I've never read Holdstock's Mythago Wood, but now I really want to! These stories intrigued me, and not having read the inspiration for them didn't hoI've never read Holdstock's Mythago Wood, but now I really want to! These stories intrigued me, and not having read the inspiration for them didn't hold me back any. There was also a handy glossary at the back, but I mostly read it out of interest (I love glossaries!), and not because I needed it.
*I am not rating books read for the World Fantasy Award.*...more
I haven't read the first one (I know, I know, I need to!) but this was able to stand on its own. Loved the aspect of "What if the local boogeyman is RI haven't read the first one (I know, I know, I need to!) but this was able to stand on its own. Loved the aspect of "What if the local boogeyman is REAL?" also the interesting play with gender and language. I basically have two horror writers I'll read: Kingfisher and Stephen Graham Jones. Otherwise, miss me with that nonsense.
*I am not rating books read for the World Fantasy Award.*...more
This was beautiful and sad. Imagine being asked to rescue two children, at the risk of your own life, or their father will have your entire village kiThis was beautiful and sad. Imagine being asked to rescue two children, at the risk of your own life, or their father will have your entire village killed. Did I mention that their father is the Tyrant whose conquest of your land orphaned you? And that the children are being carefully groomed to take over for their father one day? So maybe you should just leave them in the terrifying haunted forest-- but you can't-- but maybe you should?
Very eclectic anthology that also represented a lot of different cultures, with distinct takes on everything from Beauty and the Beast to the Mothman Very eclectic anthology that also represented a lot of different cultures, with distinct takes on everything from Beauty and the Beast to the Mothman to the book of Revelations!
And yes, I did find the Mothman story strangely charming!
*I am not rating books read for the World Fantasy Award.*...more
A wild and interesting tale of a girl, raised by Death, and tasked with becoming a great healer. At times I felt like it was all moving too fast, I wiA wild and interesting tale of a girl, raised by Death, and tasked with becoming a great healer. At times I felt like it was all moving too fast, I wished that the author had shown us more details of her career, her cures, but on the other hand: it got down to the action faster this way. The gods, and how they looked, was so cool and different, but I'm not gonna lie: the Fractured Ones and their acolytes freaked me the frak out!...more
Gorgeous illustrated novella, set in the same world as Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell. But I'll read anything by Clarke, no matter what, and every timeGorgeous illustrated novella, set in the same world as Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell. But I'll read anything by Clarke, no matter what, and every time she has a new piece of writing out, I find I am justified in my resolution. ...more
Wonderful sequel! Emily, with her hair all flying about and wearing her shapeless brown gowns backwards and inside out- not to confuse any fairies, miWonderful sequel! Emily, with her hair all flying about and wearing her shapeless brown gowns backwards and inside out- not to confuse any fairies, mind you, but just because she doesn't care- is back along with Wendell, Shadow, and now her niece who has decided to become a dryadologist as well! And then Professor Rose has the audacity to invite himself along on their quest! It's enough to drive both Emily and Wendell mad! ...more
A beautiful legend brought to life. I highly recommend the audiobook, narrated by Disney princess Irene Bedard, which really made it feel like I was lA beautiful legend brought to life. I highly recommend the audiobook, narrated by Disney princess Irene Bedard, which really made it feel like I was listening to someone tell me a story by a fire. This story of a boy being educated by eagle spirits so that he can return to his family and make everyone's life better was just so lovely. I don't really know what else to say about it, other than that I think this would be excellent in the classroom as well. ...more
Finally a book that acknowledges how completely unhinged Grimm's fairy tales are! And does it with romance, lush descriptions (it made me forget that Finally a book that acknowledges how completely unhinged Grimm's fairy tales are! And does it with romance, lush descriptions (it made me forget that wool is itchy!), adventure, and only the amount of cannibalism you could reasonably expect! ...more
For those of you who, like me, have spent Too Much Time Online: this is the book that Jon was talking about that time! He read the story in a book of For those of you who, like me, have spent Too Much Time Online: this is the book that Jon was talking about that time! He read the story in a book of fairy tales years ago, in a library in Alaska. Later, trying to find the story closer to home, he threw the details he remembered about the book onto Twitter, and a librarian found it for him in like, fifteen minutes. LIBRARIANS. THE BEST.
Anyway: This is fabulous. Jon's gorgeous, spooky, almost tactile art are perfect for this weird dark fairy tale, as wonderfully retold by Jon, and with a note at the end talking about the original and the story behind his version. So great! ...more
I loved the movie Erik the Viking as a kid, and a few years ago I saw that our library had this, which looked . . . odd and interesting. It wasn't a nI loved the movie Erik the Viking as a kid, and a few years ago I saw that our library had this, which looked . . . odd and interesting. It wasn't a novelization of the movie, it looked like it was aimed at . . . kids? I finally got around to it this summer and I can't believe I've waited so long!
Jones starts out by explaining that as a kid he loved the idea of the Viking sagas, and then he read them and . . . it was just a long list of lineage followed by some very basic details of lives . . . what I secretly thought myself reading most sagas! I mean, there are some standouts (Hello, Njal's Saga!) bur overall they are pretty standard histories of the people of certain areas. Which is great that they recorded that but not like, gripping reading.
So he invented his own! Delightful! Thrilling! And reading very much like The Good Bits of a Saga, complete with riddles and sword fights and prophecies and ships and wolves and all the things you want in a Viking tale! And the illustrations are GORGEOUS. ...more
This was the good stuff. It reminded me a bit of Stephen King's Fairy Tale, and there were even shades of my own Castle Glower, but it was wholly its This was the good stuff. It reminded me a bit of Stephen King's Fairy Tale, and there were even shades of my own Castle Glower, but it was wholly its own beast. And there were literally beasts! And also, it's very much a Beauty and the Beast retelling.
Beasts ahoy, if you will.
And I loved it. And I loved Opal, and Jasper, and Arthur, and Bev and Charlotte! And Starling House! *makes heart shape with hands*
And I was not at all expecting the ending. Because: wow. That was some clever sh . . . shtuff. Stuff. Anway, the ending still has me going, wow!...more
The classic fairy tale, given strange new life. The retelling is slightly different from what you would find in say, Asbjørnsen and Moe, and the art iThe classic fairy tale, given strange new life. The retelling is slightly different from what you would find in say, Asbjørnsen and Moe, and the art is VERY different.
I loved it.
Strange, angular, full of odd little details, I kept staring at every little candle stub and tattered curtain of the troll's cave. The page with the toilet just about killed me, not only because it was hilarious, but because it was also so clever! And the troll itself was both terrifying and strangely hard to focus on . . . in a word: perfect.
Just darling! The translation of the Little Mermaid into a contemporary tale about a pop star worked so perfectly! I really loved the dynamic between Just darling! The translation of the Little Mermaid into a contemporary tale about a pop star worked so perfectly! I really loved the dynamic between the mermaid sisters, and the band. Very sweet, very funny, and very, very romantic! ...more
Interesting twist on Beauty and the Beast. The beginning feels very "animated Disney movie, now for older teens" but about the halfway point it reallyInteresting twist on Beauty and the Beast. The beginning feels very "animated Disney movie, now for older teens" but about the halfway point it really descends into "real fairies are not cute, and they like to play with their food" which I love. I also was fascinated by the nature and terms of the curse, which was very unusual. Sarah is very good at setting up her fantasy worlds. I was fascinated, too, by a human world in which there was no religion because the fairies had come to town, wiped out the human religions and culture, and then left. So in a way, the fairies were still their gods, but they were just terrified of them, barring a few crazy cultists. I was not expecting that, and it got my attention.
The thing with romances, though, is that I either have weird taste in men or some sort of stubbornness keeps me from liking the guy I'm supposed to like. When presented with two guys, one very handsome to the point of prettiness, who is very stiff and barely talks, and the other guy who would be pretty but he's got an interesting scar (Hello!? AN INTERESTING SCAR!) and is very sarcastic but also very present . . . which one would you chose, honestly? When Scar Guy was like, "Of course I was coming to help you, I'm literally the guy who has been helping you all along while Pretty Boy just sits there" (paraphrasing), and Feyre was like, "You? Help me? But you're always so sarcastic I didn't realize you were helping!" I wanted. to. slap. her. And then there's the other guy, who is CLEARLY evil because he has dark hair . . . and keeps saving her life but he MUST be evil because he's not doing it really obviously by announcing, "Now I will save your life."
I mean, is it just me, or do the other guys seem far more attractive as mates than Mr. Pretty But Literally Just Sits There?