A review by kikiandarrowsfishshelf
The Fair Folk by Jane Yolen, Midori Snyder, Kim Newman, Marvin Kaye, Patricia A. McKillip, Tanith Lee, Craig Shaw Gardner, Megan Lindholm
4.0
This is a nice collection of tales that focus on fairies, and that would be your older and nastier fairies than Tinkerbell.
"UOUS" by Tanith Lee is, to my mind at least, the best in the collection. Lee sets up the tale nicely, making it almost sound like we are going to get a classic Cinderella tale. Then she gives it one of her Lee twists. The tale is a wonderful twist on the three wishes theme. It does make you wonder as it raises questions about fairy tales and life in general.
"The Kelpie" by Patricia A. McKillip is good, though not as good. McKillip creates a pre-Raphaelite brotherhood. Strangely, while there is a fairy present, the tale reminded me of [b:The Yellow Wallpaper|99300|The Yellow Wallpaper|Charlotte Perkins Gilman|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171436398s/99300.jpg|1467808] more than anything else. "The Kelpie" contains McKillip's lyrical charm and is a rather gentle love story.
"The Gypsies in the Wood" by Kim Newman was the most disappointing tale in the collection. I loved the character of Kate who I've met before in [b:Anno Dracula|33535|Anno Dracula|Kim Newman|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1221011425s/33535.jpg|1731834] and [b:The Bloody Red Baron|771650|The Bloody Red Baron|Kim Newman|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1178216342s/771650.jpg|271584]. I also like Charles. "Gypsies" takes the two characters and puts them in an alternate reality of sorts. This made it somewhat discombobulating if you are familiar with Newman's Dracula world. I can understand why he did it, however. The tale isn't fully disappointing, but it feels off.
I couldn't get though "The Embarrassment of Elves" by Craig Shaw Gardner.
"Grace Notes" by Megan Lindholm (a.k.a. Robin Hobb) is a charming story about Martha Stewart and a Brownie. It's the funniest one in the collection and full of wonderful detail and deft touches.
The last story in the collection, "Except the Queen" by Jane Yolen and Midori Snyder is good and bittersweet. If you liked [b:Sorcery and Cecelia or The Enchanted Chocolate Pot Being the Correspondence of Two Young Ladies of Quality Regarding Various Magical Scandals in London and the Country|64207|Sorcery and Cecelia or The Enchanted Chocolate Pot Being the Correspondence of Two Young Ladies of Quality Regarding Various Magical Scandals in London and the Country (Cecelia and Kate, Book 1)|Patricia C. Wrede|http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51EXWzFZ0LL._SL75_.jpg|505], you'll like this one.
All and all this collection is worth reading.
"UOUS" by Tanith Lee is, to my mind at least, the best in the collection. Lee sets up the tale nicely, making it almost sound like we are going to get a classic Cinderella tale. Then she gives it one of her Lee twists. The tale is a wonderful twist on the three wishes theme. It does make you wonder as it raises questions about fairy tales and life in general.
"The Kelpie" by Patricia A. McKillip is good, though not as good. McKillip creates a pre-Raphaelite brotherhood. Strangely, while there is a fairy present, the tale reminded me of [b:The Yellow Wallpaper|99300|The Yellow Wallpaper|Charlotte Perkins Gilman|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171436398s/99300.jpg|1467808] more than anything else. "The Kelpie" contains McKillip's lyrical charm and is a rather gentle love story.
"The Gypsies in the Wood" by Kim Newman was the most disappointing tale in the collection. I loved the character of Kate who I've met before in [b:Anno Dracula|33535|Anno Dracula|Kim Newman|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1221011425s/33535.jpg|1731834] and [b:The Bloody Red Baron|771650|The Bloody Red Baron|Kim Newman|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1178216342s/771650.jpg|271584]. I also like Charles. "Gypsies" takes the two characters and puts them in an alternate reality of sorts. This made it somewhat discombobulating if you are familiar with Newman's Dracula world. I can understand why he did it, however. The tale isn't fully disappointing, but it feels off.
I couldn't get though "The Embarrassment of Elves" by Craig Shaw Gardner.
"Grace Notes" by Megan Lindholm (a.k.a. Robin Hobb) is a charming story about Martha Stewart and a Brownie. It's the funniest one in the collection and full of wonderful detail and deft touches.
The last story in the collection, "Except the Queen" by Jane Yolen and Midori Snyder is good and bittersweet. If you liked [b:Sorcery and Cecelia or The Enchanted Chocolate Pot Being the Correspondence of Two Young Ladies of Quality Regarding Various Magical Scandals in London and the Country|64207|Sorcery and Cecelia or The Enchanted Chocolate Pot Being the Correspondence of Two Young Ladies of Quality Regarding Various Magical Scandals in London and the Country (Cecelia and Kate, Book 1)|Patricia C. Wrede|http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51EXWzFZ0LL._SL75_.jpg|505], you'll like this one.
All and all this collection is worth reading.