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space_gaudet's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
wertofu's review against another edition
4.25
Märchenretellings but make it trans. Not groundbreaking but lovely
dondashall's review
5.0
This is one of the most inventive books I've read in a long time. So it takes that "no man of woman born can kill me" from Shakespeare you know and it puts it into a context of protagonists who are trans, nonbinary, genderfluid, uses neopronouns, etc. as they break that limitation in at least one way. Not all stories center around that killing thing, one features a "sword in the stone" type of scenario with a trans woman protagonist and others. Most of these stories I would be hard pressed to even call retellings because most I do not recognize the source, but they are very good. I took a long time to finish it reading a bit here and there, but fantastic.
sarahsupastar's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
sarahfires's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
whatsmacksaid's review
5.0
This was SO lovely, honestly one of the best fairy tale retellings I’ve read in years. Each story subverts the classic gender roles of a well-known fairy tale, and the subversions are incredibly clever. I think I enjoyed the the eponymous story the most—it left my heart feeling so full—but I don’t have a least favorite, either. They're all wonderful.
achilleanshelves's review against another edition
4.0
(~4.5)
The first couple of stories in this were a little lacking for me, however, the rest were absolutely spectacular. I especially loved the titular story and the Sleeping Beauty twist story. The normalisation of Trans and Non-Binary people (and neopronouns) in stories is essential and this collection of short stories is a stride in a wonderful direction!
The first couple of stories in this were a little lacking for me, however, the rest were absolutely spectacular. I especially loved the titular story and the Sleeping Beauty twist story. The normalisation of Trans and Non-Binary people (and neopronouns) in stories is essential and this collection of short stories is a stride in a wonderful direction!
lezreadalot's review against another edition
3.0
A solid collection of stories. Made me starry-eyed from the beginning because whoa, a whole collection of stories where everyone is trans and there's no tragedy for tragedy's sake? RAD. And it's fantasy, one of my favourite genres, and I'm always complaining about the lack of queer people in fantasy so this was catnip to me.
While well-written, none of the stories really stood out to me though! The way each prophecy was subverted was kind of predictable (except for one of two that took me by surprise) but still entertaining. The characters were all very cute. I ADORED the princess in 'Daughter of Kings' and I'd love to read about the further adventures of the protag and the guardswoman from 'King's Favour'. And I liked each individual story a good bit! I was just never wowed.
Would still recommend this tho.
While well-written, none of the stories really stood out to me though! The way each prophecy was subverted was kind of predictable (except for one of two that took me by surprise) but still entertaining. The characters were all very cute. I ADORED the princess in 'Daughter of Kings' and I'd love to read about the further adventures of the protag and the guardswoman from 'King's Favour'. And I liked each individual story a good bit! I was just never wowed.
Would still recommend this tho.
drjagrier's review
4.0
I'm glad I read this book. It recasts well known tropes and fairy tales through a gender flexible lens. The writing is solid, and the stories important. If you are looking for a positive view of gender in speculative fiction, this is for you. Also, the author is well worth supporting for their excellent scholarship and writing that deconstructs popular literature.
As far as difficulties, I found the prose to be quite dense. Much detail, when I'm something of a plot person. There was one story I couldn't finish because it moved too slow for too little emotional payoff. I was often left sad when stories ended before I felt the needed closure with the characters. Maybe that's a positive because I clearly liked the characters and wanted more time with them.
As far as positives, the stories were engaging and the characters quite relatable. It was very good to exercise the mind and the inherent paradigms in oneself by having pronouns change from story to story. Some stories actually had surprises in them, which is hard for me to find since I'm well versed in the genre. I was emotionally invested in several of the stories.
Overall, this one is worth your time and money. I will be buying more from this author.
As far as difficulties, I found the prose to be quite dense. Much detail, when I'm something of a plot person. There was one story I couldn't finish because it moved too slow for too little emotional payoff. I was often left sad when stories ended before I felt the needed closure with the characters. Maybe that's a positive because I clearly liked the characters and wanted more time with them.
As far as positives, the stories were engaging and the characters quite relatable. It was very good to exercise the mind and the inherent paradigms in oneself by having pronouns change from story to story. Some stories actually had surprises in them, which is hard for me to find since I'm well versed in the genre. I was emotionally invested in several of the stories.
Overall, this one is worth your time and money. I will be buying more from this author.
taxideadaisy's review
4.0
Classic fantasy, including revisited fairy tales, can be a charming genre, or it can go very wrong. Fortunately Mardoll generally charms.
You could say that these are fantasy/fairy tales with a queer theme… or you could say that they are classic fantasy/fairy tales that happen to have unexpected gender details. For the most part I would say the latter, with the bonus that those unexpected details may turn out to be critical to the happy endings – once we work them out. I also never realized how very many times pronouns appear in casual fiction – until suddenly they were unfamiliar or semi-familiar neopronouns. That was definitely an eye-opener.
My favorites are probably Tangled Nets and The Wish-Giver. I found Early to Rise to be the least compelling.
While these stories were written FOR the LGBTQIA+ community, they can also be immensely beneficial to, and enjoyed by, cisgender and/or straight readers. As with other kinds of fiction, these stories allow us briefly to inhabit selves other than our own. As at least one of Mardoll’s characters observes (and I’ve long thought), one doesn’t have to understand something to acknowledge its truth. There are truths here that many of us have never encountered before, and these stories are a charming way to meet them.
You could say that these are fantasy/fairy tales with a queer theme… or you could say that they are classic fantasy/fairy tales that happen to have unexpected gender details. For the most part I would say the latter, with the bonus that those unexpected details may turn out to be critical to the happy endings – once we work them out. I also never realized how very many times pronouns appear in casual fiction – until suddenly they were unfamiliar or semi-familiar neopronouns. That was definitely an eye-opener.
My favorites are probably Tangled Nets and The Wish-Giver. I found Early to Rise to be the least compelling.
While these stories were written FOR the LGBTQIA+ community, they can also be immensely beneficial to, and enjoyed by, cisgender and/or straight readers. As with other kinds of fiction, these stories allow us briefly to inhabit selves other than our own. As at least one of Mardoll’s characters observes (and I’ve long thought), one doesn’t have to understand something to acknowledge its truth. There are truths here that many of us have never encountered before, and these stories are a charming way to meet them.