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katiekamp24's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
copyrightxcasey's review
4.0
*I received an ARC of this collection from StoryOrigin and am leaving a review voluntarily.*
If you like your fairytale retellings deliciously dark, you’re in for a real treat with Wicked Ever After!
Such a fun collection of short but sweet stories, each with their own twist on some of the classics we grew up loving. I would challenge you not to start and finish this the same day, as I personally found it difficult to stop reading once I’d started.
For me, this a highly recommend!
If you like your fairytale retellings deliciously dark, you’re in for a real treat with Wicked Ever After!
Such a fun collection of short but sweet stories, each with their own twist on some of the classics we grew up loving. I would challenge you not to start and finish this the same day, as I personally found it difficult to stop reading once I’d started.
For me, this a highly recommend!
youarethelibrarian's review
adventurous
fast-paced
3.75
This was a really fun mix of fairytale retellings, and lesser-known ones at that! Some of them had happy endings, some had happy endings for the villains, and some had tragic endings. Highly recommend for fans of fairytales that want a quick read, since each of the stories included is either a short story or little novella. I would love to read longer stories set in these same worlds!
scribe391's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
4.0
An anthology of ten reimagined fairytales.
Several stories in the collection are”teasers.”
Three draw inspiration from Rumplestilskin
Several stories in the collection are”teasers.”
Three draw inspiration from Rumplestilskin
itsabookthing2021's review
5.0
Thank you to Jessaca Willis for the ecopy of this Anthology. As always my review is of my own opinion.
I really enjoyed this Wicked Ever After, it had a great selection of short stories and I really enjoyed them all.
I've reviewed as few of the stories separately.
Every thorn a curse - Jessaca Willis
Every Thorn A Curse is a Beauty and The Beast retelling and one that I was really looking forward to reading.
This started off as the typical Beauty and The Beast tale, Gastile Roche wanting to marry the beautiful Belladonna.
Belladonna wanting much more to life.
For me that is where the similarities end, I went into this short story thinking I knew where this story was going and I definitely knew how it ends. How much more could I have been wrong? Like totally wrong. Without spoiling this marvellous tale let me tell you this twist to a classic tale is one that isn't expected and it's bloody marvelous.
Now onto the writing and style, I feel as with Jessaca Willis' other novels there is a simple form to the writing that just captures you from the beginning. The build up to big twists are filled with suspense.
I just love this style of writing and found myself immersed into the story.
As I said above the twist had me gasping and the ending, well my flabber is truly gasted! I did not see that coming! What an excellent short story!
The Friday Fish Special - Katia Kozar
The Friday Fish Special is a Fish and The Ring retelling, first off let me just say that I have no idea what that story is, So I just enjoyed this story without any comparison and just for what it was. A nice little love story where the not so nice guy got what he deserves at the end.
I enjoyed this little story, it was written well and it had a Romeo and Juliet feel to it - two lovers different sides of the tracks kinda thing.
I kinda laughed at the end where the main characters triumphed, it was almost a moment of woohoo!
I'm all for a happy ending.
The Hidden Soul Beneath - JB Caine
The Hidden Soul Beneath is a Little Mermaid retelling and another one that I was really looking forward to reading.
This mermaid is called Lorelei and our love interest is Erick who is celebrating his 18th in a few days and doesn't want to become King.
Without giving spoilers this story is dark and not mermaid dark. I honest to god sat reading this with my mouth open in shock and horror. I absolutely loved it though! The twist on this story was brilliant and obviously not expected. I love that everything comes with a price and though I'm usually one for a happy ending, I found myself rather pleased if shocked... Happily shocked... with this ending!
I really enjoyed this Wicked Ever After, it had a great selection of short stories and I really enjoyed them all.
I've reviewed as few of the stories separately.
Every thorn a curse - Jessaca Willis
Every Thorn A Curse is a Beauty and The Beast retelling and one that I was really looking forward to reading.
This started off as the typical Beauty and The Beast tale, Gastile Roche wanting to marry the beautiful Belladonna.
Belladonna wanting much more to life.
For me that is where the similarities end, I went into this short story thinking I knew where this story was going and I definitely knew how it ends. How much more could I have been wrong? Like totally wrong. Without spoiling this marvellous tale let me tell you this twist to a classic tale is one that isn't expected and it's bloody marvelous.
Now onto the writing and style, I feel as with Jessaca Willis' other novels there is a simple form to the writing that just captures you from the beginning. The build up to big twists are filled with suspense.
I just love this style of writing and found myself immersed into the story.
As I said above the twist had me gasping and the ending, well my flabber is truly gasted! I did not see that coming! What an excellent short story!
The Friday Fish Special - Katia Kozar
The Friday Fish Special is a Fish and The Ring retelling, first off let me just say that I have no idea what that story is, So I just enjoyed this story without any comparison and just for what it was. A nice little love story where the not so nice guy got what he deserves at the end.
I enjoyed this little story, it was written well and it had a Romeo and Juliet feel to it - two lovers different sides of the tracks kinda thing.
I kinda laughed at the end where the main characters triumphed, it was almost a moment of woohoo!
I'm all for a happy ending.
The Hidden Soul Beneath - JB Caine
The Hidden Soul Beneath is a Little Mermaid retelling and another one that I was really looking forward to reading.
This mermaid is called Lorelei and our love interest is Erick who is celebrating his 18th in a few days and doesn't want to become King.
Without giving spoilers this story is dark and not mermaid dark. I honest to god sat reading this with my mouth open in shock and horror. I absolutely loved it though! The twist on this story was brilliant and obviously not expected. I love that everything comes with a price and though I'm usually one for a happy ending, I found myself rather pleased if shocked... Happily shocked... with this ending!
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