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jinchaa's review
2.0
Just a lot of stories about children being hurt in terrible, terrible ways. I get that fairytales were originally cautionary tales, but I really don't want to read about little innocent babies being touched. Wish there was a warning at the beginning about this sort of content, so take this as a warning that there is a lot of upsetting writing --- a lot from the perspective of the predator. If that sort of thing leaves a terrible taste in your mouth I would highly caution you against this -- more than half the book has a child getting hurt in some terrible way or another.
yerrawizardkari's review
Like a Red, Red Rose:
I LOVED this story. It read like a true fairy tale. I loved the connection between the witch and the rose tree. It really felt like I was reading something out of a book of Grimm's Tales. 5 stars. The way in unraveled was perfectly paced, and the reveal of what happens to witches in love was so morbid. I was just enchanted by this one.
The Moon is Drowning:
I thought this tale had its merits, but I didn't like it anywhere near as much as the first tale. I thought the dream portions were well written and immersive, enough to make me interested in reading the writer's novels. But then he did the typical man thing of writing a really pointless sex scene that was legitimately just there for his own fancy, and I'm not interested anymore. 2 stars for the cool dream sequences.
The Frog Prince:
I LOVED this story. It read like a true fairy tale. I loved the connection between the witch and the rose tree. It really felt like I was reading something out of a book of Grimm's Tales. 5 stars. The way in unraveled was perfectly paced, and the reveal of what happens to witches in love was so morbid. I was just enchanted by this one.
The Moon is Drowning:
I thought this tale had its merits, but I didn't like it anywhere near as much as the first tale. I thought the dream portions were well written and immersive, enough to make me interested in reading the writer's novels. But then he did the typical man thing of writing a really pointless sex scene that was legitimately just there for his own fancy, and I'm not interested anymore. 2 stars for the cool dream sequences.
The Frog Prince:
doriastories's review
2.0
I was surprised to find that this collection was not as good as I’d expected. The writing felt oddly dated, substituting flashes of color for insight. The repeated blundering attempts to shock the reader’s sensibility through troubling subject matter were muted by the predictability of the authors’ intentions. Jane Yolen’s contribution turned out to be a short poem, and Neil Gaiman’s tale was probably the best of the bunch. Disappointing.
wisteria_may's review
3.0
3.2 stars. That's the exact number when I did the maths of the average rating.
My 5 stars stories are
The Princess In the Tower by Elizabeth A. Lynn - a fun and light-hearted retelling of "Repunzel". The romance was cute and has lots of delicious sounding food. Maybe I just gave this story a 5-star because I was bored of other dark and sensual retellings. Who knows?
Troll Bridge by Neil Gaiman - a retelling of "The Three Billy Goats Gruff". I don't know how to describe the story, so I'm just gonna use the words from the editors. "In this version, there's only one 'billy goat,' and while it seems to be about escaping a troll, the story actually speaks of lost chances". It was really good.
And the last and probably my favourite story is A Sound, Like Angels Singing by Leonard Rysdyk - finding out which fairy tale this story actually retell was the fun of it. It was pure genius. Kind of sad and dark too.
There were also a few 4-star stories. The others were just okay. Some are funny and some are just gross because there were "child molesting, incest and rape".
My 5 stars stories are
The Princess In the Tower by Elizabeth A. Lynn - a fun and light-hearted retelling of "Repunzel". The romance was cute and has lots of delicious sounding food. Maybe I just gave this story a 5-star because I was bored of other dark and sensual retellings. Who knows?
Troll Bridge by Neil Gaiman - a retelling of "The Three Billy Goats Gruff". I don't know how to describe the story, so I'm just gonna use the words from the editors. "In this version, there's only one 'billy goat,' and while it seems to be about escaping a troll, the story actually speaks of lost chances". It was really good.
And the last and probably my favourite story is A Sound, Like Angels Singing by Leonard Rysdyk - finding out which fairy tale this story actually retell was the fun of it. It was pure genius. Kind of sad and dark too.
There were also a few 4-star stories. The others were just okay. Some are funny and some are just gross because there were "child molesting, incest and rape".
podanotherjessi's review
dark
slow-paced
3.75
To be honest, I think the two editors of this collection had different ideas of what they wanted, and it made for a more eclectic collection than I prefer. Some whimsical, some dark, some close to the original, some barely recognizable. But overall, it's an interesting series of stories. As is usually the case, some are much better than others.
Like a Red, Red Rose: 4
The Moon is Drowning While I Sleep: 3.5
The Frog Prince: 2
Stalking Beans: 5
Snow-Drop: 5
Little Red: 3.5
I Shall Do Thee Mischief in the Woods: 1.5
The Root of the Matter: 4.5
The Princess in the Tower: 4
Persimmon: 2
Little Poucet: 2
The Changelings: 3.5
The Springfield Swans: 4
Troll Bridge: 3
A Sound Like Angels Singing: 4.5
Puss: 5
The Glass Casket: 4
Knives: 5
The Snow Queen: 3.5
Breadcrumbs and Stones: 4
Like a Red, Red Rose: 4
The Moon is Drowning While I Sleep: 3.5
The Frog Prince: 2
Stalking Beans: 5
Snow-Drop: 5
Little Red: 3.5
I Shall Do Thee Mischief in the Woods: 1.5
The Root of the Matter: 4.5
The Princess in the Tower: 4
Persimmon: 2
Little Poucet: 2
The Changelings: 3.5
The Springfield Swans: 4
Troll Bridge: 3
A Sound Like Angels Singing: 4.5
Puss: 5
The Glass Casket: 4
Knives: 5
The Snow Queen: 3.5
Breadcrumbs and Stones: 4
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Death of parent
Moderate: Animal cruelty and Racism
kikiandarrowsfishshelf's review
4.0
This is the first fairy tale collection that Datlow and Windling did. It includes several intersting and very dark (and adult) retelling of stories. Overall the collection is excellent. Stand-outs include Yolen's dark poem about Cinderella, "Stalking Beans" about Jack and the Beanstalk. A wonderful retelling of Puss in Boots, that harkens back to the older story that few people know.
raemundo's review
4.0
Some stories chilled my blood and made me shiver. Some left me very disappointed. I love fairytale retellings more than life, so for me it was definitely worth it, even though it took a long time.