ceraphimfalls's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
informative
relaxing
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? It's complicated
4.25
Maybe it's because I grew up with these stories, our found family a cavalcade of Oceanian culture, but I adored this volume of Cautionary Fables enough to declare it my favorite of the series. The Story of Benito and Nanuae the Sharkboy were beautifully told and drawn, as all these stories are, but these two especially. Tabi Po invaded my dreams and reminded me of how rude I've been lately, forgetting my manners when it comes to spirits. Even The Turtle and the Lizard, accompanied by the primer in the Baybayin language, offered its reader a celebration of story. But the eponymous The Night Marchers touched my heart and had silent tears crawling down my face. This is a fabulous collection.
thevultureeye's review against another edition
informative
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
earldizon's review against another edition
3.0
Here's an "extra" #FilipinoReads that I read in November that for some reason I wasn't going to feature even though the graphic novel anthology has lots of Filipino creators.
The Night Marchers and Other Oceanian Tales edited by Kel McDonald is the fourth collection in the Cautionary Fables and Fairytales series exploring different countries' folklore and mythology with this one containing selections from Fiji, Hawaii, and the Philippines. What's odd is the uneven distribution since, out of the 16 stories, only 1 is from Fiji and Hawaii has 6 and the Philippines has 9. (Maybe there's a different version with more countries being represented because the publisher's official description mentions 24 stories and New Zealand?)
I enjoyed "The Story of Benito" and "The Ibalon Epic: a Retelling of Baltog" the most.
The Night Marchers and Other Oceanian Tales edited by Kel McDonald is the fourth collection in the Cautionary Fables and Fairytales series exploring different countries' folklore and mythology with this one containing selections from Fiji, Hawaii, and the Philippines. What's odd is the uneven distribution since, out of the 16 stories, only 1 is from Fiji and Hawaii has 6 and the Philippines has 9. (Maybe there's a different version with more countries being represented because the publisher's official description mentions 24 stories and New Zealand?)
I enjoyed "The Story of Benito" and "The Ibalon Epic: a Retelling of Baltog" the most.
readingsofaslinky's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
inameitlater's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
remigves's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
3.0
cathepsut's review against another edition
3.0
Middle Grade is not something I read a lot, I am pretty set on adult fiction. But this anthology looked interesting. There are some nice stories here and some that I liked less. The artwork spans various types, some of it is very simple, some very nice. The usual mixed bag. The individual stories are generally fairly short, they often also feel unfinished.
I am disappointed in the choice of settings. Mostly the stories originate from the Philippines, there are a few from Hawaii and one story from Fiji — I had hoped for more variety. Do the Philippines even count a belonging to Oceania? And why is New Zealand mentioned in the blurb? There is no story from New Zealand.
I liked The Legend of Apolaki and Mayari by Kim Miranda. What a pretty story with nice sketches! Brother and sister end up fighting each other, a Filipino folkloric story.
Also pretty good was Nanuae the Sharkboy by Gen H. Set in Hawaii. There is shapeshifting (yay!), sharks (yay!) and the story is told a lot through images instead of text, which was done well. The ending was a bit abrupt.
The Legend of the Coconut Tree by Yiling Changues was that singular story from Fiji. Beautiful artwork. I would call it illustrated poetry? Very pretty, although I am not sure if I understood the ending correctly.
Nice enough as a whole. I would probably recommend this to friends.
I received this free e-copy from the publisher/author via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review, thank you!
I am disappointed in the choice of settings. Mostly the stories originate from the Philippines, there are a few from Hawaii and one story from Fiji — I had hoped for more variety. Do the Philippines even count a belonging to Oceania? And why is New Zealand mentioned in the blurb? There is no story from New Zealand.
I liked The Legend of Apolaki and Mayari by Kim Miranda. What a pretty story with nice sketches! Brother and sister end up fighting each other, a Filipino folkloric story.
Also pretty good was Nanuae the Sharkboy by Gen H. Set in Hawaii. There is shapeshifting (yay!), sharks (yay!) and the story is told a lot through images instead of text, which was done well. The ending was a bit abrupt.
The Legend of the Coconut Tree by Yiling Changues was that singular story from Fiji. Beautiful artwork. I would call it illustrated poetry? Very pretty, although I am not sure if I understood the ending correctly.
Nice enough as a whole. I would probably recommend this to friends.
I received this free e-copy from the publisher/author via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review, thank you!
overhillunderhill's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
4.25
I have to admit that this volume was the hardest to follow. While I know that each volume of Cautionary Fables has been a snap shot of didactic literature of the world, this one told stories the farthest from my understanding of the world and experiences. Specifically, there seemed more tales without definitive endings. Was it good, bad, other? In a way that's why this may be the most necessary for me to confront what I know about the world.
ljrinaldi's review against another edition
4.0
Pacific Islanders and other Oceanian stories are not as well know to the western world, so this collection of retold fairy tales and myths from the Pacific Islanders is a wonderful treat.
Some are fairly straight forward retellings, from what I can tell, some have put a spin on the stories. All the authors are telling tales of their ancestors, be it Filipino, or Hawaiian, or Tahitian. The cultures are so rich with stories, it is wonderful to get a peak at them, in any form.
There is the story of the tyrant who has horns, which is reminiscent of the Greek story of King Midas with donkey ears.
There is one story told all in Baybayin, which is an old version of Tagalog script, which the author shows you how to learn to read it.
There is a story of Benito, which reminds me of some of the classic Grimm fairy tales, of someone clever who is given tasks to do, and with the help of animals along the way, solves the problem.
And there is the story of Pele and Poliahu, two goddesses of Hawaii, which is quite playful and fun.
All in all, a wonderful collection of stories. HIghly recommended.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.
Some are fairly straight forward retellings, from what I can tell, some have put a spin on the stories. All the authors are telling tales of their ancestors, be it Filipino, or Hawaiian, or Tahitian. The cultures are so rich with stories, it is wonderful to get a peak at them, in any form.
There is the story of the tyrant who has horns, which is reminiscent of the Greek story of King Midas with donkey ears.
There is one story told all in Baybayin, which is an old version of Tagalog script, which the author shows you how to learn to read it.
There is a story of Benito, which reminds me of some of the classic Grimm fairy tales, of someone clever who is given tasks to do, and with the help of animals along the way, solves the problem.
And there is the story of Pele and Poliahu, two goddesses of Hawaii, which is quite playful and fun.
All in all, a wonderful collection of stories. HIghly recommended.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.