The Dark Moth Society: Alice (Blood & Snow #10.1) by RaShelle Workman - Ashley's Review

*I received this book as an eARC from the author in exchange for an honest review*

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Title: The Dark Moth Society: Alice (Blood & Snow #10.1)
Author: RaShelle Workman
Publication Date: August 18, 2015
Genre: NA Reimagining of Alice In Wonderland

My Reviews: Blood & Snow Vol. 1 | Vampire Lies | Vampire Secrets | A Beauty So Beastly | Asha's Kisses | Asha's Curse | Asha's Magic

Synopsis: This book will be released as part of the Daring Hearts Boxed Set COMING August 18th, 2015. 

From the Blood and Snow world comes a new series! Alice In Wonderland reimagined like never before. 

“There’s more to life than training. There’s love, Alice Blackburn. And you are in desperate need of it...” 

In the last millennia a deadly game has raged between demons and their half-human creations, called Moths. A century ago select Moths were born with distinctive marks on the backs of their hands. It was soon discovered that those with the marks possessed the same powers as their demon parent. Over the years an elite group of warriors formed The Dark Moth Society. 

Alice Blackburn is a Dark Moth trainee. Some of her classmates call her the Queen of Hearts, but only because she doesn’t share hers. There isn’t time. Not for fun and especially not for Kade Everett, the injured warrior she is required to help. In just a few days, her creator, the foul demon that killed her mom will come to kill her. That’s part of the game after all. And when he does, she will end him.

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Review: RaShelle Workman's Blood and Snow world is probably one of my favorite fairy tale reimaginings I've read. The whole world and all of the characters are so unique, and I love how all of the stories can either stand on their own or can be read all together. In previous volumes, we've met witches, dragons, vampires, and all kinds of of other creatures. Now, in this Alice in Wonderland reimagining, we get to meet Moths. 

The Moths are a really interesting creature. Sure, half demon/half human creatures have been done before. But I've never seen them like this! In The Dark Moth Society, the powerful Moths have been trained to fight their demon parents, who come for them on their 18th birthdays. It's a horrible game the demons play, and I can't imagine living my life knowing that a demon is coming to kill me. I also found it really interesting that only the demons of the seven deadly sins play this game - the Moths all have a certain vice depending on who their demon parent was.

Except for Alice. The moth on the back of her hand has never changed colors, so she doesn't even know which demon is coming for her. I have so many questions about Alice, her parentage, and her special abilities, and I can't wait for the next installment to find out more. I'm also really looking forward to seeing how the rest of the Blood & Snow world will play in to Alice's story! This was a really great introduction to this part of the extensive world that's already established.

If you're a fan of fairy tale reimaginings, especially Alice in Wonderland ones, you definitely need this book! Even if you haven't read any of the other books in the Blood and Snow series, this one stands exceptionally well on its own. If you've read any of the Blood and Snow  books, you'll also want to read this one and meet Alice and her fellow Moths! 4/5. 


--Ashley

Spelled by Betsy Schow - Ashley's Review

*I received this book as an eARC from Sourcebooks FIRE on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*


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Title: Spelled
Author: Betsy Schow
Publication Date: June 2, 2015

Synopsis: Fairy Tale Survival Rule #32: If you find yourself at the mercy of a wicked witch, sing a romantic ballad and wait for your Prince Charming to save the day.

Yeah, no thanks. Dorthea is completely princed out. Sure being the crown princess of Emerald has its perks—like Glenda Original ball gowns and Hans Christian Louboutin heels. But a forced marriage to the brooding prince Kato is so not what Dorthea had in mind for her enchanted future.

Talk about unhappily ever after. 

Trying to fix her prince problem by wishing on a (cursed) star royally backfires, leaving the kingdom in chaos and her parents stuck in some place called "Kansas." Now it's up to Dorthea and her pixed off prince to find the mysterious Wizard of Oz and undo the curse...before it releases the wickedest witch of all and spells The End for the world of Story.

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Review: I am always up for reading a book that takes classic, popular fairy tales and twists them into something fun and new. Especially when so many fairy tales are combined into one! Betsy Schow takes stories that have absolutely nothing to do with each other, melts them all down, and forges something that's a mix of old and new and left my sides aching from laughing so hard!

Dorthea is not at all your typical fairy tale princess. In fact, she's kind of a brat. A brat with killer shows, bu a brat nonetheless. I understand that she's been trapped in the castle her whole life and her parents keep trying to marry her off, but I did not like her attitude at all when I first started this book. But then, things change. Dorthea (kind of) changes. And her bad attitude and selfishness make for such a hilarious story that I couldn't help but (mostly) forgive her. 

One of my favorite things in this book was all of the "Fairy Tale Survival Rules" sprinkled throughout. They're all things that are so common and overdone in fairy tales, and I loved how Betsy made fun of them and placed them in exactly the right places. It was a lot of fun to try and figure out which fairy tales the rules are referring to, and to see the situations where maybe the rules aren't such a bad idea after all. Especially when Dothea scoffs at them and then gets herself into more trouble because she didn't heed them.

Another really fun part of this book is seeing all of the fairy tales smashed into one book. It's done really well, and I thoroughly enjoyed meeting all of my favorite characters from popular stories, and even a few from more obscure stories. The Wizard of Oz is definitely the main one, and there are the most references from and nods to those books, but we also get too see people from stories like Beauty and the Beast, Sleeping Beauty, Rapunzel, and more. There are also all kinds of magical beasts and creatures and objects, and I'm sure that I missed just as many references as I picked up. 

Overall, this is a really fun book, and I'm so glad that I read it. There are so many books based on fairy tales and fairy tales characters out there right now, and Spelled was a really nice change of pace. I can't remember the last time I laughed so much while reading a book (that I wasn't even really expecting to be that funny!), so that was a really pleasant surprise. I'd totally recommend this book to all of my fairy tale-loving friends! Especially the ones who appreciate a nice pair of heels. 4/5!


--Ashley

Age of Darkness: Volume 1 by Patrick Shand - Ashley's Review

*I received an eARC of this book from Diamond Book Distributors/Zenescope Entertainment in exchange for an honest review*

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Title: Age of Darkness: Volume 1
Author: Patrick Shand
Publication Date: July 22, 2014

Synopsis: The Age of Darkness has descended upon the Grimm Universe! All hell is about to break loose as the Dark Horde prepares to wage war on Earth. The evil Dark Queen has risen again and now the table is set as she will set in motion a plan that will have terrifying and lasting ramifications on the Grimm Universe.

This Trade Paperback collects Grimm Fairy Tales Age of Darkness one-shot and Grimm Fairy Tales issues 94 through 98.

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Review: These Grimm Fairy Tale comics are interesting. They take classic fairy tale characters and totally change them, making them more bad-ass and crazy. They're also a lot sexier than you probably remember from your childhood (especially the females, who wear very little clothing). These comics are definitely written for an older audience, and I do like where some of the storylines go and how they're all interconnected.

But they really don't make all that much sense when you read them on their own or out of order. I've read the Oz comics, and some of the Wonderland ones, so I kind of had a basic idea of the world and what's going on when I started this set, but I got confused really quickly and found myself having to go back and read parts of it again. It was also really frustrating to see little side notes that "hey, you should go read these issues to get more background and understand wtf is going on." Like, no thanks. Just give me a little bit more information in THIS volume and I'll be good. I don't want to go all over creation trying to figure out what's going on. Make it more subtle.



I did enjoy the way all of the good guys band together to try to defeat the Evil Queen, and how the Evil Queen goes about collection minions and turning hearts dark. I liked that all of her words were red, because she's the Red Queen (and also very evil), so the connection was nice. The artwork is also really fantastic, and all of the colors and drawings make it easy to tell which character is which and if they're good or evil.

Overall, I wish I had more knowledge about the background before diving into this comic, and I wish that a little more background was provided in the collection itself. I'm not sure if I'll continue with this storyline, especially if I don't go back and read previous issues, but it's not terrible if you're all caught up. If you're looking for a gritty, sexy, fairy tale retelling, I think these comics would be right up your alley. I'd only give it a 3/5 though. 


--Ashley

Grim - Edited by Christine Johnson - Ashley's Pre-Reading

*I received this book as an eARC from Harlequin Teen on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

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Title: Grim
Editor: Christine Johnson
Date of Publication: February 25, 2014

Synopsis: Claire de Lune, Nocturne, and The Gathering Dark author Christine Johnson is the editor of Grim, an anthology of dark fairy tale retellings, featuring stories by New York Times bestselling authors Ellen Hopkins, Amanda Hocking, Claudia Gray, Rachel Hawkins, Julie Kagawa, and others. Published by HarlequinTeen, the stories range from the macabre to the fantastic, with settings from make-believe castles to trailer parks in Georgia and everything in between.

The full list of contributors is:

Kimberly Derting
Sonia Gensler
Tessa Gratton
Claudia Gray
Rachel Hawkins
Amanda Hocking
Ellen Hopkins
Shaun David Hutchinson
Julie Kagawa
Malinda Lo
Myra McEntire
Saundra Mitchell
Jackson Pearce
Sarah Rees Brennan
Jon Skovron
Jeri Smith Ready
and
Christine Johnson

Why?: I love fairytale retellings, and I knew I had to read this anthology of them when I saw the list of contributors. I mean, look at that list! So many excellent authors! And since they're short stories, I can read them a couple at a time in between other books. Or all at once, which is more likely what's going to happen...

Expectations: I expect some pretty dark retellings of popular and maybe even less known fairy tales. Since there are so many bestselling authors on this list, I have pretty high expectations for the stories in this anthology.

Judging a book by its cover: I love this cover so much. I love the purple against the black/gray, I love how there are charms on the tree that I assume represent each of the stories... I just like everything about it. I would definitely pick this up if I saw it in a store somewhere! 


--Ashley

Cold Spell (Fairytale Retellings #4) by Jackson Pearce - Ashley's Review

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Title: Cold Spell
Author: Jackson Pearce
Year Published: 2013

My Cold Spell Pre-Reading

Synopsis: Kai and Ginny grew up together–best friends since they could toddle around their building’s rooftop rose garden. Now they’re seventeen, and their relationship has developed into something sweeter, complete with stolen kisses and plans to someday run away together.

But one night, Kai disappears with a mysterious stranger named Mora–a beautiful girl with a dark past and a heart of ice. Refusing to be cast aside, Ginny goes after them and is thrust into a world she never imagined, one filled with monsters and thieves and the idea that love is not enough.

If Ginny and Kai survive the journey, will she still be the girl he loved–and moreover, will she still be the girl who loved him?

Jackson Pearce, author of the acclaimed Sisters Red and Fathomless, has returned with a unique vision of Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Snow Queen,” one about power and redemption, failure and hope, and the true meaning of strength.

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Review: This book was the first in the series that I actually had to go read the fairy tale before I read the book. I mean, everybody knows Little Red Riding Hood, Hansel & Gretel, and The Little Mermaid (even if they only know the Disney versions). The Snow Queen, though? I'd never even heard of it. And that's such a shame, because the original story is actually really good and more kids should know it. 

That being said, this book was absolutely phenomenal. Jackson Pearce has done it again, and I think her conclusion to this series was by far the strongest book of the whole set. Like the others, it follows the original tale pretty closely, but still has a unique, modern, spin. Having read The Snow Queen immediately before reading Cold Spell, I definitely picked up on some parallels and references that I might otherwise have missed, and I think that made me enjoy it infinitely more. 

Another thing that I really loved about Cold Spell was how interconnected it is with all of the other books in the series. Sure, you could read this as a standalone. The cross-over characters are given enough background so that you don't have to know who the Reynolds are or how important they are in the fight against the Fenris, and you don't have to know anything about the ocean girls and how they're related to the Fenris, or anything else in order for this book to make sense. But I loved seeing mentions of Rosie March and Lo's favorite ship in Fathomless and just all of the other subtle things. Seriously Jackson, well freaking done. 

I also really liked that this book is told from 1.5 perspectives. We mostly see Ginny's side of things, and we're in her head and trying to save Kai right along with her, but we also get a few glimpses of what Mora is doing and why she does the things she does. Although she's the villain in Ginny's eyes, I really found myself enjoying the chapters about her and actually feeling kind of sorry for her. I do wish we had gotten to see a little bit more of her past and her human life, but I guess we can't really know what she doesn't really remember.

I could really go on about how much I loved every part of this book for a really long time, but I think you should just go read it yourself. But first, read Sisters Red, Sweetly, and Fathomless, and familiarize yourself with Hans Christian Andersen's "The Snow Queen." I know, that's a lot of reading just to read one book... but trust me. It will be worth it. Anyone who loves fairy tales and/or retellings of them should definitely check out this series while I go cry in the corner because it's actually over. 5/5! 


--Ashley

Cold Spell (FairyTale Retellings #4) by Jackson Pearce - Ashley's Pre-Reading

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Title: Cold Spell
Author: Jackson Pearce
Year Published: 2013

Synopsis: Kai and Ginny grew up together–best friends since they could toddle around their building’s rooftop rose garden. Now they’re seventeen, and their relationship has developed into something sweeter, complete with stolen kisses and plans to someday run away together.

But one night, Kai disappears with a mysterious stranger named Mora–a beautiful girl with a dark past and a heart of ice. Refusing to be cast aside, Ginny goes after them and is thrust into a world she never imagined, one filled with monsters and thieves and the idea that love is not enough.

If Ginny and Kai survive the journey, will she still be the girl he loved–and moreover, will she still be the girl who loved him?

Jackson Pearce, author of the acclaimed Sisters Red and Fathomless, has returned with a unique vision of Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Snow Queen,” one about power and redemption, failure and hope, and the true meaning of strength.

Why?: I absolutely LOVED the other three books in this series, and I have been eagerly awaiting Cold Spell since I learned about it. I am not familiar with "The Snow Queen," so I'm really intrigued as to where this story is going to go. In Sisters Red, Sweetly, and Fathomless, I loved how true Jackson stayed to the original stories. There's no Disney-fying going on here. I also loved how the three books ended up being tied together ever so subtly, and I'm looking forward to trying to find all the pieces of that puzzle in this book.

Expectations: I have super high expectations for this book because I loved the other ones (and Jackson's other books outside this series) so much. I don't know what to expect in regards to the original fairy tale, but I might have to brush up on in before I dive into this book. Just in case.

Judging a book by its cover: I still have a huge issue with the covers in this series because they changed halfway through. The original covers for Sisters Red and Sweetly will always be my favorites. That being said, I really like this cover. I like how it's dark and how it just looks... cold. I would definitely pick it up off of a shelf or click on it if I saw it in an online store. 


--Ashley

Far, Far, Away by Tom McNeal - Ashley's Review

*I received this book as an eARC from Knopf Books for Young Readers on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*

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Title: Far Far Away
Author: Tom McNeal
Year Published: 2013

My Pre-Reading

Synopsis: It says quite a lot about Jeremy Johnson Johnson that the strangest thing about him isn't even the fact his mother and father both had the same last name. Jeremy once admitted he's able to hear voices, and the townspeople of Never Better have treated him like an outsider since. After his mother left, his father became a recluse, and it's been up to Jeremy to support the family. But it hasn't been up to Jeremy alone. The truth is, Jeremy can hear voices. Or, specifically, one voice: the voice of the ghost of Jacob Grimm, one half of the infamous writing duo, The Brothers Grimm. 

Jacob watches over Jeremy, protecting him from an unknown dark evil whispered about in the space between this world and the next. But when the provocative local girl Ginger Boultinghouse takes an interest in Jeremy (and his unique abilities), a grim chain of events is put into motion. And as anyone familiar with the Grimm Brothers know, not all fairy tales have happy endings...

Young adult veteran Tom McNeal (one half of the writing duo known as Laura & Tom McNeal) has crafted a novel at once warmhearted, compulsively readable, and altogether thrilling--and McNeal fans of their tautly told stories will not be disappointed.

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Review: I was really excited to read this book, especially since there are fairy tales, the Grimm brothers, mystery, ghosts, and all sorts of things that make up a great book (in my humble opinion). And McNeal did not disappoint at all! I found myself not wanting to put this book down, and finished it much more quickly than I thought I would. I loved every minute of it. 

The pacing does drag a little bit near the middle, and there were a few times when I thought it would end soon.. but it really ended up not being so bad, and those parts were very important to the plot. Especially when it comes to the thing Jacob is supposed to be protected Jeremy from. There are so many clues leading up to who the "unknown dark evil" is that I thought it was pretty obvious when it's finally revealed, but if you aren't looking for them, I think they would be easy enough to miss.

I was not really a fan of Ginger at first, but I came to really like her by the end. I thought she was going to be one of those "take advantage of the nerdy kid" popular girls, but she's really so much bigger and better than that. Although many of the characters are fairly stagnant, I felt like the main characters, and those directly related to them, grow and change enough that things don't get too boring in that area. 

Overall though, this is a really sweet story with an excellent, intriguing plot. I loved being in the present but also going back to the past and learning more about Jacob and the rest of his family. I don't know much about the personal lives of the Grimm brothers, but I loved the spin that McNeal gave while still including enough factual details that it doesn't seem too stretched. Everything about this book is just fantastic though!

I would totally recommend this book to anyone who loves fairy tales and anyone who is especially interested in the Grimm Brothers' Fairy Tales. This book will not disappoint you, and is definitely worth the read! I would have loved to see more books set in this world, but I'm actually kind of glad it was a standalone. A 5/5 from me! 

--Ashley

Far Far Away by Tom McNeal - Ashley's Pre-Reading

*I received this book as an eARC from Knopf Books for Young Readers on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*

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Title: Far Far Away
Author: Tom McNeal
Year Published: 2013

Synopsis: It says quite a lot about Jeremy Johnson Johnson that the strangest thing about him isn't even the fact his mother and father both had the same last name. Jeremy once admitted he's able to hear voices, and the townspeople of Never Better have treated him like an outsider since. After his mother left, his father became a recluse, and it's been up to Jeremy to support the family. But it hasn't been up to Jeremy alone. The truth is, Jeremy can hear voices. Or, specifically, one voice: the voice of the ghost of Jacob Grimm, one half of the infamous writing duo, The Brothers Grimm. 

Jacob watches over Jeremy, protecting him from an unknown dark evil whispered about in the space between this world and the next. But when the provocative local girl Ginger Boultinghouse takes an interest in Jeremy (and his unique abilities), a grim chain of events is put into motion. And as anyone familiar with the Grimm Brothers know, not all fairy tales have happy endings...

Young adult veteran Tom McNeal (one half of the writing duo known as Laura & Tom McNeal) has crafted a novel at once warmhearted, compulsively readable, and altogether thrilling--and McNeal fans of their tautly told stories will not be disappointed.

Why?: I love anything about fairy tales, and I was especially excited to hear that this one had not only fairy tales, but the ghost of one of the most well known collector of fairy tales. I mean seriously, how could I turn down a book where Ghost Jacob Grimm is a main character? 

Expectations: I expect a nice story, with a lot of fairy tale references. I also expect things to not go well all the time though, because the Grimm Brothers didn't collect only happy fairy tales, so something has to go wrong eventually. I'm looking forward to mystery and maybe a little adventure too, along with some weird circumstances. Oh, and I bet Never Better will be far far away, or the kids will want to run somewhere far far away.

Judging a book by its cover: I'm not really sure how I feel about this cover. The colors are gorgeous, but it seems very cartoony to me. I would probably pick this up off of a shelf because it looks like the cover of something fairy tale related, but I'm not sure.


--Ashley

Rapunzel Untangled by Cindy C. Bennett - Ashley's Pre-Reading

*I received this book as an eARC from Cedar Fort, Inc. on Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*

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Title: Rapunzel Untangled
Author: Cindy C. Bennett
Year Published: 2013

Synopsis: 

Rapunzel is not your average teenager. 

For one thing, she has a serious illness that keeps her inside the mysterious Gothel Mansion. And for another, her hair is 15 feet long. Not to mention that she’s also the key to ultimately saving the world from certain destruction. But then she meets a boy named Fane, who changes all she has ever known, and she decides to risk everything familiar to find out who she really is.

Filled with romance, adventure, and mystery, Rapunzel Untangled is one story you won’t want to put down. Discover the true meaning of love and friendship in this modern twist to the classic fairy tale.

Why?: I am seriously the biggest sucker for modern re-tellings of fairy tales. I love fairy tales, and I love even more when an author can take something so classic and modernize it. Plus, there's magic, mystery, adventure, and some romance! 

Expectations: I expect a modern twist on the classic Rapunzel story. Rapunzel in a tower, a crazy "mother"  who refuses to let her leave the tower, a prince who would do anything to be with her, including climbing her hair... yeah, I'm expecting all of that in one way or another. Plus maybe some added mysteries and such, because I'm not sure how you'd hide a girl in a tower in the modern world.

Judging a book by its cover: The cover is pretty much something I would expect on a book about Rapunzel. I don't think it's really anything special, but I would personally probably pick it up because of that. Again, with the being a sucker for fairy tales. I'm not sure if it would catch the eye of someone else though.


--Ashley

Scarlet by Marissa Meyer - Ashley's Pre-Reading

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Title: Scarlet
Author: Marissa Meyer
Year Published: 2013

Synopsis: The fates of Cinder and Scarlet collide as a Lunar threat spreads across the Earth...

Cinder, the cyborg mechanic, returns in the second thrilling installment of the bestselling Lunar Chronicles. She's trying to break out of prison—even though if she succeeds, she'll be the Commonwealth's most wanted fugitive.

Halfway around the world, Scarlet Benoit's grandmother is missing. It turns out there are many things Scarlet doesn't know about her grandmother or the grave danger she has lived in her whole life. When Scarlet encounters Wolf, a street fighter who may have information as to her grandmother's whereabouts, she is loath to trust this stranger, but is inexplicably drawn to him, and he to her. As Scarlet and Wolf unravel one mystery, they encounter another when they meet Cinder. Now, all of them must stay one step ahead of the vicious Lunar Queen Levana, who will do anything for the handsome Prince Kai to become her husband, her king, her prisoner.

Why?: Cinder was my favorite book of 2012, so I've been anxiously awaiting this sequel since last January. I love fairytale retellings, and Marissa Meyer did such a good job with her retelling and re-imagining of Cinderella that I can't wait to find out how she tells Little Red Riding Hood's story. Plus, I'm really curious as to how Scarlet and Cinder end up together.

Expectations: I expect and epic sci-fi/fantasy retelling of another classic fairy tale. Lots of mystery, adventure, and a little bit of romance thrown in. Plus, there's the bit about Cinder being the most wanted fugitive in the entire Commonwealth, so I'm expecting a huge manhunt and a pretty angry Lunar Queen. Cinder set my expectations super high though, so I'm really hoping Scarlet lives up to them.

Judging a book by its cover: This cover looks a little more cartoon-y than the cover for Cinder, but I still love it. I would most likely pick this up in a bookstore or library, especially because I'm drawn to anything that looks like it might be based on a classic fairy tale. 


--Ashley

Fathomless by Jackson Pearce - Ashley's Review

My Pre-Reading
Paul's Pre-Reading
Paul's Review

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I have been looking forward to reading Fathomless since I first heard that Jackson Pearce was using "The Little Mermaid" as the inspiration for her third book in the "Fairytale Retellings" series. I loved her takes on "Little Red Riding Hood" and "Hansel and Gretel," and this was no exception. I've always enjoyed Disney's take on "The Little Mermaid," and although I hadn't heard the original fairy tale until more recently, I think the darker spin on it makes it even more interesting. I loved how she took the idea of mermaids and made them all her own, and how she subtly tied Fathomless to Sisters Red and Sweetly.

I've always been interested in meeting the Reynolds girls, and I'm so glad we finally got to learn more about them and their place in the story. I thought that Celia was the most interesting of the three, and I'm very glad that one of the perspectives in this book was hers. Although her situation reminded me a little bit of Rosie March and her struggle with her sister, I think it was done very well and the story wasn't too much like the sibling relationship in Sisters Red. I also liked the each sister could see the past, present, or future and that each learns to control her powers in different ways.

Lo was probably my favorite character in this book because I have no idea if I should like her or hate her. It's sometimes hard to tell if her intentions are good or bad, and if she as actually a creature to be feared. She's such a dynamic, round character, and I really enjoyed reading the sections from her perspective.

The way Pearce writes this book is also really interesting, and I don't think I've ever read anything like it. I've heard it described as being from "2.5 perspectives," and I agree with that. I don't want to give anything away with that, but if you've read the other two books in the series, it will make perfect sense.

Although I kind of knew where this story was going, after having read Sweetly, I thought that the background and the explanation of the "mermaids" was very well done. Especially when it's revealed to the main characters how they are formed and what they later become. The pacing was excellent, and I never felt like the story dragged or had too many erroneous details.

If you've read the rest of Pearce's Fairytale Retellings, you should definitely pick up Fathomless. If you haven't, this book can be read as a standalone, but you won't get as much out of it (so go read Sisters Red and Sweetly)! I would give this a 5/5 and definitely recommend it to anyone who is a fan of either Jackson Pearce or twists on classic fairy tales.


--Ashley

Two and Twenty Dark Tales (Paul's Review pt.3)

This is the third and final post for this collection of short stories. Check out the links below if you haven't read my earlier posts.

Two and Twenty Dark Tales -- Part 1
Two and Twenty Dark Tales -- Part 2

My overall review of the collection at the bottom!

Little Miss Muffet:
This one was very unusual. It is about a family that has a secret that involves spiders. The ending is super creepy. This story left me confused with many questions. 2/5

Sea of Dew:
So at one point in my life, when I was approximately 4 years old, I had this whole rhyme memorized. My parents would recite it to me as I drifted off to sleep. So, this story was very morbid for me. It took a nursery rhyme that I was very familiar with and definitely made it dark. Now although this may sound like I disliked it, I didn't. I thought the writing was done well and re-imagining these characters as survivors on a lifeboat was a very interesting take. I like stories involving survival, especially in very bad conditions. Also, there were many clever references to the original rhyme, involving the moon and such.The ending was just so very morbid. 4/5

Tick Tock:
This one was just straight up creepy. It is a common story of babysitter and unruly children, but these 4 children are so completely creepy, from their clothes to their actions. This story was very well written. It is an instance of a scary story with no explanation. There are so many open ends. 4/5

A Pocket Full of Posy:
This story did not go where I thought it would, knowing the original references in this rhyme. Although, another classic monster is used. A boy wakes up to find blood on him and an empty memory of the night before. I thought this was written well, but I'm not that fond of the way it ended up playing out. 3/5

The Well:
This story features the familiar characters of Jack and Jill, only they are nothing like the childhood images you have in mind. They are no longer chipper, sing-songy siblings. Instead, a virus has killed pretty much everyone in the world except these two. It was interesting how the well comes into play. This one was very disturbing, although I think that's what it was going for. 2.5/5

The Wish:
This one deals with the simple idea of wishing on a star...to be dead. I thought this one was well written, but it was a little too predictable and teen angsty for my likings. 2/5

 A Ribbon of Blue:
The main character in this one is a teen girl with Cerebral Palsy. I thought it was a very interesting read. I loved the way her handicap was dealt with. I thought her grandmother having emphysema was a nice addition to the story, as well. The carnival really gave good imagery. The fortune teller was interesting and I really liked the way the story played out. 4/5

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OVERALL REVIEW: 
This was a well put together collection. There was a good amount of variety between the stories. Some were very dark, while others just slightly twisted the original rhyme. I would suggest this book to anyone familiar with the original Mother Goose nursery rhymes who is prepared to see some wholesome characters in very creepy and scary situations. 

By averaging my reviews for each individual story, the mean rating for a story in this collection is 3.175/5. So, I'll give this collection, as a whole, a 3/5.

-PAUL

Two and Twenty Dark Tales (Ashley's Review pt. 3)

Here's the final part of my review for Two and Twenty Dark Tales! And, if you missed them, the first two parts can be found by following these links:

Two and Twenty Dark Tales - Part 1
Two and Twenty Dark Tales - Part 2

My review of the collection as a whole is at the end!

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Little Miss Muffet: I kind of thought this story was pretty terrible. The incorporation of Miss Muffet and the spiders was strange, and it didn't really flow at all. Plus, the ending was horrifying, and not in a good way. I don't really like spiders anyway, and this just made that worse. Seriously, huge spiders? Not necessary. 1/5

Sea of Dew: This was another that got off to a great start! And then... totally didn't deliver. I guess I can see where the author was trying to go with it, but if you take out the boys and make them animals, including one tiger, it's almost Life of Pi. Only not as good. 2/5.

Tick Tock: I'm pretty sure this one will win the award for "Creepiest Story" in this collection. The kids are terrifying, and I'm glad I never babysat for children I had never met before. As scary as this one was though, I think it fits perfectly with the whole dark re-tellings of  nursery rhymes theme. The whole scary kids, unknowing babysitter thing might be over played, but I thought this was written well. 4/5

A Pocket Full of Posy: I totally didn't see the direction this one was heading from the beginning, but it's a really interesting take on the nursery rhyme. It has nothing to do with any sort of plague, and I think it was refreshing to read something completely different. Although elements of this story are definitely over-done, I didn't think it was too much or too cliche. 4/5 for this one as well.

The Well: I really don't know how I feel about this one. I didn't like Jack or Jill, or connect with them in any way. And, since I wasn't emotionally invested, I really didn't care when they fell down the hill. I wish it had been a little bit different, and not pretty much an exact version of the nursery rhyme... but I guess it could have been worse. The virus thing was strange though, and I'm not sure it was entirely necessary. 2.5/5

The Wish: The way that the whole wishing on stars thing is dealt with here is actually pretty interesting. I loved the character of Peter and the way he makes Lauren feel like living again after she wishes she was dead. I thought the ending was a little bit predictable, but it was delivered well. Plus, who's to say she can't still be with him? I give this one a 4/5.

A Ribbon of Blue: Another kind of predictable story, but this one was also done well. I think the fact that Ruby has Cerebral Palsy makes this one even more interesting. She doesn't really fit in anywhere, and even though she's been handicapped since birth she's still very high functioning and can manage to care for herself and her grandmother. She's a very strong young lady, and I really enjoyed reading about her. I think the ending was a very nice release. Also a 4/5 on this one.

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As a whole, I think this collection was put together well. Some stories were lacking, and others were very good, but nothing was too similar to make it very difficult to read through. Some stories weren't as dark as I had hoped for, but others were much darker than I expected. It ends up being a nice balance of completely scary/horrifying and nice stories with a few dark elements.

I would recommend this anthology for any fans of Mother Goose rhymes looking for new takes on them. Some of these aren't for the faint of heart, but I think young adults who grew up with the original nursery rhymes would really enjoy this. As an overall collection, I would give this a 3/5.


--Ashley

Two and Twenty Dark Tales (Paul's Review pt.2)

This is my second post since there were quite a few stories in this collection. My third post and final overall review will be posted tomorrow.

Two and Twenty Dark Tales -- Part 1

I Come Bearing Souls:
This story finds Egyptian gods in the form of teenage kids living in a funeral home. I loved the way the ancient Egyptian mythology was connected to modern day. The feel of this story reminded me of Dead Like Me. I definitely could have read more about these characters. 4/5

The Lion and the Unicorn, Part the First:
I liked how this story took a real time in history. The witch hunts are brought up with a very interesting explanation. The main character hears voices from angels. This was a well written short story that left me aching for Part Two, which unfortunately wasn't in the eARC. I can't wait for this collection to be released so I can read the end of this story. 4/5

Life in a Shoe:
This story kept to the spirit of the original rhyme. It was interesting to see how this rhyme was placed into a dystopian future with forced children. The wall tv reminded me of the walls in Fahrenheit 451. 3/5

Candlelight:
This was a very predictable story that held to its rhyme. Upset teenagers escape their "mom" mom using magic. Although predictable, I thought this story was nicely written. 3/5

One for Sorrow:
This story felt like Edgar Allen Poe turned into a paranormal romance. There were many things that happened in this story that I did not suspect. I am not a fan of insta-love and I thought there was a little too much of that. 2/5

Those Who Whisper:
This story was a nice one. It was interesting how the birds communicated. It was also interesting how this story showed nature providing. 3/5

-PAUL

Two and Twenty Dark Tales (Ashley's Review, pt. 2)

Since there were so many stories in this collection and the reviews of all of them are probably a lot to read in one post... Here are the next 6 stories! The reviews for the last bunch of stories and a summary of the whole book will be up tomorrow!

Two and Twenty Dark Tales - Part 1

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I Come Bearing Souls: I love when mythology is mixed with contemporary settings, and I think this story was done pretty well. I wish more information had been given about the brother and sister, and how they always ended up back together on Earth, but the main character's story and struggle were well defined. I enjoyed how characters from the beginning related to the overall plot, and the irony of the situation at the end. I wish there had been more after she goes back to the heavens though. What happens next? 3.5/5

The Lion and The Unicorn: Part the First: This story started off really interesting - a girl dressed as a boy, on a mission from the angels. Plus, throw in a king and some witches, and it's got so much potential. I thought the writing was done very well, and the characters and the world are introduced very nicely. However, I wish the second part was in the eARC! I'm so anxious to find out how this story ends. 4/5 for this first part though, especially for making me want to read the second part.

Life in a Shoe: This story was very short. I felt that it could have used so much more detail about the world, and about all of the characters. Why, other than creating more soldiers, were women required to have so many babies? Why wouldn't they be taken care of better if they had so many children? Why don't the older siblings move out when younger ones are able to take care of the youngest ones? I feel like this story had too many unanswered questions and not enough character or plot development. 2/5.

Candlelight: As I was reading this one, I felt like there was very little depth to it. Two sisters are angry with their mother for punishing them and establishing rules... so they decide to run away. It was almost like "ok, here's the nursery rhyme, and here's this story where they pretty much follow the rhyme exactly and end up in Babylon." I didn't like the two main girls, and I wish we had known more about the mother. And Pamela is kind of creepy, and I wish her character had been more developed. Not a huge fan of this one either. 2/5

One for Sorrow: I think I might have known this nursery rhyme at one point in time, but I didn't really remember it when I started this story. I really liked how the crow was incorporated into the story, and especially having one for sorrow and two for joy. I wish we had gotten to know more about the father and about the accident, but I thought that Rose was very well depicted. The plot was interesting and had a pretty good pace. Nothing was really too slow or too fast. 4/5.

Those Who Whisper: I really enjoyed this story. I thought it was a really nice take on the rhyme, and I thought the ending was very fitting. I wish we had seen a little bit more of the main character, but it was a pretty decent amount for a short story. This one was one of my favorite. 5/5


--Ashley

Two and Twenty Dark Tales (Paul's Review pt.1)

My Pre Reading

I'm following Ashley's lead and posting multiple posts on consecutive days, each of which will cover my review of a few of the stories. 

Overall, I really enjoyed this collection of short stories. There were some very familiar nursery rhymes and others I had never heard. each of the contributing authors took their own twist on how to retell or re-imagine these Mother Goose tales. There were definitely some I liked more than others. I'll go into some brief details in these following posts. I must warn you that I have been slowly reading this collection over at least a month and I wasn't as detailed in my notes for the first few short stories. 

As Blue as the Sky and Just as Old:
I wasn't familiar with this rhyme. It was interesting how it dealt with destiny and whether destiny can be changed or broken.  3/5

Sing a Song of Six-Pence:
I really liked the imagery in this one. It brought to my mind a very interesting Tim Burton-esque world. The Blackbird was described well. The whole story was done well and creepy. Like Ashley, I had many questions after reading this one. I could see it expanded into a full novel, or maybe a novella. 3/5

Clockwork:
I thought this one had a really interesting ending. It deals with self sacrifice for the greater good. It was interesting the way the mouse from this familiar rhyme is shown as an enchanted human. 4/5

Blue:
This story had a very interesting concept. It reminded me of Gossamer by Lois Lowry. It may have been too conceptual to really come through to me, though. 2/5

Pieces of Eight:
This one was quite epic for a short story. I thought music was used in a very interesting way. I love when music is incorporated into written works. I liked The Wolf. The atmosphere of this one reminded me of Game of Thrones. 3/5

Wee Willie Winkie:
This one was truly creepy. This reminded me of Darkness Falls and I imagined it as a B-grade horror/thriller. The tension in this one was written so well. 4/5

Boys and Girls Come Out to Play:
I liked the way witches were incorporated into this story. I liked how metal rings were used instead of wands. Magic being genetic is always interesting, as well as children competing in magic trials at a young age. I would love to see this story expanded on. 4/5

-PAUL

Two and Twenty Dark Tales (Ashley's Review pt. 1)

My Pre-Reading

I know this seems like a really long review, and I apologize for that. I tried to review each story briefly, but when there are twenty stories it gets a little long winded. So, I split it into a few different posts. Bear with me on this one!

Overall, I liked how the original nursery rhymes are included before every story. It's nice to have a refresher for rhymes I already know, and to get an idea of what the story will be about for ones I  don't know. The titles of the stories don't always give away what nursery rhyme story is based on, so the inclusion of the rhymes really helps to see some of the correlations that I might otherwise miss.

As Blue as the Sky and Just as Old: I didn't know the original rhyme that this story is based on, but I was intrigued as to how author would approach it after reading it. I really enjoyed how it was done, although it seemed kind of jumpy and kind all over the place at times. Nothing really settles down long enough to get a real grip on this story. I found it hard to get to know the characters and decide who was good and who was evil, but I still liked the way the that the story played out. 3/5

Sing a Song of Six-Pence: I honestly had no idea what to expect when I saw that the story was based on "four and twenty blackbirds." How can you possibly make blackbirds baked in a pie interesting rather than gross? But I really thought that it worked here! The character of the maid was not as developed or relateable as she probably could have been, but the mystery of her was done well. I loved Blackbird, and how his four and twenty siblings were "baked in a pie." Very clever. I would have liked to know if Blackbird was supposed to be more man than beast, or more beast than man. Also, why were his siblings baked in the pie to begin with, and why wasn't he there with them? How did the maid know she would be dealing with him and not another demon? I want to know more about the world and the characters, but the information provided was good for a short story. 3.5/5

Clockwork: I loved this one! I had never thought of the mouse as enchanted human, but I really enjoyed that take on it. Plus the mystery behind who she was, who enchanted her, and why she was enchanted was done well enough that you could figure it out if you really try, but isn't terribly obvious if you don't. The story had good flow, and the incorporation of the clock and time was very interesting. Not too many questions were left unanswered, but I would love to know what happens to the girl after the end. 4/5

Blue: This one is VERY abstract, and a little too artsy for my tastes. I kind of see where author is trying to go, but I felt like I was missing something the whole time. The connections were a little too stretched for me, and I had to read it several times to figure out what was going on. An interesting concept, but it just wasn't my cup of tea. 1/5

Pieces of Eight: I wasn't familiar with this nursery rhyme either, but I still enjoyed how it was dealt with. The world is different, and I think it was built well within the realm of a short story. Not too much attention was given to details such that the story lagged, but enough were given to create a fairly clear picture of the world. I do wish that the conflict had been explained a little better. I liked the wolf/protagonist dynamic, and the last few lines were exactly the kinds of things I feel they would say to each other. I was kind of confused with the ship fiasco, but eventually figured it out after re-reading the scene. 3.5/5

Wee Willie Winkie: This was definitely one of the darkest stories so far, and also the scariest. I liked how the author took such a seemingly innocent nursery rhyme and turned Wee Willie Winkie into such a monster. In the amount of time, I think the world and the characters were developed very nicely. I didn't like that the main character and her parents lied about her age, but I did kind of like that the lie had its consequences. There were a few unanswered questions - did her parents know before they brought her to this town? What does Willie do with the children's spirits? Still, very good. 4.5/5

Boys and Girls Come Out to Play: I love that the story was twisted to be about witches. I do wish the witches had been further explored, and that it had been explained what they do other than call out children to come and play. Also, the world seemed to lack depth. I felt like the world could have been constructed with so much more detail. I didn't really connect with the characters either, and wish we had been given more about Maddox and Rhys. This story had a lot of potential, but never really got there. The ending was very interesting though! 3/5 


--Ashley

Paul's September Book: Fathomless (Ashley's Pre-Reading)

Title: Fathomless
Author: Jackson Pearce
Year Published: 2012

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

Synopsis: FATHOMLESS is a companion book to SISTERS RED and SWEETLY, and is a retelling of Hans Christian Anderson’s The Little Mermaid.

Celia Reynolds is the youngest in a set of triplets, and the one with the least valuable power. Anne can see the future, Jane can see the present—therefore essentially read minds—and all Celia can do is see the past.

Lo doesn’t know who she is. Or who she was. Once a human, she is now almost entirely a creature of the sea—an undine, a nymph, a mermaid; all terms too pretty for the soulless creature she knows she’s becoming. The other ocean girls, her “sisters,” tell her there’s only one way for her to earn her soul and humanity back—convince a mortal to love her, and steal his.

Lo thinks a soul is within her grasp when she saves a guitarist, Jude, from drowning. When Celia intervenes, she accidentally reads Lo’s past, calling out Lo’s long-forgotten human name. The two forge a friendship, meeting by the shore to remember Lo’s old life, to talk, to share secrets they’d never tell their “real” sisters.

Yet remembering makes Lo more desperate than ever for a soul– and despite Jude’s blossoming romance with Celia, she can’t resist longing for his. Straddling the line between humanity and darkness, Lo struggles to find her place on either side, while Celia wonders just what she and her power have unleashed. But the sister you choose can be more powerful than those you’re born with– in a fight against Lo’s sisters and the waves themselves, Jude and Celia risk their lives to save Lo from her own darkness. But is a soulless, wanting existence better than none at all?

Why?: I've read both Sisters Red and Sweetly (my reviews are here and here), and loved both of them. I love the world Pearce has created, and I love how the books are connected in very subtle ways. Plus, I love the Little Mermaid story, and I'm interested to see how Pearce takes it back to the original fairy tale.

Expectations: I expect a dark retelling of The Little Mermaid, complete with a little bit of magic. And definitely some conflict with the Fenris. I also expect the Reynolds family to be a huge part of this book, and the missing younger sister from Sweetly to be pretty important.

Judging a book by its cover: I'm not really as in love with this cover as I was with the ones for Sisters Red and Sweetly. I do think it's still a very pretty cover though, and it would definitely catch my eye if it were on a shelf in a bookstore. I just wish it looked like the original hardcovers of the first two books in this set.


--Ashley