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mxsallybend's review
2.0
Really only 2 stories I was interested in, and (sadly) neither worked for me. Snow Fox was rather silly, with no real drama, and no chance to explore the characters, while At Her Service just rubbed me the wrong way, feeling rather cruel.
broomesbooks's review
3.0
I was a little underwhelmed with this volume of fairy tale retellings. I loved the first group of stories so much that I was a little disappointed. None of the stories stood out to me. They were a decent grouping and they represented a large spectrum of sexualities, genders and personalities. Which is what I love about these anthologies, the variety you get with it.
ruthsic's review
3.0
This anthology of queer retellings of fairytales had me quite interested, but the reality is that I was not very impressed by it. There are 8 stories of varying lengths and it would be better to get into them one by one (warnings mentioned below):
Coming Home:
Modern Cinderella retelling but from the point of view of the 'Prince Charming'. It was cute and I loved the m/m romance. It mostly stays true to the original, swapping out Cinderella for a guy, and the 'shoe' is not really the thing that brings them together but a coffee shop and a phone
Snow Fox:
Ah, this one had potential - it had a black trans girl as the Snow White, but the villain and the whole circumstance are so ridiculous, combined with the terrible writing, that I was cringing hard. The story is set in modern times, with the rivalry being over Instagram popularity, not beauty. It does have a cute f/f romance, though, with a paramedic as the love interest.
Deathless:
Oh, this one was nice. It had Ivan fall in love with Koschei, and having to decide between duty and love. And a Koschei who was longing for an end from his immortality. The ending was expected and a little cliche, but I'll take it.
At Her Service:
Another Cinderella retelling, but with an f/f romance that hints at a dom-sub relationship? Anyway, I am still trying to figure out how much of it felt abusive. Also, minus points for fatmisia.
Shattered Glass:
A good dystopic retelling of The Snow Queen, but the world-building was confusing and it took too long to even work out what was happening. Warning for gore, though!
Finding Aurora:
This one was my favorite of the bunch - it has a bisexual mage helping out the Prince to save Aurora. But on the way, the brambles are much more than thorns, and they have to wake and reunite a family.
Master Thief:
This was Puss in Boots, I am guessing? A thief sets out to steal the heart of his childhood friend, a squire in the nearby manor. Lots of challenges, and some sexy times. But writing was sub par.
The True Love Curse:
I would have loved this 12 Dancing Princesses retelling more if the romance had been developed better. Otherwise, it is still a good story of the true love trope.
Overall, it was an okay read, some stories were good, but some not so much.
Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review from NineStar Press, via Netgalley.
Coming Home:
Modern Cinderella retelling but from the point of view of the 'Prince Charming'. It was cute and I loved the m/m romance. It mostly stays true to the original, swapping out Cinderella for a guy, and the 'shoe' is not really the thing that brings them together but a coffee shop and a phone
Snow Fox:
Ah, this one had potential - it had a black trans girl as the Snow White, but the villain and the whole circumstance are so ridiculous, combined with the terrible writing, that I was cringing hard. The story is set in modern times, with the rivalry being over Instagram popularity, not beauty. It does have a cute f/f romance, though, with a paramedic as the love interest.
Deathless:
Oh, this one was nice. It had Ivan fall in love with Koschei, and having to decide between duty and love. And a Koschei who was longing for an end from his immortality. The ending was expected and a little cliche, but I'll take it.
At Her Service:
Another Cinderella retelling, but with an f/f romance that hints at a dom-sub relationship? Anyway, I am still trying to figure out how much of it felt abusive. Also, minus points for fatmisia.
Shattered Glass:
A good dystopic retelling of The Snow Queen, but the world-building was confusing and it took too long to even work out what was happening. Warning for gore, though!
Finding Aurora:
This one was my favorite of the bunch - it has a bisexual mage helping out the Prince to save Aurora. But on the way, the brambles are much more than thorns, and they have to wake and reunite a family.
Master Thief:
This was Puss in Boots, I am guessing? A thief sets out to steal the heart of his childhood friend, a squire in the nearby manor. Lots of challenges, and some sexy times. But writing was sub par.
The True Love Curse:
I would have loved this 12 Dancing Princesses retelling more if the romance had been developed better. Otherwise, it is still a good story of the true love trope.
Overall, it was an okay read, some stories were good, but some not so much.
Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review from NineStar Press, via Netgalley.
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