klmreads's review against another edition
4.0
Ok - some of these short stories are a solid 5 ⭐️ and some of them are a 3 ⭐️ - overall I really enjoyed it as a nice break from some intense novel reading ☺️
macklin's review against another edition
4.5
Every story was such a gem! Some are better than others but I liked all of them. I liked how each was magical but also mostly took place in our world. It was cosy.
yunjinp's review
5.0
it’s been so long since i read this collection, but the fact that i’ve thought about it at least once nearly every year makes me believe it’s quite fantastic.
ielerol's review
4.0
I've known about this collection for so long, why did it take me so long to read it? A charming set of stories, told with Turner's typical dry humor and clever twists. My favorites were the title story, "Aunt Charlotte and the NGA Portraits" and "The Baker King." I'm not sure how I feel about "Factory," there's a suicide and I'm pretty sensitive about how suicide is handled in fiction. All in all enjoyable, though not nearly enough to keep me occupied while I wait impatiently for Return of the Thief to come out.
jvilches's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
missprint_'s review
3.0
Some notes instead of a full review:
It’s not The Queen’s Thief but it’s charming. Loved the first story with the leprechaun. Second story was an okay riff on the Brave little tailor.
Very much liked "The Factory" which is a solid ghost story.
"The NGA Portraits" might have been my favorite story. It was just perfection and I loved how it ends with "What you believe is up to you."
"Instead of three wishes was awesome. I can see why it became the title story. Also the mother is in a wheelchair. And I don’t think I’ve ever seen a story with a disabled parent. I’m very moved. The only way it could have been better is if Mechamel and Selene had fallen in love.
The nightmare story would have been improved by a teachable moment.
The Baker king was okay. I can see it forming future pieces of the Thief books.
A fun collection. Not one I think I need to own but entertaining.
It’s not The Queen’s Thief but it’s charming. Loved the first story with the leprechaun. Second story was an okay riff on the Brave little tailor.
Very much liked "The Factory" which is a solid ghost story.
"The NGA Portraits" might have been my favorite story. It was just perfection and I loved how it ends with "What you believe is up to you."
"Instead of three wishes was awesome. I can see why it became the title story. Also the mother is in a wheelchair. And I don’t think I’ve ever seen a story with a disabled parent. I’m very moved. The only way it could have been better is if Mechamel and Selene had fallen in love.
The nightmare story would have been improved by a teachable moment.
The Baker king was okay. I can see it forming future pieces of the Thief books.
A fun collection. Not one I think I need to own but entertaining.
chava_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
margaret_j_c's review
3.0
finally got my mitts on this one, thanks to faith (you are my rock faith) and the event of my birthday.
it was good. not incredible, but good. an overwhelming sense of potential pervades the book, a potential which came to fruition in the thief but especially in the queen of attolia. a few of the stories were nearly in the very good range, especially the one from which the title was taken and the baker king. what i thought most interesting was that each story had, in itself, the potential to become something longer if given the opportunity. it makes me wonder if the thief began as another attempt at a short story before shrugging off the restrictions and becoming a newbery-award-winning novel.
there are a few similarities to eugenides' world in these stories. there are traces of megan's famous pull-the-rug-out-from-under-you plot-twists (which she has now honed to a fine art), the youth-centricity of her stories, and her almost deadpan sense of humor. the last story even takes place in a grecian setting.
overall, it was kind of like reading a concept draft for her novels, or like the earliest of ideas pitched to a publisher. being the fan of mwt that i am, it was a fascinating glimpse into what pre-thief megan was writing. this was her first attempt at fiction, and all things considered it's not half-bad.
.....did i just write an actual review? i rather think i did.
reread: 4/17
even more delightful this go round. i found a greater appreciation for the structure and execution of each story individually. this is not just a precursor to her novel-length fiction, they are worthy stories all on their own.
it was good. not incredible, but good. an overwhelming sense of potential pervades the book, a potential which came to fruition in the thief but especially in the queen of attolia. a few of the stories were nearly in the very good range, especially the one from which the title was taken and the baker king. what i thought most interesting was that each story had, in itself, the potential to become something longer if given the opportunity. it makes me wonder if the thief began as another attempt at a short story before shrugging off the restrictions and becoming a newbery-award-winning novel.
there are a few similarities to eugenides' world in these stories. there are traces of megan's famous pull-the-rug-out-from-under-you plot-twists (which she has now honed to a fine art), the youth-centricity of her stories, and her almost deadpan sense of humor. the last story even takes place in a grecian setting.
overall, it was kind of like reading a concept draft for her novels, or like the earliest of ideas pitched to a publisher. being the fan of mwt that i am, it was a fascinating glimpse into what pre-thief megan was writing. this was her first attempt at fiction, and all things considered it's not half-bad.
.....did i just write an actual review? i rather think i did.
reread: 4/17
even more delightful this go round. i found a greater appreciation for the structure and execution of each story individually. this is not just a precursor to her novel-length fiction, they are worthy stories all on their own.
losthitsu's review
4.0
Perhaps not the most memorable fantasy short story collection but it was still heartwarming, and it's always interesting to see the early writing of a much-loved author.
kwugirl's review
2.0
The elf story is the strongest one, but the others were a bit uneven, a little predictable, and didn't hang together as a collection all that well. Not necessarily satisfying if you've been re-reading The Queen's Thief books recently and just wanted more of that (HYPOTHETICALLY).