4 stars A fascinating collection that explores the would-bes and what-ifs of fairy tale villains. These stories provide alternate explanations and prequels to give insight into the thinking of some of the most notorious villains in the fairy tale world. From the troll under the bridge and the giantess in the sky to the woman…
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3 stars A fun, fast-paced adventure, filled with giants, magic, humor, and even some culinary tips. I was instantly pulled in by this cast of characters. Claudette dreams of being a monster slayer and isn’t afraid to bend the rules. Her brother, Gaston, isn’t quite as brave, but has a real talent in the culinary…
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3 stars A fun follow-up in the fast-paced Chronicles of Claudette series. This one continues the overarching story, branching off into the reference to the escaped Calavera Island prisoner mentioned in the first one. I love how this book plays off of Giants Beware!. The characters continue to grow, their dynamics ever changing. Gaston has swore…
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4 stars A lovely illustrated edition of Neil Gaiman’s poem, “Instructions”. First published in A Wolf at the Door: And Other Retold Fairy Tales, “Instructions” provides the reader with tips, tricks, and reminders pulled straight from fairy tales, myths, and other stories. The illustrated edition adds even deeper meaning to the poem, incorporating further references into…
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By Cullen Bunn Illustrated by Cat Farris 4 stars I read an ARC copy in which only the first few pages are in color. Even with that I was blown away by the story and artwork. I read this fairly quickly because I did not want to put it down. The perfect balance of adorable…
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4 stars A gorgeous book to immerse yourself in. Beautiful artwork, a captivating story, and wonderful lessons and messages. Reminiscent of Kay O’Neill‘s The Tea Dragon Society. Gentle fantasy with fantastic artwork. This book is so much more than pretty pictures and Xu accomplishes a lot with a relatively simple story. Sophie’s insecurity is easy to relate…
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2 stars First of all, Iredale knocked it out of the park with that artwork. Each page is gorgeous and I loved all the details woven into each spread. She really captured the magic of the settings, especially their natural elements. However, the book itself is a bit odd. I’m hesitant to call it a…
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3 stars Aesthetically, this books is absolutely gorgeous. Julia Iredale knocked it out of the park with those illustrations and, let’s be real, that cover is perfection. Overall, the stories were good. What Chainani did well, he did very well. The diversity of the characters is splendid. Loved the cultural elements woven in. Not just giving us…
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As the Halloween season approaches, I finally found time to read this delightfully wicked collection from Fantasia Divinity. Featuring a variety of talented authors, the book is split into two sections: the spooky, creepy, at times disturbing Halloween Frights, and the calmer, soothing, but sometimes still spooky Autumn Delights. The book contains over 130 drabbles,…
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Another fantastic drabble collection from Eerie River Publishing. Featuring a variety of tales that explore the dark corners of fantasy, there’s a bit of something for everyone. Magic spells, evil sorcerers, curses, revenge, summonings, sacrifices, fairy tales, mythical creatures, and more. Packed with over 200 hundred stories, each reader is sure to find something that…
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