broomesbooks's review
3.0
I was a little underwhelmed with this volume of fairy tale retellings. I loved the first group of stories so much that I was a little disappointed. None of the stories stood out to me. They were a decent grouping and they represented a large spectrum of sexualities, genders and personalities. Which is what I love about these anthologies, the variety you get with it.
ruthsic's review
3.0
This anthology of queer retellings of fairytales had me quite interested, but the reality is that I was not very impressed by it. There are 8 stories of varying lengths and it would be better to get into them one by one (warnings mentioned below):
Coming Home:
Modern Cinderella retelling but from the point of view of the 'Prince Charming'. It was cute and I loved the m/m romance. It mostly stays true to the original, swapping out Cinderella for a guy, and the 'shoe' is not really the thing that brings them together but a coffee shop and a phone
Snow Fox:
Ah, this one had potential - it had a black trans girl as the Snow White, but the villain and the whole circumstance are so ridiculous, combined with the terrible writing, that I was cringing hard. The story is set in modern times, with the rivalry being over Instagram popularity, not beauty. It does have a cute f/f romance, though, with a paramedic as the love interest.
Deathless:
Oh, this one was nice. It had Ivan fall in love with Koschei, and having to decide between duty and love. And a Koschei who was longing for an end from his immortality. The ending was expected and a little cliche, but I'll take it.
At Her Service:
Another Cinderella retelling, but with an f/f romance that hints at a dom-sub relationship? Anyway, I am still trying to figure out how much of it felt abusive. Also, minus points for fatmisia.
Shattered Glass:
A good dystopic retelling of The Snow Queen, but the world-building was confusing and it took too long to even work out what was happening. Warning for gore, though!
Finding Aurora:
This one was my favorite of the bunch - it has a bisexual mage helping out the Prince to save Aurora. But on the way, the brambles are much more than thorns, and they have to wake and reunite a family.
Master Thief:
This was Puss in Boots, I am guessing? A thief sets out to steal the heart of his childhood friend, a squire in the nearby manor. Lots of challenges, and some sexy times. But writing was sub par.
The True Love Curse:
I would have loved this 12 Dancing Princesses retelling more if the romance had been developed better. Otherwise, it is still a good story of the true love trope.
Overall, it was an okay read, some stories were good, but some not so much.
Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review from NineStar Press, via Netgalley.
Coming Home:
Modern Cinderella retelling but from the point of view of the 'Prince Charming'. It was cute and I loved the m/m romance. It mostly stays true to the original, swapping out Cinderella for a guy, and the 'shoe' is not really the thing that brings them together but a coffee shop and a phone
Snow Fox:
Ah, this one had potential - it had a black trans girl as the Snow White, but the villain and the whole circumstance are so ridiculous, combined with the terrible writing, that I was cringing hard. The story is set in modern times, with the rivalry being over Instagram popularity, not beauty. It does have a cute f/f romance, though, with a paramedic as the love interest.
Deathless:
Oh, this one was nice. It had Ivan fall in love with Koschei, and having to decide between duty and love. And a Koschei who was longing for an end from his immortality. The ending was expected and a little cliche, but I'll take it.
At Her Service:
Another Cinderella retelling, but with an f/f romance that hints at a dom-sub relationship? Anyway, I am still trying to figure out how much of it felt abusive. Also, minus points for fatmisia.
Shattered Glass:
A good dystopic retelling of The Snow Queen, but the world-building was confusing and it took too long to even work out what was happening. Warning for gore, though!
Finding Aurora:
This one was my favorite of the bunch - it has a bisexual mage helping out the Prince to save Aurora. But on the way, the brambles are much more than thorns, and they have to wake and reunite a family.
Master Thief:
This was Puss in Boots, I am guessing? A thief sets out to steal the heart of his childhood friend, a squire in the nearby manor. Lots of challenges, and some sexy times. But writing was sub par.
The True Love Curse:
I would have loved this 12 Dancing Princesses retelling more if the romance had been developed better. Otherwise, it is still a good story of the true love trope.
Overall, it was an okay read, some stories were good, but some not so much.
Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review from NineStar Press, via Netgalley.
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