B+ Reviews / Book Reviews / Recommended ReadsDark Fantasy / Fairy / fairy tale retelling / Fantasy / monsters / self discovery6 Comments
When the witch built the forty-flight tower, she made very sure to do the whole thing properly. Each flight contains a dreadful monster, ranging from a diamond-scaled dragon to a pack of slavering goblins. Should a prince battle his way to the top, he will be rewarded with a golden ... more >
B Reviews / Book ReviewsFairy / fairy tale retelling / novella / TrollComments Off on REVIEW: The Trouble with Trolls: An Enchanted Fairy Tale (The Chronicles of Forget-Me-Not Forest) by Sarina Dorie
Magic. Mystery. Twisted Fairy Tales to Delight! Move over Beauty and the Beast—Make room for Beauty and the Troll. In this fractured fairy tale, a wicked and selfish king accidentally marries a big beautiful troll. Their child is a troll changeling who becomes the king’s pet warrior, filling the role ... more >
B- Reviews / Book ReviewsAsian characters / Chinese literature / dysfunctional family / fairy tale retelling / family relationships / Latina / lesbian / LGBTQIA+ / mythology / older MCs / POC / POC author / self discovery / transgender characterComments Off on REVIEW: Burning Roses by S. L. Huang
Rosa, also known as Red Riding Hood, is done with wolves and woods. Hou Yi the Archer is tired, and knows she’s past her prime. They would both rather just be retired, but that’s not what the world has ready for them. When deadly sunbirds begin to ravage the countryside, ... more >
A- Reviews / C+ Reviews1910s / actors / f/f romance / fairy tale retelling / France / friendship / joint review / LGBTQIA+ / Russia / Russian Revolution / silent cinema / theater / witch / wolf12 Comments
I was impressed by Briarley, Aster Glenn Gray’s debut retelling of Beauty and the Beast, and when I saw that Gray had a new, 120-page f/f retelling of Little Red Riding Hood just out, and that it was set in pre-revolutionary Russia, I thought Sirius, a lover of LGBT romances ... more >
B Reviews / Book Reviewscats / children's literature / childrens-books / fairy tale retelling / picture booksComments Off on REVIEW: Cat Wishes by Calista Brill
In this playfully subversive fairytale, perfect for fans of Jon Klassen, the ever-skeptical Cat learns that wishes can come true—just not always in the ways we expect. At turns sly and sweet, this clever story about friendship will leave no doubt that true magic lies in our connections with others, ... more >
A Reviews / Recommended Reads#ownvoices / bride / fairy tale / fairy tale retelling / Fantasy / Historical Fantasy / Middle East / YA3 Comments
Dear Catherine Faris King: We should all know the story of Scheherazade, right? It’s the frame story of the Arabian Nights, and famous enough in its own right. Once there was a murderous king, who, after he finds his first wife to be unfaithful, marries dozens of women, murdering every ... more >