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lausol's review against another edition
3.0
I was given an E-arc by Netgalley in exchange of my honest opinion.
I've always been obsessed with the fae as a child, so I was excited when I heard about this book and decided to request it. While I didn't love all of the stories, I appreciate that we have different lore from different parts of the world and new reinterpratations to the roles that the faes occupy in stories. My favourite short stories from this collection were "Or perhaps up" by C.S.E. Cooney and "The Loophole-A story of elsewhere" by L.Penelope.
I've always been obsessed with the fae as a child, so I was excited when I heard about this book and decided to request it. While I didn't love all of the stories, I appreciate that we have different lore from different parts of the world and new reinterpratations to the roles that the faes occupy in stories. My favourite short stories from this collection were "Or perhaps up" by C.S.E. Cooney and "The Loophole-A story of elsewhere" by L.Penelope.
librarianlayla's review against another edition
3.0
I received an eARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This had an eclectic group of short stories all themed with dark undercurrents. Some of those unfortunately didn't resonate with me, be it due to storyline or writing style.
But if I had to pick a stand out, for me it was See A Fine Lady by Seanan McGuire. It was funny, unexpected and relatable.
Fans of quirky, kooky and spooky short stories may find a hidden gem or two amongst this collection. From tooth fairies, to ghosts to unicorns, there is a story for everyone.
This had an eclectic group of short stories all themed with dark undercurrents. Some of those unfortunately didn't resonate with me, be it due to storyline or writing style.
But if I had to pick a stand out, for me it was See A Fine Lady by Seanan McGuire. It was funny, unexpected and relatable.
Fans of quirky, kooky and spooky short stories may find a hidden gem or two amongst this collection. From tooth fairies, to ghosts to unicorns, there is a story for everyone.
nessas_lair's review against another edition
4.0
Thank you Netgalley for the eARC! When I read the first story in this anthology I wasn't sure if I would enjoy the rest of the book but after that one story I loved it! This book is comprised of numerous tales about faeries and other mythical creatures. Each story was written in a very poetic style and I really enjoyed them. There was even one story that was in a "choose your own story" format which was fun to read but slightly more difficult when reading from an ebook format. Some of the stories were a little bit confusing because of the language and writing style but I enjoyed them nonetheless. The stories in this anthology were a bit darker than the usual fairytales you read but that's one thing I liked about them. I really enjoyed 'See a Fine Lady' and 'Colt's Tooth'.
moiraines's review against another edition
4.0
Rating: 4 stars.
This book was really unique. I enjoyed the fact that it featured different authors, and the stories worked well on their own but also together. They were also quite well mixed up so that a short story was followed by a long one which prevented boredom.
I also enjoyed the range of the stories, some were sad, some tragic, some funnier, so that really helped to keep me engaged as a reader.
My favorite story was "The Seal Woman's Tale", I loved the writing style, the flow of the story and I found it easy to connect to the characters.
One thing I found really unique was the story "Your two better halves", where you could build your own adventure. I've never read anything like that and it was really fun to experience and it really makes the book stand out from other fair folk-centered books.
This book was really unique. I enjoyed the fact that it featured different authors, and the stories worked well on their own but also together. They were also quite well mixed up so that a short story was followed by a long one which prevented boredom.
I also enjoyed the range of the stories, some were sad, some tragic, some funnier, so that really helped to keep me engaged as a reader.
My favorite story was "The Seal Woman's Tale", I loved the writing style, the flow of the story and I found it easy to connect to the characters.
One thing I found really unique was the story "Your two better halves", where you could build your own adventure. I've never read anything like that and it was really fun to experience and it really makes the book stand out from other fair folk-centered books.
itsallnovel's review against another edition
Thank you so much to net galley for sending me a copy of this book. I loved reading all these stories and reading about the real thing instead of little pixies. I would read this book again and I definitely want to check out some authors !
elgold02's review against another edition
4.0
Where the Veil is Thin is a wild ride from start to finish. This anthology features 14 tales about fairies from around the world. They range from frightening to funny, tragic to joyful. It's always difficult for me to rate anthologies because my thoughts on the individual stories always vary. I will break it down below.
1. The Tooth Fairies by Glenn Parris: 3 stars. This story gave the anthology a bit of a slow start, but it was a fascinating take on tooth fairies!
2. Glamour by Grey Yuen: 2 stars. This story honestly confused me!
3. See a Fine Lady by Seanan McGuire: 4 stars. This story hooked me and convinced me to keep reading. Super funny and honestly, relatable.
4. Or Perhaps Up by C.S.E. Cooney: 4 stars. A bit sad, a bit sweet, overall lovely.
5. Don't Let Go by Alana Joli Abbott: 5 stars. I think this was my favorite story in the anthology. I really connected with the characters!
6. The Loophole by L. Penelope: 4 stars. A bit violent, a bit fun, and a great read.
7. The Last Home of Master Tranquil Cloud by Minsoo Kang: 4 stars. A slow start but a great ending!
8. Your Two Better Halves: A Dream, with Fairies, in Spanglish by Carlos Hernandez: 3.5 stars. A fun choose-your-own-adventure!
9. Take Only Photos by Shanna Swendson: 4.5 stars. Super fun, I loved this story!
10. Old Twelvey Night by Gwendolyn N. Nix: 3.5 stars. A strange, dark, creative story.
11. The Seal Woman's Tale by Alethea Kontis: 3.5 stars. This story was really well done, and very sad. I wish it had been longer.
12. The Storyteller by David Bowles: 3.5 stars. A nice story about family.
13. Summer Skin by Zin E. Rocklyn: 2.5 stars. This story was creepy and strange and I was left quite confused. But honestly, that's probably the nature of stories about fair folk.
14. Colt's Tooth by Linda Robertson: 3.5 stars: This story genuinely was scary! Another fun take on the tooth fairy.
Overall, this anthology was a fun read and it introduced me to new authors. Anyone who is a fan of stories about fair folk should check out this book!
1. The Tooth Fairies by Glenn Parris: 3 stars. This story gave the anthology a bit of a slow start, but it was a fascinating take on tooth fairies!
2. Glamour by Grey Yuen: 2 stars. This story honestly confused me!
3. See a Fine Lady by Seanan McGuire: 4 stars. This story hooked me and convinced me to keep reading. Super funny and honestly, relatable.
4. Or Perhaps Up by C.S.E. Cooney: 4 stars. A bit sad, a bit sweet, overall lovely.
5. Don't Let Go by Alana Joli Abbott: 5 stars. I think this was my favorite story in the anthology. I really connected with the characters!
6. The Loophole by L. Penelope: 4 stars. A bit violent, a bit fun, and a great read.
7. The Last Home of Master Tranquil Cloud by Minsoo Kang: 4 stars. A slow start but a great ending!
8. Your Two Better Halves: A Dream, with Fairies, in Spanglish by Carlos Hernandez: 3.5 stars. A fun choose-your-own-adventure!
9. Take Only Photos by Shanna Swendson: 4.5 stars. Super fun, I loved this story!
10. Old Twelvey Night by Gwendolyn N. Nix: 3.5 stars. A strange, dark, creative story.
11. The Seal Woman's Tale by Alethea Kontis: 3.5 stars. This story was really well done, and very sad. I wish it had been longer.
12. The Storyteller by David Bowles: 3.5 stars. A nice story about family.
13. Summer Skin by Zin E. Rocklyn: 2.5 stars. This story was creepy and strange and I was left quite confused. But honestly, that's probably the nature of stories about fair folk.
14. Colt's Tooth by Linda Robertson: 3.5 stars: This story genuinely was scary! Another fun take on the tooth fairy.
Overall, this anthology was a fun read and it introduced me to new authors. Anyone who is a fan of stories about fair folk should check out this book!
kittylitterbreath's review against another edition
4.0
I requested this ARC because one of the contributing authors is Seanan McGuire (long live the queen), and of course, I enjoyed her contribution. But there were also a number of other authors whose contribution I liked so well that I'll now seek out their other works. I mean, vampire tooth fairies and drowning in a swan boat? Yes, please.
readrising's review against another edition
2.0
*I received this book in exchange for an honest review*
I really tried pushing through this book, /really/ tried, but unfortunately I ended up dropping it after four stories. The star rating is an average of the ones I did read. I went into this expecting whimsical modern fairy tales, magical encounters, and an enchanting atmosphere. Instead, I was bored.
I honestly requested this book because I love Seanan McGuire but even her short story left me unimpressed. I couldn't help but feel the prose was a little clumsy in most of what I read and the whole anthology came across more like a university writing society magazine than a work by professional authors.
Perhaps the stories I didn't get around to would have been more to my taste, but the first four felt like such a chore that I lost any desire to read the rest.
I really tried pushing through this book, /really/ tried, but unfortunately I ended up dropping it after four stories. The star rating is an average of the ones I did read. I went into this expecting whimsical modern fairy tales, magical encounters, and an enchanting atmosphere. Instead, I was bored.
I honestly requested this book because I love Seanan McGuire but even her short story left me unimpressed. I couldn't help but feel the prose was a little clumsy in most of what I read and the whole anthology came across more like a university writing society magazine than a work by professional authors.
Perhaps the stories I didn't get around to would have been more to my taste, but the first four felt like such a chore that I lost any desire to read the rest.
inkslinger's review against another edition
4.0
ARC provided by Outland Entertainment, Alana Joli Abbott, and Cerece Rennie Murphy via NetGalley. All opinions are mine and freely given.
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07-31: 'Where the Veil Is Thin' is a rather dark faerie anthology edited by Alana Joli Abbot and Cerece Rennie Murphy and featuring other names like Seanan McGuire, C.S.E. Cooney, David Bowles, Minsoo King, and many more.
The stories contained with in are far from the whimsical tales of children, but they're born of tales from around the world. Some benevolent, others.. well, some things just barely out of sight.. existing on the periphery of our world.. are best left there.
I eagerly began this collection, in part.. because I'd never read anything from Seanan McGuire, but I'd heard great things about her. The introduction at the forefront of the book.. however, from Jim C. Hines, absolutely set the atmosphere as he spoke of harmless stories we learn as children.. things like the trading of a tooth for money under our pillows in the night, then drew those ideas together with what many of us have become accustomed to reading as adults.. the risks included when we engage in a fairy bargain. And.. let's face it, that's exactly what the tooth fairy trade-off is.. a bargain.
It's funny that as I've read dark fae stories over the years and learned some of the rules, incur no debts with thanks and apologies, don't enter into bargains if you cannot fully see all the possibilities left out of the structure of wording, and never eat things provided by them.. especially across the veil in their world.. I never really sat back and connected them with those childhood experiences.
The first couple of stories were admittedly, mildly interesting perspectives on the old tales, but the anthology did indeed begin to pick up when I reached McGuire's offering.
'See A Fine Lady' was such an unorthodox story right from the start. Set in our very modern world, not just the urban space.. but literally a Target store, an employee sees a most extraordinary thing. Attempting to get closer, to convince herself she isn't crazy, things only become more bizarre. A seemingly simple decision made leads to a much more complex situation.
My favorite story in the collection is 'Or Perhaps Up' by C.S.E. Cooney. I had never heard of her before, but Wikipedia states she's best known for her fantasy poetry and short stories and has won the Rhysling Award for her poem 'The Sea King's Second Bride' and the World Fantasy Award--Collection for 'Bone Swans.
It feels almost tragic that I've never read anything penned by her before, as she writes with an ethereal mixture of hope and despair that tugs right at my heart. I seldom become so invested in a short story as I did with this one. She managed within just a few pages to make me care deeply for each of her characters and I love the world she created. This story and this author were an unexpected gem buried within the pages for me.
Another highlight was 'Don't Let Go' by Alana Joli Abbott which delves into a side of Nordic lore I don't see often and mixing it seamlessly with Celtic legends I knew well. The story which seems to start off so lightly, progresses into a darkness with a glimpse of shadow and then small, subtle movements until you are desperately hopeful and fearful at once.
There are plenty of wonderful stories in this anthology and if you enjoy short stories, you should definitely pick it up. I have a couple of others that really stood out for me.. like 'The Loophole' by L. Penelope and 'The Seal-Woman's Tale' by Alethea Kontis. One is surprisingly sweet and the other borders on the horrible in spots, but both will leave an indelible impression on the reader.. and I loved them.
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