elineedsmoreshelves's review
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
greyxwaren's review
4.0
Mothers of Enchantment, edited and collected by Kate Wolford, founder of Enchanted Conversation: A Fairy Tale Magazine and featuring a stunning handful of talented authors, explores the character often residing in the background of the story, furthering the narrative but never featured in it, the illusive fairy godmother. In a compelling mix of serious and surreal, eccentric and earnest, solemn and silly, this collection is as much intriguing as it is entertaining, a necessary and unique smattering of stories for fans of modern retellings with thematically relevant twists.
A perfect beginning to the collection, Michelle Tang’s “Wishes to Heaven” is a tender homage to the narrative reward of unexpected kindness — our heroine saves a moth and finds that she’s rescued a fairy god(moth)er in doing so. This clever play on words and deeply personal spin on a familiar tale reaches into the depths of poignancy to convey a story that is both moving and fascinating.
Kelly Jarvis’s “A Story of Soil and Stardust” skews dark and heart-wrenching both, peering into the depths of feminine rage in the conglomerate vein of various Cinderella and Baba Yaga tellings wrapped into one, spinning a story of witchery that begs the necessary question: “What would you give up for autonomy?”
An apt follow-up to this is “Real Boy” by Marshall J. Moore, which explores the legend of Pinocchio through the eyes of the magical being who grants Pinocchio his livelihood and clears up the finer details of this well-known fable with ponderings on the nature of immortality and personhood in an incredibly intriguing and fresh narrative. Autonomy and our heroine’s ability to control her future vs the fate that seems to guide it follows the reader into “My Last Curse” by Elise Forier Edie, a stunning and occasionally comical introspection into the minds of the fairies who bestow gifts on the royal children as they attempt to save young princess after young princess from “wedlock and slavery”, as the tale gracefully examines the role of the Patriarchy throughout fairytale tradition.
“Face in the Mirror” by Sonni de Soto seals the Prince-turned-Beasts fate in a similar manner — the curse bestowed with the final straw being his treatment of the women around him. With a witty narrator and a flair for the dramatic, this tale examines not only the Prince’s failings, but the systemic failings of those around him, trusted with his care. This tale also flips the stereotypes about romantic love and makes a wonderful case for found family!
Following this, the ethereal and compelling “Forgetful Frost” by Vivica Reeves follows divinity in the seasons and the depth of grief in a fully original tale that speaks to a dark fate in the tradition of figures like Jack Frost or Mother Nature. Fun and fantastical, “Modern Magic” by Carter Lappin aptly juxtaposes this seemingly ancient story with a flippantly modern, extraordinarily human and relatable tale that explores the compulsive desire to impress our peers, featuring an updated-for-the-times fairy godmother and contemporary conveniences to boot, all wrapped in a ponderous “coincidence or not?” ending.
“In the Name of Gold” by Claire Noelle Thomas again approaches the confines of the patriarchy, the consequences of a father’s proud boasting on behalf of his daughter in the familiar tradition of Rumpelstiltskin, and the kindness that follows as these two characters in vastly different social standings find comfort in one another’s aid and learn the meaning of sacrifice.
For fans of stories in the spirit of “Ella Enchanted”, “Of Wishes and Fairies” by Maxine Churchman explores the failings of a Fairy Godmother unaware of the chaos she causes, dipping in and out of other familiar tales to weave a lighthearted lesson about the price of power and the importance of persistence in knowledge, with an aura of warmth all around!
Echoes the relatable humanity and modernity of “Modern Magic”, “Flick: The Fairy Godmother” by Kim Malinowski follows a fairy with crippling anxiety, set to be the next Fairy Godmother and lacking guidance. This is another deeply relatable tale that gives a contemporary twist to the idea of godmothers and magic, and speaks to the crippling nature of imposter syndrome aside as we follow Flick in her perilous journey to save the world. No small task, this tale winds around corners in the most endearing and exciting ways.
A gorgeous and tenderly conveyed completion to the collection, “The Venetian Glass Girl”, conveyed skillfully as the narrator directly address the audience, again creates an original tale tied with magic and familiar facets of fables and fairy tales alike. This story is a beautiful exploration of the feeling of otherness in the vein of Pinocchio, featuring a main character made of Venetian glass.
From anthologist Kate Wolford’s skill in collecting these tales, to the diverse and talented authors that make up this collection, this was a wonderful and all-around lovely read. The range of emotions and voices in these tales guaranteed that each story would stand alone in its beauty and artistry, that each piece would not run together and would yet complement one another both in theme and arrangement. I’m grateful to have been able to explore each carefully constructed piece in this work, and would highly recommend it especially to the Sword & Kettle audience and truly, to all fans of retellings with a relationship to our own modern understanding of the original texts.
A perfect beginning to the collection, Michelle Tang’s “Wishes to Heaven” is a tender homage to the narrative reward of unexpected kindness — our heroine saves a moth and finds that she’s rescued a fairy god(moth)er in doing so. This clever play on words and deeply personal spin on a familiar tale reaches into the depths of poignancy to convey a story that is both moving and fascinating.
Kelly Jarvis’s “A Story of Soil and Stardust” skews dark and heart-wrenching both, peering into the depths of feminine rage in the conglomerate vein of various Cinderella and Baba Yaga tellings wrapped into one, spinning a story of witchery that begs the necessary question: “What would you give up for autonomy?”
An apt follow-up to this is “Real Boy” by Marshall J. Moore, which explores the legend of Pinocchio through the eyes of the magical being who grants Pinocchio his livelihood and clears up the finer details of this well-known fable with ponderings on the nature of immortality and personhood in an incredibly intriguing and fresh narrative. Autonomy and our heroine’s ability to control her future vs the fate that seems to guide it follows the reader into “My Last Curse” by Elise Forier Edie, a stunning and occasionally comical introspection into the minds of the fairies who bestow gifts on the royal children as they attempt to save young princess after young princess from “wedlock and slavery”, as the tale gracefully examines the role of the Patriarchy throughout fairytale tradition.
“Face in the Mirror” by Sonni de Soto seals the Prince-turned-Beasts fate in a similar manner — the curse bestowed with the final straw being his treatment of the women around him. With a witty narrator and a flair for the dramatic, this tale examines not only the Prince’s failings, but the systemic failings of those around him, trusted with his care. This tale also flips the stereotypes about romantic love and makes a wonderful case for found family!
Following this, the ethereal and compelling “Forgetful Frost” by Vivica Reeves follows divinity in the seasons and the depth of grief in a fully original tale that speaks to a dark fate in the tradition of figures like Jack Frost or Mother Nature. Fun and fantastical, “Modern Magic” by Carter Lappin aptly juxtaposes this seemingly ancient story with a flippantly modern, extraordinarily human and relatable tale that explores the compulsive desire to impress our peers, featuring an updated-for-the-times fairy godmother and contemporary conveniences to boot, all wrapped in a ponderous “coincidence or not?” ending.
“In the Name of Gold” by Claire Noelle Thomas again approaches the confines of the patriarchy, the consequences of a father’s proud boasting on behalf of his daughter in the familiar tradition of Rumpelstiltskin, and the kindness that follows as these two characters in vastly different social standings find comfort in one another’s aid and learn the meaning of sacrifice.
For fans of stories in the spirit of “Ella Enchanted”, “Of Wishes and Fairies” by Maxine Churchman explores the failings of a Fairy Godmother unaware of the chaos she causes, dipping in and out of other familiar tales to weave a lighthearted lesson about the price of power and the importance of persistence in knowledge, with an aura of warmth all around!
Echoes the relatable humanity and modernity of “Modern Magic”, “Flick: The Fairy Godmother” by Kim Malinowski follows a fairy with crippling anxiety, set to be the next Fairy Godmother and lacking guidance. This is another deeply relatable tale that gives a contemporary twist to the idea of godmothers and magic, and speaks to the crippling nature of imposter syndrome aside as we follow Flick in her perilous journey to save the world. No small task, this tale winds around corners in the most endearing and exciting ways.
A gorgeous and tenderly conveyed completion to the collection, “The Venetian Glass Girl”, conveyed skillfully as the narrator directly address the audience, again creates an original tale tied with magic and familiar facets of fables and fairy tales alike. This story is a beautiful exploration of the feeling of otherness in the vein of Pinocchio, featuring a main character made of Venetian glass.
From anthologist Kate Wolford’s skill in collecting these tales, to the diverse and talented authors that make up this collection, this was a wonderful and all-around lovely read. The range of emotions and voices in these tales guaranteed that each story would stand alone in its beauty and artistry, that each piece would not run together and would yet complement one another both in theme and arrangement. I’m grateful to have been able to explore each carefully constructed piece in this work, and would highly recommend it especially to the Sword & Kettle audience and truly, to all fans of retellings with a relationship to our own modern understanding of the original texts.
___tamara___'s review
lighthearted
fast-paced
3.5
I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
In all I enjoyed reading this anthology. At first I was a bit afraid I'll miss something because I haven't read a lot of the original fairytales, and it's possible I really did, but I liked the stories. All of the stories star a fairy godmother, or at least a fairy.
Wishes to Heaven by Michelle Tang 4*
Based on a fairytale I haven't heard before, about a poor woman who gets to ask three wishes from a moth she saved from getting crushed.
A Story of Soil and Stardust by Kelly Jarvis 4*
Cinderella / Baba Yaga fusion girl power!
Real Boy by Marshall J. Moore 3*
Pinocchio from the perspective of the fairy godmother
Returning the Favor by Lynden Wade 4*
A perspective on fairy grandmothers and how they become what they are. Interesting!
My Last Curse by Elise Forier Edie 2*
Fairy Godmothers (the good and the evil) are in on it together to prevent a princess getting married, so one day she will be a ruling queen instead of a wife, thus toppling the patriarchy!
Face in the Mirror by Sonni de Soto 4.5*
A witch casts a spell on a spoiled, obnoxious, cruel prince, turning him into a beast until he cares for someone and they care for him back. Easily the best story so far.
Forgetful Frost by Vivica Reeves 4*
A sad story about winter and spring, probably based on a Russian tale I haven't heard before judging by the names.
Modern Magic by Carter Lappin 2*
A modern day Cinderella story but it didn't do anything for me.
In the Name of Gold by Claire Noelle Thomas 3*
A different story about Rumpelstiltskin and spinning gold from straw.
Of Wishes and Fairies by Maxine Churchman 3*
Cute! A new Fairy Godmother is born and learns to help people even though her magic is not always perfect :)
Flick: The Fairy Godmother by Kim Malinowski
Had to DNF this one, the writing style is not for me.
The Venetian Glass Girl by Abi Marie Palmer 4*
A story about a lonely glassblower, his daughter, and a fairy.
In all I enjoyed reading this anthology. At first I was a bit afraid I'll miss something because I haven't read a lot of the original fairytales, and it's possible I really did, but I liked the stories. All of the stories star a fairy godmother, or at least a fairy.
Wishes to Heaven by Michelle Tang 4*
Based on a fairytale I haven't heard before, about a poor woman who gets to ask three wishes from a moth she saved from getting crushed.
A Story of Soil and Stardust by Kelly Jarvis 4*
Cinderella / Baba Yaga fusion girl power!
Real Boy by Marshall J. Moore 3*
Pinocchio from the perspective of the fairy godmother
Returning the Favor by Lynden Wade 4*
A perspective on fairy grandmothers and how they become what they are. Interesting!
My Last Curse by Elise Forier Edie 2*
Fairy Godmothers (the good and the evil) are in on it together to prevent a princess getting married, so one day she will be a ruling queen instead of a wife, thus toppling the patriarchy!
Face in the Mirror by Sonni de Soto 4.5*
A witch casts a spell on a spoiled, obnoxious, cruel prince, turning him into a beast until he cares for someone and they care for him back. Easily the best story so far.
Forgetful Frost by Vivica Reeves 4*
A sad story about winter and spring, probably based on a Russian tale I haven't heard before judging by the names.
Modern Magic by Carter Lappin 2*
A modern day Cinderella story but it didn't do anything for me.
In the Name of Gold by Claire Noelle Thomas 3*
A different story about Rumpelstiltskin and spinning gold from straw.
Of Wishes and Fairies by Maxine Churchman 3*
Cute! A new Fairy Godmother is born and learns to help people even though her magic is not always perfect :)
Flick: The Fairy Godmother by Kim Malinowski
Had to DNF this one, the writing style is not for me.
The Venetian Glass Girl by Abi Marie Palmer 4*
A story about a lonely glassblower, his daughter, and a fairy.
hckilgour's review
adventurous
challenging
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Spoiler
You thought you knew fairy godmothers. But be ready to have your world rocked. Between new tales, refurbished tales, and tales all their own, nothing is what you remember.
Wishes to heaven was a tale that wasn’t a retelling. But the fairy tale essence was there. And I loved how it showed that being kind to insects isn’t a bad thing.
A Story of Soil and Stardust was a fun combination of Baba Yaga and Cinderella. The best thing about this tale is that Elya isn’t a good person and she doesn’t play into it, especially at the end. I also loved how this tale deviated from the ending I was expecting.
Real Boy took on Jiminy Cricket’s point of view. I really loved how the “godfather” in this one wondered if he’d gone wrong at any point and contemplated his part in the story.
Returning the Favor was another interesting story all its own. I suppose we never think about how fairy godmothers do eventually need replacements and that they need to be people with the right selfless heart.
My Last Curse was by far my favorite story. Fairies don’t curse princesses to be mean, they do it to bring down the patriarchy! It was such a fun take on Maleficent and I enjoyed seeing just how things could go awry.
Face in the Mirror was a spectacular take on Beauty and the Beast. I thought it was particularly interesting that the “godmother” and prince didn’t fall in love by the end, but friendship was enough to break the curse.
Forgetful Frost wasn’t my favorite story. It all just felt… confusing in a way. Though it did have Cinderella elements.
Modern Magic was another one of my favorites. A fairy godmother with a cellphone and a rainbow latte, yes please. This was a very fun and modern take on Cinderella.
In the Name of Gold was another interesting retelling. This Rumplestiltskin retelling makes the “godfather” to be the good guy. Him even going so far as to let the princess learn his name so that she can keep her child—even though it will kill him. This truly took the story in a different direction that I really loved.
Of Wishes and Fairies seemed to combine Cinderella and the Princess and the Frog. But what was the best part that a fairy whose magic sometimes goes awry, actually saves the day. Her misguided spells actually have unintended good consequences.
Flick: The Fairy Godmother was another one I didn’t care for. It just didn’t speak to me. Though I will say I liked seeing the struggles with anxiety that Flick had.
The Venetian Glass Girl was a take on Pinocchio. But instead of wood, glass. I didn’t feel the fairy godmother had much of a part in the story except for at the end. And I do hope the glassmaker and glass girl did end up getting a happy ending.
Overall, I would say this anthology is for anyone who loves retellings.
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