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rubyweapon8503's review
2.0
There were a few stories that stood out which I enjoyed or found interesting: Ardour, I'm Here, A Day in the Life of Half of Rumpelstiltskin, The Mermaid in the Tree, Catskin, The Color Master, Bluebeard in Ireland, Orange, Psyche's Dark Night. The rest were a complete slog.
azzageddi's review
Too many stories of darkness, abuse, trauma…a handful of stories along these lines is fine, but 40 is overload.
Graphic: Abandonment, Violence, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, and Physical abuse
thejejo's review
4.0
3.5 rounded to 4. A collection of fairy tales reimagined, they were strange and entertaining.
aquint's review
4.0
I'm giving this book 4 stars because overall I really enjoyed it. There were, as usual with a collection of stories, a few pretty awful ones.
lucysmom17's review
4.0
As with all compilations, there are good stories, and bad stories, but a few in this collection were truly great (With Hair of Handspun Gold and The Color Master we’re my favorites). As others have said, there are a few that seem too “artsy” or pretentious. Sure, ok, but nothing is stopping you from skipping on to the next one. Would recommend to any fantasy/fairy tale lover with the caveat: they’re not all about infanticide and cannibalism ;)
eletricjb's review
3.0
I think my favorite part of this entire collection was Gregory Maguire's foreword. But "The Color Master" was good too.
rachellynnmcguire's review
These stories are either too bleak or too boring. I like The Language of Thorns by Leigh Bardugo much better. That's the vibe I want in fairy tales. Harsh without being despair inducing.
juffnstuff's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
4.25
Graphic: Death, Rape, and Adult/minor relationship
missbookiverse's review
2.0
I can't get over how disappointing this was. I love fairy tales and retellings of them, this book had my name all over it, but out of the 40 stories I only really liked 6. Most of them were too gritty and bleak, often vulgar, there was nothing magical or warm, something I associate with fairy tales, about them. Some of them were too confusing and others simply boring. If you enjoy retellings in the vein of [a:Michael Cunningham|1432|Michael Cunningham|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1398891471p2/1432.jpg], you might like it more than I did.
The 6 stories I found enjoyable:
- Baba Iaga and the Pelican Child by Joy Williams
- The Erlking by Sarah Shun-Lien Bynum
- Dapplegrim by Brian Evenson (my absolute favorite)
- Ther Mermaid in the Tree by Timothy Schaffert
- The Color Master by Aimee Bender
- First Day of Snow by Naoko Awa
The 6 stories I found enjoyable:
- Baba Iaga and the Pelican Child by Joy Williams
- The Erlking by Sarah Shun-Lien Bynum
- Dapplegrim by Brian Evenson (my absolute favorite)
- Ther Mermaid in the Tree by Timothy Schaffert
- The Color Master by Aimee Bender
- First Day of Snow by Naoko Awa