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rosiev425's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
2.5
fros86's review against another edition
4.0
The first of my short story collections in my reading challenge and given to me by a friend for Christmas, I loved this. it's the first short story collection I have enjoyed this much in years- I usually find them really disjointed and just want to get into a novel, but there weren't many stories here that gripped me.
withywoods's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.5
A real mixed bag of stories. Maybe the most complete and memorable is The Ship of the Dead. Others pass by with neither language nor story to make them stand out, sadly.
I think Mosse's writing is best when she taps into the ancient, the unworldly.
I think Mosse's writing is best when she taps into the ancient, the unworldly.
styxx's review against another edition
2.0
'The Mistletoe Bride' is an anthology of short stories by Kate Mosse, perhaps best known for her trilogy of stories set around Carcassone - Labyrinth, Sepulchre and Citadel. For an author who is perhaps most familiar with epic sweeps of story, the short story format is a different challenge. One that I feel Mosse met with varying degrees of success. I didn't hate any of the stories, and some I enjoyed very much, but others left me with a feeling of dissatisfaction. Some felt rushed. One or two distanced the reader because of the style Mosse had chosen to employ in telling the story; this makes it harder to care what happens to the characters. However, all of them make use of themes that appear in Mosse's longer works, most particularly the use of folklore as inspiration.
ashereadsbooks's review against another edition
4.0
This is a collection of enchanting and haunting tales with settings that span from mythical to modern, across different historical and geographical settings. Well crafted stories that are easy to read. Enjoyed the end notes on her inspiration for how the stories were conceived and originated.
diana_blackmoon's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
ionamcewan's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.5
A collection of stories about people, the past, and moving on. Often eerie, these ghost stories give you something to dwell on
beccaa's review against another edition
3.0
It is true that some of the stories seemed pretty pointless, even though all of them were well written and I loved the description - not all of them were really that interesting, but were easy to read fast. So all the ones with like 3s and under just didn't have the best story lines. Best altogether is was a really cute book that was great to read in bed when it's cold and dark outside.
So although I rated it 3* here is a break down of each story...
The mistletoe bride 5
Duet 5
Red Letter Day 4
The Drowned Village 3
The House on the Hill 3
Why the Yew Tree Lives so Long 2
Sainte-Therese 4
The Ship of the Dead 3
La Fille de Melisande 2
The Revenant 5
On Harting Hill 4
The Princess Alice 3
In the Theatre at Night 2
The Yellow Scarf 2
Syrinx 5 - was a play and probably my favourite out of them all
Governors Island 2
The Ghost of Christmas Past 3
Most of them weren't really that creepy, but I guess 'The Revenant' and 'The Ship of the Dead' were the most 'haunting' but even they weren't that bad.
wviellevoye's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0