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lily_peach's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
booklvrkat's review against another edition
4.0
Let's see. Fairy Tales. Mystery. Romance. Oh yeah, this had all the hot buttons for me. What a great recommendation and I'm ready for the next.
If that description doesn't work for you, meet Tess Little. FKA: Little Red Riding Hood. The Big Bad Wolf is here, The Sandman, a Grimm Reaper, Cinderella & Juliet. We're living in a world called The Here and Now, and the Ordinaries (that's us) can't find out about the Fairy Tales. Tess is an Enforcer. She keeps the Tales in line. Or she tries to.
If that description doesn't work for you, meet Tess Little. FKA: Little Red Riding Hood. The Big Bad Wolf is here, The Sandman, a Grimm Reaper, Cinderella & Juliet. We're living in a world called The Here and Now, and the Ordinaries (that's us) can't find out about the Fairy Tales. Tess is an Enforcer. She keeps the Tales in line. Or she tries to.
11b5's review
3.0
This book was a nice change of pace, it was funny, and the more modern twist on some tales was different from some other books.
Although you can figure out the mystery before the characters, it was still fun and light read.
Although you can figure out the mystery before the characters, it was still fun and light read.
innae's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I loved this tale! A fairytale retelling ..sort of. I enjoyed the world building, and the fact many of the characters are already familiar. I am adding other transplanted tales to my wish list.
berls's review against another edition
5.0
I don't do review tours very often anymore because it stresses me out to have to read a book by a certain deadline. But when I saw this one come through from Caffeinated PR, I couldn't resist. And I'm really REALLY glad I was weak. Because it was SO GOOD!
If you like retellings this may / may not be for you because while the characters are 99% characters - or, as they call themselves, Tales - from Fairy Tales or Literary Fiction, they live in our world now and their "official" story informs their character but it is not who they are now. And I personally loved that element, this idea that given the freedom to write their own stories, characters might choose a different life than the one their writers gave to them. I expected only fairy tales, because the main character is Red from Little Red Ridding Hood, so imagine my delight when my favorite literary couple of all time appeared! Yep, Elizabeth and Fitzwilliam Darcy from Pride and Prejudice. They weren't the only literary characters, (for example, Vlad and Juliet make appearances) although fairy tales do dominate.
As I said, the main character is Red (that's her nickname, but I honestly can't remember what her given name is... Tess? IDK, not important really) and I loved everything about her. First off, I loved that she's kind of running from her story and trying to build her own narrative. I loved her relationship with her Grandmother (who is also a FANTASTIC character). Red is an Enforcer for the Tales (kind of like a Detective) and she reports to Al (ahem, Aladdin). He assigns her a case where Tales are getting torn to shreds by some sort of monster; assigned to her because the three most likely culprits are her exes. Fun, right?
And then she's assigned to work with the other main character, Nate - who is a reaper. Death himself as a partner. And if you've read many books with Death/Reapers, they have this tendency to be darkishly handsome and melt-worthy. Nate does not disappoint, although he's considerably sweeter than you'd expect Death to be. And not bad in the kitchen LOL. And as you can imagine there is romance - especially because Red has quite the romantic history and entanglements. While the action and mystery are the stars of the story, you won't be disappointed by the romance either.
I loved watching them solve the case and the way knowledge of the different stories and characters intermixed with being in the Ordinary (what they call us humans) World. I was on my toes the entire time trying to figure things out. I had lots of good guesses and while I was close, I wasn't 100% correct because I missed a couple clues. Those are the best detective books for me - when I could have solved it but didn't because there were enough red herrings to throw me off.
The mystery and initial problem are wrapped up very nicely, but there's still a larger problem at hand when the book concludes and I am eager to read the next book to see how things continue!
If you like retellings this may / may not be for you because while the characters are 99% characters - or, as they call themselves, Tales - from Fairy Tales or Literary Fiction, they live in our world now and their "official" story informs their character but it is not who they are now. And I personally loved that element, this idea that given the freedom to write their own stories, characters might choose a different life than the one their writers gave to them. I expected only fairy tales, because the main character is Red from Little Red Ridding Hood, so imagine my delight when my favorite literary couple of all time appeared! Yep, Elizabeth and Fitzwilliam Darcy from Pride and Prejudice. They weren't the only literary characters, (for example, Vlad and Juliet make appearances) although fairy tales do dominate.
As I said, the main character is Red (that's her nickname, but I honestly can't remember what her given name is... Tess? IDK, not important really) and I loved everything about her. First off, I loved that she's kind of running from her story and trying to build her own narrative. I loved her relationship with her Grandmother (who is also a FANTASTIC character). Red is an Enforcer for the Tales (kind of like a Detective) and she reports to Al (ahem, Aladdin). He assigns her a case where Tales are getting torn to shreds by some sort of monster; assigned to her because the three most likely culprits are her exes. Fun, right?
And then she's assigned to work with the other main character, Nate - who is a reaper. Death himself as a partner. And if you've read many books with Death/Reapers, they have this tendency to be darkishly handsome and melt-worthy. Nate does not disappoint, although he's considerably sweeter than you'd expect Death to be. And not bad in the kitchen LOL. And as you can imagine there is romance - especially because Red has quite the romantic history and entanglements. While the action and mystery are the stars of the story, you won't be disappointed by the romance either.
I loved watching them solve the case and the way knowledge of the different stories and characters intermixed with being in the Ordinary (what they call us humans) World. I was on my toes the entire time trying to figure things out. I had lots of good guesses and while I was close, I wasn't 100% correct because I missed a couple clues. Those are the best detective books for me - when I could have solved it but didn't because there were enough red herrings to throw me off.
The mystery and initial problem are wrapped up very nicely, but there's still a larger problem at hand when the book concludes and I am eager to read the next book to see how things continue!
sambo_0103's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
book_whispers's review against another edition
3.0
Red was a title I put on the back burner of my TBR, in fact I hadn't even bothered to add it! It looked like another random romance title from the cover. (Yes, I haven't learned my lesson yet. So judgmental.) Then I saw a friend reading the third book, and it hit me, “Fairy tale beings brought to our modern day world?” Yep. Sold. Done. And, so done.
A few friends asked me if Red was a rip-off of Once Upon a Time, and I can truthfully say that Red ripped nothing off. There are plenty of titles where make-believe legends come to the modern world. Red hasn't stolen anything, in fact I think it's the best thing to come out with that kind of story concept in a while. Just think about it Red Riding Hood is a kick butt heroine, Snow White owns a brothel, Cinderella is in a loveless and heart breaking marriage, Boy Blue is quite the yummy mobster, Dracula is present in modern day hunky vampire fashion. That's not all readers! Other stories besides fairy tales have been pulled in. Austin characters (hello the Darcy's anyone!), Shakespeare, and more!
This is a debut for not just the series, but the author. There's some shaky ground ahead for the first bit. Right now I'm going to say this to save readers some confusion. No regular humans, or Ordinaries, do not realize that Tales, people from the stories, are among them. At first that's really clear, then all of a sudden Red's grandma has a TV show. And she's interviewing Peter Pan and Wendy? Um . . . muddling the lines there. There are some details that aren't thought out all the way, or explained. That was a little hard for me to stomach. Because I'm a reader who NEEDS the world to be flawless. Despite that, Red was still an addiction.
The twists of what really happened for each fairy tale story is awesome! Reds “true” story was wonderful and I loved how fierce Red was. She's a member of FMA, or Fairytale management Authority. Law enforcement for the Literary and Nursery Rhyme characters. They help them with character protection and placement adjusting to the real world. And dealing with them when they get naughty. Red's latest case leads her into dealing with her exes. The Big Bad Wolf, Dracula, and a surprise character from a Shakespeare play that I'll let readers find out about. What I loved is that Red has had a dating past. She's not ashamed of it, she can have sex and not be a slut! Thank you. (Sorry I read too many books in a row like that.) She might have iffy taste in men—well except for the yummy Boy Blue. This story is gritty and dangerous. No one is safe. The “master minds” behind the evil was clear to me the instant I met the characters.
Sexual Content: Sexual humor, sex, but nothing too there.
3/5- Adored it, just a few minor details held it back.
Originally posted at Book Whispers.
A few friends asked me if Red was a rip-off of Once Upon a Time, and I can truthfully say that Red ripped nothing off. There are plenty of titles where make-believe legends come to the modern world. Red hasn't stolen anything, in fact I think it's the best thing to come out with that kind of story concept in a while. Just think about it Red Riding Hood is a kick butt heroine, Snow White owns a brothel, Cinderella is in a loveless and heart breaking marriage, Boy Blue is quite the yummy mobster, Dracula is present in modern day hunky vampire fashion. That's not all readers! Other stories besides fairy tales have been pulled in. Austin characters (hello the Darcy's anyone!), Shakespeare, and more!
This is a debut for not just the series, but the author. There's some shaky ground ahead for the first bit. Right now I'm going to say this to save readers some confusion. No regular humans, or Ordinaries, do not realize that Tales, people from the stories, are among them. At first that's really clear, then all of a sudden Red's grandma has a TV show. And she's interviewing Peter Pan and Wendy? Um . . . muddling the lines there. There are some details that aren't thought out all the way, or explained. That was a little hard for me to stomach. Because I'm a reader who NEEDS the world to be flawless. Despite that, Red was still an addiction.
The twists of what really happened for each fairy tale story is awesome! Reds “true” story was wonderful and I loved how fierce Red was. She's a member of FMA, or Fairytale management Authority. Law enforcement for the Literary and Nursery Rhyme characters. They help them with character protection and placement adjusting to the real world. And dealing with them when they get naughty. Red's latest case leads her into dealing with her exes. The Big Bad Wolf, Dracula, and a surprise character from a Shakespeare play that I'll let readers find out about. What I loved is that Red has had a dating past. She's not ashamed of it, she can have sex and not be a slut! Thank you. (Sorry I read too many books in a row like that.) She might have iffy taste in men—well except for the yummy Boy Blue. This story is gritty and dangerous. No one is safe. The “master minds” behind the evil was clear to me the instant I met the characters.
Sexual Content: Sexual humor, sex, but nothing too there.
3/5- Adored it, just a few minor details held it back.
Originally posted at Book Whispers.
booklovinmamas's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
The first time I read Red by Kate SeRine was ten years ago. It was the first book I ever read based on fairy tale characters transplanted into the real world. Now, ten years later, it’s celebrating its Tenth Anniversary. I had to do a reread of it for the anniversary. It was like reading it for the first time again because I couldn’t remember everything in the book.
Storyline/My Thoughts: Tess Little (who we would know as Little Red Riding Hood by the fairytales), but in the book Red, she is not the little red riding hood we all know. She goes by the nickname “Red,” and she’s an Enforcer for the Fairytale Management Authority. See, the tales were sent over to the real world by a haywire spell, and FMA has to keep the “tales” in check from the humans. When there is a “tale” crime, Red is there to figure out what happened. Unfortunately, Red finds herself in a world of mess. She ends up having people she once loved, in the mince of the biggest crime ever. Someone is killing off tales, and Red is stuck in the middle of it because one of three ex-lovers may be the prime suspect. She is forced to find out which one did it. She also is dealing with someone following her for some reason, and she’s not sure why and it may end up getting her killed.
She has teamed up with Nate (otherwise known as Death because he is a Reaper) on the case. Nate wanted Tess specifically to the case since she knows the suspects. He also has other reasons, but he doesn’t tell Red until late in the book.
I LOVED the characters, Red and Nate. Seriously can I have Nate? He is dark, dreamy, and sexy. =) He is always at the right time and moment for Red in the story, too. Red’s character had some kick-butt qualities to her. She was not like the fairy tale Red Reading Hood we are used to in the fairytale. There were moments in the book that drove me crazy about Red, though. When Nate tells her the truth, she freaks out and ends up running away from him. She could have handled it better.
This book brings you the fairy tales from the dark side. Kate SeRine kept me intrigued whenever she introduced a new fairytale character in the book.
You’ll read about Snow White, Cinderella, Prince Charming, Juliet, Seth the werewolf (from little red riding hood), the Sandman, and so many others. Be prepared because this book does give you fairy tales that we are used to reading for the characters because good characters are actually evil and vice versa.
I enjoyed reading Red and give it four stars. I look forward to rereading the next book. I liked how Kate SeRine kept me turning (swiping) the pages to find out what happens next in Red. Kate has a unique writing style, and she has a wicked ‘cool’ imagination (taking my daughter’s saying).
Standalone or Part of Series: It’s part of the Transplanted Tales series. Each book has different characters, but previous characters are mentioned.
Trope(s): Fairy Tale Retellings
Would I recommend this book? Yes. I recommend this book to urban fantasy and paranormal romance lovers out there. If you want the dark side of the fairy tale world, then you definitely will enjoy this book.
melodicfate's review against another edition
4.0
This book was an interesting story. It was police procedural, with fairytale characters. It was also urban fantasy, as it took place in Chicago. I knew that I had to read it as soon as I saw the synopsis for it, and I'm happy to say that I made a good choice.
Red was a good main character. I loved her dedication to the fairytale side of the police. Her toughness and strength were also good qualities that I admired. However, she definitely had some not-so-fine moments, and made some poor choices. Her past featured heavily in the story, and I liked seeing her deal with that. Even though it did make me mad sometimes, and I thought she needed to stop running away so much.
The side characters in this story were interesting. Nate was my favorite, by far. I loved how he was a detective, but he was also Death. It certainly made for some interesting situations, as his and Red's relationship grew. I felt so bad for him, because it was obvious how much he cared about Red. I loved Gran, and thought she was a great person for taking Red in. We also met THE Elizabeth Bennet and Darcy from Pride and Prejudice, and I couldn't wait to see how the author would write them. I thought Elizabeth was a wonderful best friend to Red, and that Darcy was a bit proud, though of course I thought that. ;)
The plot of this book was a mix of mystery and romance. Red and Nate had to figure out who was killing fairytale characters all throughout Chicago, and Red's past loves were some of the suspects. I loved how this gave a sense of mystery, as well as let us learn about Red's character.. I liked the action and suspense of trying to figure out who was committing the crimes, and thought it made for a good story.
Overall, I really liked this book. The mystery was intriguing, as was following the story from a fairytale character's point of view. Of course, it felt less fairytale and more police procedural, and just a touch of urban fantasy. But then, that's how I like my books. My only complaint would be some of the more questionable things that Red did, but I got over them, and would definitely recommend the story to anyone looking for something original and different.
Red was a good main character. I loved her dedication to the fairytale side of the police. Her toughness and strength were also good qualities that I admired. However, she definitely had some not-so-fine moments, and made some poor choices. Her past featured heavily in the story, and I liked seeing her deal with that. Even though it did make me mad sometimes, and I thought she needed to stop running away so much.
The side characters in this story were interesting. Nate was my favorite, by far. I loved how he was a detective, but he was also Death. It certainly made for some interesting situations, as his and Red's relationship grew. I felt so bad for him, because it was obvious how much he cared about Red. I loved Gran, and thought she was a great person for taking Red in. We also met THE Elizabeth Bennet and Darcy from Pride and Prejudice, and I couldn't wait to see how the author would write them. I thought Elizabeth was a wonderful best friend to Red, and that Darcy was a bit proud, though of course I thought that. ;)
The plot of this book was a mix of mystery and romance. Red and Nate had to figure out who was killing fairytale characters all throughout Chicago, and Red's past loves were some of the suspects. I loved how this gave a sense of mystery, as well as let us learn about Red's character.. I liked the action and suspense of trying to figure out who was committing the crimes, and thought it made for a good story.
Overall, I really liked this book. The mystery was intriguing, as was following the story from a fairytale character's point of view. Of course, it felt less fairytale and more police procedural, and just a touch of urban fantasy. But then, that's how I like my books. My only complaint would be some of the more questionable things that Red did, but I got over them, and would definitely recommend the story to anyone looking for something original and different.