5 stars
| A fantastic read, start to finish. I didn’t really know what to expect going in to this, but I am always interested in fairy tale retellings. This one has the unique premise of telling the “real” story of Hansel and Gretel by reworking multiple Grimm stories such as “Faithful Johannes”, “The Seven Ravens”, and “The Devil with the Three Golden Hairs”. Each chapter is its own retelling, which together form a set of linked short stories to create a novel. I loved the unique format of the book, which pays homage to the original Grimm short stories, but stands out with its continuous tale. Despite its dark nature, the book features a narrator who gives out warnings with a humorous touch, adding a bit of brightness. The stories are much more closely aligned with the original tales in all their guts and glory. A good fit for anyone who doesn’t mind a bit of blood and gore. Chopping off heads, fighting dragons, cannibalism; it’s all in a day’s work in the Kingdom of Grimm. The style kind of reminded me of Beanstalker and Other Hilarious Scarytales, with heavier emphasis on the gore and such. Wonderfully written, amazingly re-imagined, this was a memorable work that really shines in the world of fairy tale retellings. Such an amazing read. Goodreads |