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Matches and Mistletoe: An Anthology of Four Celtic and Germanic Tales
Discover the secrets of the Felwitch of Embry Hollow... The mystery of the scarlet-cloaked man in the forest... The true nature of the match girl...
And an ancient tale of love between human and Fae... These four tales, inspired by Celtic and Germanic myths, are perfect for holiday evenings snuggled under blankets with a cup of hot cocoa. (These stories are not direct retellings but are rather inspired by various myths and monsters.)
And an ancient tale of love between human and Fae... These four tales, inspired by Celtic and Germanic myths, are perfect for holiday evenings snuggled under blankets with a cup of hot cocoa. (These stories are not direct retellings but are rather inspired by various myths and monsters.)
83 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 1, 2022
11 people are currently reading
251 people want to read
About the author
Rebecca F. Kenney
72 books2,880 followersRebecca F. Kenney writes spicy fantasy romance about sassy, strong women and hot guys with tragic backstories... pirates, warlords, demons, Fae, and royals. Her main series are the "Wicked Darlings" series (spicy Fae retellings of the Nutcracker, Wonderland, and Oz), the "Dark Rulers" series (standalones in a shared world), and the "For the Love of the Villain" series of genderbent fairytales. Other books include a post-apocalyptic vampire romance trilogy ("The Vampires Will Save You"), a demon romance "Interior Design for Demons," a dark mermaid fantasy duet, and other spicy retellings.
Rebecca is represented by Eva Scalzo of Speilburg Literary. She lives in upstate South Carolina with her handsome blue-eyed husband and two smart, energetic kids.
For updates and information about upcoming novels, follow on Instagram @rebeccafkenneybooks, on Twitter @RebeccaFKenney1, and on TikTok @rebeccafkenney
Rebecca is represented by Eva Scalzo of Speilburg Literary. She lives in upstate South Carolina with her handsome blue-eyed husband and two smart, energetic kids.
For updates and information about upcoming novels, follow on Instagram @rebeccafkenneybooks, on Twitter @RebeccaFKenney1, and on TikTok @rebeccafkenney
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
December 11, 2022
•| ⊱✿⊰ |• 4 Stars •| ⊱✿⊰ |•
A very quick and pleasant reading about four myths/tales.
I just wished the second had a different end...
Since this one doesn't have description, it's kinda like this:
"Discover the secrets of the Felwitch of Embry Hollow...
The mystery of the scarlet-cloaked man in the forest...
The true nature of the match girl...
And an ancient tale of love between human and Fae...
These four tales, inspired by Celtic and Germanic myths, are perfect for holiday evenings snuggled under blankets with a cup of hot cocoa.
(These stories are not direct retellings but are rather inspired by various myths and monsters.)"
July 3, 2025
I’m not sure what to rate this. I wish there was a way to rate each individual story in an anthology. I feel like 4 stars is generous because I didn’t really much enjoy the last 3 stories, however I did LOVE the first.
December 26, 2025
4 super short wintery stories! ❄️
These were fun short takes on myths that I found enjoyable! Some had spice, and others didnt - Id be interested in reading a full length novel about the last story and the match girl!
But all were great little short stories!
These were fun short takes on myths that I found enjoyable! Some had spice, and others didnt - Id be interested in reading a full length novel about the last story and the match girl!
But all were great little short stories!
December 7, 2022
A lovely collection of holiday delights
And this wintery collection is just as much fun as the autumn one. Perhaps even more so because the atmosphere here is almost tangible.
As with all Rebecca’s works, we’re treated to a world with a dark edge to it but not so dark that you can’t see light. I’d say this collection in particular is candlelight on a snowy night.
Each story is unique, with her own pleasant and creative spin on old folktales. You’ll recognize the origin but be just as thrilled to see the new angle she takes.
I truly hope we see a spring and summer collection at some point!
And this wintery collection is just as much fun as the autumn one. Perhaps even more so because the atmosphere here is almost tangible.
As with all Rebecca’s works, we’re treated to a world with a dark edge to it but not so dark that you can’t see light. I’d say this collection in particular is candlelight on a snowy night.
Each story is unique, with her own pleasant and creative spin on old folktales. You’ll recognize the origin but be just as thrilled to see the new angle she takes.
I truly hope we see a spring and summer collection at some point!
December 4, 2023
I really enjoyed these wintry tales.
Dark, twisty, Brothers Grimm vibes. Oh and make it Fae, with a splash of romance.
If you have read Language of Thorns by Leigh Bardugo and enjoyed those sort of retellings then this is for you.
Dark, twisty, Brothers Grimm vibes. Oh and make it Fae, with a splash of romance.
If you have read Language of Thorns by Leigh Bardugo and enjoyed those sort of retellings then this is for you.
January 1, 2023
OMG, once again (another yearmore!) I get yet another wonderfully magical Christmassy read. Twisty and turny but so warming and glorious enough to get me in the festive mood early!
Q: “I will miss all of you,” whispered Elatha.
“We will always be here,” said his brother. “As all our people remain in this world, in some form. We are part of the stones and the moors, part of the mists and the mountains. Our voices travel in the wind, and our spirits sail through the water. You will feel us again, every time you walk this wood.” (c) OMG, this is so beautifully sad! I think this could be said of anyone, fae or not.
Q:
Six of the Fae, relinquishing the world. Their magic and memory, gone.
Their voices rose together, a soft chant, a hymn to the eldritch world of their youth, a eulogy for the past. (c)
Q:
If I could only save up a little money, I would take a week off to be with my girls, and to search for a better job. If I could only get ahead, just a little, I could buy a better car, one that would let me commute further to work. I would have more options. More money. More time, more choices. (c)
Q:
Then she stepped back into the forest, and she grew still. Not still as death, but still as the towering evergreens, still as the snow glittering in the glen. (c)
Q:
“I suspect the world is full of Unwanted things—and Unwanted people.” (c)
Q:
Sometimes, when Mary shrieks in the wee hours, I cry into my pillow because I am so tired and the thought of getting up again is torture. But I always find that last scrap of strength, the bit of willpower I need to go to her. To keep her alive. (c)
Q:
Someday this will be over, I tell myself. Someday I will be healthy again. Someday I will be happy again. (c)
Q:
... I turn, and I walk back into the bedroom.
Just in time to see my daughter Ellie change her shape. (c)
Q:
The low melody of his voice catches my attention, and I look up at him. He’s tall, well over six feet, and his face—handsome isn’t the word. Beautiful, maybe. Angelic.
Maybe he’s an angel. Of course he is! A guardian angel, sent to watch over us. (c)
Q:
“I love that doll, Mama! She’s already mine. She’s just waiting for me to bring her home.”
...
“I do love this time of year, despite its warped traditions,” he continues, with a glance at our pitiful spindly Christmas tree in the corner. “There’s magic in all the world, Ellie, and people are never more likely to believe in it than right now. So don’t give up on your doll, love. She may be yours yet.” (c)
Q:
“Ellie,” says the man. “Do you believe in magic?”
“Magic?”
I frown. “We believe in God here, sir.”
“Who is God without His power?” he says. “Maybe that’s simply another kind of magic.” (c)
Q:
I don’t really want to know his name, because if it’s Peter or Barry or Bob, something inside me will shrivel up and never bloom again. I need to be able to pretend that his name is glorious, angelic, like Michael or Gabriel. (c)
Q:
“I’ve crossed enough strong women to know that you’re all to be revered and feared.” (c)
Q:
“Well, I don’t want to survive by not caring. I want to care—I just don’t have the energy for it most of the time. Or for life in general.”
“I’ll tell you a secret,” he says, leaning closer. “When you feel that way, do something new, something you’ve never done before. It could be anything. Pick a new thing, and do it, and you’ll find you have more zest for life than you thought. You can go on for centuries that way.” (c) Oh, my. Self-help nicely inbuilt in one of the coziest reads of the year?! Yes, gimme more of this goodness.
Q:
“Let’s put it this way, love,” he says, leaning toward me and smirking. “I’m perpetually, eternally on the naughty list.” (c)
Q:
The Far Darrig.
Fear Dearg, the Red One, in the Old Tongue. (c)
Q:
I know that pain—I’ve seen it in the mirror. It’s the pain of not being seen, or heard, or loved, by anyone. The pain of being invisible.
Whatever he is—he saw me. He listened to me. (c)
Q:
When I wake up, I’m so toasty warm that I don’t want to move. Golden morning light pours into the living room, shining on the thick, soft blanket that covers me.
A blanket I didn’t put there. (c)
Q:
If you remember anything of me, let it be this warning—do not live in the darkness of what is gone. Find something new. Let yourself hope for the future. (c)
Q:
And he gave me something more than money. Because now I want to put on makeup and my best clothes, and go dancing. I want to have friends over for tea and gossip. I want to take Ellie skating. I want to make cookies and tell the girls stories, and get out my drawing supplies again and sketch an angel’s face. And I want to feel a human man’s hands on me again, his lips on mine.
I want life. (c)
Q:
Weeks of changing the old woman’s soiled clothes and spooning broth between her wrinkled lips had sapped every soft emotion from Ember’s body. She was cold and frosted at the edges, like the sun. (c)
Q:
I stand in a clothing store all day, smiling and speaking softly to women who buy beautiful things that I will never be able to afford. I smile while my feet are throbbing in my shoes, and my head is aching from lack of sleep. (c)
Q: “I will miss all of you,” whispered Elatha.
“We will always be here,” said his brother. “As all our people remain in this world, in some form. We are part of the stones and the moors, part of the mists and the mountains. Our voices travel in the wind, and our spirits sail through the water. You will feel us again, every time you walk this wood.” (c) OMG, this is so beautifully sad! I think this could be said of anyone, fae or not.
Q:
Six of the Fae, relinquishing the world. Their magic and memory, gone.
Their voices rose together, a soft chant, a hymn to the eldritch world of their youth, a eulogy for the past. (c)
Q:
If I could only save up a little money, I would take a week off to be with my girls, and to search for a better job. If I could only get ahead, just a little, I could buy a better car, one that would let me commute further to work. I would have more options. More money. More time, more choices. (c)
Q:
Then she stepped back into the forest, and she grew still. Not still as death, but still as the towering evergreens, still as the snow glittering in the glen. (c)
Q:
“I suspect the world is full of Unwanted things—and Unwanted people.” (c)
Q:
Sometimes, when Mary shrieks in the wee hours, I cry into my pillow because I am so tired and the thought of getting up again is torture. But I always find that last scrap of strength, the bit of willpower I need to go to her. To keep her alive. (c)
Q:
Someday this will be over, I tell myself. Someday I will be healthy again. Someday I will be happy again. (c)
Q:
... I turn, and I walk back into the bedroom.
Just in time to see my daughter Ellie change her shape. (c)
Q:
The low melody of his voice catches my attention, and I look up at him. He’s tall, well over six feet, and his face—handsome isn’t the word. Beautiful, maybe. Angelic.
Maybe he’s an angel. Of course he is! A guardian angel, sent to watch over us. (c)
Q:
“I love that doll, Mama! She’s already mine. She’s just waiting for me to bring her home.”
...
“I do love this time of year, despite its warped traditions,” he continues, with a glance at our pitiful spindly Christmas tree in the corner. “There’s magic in all the world, Ellie, and people are never more likely to believe in it than right now. So don’t give up on your doll, love. She may be yours yet.” (c)
Q:
“Ellie,” says the man. “Do you believe in magic?”
“Magic?”
I frown. “We believe in God here, sir.”
“Who is God without His power?” he says. “Maybe that’s simply another kind of magic.” (c)
Q:
I don’t really want to know his name, because if it’s Peter or Barry or Bob, something inside me will shrivel up and never bloom again. I need to be able to pretend that his name is glorious, angelic, like Michael or Gabriel. (c)
Q:
“I’ve crossed enough strong women to know that you’re all to be revered and feared.” (c)
Q:
“Well, I don’t want to survive by not caring. I want to care—I just don’t have the energy for it most of the time. Or for life in general.”
“I’ll tell you a secret,” he says, leaning closer. “When you feel that way, do something new, something you’ve never done before. It could be anything. Pick a new thing, and do it, and you’ll find you have more zest for life than you thought. You can go on for centuries that way.” (c) Oh, my. Self-help nicely inbuilt in one of the coziest reads of the year?! Yes, gimme more of this goodness.
Q:
“Let’s put it this way, love,” he says, leaning toward me and smirking. “I’m perpetually, eternally on the naughty list.” (c)
Q:
The Far Darrig.
Fear Dearg, the Red One, in the Old Tongue. (c)
Q:
I know that pain—I’ve seen it in the mirror. It’s the pain of not being seen, or heard, or loved, by anyone. The pain of being invisible.
Whatever he is—he saw me. He listened to me. (c)
Q:
When I wake up, I’m so toasty warm that I don’t want to move. Golden morning light pours into the living room, shining on the thick, soft blanket that covers me.
A blanket I didn’t put there. (c)
Q:
If you remember anything of me, let it be this warning—do not live in the darkness of what is gone. Find something new. Let yourself hope for the future. (c)
Q:
And he gave me something more than money. Because now I want to put on makeup and my best clothes, and go dancing. I want to have friends over for tea and gossip. I want to take Ellie skating. I want to make cookies and tell the girls stories, and get out my drawing supplies again and sketch an angel’s face. And I want to feel a human man’s hands on me again, his lips on mine.
I want life. (c)
Q:
Weeks of changing the old woman’s soiled clothes and spooning broth between her wrinkled lips had sapped every soft emotion from Ember’s body. She was cold and frosted at the edges, like the sun. (c)
Q:
I stand in a clothing store all day, smiling and speaking softly to women who buy beautiful things that I will never be able to afford. I smile while my feet are throbbing in my shoes, and my head is aching from lack of sleep. (c)
December 19, 2023
Absolutely adore these winter and yule short stories. They wrap you up and make you fall in love with the magic. Beautifully written!!
November 12, 2025
Enjoyable quick read, mildly spicy. I especially liked the Felwitch. The Match Girl could have been longer. I wanted to know more.
January 27, 2023
Definitely provides for a very warm read! 😁
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews