Once Upon a Time: New Fairy Tales

Once Upon a Time: New Fairy Tales

I averaged this book out at about a solid 3.  That, to me, is a respectable rating for a anthology.  Too often collections such as this include one story that you really like and the rest are bombs.  This one is chalk full of princesses, trolls, castles, adventures, and misadventures.  Like most anthologies, I wasn’t madly in love with every story.  I’d rate Castle of Masks (The story of a beast who demands the company of the local maidens) and Flight (the story of a princess who is put to the test thanks to her aunt)  the highest.  Many of the stories are written in true classic fairy tale style while a few others are a little more abstract while still honoring the stories that inspired them.  Here’s my individual ratings (the 2s were not badly written, they just weren’t my thing)  -

The Coin of the Heart’s Desire by Yoon Ha Lee -   4/5 stars

The Lenten Rose by Genevieve Valentine -   3/5 stars

The Spinning Wheel’s Tale by Jane Yolen -  3/5 Stars 

Below the Sun Beneath by Tanith Lee -  3/5 Stars.

Warrior Dreams by Cinda Williams Chima -  There’s a monster in the lake. 3/5

Born and Bread by Kaaron Warren - 3/5 stars

Tales that Fairies Tell by Richard Bowes - 3/5

Sleeping Beauty of Elista by Ekaterina Sedia - 4/5

The Road to Needles by Caitlín R. Kiernan - 2/5

Lupine by Nisi Shawl - 4/5

Flight by Angela Slatter- 5/5

Egg by Priya Sharma - 4/5

Castle of Masks by Cory Skerry - 5/5

The Giant in Repose  by Nathan Ballingrud - 3/5

The Hush of the Feathers by A.C. Wise -  2/5

Eat me, Drink Me, Love me by Christopher Barzak - 3/5

The Mirror Tells All by Erzebet YellowBoy - 2/5

Blanchefleur by Theodora Goss - 4/5

* Disclaimer: I received this book at no cost in order to review it. I offered no guarantee of a positive review, though I only request books I think I'll like because why read a book you think you’ll hate?

(re)Visions: Alice

(re)Visions: Alice Included in the anthology are the following stories:

Lewis Carroll’s "Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” - yeah, the classic story is here.  Good luck to the other authors in the collection trying to compete with that.  Surely everyone knows at least a bit of this story.  Alice falls down the rabbit hole and ends up in another world, one filled with magical mushrooms, sneaky cats, hatters that are mad…

 Kaye Chazan's "What Aelister Found Here” - This one tied with “Knave” for my favorite story (excluding Alice, as I said, good luck competing with that one).  A young man breaks his arm, runs away, and winds up in Jack the Ripper’s London.

 Amanda Ching's "House of Cards” -  A bit more abstract than the other stories making it felt the closest to the original, albeit a bit darker.

 Hilary Thomas's “Knave” - A crime noir story with hints of Wonderland thrown in (mainly names but there are other little hints here and there).  One of the best of the 4 tribute pieces.

 C.A. Young's "The World in a Thimble”.    - The story of a young art gallery owner who is thrown into Wonderland while waiting for an artist to show up at the gallery.  He won’t be the same if he finds his way out.

Not every story here is a 5 but it is a solid collection / tribute / re-telling.

* Disclaimer: I received this book at no cost in order to review it. I offered no guarantee of a positive review, though I only request books I think I'll like because why read a book you think you’ll hate?

Oz Reimagined: New Tales from the Emerald City and Beyond

Oz Reimagined: New Tales from the Emerald City and Beyond

  The stories in this book range from about 10 pages to around 20 or so (give or take a few). How age appropriate they are vary. Their settings and style all vary. The one thing they all have in common though, is they're loving tributes to Oz, in their own ways. As is the case with anthologies, you'll surely like some stories better than others. I found myself wishing for more of some of them and less of others. That said, I found this more enjoyable than most anthologies, which tend to be so hit or miss leaving me liking only one or two stories. I thought every story here was at least okay while others were amazing. Some you could share with anyone, including kids, while others are for the adults only. While there is variety here, I think most Oz fans will be happy. 

The stories are as follows: 
- The Great Zeppelin Heist of Oz by Rae Carson and C.C. Finlay
This is the story of Oscar Diggs (aka Oz, since he finds extra syllables a waste of time), a man who crashes his balloon into a strange land. Strange because it's ruled by women and he feels they need a king. But he has his balloons and a plan for progress! - Appropriate for all ages.

- Emeralds to Emeralds, Dust to Dust by Seanan McGuire
Dorothy, the wicked witch of the west, is called upon by her ex-girlfriend Ozma Empress of Oz to deal with a murder as one of her people is believed to have caused it (her people being the cross-overs aka not natural born Ozites). - This one gets a warning for more sensitive readers - Dorothy is a lesbian (no sex scenes), there are drugs, a death, and cursing. 

- Lost Girls of Oz by Theodora Goss
Nell Dale, girl reporter, is assigned the task of getting to the bottom of the story of a missing girl. What she finds is that Oz might still be open for business as a shelter for girls in need of help. She's not sure that she trusts that story though, so she goes undercover to find out for sure. - Relatively safe for all ages despite talk of a war, girls being abused, and a fight scene. None of it is very graphic.

- The Boy Detective of Oz: An Otherland Story by Tad Williams
Orlando has been summoned to Kansas. He'll just check on things to be sure everything is okay. A dead body, that is not okay. But no one died in Oz, no one dies in Kansas. That's not how the simworld works. Right? - The only real warning here would be there's some cursing.

- Dorothy Dreams by Simon R. Green
Dorothy has grown old. Her children have put her in a home, not even in Kansas. All she has now is dreams that a cyclone will come and take her back to Oz, though there are none where she now resides. - Perfect for all ages.

- Dead Blue by David Farland
Technomagic rules. The wizard has made promises, but he's nothing more than a charlatan. Never fear though, the wicked witch has pushed Dorothy too far - if she kills the witch, she'll become a witch and gain her powers, making it possible to use technomagic to grant their own wishes - some of them anyway. - Some minor violence and language that hints at cursing, but doesn't actually follow through.

- One Flew Over the Rainbow by Robin Wasswerman
Crow named them all. Tin. Roar. Dorothy was always just Dorothy. They all met on Dr. Glind's medical ward. Not everyone can make it home. - Some strong language and sexual content.

- The Veiled Shanghai by Ken Liu
It's 1919 and fourteen year old Dorothy Gee has mysteriously found herself in a Shanghai not quite like her own. If she can find the great wizard, maybe he'll help her get home. But who is Oz? - Some talk of drug use and once a less than polite term is thrown at Dorothy (not quite cursing but not a word you'd want to explain to a wee one).

- Beyond the Naked Eye by Rachel Swirsky
Ten contestants. One will have their wish granted by the wizard. That's what he claims anyway. Others aren't so sure. One thing seems certain - not everyone in Oz will get a happy ending. - Should be safe for all ages.

- A Tornado of Dorothys by Kat Howard
The story must go on! This time it's missing a Dorothy. Maybe a real Dorothy will help. - Good for all ages.

- Blown Away by Jane Yolen
Dorothy and the house are blown away in a storm, but where did they land? Will she ever be found? Are any of the predicitions about how her life ended up true or did she simply die? - Safe for all ages.

- City So Bright by Dale Bailey
Life isn't easy down under Emerald city. Especially not for the Munchkins who polish the Emerald. Oh, they're not slaves, there's just nowhere else for them to go. Would someone kill them for thinking about organizing though? - Strong language and some sexual context

- Off to See the Emperor by Orson Scott Card
1889: Frank Joslyn Baum, son of L. Frank Baum starts first grade where he meets slightly older Dotty who teaches him how to see things and places that others do not. - Safe for all ages

-A Meeting In Oz by Jeffrey Ford
The last time that Dorothy went to Oz she was much older, she was armed, and she was just flat out tired after a disappointing life. Oz, well, it's not so cheery either. - Nothing is graphically described but there's hints of sex and violence.

- The Cobbler of Oz by Jonathan Maberry
Bucklebelt is a cobbler who knows what he's doing, which a good thing as Nyla, the flying Monkey needs a special kind of shoe. and Buckbelt needs someone special to help him with a pair of shoes - Safe for all ages.

* Disclaimer: I received this book at no cost in order to review it. I offered no guarantee of a positive review, though I only request books I think I'll like so as not to waste my time.