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eponineeurydice's review against another edition
4.0
3.75 stars. This was captivating, enchanting, utterly creative. I'm a simple girl, when I see "retellings," I read the book. And this one didn't disappoint! It was full of magic and creatures and love and fear and strange, outlandish tales that somehow worked perfectly. Would highly recommend if you want to read fantasy but are too intimidated/busy to dive into a ginormous 1,000 page epic fantasy. It has the most wonderful fairy tale vibes, but also has quite a range of stories, from video games to palace walls to the sun and moon and singing swans, and of course, some boarding school drama and contemporary charm. It was just very diverse, in characters and also in storytelling; it was so fun to hear so many different author's voices! I really really liked this :)
keitacolada's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
alivaster's review against another edition
4.0
I want to say that each story in this short story collection was engaging from start to finish, but like most anthologies, there are ones that are far superior and really only two that fell short. However, I will say that they were mostly all really good retellings of Asian myths and legends that are less mainstream, though it does include some popular creatures such as the kitsune. True to its title, it really does draw from all over Asia. This was a great introduction to other cultures and the writing overall was engaging and immersive. There are some creepy additions in this collection, but you can just skip over them easily if you need.
timinbc's review against another edition
4.0
Enjoyable. Easy to read, not dumbed down for YA.
In judging each story's writing, I feel a little limited by not knowing the style of the original, and to what extent the author is imitating or acknowledging it.
There's a certain consistency through the set; I can't explain it but it's there. That's a good thing.
It's quite weird to be reading this alternately with chapters of Stephen Fry's new book on Greek mythology. Reminds us that evry culture has a rich set of folktales, and they run in parallel surprisingly often.
Recommended as a nice read between heavier books.
In judging each story's writing, I feel a little limited by not knowing the style of the original, and to what extent the author is imitating or acknowledging it.
There's a certain consistency through the set; I can't explain it but it's there. That's a good thing.
It's quite weird to be reading this alternately with chapters of Stephen Fry's new book on Greek mythology. Reminds us that evry culture has a rich set of folktales, and they run in parallel surprisingly often.
Recommended as a nice read between heavier books.
cluelesswonder's review against another edition
I’ve never been a fan of short stories unless they are all somewhat connected. I keep trying though.
mysticdreamer's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
cedartonk's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
syangaskhan's review against another edition
5.0
Some of these I liked a lot and some of them weren't my style, but overall a really solid collection of short stories. My favorite was Bullet, Butterfly.
rattification's review against another edition
lighthearted
reflective
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
A lovely collection of short stories!