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A review by sarahlreadseverything
Once Upon a Forbidden Desire: Fairy Tales and Other Stories by Zoey Ellis, November Dawn, C.M. Nascosta, Colleen Cowley, Grace Draven, Vela Roth, Jennie Lynn Roberts, S.L. Prater, Trish Heinrich, Erin Vere, A.J. Lancaster, Lisette Marshall, Jeffe Kennedy, Erin Grey, Elsie Winters, H.R. Moore, Jaycee Jarvis, Maria Vale, Kristin Gleeson, L. Penelope, Mimi B. Rose, Kathryn Ann Kingsley, Dani Morrison
3.0
Like all anthologies, this one was a mixed bag. But I came into it only knowing a few of the authors, and there's a few others I'll be looking up now.
Although the overall collection probably averaged out at a three for me, my highlights were:
- How to Marry a Winged King by AJ Lancaster: this had a slow start, but absolutely charmed me by the end. As always, I loved and appreciated the distinctive Kiwi undertones in AJ Lancaster's writing, she always makes me end up feeling a little bit homesick (in a good way).
-Heartfall by Lisette Marshall: a fun and unexpected twist on Rapunzel
- Into the Bargain, by Colleen Cowley: I really enjoy Cowley's Clandestine Magic world and it was lovely to return to it with some new characters
- Idyllwild, by Maria Vale: A unique take on an old concept that has allegories into today
- Her Majesty's Wolf, by L. Penelope: This dystopian, gender-flipped Red Riding Hood opened up a really interesting world that I'd very happily read more in.
- Back to the Woods, by Jennie Lynn Roberts: a grown-up, long-parted Hansel and Gretel find their way back to each other; I loved how this fairy-tale was used to look at the pain of relationships lost and how they can be regained.
- The Sadder but Wiser Girl, by CM Nacosta: this was my first foray into CM Nacosta, who has been taking certain parts of the clock app by storm for the last wee while, but is generally in the "too spicy for me" category. She's still in the "too spicy for me" category but I'm a sucker for Beauty and the Beast and this was a lovely retelling.
I also really appreciated the trigger notes that began each entry in this collection, which allowed me to skip one story where I knew the contents really wouldn't be for me.
My problem with most of the entries that I found weaker was just the underdevelopment that is all too easy to fall foul of in the short story format. Though, there was one (Call of the Dark Piper by Zoey Ellis) that to my reading felt icky from a consent perspective in a way I just couldn't get over - even though it was very well written.
Also it has to be said that the collection suffers from a frankly rubbish forward, that despite being contributed by authors that might technically be better known than most of those in the collection, was flippant and doesn't do it justice.
Although the overall collection probably averaged out at a three for me, my highlights were:
- How to Marry a Winged King by AJ Lancaster: this had a slow start, but absolutely charmed me by the end. As always, I loved and appreciated the distinctive Kiwi undertones in AJ Lancaster's writing, she always makes me end up feeling a little bit homesick (in a good way).
-Heartfall by Lisette Marshall: a fun and unexpected twist on Rapunzel
- Into the Bargain, by Colleen Cowley: I really enjoy Cowley's Clandestine Magic world and it was lovely to return to it with some new characters
- Idyllwild, by Maria Vale: A unique take on an old concept that has allegories into today
- Her Majesty's Wolf, by L. Penelope: This dystopian, gender-flipped Red Riding Hood opened up a really interesting world that I'd very happily read more in.
- Back to the Woods, by Jennie Lynn Roberts: a grown-up, long-parted Hansel and Gretel find their way back to each other; I loved how this fairy-tale was used to look at the pain of relationships lost and how they can be regained.
- The Sadder but Wiser Girl, by CM Nacosta: this was my first foray into CM Nacosta, who has been taking certain parts of the clock app by storm for the last wee while, but is generally in the "too spicy for me" category. She's still in the "too spicy for me" category but I'm a sucker for Beauty and the Beast and this was a lovely retelling.
I also really appreciated the trigger notes that began each entry in this collection, which allowed me to skip one story where I knew the contents really wouldn't be for me.
My problem with most of the entries that I found weaker was just the underdevelopment that is all too easy to fall foul of in the short story format. Though, there was one (Call of the Dark Piper by Zoey Ellis) that to my reading felt icky from a consent perspective in a way I just couldn't get over - even though it was very well written.
Also it has to be said that the collection suffers from a frankly rubbish forward, that despite being contributed by authors that might technically be better known than most of those in the collection, was flippant and doesn't do it justice.