Product Description

Hair bright as gold...Lips red as blood...Heart black as sin...Truth sharp as bone...

Rich, surprising, funny, erotic, and unsettling, these twenty new yarns and poems offer exceptional new treasures---as they brilliantly reveal lusts and jealousies, foibles, hatreds, and dangerous obsessions, the things that slyly lurk in the midnight interior of oft-told tales.Amazon.com Review
This sixth anthology in the adult fairy-tale series by acclaimed editors Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling presents another diverse collection of stories and poems loosely based on folklore traditions around the world. Readers familiar with previous books in the series will recognize the names of many regular contributors, including Tanith Lee, Jane Yolen, Esther Friesner, and Joyce Carol Oates, as well as works from Neil Gaiman, Charles de Lint, and others. Tanith Lee's "Rapunzel" opens the collection with a charmingly simple reconstruction of that classic fairy tale. Esther Friesner's "Big Hair" takes the same theme into the present with less cheerful results. Greg Costikyan considers the fate of an ensorcelled sleeping beauty dug up by archaeologists centuries later in "And Still She Sleeps," while Jane Yolen's "Snow in Summer" turns the tables on Snow White's evil stepmother with a deep-dish apple pie and a fry pan. Scott Bradfield's "Goldilocks Tells All" is especially memorable for its Jerry Springer-like portrayal of the ultimate dysfunctional family. Leah Cutter considers the loneliness of living under a curse in her Texas two-step story "The Red Boots." Severna Park's feminist "The Golem" revives a Jewish folktale, while Bryn Kanar's haunting "Dreaming Among Men" draws on Native American legend. Howard Waldrop's "Our Mortal Span" is perhaps the most unique story here, a surprising blend of black comedy, killer-robot story, and fairy tale. While on the whole this collection isn't as strong as previous volumes, it still delivers a fine array of thoughtful writing on some of the best-known--and yet unknown--stories we love. --Charlene Brusso ... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

Showcases the sinister, the sensual, and the sometimes sadistic roots of our childhood fairy tales.
This lovely book, Black Heart, Ivory Bones, is a collection of fantasy and horror tales edited by my two favorite ladies of their respective genres Ellen Datlow (horror) and Terri Windling (fantasy). This is one book in a series of six volumes of, as they call it, reconsidered fairy tales. These fairy tales are rewritten to change the focus of the originals or perhaps just to sharpen the point of them to showcase the sinister, the sensual, and the sometimes sadistic roots of our childhood fairy tales.

Some of my favorites were "Rapunzel", "Big Hair", "The King with Three Daughters", "And Still She Sleeps", "Goldilocks Tells All", "The Red Boots", "You, Little Match Girl", "The Cats of San Martino" and "The Golem". And, yes, one of those ("You, Little Match Girl") was by the infamous Joyce Carol Oates, whose work I normally find too harsh to stomach, this particular piece though was one of the most profoundly powerful in the collection. The other piece that was the best in my opinion was "And Still She Sleeps" which brings up the very valid point that if true love's kiss is supposed to wake someone, and the only people available to kiss them were people that had not known them to love them in life, how are they ever to be kissed awake? True love is not determined on beauty alone.

My husband does not enjoy re-written fairy tales so I thought I would bring up his complaint since I don't have any of my own to voice. He says that authors that write these sorts of stories just seem to take the characters in them and drop everything else to make them act out something completely different. I don't completely agree with him because, though some stories do that, such as Big Hair, at the same time they do keep to the spirit of what the original story was trying to say, even if in a more modern, dark or surreal way.

If you enjoy reconsidered fairy tales, short stories of a more modern bent that take your old fairy tales and give them new and interesting life, then I would say definitely give this book (and the others in this series) a whirl. You won't be disappointed.

FairyTales for Big Girls!(And Boys)
Not having the experience of reading the other books, I was delighted by these stories, particularly The Cats of San Martino, (although I felt the end was a little muddled) and Big Hair.What a great idea!I hope find the other books soon!

Not as good as the previous ones
It still has its charm, however, my favorite tale was "The Cats of San Martino."That story made me open my eyes, and "The Golem" was a gem, too, but all in all, I wasn't as satisfied with it as I was with the previous anthologies.Still I recommend it, if just to add to your collection.

Fairy tales for slightly twisted adult 'children'
I've read, just about, the entire collection of these up-dated fairy tales and must say they are absolutely brilliant!
It's quite fun to see what some of the best writers in the fantasy field do with classic stories, from when we were kids...some of them are just so fabulously twisted...like a "Beauty and the Beast" up-date, the beast is a SERIEL KILLER!
All are done a bit 'tongue in cheek', so, no one should be offended.Hours of great fun, for those of us who have a bit of child still left inside. ;)

Not bad at all.
It's wonderful, first of all, that there are people writing these kinds of stories and making anthologies of them.I give the concept a couple of stars just for the principle of the thing.

That said, there are several standouts.My personal favorites are:

"Rapunzel", in which Tanith Lee oddly goes bright-and-happy on us, presenting the delightful tale of a prince who spins a tall tale about his chosen bride, knowing "the Dad" (that's the King to you and me) is a sucker for fairy tales.

"Big Hair", another take on Rapunzel, which takes place in modern times, in the beauty-pageant circuit, yet follows the old story almost exactly.

"And Still She Sleeps", a Sleeping Beauty retelling set in an alternate, magic-rich nineteenth-century England, and full of insight about the nature of "true love".Ends not happily, but perfectly.

Also check out "Black Thorn, White Rose."It's even better! ... Read more

Product Description
The Armless Maiden is more than an extraordinary collection of original fiction and essays by many of fantasy's finest writers. A groundbreaking work in the tradition of Joseph Campbell, Bruno Bettelheim and Robert Bly, this book explores the darker side of childhood--loss, betrayal, oppression, and abuse. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Amazing
These are retold fairy tales, but not the funny ones. Still, by exploring the tragedy, warmth, and soulfulness of these tales, deeply talented authors delve into the soul and try to find comfort int hese new flavors of fairy tales.

Fairy tales are not just for children
This anthology is one of the most emotionally wrenching and satisfying collections of stories that I've read-not just from fantasy authors, but from anyone.Dealing with the darker aspects of childhood, including abuse and alienation, the stories and poetry are full of depth and transformation; magic, despair, and ultimately hope.Some exceptional stories are "The Armless Maiden" by Midori Snyder, "The Juniper Tree" by Peter Straub, "The Lion and the Lark" by Patricia McKillip, "The Lily and the Weaver's Heart" by Nancy Etchemendy, "In the House of My Enemy" by Charles De Lint, and "In the Night Country" by Ellen Steiber.The poems are all beautiful.This book is definitely on my desert island list.

Dead-serious fairy tales
I love adult fairy tales, but it seems that all too often, writers pump up the sex and violence to render the tales "adult", rather than more deeply exploring the human emotional dramas in the stories. Maybe that's why I love _The Armless Maiden_. The tales and poems here do include sex and violence, yes, but at their heart is the triumph of the human spirit.

If we look carefully at fairy tales, many of them are actually about what we would now call child abuse. Cinderella was neglected. Handel and Gretel were abandoned. Donkeyskin suffered incest. And there are so many more. And in most of the stories, the protagonist rises above the situation somehow--in the old versions, usually by gaining fortune and position. In the stories in _The Armless Maiden_, the triumph is more often psychological. I read once--I think it was in a book by Marina Warner--that the essential theme of the fairy tale is transformation. In these stories, we see victims transformed into survivors.

These are serious fairy tales for our times, and I recommend the book both to abuse survivors and to those who did not suffer abuse (trust me, everyone knows someone who did). My personal favorite contributions are Emma Bull's poem about Cinderella's stepsister regretting the friendship they never had, and Ellen Kushner's "Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep", the story of a young girl in the custody of a cold-hearted guardian, and haunted by the ghost of the woman's unhappy daughter.

Why is this book out of print?
This is a short review.

Actually, this is not a review atall, although I should say it, shortly and to the point: The ArmlessMaiden is a gorgeous anthology, one of the best I've ever read.

This is just a message to people who might stumble upon it in a bookstore or library.

The message is: read it.

You will not be disappointed.

Essential for everyone, but especially survivors of abuse.
This book has a myriad of short stories, poems, & essays about survivors of child abuse. They are all worked around fairy-tale themes but not Disneyified: no handsome prince comes to rescue a child; instead, thesechildren escape through their own courage & perseverance. An AMAZINGbook. A shame it is out of print--but I've seen copies used & inremainder bins at bookstores so do yourself a favor & keep looking!This book will make you shudder, weep, cringe, but ultimately leaves youw/a feeling of hope. All the pieces are good, but standouts include TerriWindling's, Charles De Lint's, Ellen Steiber's, & Munro Sickafoose's.Another wonderful aspect is that Windling ignores genre boundaries &hence you see authors such as Sharon Olds & Anne Sexton represented aswell. Highly recommended! ... Read more

Product Description
What do werewolves, vampires, and the Little Mermaid have in common? They are all shapechangers. In The Beastly Bride, acclaimed editors Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling bring together original stories and poems from a stellar lineup of authors including Peter S. Beagle, Ellen Kushner, Jane Yolen, Lucius Shepard, and Tanith Lee, as well as many new, diverse voices. Terri Windling provides a scholarly, yet accessible introduction, and Charles Vess's decorations open each story. From Finland to India, the Pacific Northwest to the Hamptons, shapechangers are part of our magical landscape—and The Beastly Bride is sure to be one of the most acclaimed anthologies of the year. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Courtesy of Teens Read Too
Werewolves, vampires, and mermaids all have one thing in common: they are shape-changers. This book is a compilation of their stories.

From Finland to India, the tales cover everything from an unruly bride to new world explorers. Some are humorous, while others are tragic. These Immortals' stories have come together to confound, delight, and, most of all, entertain.

THE BEASTLY BRIDE is an excellent anthology of some of the best stories from around the world.Some tales will seem familiar, while others will not. The enjoyment of them, however, will not change.The layout is done quite well, the forward is well-written, and the bibliography well-laid out and easy to reference.

Readers who like fantasy, shapeshifters, and anthologies will all enjoy this book.

Reviewed by:Kira M

Doorways into vivid new worlds
Ellen Datlow and Terry Windling are the uncrowned royalty of the fantasy genre. They have shepherded and brought to print more wonderful, vivid, compelling, and imaginative storytellers than perhaps any other editors in decades, and they've done it again with //The Beastly Bride//.

As the fourth in a wonderful cycle of anthologies--it is preceded by //The Green Man//, //The Faery Reel//, and //The Coyote Road//-- and it encompasses myriad voices and styles, mixing established names like Peter S. Beagle, Jeffrey Ford, Jane Yolen, and Tanith Lee with very deserving lesser-known writers. There is the subdued mysticism of Christopher Barzak's "Map of Seventeen," which is more family story than fantasy tale. There is the haunting insight of "One Thin Dime" by Stewart Moore, which melds the magic of Halloween with the birth of new urban legends.

While among my personal favorites in the collection, these are merely two examples of the many evocative stories found within the pages of //The Beastly Bride//, and there is undoubtedly a story or two ready to transport readers of all tastes into another realm.

Reviewed by: Glenn Dallas

Beauty in the Beasts
This is a book for teens from 15 to 18 years old. I'm far older, but in order to reconnect to the joy of the fantasy genre, I read this book.
"The Beastly Bride" is an anthology of poetry and short stories edited by Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling. It includes pieces by, in order of appearance: Catherine Tobler, Tanith Lee, Christopher Barzack, Delia Sherman, Johanna Sinisalo with translator Liisa Rantalaiho, Carol Emshwiller. Hiromi Goto, Gregory Frost, Jeffrey Ford, Jane Yolen, Jeanine Hall Gailey, Terra L. Gearhart-Serna, Stewart Moore, Midori Snyder, Shweta Narayan, Marly Youmans, Richard Bowes, Steve Berman, Lucius Shepard, Peter S. Beagle, and Nan Fry.
Each person comes to fiction with individual likes and dislikes. It's the same with stories in an anthology. All of these stories/poems were wonderful, that is they were wonder-filled, but I have my favorites. "The Flock" by Lucius Shepard. Shepard is such a good writer and his take on the shifter is different, a bit scarier. I remember reading his story "The Jaguar Hunter" long ago. It is probably one of the first non-werewolf shifter stories in contemporary fantasy. "The Puma's Daughter" by Tanith Lee. This story is set in an alternate Western USA. "The Hikikomori" by Hiromi Goto is told with such truth, it made me cry. "Pishaach" by Shweta Narayan also hit me in my heart. I found it interesting that even though the story was about the naga, the writer was influenced by the selkie legends, as those are two of my favorite mythological creatures. "The Salamander Fire" by Marly Youmans is the last of my most-liked list. I loved the unique magical lore.
The editors opening introduction wasn't that exciting. They also included a Further Reading List, which makes up for the intro.
There is so much richness here. Read this anthology and find your favorites. I look forward to more Datlow/Windling offerings.

Gods and Humans and ShapeShifters, OH MY
At least as far as genre fiction goes, Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling may just be the best editors/anthologists currently working. Together or individually, their anthologies usually manage to feature a wide variety of authors and story-telling styles under whatever theme they are gathering stories for.

The Beastly Bride is the fourth volume in what they call their "mythic fiction" series, "each volume dedicated to a different aspect of world mythology."(The previous volumes were The Green Man: Tales from the Mythic Forest; The Faery Reel: Tales from the Twilight Realm; and The Coyote Road: Trickster Tales.)This time out, the focus is clearly on shape-shifters of all sorts: gods masquerading as human to woo humans, animal spirits taking human form, humans who can transform into animals for any number of reasons, and in one case animals that don't really bother to even pretend they're human in order to wreak havoc on an unsuspecting community.

Clocking in at 500 pages, there is bound to be something to appeal to everyone in the book but of course not every story will work for every reader. That's the blessing, and the curse, of short story collections.My favorite stories were Steve Berman's "Thimbleriggery & Fledglings," Lucius Shepard's "The Flock," Ellen Kushner's "The Children of Cadmus," Tanith Lee's "The Puma's Daughter," E. Catherine Tobler's "Island Lake," and Gregory Frost's "The Comeuppance of Creegus Maxin." ... Read more

Product Description
Coyote. Anansi. Brer Rabbit. Trickster characters have long been a stapleof folk literature—and are a natural choice for the overarching subjectof acclaimed editors Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling’s third "mythic"anthology. The Coyote Road features a remarkable range of authors, eachwith his or her fictional look at a trickster character. These authorsinclude Holly Black (The Spiderwick Chronicles), Charles de Lint (The BlueGirl), Ellen Klages (The Green Glass Sea), Kelly Link (Magic for Beginners),Patricia A. McKillip (Old Magic), and Jane Yolen. Terri Windling providesa comprehensive introduction to the trickster myths of the world, and theentire book is highlighted by the remarkable decorations of Charles Vess.The Coyote Road is essential reading for anyone interested in contemporaryfantastic fiction. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

"...close enough, close enough.You are mine."
Great collection and gift (Thanks, Frank!).Some longtime favorites here (De Lint, McKillip, Yolen).The Trickster is certainly a theme that De Lint has played with in a number of his books. Out of 36 contributions, only 3 were total rubbish (Barzak, Cadnum, Ford).Holly Black's story just narrowly misses being in this group, being just silly and deliberate from the outset - mysterious sexy neighbor, genie on the bus granting wishes, the dog running out into the driveway... come on.It is the disovery of new writer's and more books to go on the ever-growing wishlist that made this collection for me.Kij Johnson's closing paranthetical parable on humans and the owning of things is a strong finish to the book.Ellen Kushner's HONORED GUEST had the cleverness of pitting two sharp-tongued tricksters against each other for perceptible and imperceptible treasure.Kelly Link's CONSTABLE of ABAL - has a very TURN OF THE SCREW feel.These ghosts are real; it's the quick turns from chicanery to seeking something, following the mother and the daughter.The tight string of their own relationship.The fantastic concepts of spirits on leashes, ghosts in pockets.I loved this one.Katherine Vaz's CHAMBER MUSIC OF ANIMALS brings to life imaginary playmates and it brought to mind L'Engle's A WIND IN THE DOOR: the exploration of disease and the body from the inside.The stitching in of the power of connection and music was well done.I think Delia Sherman's FIDDLER of BAYOU TECHE is my favorite here.The idea of a fiddle contest with a devil isn't new, but it is Sherman's clear character voice that is.Her wild dancing changeling child thick in her own culture is so concise.She is almost from a different world; a science fiction in its handling of an alien mind and culture tucked in a world corner.Great collection.

Pure Delight!
I stumbled across a reference to this book in a newsgroup, and ordered it through my local library. I had barely begun reading it, when, because I was smiling so broadly, Hubby asked to look at it briefly. He immediately became so engrossed I left him to it and simply ordered a copy. The writing is enchantment defined!

Tricksy
Is it just me, or do short story collections get the short end of the stick these days?With a love of child and YA novels at an all-time high, you'd think that some of that lovin' would slough off onto the other forms of fantasy out there.The shorter forms.Yet ask your average everyday kid to list their favorite collection of short stories and nine times out of then you'll find yourself facing a very blank look.You can't make the argument that there aren't worthy short story collections out there either, since books like "The Coyote Road: Trickster Tales" crop up every so often without much fanfare or media blitz.Such collections are subtle sly little affairs.They do not demand your attention, knowing full well that if you accidentally happened to stumble into reading one of their tales you'd be utterly unable to extract yourself until you'd swallowed each and every story in the collection whole.That's sort of what happened to me when I was given a copy of this book.As someone whose favorite book as a teen was Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury, I'm inclined to enjoy tales of thirty pages or less (which probably explains why I like to review so many picture books).Top that off with the subject matter (tricksters of every age, gender, generation, and stripe) and the author roll (everyone from Holly Black and Michael Cadnum to Ellen Klages and Jane Yolen) and you've got yourself one heckuva book.Use the lack of marketing surrounding its release to your advantage.Consider it your own personal secret and discovery.

Twenty-six tales, some prose and some poems, and all of them intriguing and enticing by turns.And just listen to their content.A deal with the devil takes the form of a competitive eating contest.A spirit decides that it will do everything possible to stop a classroom from diagramming sentences.A boy draws inspiration from Brer Rabbit to outsmart his kidnappers.A girl collects ghosts on ribbons, taking them wherever she goes, feeding them her blood.Each story relates to a trickster character of some sort.Sometimes they are wild spirits of the earth and air.Other times, classic characters like the devil, Hermes, and Raven.The mix of good and bad, unpredictability, self-interest, and good humor weaves in and out of these stories and the sheer variety is perhaps the collection's biggest lure.Both original and traditional, this is a fine and fancy mix of the wildness of spirit lying at the heart of some of the world's best stories.

I'm not saying that you have to know the history and background of trickster tales to enjoy a collection of this sort.I'm just saying that it helps, and for this reason I was particularly taken with both the Preface and the Introduction to this book.In the Preface, the editors skillfully tie-in old trickster tales to new by pointing out that contemporary pop culture is full of such characters.Consider Captain Jack Sparrow from the "Pirates of the Caribbean" movies, after all.As for the Introduction, its encapsulation of the history of collecting trickster tales is engrossing.Worth an entire book right there, it is.This is best summed up by folklorist Robert D. Pelton who said that, "I had not realized that many so-called primitive peoples delighted in celebrating this disruptive power instead of squelching it or using it to launch some dull theory about institutional stress, comic absurdity, or the psychological value of playing around.Moreover, while these people were discovering laughter at the heart of the sacred, they, like so many Flannery O'Connor prophets and profiteers, were insisting that this discovery of laughter revealed the true being of daily life."

If I had to choose my favorite stories in this collection, I'd be hard pressed to say.There really wasn't a story here I felt was "bad" (though a couple might have been out-of-place) and plenty that I found exceptional.I did have a great deal of affection for "Black Rock Blues" which is the only story with an African-American trickster.It's the kind of story where a character is forcibly taken somewhere and asked to leave the car.When he refuses the heavies say, "The kindness is for my compatriot.He must clean the car if a guest is reluctant to leave it."I love that kind of stuff.Ellen Klages taps into our nation's love of board games in a truly original fashion in "Friday Night at St. Celia's", which is fun.The most thought-provoking story, however, is also the last tale in the collection. Editing a book of this size and scope can't be an easy job but there must be certain perks.Getting to decide the order in which the stories appear might be one of them.The idea of making the story, "The Evolution of Trickster Stories Among the Dogs of North Park After the Change," the last must have been a bit of a no-brainer, though.In this tale something happens to all the domesticated animals in the world, giving them the power of speech.Author Kij Johnson talks about what happens when pets unnerve us and make us feel forced to abandon them.Amongst the wild dogs of the North Park, the dogs begin to tell stories about One Dog.These are stories that are based around their culture and not the human's culture.The tale, in essence, captures exactly how and why it is that we create tales for one another, providing the perfect capper to this collection.

Some authors had an easier time with the assignment than others.Patricia McKillip's story is good, but I didn't quite see how the main character embodied the trickster aesthetic, aside from just being a person who tricks people.McKillip herself notes in that she found writing about tricksters to be "very difficult".Others slipped into the trickster motif easily.I found the Author's Notes at the end of each tale to be particularly insightful when it came to locating each author's influences.Theodora Goss mentions that her inspiration came, in part, from "that boyfriend you had in high school who was probably in Drama Club and not much else, unless he had a band, and who idolized someone impossible like Jim Morrison or Jack Kerouac, and who tied his hair, dyed black, back in a ponytail, and who was fearfully attractive but, as your mother told you, trouble.Yes, that one."

It's a mix, of course. There are a lot of female tricksters in this collection.Far more than you'll find in folktales and myths, I'd wager.In the Introduction, Terri Windling makes the point that, "Such wily women are rare, however, and seldom do they enjoy the cultural status of their masculine counterparts."Still, it had to have been irresistible.And while some authors know their trickster history and play off of it, others conjure up characters entirely out of their own heads without referencing any one land or person directly.In the end it's a magnificent series of tales, engrossing and engaging by turns.An ideal gift for the person entranced by folklore, the person who loves trickster tales, or just any person who likes a good story once in a while.Recommended for any and for all.

Keeping an eye on Coyote
It's important for us to remember that the mythic world isn't far away in "Once upon a time" land, but all around us. I like the fact that these stories connect the mythic world to the world we think of as reality. Like all anthologies, some approachesand some stories appealed to me more than others, but generally, I really liked all the different perspectives on Trickster. It's always a good idea to keep him in mind, because if you forget him or ignore his power, you become subject to his tricks!

Excellent story, meandering collection
I picked up The Coyote Road because it's edited by Ellen Datlow and Terry Windling. This one is in the same line as The Green Man and The Faery Reel, so it's aimed at adults and collects some of the bigger names in the Mythic Fiction genre. This volume aims to be a collection of trickster tails, but surprisingly, the majority of the stories don't involve what I would generally consider "tricking". I was somewhat disappointed in this, as I was expecting some modernized variants of the Coyote, Loki and Anansi myths. These stories do not tend to fit that pattern, though they touch on the traditional myths by reference. That said, given that this is an anthology, some of the stories do -- just not the work as a whole.

"The Listeners" by Nina Kirki Hoffman does fit my conception of the trickster theme, focusing on Hermes. As usual, I absolutely enjoyed Nina's writing, and time (for the most part) just dropped away as I read it. Basing the story in ancient Greece provides a backdrop for the story to meander through myth and social commentary, taking the reader along for the ride. Unlike most of Nina's works, I didn't feel like I was pulled into the middle of the story, but that's OK, I can handle stories with a bit of structure too. I will say that the ending is both surprising and wholly appropriate, though I shan't spoil anything.

"The Fiddler of Bayou Teche" by Delia Sherman, however, does give the feeling of starting in the middle. While, in framing, the story matches the common "devil challenge" pattern, the characters are believable enough that it's not too jarring to be pulled along somewhat predictably. Luckily, the end, while not surprising, breaks out of the pattern. Most interesting is that the story is set in an alien (to me) culture, and is not well explained for the outsider. This is a nice contrast to the realm of stories that include an outsider to provide exposition to the reader.

"Friday Night at St. Cecila's" by Ellen Klages uses an interesting game-based theme. There are a few tricks, but it didn't really feel like a trickster tale to me. However, I was pleasantly surprised to find the character to be as believable (though not as fleshed out, but hey, it's a short story instead of a novel) as those in _The Green Glass Sea_. I did find it somewhat contrived, but enjoyable nonetheless. After all, it's hard to write stories that are based on board games. I think that she did a decent job with the idea.

"Crow Roads" by Charles de Lint was somewhat disappointing. I generally like his work a lot, but this one feel somewhat flat. The story fits his pattern, but the character of mystery wound up being somewhat weak. Upon reflection, I suspect that part of the problem was that in most of de Lint's short stories I am already either familiar with the characters or with the world in which the story is placed. In this case, more time should likely have been spent to establish one of the two.

"Cat of the World" by Michael Cadnum was a huge surprise. Finally, a fantasy story about a cat that reads like it's about a cat. I get so tired of people dressing up snooty lords and vain lady stereotypes in cat's clothing. Instead, we get a story about a cat god who honestly believes that the world revolves around him, and simply acts accordingly. It was a wonderful experience.

"The Seniorita and the Cactus Thorn" by Kim Aniteau was nice because it was about the desert. I love the desert, specifically the Sonora Desert, so the stories that are increasingly placed there are a true joy to read. The theme of city girl vs nature woman was fun, though somewhat overly simplified. I have trouble believing that such a scenario would truly arise. Though it failed to meet my idea of a trickster tale, it was fun.

"Black Rock Blues" by Will Shetterly was amazing. It felt like Will was trying to write a Nina Kiriki Hoffman story. The story started in the middle and continued from there, leaving the reader (me) utterly confused. As it moves along, it slowly becomes apparent what is going on, and only at the end do you realize that you're reading a Coyote tale. This one plus "The Evolution of Trickster Stories Among the Dogs of North Park After the Change" are worth the price of the book in of themselves. The other stories are gravy.

"The Evolution of Trickster Stories Among the Dogs of North Park After the Change" (figures I'd pick the longest title to type twice) by Kij Johnson was a complete surprise. It is a "post world change" story, focusing on the aftermath of a non-specific event which grants animals the power of speech. Obviously this causes problems for pet owners. Not so obviously is how Kij explores the concept. Very much worth reading. ... Read more

Product Description
For more than a decade, readers have turned to The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror to find the most rewarding fantastic short stories. Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling continue their critically acclaimed and award-winning tradition with another stunning collection of stories. The fiction and poetry here is culled from an exhaustive survey of the field, nearly four dozen stories ranging from fairy tales to gothic horror, from magical realism to dark tales in the Grand Guignol style. Rounding out the volume are the editors' invaluable overviews of the year in fantasy and horror, new Year's Best sections on comics, by Charles Vess, and on anime and manga, by Joan D. Vinge, and a long list of Honorable Mentions, making this an indispensable reference as well as the best reading available in fantasy and horror.

The critically acclaimed and award-winning tradition continues with another stunning collection, including stories by Kelly Link, Kim Newman, Corey Marks, Eric Schaller, M. Shayne Bell, Helga M. Novak, Terry Dowling, Michael Libling, Zoran Zivkovic, Bentley Little, Carlton Mellick III, Brian Hodge, Conrad Williams, Tom Disch, Melissa Hardy, Joel Lane, Nicholas Royle, Tracina Jackson-Adams, Karen Joy Fowler, Jackie Bartley,Peter Dickerman, Ramsey Campbell, Adam Roberts, Robert Phillips, Jay Russell, Luis Alberto Urrea, Margaret Lloyd, Stephen Gallagher, Robin McKinley, Haruki Murakami, Theodora Goss, Kathy Koja, Lucy Taylor, Elizabeth Hand, Kevin Brickmeier, Sharon McCartney, Susan Power, Don Tumasonis, Nan Fry.

Rounding out the volume are the editors' invaluable overviews of the year in fantasy and horror, Year's Best sections on comics, by Charles Vess, and on anime and manga, by Joan D. Vinge, and a long list of Honorable Mentions, making this an indispensable reference as well as the best reading available in fantasy and horror.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Very good
I've enjoyed the majority of the stories in this compilation. Granted, there have been a few that really didn't inspire much interest but others have stirred my interest in searching down that specific author's work to read more because I like the flow of words.

This is the first one I had gotten and as it interested me so much, I've gotten themost current edition to read.

strong anthology
As usual, this annual anthology serves up some of the best work, although this time around, the emphasi is more on orror than fantasy this year.The tales represent a wide panorama of the genres.Most of which are quite strong and a few are tremndous with one particular tale, "The Hunter's Wife," an incredible five star plus treat.Editors Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling also include their usual insightful analysis of the year.Especially interesting besides the obvious trend analysis that make for fascinating reading notably when compared to earlier editions of this tome is the recognition of comic books as a legitimate form of fantasy.

Overall this edition is a strong anthology that holds up against its illustrious history.Readers will enjoy savoring this collection over several weeks (this reviewer read 2-3 stories a night).

Harriet Klausner ... Read more

Product Description
When prize-winning poet Davis Cooper died mysteriously in the canyons east of Tucson, Arizona, he left his estate to Maggie Black, a young writer who knew him only from his letters. There, in his desert home, Maggie be-gins a journey of self-discovery that changes her forever, encountering terrible danger and passionate love, coming face to face with the wild spirits that inhabit that strange and magical place. The winner of the Mythopoeic Fantasy Award on its first publication, this enchanting masterwork by a five-time winner of the World Fantasy Award now returns to print alongside the classic urban fantasies of Charles de Lint and Emma Bull.Amazon.com Review
Journalist and ex-poet Maggie Black has inherited the estate of Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Davis Cooper, with whom she corresponded for years, but never met. Maggie is a cosmopolitan woman of the West Coast and Europe, and a child of the Appalachian mountains; she has no interest in the desert. She has an ex-husband she still loves in L.A. And Davis Cooper drowned in the Arizona desert, the victim of a mysterious murder. Maggie has many reasons to stay away. Yet she moves to Cooper's desert home, seeking to unravel the secrets of Cooper and his late lover, the mad painter Anna Naverra. But these, Maggie will discover, are not the desert's only mysteries. Ancient powers are stirring--enigmatic and dangerous spirits that would use humans for their own purposes.

Terri Windling is the most important and influential fantasy editor of the 1980s and 1990s: Her many accomplishments include editing (and often discovering) a pantheon of fantasy gods--Steven Brust, Emma Bull, Charles de Lint, Jane Yolen, and many more. She edits, with Ellen Datlow, the indispensible annual Year's Best Fantasy and Horror and the acclaimed revisionist fairy-tale anthology series that began with Snow White, Blood Red. She has won the World Fantasy Award five times. So it's not too surprising that her first novel, The Wood Wife, is well written, fascinating, insightful, and the winner of the 1997 Mythopoeic Award for Best Novel. --Cynthia Ward ... Read more

Customer Reviews (41)

Technically accomplished, but the magic falls flat and this books is ultimately a disappointment. Not recommended
Poet Davis Cooper dies, leaving his home in the Tuscon mountains to Maggie Black, his friend and protégé. As she explores his home and the mysteries of his life and death, she begins to suspect that the magic that fills Cooper's poems is not allegory but rather reflects the reality of the desert mountains. Although well written and technically accomplished, exaggerated characters and a predictable plot render the book's magic flat. The Wood Wife may satisfy some readers, but I found it disappointing and don't recommend it.

Windling clearly knows her way around a piece of literature: her characters are well defined (almost to excess), every scene serves a purpose, the plot has a strong conclusion--all in all, she knows what she wants to say, says it well, and The WoodWife is technically accomplished. But technical skill is only one part of a good book, and this novel lacks the other rather more elusive factors which would make it a success. It has no subtlety or passion. The characters are excessively defined, and they too easily accept the magic of their mountain. That magic is a thoughtful spin on some Native American and mythic fantasy tropes, but the plot and writing style that explore it are too straight-forward. Rather than hovering over the land like a mirage, the magic is as flat as the paper it's printed on.

I suspect that some of my apathy of the book is a result of personal preference. The Wood Wife is very similar to Charles de Lint's work and other mythic fantasy novels, which likewise fail to impress me. Readers who are more interested in artistic characters encountering native-styled magical beings on the edges of urban (American) environments, likewise readers which prefer straight-forward storytelling, will have better luck with this book. Regardless, I believe that Windling's technical skill is wasted on this lackluster novel. There is no passion, mystery, or magic here--just attempts at each. As such, I don't recommend The Wood Wife.

The Wood Wife
I loved this book. The story, the way it was written and the fabulous characters! I wish Terri windling would write many more like this and not so any collections! I didn't want this one to end.

Longing
I must admit, I was drawn to this book by the cover art. I buy a calendar of Susan Seddon Boulet's paintings every year. When I read what the book was about, I bought it. I lived in the Sonoran desert for awhile and long for it still, and this book took me right back there. This is a unique story with poets, artists and madmen; shapeshifters abound and magic is afoot. I was pleasantly surprised, as my forays into the fantasy fiction genre have mostly disappointed. Terri Windling has crafted a believable tale of magic in the desert. The creatures she gives us are utterly original and the human characters actually have personalities and histories that are interesting AND fit in well with the context of the story. You care about them. This is an adult story: beautifully told without gratuitous sex and/or violence that pepper so many novels these days. Read this book and you will long for the desert as I do, whether or not you have ever lived or visited there. Please, Ms. Windling, write another book! Write several!

The Spirit will take you.
Terri Windling has written a very entertating book. This has things of interest for those, who like Native American background. It's a love story, but I like it for the southwestern background and native american flavor. I really recommend this it's a good read

One of those stories that stay with you...
I've read this book 4 or 5 times and still enjoy it immensely. I first read it shortly after it first came out, and loved it then. I bought it completely by accident, finding it in an airport bookstore and not even realizing it was fantasy until I started reading it. (I originally thought it was a mystery, and since I prefer Sci Fi/Fantasy, I'm not even sure why I picked it up.)

The characters are well-formed and interesting, as is the plot. The descriptions of the southwest made me want to go there. Years later, spending time in Santa Fe, Canyon de Chelly, Sedona and elsewhere, I felt the images from the book floating back to me and had to re-read the book as soon as I got home from that trip.

I wish Terri would leave off editing and write more! Not that I have any complaints about her editing... ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Just what I wanted
I had remembered reading and really enjoying this item as a kid, and looked in all my local libraries for it, with no luck.Suddenly I found it here, and I was so thrilled!The price was fantastic, the shipping speedy, and the book in excellent condition.Thank you!

Collection and retelling of fairy stories
This book has a wonderful assortment of authors and stories with fairies of all kinds.Each author has their own take and twist to familiar and new tales.If you enjoy reading about fairies this book contains a largevariety of tales. ... Read more

Product Description

Prepare to be seduced by powerful magic -- the sorcery of lust, need, and sensuality. Multiple award-winners Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling have gathered together twenty-two tales of unearthly temptations wickedly concocted by some of today's most potent literary conjurers -- including Neil Gaiman, Jan Yolen, Michael Swanwick, and Joyce Carol Oates. Here are stories of incubi and succubi, of forbidden fruits harvested in erotic gardens, of pleasures that persist beyond death. So heed the sirens' song. Lie back, relax, and submit to the darkest delights you have ever experienced.

Customer Reviews (8)

Marvellous! Sexy AND well-written!
Most erotica is rather sloppily written, on the theory that the people who are interested in it are not, in fact, interested in literary value, but in sexual arousal; the authors and editors of this book understand, delightfully, that there are those of us out here who enjoy an arousing story who are sufficiently literate as to be completely distracted from our arousal by poor writing, and they have written a wonderful anthology of extremely arousing stories with plot, characterization, and coherent language. If that's what you want, this is the book for you!

What WAS this??
Magical tales of love and seduction, the cover promises. Stories of sirens and other daemon lovers. On the back cover, we're told `Prepare to be seduced by powerful magic... twenty-two tales of unearthly temptations wickedly concocted by some of today's most potent literary conjurers... Lie back, relax and submit to the darkest delights you have ever experienced.'

Can I sue for misrepresentation??

To say that this book failed to live up to expectations is putting it mildly. I should have known when the editors' introduction put me to sleep after only a page. Then I began reading the novellas... and couldn't believe what I was reading. The first was just weird, and with a writing style which completely failed to capture my attention. The second had a potentially interesting story, but written in such awful purple prose that I wanted to scream at the author to learn to write. And then there was Joyce Carol Oates' effort... WHAT the heck was that supposed to be? It had no beginning and no ending. It just started and finished. As for the content, I was left shaking my head, and even after I read the final half-page again was still baffled as to what it was supposed to be. In the authors' notes at the end of the book, I discovered that this was actually part of a novel. Huh? What was the point of that? I thought this was supposed to be a collection of novellas, not extracts!

Unfortunately, Oates' contribution was not the worst, or the most boring. Several others nearly sent me to sleep; others still left me rolling my eyes or wondering where the ending was when I read the final line. Why do these writers not seem to have a clue how to finish a novella? Is the reader supposed to invent an ending? And then there were the stories which just made me go `Huh? What the hell was that all about?' - Persephone and The Light That Passes Through You being examples. O For a Fiery Gloom and Thee and Taking Loup had me skimming after a few tedious paragraphs.

A small handful of stories were somewhat enjoyable - The Eye of the Storm, though it took too long to get going and ended too soon; A Wife of Acorn Leaf and Stone had potential, but again was under-developed. The Scent of Bitter Bark and Clove and The House of Nine Doors both needed to be full-length novels; both were promising, but ended far too soon and with inadequate character development.

Don't waste your money. This book should be advertised as offering Tedious Unfinished Meanderings of Weirdness and Drug-Induced Insanity.


wmr-uk

It was alright.....
This is not a terrible anthology, but it wasn't great.Many of the 22 stories were forgetable, but a few were good, such as Bird Count by Jane Yolen, Persephone by Wendy Froud (I wish this had been longer), and The House of Nine Doors by Ellen Kushner.Most of the other stories were mildly erotic at best. Still, they were all pretty creative.If you're into sci-fi and fantasy stories, you'll probably enjoy it. If you only want good erotica, you might want to pass this by.

OKAY, KIND OF WIERD
Not quite what I expected.The stories were a little wierd.There was quite a bit of sex, but towards the end, it seemed tedious.There really wasn't any point in the act.Some of the stories were good.I enjoyed the one about the Acorn, Leaf woman.Mainly because of the Sidhe being in "our time" and known and descriminated against.I also like the Vampire one (there was only one Vampire story), but it ended abruptly. There was one about a "bird man" it was very short but cute.As for the book being "erotic", it didn't give me a rise.The stories were either humiliating and mean (the one about incest), or you just couldn't feel for any of the characters in any of the stories.If your a romance reader, or a lover of paranormal stories, save your money.There just doesn't seem to be any substance in any of these stories to warrant a good read.If you like off-the-wall stuff, then maybe this is for you.

A great collection of erotic stories
Definitely a worthwhile book to read if you enjoy both SF/fantasy and erotica.I thought the stories were well written and posed some interesting scenarios.I think the editors did an excellent job puttingtogether this collection of sexy stories. My favorite story was "TheEye of the Storm" by Kelley Eskridge and I look forward to readingmore of her work in the future. In many ways I felt that this was the mostoriginal story in the book and I find myself going back to reread it often. ... Read more

Product Description

In a forest called the Old Oak Wood, early on a rosy summer's morn, a young faery named Sneezle wakes in his nest to the clear music of pipes and the warm smell of the sun. At dusk tonight, the Midsummer Eve festivities will begin -- a time of potent magic in the faery realm. But just what will take place remains a mystery, for every year young Sneezle has fallen asleep. Something wonderful will happen, he knows -- or perhaps something dreadful and strange, for the faeries have two sides to their natures.

Something wonderful, something strange...In this enchanting collaboration between renowned doll maker Wendy Froud and award-winning writer Terri Windling, Sneezle's Old Oak Wood comes vividly alive with the magical denizens of the faery kingdom: a fatherly old troll dispensing wisdom from deep in his burrow; faery godmothers washing fragile wings; Titania and Oberon, the great lovers who rule over this faery kingdom; and a host of piskies, pookas, enchanted beasts, and darker spirits. Filled with the mystery and wonder of the very best faery tales, this entrancing story sends our unlikely little hero, Sneezle, into the tangled heart of the forest in an effort to thwart a powerful plot that threatens the Old Oak Wood.

Can the faery kingdom be saved? Can an insignificant little creature like Sneezle succeed in a hero's quest? With dazzling charm and a magical touch that will appeal to readers of all ages, A Midsummer Night's Faery Tale shows us that a good heart can triumph over evil and that humble truths are more powerful than the most elegant artifice.

A Midsummer Night's Faery Tale is the result of a magical collaboration between the doll and puppet maker Wendy Froud and the award-winning author Terri Windling. The faery world they unveil here so vividly features images of Ms. Froud's handmade figures woven into an enchanting faery tale for all ages written by Ms. Windling.Amazon.com Review
Not once upon a time, but right now, in a British forest called Old OakWood, faeries frolic, invisible to those humans who choose not to believein them. In A Midsummer Night's Faery Tale, doll maker Wendy Froud(best known for creating Yoda and other creatures for Muppet master JimHenson) and award-winning fantasy author Terri Windling collaborate to tellthe story of one of these elusive fellows, a young tree-root faery namedSneezle. Each page of this delightful book is graced with an elaboratelystaged photo of Froud's doll creations in their natural habitats, pairedwith Windling's story of Sneezle's unlikely heroism. Sneezle and hisdiaphanous friends are adorable enough to charm a kid, and his adventuresare interesting enough to hold the attention of an adult reading the bookaloud to a favorite youngster.

Sneezle's adventures begin when he sets out to fetch the Midsummer crownfor King Oberon. Meanwhile, the Faery Queen Titania is found asleep,victim of a powerful magic spell. The hopes of the faery kingdom ride onSneezle's little shoulders! While on his journey, Sneezle meets up withfascinating forest characters, discovers the identity of the wickedsorceress who has enchanted the queen, and learns about courage andloyalty. He also figures out that being "the same old Sneezle" is a finething to be. Kids and adults will enjoy this richly illustrated, romanticfantasy. (Ages 8 and older) --Therese Littleton ... Read more

Customer Reviews (20)

Another great Froud book
Just like The Winter Child and The Faeries of Spring Cottage this is very lovely book.Both adults and children will enjoy the pictures and lovely story. This is a must have for all children and Froudians.

Well written, positive story for children
An excellent book for children. My daughter loved the heroic faery. The illustrations are first rate. After getting this book for my little girl, I tried out Terri Windling's "The Wood Wife" which is written for more adult readers. I am glad I stumbled onto Ms. Windling's work. Both books were excellent. She is a very good story teller.

Find the Sneezle in yourself
Sneezle, you ask?What exactly is a Sneezle?Well, Sneezle is our little root faery hero, that's who!This is a wonderful book with a very good lesson that teaches us that everyone in life has been put here for a reason.Sometimes it may seem that certain people in life have better luck, are more beautiful, are thinner, have a better voice, etc but this book shows us that there is something special in everyone, even when we least expect it. Sneezle shows us that the pure of heart will always prevail over the forces of evil.

The artwork in this book is also PHENOMINAL (please forgive me if my spelling is incorrect.)Every time I look at the pictures, I find something new.The creatures, the landscapes, the settings are all GLORIOUS! Although this is a "children's" book, I highly recommend it for both the young and old at heart.

Spectacular Wendy Froud debut!
Wendy Froud is every bit the genius as her husband. This book is absolutly enchanting. Her dolls and her vision coupled with Terry Windling's adorable story create a world that young and old will want to escape to time and again. A must have for all fans of Frouds and faeries.

Wendy Froud the Master of Faeries
The book refers all to faeries, the story is good but what I was interested on was the art. Wendy Froud created the dolls for the story and since my interest is doll making, this was a great book full of details. She has another book named "The Winter Child" in which she uses the same dolls but there is different story line. If you are interested in books with great pictures, this is the one or if you enjoy reading good stories to children you will greatly enjoy it. Wendy Froud is the wife of Bryan Froud the great illustrator of "Good Faeries, Bad Faeries" and "The Faeries' Oracle". ... Read more

Product Description
Bordertown. Once a normal American city, now a perilous nexus between the World and returned Elfland. From the banks of the addictive Mad River to the all-night clublands where young elves and humans fight and play, all the way up to glittering dragon's Tooth Hill, where high society seals itself away from the street--this is no city to trifle with.

Bordertown. A place of hidden magic, flamboyant artists, runaway teenagers, and pagan motorcycle gangs. The city you always knew was there.

Bordertown was created by Terri Windling, multiple World fantasy Award-winning editor, artist, and writer. Now thirteen of modern fantasy's finest writers return to Bordertown once again, to tell a new cycle of tales of the city. Here are Charles de Lint, Ellen Kushner, Patricia A. McKillip, Felicity Savage, Delia Sherman, Midori Snyder, Caroline Stevermer--and here is bestselling author Steven Brust with "When the Bow Breaks," chosen as a finalist for the Nebula Ward after the hardcover publication of this volume.

Bordertown. It's an attitude and a state of mind. It's elfin light and human sweat. It will never let you go.
Amazon.com Review
Bordertown is the place where our world and the world of elvesmeet... but not just any kind of elves.These are hard-rocking, magic-flinging, motorcycle-riding elves who aren't entirely thrilled to be backin contact with lowly humans.Nevertheless, certain types of both elf andhuman are drawn to Bordertown, a place where magic and science coexist, andwhere neither works quite the way it's supposed to. Not everyone can findBordertown, but those who do find it discover that it's a place where anything canhappen, and where they can be anything they want to be.This collection of 13stories continues the grand tradition of one of the most popularshared-world fantasy series of all time, and it also serves as an excellent introduction for anyone new to the border. --Craig E. Engler ... Read more

Customer Reviews (16)

Excellent! Urban Fantasy at it's best
Written by some of the biggest authors in fantasy, particulary urban fantasy, this anthology is incredible. It is edited and has inserts by Terri Windling, one of the biggest names in (good) fantasy. The stories are all incredibly written and the character's on the grimy streets of Soho are easy to relate to. The Border is waiting, can you make it there?

Not a loser in the bunch
"Shared universe" collections are usually haphazard at best, but the essential Borderlands is brilliant all the way through. Some touching, some funny, all imaginatve, wild, and evocative of a place we all wish to be lost in. Elves, drugs, and rock and roll, with a very literate twist. No need to have read prior books, this one willsweep you up and carry you away. The only short story collection in my "best books" list.

Urban fantasy at its best
Not into sword and sorcery but secretly adore magic and faeries? Then this is the one for you. I have never seen a stronger "shared world" anthology, each story will stay with you long after you have finished reading, each for a different reason. A gourmet selection of short stories.

enjoyable teen fiction
Most of the short stories in this collection have been written for teens, and older readers might find many of the stories a little trying.

Bordertown is a shared universe created for those people young enough or naive enough to imagine that being a homeless, unwashed, aspiring Artist automatically makes someone interesting.Nearly everyone in Bordertown, it seems, is a runaway, a musician, a member of the SCA, an elf, or [dear me] all of the above.Still, the stories are fun, and most of them are readable."Argentine", by Ellen Steiber, I thought the best of the bunch: a wonderful love and redemption story set in Bordertown's El Barrio.Other notables include: "How Shannaro Tolkinson Lost and Found His Heart" by Felicity Savage, an amusing story that makes it known that B-Town and Faerie may not really be all they're cracked up to be; "When the Bow Breaks" by Steven Brust, which takes place not in Bordertown at all, but on the Mad River; and "Rag" by Caroline Stevermer, whose writing style quite reminded me of Tim Powers.If you can't stomach any of the other stories, at least give those four a try.

Different from other entries in the series, but equally good
Going by other reader reviews of this book, some fans of the series were disappointed by The Essential Bordertown--they felt the stories "just weren't the same" or something. Of course they weren't the same! Ithas a different character than other books in the series, but that's onlyto be expected from an anthology, and I enjoyed it immensely.One of itsbest features, to my mind, is the way "guidebook" excerpts areplaced between the stories--for those unfamiliar with Bordertown, theyprovide excellent background material, and for fans, they're full of littlejokes and references to familiar locations/people/events. They also makegood transitions from one story to the next. The book contains 13 stories(how apropos) by Patricia A. McKillip, Midori Snyder, Delia Sherman,Donnard Sturgis, Ellen Kushner, Michael Korolenko, Elisabeth Kushner,Charles de Lint, Caroline Stevermer, Steven Brust, Ellen Steiber, MicoleSudberg, and Felicity Savage, of which four particularly struck me.

Iloved Patricia A. McKillip's "Oak Hill" for many reasons, but oneof them is that its protagonist reminded me of myself in junior high--alonely girl with bad skin looking for magick. I particularly liked the factthat the girl has no terrible reason to come to Bordertown; she just wantssomething better--something more--than what she has. McKillip's prose isbeautiful as ever, and the ending, though of course I won't give it away,is simple and powerful. "Dragon Child" by Midori Snyder islargely set in Dragontown, which has always been one of my favorite areasof Bordertown. Eli, half elvin and half human, escapes from his cruel elvinfather to Bordertown, where he struggles to fully free himself from thearistrocratic father who has controlled him all his life. The story doesn'toffer any easy answer to Eli's problems; it may be about a boy who blursthe border between the World and Faerie, but it's realistic.

"Changeling" by Elisabeth Kushner I admit I was alreadypredisposed to like--young lesbians desperately trying to build a happylife for themselves have always had a special place in my heart. "OakHill" shows Bordertown as a place to run to; "Changeling,"like "Dragon Child," shows it as a place to run away to.Selkie/Seal (neither her given name, of course; people who come toBordertown frequently give themselves new names, in the hopes of new lives)is trying to find a place where her "difference" won't stand out,and comes to Bordertown--where it might not be easier, but it might also bebetter. The final member of my top four, Ellen Steiber's"Argentine," is about an elvin girl who didn't run anywhere--shewas banished, her memory erased, to Bordertown, where she does what sheseems to do best: steals. Argentine seeks out things that matter to people,and takes them, to feel the love they contain. But no thief's luck lastsforever, as the ghost of a dead man is only too happy to remind her whenshe takes his living lover's necklace. Steiber makes Argentine asympathetic character, despite the things she does, and Roberto, alreadydead, is tragic. This story makes me cry almost every time I read it.

The Essential Bordertown definitely holds its own within the series, andI highly recommend it--and if you like it, you should try to find theothers, although some are out of print and hard to get ahold of. ... Read more

Product Description
A stellar assymbly of many of today's most creative and accomplished storytellers has gathered around the tribal fire to embroider well-worn yarns with new golden thread. Black Swan, White Raven revisits the tales that charmed, enthralled, and terrified us in our early youth - carrying us aloft into the healthy, beating heart of cherished myth to tell once again the stories of Rumpelstiltskins and sleeping beauties, only this time from an edgy, provocative and distinctly adult perspective. The themes and archetypes of our beloved childhood fiction are reexamined in a darker light by 21 superb teller of tales who deftly uncover the ironic, the outrageous, the enigmatic and the erotic at the core of the world's best-known fables, while revealing the sobering truths and lies behind "happily ever after."Amazon.com Review
This is the fourth volume in Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling's ongoinganthology series that invites modern authors to rewrite classic fairytales. Like many of the original stories themselves, these retellings areoften dark, and many contain erotic subtexts. While some of the authorschoose to stick to the more traditional aspects of folklore, othersreinvent their tales entirely, such as the seven dwarfs who turn into"Three Dwarfs and 2000 Maniacs" at the hands of author Don Webb.As usual,Datlow and Windling have managed to enlist an impressive roster ofprofessional writers for their project, with headlinerssuch as Joyce Carol Oates, John Crowley, and Jane Yolen.These seasonedveterans are mixed in with some relative newcomers to create a collectionthat is as diverse as it is unique. --Craig E. Engler ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Exceptional Seller
I receieved this book from the seller, in timely fashion and it was well worth the wait. The book was beyond anyone's expectations. I had thought that this book would be boring. Who would have thought to write a story of what happened to Rumpelstiltskin after he was offically defeated by the mom? I've always wondered if anyone had made any strange but oddly fascinating twists to stories that we've heard in our childhood.
Lo and behold - we have a book full of stories such as that! I would strongly recommend anyone who has a twisted but adult version of how stories actually would've been with choldhood stories.
Like I said, athe seller mailed this book out on time, and was true to word when the book was actually used. Some yellowing but that is to be expected of an old, used book but still readable!
I would recommend the book, AND the seller!

Better Than SNOW WHITE, BLOOD RED
Why is this fairy tale anthology out of print? It's got a great collection of stories! I liked practically everything that was in here. SNOW WHITE, BLOOD RED may have been the first volume in editors Datlow and Windling's series of such books, but this fourth one is hands-down more gripping... the stories are better written, in my opinion.

Among my favorite selections from this volume are:
SNOW IN DIRT by Michael Blumlein
SPARKS by Gregory Frost
THE REVEREND's WIFE by Midori Snyder
THE TRUE STORY by Pat Murphy, and
GODMOTHER DEATH by Jane Yolen

I hope BLACK SWAN, WHITE RAVEN is published once more so I can grab my own copy. I have the first three anthologies and haven't read number 2 and number 3 yet, but that was only because I had to finish this one in time to return it to the library. Thank goodness they have it!

If you like this series, then I definitely recommend getting your hands on this one.

Good stuff
Black Swan, White Raven is an excellent anthology of new fairy tales based on the traditional stories.In this series, all the stories are dark, based on the fact that fairy tales were originally written/told for adults, and their relegation to the the nursery occurred with the Victorian era.Particularly strong and memorable stories are the Rapunzel one by Anne Bishop, the Snow White one by Pat Murphy, and the Tin Soldier one by Nancy Kress.

Outstanding!
This is the first book that I have read in the series.Outstanding collection of short stories!These stories bring to light different aspects of the fairy tales we all grew up with.I highly recommend it.

a brilliant series keeps getting better
The team of Datlow & Windling have put in their 4th collection of adult retellings of classic fairy tales, and this is the best yet.Strong, haunting tales that are truly not the Disney fluff we grew up on are whatthis collection is made of.Stories are drawn from many differentcultures, not just the familiar Brothers' Grimm type;they also end up inmany times/places, not just the dragons and castles type.The entireseries is well worth your time. ... Read more

Product Description
The award-winning editors of Snow White, Blood Red return us to distinctly adult realms of myth and the fantastic - with 18 wondrous works that cloak the magical fictions we heard at grandma's knee in mantles of darkness and dread. From Roger Zelansky's delightful tale of Death's disobedient godson to Peter Straub's blood-chilling examination of a gargantuan Cinderella and her terrible twisted "art," here are stories strange and miraculous - remarkable modern storytelling that remold our most cherished childhood fables into things sexier, more sinister... and more appealing to grown-up tastes and sensibilities. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (14)

It Passed The Time...
This is a perfectly average compilation of reworked fairy tales. Some of them are better than others, as you'll find in almost any short story collection. I bought this used, so I feel like I got my money's worth - a somewhat entertaining read that killed an afternoon. Good, but certainly not great.

Fascinating adult fairytales
As Datlow and Windling make clear in their foreword, fairytales were not originally intended for children. While I've never minded the Disneyfication of these stories - do we really want six-year-olds watching the ugly stepsisters hack off their own toes? - there is something marvelously gothic that is lost for the adult reader.

BLACK THORN, WHITE ROSE finds that gothic brilliance and twists it, exploring new tales in old stories that are heartwrenching, brilliant and entertaining, almost without exception. A few highlights:

"Stronger Than Time" by Patricia C. Wede retells Sleeping Beauty with a twist even I didn't expect, and a bittersweet beauty undreamt-of by Aurora and her Prince. Try a Jewish take on Rumpelstiltskin with "Granny Rumple" by Jane Yolen, or the strangely compelling "Godson" by Roger Zelazny. Peter Straub disturbs us with "Ashputtle" and its bizarre schoolmarm. "Words Like Pale Stones" is the best retelling of Rumpelstilskin I have yet read, with kudos to author Nancy Kress.

I didn't personally care for "Somnus's Fair Maid," another Sleeping Beauty that reads like a regency romance without the sex. There are many who would, however - it's just that regency isn't my bag. "The Frog King, or Iron Henry" by Daniel Quinn was a bit too repetitive, too circular for my taste, though that was obviously the point of it.

I think my favorite was probably "Sweet Bruising Skin" by Storm Constantine, a retelling of the princess and the pea from the queen mother's point of view - and we can see it her way. But the most heartwrenching is indubitably "The Black Swan" by Susan Wade, who follows Constantine with another story of women's attempts to remain beautiful and the price they pay for it. It closes this anthology with the perfect mix of sorrow and rejoicing.

The key is that each story was unique, a vision of the old stories that is so different as to render the underlying fable irrelevant. They may have been inspired by Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty and that poor girl sleeping on the pea, but their execution is focused through the prism of the varied minds brought together in this book. The result is a fascinating anthology, definitely worth your time.

Read the full review in CultureGeek: http://bellevillenewsdemocrat.typepad.com/culturegeek/2008/06/bookgeek-black.html

A fascinating collection
I am done with Black Thorn, White Rose and overall I liked it. :) The stories I really enjoyed were Stronger Than Time (Sleeping Beauty based), Somnus's Fair Maiden (Sleeping Beauty based), Tattercoats (big favorite for adults, with some sexual scenes and a wonderful message about trying to keep love, passion and communication going in a marriage), Granny Rumple (Rumplestiltskin based with a twist about Jews), Godson (big fave - I think based on Cinderella and the fairy godmother), Silver and Gold (another big favorite; it's a poem about Little Red Riding Hood and the metaphorical dangers we meet everyday) and The Black Swan (based on the Swan Princess and females trying to meet the contemporary standards for beauty).

Some stories I didn't know before so I couldn't compare it in my head, but they were good stories in themselves. :)

Not Free SF Reader
Not as good as the first anthology of this series, and the first part of the book is the better part, too.

There is an introduction talking about the kiddification of fairy stories since Victorian times, and also a reading list afterwards.

Black Thorn White Rose : Words Like Pale Stones - Nancy Kress
Black Thorn White Rose : Stronger Than Time - Patricia C. Wrede
Black Thorn White Rose : Somnuss Fair Maid - Ann Downer
Black Thorn White Rose : The Frog King, or Iron Henry - Daniel Quinn
Black Thorn White Rose : Near-Beauty - M. E. Beckett
Black Thorn White Rose : Ogre - Michael Kandel
Black Thorn White Rose : Can't Catch Me - Michael Cadnum
Black Thorn White Rose : Journeybread Recipe - Lawrence Schimel
Black Thorn White Rose : The Brown Bear of Norway - Isabel Cole
Black Thorn White Rose : The Goose Girl - Tim Wynne-Jones
Black Thorn White Rose : Tattercoats - Midori Snyder
Black Thorn White Rose : Granny Rumple - Jane Yolen
Black Thorn White Rose : The Sawing Boys - Howard Waldrop
Black Thorn White Rose : Godson - Roger Zelazny
Black Thorn White Rose : Ashputtle - Peter Straub
Black Thorn White Rose : Sweet Bruising Skin - Storm Constantine
Black Thorn White Rose : The Black Swan - Susan Wade


True Name gold.

3.5 out of 5


Waking chop squad mission.

3.5 out of 5


Tedious complaint.

2 out of 5


Well, I've forgotten.

3 out of 5


Toad Pilot.

3.5 out of 5


Human sangers, tasty.

3 out of 5


Ginger run is forked.

3.5 out of 5


Keep the hair out of the cooking.

2.5 out of 5


Shapeshifting pursuit.

2.5 out of 5


Not another bloody princess.

3.5 out of 5


Dressing for shagging.

3 out of 5


Shortchanged story.

2.5 out of 5


Music caper stop.

3 out of 5


Death on two wheels.

3 out of 5


Faecal fat chance.

3 out of 5


I'll choose my own ball and chain, you meddling women.

3.5 out of 5


Big girl's blouse.

3 out of 5




2.5 out of 5

Back in print
For those interested, Black Thorn, White Rose has just been reissued in trade paperback by Prime Books with new cover art and design. ... Read more

Product Description
The ninth installment of this popular annual series features horror and fantasy stories by some of the genre's most noted writers, including Stephen King, Terry Bisson, Jane Yolen, and Scott Bradfield.Amazon.com Review
This superb anthology is as valuable for its detailedsummations of horror and fantasy in 1995 (in literature and incomics, television, movies, etc.), as for the 35 stories and 9poems. Also useful for its exploration of the crossover genre known as"dark fantasy." Noteworthy authors include PeterS. Beagle, Ursula LeGuin, StephenKing, LucyTaylor, Steve RasnicTem, TanithLee, A. S. Byatt, DavidJ. Schow, and Joyce CarolOates. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Expand Your Mind
This book is the only one of twelve editions that I have read. It is absolutely amazing. Not only does it question our common place world but it bends, strechtes and recreates you mind. I am looking to buy the book so Ican read it all and have the stories at my finger tips. I am also going toread the next editions. Try one story, you will be hooked! ... Read more

Product Description
From the author of The Faces of Science Fiction comes teh perfect fantasy-lover's book. Travelling across two continents to capture in The Faces of Fantasy over 100 major fantasy writers, including Terry Brooks, Ursula Le Guin, Marion Zimmer Bradley, Fred Saberhagen, C.J. Cherryh, Mercedes Lackey, Steven Brust, Bruce Coville, Terry Goodkind, Joyce Carol Oates, Peter Straub, Jane Yolen, Anne McCaffrey, Terry Pratchett, and many more. 105 photos. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Disturbing the Natives
Look at their faces, at the set of their mouths. We've disturbed them in their native habitat. They are tolerating us for a moment, allowing us a brief glimpse before they scatter back to Prydain, to the Dreaming, to Deverry, to Darkover. None of them are ten feet tall, or look capable of much in the way of magic. But look at their faces. Look at the set of their mouths. They've been somewhere we can only hope to visit, secondhand, by the magic that flows from their pens. Look at their faces.

Interesting, but could be better
In 1984, photoessayist Patti Perret and (the now vanished) Bluejay Press released a collection of photographs entitled Faces of Science Fiction. The book instantly became a collector's item and used for autographs at science fiction conventions. Twelve years later, Tor has come out with Perret's companion volume, The Face of Fantasy.

Perret's book is filled with a random assortment of more than 100 modern fantasy authors. Each author received one page in which to describe who they are, their philosophy, or anything else that seemed appropriate. Although it is nice to hear from the authors about themselves in their own words, it might have been nice to have a little more editorial content, especially, for instance, in the case of Edward Whittemore whose page simply reads, "Edward Whittemore passed away."

Most of the images in the book are nice and clean, if not particularly imaginative. One jarring exception is Perret's blurry time exposure of Joel Rosenberg which makes him look like he moved when the picture was taken and Perret only had the single shot. Since there is no explanation for the selection of this picture, the reader is left wondering why such a poor photograph was used, assuming the purpose of the book is to permit fans to see what their favorite author looks like.

Perret fails to provide an explanation for her selection of authors, either. Did she chose certain authors because she happened to have pictures of them lying around? Because those were the authors who responded to a questionnaire? Because these are the authors Perret, herself, reads? No criteria is given for the sometimes strange selection.

The pictures also appear to be arranged at random. They are not in alphabetical order or chronological order. While this is not a tremendous drawback, sorting the pictures in a logical manner would do away with the need for the index at the end of the book.

However, for all its drawbacks, The Faces of Fantasy, is a fun book to have, providing pictures of more than 100 fantasy authors from Lynn Abbey to Jane Yolen. And, of course, it makes a great place to keep all those autographs. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Year's Best Fantasy: 1st Annual
This is the first volume in what became Year's Best Fantasy and Horror, now in its fourteenth year.

Perhaps the best thing about these books is the introduction, containing overviews of publications in the fantasy (and now horror) industry and brief reviews as well as industry news. I found the stories to be a very mixed bag. The standout in this volume is Le Guin's striking, unsentimental, Native American mythology-inspired "Buffalo Gals, Won't You Come Out Tonight". Shephard's "Delta Sly Honey" was a beautifully written, evocative Vietnam War story, though it weakened toward the conclusion. "Lake George in High August" and "The Maid on the Shore" also stood out. Too many of the other stories, as in other volumes, are pedestrian, silly, or devoid of plot structure. I didn't find any of the poetry to be worthwhile. Overall, I'd give the stories mentioned a 4, but the others perhaps a 2. This uneven quality plagues every volume in this series. ... Read more

Product Description
In their third critically acclaimed collection of original fairy tales for adults, World Fantasy Award-winning editors Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling present 21 new stories by some of the top names in literature today. Dark, disturbing and delightful, each story was written expressly for this superb collection of distinctly grown-up fantasy - a brilliant companion volume to Datlow and Windling's acclaimed anthologies, Snow White, Blood Red and Black Thorn, White Rose. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

Ellen Datlow & Terri Windling present RUBY SLIPPERS, GOLDEN TEARS
When I was a child, mythology and fairy tales took up a huge portion of my reading time, informing me at a young age that tragedy is but only one of the many inescapable aspects of being alive in this world, and probably the greatest common denominator connecting humans to one another; and that in between our frequent bouts of grief we humans can sometimes experience paradoxical bliss - a truism oft times illustrated in fairy tales.So it was no small joy for me to read RUBY SLIPPERS, GOLDEN TEARS:A Modern Book of Adult Fairytales, edited by the estimable team of Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling, who have a long list of co-edited anthologies behind them as testament to their extraordinary talent for putting together wonderfully entertaining and emotionally provocative stories.Together, Datlow and Windling have edited several excellent volumes of classic fairy tales, interpreted and retold by some of the best story-tellers writing today - with RUBY SLIPPERS, GOLDEN TEARS standing tall as the third volume in their fairytale series.Datlow and Windling write in their introduction to RUBY SLIPPERS, GOLDEN TEARS:Three's the charm.

Indeed it is.

I cannot remember when I last enjoyed reading an original fantasy anthology as much as I loved reading RUBY SLIPPERS, GOLDEN TEARS, as each consecutive story I read made me shake my head in amazement and mutter to myself that this one must indeed be the best story thus far - until I moved on to the next story, then on to the one after that.The fairy tales are that good, with three of the tales poetic renderings of traditional themes.In fact, if I were to reference the poet Robert Graves I would have to say that the very foundation from which all true poetry originates is the primary constant throughout this book and for me to favor one tale over another would be misleading, since I loved them all.But if pressed I would choose the following:"Summer Wind" by Nancy Kress - a variation on the Briar Rose fairy tale in which the Wyrd Sisters hold together the fabric of creation unseen; "The Death of Koshchei the Deathless" by Gene Wolfe - a clever riff on the Oedipus theme and the eternal dance between creatrix and creation; "The Real Princess" by Susan Palwick - a disturbing tale in which something far worse than the-pea-under-the-mattress determines the balance; "Match Girl" by Anne Bishop - a heart-wrenching tale about sexual abuse and survival; "The Fox Wife" by Ellen Steiber - a visually stunning story about shape-shifting in late nineteenth-century Japan; "The Traveler and the Tale" by Jane Yolen - an SF fairy tale in which visions perceived and myths deliberately sown cross boundaries and shape the future; "The Printer's Daughter" by Delia Sherman - a perfect closing fairy tale for an extraordinary book!

Rounding out RUBY SLIPPERS, GOLDEN TEARS, and equally as stunning as the aforementioned stories, are "Ruby Slippers" by Susan Wade - a sardonic riff on the Red Shoes ballet and the Wizard of Oz, á la Hollywood; "The Beast" by Tanith Lee - in which Psyche meets up with a serial killer, in this dark take on "Beauty and the Beast"; "Masterpiece" by Garry Kilworth - with Rumpelstiltskin as Mephistopheles exacting his due; "This Century of Sleep or, Briar Rose Beneath the Sea" by Farida S. T. Shapiro -an eloquent and visually inspiring poem about the earth; "The Crossing" by Joyce Carol Oates - another variation of Sleeping Beauty in which a woman returns home to find a bizarre dreamscape awaiting her; "Roach in Loafers" by Roberta Lanne - an amusing riff on "The Shoemaker and the Elves" meets "Puss in Boots" (Chinese take-out included); ""Naked Little Men" by Michael Cadnum - a whimsical tale about the discontented Shoemaker and his frustrated wife; "Brother Bear" by Lisa Goldstein - a Native American flavored version of "Goldilocks and the Three Bears"; "The Emperor Who Had Never Seen a Dragon" by John Brunner - in which a humble painter of dragons outsmarts a cruel and stupid ruler; "Billy Fearless" by Nancy A. Collins - a quirky take on the Brothers Grimm's "A Tale About a Boy Who Went Forth to Learn What Fear Was" with "The House on Haunted Hill" thrown in for good measure; "The Huntsman's Story" by Milbre Burch - a tragic and short tale based on "Snow White"; "After Push Comes to Shove" also by Milbre Burch - a poetic rendering of Hansel and Grettel; "Hansel and Grettel" by Gahan Wilson - a modern tale of narcissism and cupidity; "Waking the Prince" by Kathe Koja - a tale of disappointment and denial as Sleeping Beauty switches gender roles; "The White Road" by Neil Gaiman - a chilling poem in which western Europe's shape-shifting Mr. Fox is much, much more than he claims to be.

RUBY SLIPPERS, GOLDEN TEARS closes with a section on recommended reading for those who wish to read more about fairy tales and their origins.

I cannot say enough in praise of RUBY SLIPPERS, GOLDEN TEARS, except read and judge the anthology yourself.I think you will find it most favorable.

Highly recommended!


JLR

Unnecessarily cruel
I had read the book Black Thorn White rose before picking up this anthology and had a lot of hopes for this book. I love the retelling of fairy tales even with a dark twist to them. However, some of the stories in this book are absolutely horrific. The Match Girl, in my opinion, does not belong in a collection of fantasy but instead perhaps in one of horror. Its been a week since I read this book and I still have a bad taste left from it!

the best, so far
I love the whole Windling/Datlow edited series of fairy tale short stories.This particular book is by far the best one I have read (and I've read them all, to date, Jan 2004).Ellen Steiber's "The Fox Wife" is the best short story I've read in awhile - well worth repeated readings, and even led me to seek out more oriental "fox" tales. Joyce Carol Oates, Neil Gaiman, and Jane Yolen are here, and the editors, for this one collection, have abandoned their informal trademark touch of including that one truly odious story. ALL the stories are of high quality, and if you are a devotee of this genre, you MUST read this one.It's really the best of the bunch!Five stars!

Retellings
A great short stories of Fairy Tales for adults.Wonderfully intertaning and an enlighting read.

Anthologies are often difficult...
...but I found this book overall to be good.I particularly liked 'The Match Girl' (and have since found all of Anne Bishops books to be great!), but I disliked a few of the contemporary stories.Grab it if you enjoyed any of the other anthologies, but no, you're not going to like all of the stories! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

A Definite Keeper!
Out of the hundreds and hundreds of books I have owned, very few books make it to my 'keepers' shelf.Elsewhere is one of the few.It is absolutely one of the best collections of fantasy I have ever read and I reread it over and over again.

Particular favorites of mine are Pooka's Bridge by Gillian FitzGerald; The Judgement of St. Yves by Evangeline Walton, Sweetly the Waves Call to Me by Pat Murphy; and The Tree's Wife by Janet Yolen.

I can not say enough about this collection.Every year or so I make a vow to get rid of all my clutter and donate all my books to the thrift store.For Elsewhere to survive these numerous purges again and again is the highest compliment I can pay to it.

Good FAntasy
This is a great book for all sci-fi fans. The characters are as real as humans, and the story is very engaging. I picked this book up by chance at the library and thoroughly enjoyed it. It is very entertaining.

Marvelous
I love great writing, folktales, fairy tales, and mythology.This collection mixes all these elements up for some fascinating reading.If you like Terri Windling and Ellen Datlow's fairy tale retelling anthologyseries, you'll love this book, too.There are at least two more books inthe series, and I can't wait to dive into them! ... Read more

Product Description

These are not your mother's fairy tales...

Did you ever wonder how the dwarves felt after Snow White ditched them for the prince? Do you sometimes wish Cinderella hadn't been so helpless and petite? Are you ready to hear the Giant's point of view on Jack and his beanstalk? Then this is the book for you.

Thirteen award-winning fantasy and science fiction writers offer up their versions of these classic fairy tales as well as other favorites, including The Ugly Duckling, Ali Baba, Hansel and Gretel, and more. Some of the stories are funny, some are strange, and others are dark and disturbing -- but each offers something as unexpected as a wolf at the door. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (19)

Empty, gimmicky retellings with immature writing styles: a few good stories, but don't bother with the collection. Not recommend
Cinderella is plus-sized, Jack's giant's wife tells the bigger side of the story, Hansel and Gretel stumble upon video game store, and Neil Gaiman provides instructions for surviving in a fairy tale: many of the selections from A Wolf at the Door are transparent fairy tale retellings with a single twist or a new setting, be it an ice age or aliens. They may catch the eye, but most of are empty and gimmicky with immature writing styles. There are some exceptions, and Gaiman's poem in particular is a gem, but on the whole A Wolf at the Door is a waste of time. I don't recommend it.

Many of the selections in this anthology get two things wrong: retold fairy tales and young adult literature. By fleshing out the tale with realistic characters and detail, and/or by taking a new and meaningful twist on an old story, retold fairy tales can be magical, thoughtful, altogether wonderful to read--but they often must have that something new, or compelling, or meaningful, in order to justify rereading a familiar story. But in A Wolf at the Door, the retellings are sometimes as bare-bones as the original tales and often take gimmicky twists on the stories which are either hollow or more attention-catching than meaningful. It's not enough to stick aliens into the story of Ali Baba, or to insist that "Moral: If you love a waist, you waste a love." These retellings may catch the eye, but few of them leave lasting impressions. To compound the problem, many feel not only like they're written for twelve year olds, but by twelve year olds. Most YA literature has an easy-reading writing style which makes it accessible to young audiences, but writers needn't talk down to their audience to achieve that accessability. Here, the writing styles exaccerabates bare-bones writing and gimicky twists, so most of these selections are cutesy and immature.

Not all of the stories fall victims of these weaknesses: Gaiman's "Instructions" is a brilliant and magical meta-fairy tale and my favorite in the collection, Cadnum's "Mrs. Big" feels empty but nonetheless has a clever voice and fresh take on the subject matter, Vaz's "The Kingdom of Melting Glances" is based on Portuguese legends which may be new for many readers, and Koja's "Becoming Charise" is an empowering story for black sheep despite hammering home its meaning and fairy tale aspects. As this collection is such a swift read, there's no harm in picking it up to read the better selections. But on the whole, A Wolf at the Door is a waste of time. There's potential in the collection's premise, but the selections are lackluster and some (like Sherman's clichéd "The Months of Manhattan" and Webb's gimmicky "Ali Baba and the Forty Aliens") are downright bad. Spend your time on other, better retellings. I don't recommend A Wolf at the Door.

Just OK
I love the Snow White Blood Red series by the same editors, and was hoping for stories of the same quality from this anthology.Perhaps it was because the target age of the audience is so different, but I just did not find many of these stories interesting.

There were a couple that I particularly liked (the retellings of Forty Thieves and then the dwarves PoV of the post-prince Snow White), but the rest of them were just....flat.

Reinvented Fairy Tales
Classic fairy tales are retold from another point of view.Embodiments of the months grant Liz good luck.Cinderella is a plump birdwatcher who isn't particularly interested in marrying a prince.Jack and the Beanstalk is retold from the point of view of the giants, who don't appreciate a human stealing from them.The goose girl's horse tells her story, which ends up happier for the horse than the original.

A wolf comes to stay at Glasina's house, and she soon comes to suspect that it is really a human in wolf's form.Ali Baba is tired of his nickname, but then his life starts to mirror the legend when he follows aliens to an abandoned mine with a secret door.

Emma's stepmother turned her brothers into swans for being too loud.Emma thinks she can probably turn them back, but she isn't sure whether she likes them better as swans or not.Rosa's parents loved each other so much, they dissolved together into water.Rosa's sisters are resentful, but Rosa is happy for them.

Hansel and Gretel are lured in by a witch to a shop full of video games and fun things.Charise feels like an ugly duckling, smart and friendless in school.Is the offer for her to attend a prestigious private school her opportunity to finally turn into a swan?

After Snow White is gone, the seven dwarves are lost, unsure of how to continue with their lives.Val, a soldier, answers a king's call to help him figure out what is going on with his daughters, who sleep all day and seem to party all night.

I liked the creative twists on these fairy tales, and the updates that made them seem a bit more realistic.

Was looking for a bit more
Overall, I found this collection well-written and pleasant. However, the stories were a bit too concise, and I felt some of the writers could have gone a little further in their exploration of the tale they chose to re-write. My favorite work in the book was 'Instructions' by Neil Gaiman. Even though this wasn't a retelling of an old story, it fit in the collection nicely.

I don't regret the purchase, but I wish the stories had been a bit more robust.

A Wolf at the door
A Wolf at the Door has stories like Cinderelephant, Swans, The Twelve Dancing Princesses and more. I liked all of them.If you like stories that are a little gross and funny, than Ithink you would like this book.In Swans, Emma's mother dies and her stepmother can not stand noise, so when Emma's brothers get turned into swans because of their noise, it is up to Emma to save her brothers.Also in the Twelve Dancing Princesses, twelve princesses, all named after flowers, secretly sneek out every night and dance with dead princes who they will soon marry. The king, the princesses father, is asking men all over town to tell the king what is happenning to his daughers at night.Will a man be brave enough to go to the under world to find out?Read A Wolf at the Door to find out. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

I'm still borrowing it from my father....
My father bought this when I was a little girl new, and he read a few stories in it until i started taking an interest in it. He let me borrow it and i read most of the stories in it, read them again, read the rest of the stories, read all of them again, and again and again, well, lets just say it's been years now and i'm STILL reading it and i'm STILL borrowing it. I love all of it, especially the story by Joyce Carol Oates "Family" which introduced me to a whole new style and level of thinking that has been one of the greatest influences on my writing. I still cry sometimes when i read it. Even sometimes when i just think about it. Same with "The edge of the world". I've read a lot of books and loved them, still read them, like Enders Game by Orson Scott Card, Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy (the whole very inappropriately named trilogy of five books) by Douglas Adams (RIP), and a lot of Kurt Vonnegut Jr, Theodore Sturgeon, and even some by people in the book (Tanith Lee and Joyce Carol Oates) but none of these have been able to catch my heart and mind quite as much as this book. If you have the chance at all you should get this book. I give it my very highest reccomendation. ... Read more