An often engaging set of celebrated literary works with fun twists.
In Moore’s sequel fantasy collection, a family protects true stories disguised as popular fairy and folktales.
The Wellingtons have dedicated generations of family members to being “Keepers of the Tales.” These historians and anthropologists know the truth behind stories that the world has written off as fiction. Nowadays, Charles Wellington III safeguards their library of works, but it was his great-great grandfather Charles Wellington I who stumbled onto a life-changing artifact. He and a colleague unearthed part of a mysterious linen canvas inscribed with an ancient language, and he scoured far-off places, such as Turkey, for the remaining fragments. About a third of the 14-story collection centers on the first Charles as he searches for hidden truths in the canvas and runs into the enigmatic “Guardians.” The rest consists of tales that the later Charles has amassed. The first two, “Beauty…and the Beastly Prince” and “Sleeping Beauty,” have a surprising link: fairy sisters—a queen and her evil older princess sibling—who feud for years, hurting themselves as well as their children in countless ways. Others sport similar titles that make the fairy-tale or folklore source immediately apparent and follow those earlier narratives closely. In “Margaretha and the Seven Dwarfs,” Count Philip sends his daughter, whom he affectionately calls Snow White, out of Germany, afraid that his wife will do something terrible to his daughter. This collection aptly bookends the final tale with the prologue and resolves the first Charles’ plotline, with plenty more of the Wellingtons’ backstory left for another book.
As in his preceding collection, Twisted Fairy Tells: The Untold Truths (2021), Moore offers serious but occasionally playful interpretations. For example, “Jack” features the titular hero and the famous beanstalk only for the latter half of the story to dive deep into his family’s genuinely engrossing history. In the fun “Jack Frost,” the Arctic-dwelling protagonist revels in his specialty of “ruining anyone’s day” and bumps into another, decidedly more sinister character from folklore. The author occasionally enhances stories with real-world links; there are nods to the bubonic plague epidemic, and one tale deftly incorporates a 14th-century witch trial in Ireland along with the bishop involved and an accused woman. Although the collected tales take some unexpected turns, they’re not always as twisty as the book’s title suggests. “Cinder Ella” is entertaining but relatively light and not nearly as dark or memorable as the version by the Brothers Grimm. The fairy-tale variations, like the originals, are quick reads, as Moore writes character-driven narratives with impressive conciseness. On the other hand, the first Charles’ leisurely paced multistory journey retains a sense of ambiguity until he finally pieces the artifact together. It continually intrigues, though, even if the mystery of his dead friend is no mystery to readers. Unfortunately, most fairy tales open with the later Charles’ brief thoughts that offer morals that readers could have figured out on their own. Still, this is a minor complaint about an otherwise solid collection.
An often engaging set of celebrated literary works with fun twists.Pub Date: Jan. 20, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-66554-990-5
Page Count: 310
Publisher: AuthorHouse
Review Posted Online: March 1, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2022
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
A beautiful meditation on queer identity against a supernatural backdrop.
Three women deal very differently with vampirism in Schwab’s era-spanning follow-up to The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue (2020).
In 16th-century Spain, Maria seduces a wealthy viscount in an attempt to seize whatever control she can over her own life. It turns out that being a wife—even a wealthy one—is just another cage, but then a mysterious widow offers Maria a surprising escape route. In the 19th century, Charlotte is sent from her home in the English countryside to live with an aunt in London when she’s found trying to kiss her best friend. She’s despondent at the idea of marrying a man, but another mysterious widow—who has a secret connection to Maria’s widow from centuries earlier—appears and teaches Charlotte that she can be free to love whomever she chooses, if she’s brave enough. In 2019, Alice’s memories of growing up in Scotland with her mercurial older sister, Catty, pull her mind away from her first days at Harvard University. And though she doesn’t meet any mysterious widows, Alice wakes up alone after a one-night stand unable to tolerate sunlight, sporting two new fangs, and desperate to drink blood. Horrified at her transformation, she searches Boston for her hookup, who was the last person she remembers seeing before she woke up as a vampire. Schwab delicately intertwines the three storylines, which are compelling individually even before the reader knows how they will connect. Maria, Charlotte, and Alice are queer women searching for love, recognition, and wholeness, growing fangs and defying mortality in a world that would deny them their very existence. Alice’s flashbacks to Catty are particularly moving, and subtly play off themes of grief and loneliness laid out in the historical timelines.
A beautiful meditation on queer identity against a supernatural backdrop.Pub Date: June 10, 2025
ISBN: 9781250320520
Page Count: 544
Publisher: Tor
Review Posted Online: March 22, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
PERSPECTIVES
PERSPECTIVES
A thrilling, immersive tale that shows that some bargains demand more than just a crown.
A reluctant princess is thrust into deadly political intrigue in Perry’s sweeping, high-stakes romantasy.
Odessa is the overlooked and underestimated princess of Quentis, whose life takes an unexpected turn when a deal is struck between her father and the formidable Turan warriors force her into an arranged marriage with their enigmatic prince, Zavier Wolfe. Intended as a mere formality to secure trade routes and military alliances, the betrothal spirals into something far more dangerous when ancient magic, a ruthless Guardian, and a looming war threaten to upend everything she knows. Finally emerging from the shadow of her seemingly perfect half sister, Mae, Odessa must navigate court politics, monstrous creatures, and her own uncertain place in a world where survival often depends on strategy rather than strength. As tensions rise, she finds herself entangled with the dangerous, enigmatic Guardian—a man whose silver eyes hold secrets of their own. Perry’s worldbuilding is lush and immersive, crafting a kingdom rife with old magic, deadly beasts, and political machinations that add depth. The pacing is relentless, carrying Odessa from one life-altering event to another as she grapples with duty, defiance, and a destiny she never chose. Her internal conflict is compelling, torn between the expectations placed upon her and the fierce independence that threatens to make her an outcast in her own kingdom. Romance simmers as Odessa struggles to reconcile her obligations with her growing attraction to the Guardian, whose past is as shadowed as his reputation. Mae is introduced as Odessa’s political foil, and although her presence drives much of Odessa’s internal drama—being constantly overshadowed or underestimated—she’s mostly seen through Odessa’s perspective. Her motivations, ambitions, and political maneuverings might have benefited from deeper exploration to give more nuance to the power dynamics. However, Perry’s evocative prose and intricate plotting make for a gripping tale. Readers looking for a slow-burn romantasy with rich political intrigue and a protagonist forced to create her own fate will find much to enjoy.
A thrilling, immersive tale that shows that some bargains demand more than just a crown.Pub Date: May 6, 2025
ISBN: 9781649378514
Page Count: 528
Publisher: Entangled: Red Tower Books
Review Posted Online: March 26, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2025
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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