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mckenzierichardson's review against another edition
4.0
For more reviews, check out my blog: Craft-Cycle
A fascinating collection that explores the would-bes and what-ifs of fairy tale villains. These stories provide alternate explanations and prequels to give insight into the thinking of some of the most notorious villains in the fairy tale world. From the troll under the bridge and the giantess in the sky to the woman in the infamous candy cottage. Some stick fairly closely to the source materials and others combine stories in a fun new way.
As with most collections, some worked wonderfully, while others fell a bit flat. My personal favorite was [a:Catherynne M. Valente|338705|Catherynne M. Valente|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1220999852p2/338705.jpg]'s "A Delicate Architecture". She came at the story from such a unique perspective. It was a refreshing change of pace. I also enjoyed [a:Garth Nix|8347|Garth Nix|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1207583754p2/8347.jpg]'s "An Unwelcome Guest" for its interesting twist.
A great fit for those who enjoy fairy tale retellings, especially those that don't shy away from the dark corners of the tales. Perfect for those who grew up on [b:A Wolf at the Door: And Other Retold Fairy Tales|819930|A Wolf at the Door And Other Retold Fairy Tales|Ellen Datlow|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1387716350l/819930._SX50_.jpg|1475508] and are looking for the next step in fairy tale retellings.
A unique read from some well-known fantasy authors. It was fun to read their takes on villain's tales.
A fascinating collection that explores the would-bes and what-ifs of fairy tale villains. These stories provide alternate explanations and prequels to give insight into the thinking of some of the most notorious villains in the fairy tale world. From the troll under the bridge and the giantess in the sky to the woman in the infamous candy cottage. Some stick fairly closely to the source materials and others combine stories in a fun new way.
As with most collections, some worked wonderfully, while others fell a bit flat. My personal favorite was [a:Catherynne M. Valente|338705|Catherynne M. Valente|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1220999852p2/338705.jpg]'s "A Delicate Architecture". She came at the story from such a unique perspective. It was a refreshing change of pace. I also enjoyed [a:Garth Nix|8347|Garth Nix|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1207583754p2/8347.jpg]'s "An Unwelcome Guest" for its interesting twist.
A great fit for those who enjoy fairy tale retellings, especially those that don't shy away from the dark corners of the tales. Perfect for those who grew up on [b:A Wolf at the Door: And Other Retold Fairy Tales|819930|A Wolf at the Door And Other Retold Fairy Tales|Ellen Datlow|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1387716350l/819930._SX50_.jpg|1475508] and are looking for the next step in fairy tale retellings.
A unique read from some well-known fantasy authors. It was fun to read their takes on villain's tales.
delaneybull's review against another edition
2.0
I had such high hopes for this collection of short stories. I wanted them to be much more compelling and exciting than they were, and I felt there was an unnecessary amount of horror-esque scenarios in these stories, simply because they were from a "villain's" perspective.
bookswithbets's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
jena_33's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
fairislemeadow's review against another edition
3.0
This book contained stories and poems by a dazzling set of authors such as Neil Gaiman, Holly Black, and Jane Yolen. However, most of the tales were not very well fleshed out, even for short stories, and some felt half-finished. I did enjoy "'Skin" and "A Delicate Architecture."
beththebookdragon's review against another edition
4.0
Edited by legendary fantasy-anthology editors Ellen Datlow & Terri Windling. First story by an author I didn't know kicked butt. Second story is by Garth Nix. Jane Yolen is awesome as always. Stories, plus a few poems, range from "pretty good" to "excellent."
Definitely recommend to middle schoolers who like twisted/fractured fairy tales, as well as those who want scary stories as some of them are rather creepy and outright scary (though not too gory to freak out parents or kids who love stories that are "scary but not *too* scary"
Definitely recommend to middle schoolers who like twisted/fractured fairy tales, as well as those who want scary stories as some of them are rather creepy and outright scary (though not too gory to freak out parents or kids who love stories that are "scary but not *too* scary"
jaymeshaw's review against another edition
3.0
Short book full of short stories from the "villian's" point of view in many popular fairytales.
mackle13's review against another edition
3.0
Are the villains of the fairy tales we all know and love really as bad as they seem? How would things appear to be from their perspective?
That's the question that this short story and poem collection seeks to answer - with varying degrees of success.
Overall I liked the stories well enough, but none of them really wowed me. It was an entertaining diversion, but I suppose I was something more than you could glean from a short story collection.
That said, some of the ones I liked the best were:
Wizard's Apprentice - Delia Sherman (ode to misanthropy)
Up the Down Beanstalk: A Wife Remembers - Peter S. Beagle
The Boy Who Cried Wolf - Holly Black (interesting variant, and had a touch of the macabre)
Castle Othello - Nancy Farmer (an interesting blending of Othello and Bluebeard)
Observing the Formalities - Neil Gaiman (the only poem in the collection I liked, and it may be my bias in liking the 'bad fairy' of Sleeping Beauty)
The Cinderella Game - Kelly Link (which was the only one which managed to be sort of disturbing, which I think I was expecting more of)
Honorable mentions go to:
A Delicate Architecture - Catherine M. Valente (the story was interesting but just a touch too out there and motivations were weird)
and
Molly - Midori Snyder (The story was ok but the giants too stupid and Molly a bit too nasty)
So it didn't quite live up to expectations, but, as I said, a decent enough way to pass some time and, as evidenced by the fact that I read it in a few hours, it's a quick read.
That's the question that this short story and poem collection seeks to answer - with varying degrees of success.
Overall I liked the stories well enough, but none of them really wowed me. It was an entertaining diversion, but I suppose I was something more than you could glean from a short story collection.
That said, some of the ones I liked the best were:
Wizard's Apprentice - Delia Sherman (ode to misanthropy)
Up the Down Beanstalk: A Wife Remembers - Peter S. Beagle
The Boy Who Cried Wolf - Holly Black (interesting variant, and had a touch of the macabre)
Castle Othello - Nancy Farmer (an interesting blending of Othello and Bluebeard)
Observing the Formalities - Neil Gaiman (the only poem in the collection I liked, and it may be my bias in liking the 'bad fairy' of Sleeping Beauty)
The Cinderella Game - Kelly Link (which was the only one which managed to be sort of disturbing, which I think I was expecting more of)
Honorable mentions go to:
A Delicate Architecture - Catherine M. Valente (the story was interesting but just a touch too out there and motivations were weird)
and
Molly - Midori Snyder (The story was ok but the giants too stupid and Molly a bit too nasty)
So it didn't quite live up to expectations, but, as I said, a decent enough way to pass some time and, as evidenced by the fact that I read it in a few hours, it's a quick read.
jmanchester0's review against another edition
3.0
Blood kin are hard to hide from.
Damn.
Weird! It was odd to recognize Rags to Riches as the Goose Girl fairy tale! I just finished Shannon Hale's version of it (on audio with a full cast) and recognized several elements of it - though I had never heard of the tale before I read Shannon Hale's book.
I'd really like to meet Holly Black. Hers was an interesting story. And I loved her bio:
When she was a child, Holly's parents forced her into long vacations on their sailboat, where she dreamed of turning into a wolf and devouring them.
The tales were interesting - hearing about them from the viewpoint of the characters that tend to be the villains. But while I kind of liked them, none of them stood out. Even though I'm fans of some of the authors.
Damn.
Weird! It was odd to recognize Rags to Riches as the Goose Girl fairy tale! I just finished Shannon Hale's version of it (on audio with a full cast) and recognized several elements of it - though I had never heard of the tale before I read Shannon Hale's book.
I'd really like to meet Holly Black. Hers was an interesting story. And I loved her bio:
When she was a child, Holly's parents forced her into long vacations on their sailboat, where she dreamed of turning into a wolf and devouring them.
The tales were interesting - hearing about them from the viewpoint of the characters that tend to be the villains. But while I kind of liked them, none of them stood out. Even though I'm fans of some of the authors.