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100pagesaday's review against another edition
3.0
F is for Fairy is an alphabet anthology of short stories that incorporate fairies or the world of fae in some way. Each story has a letter that it is themed around and a different author that offers a wide variety of writing styles and well as takes on what a fairy is. Like any anthology or collection, there were some stories that I liked better than others.
Many of the stories that I was drawn to included fairy re-imaginings of stories I already knew or included fairies from popular stories such as Sleeping Beauty, Peter Pan and A Midsummer Night's Dream. One of my very favorites was A, a story that seems very familiar as it examines how fairies come into existence and find their purpose as the fairy Apple goes through many different emotions to find out who she is. M was another story with a familiar twist as a princess decides for herself whom to spend the rest of her life with. W was a very different story, taking the vibe of a comedic mystery with some unlikely heroes from Midsummer's Night. Y was also a story with a different tone and an ogre that offered a redeeming and sweet song. Overall, a good and varied collection of stories for any fairy or fantasy lover.
This book was received for free in return for an honest review.
Many of the stories that I was drawn to included fairy re-imaginings of stories I already knew or included fairies from popular stories such as Sleeping Beauty, Peter Pan and A Midsummer Night's Dream. One of my very favorites was A, a story that seems very familiar as it examines how fairies come into existence and find their purpose as the fairy Apple goes through many different emotions to find out who she is. M was another story with a familiar twist as a princess decides for herself whom to spend the rest of her life with. W was a very different story, taking the vibe of a comedic mystery with some unlikely heroes from Midsummer's Night. Y was also a story with a different tone and an ogre that offered a redeeming and sweet song. Overall, a good and varied collection of stories for any fairy or fantasy lover.
This book was received for free in return for an honest review.
urbanaudreye's review against another edition
5.0
26 exceptional short stories of the Fae and their kind to keep you riveted to your seat. Each story more entertaining than the last, I'd be hard pressed to pick a favorite amongst them. Especially a good choice of book for any who enjoy fairy tales but maybe don't have a lot of time to dedicate to one story.
*I received a copy of this book for free. The review is my own, honest and unsolicited.
*I received a copy of this book for free. The review is my own, honest and unsolicited.
etoiline's review against another edition
3.0
This is the sixth Alphabet Anthology book, where each story is titled with a word starting with each subsequent letter of the alphabet. I wouldn't mind finding the first few (though they have different themes, so I don't feel like I missed anything). Overall this was a fun read, and I truly enjoyed trying to figure out what word each story was representing. Most of the time I was wrong ;)
The stories span genres--you'll find traditional fairy tales reminiscent of A Midsummer Night's Dream, urban fantasy, light horror, even a fae story taking place on a spaceship. Stories that stood out for me: a tale of Nordic fae by C.S. MacCath; Stephanie A. Cain's story of unusual ancestry; Rachel M. Thompson's royal romance; Megan Engelhardt's World War I tale; Michael M Jones' story of a club where love can be lost, and found; the reveal of a most unexpected facet of an ogre by Michael Fosburg; and the completely unexpected juxtaposition of hockey and imminent apocalypse by Beth Cato (the author who informed me of this anthology's existence).
Not a problem, just an observation: some of the stories are *very* short. It was a surprise when I tapped through the book on my iPad and suddenly a story was done. More power to authors who can tell a complete story in few words. As with any anthology, be prepared for swings in author style, which can be jarring.
If you like short stories with fantastical bents, this anthology is for you.
I received this book as a complimentary e-ARC from Booksprout in exchange for an honest review.
The stories span genres--you'll find traditional fairy tales reminiscent of A Midsummer Night's Dream, urban fantasy, light horror, even a fae story taking place on a spaceship. Stories that stood out for me: a tale of Nordic fae by C.S. MacCath; Stephanie A. Cain's story of unusual ancestry; Rachel M. Thompson's royal romance; Megan Engelhardt's World War I tale; Michael M Jones' story of a club where love can be lost, and found; the reveal of a most unexpected facet of an ogre by Michael Fosburg; and the completely unexpected juxtaposition of hockey and imminent apocalypse by Beth Cato (the author who informed me of this anthology's existence).
Not a problem, just an observation: some of the stories are *very* short. It was a surprise when I tapped through the book on my iPad and suddenly a story was done. More power to authors who can tell a complete story in few words. As with any anthology, be prepared for swings in author style, which can be jarring.
If you like short stories with fantastical bents, this anthology is for you.
I received this book as a complimentary e-ARC from Booksprout in exchange for an honest review.
mdpenguin's review against another edition
5.0
I picked this up because it was part of a Story Bundle and seemed like it might be a light diversion that would see me through a bad mood I was in. Then I read the first story and literally cried for quite a bit afterward. This has a really good blend of stories in it, running the gambit from high-ish fantasy to urban fantasy, drama to pure silliness. A few weren't particularly memorable, but a number of them were truly excellent and there weren't any that weren't at least an ok read. Most of them poked around in some aspect of being human and were pretty effective at it. A good number of them play off of well-known fairy tales and quite a few others play off of some of the standard tropes of the genre, inverting the story to give a different perspective and maybe provoke a few thoughts.
I started off making little notes about each story so that I could check out the authors later, but didn't keep up with it. I'll need to go through sometime this week and see if I can't remember which ones I liked the most so that I can see what else those authors have written. I don't read short stories often, but I'll probably check out a few of the other anthologies in the series, especially since the first one seems to be free.
I started off making little notes about each story so that I could check out the authors later, but didn't keep up with it. I'll need to go through sometime this week and see if I can't remember which ones I liked the most so that I can see what else those authors have written. I don't read short stories often, but I'll probably check out a few of the other anthologies in the series, especially since the first one seems to be free.
deearr's review
4.0
As with any compilation, there are stories and then there are stories that shine. In this collection, all of the stories are good and well-written, and some of them are standouts.
My favorites? L.S. Johnson sets the pace with an opening story that mixed a familiar childhood tale with an intriguing twist, and C.S. MacCath followed by filling in the unknown pieces in an actual event that happened centuries ago. Andrew Bourelle’s story blended the fairy world with a touch of horror and dread. BD Wilson’s tale borrowed from many sources to create something that could only be cast as an apocalyptical world where the laws of the Fae reign supreme, twisting everything and allowing the nightmares to creep in and take root.
As always, editor Rhonda Parrish does an outstanding job. The 26 story headings (one for each letter of the alphabet) served as a fun game (I kept trying to guess what word she would assign to each letter when revealed at the end of the stories). Whether intended or not, the mixture of stories was quite good. Even when a story struck me as okay but not outstanding, I knew the next one or the one after that would catch me unawares with either a surprise ending or a masterful recital of a tale that the author would not allow to become mundane. Extremely entertaining, highly recommended. Four-and-a-half stars.
My favorites? L.S. Johnson sets the pace with an opening story that mixed a familiar childhood tale with an intriguing twist, and C.S. MacCath followed by filling in the unknown pieces in an actual event that happened centuries ago. Andrew Bourelle’s story blended the fairy world with a touch of horror and dread. BD Wilson’s tale borrowed from many sources to create something that could only be cast as an apocalyptical world where the laws of the Fae reign supreme, twisting everything and allowing the nightmares to creep in and take root.
As always, editor Rhonda Parrish does an outstanding job. The 26 story headings (one for each letter of the alphabet) served as a fun game (I kept trying to guess what word she would assign to each letter when revealed at the end of the stories). Whether intended or not, the mixture of stories was quite good. Even when a story struck me as okay but not outstanding, I knew the next one or the one after that would catch me unawares with either a surprise ending or a masterful recital of a tale that the author would not allow to become mundane. Extremely entertaining, highly recommended. Four-and-a-half stars.
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