Scan barcode
babyleo's review
5.0
Note: I was provided with a copy of this book for review.
Twice Upon a Time is an anthology of fairytale retellings and cover everything from the Grimm Brothers, Hans Christian Anderson, fables, myths, as well as numerous folklores. Each fairy tale has been interpreted and retold differently and the myriad of authors who contribute have created stories that reimagine fairy tales in beautiful, unimaginable, and captivating ways.
What is wonderful about this collection is each story takes a different approach; while some may stay true to the darker or original story in many ways, others deviate completely and have been reworked into completely new stories that are sometimes a world away from their originals. In doing so, there are delightful stories about romance, magic, and true love alongside stories in other worlds and battles with giants in space, hidden dangers, wicked witches, or dark bloodthirsty creatures from the deep. But no matter how much a story seems to stray from the primary story, there is always an element of the original under the surface, connecting its origins back to the well known classic and keeping the fairy tale alive.
Every story is different and there is no doubting the creativity and imagination of the authors to recreate fairy tales and fables in such ways. Everything from The Grimm Brothers to and fables and myths in-between is covered, some easily recognisable others not so much, though this all depends on your own knowledge of fables and fairy tales.
There are a few peculiar ones and certainly not all will be to everyone's liking, but with so many stories and numerous styles of story there are bound to be more than enough to satisfy every lover of fables and fairy tales alike. Even if not every story is appealing, there is no denying the work and creativity that went into each one of these stories. The approach each author has taken to these stories is clever and commendable, and they are certainly stories you can return to and reread over and over again. I really hope that one day this anthology is recognised as a great addition to the ever growing collection of fairy tale retelling.
A longer version of this review was posted on my blog https://lostinagoodbk.wordpress.com/2015/03/20/twice-upon-a-time-fairytale-folklore-myth-reimagined-remastered-edited-by-joshua-allen-mercier/
Twice Upon a Time is an anthology of fairytale retellings and cover everything from the Grimm Brothers, Hans Christian Anderson, fables, myths, as well as numerous folklores. Each fairy tale has been interpreted and retold differently and the myriad of authors who contribute have created stories that reimagine fairy tales in beautiful, unimaginable, and captivating ways.
What is wonderful about this collection is each story takes a different approach; while some may stay true to the darker or original story in many ways, others deviate completely and have been reworked into completely new stories that are sometimes a world away from their originals. In doing so, there are delightful stories about romance, magic, and true love alongside stories in other worlds and battles with giants in space, hidden dangers, wicked witches, or dark bloodthirsty creatures from the deep. But no matter how much a story seems to stray from the primary story, there is always an element of the original under the surface, connecting its origins back to the well known classic and keeping the fairy tale alive.
Every story is different and there is no doubting the creativity and imagination of the authors to recreate fairy tales and fables in such ways. Everything from The Grimm Brothers to and fables and myths in-between is covered, some easily recognisable others not so much, though this all depends on your own knowledge of fables and fairy tales.
There are a few peculiar ones and certainly not all will be to everyone's liking, but with so many stories and numerous styles of story there are bound to be more than enough to satisfy every lover of fables and fairy tales alike. Even if not every story is appealing, there is no denying the work and creativity that went into each one of these stories. The approach each author has taken to these stories is clever and commendable, and they are certainly stories you can return to and reread over and over again. I really hope that one day this anthology is recognised as a great addition to the ever growing collection of fairy tale retelling.
A longer version of this review was posted on my blog https://lostinagoodbk.wordpress.com/2015/03/20/twice-upon-a-time-fairytale-folklore-myth-reimagined-remastered-edited-by-joshua-allen-mercier/
prioryofprose's review against another edition
5.0
A new published friend asked me to review her short story in the anthology Twice Upon A Time and I could not turn her down. I am so proud of AJ Bauers and all the work she has done in the past year to achieve her dreams! She moved to a brand new state and started going to school to pursue her dream of creative writing - leaving her family, friends and a career behind. She is already making strides with her first story published in Twice Upon a Time!
Likes:
This book is amazing. The anthology has so many amazing re-tellings of classic fairy tales. Plus, with the amazing collection of authors and writings, this book has something for everyone.
The fairy tales go beyond your Disney" classics, spinning off the true Grimm's tales and other folklore pasted down by the generations.
The stories also span all genres - young adult, sci-fi, historical, contemporary, supernatural and even some post Apocalypse goodness!
Specifically for AJ Bauer's story, it is a re-telling of Jack and the Bean Stalk in the style of a space opera. I love the dry wit of Jack, especially as he starts the story writing his own eulogy. AJ Bauer creates a masterful world where Jack, the somewhat misfit - the nicknamed "Screw-Up" has to step up and save the world - or at least his little part of it.
Gripes:
There is nothing to gripe about, if you don't love one story, move onto the next! The book is pretty large, so I would almost suggest the ebook version just for ease of portability and lack of hand cramps!
For more reviews visit
A Flurry of Ponderings
Likes:
This book is amazing. The anthology has so many amazing re-tellings of classic fairy tales. Plus, with the amazing collection of authors and writings, this book has something for everyone.
The fairy tales go beyond your Disney" classics, spinning off the true Grimm's tales and other folklore pasted down by the generations.
The stories also span all genres - young adult, sci-fi, historical, contemporary, supernatural and even some post Apocalypse goodness!
Specifically for AJ Bauer's story, it is a re-telling of Jack and the Bean Stalk in the style of a space opera. I love the dry wit of Jack, especially as he starts the story writing his own eulogy. AJ Bauer creates a masterful world where Jack, the somewhat misfit - the nicknamed "Screw-Up" has to step up and save the world - or at least his little part of it.
Gripes:
There is nothing to gripe about, if you don't love one story, move onto the next! The book is pretty large, so I would almost suggest the ebook version just for ease of portability and lack of hand cramps!
For more reviews visit
A Flurry of Ponderings
More...