THE POISON EATERS AND OTHER STORIES
by Holly Black
Black’s first story collection assures her place as a modern fantasy master. The two new and ten previously published tales revisit fantasy tropes (faeries, kings, werewolves and even the devil), but in the author’s deft hands each of these transforms into something fresh and haunting. Dealing with magic here is a means to understanding and knowing yourself, from the man who must win back his lover, stolen by faeries, and also come out to his family (“Coat of Stars”), to girls who find empowerment, whether by beating the devil at an eating competition (“A Reversal of Fortune”) or by using magic to find self-love (“Night Market”). These vampires (“The Coldest Girl in Coldtown”) are the antithesis of romantic heroism, and harsh realities like drugs and homelessness coexist with unicorns and magic. The two standouts, the title story and “The Dog King,” both mix horror and high fantasy into some rare magic; in other tales, plangent loss reverberates (“Virgin,” “Paper Cuts Scissors” and “Going Ironside”). Sly humor, vivid characters, each word perfectly chosen: These stories deserve reading again and again. (Short stories/fantasy. 13 & up)