The Starlit Wood
The Starlit Wood is an anthology of cross-genre fairy tale retellings, featuring an all-star lineup of award-winning and critically acclaimed writers. These spell-binding stories will draw readers in from the first sentence and have them wishing to immerse themselves in these new fairy tales immediately again.
I’m a sucker for a good fairy tale anthology, and Starlit is more than good. The talented authors took stories we know and love and twisted them in such creative ways. They took me on a journey that was familiar and new, exploring some of my most beloved tales in new ways. What’s even better was there were a few fairy tales from different cultures I had never heard of before. So not only did I get a new original fairy tale, but also a new retelling of this story I had never heard before. The best of both worlds!
Some fairy tales stood out to me more than others. The first story in the anthology was “In the Desert Like a Bone” by Seanan McGuire. He took Red Riding Hood and set it in the desert. I love how creative the author was with that decision, and how they still managed to explore the themes of the original story. Having Red as a runaway cowgirl with her guardian Coyote worked in ways I never expected.
My definite favourite was “The Briar and the Rose” by Marjorie M. Liu. A trusted female bodyguard protects her mistress six days a week as she attends lavish parties and meets with her paramours. But on the seventh day, her mistress "Carmela" becomes "Rose," an innocent girl who has been ensnared by the witch Carmela. The bodyguard falls in love with Rose and works to find a way to free her. This original take on Sleeping Beauty was wonderfully written. Liu is a brilliant storyteller.
I enjoyed every story, but some I didn’t quite connect with as much as others. I’m not a huge sci-fi fan, so “Giants in the Sky” by Max Gladstone and “Pearl” Aliette de Bodard were harder for me to get into, but I still like the twisted tales the authors came up with.
The Starlit Wood explores an array of fairy tales in startling and innovative ways, in genres and settings both traditional and unusual. There is certainly something for everyone in this collection.
The Starlit Wood Rating: ★★★★
I’m a sucker for a good fairy tale anthology, and Starlit is more than good. The talented authors took stories we know and love and twisted them in such creative ways. They took me on a journey that was familiar and new, exploring some of my most beloved tales in new ways. What’s even better was there were a few fairy tales from different cultures I had never heard of before. So not only did I get a new original fairy tale, but also a new retelling of this story I had never heard before. The best of both worlds!
Some fairy tales stood out to me more than others. The first story in the anthology was “In the Desert Like a Bone” by Seanan McGuire. He took Red Riding Hood and set it in the desert. I love how creative the author was with that decision, and how they still managed to explore the themes of the original story. Having Red as a runaway cowgirl with her guardian Coyote worked in ways I never expected.
My definite favourite was “The Briar and the Rose” by Marjorie M. Liu. A trusted female bodyguard protects her mistress six days a week as she attends lavish parties and meets with her paramours. But on the seventh day, her mistress "Carmela" becomes "Rose," an innocent girl who has been ensnared by the witch Carmela. The bodyguard falls in love with Rose and works to find a way to free her. This original take on Sleeping Beauty was wonderfully written. Liu is a brilliant storyteller.
I enjoyed every story, but some I didn’t quite connect with as much as others. I’m not a huge sci-fi fan, so “Giants in the Sky” by Max Gladstone and “Pearl” Aliette de Bodard were harder for me to get into, but I still like the twisted tales the authors came up with.
The Starlit Wood explores an array of fairy tales in startling and innovative ways, in genres and settings both traditional and unusual. There is certainly something for everyone in this collection.
The Starlit Wood Rating: ★★★★