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moonpie's review against another edition
3.0
The Coyote Road came verrrry close to being added to the "did not finish" shelf. In the end, I kept reading, even when I didn't want to, because I knew there were a couple of stories by authors I really liked that I hadn't hit yet.
I'm glad I did, because honestly, I think most of the good stuff was in the last half of the book.
Won't be reading it again, but it was worth slogging through the meh bits to get to the good stories.
I'm glad I did, because honestly, I think most of the good stuff was in the last half of the book.
Won't be reading it again, but it was worth slogging through the meh bits to get to the good stories.
readingrobin's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
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
3.5
Trickster tales are my bread and butter: Coyote, Hermes, Loki, Crow, Anansi, each one so varied in their mischief but share a great chaotic force. This archetype has always fascinated me, particularly in how involved they are in humanity, whether that means taking an active role in a creation myth or imparting some wisdom that helps humankind develop in a world that is always in flux. This anthology sports many of these figures, as well as some original ones, and mostly gets its job done of portraying various tricksy individuals.
Like any anthology, it had its hits and its misses. My favorite was "The Fiddler of Bayou Teche" by Delia Sherman. The atmosphere of this particular story really stood out amongst the rest, as well as the voice of the narrator, who has a Cajun vernacular that sucks you even more into the setting. The inclusion of the loup garou also is a massive plus for me. Always a sucker for werewolves am I.
Other stories I enjoyed were "One Odd Shoe," "The Listeners," "Crow Roads," "A Reversal of Fortune," and "Black Rock Blues." Probably a bit of a sign that, out of 26 stories, I only resonated with a small fraction of them, but that's just how it goes. I was definitely thinking by the end that the anthology felt a bit too weighty, or perhaps I was trying to read too much in one go. A lot of the more middling stories were unfortunately stuck in the second half, so by the end it felt a little bit more of a chore to get through.
Like any anthology, it had its hits and its misses. My favorite was "The Fiddler of Bayou Teche" by Delia Sherman. The atmosphere of this particular story really stood out amongst the rest, as well as the voice of the narrator, who has a Cajun vernacular that sucks you even more into the setting. The inclusion of the loup garou also is a massive plus for me. Always a sucker for werewolves am I.
Other stories I enjoyed were "One Odd Shoe," "The Listeners," "Crow Roads," "A Reversal of Fortune," and "Black Rock Blues." Probably a bit of a sign that, out of 26 stories, I only resonated with a small fraction of them, but that's just how it goes. I was definitely thinking by the end that the anthology felt a bit too weighty, or perhaps I was trying to read too much in one go. A lot of the more middling stories were unfortunately stuck in the second half, so by the end it felt a little bit more of a chore to get through.
high_fae's review against another edition
3.0
This is an anthology of short stories focused on the trickster archetype character. I enjoyed most of it (yet skipped some); I think my favorite story was one by [a: Nina Kiriki Hoffman|12991|Nina Kiriki Hoffman|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1278864412p2/12991.jpg] about a slave girl saved from her fate by Hermes.
catnipped's review against another edition
2.0
If I could, I would give this novel 2.5 stars, because it's a mixture of good stories and okay stories. However, since the okay stories outweigh the good, I have to go with okay.
That said, I am perhaps biased. I absolutely adored the two other anthologies that Datlow and Windling produced: [b:The Faery Reel: Tales from the Twilight Realm|81042|The Faery Reel Tales from the Twilight Realm|Ellen Datlow|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1266467947s/81042.jpg|1492588] and [b:The Green Man: Tales from the Mythic Forest|249855|The Green Man Tales from the Mythic Forest|Ellen Datlow|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1173132724s/249855.jpg|242107]. You should definitely pick up those over this one.
My biggest problem with The Coyote Road is I often felt like the one who was being tricked. Half the time, I finished a story and couldn't guess if there was trickster involved or not. Not only that, but I had to go back and read the first few pages again for several of the tales, just because I hadn't grasped what I was supposed to.
However, there are some creative and inventive stories here that make it worth reading. Because who doesn't love a little tricking, especially if the person being tricked deserves it.
That said, I am perhaps biased. I absolutely adored the two other anthologies that Datlow and Windling produced: [b:The Faery Reel: Tales from the Twilight Realm|81042|The Faery Reel Tales from the Twilight Realm|Ellen Datlow|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1266467947s/81042.jpg|1492588] and [b:The Green Man: Tales from the Mythic Forest|249855|The Green Man Tales from the Mythic Forest|Ellen Datlow|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1173132724s/249855.jpg|242107]. You should definitely pick up those over this one.
My biggest problem with The Coyote Road is I often felt like the one who was being tricked. Half the time, I finished a story and couldn't guess if there was trickster involved or not. Not only that, but I had to go back and read the first few pages again for several of the tales, just because I hadn't grasped what I was supposed to.
However, there are some creative and inventive stories here that make it worth reading. Because who doesn't love a little tricking, especially if the person being tricked deserves it.
heidipolkissa82's review
challenging
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
bahnree's review
3.0
"Coyote Woman" by Carolyn Dunn: Poem about female Coyote. This poem, I like it! ANOTHAH. 5/5
"Wagers of Gold Mountain" by Steve Berman: Everyone is tricking everyone because everybody has a lot to lose. Also there is a foo. Dog. Thing. 4/5.
"The Fiddler of Bayou Teche" by Delia Sherman: I am quickly becoming a huge fan of Sherman's short stories. This one had a slow beginning but built up the story really well so by the denoument, everything was beautiful and nothing hurt. 4/5.
"The Fortune-teller" by Patricia A. McKillip: The protagonist really confused me. I guess I didn't trust her and I was never really sure that what she was saying or doing was what she actually wanted to do. It's hard to explain. The actual fortune-telling was kinda great, though. 3/5.
"Crow Roads" by Charles de Lint: 3/5
"Uncle Tompa" by Midori Snyder: poem, 3/5
"Honored Guest" by Ellen Kushner: 4/5
"A Reversal of Fortune" by Holly Black: 5/5.
"Kwaku Anansi walks the world's web" by Jane Yolen: poem, 4/5.
*currently reading*
"Wagers of Gold Mountain" by Steve Berman: Everyone is tricking everyone because everybody has a lot to lose. Also there is a foo. Dog. Thing. 4/5.
"The Fiddler of Bayou Teche" by Delia Sherman: I am quickly becoming a huge fan of Sherman's short stories. This one had a slow beginning but built up the story really well so by the denoument, everything was beautiful and nothing hurt. 4/5.
"The Fortune-teller" by Patricia A. McKillip: The protagonist really confused me. I guess I didn't trust her and I was never really sure that what she was saying or doing was what she actually wanted to do. It's hard to explain. The actual fortune-telling was kinda great, though. 3/5.
"Crow Roads" by Charles de Lint: 3/5
"Uncle Tompa" by Midori Snyder: poem, 3/5
"Honored Guest" by Ellen Kushner: 4/5
"A Reversal of Fortune" by Holly Black: 5/5.
"Kwaku Anansi walks the world's web" by Jane Yolen: poem, 4/5.
*currently reading*
themadmaiden's review
4.0
Those were really good. I want to read more tricksters stories now. And it was nice to see so many female characters in them.
eachuisce72's review
5.0
I thought I was going to be cherry picking my way through this anthology. I picked it up because I was in a mood to read about foxes, and since they're traditionally tricksters I figured I'd find a few of them in this book. I only found a few foxes (one kitsune to be specific), but it doesn't matter because just about every story and poem in this book is wonderful. I read it straight through.
My personal favorite was "Honored Guest" by Ellen Kushner who brought in my favorite character from one of her other book series. She played the absolute best trick on me by not letting me know she was there until the the very end.
The last story in the book is not only a piece of great writing, but it shows off the great editing in this anthology since it goes out with a bang (and a whimper I suppose). "The Evolution of Trickster Stories Among the Dogs of North Park After the Change" by Will Shetterly is a look at how humans would actually react if one day most of the animals of the world (specifically cats and dogs) suddenly gained the ability to speak and think. As with most realities it's not very pretty.
The rest of the stories are a joy to read, and I highly recommend this. I've had a few of their other anthologies sitting on my shelves for a while, and I this book has made me very interested in picking them up.
My personal favorite was "Honored Guest" by Ellen Kushner who brought in my favorite character from one of her other book series. She played the absolute best trick on me by not letting me know she was there until the the very end.
The last story in the book is not only a piece of great writing, but it shows off the great editing in this anthology since it goes out with a bang (and a whimper I suppose). "The Evolution of Trickster Stories Among the Dogs of North Park After the Change" by Will Shetterly is a look at how humans would actually react if one day most of the animals of the world (specifically cats and dogs) suddenly gained the ability to speak and think. As with most realities it's not very pretty.
The rest of the stories are a joy to read, and I highly recommend this. I've had a few of their other anthologies sitting on my shelves for a while, and I this book has made me very interested in picking them up.
nancyotoole's review
3.0
The trickster has always been one of my favorite characters types in literature. Apparently, I'm not the only one as Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling have crafted an entire short story anthology around the idea of the trickster. This is the second anthology I have read edited by Datlow and Windling, after The Faerie Reel: Tales from the Twilight Realm. Once again I found myself impressed by the wide variety of content. We have stories that take place in all over our world, or in completely new worlds. Stories that take place now, or deep in the past. Here the trickster can be a protagonist, a villain, a notable side character, or even a force of nature. I found plenty of stories to love here, even if a handful weren't exactly to my taste and I wasn't always fond of the poetry. In the end I don't think this collection was quite as consistent as The Faerie Reel, but I still enjoyed most of the stories. Below are short reviews of my five favorites:
"Wagers of Gold Mountain" by Steve Breman- A historical fantasy selection taking place in San Francisco, this short story is about two trickster immortals. My favorite part about this story was how the protagonist (Yuan), managed to trick the tricksters and find his way out of a very difficult situation. I also thought that the San Francisco setting came across very strong.
"Realer than You" by Christopher Bazark- Until the end, there is very little about this story that feels magical. Instead it is about a young man who is forced to move to Japan, and how he struggles to adapt to the new culture. I enjoy how the kitsune trickster type was weaved into this story, and how well the author depicted the culture shock of suddenly being in a very different country.
"The Fiddler of Bayou Teche" by Delia Sherman- A story about a unique young woman who is pulled into a dangerous wager where she must out dance and out smart an evil fiddler. The best thing about this story is the strength of it's voice. I can really hear the storyteller in my head. I also enjoyed the ending.
"Crow Roads" by Charles de Lint- "Crow Roads" tells about a strange man that visits a small town, and the impact he has on one girl in particular. I thought the way that Charles de Lint depicted a small, poor town was very accurate, and I found Annie to be my favorite protagonist in the entire book. I was really happy with the decision she made by the end of the story, and wish that other young adult characters could be so levelheaded.
"A Reversal of Fortune" by Holly Black- In "A Reversal of Fortune", Holly Black puts her own spin on the betting with the devil trope, when Nikki enters an eating contest with the prince of darkness. The idea is just the right level of ridiculous, and I really enjoyed how the story ended.
Other stories I really like include "One Odd Shoe" by Pat Murphy, "The Listeners" by Nikki Kiriki Hoffman, "A Tale for Short Days" by Richard Bowes, and "Honored Guest" by Ellen Kushner. The book also has a great introduction on the history of trickster myths and a list of recommended reading in the back.
"Wagers of Gold Mountain" by Steve Breman- A historical fantasy selection taking place in San Francisco, this short story is about two trickster immortals. My favorite part about this story was how the protagonist (Yuan), managed to trick the tricksters and find his way out of a very difficult situation. I also thought that the San Francisco setting came across very strong.
"Realer than You" by Christopher Bazark- Until the end, there is very little about this story that feels magical. Instead it is about a young man who is forced to move to Japan, and how he struggles to adapt to the new culture. I enjoy how the kitsune trickster type was weaved into this story, and how well the author depicted the culture shock of suddenly being in a very different country.
"The Fiddler of Bayou Teche" by Delia Sherman- A story about a unique young woman who is pulled into a dangerous wager where she must out dance and out smart an evil fiddler. The best thing about this story is the strength of it's voice. I can really hear the storyteller in my head. I also enjoyed the ending.
"Crow Roads" by Charles de Lint- "Crow Roads" tells about a strange man that visits a small town, and the impact he has on one girl in particular. I thought the way that Charles de Lint depicted a small, poor town was very accurate, and I found Annie to be my favorite protagonist in the entire book. I was really happy with the decision she made by the end of the story, and wish that other young adult characters could be so levelheaded.
"A Reversal of Fortune" by Holly Black- In "A Reversal of Fortune", Holly Black puts her own spin on the betting with the devil trope, when Nikki enters an eating contest with the prince of darkness. The idea is just the right level of ridiculous, and I really enjoyed how the story ended.
Other stories I really like include "One Odd Shoe" by Pat Murphy, "The Listeners" by Nikki Kiriki Hoffman, "A Tale for Short Days" by Richard Bowes, and "Honored Guest" by Ellen Kushner. The book also has a great introduction on the history of trickster myths and a list of recommended reading in the back.