Reviews with content warning for Violence - Love in Colour: Mythical Tales from Around the World, Retold

There is so much going on in each of these stories! It should feel disjointed considering it's a collection of short stories in which the only common theme is love, but they flow so easily from one to the other. It's easy to pick back up if you've had to set it down for some reason and sucks you right back in. Sometimes the love in the stories is fierce and bold, others it's fragile and filled with longing. Such a lovely book from start to finish.

I really enjoyed Babalola's reimaginings of folktales, myths, and legends from around the world, especially because she specifically rewrote them to give the women in them more agency and control. There were a couple I'd never heard before and it was fun to learn more about these and the cultures they come from by doing deeper dives. I think my fave is the very last short story. 😘 The book may be finished but that story certainly isn't.

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daniellekat's review against another edition

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I love the premise of this anthology but the writing is too over the top for me, and so far all the stories have been boring.

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galexy_brain's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I loved this book of love! It was so refreshing to hear myths and stories from places I don't normally encounter, and even more refreshing that the author decided to switch up some of the misogynistic storylines while still staying true to the original elements of the stories. Though some stories take you through an emotional rollercoaster,

it was a treat that all of them ended optimistically. Sometimes you just need to read a book like that.

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rafacolog's review against another edition

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emotional lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.5

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katiemack's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

This was such a treat to listen to as folktales told in the oral tradition; I felt like I learned a lot about non-Western stories and mythology. The writing is beautiful and poetic while also incorporating hilariously biting remarks and contemporary references; I'd recommend listening to one story at a time to savor them. Some of the stories are stronger and more effective than others; I also wish there had been more LGBTQ+ romance plots--"Nefertiti" was the only one in the collection. Standout tales for me are "Osun," "Scheherazade," "Attem," and "Nefertiti." The last story, "Alagomeji," is about Bolu Babalola's parents, which is sweet and touching.

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purplepenning's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.25

Smart, creative, super interesting short story retellings of myths from around the world, cast into empowering, hopeful love stories from a British-West African perspective.

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khakipantsofsex's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful

4.0

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editorsel's review against another edition

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hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

I loved this collection of short love stories as they were reimagined myths and tales. While I didn’t recognize many of the original stories, it felt empowering to be led by strong female characters in each of the stories, each of them tied to various cultural barriers and obstacles that reflect the arena of love across centuries. It was a good book to read before bed, because you could read one story or two and feel a comforting sense of resolve.

The only thing I felt was lacking was the presence of queer stories — especially given the freedom and possibilities allowed by reimagining stories.

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