Chris' Fish Place

I was somewhat hesitant to pick this up, but then I got gift cards and the price was reduced on the kindle version so what hell.

                It’s friggin awesome.

                The darker stories seem to be, for the most part, by Amanda C. Davis while the lighter stories are by Megan Engelhardt

  I love, absolutely totally, completely wonderfully love Questing for Princesses.  It’s about a prince and a desire not to quest.    But I knew I was in good hands after the first story “Instructions” which is about tempting an elf to come and help you.  The poetry, such as the first “Flytrap”, is good, but on the whole the stories are better.

                The short stories tend to be reflective.  This means that there are two version of Rumpelstilken, both dark but both focusing on different aspects.  Quite frankly, I found The Gold in the Straw to be one of the best, if not the best, retelling of Rumpel, dealing with many of the problems that exist in the story.  A Letter Concerning Shoes is a far more emotive tale of the 12 Princesses then A Breath of Bones.  Yet, both are powerful and both have their points.  I like them for totally different reasons.  There is a different look on Hamelin, a re-inventing of Hansel and Gretel.

                A Shining Spindle is a poem that feels more like a story and is about why it isn’t a male sleeping beauty.  Have to love that.

                This is really a quite inventive and gripping collection.  It is like that box of delights, that keeps opening, a chest of wonders.  Even the weaker works are quite strong.  If you enjoy dark fantasy or fairy tale retellings, this is a wonderful book.