anthology and I really did enjoy the "twist" with the king in the end as well. Rating: 3 1/2 Stars
Overall, a pretty nice ensemble of stories were written in this anthology. They all had the same "theme" of matrimony gone wrong tinged with the supernatural, but only Yasmine Galenorn's story really did not fit as its world was more reticent of present times and places as opposed to the old, 17th century, English countryside feel of the other three stories. I would recommend this anthology to fans of authors themselves or people who enjoy light romance with a bit of adventure! Rating Overall: 3 1/2 Stars
April 17, 2016
An anthology of four much-too-obvious short stories about women and marriage. The wrong man at the time, the right one in the end.
The only reason I've bumped it up to a "3" is the twists...thank god the poor writing in this at least tried a tiny bit...
Series:
"Shadow of Mist" (Otherworld / Sisters of the Moon, 6.5)
The Stories
Laurell K. Hamilton's "Can He Bake a Cherry Pie?" stands the usual fairy tale ending on its ear as Elinore thwarts her father's plans while using her mother's teachings to breach the castle and choose her very own happily ever after. Who knew the crust of a cherry pie could have such meaning?
It's cute, but I suspect Hamilton dashed this off without much thought.
Yasmine Galenorn's "Shadow of Mist" is a tragic tale of rape and betrayal even as it honors the power of friendship. The idea of the story itself is good, but, again, Galenorn's heart wasn't in it or she had someone else pen it for her as it just didn't ring through as her usual voice.
I can't figure out where this short story fits within the Otherworld series, but Siobhan is pregnant and Smoky is married to Camille.
Marjorie M. Liu's "Tangleroot Palace" is also a good tale. One I would have enjoyed so much more if it hadn't been so obvious. It's probably the best of the bunch with a lovely touch of the fae about it and I certainly enjoyed the Warrior of the Broken Cookies, the Ravisher of Innocent Damsels' strategy! Very clever.
Sharon Shinn's "Wrong Bridegroom" had a lovely moral to it and an artless approach. Perhaps that was Shinn's intention as a way to point out the childishness of the princess. Sweet with an innocence, but not even the king's accusations of treason could bring any drama to this tale.
The Cover and Title
The cover is pretty dull with its white background and its cracking metallic red heart. The only frills are a scarce bit of scroll work around the heart and using a script font for the title. I'd have thought that the theme of the stories would have called for a lot more frills and furbelows. But then again, it is rather consistent with the thin quality of the writing.
I think calling this anthology the Never So Obvious would have been more appropriate.
The only reason I've bumped it up to a "3" is the twists...thank god the poor writing in this at least tried a tiny bit...
Series:
"Shadow of Mist" (Otherworld / Sisters of the Moon, 6.5)
The Stories
Laurell K. Hamilton's "Can He Bake a Cherry Pie?" stands the usual fairy tale ending on its ear as Elinore thwarts her father's plans while using her mother's teachings to breach the castle and choose her very own happily ever after. Who knew the crust of a cherry pie could have such meaning?
It's cute, but I suspect Hamilton dashed this off without much thought.
Yasmine Galenorn's "Shadow of Mist" is a tragic tale of rape and betrayal even as it honors the power of friendship. The idea of the story itself is good, but, again, Galenorn's heart wasn't in it or she had someone else pen it for her as it just didn't ring through as her usual voice.
I can't figure out where this short story fits within the Otherworld series, but Siobhan is pregnant and Smoky is married to Camille.
Marjorie M. Liu's "Tangleroot Palace" is also a good tale. One I would have enjoyed so much more if it hadn't been so obvious. It's probably the best of the bunch with a lovely touch of the fae about it and I certainly enjoyed the Warrior of the Broken Cookies, the Ravisher of Innocent Damsels' strategy! Very clever.
Sharon Shinn's "Wrong Bridegroom" had a lovely moral to it and an artless approach. Perhaps that was Shinn's intention as a way to point out the childishness of the princess. Sweet with an innocence, but not even the king's accusations of treason could bring any drama to this tale.
The Cover and Title
The cover is pretty dull with its white background and its cracking metallic red heart. The only frills are a scarce bit of scroll work around the heart and using a script font for the title. I'd have thought that the theme of the stories would have called for a lot more frills and furbelows. But then again, it is rather consistent with the thin quality of the writing.
I think calling this anthology the Never So Obvious would have been more appropriate.
September 8, 2016
A nice, easy read to breeze through. These short stories add a new spin on the typical fairytale ending and their own touch of originality.
1) Can He Bake a Cherry Pie - Not bad at all. A short simple tale, but the riddles of the sphinx were done a little too carelessly. I liked how the prince remained the same despite everything. I kept expecting him to make some great character reversal and it never came. People can change, but not always.
2) The Shadow of the Mist - I really didn't like this one at all. I found the main character somewhat annoying. She had all the right reasons to gain my sympathy for her situation, I just couldn't bring myself to like her. I never got to really know anything about her, just her problems. The whole story was just "Woe is me, I'm in this situation where I'm being stalked by this crazy mermaid guy who won't quit. I really love this other guy but you're never gonna really get to meet him cause next thing you know he's in the hospital and unconscious. But my friends to my rescue, so yay." And there you have it. Don't bother reading the story now.
3) The Tangleroot Palace - I enjoyed this one actually. I liked Mickel a lot. However, The actual Tangleroot forest bit didn't really appeal to me. I found myself bored by the evil sleeping queen who's all like "Free me, free me! Aw, you won't? Fine, I'm gonna go to sleep now and try again in 100 years maybe." I found her interfering with the actual part of the story I was interested in. Also, I didn't get why Sally had to race off into the forest, like couldn't she just hide or something until her father went away. And wow Papa King, a complete 180 from you after your precious kingdom turns out to be safe. But overall, it was a good story. I loved the side characters, Rumble and Patric and their relationship with Mickel. They're great. A satisfying ending too.
4) This one would be my favorite. I found Olivia rather infuriating at first, but there's character development! A rare gem in these short stories. I liked every person in their travelling group and getting a bit of insight into them as well. Shinn did good on having Harwin actually explain why he liked Olivia later on, because I definitely did not get that. Good stuff here.
1) Can He Bake a Cherry Pie - Not bad at all. A short simple tale, but the riddles of the sphinx were done a little too carelessly. I liked how the prince remained the same despite everything. I kept expecting him to make some great character reversal and it never came. People can change, but not always.
2) The Shadow of the Mist - I really didn't like this one at all. I found the main character somewhat annoying. She had all the right reasons to gain my sympathy for her situation, I just couldn't bring myself to like her. I never got to really know anything about her, just her problems. The whole story was just "Woe is me, I'm in this situation where I'm being stalked by this crazy mermaid guy who won't quit. I really love this other guy but you're never gonna really get to meet him cause next thing you know he's in the hospital and unconscious. But my friends to my rescue, so yay." And there you have it. Don't bother reading the story now.
3) The Tangleroot Palace - I enjoyed this one actually. I liked Mickel a lot. However, The actual Tangleroot forest bit didn't really appeal to me. I found myself bored by the evil sleeping queen who's all like "Free me, free me! Aw, you won't? Fine, I'm gonna go to sleep now and try again in 100 years maybe." I found her interfering with the actual part of the story I was interested in. Also, I didn't get why Sally had to race off into the forest, like couldn't she just hide or something until her father went away. And wow Papa King, a complete 180 from you after your precious kingdom turns out to be safe. But overall, it was a good story. I loved the side characters, Rumble and Patric and their relationship with Mickel. They're great. A satisfying ending too.
4) This one would be my favorite. I found Olivia rather infuriating at first, but there's character development! A rare gem in these short stories. I liked every person in their travelling group and getting a bit of insight into them as well. Shinn did good on having Harwin actually explain why he liked Olivia later on, because I definitely did not get that. Good stuff here.
February 3, 2016
Only two of the stories in here were really worth it to me. The title one, by Hamilton, was excellent and maybe should have been last to save the book. The last one, by Sharon Shinn, was okay as well. The other two were a slodge-podge of a mess.
The second one, Shadow of the Mist, in which a paranormal society features selkies and mermen...an exceedingly cool world (supposedly) was heavily bogged down by the introduction of too many unnecessary side characters. The main character does nothing. The MC's current hot-hot-hot lover is quickly put out of commission before you even meet him. The MC's trio of best friends (?? it's never explained exactly their relationship, just that they're all in the same group now? I have no idea nor care.) are comprised of sisters, each of whom is a different being, a vampire, a cat?, a witch? Besides the fact that I couldn't accept that there was a vampire sister in there (how in the world did these genes turn out three of different paranormal backgrounds??), they all were terrifically special and specialized in their gifts, but none of them could help the MC stop the villain ex-fiance. Only one sister's boyfriend, who's incidentally a shapeshifting dragon, was able to snuff out the villain successfully. He was my favorite character in the incredibly long and tedious story, and he was a tertiary character. It was a bit like, why did everyone have to get banged up instead of bringing out this awesome dragon to chew on some merman fin? Lame.
The Tangleroot Palace was a bit like a fairy tale that fell short. There are elements of it that, on paper, read beautifully and make for a good story, but somehow in execution, it just disappointed.
The second one, Shadow of the Mist, in which a paranormal society features selkies and mermen...an exceedingly cool world (supposedly) was heavily bogged down by the introduction of too many unnecessary side characters. The main character does nothing. The MC's current hot-hot-hot lover is quickly put out of commission before you even meet him. The MC's trio of best friends (?? it's never explained exactly their relationship, just that they're all in the same group now? I have no idea nor care.) are comprised of sisters, each of whom is a different being, a vampire, a cat?, a witch? Besides the fact that I couldn't accept that there was a vampire sister in there (how in the world did these genes turn out three of different paranormal backgrounds??), they all were terrifically special and specialized in their gifts, but none of them could help the MC stop the villain ex-fiance. Only one sister's boyfriend, who's incidentally a shapeshifting dragon, was able to snuff out the villain successfully. He was my favorite character in the incredibly long and tedious story, and he was a tertiary character. It was a bit like, why did everyone have to get banged up instead of bringing out this awesome dragon to chew on some merman fin? Lame.
The Tangleroot Palace was a bit like a fairy tale that fell short. There are elements of it that, on paper, read beautifully and make for a good story, but somehow in execution, it just disappointed.
March 3, 2015
I was unimpressed with this collection but I must also say that I'm not a huge fan of anthologies. However, they used Laurell K. Hamilton's name to sell this book and her story was only 38 pages long. What a ripoff! That said here are my thoughts on this book.
Can you bake a cherry pie? - Laurell K. Hamilton
This is written like a fairy tale - all sing-songy and cute. Kinda of take off on Rapunzel only the prince was the captive not the princess. What can you really say about a 38 page short?
The Shadow of Mist - Yasmine Galenorn
This is a great revenge story. Merman Prince Terrance is a real asshole. He raped selkie Siobhan and then expected her to marry him. Huh? She escaped and 100 years later he finds her again and the terror begins anew. Kinda rushed but not a bad story and could have been great if there was time to develop the characters.
The Tangleroot Palace - Marjorie Liu
Princess Sally is being forced to wed an evil warlord. She refuses and flees into the magical forest to find a troupe of actors and mercenaries intent on killer her. Kind of rambling but an enjoyable tale with a surprise ending.
The Wrong Bridegroom - Sharon Shinn
Once again the Princess is being forced to marry. The winner of a triple challenge gets the princess. However, the princess doesn't want the man expected to win as he's boring and dull. The escapades of the winning man and the princess are entertaining though the princess gets irritating (to me) after only a day of travel. Not a bad story and a rather predictable ending.
Can you bake a cherry pie? - Laurell K. Hamilton
This is written like a fairy tale - all sing-songy and cute. Kinda of take off on Rapunzel only the prince was the captive not the princess. What can you really say about a 38 page short?
The Shadow of Mist - Yasmine Galenorn
This is a great revenge story. Merman Prince Terrance is a real asshole. He raped selkie Siobhan and then expected her to marry him. Huh? She escaped and 100 years later he finds her again and the terror begins anew. Kinda rushed but not a bad story and could have been great if there was time to develop the characters.
The Tangleroot Palace - Marjorie Liu
Princess Sally is being forced to wed an evil warlord. She refuses and flees into the magical forest to find a troupe of actors and mercenaries intent on killer her. Kind of rambling but an enjoyable tale with a surprise ending.
The Wrong Bridegroom - Sharon Shinn
Once again the Princess is being forced to marry. The winner of a triple challenge gets the princess. However, the princess doesn't want the man expected to win as he's boring and dull. The escapades of the winning man and the princess are entertaining though the princess gets irritating (to me) after only a day of travel. Not a bad story and a rather predictable ending.
March 10, 2018
05/2012 This contains four novellas by four different authors (I picked it up because I was interested in the story by Sharon Shinn). It was not my cuppa tea. I thought the story by Sharon Shinn wasn't as good as most of her writing. The main character was annoying, and I found myself wanting to shake her for not seeing the completely obvious (I'm not entirely sure why, as most of Shinn's romances are rather obvious, and I generally like this because sometimes reliable fluff is nice).
All four stories are about women in fantasy worlds (one modern, the other fairly generic fantasy) who are seeking to escape an arranged marriage. I don't care for stories about arranged marriages, and generally dislike fantasy cultures in which women are forced into marriages or having to fight for equal rights (there is enough of misogyny and discrimination against women in the real world that I don't care to read about it in my fluff; I will make an exception if it is a brilliant book). Sadly disappointing (including the brilliantly titled "Can He Bake a Cherry Pie?").
2/2018 -I re-read three of the stories, and found I still didn't care for them. Much as I want to like the hero in Shinn's short story, he comes across a bit strong. He knows what the heroine should do (and he turns out to be right). This is a type of character that I generally don't get along with, and this is no exception.
All four stories are about women in fantasy worlds (one modern, the other fairly generic fantasy) who are seeking to escape an arranged marriage. I don't care for stories about arranged marriages, and generally dislike fantasy cultures in which women are forced into marriages or having to fight for equal rights (there is enough of misogyny and discrimination against women in the real world that I don't care to read about it in my fluff; I will make an exception if it is a brilliant book). Sadly disappointing (including the brilliantly titled "Can He Bake a Cherry Pie?").
2/2018 -I re-read three of the stories, and found I still didn't care for them. Much as I want to like the hero in Shinn's short story, he comes across a bit strong. He knows what the heroine should do (and he turns out to be right). This is a type of character that I generally don't get along with, and this is no exception.
August 17, 2016
The book was a celebration of four different writers including Laurell K. Hamilton, and Marjorie M. Liu, and two other authors. The book was about 400 pages, so it was a nice sized story from all. Each story was about a princess, who was determined not to be married off to someone horrible, for their parents pleasure. I enjoyed them all, but I liked Marjorie Liu' s the best. Each story was interesting, and enchanting. The last story was the one where a princess needed to mature, and learn to help her kingdom. Every girl likes fairy tales, and these are clean , accept for some disturbing dog fighting, and a bit of plotting that reminded you of King Henry the 8th. I would highly recommend them for all teens, or ladies. Nice summer read....light and enjoyable....
May 10, 2012
Wonderful collection of short stories. Sometime an anthology falls short with more than 1 in its collection but with this anthology it was not the case. Every story was intriguing and well written to entice in into the characters plight.
November 20, 2009
Wonderful fairy tales.
July 16, 2010
This book blew my mind. It had everything int it!!! Amazing
December 29, 2012
4 mostly short stories. Think empowered women fairy tales. Not a bad story in the bunch. Good quick read.
Read
May 20, 2021So this was a decent read. It's four stories, the Princesses save the day, I don't know if this anthology is considered romance, the stories are not steamy if that is what you are looking for.
Can He Bake A Cherry Pie? By Laurell K. Hamilton was ok, the princess is not a Warrior, she is pretty much the meek, and gentle sort, but I think the message was meant to be that kindness can sometimes solve the problem, where violence cannot. A trigger warning I noticed, and maybe a spoiler, the princess bassically goes on a suicide mission to avoid a dreadful match. She was hoping to be killed along the way.
The Shadow of Mist by Yasmine Galenorn was interesting, it is a Novella for her Otherworld series, this is definitely a fantasy, Fae, vampires, dragons, Selkirk, live in our world, and the humans know. I have never read her Otherworld books, but I want to now, it was intriguing. Also, I really enjoyed that the main character was a selkie, I don't think I've read anything that focused on selkies before. ( I've seen the Secret of Roan Inish, but felt it was more about the little girl more than selkies, might have to watch it again.) The thing I didn't like, the plot build up around the prince seemed a little anti climatic. Trigger warnings I noticed, and will be a spoiler: Rape, the young woman's family were going to marry her off to her rapist as well. She runs from the marriage, which brings me to the next warning, she is stalked by him for centuries, she doesn't know at first, death threats are made against her lover and unborn child.
The Tangleroot Palace by Marjorie M. Liu was also interesting, and I thought quite cute. Again, princess running from an arranged marriage, she finds herself in a magic forest facing and evil queen, finds out the fiance isn't so bad after all. Not sure I noticed any Trigger warnings in this one.
The Wrong Bridegroom by Sharon Shinn was also enjoyable, the princess was annoying and a bit of a brat, she refuses a perfectly good man for marriage, because he is apparently dull,, which results in a contest to win her hand. She ends up having to choose between two suitors who tie, one of which is the original fiance, of course she chooses the other. Both suitors and other characters,except the king, are charming. I really liked them and liked how it ended. Trigger warning I noticed, dogs are trained as fighting dogs, they are let loose on the slew of suitors by king's orders as a test of bravery, we also see cruel treatment of the dogs, and of course the treatment of a lesbian character, it is implied that there is name calling, without writing them out, and she is accosted in the street( her companions aren't cruel, and she is a delightful character herself, I think she was well written, but don't quote me on good representation on character for her as someone might not feel the same.) The king is also hoping to rid himself of his queen, as she can't produce a son.
All in all, I am interested in finding more from these authors.
Can He Bake A Cherry Pie? By Laurell K. Hamilton was ok, the princess is not a Warrior, she is pretty much the meek, and gentle sort, but I think the message was meant to be that kindness can sometimes solve the problem, where violence cannot. A trigger warning I noticed, and maybe a spoiler, the princess bassically goes on a suicide mission to avoid a dreadful match. She was hoping to be killed along the way.
The Shadow of Mist by Yasmine Galenorn was interesting, it is a Novella for her Otherworld series, this is definitely a fantasy, Fae, vampires, dragons, Selkirk, live in our world, and the humans know. I have never read her Otherworld books, but I want to now, it was intriguing. Also, I really enjoyed that the main character was a selkie, I don't think I've read anything that focused on selkies before. ( I've seen the Secret of Roan Inish, but felt it was more about the little girl more than selkies, might have to watch it again.) The thing I didn't like, the plot build up around the prince seemed a little anti climatic. Trigger warnings I noticed, and will be a spoiler: Rape, the young woman's family were going to marry her off to her rapist as well. She runs from the marriage, which brings me to the next warning, she is stalked by him for centuries, she doesn't know at first, death threats are made against her lover and unborn child.
The Tangleroot Palace by Marjorie M. Liu was also interesting, and I thought quite cute. Again, princess running from an arranged marriage, she finds herself in a magic forest facing and evil queen, finds out the fiance isn't so bad after all. Not sure I noticed any Trigger warnings in this one.
The Wrong Bridegroom by Sharon Shinn was also enjoyable, the princess was annoying and a bit of a brat, she refuses a perfectly good man for marriage, because he is apparently dull,, which results in a contest to win her hand. She ends up having to choose between two suitors who tie, one of which is the original fiance, of course she chooses the other. Both suitors and other characters,except the king, are charming. I really liked them and liked how it ended. Trigger warning I noticed, dogs are trained as fighting dogs, they are let loose on the slew of suitors by king's orders as a test of bravery, we also see cruel treatment of the dogs, and of course the treatment of a lesbian character, it is implied that there is name calling, without writing them out, and she is accosted in the street( her companions aren't cruel, and she is a delightful character herself, I think she was well written, but don't quote me on good representation on character for her as someone might not feel the same.) The king is also hoping to rid himself of his queen, as she can't produce a son.
All in all, I am interested in finding more from these authors.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 28, 2018
This has 4 anthologies. They are supposed to be Fairy Tale like stories with their own twists. Mainly a G-rated novel, where the most that happens is a kiss. Really cute and quick Fairy Tales.
Can He Bake A Cherry Pie? by Laurell K. Hamilton, was so simple, G-rated, and not at all what I would have expected from her since I have read all of her Anita Blake and Merry Gentry novels. I do like the ending because it is not your typical Fairy Tale ending.
The Wrong Bridegroom, by Sharon Shinn, was the longest story in this novel. I enjoyed the ride. This was a Fairy Tale of a beautiful princess trying to find her perfect bridegroom who has to win all of the obstacles to win her heart. There are 2 winners so she must choose. I enjoyed getting to know these characters and watching the princess make her decision. I loved the ending in this one.
The Tangleroot Palace, by Marjorie M. Liu, was also a good one. The princess is trying to run away from a fate of marrying a Warlock she does not know and hears horrible stories about. There are twists and turns but in the end you will love the outcome.
The Shadow Of Mist, by Yasmine Galenorn, was really short and I did not get to really know the characters as there were a few. Perhaps if the story was longer these characters would be more interesting. Just another Fairy Tale ending.
Can He Bake A Cherry Pie? by Laurell K. Hamilton, was so simple, G-rated, and not at all what I would have expected from her since I have read all of her Anita Blake and Merry Gentry novels. I do like the ending because it is not your typical Fairy Tale ending.
The Wrong Bridegroom, by Sharon Shinn, was the longest story in this novel. I enjoyed the ride. This was a Fairy Tale of a beautiful princess trying to find her perfect bridegroom who has to win all of the obstacles to win her heart. There are 2 winners so she must choose. I enjoyed getting to know these characters and watching the princess make her decision. I loved the ending in this one.
The Tangleroot Palace, by Marjorie M. Liu, was also a good one. The princess is trying to run away from a fate of marrying a Warlock she does not know and hears horrible stories about. There are twists and turns but in the end you will love the outcome.
The Shadow Of Mist, by Yasmine Galenorn, was really short and I did not get to really know the characters as there were a few. Perhaps if the story was longer these characters would be more interesting. Just another Fairy Tale ending.
July 21, 2025
“Can He Bake a Cherry Pie?” by Laurell K. Hamilton (Author). I was so glad to be reminded that she could and did write something other than lightly plot-laced porn.
“The Shadow of Mist” by Yasmine Galenorn. For a piece so action-packed, amazingly boring--at least it seemed so under what became my skimming--as though the action was merely providing page count. If this is unfair, I'm sorry.
“The Tangleroot Palace” by Marjorie M. Liu. Gloriously inventive and immersive.
“The Wrong Bridegroom” by Sharon Shinn. Wholly predictable, tho seeing the details arrange themselves is enjoyable.
I am correctly, for me, wary of the label "Paranormal Romance", but this collection lived up to its blurb more than its label.
“The Shadow of Mist” by Yasmine Galenorn. For a piece so action-packed, amazingly boring--at least it seemed so under what became my skimming--as though the action was merely providing page count. If this is unfair, I'm sorry.
“The Tangleroot Palace” by Marjorie M. Liu. Gloriously inventive and immersive.
“The Wrong Bridegroom” by Sharon Shinn. Wholly predictable, tho seeing the details arrange themselves is enjoyable.
I am correctly, for me, wary of the label "Paranormal Romance", but this collection lived up to its blurb more than its label.
November 14, 2018
(3.5 stars)
Four stories in this anthology. The Hamilton and Liu stories were 4 stars, the Galenorn and Shinn stories were 3 stars. "The Shadow of Mist" Galenorn story was the weakest in the anthology, but it is possible it is more enjoyable to people who are familiar with the overall world that author writes in. It felt clunky and cliched. All of the stories are fairly predictable, along the lines of most fairy tales and romances. "The Tangleroot Palace" by Liu was the most unexpectedly engrossing story, particularly when it was dealing with its more fairytale-like elements. "Can He Bake a Cherry Pie" by Hamilton is a reminder that the author really can be a good storyteller, when she isn't overly reliant on smut as the focus of her writing. Hamilton did a good job evoking the style of fairy tale stories with her writing. "The Wrong Bridegroom" by Sharon Shinn wasn't bad, and though the story was predictable, I'm open to reading more from this author. Galenorn I will likely avoid. Liu I will definitely seek out.
Four stories in this anthology. The Hamilton and Liu stories were 4 stars, the Galenorn and Shinn stories were 3 stars. "The Shadow of Mist" Galenorn story was the weakest in the anthology, but it is possible it is more enjoyable to people who are familiar with the overall world that author writes in. It felt clunky and cliched. All of the stories are fairly predictable, along the lines of most fairy tales and romances. "The Tangleroot Palace" by Liu was the most unexpectedly engrossing story, particularly when it was dealing with its more fairytale-like elements. "Can He Bake a Cherry Pie" by Hamilton is a reminder that the author really can be a good storyteller, when she isn't overly reliant on smut as the focus of her writing. Hamilton did a good job evoking the style of fairy tale stories with her writing. "The Wrong Bridegroom" by Sharon Shinn wasn't bad, and though the story was predictable, I'm open to reading more from this author. Galenorn I will likely avoid. Liu I will definitely seek out.
June 20, 2017
--The premise of this collection was a lot better than the performance and Hamilton's name was used to sell books. I really love her Merry Gentry novels and like almost all the Anita Blake novels, but her story is the lamest of the four. Inspecting the works of the other authors, none of them would I make any effort to read given a choice. Actually The Wrong Bridegroom by Sharon Shinn is a pretty good story if a little contrived. I hate to rank any book I read at 3 stars or below, but could not in conscience rate this one higher.--
June 25, 2018
Good anthology
Sharon Shinn’s story is a good sample of her usual work, tho her books are better. I liked that one. Laurel K Hamilton’s voice is true too, and I loved this story. Hard pass on Galenorn, tho I keep trying her stories in the hope that perhaps one will speak to me sufficiently to entice me to try her series. Not based on this one. Liu’s Tangleroot Palace is the most beautiful short story in the set and I will be looking for more work by her.
Sharon Shinn’s story is a good sample of her usual work, tho her books are better. I liked that one. Laurel K Hamilton’s voice is true too, and I loved this story. Hard pass on Galenorn, tho I keep trying her stories in the hope that perhaps one will speak to me sufficiently to entice me to try her series. Not based on this one. Liu’s Tangleroot Palace is the most beautiful short story in the set and I will be looking for more work by her.
November 19, 2019
Stories inspired by fairy tales, with the twist that they're supposed to be more feminist. There are four stories, in total, written by four highly acclaimed, or at least popular, authors.
Hamilton's story, the first in the novel, and the shortest, was very enjoyable. The others were okay. The Otherworld fan fic didn't work for me. All in all, an okay collection, but I really only recommend Hamilton's tale.
Hamilton's story, the first in the novel, and the shortest, was very enjoyable. The others were okay. The Otherworld fan fic didn't work for me. All in all, an okay collection, but I really only recommend Hamilton's tale.
June 22, 2021
Overall this one was rather meh. The first story was by far the best. Other three had the same problems. Their beginnings were boring, the middle parts were interesting but then the endings all fell flat. In each story it was like the was a big buildup only for the ending to kill all the momentum in a few pages.
August 18, 2016
Can He Bake A Cherry Pie? .... Laurell Hamilton...
Elinore, a nobleman's daughter who wants entrance back into the king's court betrothes his daughter to a scummy, elderly, pervert earl... before their wedding can be announced, she says she will go to 'Save Prince True'... the current king's elder brother, who 50 years earlier displeased a sorceress with his arrogance, so she enslaved him until a woman's art could win the prince his freedom... the many who tried died or were never seen again... Elinore goes expecting to die, but to die without disgracing her family... she meets a giant with a club on the bridge, and kneels before him (because she didn't want to fall off the bridge) with her eyes closed), and the giant let her pass... then she meets the ogre who comes at her with a sword, but she stands with her eyes closed waiting to die, without screaming or fighting back - and the ogre lets her pass... and then she meets a sphinx, with it's questions of cloth dies and vegetables, and she answers them, and is allowed to pass... and then she meets the sorceress, and the prince.. and the sorceress offers her anyomous freedom or the chance to save the prince and be his wife with its jewels & power, and she takes the freedom (afterall, the prince is a bit too arrogant, and she does not believe his brother will easily give up his throne)... the prince & Elinore have a pie baking contest, and Elinore's pie is prettier, and sweeter... and she wins... so the sorceress gives her a dowry to start a bakery, she marries a baker and has children, and they are happy... the prince is allowed to be free (with stories of how Elinore nobley died), and after a few months was poisoned by his brother...
The Shadow of Mist... Yasmine Galenorn... Siobhan Morgan, a selkie - wereseal... born in Ireland - her mother was kidnapped and raped by her father, and they subsequently married, and her mother became a part of his pod... her mother never told her she was a princess in her own pod... but when Terrance (who ends up to be Finfolk/merman - bad... rapes and claims her - sanctioned by her parents as a way of keeping the selkie line; but she refuses to marry him, and escapes on a cruise ship to America... she hides for 100 years, and ends up on the Washington coast, where she falls in love with Mitch, a selkie. She hid her past from him, in part because she thought she was free... She's pregnant, and Terrance has found her - he severely beats up her fiance, and almost captures Siobhan... but with the help of the D'Artigo sisters (werecat, vampire, dragon) she manages to be free and to kill Terrance, with an overdose of glucose, when he traps her at the hospital and she injects him with the hypo on the nurses' desk. Mitch is healing, and understanding when she explains her past... and now knowing she is a princess, she reconnects with her mother - has dual citizenship between the washington pod & her mother's Irish pod... and her daughter may grow up to be a queen there... Cinderella? hmmmm
The Tangleroot Palace... Marjorie Liu ... I'm not sure of the fairy tale, maybe Sleeping Beauty - except the queen must stall imprisoned in the Tangleroot Palace, and must be visited each generation by a descendant of the red haired witch - to reinforce her belief in her confinement (hmmm?!)... Much of the story is told in images that aren't clear... by Mercenaries are attacking around the castle, and the king advertises for a husband for his daughter Sally who can fight off the mercenaries... and a warlord responds - his mother and her mother had been close friends... and she runs away to the Tangleroot forest, runs into Mikhail & his 2 friends - the Traveling Troop of Twister Riddle - and they rescue her from a nightmare... and she is attracted to Mikhail... and he follows her to the palace, and she rescues him from the icy water, her father finds her, and he comes to her as the Warlord... and they... live... happily... ever... after....
The Wrong Bridegroom by Sharon Shinn.... Olivia, strongwilled daughter of a not-so-good king... her mother died, she does not get along with her stepmother, and her father wants her to marry a noble Harwin - but Harwin is too boring for her... so Olivia contrives a contest, and she will marry the winner of the contest (one contest is fight dogs let into the human cage where the contestants are wearing cloth soaked in blood around their necks)... Harwin & Darius (a charming, traveling magician) tie, and she chooses Darius - she wants to delay the wedding to get to know her bridgegroom better, so agrees to travel with Darius and his sister to visit their grandmother... Harwin shows up the 2nd day of travel, telling her as he also won, he would go with her... and a day later her stepmother shows up - and we find out her father wants her dead because she has not produced a son - and she is hoping to get to the coast and freedom... and Olivia learns about herself, about her father, and most especially about Harwin - who is a good man who loves her, and respects her... and Olivia successfully defends her stepmother against treason charges, and Darius spells her father into a dog ... and Olivia and Harwin will rule together -
Elinore, a nobleman's daughter who wants entrance back into the king's court betrothes his daughter to a scummy, elderly, pervert earl... before their wedding can be announced, she says she will go to 'Save Prince True'... the current king's elder brother, who 50 years earlier displeased a sorceress with his arrogance, so she enslaved him until a woman's art could win the prince his freedom... the many who tried died or were never seen again... Elinore goes expecting to die, but to die without disgracing her family... she meets a giant with a club on the bridge, and kneels before him (because she didn't want to fall off the bridge) with her eyes closed), and the giant let her pass... then she meets the ogre who comes at her with a sword, but she stands with her eyes closed waiting to die, without screaming or fighting back - and the ogre lets her pass... and then she meets a sphinx, with it's questions of cloth dies and vegetables, and she answers them, and is allowed to pass... and then she meets the sorceress, and the prince.. and the sorceress offers her anyomous freedom or the chance to save the prince and be his wife with its jewels & power, and she takes the freedom (afterall, the prince is a bit too arrogant, and she does not believe his brother will easily give up his throne)... the prince & Elinore have a pie baking contest, and Elinore's pie is prettier, and sweeter... and she wins... so the sorceress gives her a dowry to start a bakery, she marries a baker and has children, and they are happy... the prince is allowed to be free (with stories of how Elinore nobley died), and after a few months was poisoned by his brother...
The Shadow of Mist... Yasmine Galenorn... Siobhan Morgan, a selkie - wereseal... born in Ireland - her mother was kidnapped and raped by her father, and they subsequently married, and her mother became a part of his pod... her mother never told her she was a princess in her own pod... but when Terrance (who ends up to be Finfolk/merman - bad... rapes and claims her - sanctioned by her parents as a way of keeping the selkie line; but she refuses to marry him, and escapes on a cruise ship to America... she hides for 100 years, and ends up on the Washington coast, where she falls in love with Mitch, a selkie. She hid her past from him, in part because she thought she was free... She's pregnant, and Terrance has found her - he severely beats up her fiance, and almost captures Siobhan... but with the help of the D'Artigo sisters (werecat, vampire, dragon) she manages to be free and to kill Terrance, with an overdose of glucose, when he traps her at the hospital and she injects him with the hypo on the nurses' desk. Mitch is healing, and understanding when she explains her past... and now knowing she is a princess, she reconnects with her mother - has dual citizenship between the washington pod & her mother's Irish pod... and her daughter may grow up to be a queen there... Cinderella? hmmmm
The Tangleroot Palace... Marjorie Liu ... I'm not sure of the fairy tale, maybe Sleeping Beauty - except the queen must stall imprisoned in the Tangleroot Palace, and must be visited each generation by a descendant of the red haired witch - to reinforce her belief in her confinement (hmmm?!)... Much of the story is told in images that aren't clear... by Mercenaries are attacking around the castle, and the king advertises for a husband for his daughter Sally who can fight off the mercenaries... and a warlord responds - his mother and her mother had been close friends... and she runs away to the Tangleroot forest, runs into Mikhail & his 2 friends - the Traveling Troop of Twister Riddle - and they rescue her from a nightmare... and she is attracted to Mikhail... and he follows her to the palace, and she rescues him from the icy water, her father finds her, and he comes to her as the Warlord... and they... live... happily... ever... after....
The Wrong Bridegroom by Sharon Shinn.... Olivia, strongwilled daughter of a not-so-good king... her mother died, she does not get along with her stepmother, and her father wants her to marry a noble Harwin - but Harwin is too boring for her... so Olivia contrives a contest, and she will marry the winner of the contest (one contest is fight dogs let into the human cage where the contestants are wearing cloth soaked in blood around their necks)... Harwin & Darius (a charming, traveling magician) tie, and she chooses Darius - she wants to delay the wedding to get to know her bridgegroom better, so agrees to travel with Darius and his sister to visit their grandmother... Harwin shows up the 2nd day of travel, telling her as he also won, he would go with her... and a day later her stepmother shows up - and we find out her father wants her dead because she has not produced a son - and she is hoping to get to the coast and freedom... and Olivia learns about herself, about her father, and most especially about Harwin - who is a good man who loves her, and respects her... and Olivia successfully defends her stepmother against treason charges, and Darius spells her father into a dog ... and Olivia and Harwin will rule together -
December 6, 2018
I liked all of the stories: they did a good job twisting the generic fairytale model. The tangleroot Forest really freaked me out! I came for Sharon Shinn's story and came out with new authors to try.
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