cheye13's review against another edition
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
2.0
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️: Seasons of Glass and Iron | Some Wait | Spinning Silver
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️: In the Desert Like a Bone | Familiaris | Badgirl, the Deadman, and the Wheel of Fortune | Penny for a Match, Mister? | Reflected
⭐️⭐️⭐️: The Super Ultra Duchess of Fedora Forest | The Thousand Eyes | The Briar and the Rose | The Other Thea
⭐️⭐️: Underground | Even the Crumbs Were Delicious | Giants in the Sky | The Tale of Mahliya and Mauhub and the White-Footed Gazelle
⭐️: When I Lay Frozen | Pearl |
I picked this up hoping to uncover new authors to explore further, but ultimately, I liked the stories I expected to and disliked the rest. Part of the issue for me is probably the topic; these retellings tend to dive into the anger and violence of traditional tales in a way that more so exposes the seedy elements rather than challenges them. I think I wanted either just a few more happy endings or some more satisfying vindication.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️: In the Desert Like a Bone | Familiaris | Badgirl, the Deadman, and the Wheel of Fortune | Penny for a Match, Mister? | Reflected
⭐️⭐️⭐️: The Super Ultra Duchess of Fedora Forest | The Thousand Eyes | The Briar and the Rose | The Other Thea
⭐️⭐️: Underground | Even the Crumbs Were Delicious | Giants in the Sky | The Tale of Mahliya and Mauhub and the White-Footed Gazelle
⭐️: When I Lay Frozen | Pearl |
I picked this up hoping to uncover new authors to explore further, but ultimately, I liked the stories I expected to and disliked the rest. Part of the issue for me is probably the topic; these retellings tend to dive into the anger and violence of traditional tales in a way that more so exposes the seedy elements rather than challenges them. I think I wanted either just a few more happy endings or some more satisfying vindication.
crhurlbert's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
reunitepangaea's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
leahvanderweide's review against another edition
4.0
Started this in 2019, WOW
Also, I only ended up reading 9/18 of them which to me says a lot of them were just not for me. But most of the ones I completed (instead of skipping or simply stopping mid story) I absolutely adored.
In the Desert Like A Bone by Seanan McGuire: 4.5
Underground by Karin Tidbeck: skipped
Even the Crumbs Were Delicious by Daryl Gregory: 5
The Super Ultra Duchess of Fedora Forest by Charlie Jane Anders: Skipped
Familiaris by Genevieve Valentine: Skipped
Seasons of Glass and Iron by Amal El-Mohtar: 5
Badgirl, The Deadman, and The Wheel of Fortune by Catherynne M. Valente: 4
Penny for a Match, Mister? by Garth Nix: 4
Some Wait by Stephen Graham Jones:
The Thousand Eyes by Jeffrey Ford: Skipped
Giants in the Sky by Max Gladstone: 4.5
The Briar and the Rose by Marjorie Liu: 5
The Other Thea by Theodora Goss: 3.5
When I Lay Frozen by Margo Lanagan: Skipped
Pearl by Alitte de Bodard: ?
The Tale of Mahliya and Mauhub the Whitefooted Gazelle by Sofia Samatar: Skipped
Reflected by Kat Howard: 3.25 stars
Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik: skipped
Also, I only ended up reading 9/18 of them which to me says a lot of them were just not for me. But most of the ones I completed (instead of skipping or simply stopping mid story) I absolutely adored.
In the Desert Like A Bone by Seanan McGuire: 4.5
Underground by Karin Tidbeck: skipped
Even the Crumbs Were Delicious by Daryl Gregory: 5
The Super Ultra Duchess of Fedora Forest by Charlie Jane Anders: Skipped
Familiaris by Genevieve Valentine: Skipped
Seasons of Glass and Iron by Amal El-Mohtar: 5
Badgirl, The Deadman, and The Wheel of Fortune by Catherynne M. Valente: 4
Penny for a Match, Mister? by Garth Nix: 4
Some Wait by Stephen Graham Jones:
The Thousand Eyes by Jeffrey Ford: Skipped
Giants in the Sky by Max Gladstone: 4.5
The Briar and the Rose by Marjorie Liu: 5
The Other Thea by Theodora Goss: 3.5
When I Lay Frozen by Margo Lanagan: Skipped
Pearl by Alitte de Bodard: ?
The Tale of Mahliya and Mauhub the Whitefooted Gazelle by Sofia Samatar: Skipped
Reflected by Kat Howard: 3.25 stars
Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik: skipped
snazel's review against another edition
5.0
This story is the most curious combination of gentle and brutal, cutting and affirming.
The fact that Amal has so much training as a poet is super clear. There is absolutely no wasted flesh on this beast. Every word has a purpose. But I WANT more wasted flesh. More jokes, and What Happened After, and more in this world, and to reach in and hug our main characters.
For a story that closes so neatly in a circle, it's oddly unsettling. (This is probably connected to why it has won all the awards.)
The fact that Amal has so much training as a poet is super clear. There is absolutely no wasted flesh on this beast. Every word has a purpose. But I WANT more wasted flesh. More jokes, and What Happened After, and more in this world, and to reach in and hug our main characters.
For a story that closes so neatly in a circle, it's oddly unsettling. (This is probably connected to why it has won all the awards.)
toystory242's review against another edition
4.0
Overall, I really loved this collection. There were so many stories that of course there were going to be those I loved and those I didn't love so much, but I was surprised at the amount of 5 star stories I had inside! I'm feeling really inspired by all of the retellings as well!! <3
I updated with each story I finished, so here is my final ranking of all of them!
18. Some Wait by Stephen Graham Jones (2/5)
17. Pearl by Aliette de Bodard (2/5)
16. When I Lay Frozen by Margo Lanagan (2.5/5)
15. Giants in the Sky by Max Gladstone (3/5)
14. Familiaris by Genevieve Valentine (3/5)
13. Underground by Karin Tidbeck (3/5)
12. Penny for a Match, Mister? by Garth Nix (3.5/5)
11. The Super Ultra Duchess of Fedora Forest (3.5/5)
10. In The Desert Like a Bone by Seanan McGuire (3.5/5)
9. The Tale of Mahliya and Mauhab and the White-Footed Gazelle (4/5)
8. Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik (4/5) --This was the only story I didn't say anything about in my updates because it's the last one I read, but I really enjoyed this story. I'm SO excited that it's being turned into a full-length novel! Maybe with some romance?? :DDD I can't wait!
7. The Thousand Eyes by Jeffrey Ford (4/5)
6. Badgirl, the Deadman, and the Wheel of Fortune (4.5/5)
5. Seasons of Glass and Iron by Amal El-Mohtar (5/5)
4. Even the Crumbs were Delicious (5/5)
3. Reflected by Kat Howard (5/5)
2. The Briar and the Rose by Marjorie Liu (5/5)
1. The Other Thea by Theodora Goss (5/5)
I updated with each story I finished, so here is my final ranking of all of them!
18. Some Wait by Stephen Graham Jones (2/5)
17. Pearl by Aliette de Bodard (2/5)
16. When I Lay Frozen by Margo Lanagan (2.5/5)
15. Giants in the Sky by Max Gladstone (3/5)
14. Familiaris by Genevieve Valentine (3/5)
13. Underground by Karin Tidbeck (3/5)
12. Penny for a Match, Mister? by Garth Nix (3.5/5)
11. The Super Ultra Duchess of Fedora Forest (3.5/5)
10. In The Desert Like a Bone by Seanan McGuire (3.5/5)
9. The Tale of Mahliya and Mauhab and the White-Footed Gazelle (4/5)
8. Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik (4/5) --This was the only story I didn't say anything about in my updates because it's the last one I read, but I really enjoyed this story. I'm SO excited that it's being turned into a full-length novel! Maybe with some romance?? :DDD I can't wait!
7. The Thousand Eyes by Jeffrey Ford (4/5)
6. Badgirl, the Deadman, and the Wheel of Fortune (4.5/5)
5. Seasons of Glass and Iron by Amal El-Mohtar (5/5)
4. Even the Crumbs were Delicious (5/5)
3. Reflected by Kat Howard (5/5)
2. The Briar and the Rose by Marjorie Liu (5/5)
1. The Other Thea by Theodora Goss (5/5)
alli636's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
morawynsmom's review against another edition
4.0
I have mixed feelings about this anthology, I hardly ever read or buy anthologies, as usually there is more stories I dislike than like, the last anthology I bought was Under the Prickle Moon by Juliet Marillier, because it is Juliet Marillier, of course. I was giving small snippits of my feelings while reading these stories, let me elaborate now on the ones I cared for and did not care for.
These are the stories I skipped entirely, so I feel it is not fair for me to review them. I knew by skimming them they were just not my cup of tea, I am particular about my fairy tale retellings, wanting more a feel of an original fairy tale, so although many other readers would probably enjoy these stories, I just could not bring myself to read them. Unfair, I know, but time is short and there is too much to read out there.
Skipped entirely:
The Super Ultra Duchess of Fedora Forest, a retelling of the Bird, the Mouse, and the Sausage. I just could not get into a strange retelling involving animal politics and a sausage that watns to be a DJ, sorry.
Penny for a match, Mister? A retelling of the Little Match girl, but set in the old West, I can not stomach westerns, just not my thing, so it might be an awesome story, just not for me.
The Thousand Eyes, a retelling of the Voice of Death. Contemporary, set in New Jersey, this one is also just not what I was looking for at the moment.
Giants in the Sky, a retelling of Jack and the Beanstalk- the writing style, while unique, turned me completely off, choppy, almost like reading a screenplay, no thanks.
The Other Thea, a retelling of the Shadow- this is one I maybe should give a second chance to, but it had too much of a Harry Potter feel, a grad from a school of Witchcraft and all that, I just was not in the mood for it.
Pearl, a retelling of the Pearl, another one I should probably revisit, as it seems to have some pretty strong themes to it, I cannot remember what turned me off by this one, I guess I was just looking for something specific with my retellings, and this was not it.
The tale of Mahily and Mauhub and the White-footed Gazelle, a retelling of the same title- I think some of these authors just went to out of their way to be strange and unique with their retellings, this is a retelling where the author is basically schooling you on the fact that it is a retelling, I don't know, was just strange and not appealing.
Reflected- a retelling of the Snow Queen- this one was set in a contemporary world and involved the science of mirrors, this is one I might give another chance to on a different day.
These are the stories I read, but did not really care for:
Even the Crumbs were Delicious- a retelling of Hansel and Gretel. Set in a drug dealers house, where said Hensel and Gretel are two fucked up, drug-loving teenagers who escaped an abusive house, and the witch is actually the drug dealer and the hero of the story. I gave it a chance, I read it through, I liked the themes, I guess it was just too far out there for me, like I said, I am particular, and just not into new-age, urban, weirdness stories.
Underground- a retelling of Beauty and the Beast, or Prince Hat under the Ground, I found the writing strange and choppy, basically like the author was retelling the tale in it's original state but with more simple terms, it just did not speak to me much.
Stories I read that I enjoyed
In the Desert like a Bone- a retelling of Little Red Riding Hood- while I do not care for stories set in a Western setting, as mentioned before, Seanan McGuire is such an awesome fucking story teller that I found myself enjoying this story, where Red turns on the wolf, in this case, her abusive father.
Familaris- a retelling of the Wolves- what a powerfully written, beautiful retelling, but you have to pay close attention, as it can get confusing with the shifting of view points. There is a strong message in this one, and it blends beautifully with the fairy tale, painting the antagonist of the fairy tale, the evil mother who tried to feed her seven sons to a creature and they come back to eat her, in a more understanding light, pertaining to women who have to suffer the oppression of motherhood and not wanting to have children at all.
When I lay Frozen- a retelling of Thumblina- another one with a powerful message, about oppression and sexuality, this one was odd but written in a way that I enjoyed immensely.
Seasons of Glass and Iron- a retelling of the Glass Mountian- a wonderful fairy tale about friendship and women saving women, told in beautiful, fairy-tale like prose.
Stories I fucking loved:
The first one I loved in this series is Badgirl, the Deadman, and the Wheel of Fortune. a retelling of the Girl with No Hands. Catherynne M. Valente is one of my favorite authors of all time, and there is a very good reason for it. This was a contemporary tale, again not my favorite thing, but she rocked this story out, it was real and gritty and left me with this awful feeling at the end. You can tell Valente to write you a story about a turd dipped in peanut butter that is powerful and inspiring and she will do it. So badass.
Some Wait- a retelling of the Pied Piper- I have never heard of this author before, but what a great horror story, so well written, that leaves you wanting more and more, and explores a concept that is a nightmare come to life- the disappearance of your child, and the emotions and thought processes you go through as you realize you will never again see or know what happened to your child, and how you deal with that nightmare.
The Briar and the Rose- a retelling of Sleeping Beauty- what an awesome concept of a story, a witch who takes over the body of her victims and puts them in eternal sleep, all so she can preserve her beauty, and the hero of this story, not a prince, but a badass female body guard. I loved this story.
Spinning Silver- a retelling of Rumpelstiltskin, the whole reason I bought this anthology. Naomi Novik, another of my favorite authors, did it again, what an amazing spin off on the tale, and she is expanding it into a novel, a concept I would also love to see from Marjorie Liu who did the Briar and the Rose. Sometimes, we need to know the whole of the story in all of it's awesomeness, I cannot fucking wait.
These are the stories I skipped entirely, so I feel it is not fair for me to review them. I knew by skimming them they were just not my cup of tea, I am particular about my fairy tale retellings, wanting more a feel of an original fairy tale, so although many other readers would probably enjoy these stories, I just could not bring myself to read them. Unfair, I know, but time is short and there is too much to read out there.
Skipped entirely:
The Super Ultra Duchess of Fedora Forest, a retelling of the Bird, the Mouse, and the Sausage. I just could not get into a strange retelling involving animal politics and a sausage that watns to be a DJ, sorry.
Penny for a match, Mister? A retelling of the Little Match girl, but set in the old West, I can not stomach westerns, just not my thing, so it might be an awesome story, just not for me.
The Thousand Eyes, a retelling of the Voice of Death. Contemporary, set in New Jersey, this one is also just not what I was looking for at the moment.
Giants in the Sky, a retelling of Jack and the Beanstalk- the writing style, while unique, turned me completely off, choppy, almost like reading a screenplay, no thanks.
The Other Thea, a retelling of the Shadow- this is one I maybe should give a second chance to, but it had too much of a Harry Potter feel, a grad from a school of Witchcraft and all that, I just was not in the mood for it.
Pearl, a retelling of the Pearl, another one I should probably revisit, as it seems to have some pretty strong themes to it, I cannot remember what turned me off by this one, I guess I was just looking for something specific with my retellings, and this was not it.
The tale of Mahily and Mauhub and the White-footed Gazelle, a retelling of the same title- I think some of these authors just went to out of their way to be strange and unique with their retellings, this is a retelling where the author is basically schooling you on the fact that it is a retelling, I don't know, was just strange and not appealing.
Reflected- a retelling of the Snow Queen- this one was set in a contemporary world and involved the science of mirrors, this is one I might give another chance to on a different day.
These are the stories I read, but did not really care for:
Even the Crumbs were Delicious- a retelling of Hansel and Gretel. Set in a drug dealers house, where said Hensel and Gretel are two fucked up, drug-loving teenagers who escaped an abusive house, and the witch is actually the drug dealer and the hero of the story. I gave it a chance, I read it through, I liked the themes, I guess it was just too far out there for me, like I said, I am particular, and just not into new-age, urban, weirdness stories.
Underground- a retelling of Beauty and the Beast, or Prince Hat under the Ground, I found the writing strange and choppy, basically like the author was retelling the tale in it's original state but with more simple terms, it just did not speak to me much.
Stories I read that I enjoyed
In the Desert like a Bone- a retelling of Little Red Riding Hood- while I do not care for stories set in a Western setting, as mentioned before, Seanan McGuire is such an awesome fucking story teller that I found myself enjoying this story, where Red turns on the wolf, in this case, her abusive father.
Familaris- a retelling of the Wolves- what a powerfully written, beautiful retelling, but you have to pay close attention, as it can get confusing with the shifting of view points. There is a strong message in this one, and it blends beautifully with the fairy tale, painting the antagonist of the fairy tale, the evil mother who tried to feed her seven sons to a creature and they come back to eat her, in a more understanding light, pertaining to women who have to suffer the oppression of motherhood and not wanting to have children at all.
When I lay Frozen- a retelling of Thumblina- another one with a powerful message, about oppression and sexuality, this one was odd but written in a way that I enjoyed immensely.
Seasons of Glass and Iron- a retelling of the Glass Mountian- a wonderful fairy tale about friendship and women saving women, told in beautiful, fairy-tale like prose.
Stories I fucking loved:
The first one I loved in this series is Badgirl, the Deadman, and the Wheel of Fortune. a retelling of the Girl with No Hands. Catherynne M. Valente is one of my favorite authors of all time, and there is a very good reason for it. This was a contemporary tale, again not my favorite thing, but she rocked this story out, it was real and gritty and left me with this awful feeling at the end. You can tell Valente to write you a story about a turd dipped in peanut butter that is powerful and inspiring and she will do it. So badass.
Some Wait- a retelling of the Pied Piper- I have never heard of this author before, but what a great horror story, so well written, that leaves you wanting more and more, and explores a concept that is a nightmare come to life- the disappearance of your child, and the emotions and thought processes you go through as you realize you will never again see or know what happened to your child, and how you deal with that nightmare.
The Briar and the Rose- a retelling of Sleeping Beauty- what an awesome concept of a story, a witch who takes over the body of her victims and puts them in eternal sleep, all so she can preserve her beauty, and the hero of this story, not a prince, but a badass female body guard. I loved this story.
Spinning Silver- a retelling of Rumpelstiltskin, the whole reason I bought this anthology. Naomi Novik, another of my favorite authors, did it again, what an amazing spin off on the tale, and she is expanding it into a novel, a concept I would also love to see from Marjorie Liu who did the Briar and the Rose. Sometimes, we need to know the whole of the story in all of it's awesomeness, I cannot fucking wait.
entropyre's review
adventurous
dark
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
emmacatereads's review against another edition
3.0
I was drawn to this by the absolutely enchanting collection of authors on the byline: Seanan McGuire, Garth Nix, Aliette de Bodard, Cathrynne M. Valente, and Naomi Novik, to name a few. However, while I really like a lot of these stories, my overall perception of the collection was tempered by those I wasn't so fond of. Below I have rank ordered them and given a mini review of each:
18. Reflected by Kat Howard (1/5 Stars)
Just....boring. A modern, science-oriented retelling of The Snow Queen which utterly loses itself amid jargon and boring characters. I am amazed that a story that uses both my favorite trope (parallel universes) and second-favorite Hans Christian Anderson story could be so dull and uninspiring.
17. When I Lay Frozen by Margo Lanagan (1/5 Stars)
An odd, disturbing retelling of Thumbelina in which she exudes pheromones that make everyone around her sex-crazed. 100000% not for me.
16. Even the Crumbs were Delicious by Daryl Gregory (2/5 Stars)
A somewhat interesting reimagining of Hansel and Gretel in which the "candy house" is edible synthesized drug wallpaper and Hansel and Gretel themselves neglected addicts. However, this gets the third lowest ranking because it makes a number of tired, frustrating jokes about OCD which as both a sufferer and researcher kindles my fury like nothing else.
15. Some Wait by Stephen Graham Jones (2/5)
A horror story take on the Pied Piper which, despite being about missing children and an evil computer game, did not manage to hold my attention. Unclear if this was due to the writing style or the fact that pure horror as a genre is not my thing.
14. Familiaris by Genevive Valentine (3/5 Stars)
A retelling of the Wolves that actually had some fairly powerful things to say about grief, autonomy, and motherhood but I was really thrown off by the didactic writing style and rapidly shifting perspectives
13. Badgirl, The Deadman and the Wheel of Fortune by Cathrynne M. Valente (3/5 Stars)
A classic Valente in its jarring tragedy and jaggedly beautiful language. A well-done story told believably from a young child's perspective but also so hugely upsetting that it fell pretty low in the ranks compared to others.
12. The Other Thea by Theodora Goss (3/5 Stars)
A retelling of The Shadow that was very unnecessarily long for a short story collection. Certainly creative, and I especially loved the Magic-School-In-New-England vibes, but just didn't grab my attention.
11. In The Desert Like a Bone by Seanan McGuire (3/5 Stars)
A unique retelling of Little Red Riding hood reimagined as a Western. Thematically interesting but lacked subtley or suprise.
10. The Super Ultra Duchess of Fedora Forest (3/5 Stars)
SO weird but in kind of a hilarious, endearing way that captures the utter insanity of the original HCA story about the Mouse, the Bird, and the Sausage. The story follows sentient versions of the three eponymous creatures through a strange post-apocalyptic landscape that reads as Toy Story meets The Walking Dead.
9. The Thousand Eyes by Jeffery Ford (3.5/5 Stars)
Creepy and cool but not quuuuite compelling enough to reach four stars. Retells the Voice of Death, which I am not familiar with, but tells the story of a determined painter and a strange lounge singer in a bar by the ocean. The atmosphere was far more interesting than the plot, but maybe that's because its one of few I've seen that captures the energy of the Delaware coast near my home.
8. Underground by Karin Tidbeck (3.5/5 Stars).
Fascinating take on a favorite tale of mine, East of the Sun and West of the Moon. Set in Stockholm in the 30s or 40s, it has a well-defined atmosphere but I struggled to relate at all the actions of the protagonist. I suppose this is the point, meant to draw attention to the (literal) Stockholm Syndrome suffered by women in fairy tales, but still wasn't one of my favorites.
7. Spinning Silver (4/5 Stars)
I was surprised and delighted to find this here, as I didn't know that Naomi Novik's novel was actually based on this short story, first published here. A wintery retelling of Rumplestilsken with a phenomenal Jewish protagonist, but rated lower here because it is so hard for me to seperate it from the novel which is by its very nature far more thorough and ultimately a better vehicle for this story.
7. The Tale of Mahiliya and Mauhub and the White Footed Gazelle (4/5 Stars)
I LOVED the narration and style of this story. Mahiliya is a Baba Yaga like figure out of the story collection Strange and Marvelous Things, a spiritual cousin to One Thousand and One Nights. It tells tales of her various exploits while meditating on the erosion of the ancient world.
6. Pearl by Aliette de Bodard (4/5 Stars)
Another retelling I wasn't familiar with, Da Trang and the Pearl, that reminded me a bit thematically of the Pygmallion myth. Beautifully interwoven with Bodard's existing Xuya universe, and I was fascinated by the lovely, tragic concept of remoras (small, decaying AIs) that constantly recycle themselves in pursuit of a continued existence.
4. Seasons of Glass and Iron by Amal El-Mohtar (5/5 Stars)
Queer! Princesses! And also a really, really excellent metaphor for the disparity between the blame we place on our friends for bad things happening to them versus the blame we place on ourselves when bad things happen to us. Just an all around beautiful marriage of fairy tail whimsy and meaning.
3. Penny for a Match, Mister? by Garth Nix (5/5 Stars)
Blown away by Garth Nix' ability to turn my least favorite HCA fairy tale (The Little Match Girl) into a funny, delightful murder mystery. A brilliant fantasy western in which when the moon is in a certain phase demons have the ability to cross into the world and infect people. I also loved how he managed to maintain crucial elements of the original story while turning it from a tale of woe into a tale of triumph. Dying to read more stories set in this world.
2. Giants in the Sky by Max Gladstone (5/5 Starts)
ORM SEES ALL. For real, wasn't sure at first if I was going to like this one but ended up ADORING this uproariously funny Jack and the Beanstalk retelling of bureaucratic digital demigods hiding in an advanced techno cloud above a world that has recessed to medieval times in their absence.
1. The Briar and the Rose by Marjorie Lu (5/5 Stars)
I need Marjorie Lu to write a full-length novel ASAP. This Sleeping Beauty retelling, easily the best I have ever read, captured everything I love about fairy tale retellings, short fiction, and impactful media generally. It follows the Duelist, the bodyguard for an evil sorceress who steals the body of a princess for six out of the seven days of the week and makes her do unspeakable things. This story was tender and heart-breaking all at once, as the Duelist and Rose fall in love without the ability to touch. It has a powerful message about bodily autonomy, greif, and trauma: picking apart the threads of the original story to weave something beautiful and new.
18. Reflected by Kat Howard (1/5 Stars)
Just....boring. A modern, science-oriented retelling of The Snow Queen which utterly loses itself amid jargon and boring characters. I am amazed that a story that uses both my favorite trope (parallel universes) and second-favorite Hans Christian Anderson story could be so dull and uninspiring.
17. When I Lay Frozen by Margo Lanagan (1/5 Stars)
An odd, disturbing retelling of Thumbelina in which she exudes pheromones that make everyone around her sex-crazed. 100000% not for me.
16. Even the Crumbs were Delicious by Daryl Gregory (2/5 Stars)
A somewhat interesting reimagining of Hansel and Gretel in which the "candy house" is edible synthesized drug wallpaper and Hansel and Gretel themselves neglected addicts. However, this gets the third lowest ranking because it makes a number of tired, frustrating jokes about OCD which as both a sufferer and researcher kindles my fury like nothing else.
15. Some Wait by Stephen Graham Jones (2/5)
A horror story take on the Pied Piper which, despite being about missing children and an evil computer game, did not manage to hold my attention. Unclear if this was due to the writing style or the fact that pure horror as a genre is not my thing.
14. Familiaris by Genevive Valentine (3/5 Stars)
A retelling of the Wolves that actually had some fairly powerful things to say about grief, autonomy, and motherhood but I was really thrown off by the didactic writing style and rapidly shifting perspectives
13. Badgirl, The Deadman and the Wheel of Fortune by Cathrynne M. Valente (3/5 Stars)
A classic Valente in its jarring tragedy and jaggedly beautiful language. A well-done story told believably from a young child's perspective but also so hugely upsetting that it fell pretty low in the ranks compared to others.
12. The Other Thea by Theodora Goss (3/5 Stars)
A retelling of The Shadow that was very unnecessarily long for a short story collection. Certainly creative, and I especially loved the Magic-School-In-New-England vibes, but just didn't grab my attention.
11. In The Desert Like a Bone by Seanan McGuire (3/5 Stars)
A unique retelling of Little Red Riding hood reimagined as a Western. Thematically interesting but lacked subtley or suprise.
10. The Super Ultra Duchess of Fedora Forest (3/5 Stars)
SO weird but in kind of a hilarious, endearing way that captures the utter insanity of the original HCA story about the Mouse, the Bird, and the Sausage. The story follows sentient versions of the three eponymous creatures through a strange post-apocalyptic landscape that reads as Toy Story meets The Walking Dead.
9. The Thousand Eyes by Jeffery Ford (3.5/5 Stars)
Creepy and cool but not quuuuite compelling enough to reach four stars. Retells the Voice of Death, which I am not familiar with, but tells the story of a determined painter and a strange lounge singer in a bar by the ocean. The atmosphere was far more interesting than the plot, but maybe that's because its one of few I've seen that captures the energy of the Delaware coast near my home.
8. Underground by Karin Tidbeck (3.5/5 Stars).
Fascinating take on a favorite tale of mine, East of the Sun and West of the Moon. Set in Stockholm in the 30s or 40s, it has a well-defined atmosphere but I struggled to relate at all the actions of the protagonist. I suppose this is the point, meant to draw attention to the (literal) Stockholm Syndrome suffered by women in fairy tales, but still wasn't one of my favorites.
7. Spinning Silver (4/5 Stars)
I was surprised and delighted to find this here, as I didn't know that Naomi Novik's novel was actually based on this short story, first published here. A wintery retelling of Rumplestilsken with a phenomenal Jewish protagonist, but rated lower here because it is so hard for me to seperate it from the novel which is by its very nature far more thorough and ultimately a better vehicle for this story.
7. The Tale of Mahiliya and Mauhub and the White Footed Gazelle (4/5 Stars)
I LOVED the narration and style of this story. Mahiliya is a Baba Yaga like figure out of the story collection Strange and Marvelous Things, a spiritual cousin to One Thousand and One Nights. It tells tales of her various exploits while meditating on the erosion of the ancient world.
6. Pearl by Aliette de Bodard (4/5 Stars)
Another retelling I wasn't familiar with, Da Trang and the Pearl, that reminded me a bit thematically of the Pygmallion myth. Beautifully interwoven with Bodard's existing Xuya universe, and I was fascinated by the lovely, tragic concept of remoras (small, decaying AIs) that constantly recycle themselves in pursuit of a continued existence.
4. Seasons of Glass and Iron by Amal El-Mohtar (5/5 Stars)
Queer! Princesses! And also a really, really excellent metaphor for the disparity between the blame we place on our friends for bad things happening to them versus the blame we place on ourselves when bad things happen to us. Just an all around beautiful marriage of fairy tail whimsy and meaning.
3. Penny for a Match, Mister? by Garth Nix (5/5 Stars)
Blown away by Garth Nix' ability to turn my least favorite HCA fairy tale (The Little Match Girl) into a funny, delightful murder mystery. A brilliant fantasy western in which when the moon is in a certain phase demons have the ability to cross into the world and infect people. I also loved how he managed to maintain crucial elements of the original story while turning it from a tale of woe into a tale of triumph. Dying to read more stories set in this world.
2. Giants in the Sky by Max Gladstone (5/5 Starts)
ORM SEES ALL. For real, wasn't sure at first if I was going to like this one but ended up ADORING this uproariously funny Jack and the Beanstalk retelling of bureaucratic digital demigods hiding in an advanced techno cloud above a world that has recessed to medieval times in their absence.
1. The Briar and the Rose by Marjorie Lu (5/5 Stars)
I need Marjorie Lu to write a full-length novel ASAP. This Sleeping Beauty retelling, easily the best I have ever read, captured everything I love about fairy tale retellings, short fiction, and impactful media generally. It follows the Duelist, the bodyguard for an evil sorceress who steals the body of a princess for six out of the seven days of the week and makes her do unspeakable things. This story was tender and heart-breaking all at once, as the Duelist and Rose fall in love without the ability to touch. It has a powerful message about bodily autonomy, greif, and trauma: picking apart the threads of the original story to weave something beautiful and new.