Jane Yolen once again returns to fairy tales and classics for inspiration in this collection of 16 short stories (and as many poems in the author notes). My favorites were the longer stories that took more time to develop character motivations and subtleties. And even though I'd already read the Arthurian legend stories in Merlin's Booke, I loved rereading them. I hope she someday publishes her Arthurian trilogy like she originally planned!

Despite having read the Arthurian tales, all the other short stories were new to me. I thought I'd already read "Sister Emily's Lightship" -- about Emily Dickinson and extraterrestrials -- but I had not and it was a wonderful story. I also thought "Blown Away" -- a Wizard of Oz re-imagining -- and "A Knot of Toads" -- where Disraeli attempts to enchant Queen Victoria -- to be imaginative and unique.

Best of all (well, almost), Jane Yolen includes author notes about each story at the end, with accompanying poems! That was a really delightful surprise. I love hearing how stories come to be, and I love poetry.

Thanks to Tachyon Press and Netgalley for providing me with a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Andersen’s Witch: Hans Christian Andersen's life's fairy tale, when he makes a bargain with the Ice Queen. 3.5/5

Lost Girls (Nebula Award Winner): Darla from the 21st century gets transported to Never-Never Land, where she has some ideas about women's rights and isn't about to clean up after Peter. 3.5/5

Tough Alice: Alice falls through into Wonderland again, and is trying to find a champion to fight the Jabberwock. But when no one steps up, she realizes she has to be her own champion. 3/5

Blown Away: When Dorothy is blown away in the tornado, she doesn't go to the Emerald City, rather, the Emerald Circus. She returns 7 years later and a farmhand--who tells the story--can't believe how much she's changed. 4/5

A Knot of Toads: A daughter returns from college to her small, Scottish hometown for her father's funeral. Only to discover her father's death occurred under unusual circumstances, while working on a history of witches. 4/5

The Quiet Monk: Lancelot is a wandering monk, trying to find Guinevere's grave. 4/5

The Bird (Original story): Edgar Allan Poe gifts his wife Lenore a raven on the eve of her death. 2/5

Belle Bloody Merciless Dame: A drunk chooses the wrong woman to molest in an alley. 2/5

Jewel in the Toad Queen’s Crown: Disraeli tries to practice Kabbalah magic on Queen Victoria. 4/5

A Gift of Magicians: Beauty and the Beast meets O. Henry's Gift of the Magi. 2/5

Rabbit Hole: 80-year-old Alice goes down the rabbit hole once more. 2/5

Our Lady of the Greenwood: Before Lady Margaret of Locksley dies in childbirth, she charges her midwife to take her infant son to the greenwood, to be named by the fae. 3.5/5

The Confession of Brother Blaise: Merlin's birth, as told by Brother Blaise on his death bed. 4/5

Wonder Land: Little Red Riding Hood goes through the woods to tell her BFF about where her boyfriend just put his hands, but she's not to be fooled by wolves or any other creature. 4/5

Evian Steel: Elaine is sent to the isle of women to be trained in their magic and craft, and forms a friendship with Veera. When Veera forges a sword as part of her initiation into adulthood, something goes wrong with the ceremony, but it's exactly the sword, and the girl, that Merlin wants. This one reminds me of Sister Light, Sister Dark. 4.5/5

Sister Emily’s Lightship (Nebula Award Winner): Emily Dickinson trades poems with an alien. Yep! 4.5/5

Posted on Goodreads and Amazon 11/12/2017
Posted about on Book Riot 11/09/2017
Will post about on blog in early December.

Goodreads Rating: 3.5 stars, rounded down to 3

The cover and title for this immediately caught my eye–not only is it pretty, but suggesting an Oz-based circus made me giddy. I think this ingrained very, VERY high expectations for all the stories contained within, which may be why my rating isn’t as high as I’d hoped it be–the stories that I weren’t crazy about just made me more disappointed somehow. However, I still enjoyed this book and am very glad I kept reading as there are some gems of stories in here.

Retellings of non-fairytale fairytales are my favorites, because these non-fairytales are the ones that I’m more acquainted with, and they lend themselves to more unique interpretations I think. There are many stories that take surreal, “modern” fairy tales–Wonderland, Oz, and Peter Pan–and give a unique, usually mature and/or modern twist (there are multiple Wonderland stories, but only one for Oz and Peter). There were also multiple stories that took place in Arthurian times, two stories focused on fictional exploits of famous poets (one for Poe, one for Dickinson), an origin story, of sorts, for H.C. Anderson, and a retelling of “The Gift of the Magi.” There’s certainly something for everyone in here, especially those who like non-traditional tales!

The stories I didn’t like were partially because I didn’t know the “source” material as well, but also because all of these stories seemed to end very abruptly. They lent themselves very well to prologues to a novella, but as a short, with no other story after it, they just seemed incomplete. And while that’s what many short stories do, leave the ending up to interpretation, these just seemed hurried to finish up, not slowly winding up or down to the end. The author notes were also a bit meh, and the poems seemed to have nothing to do with the shorts, and sometimes barely anything with the source material and/or background provided.

That all being said, the stories that I loved, I LOVED. Here are some mini-reviews of my favorites.

5 stars

"Blown Away": Well of course I loved it because Ozmandia is a bearded lady with the Emerald Circus who seems to be at least slightly enamored with Dorothy. YES. PLEASE. But the story as a whole is also quite strong as an alternate universe interpretation of Oz, where Dorothy gets whisked away to the Emerald Circus, rather than Oz. While they’re likely one in the same, it’s still interesting to think that Oz only exists in Oz, whereas in our “real” world, it exists as a circus.

"Evian Steel": YAAAAS. While I figured out the twist this was going to take fairly early on, I didn’t care, because THIS WAS AWESOME. Badass ladies making badass swords, can’t get any better than that.

4 stars

"Sister Emily’s Lightship": In which Emily Dickinson is essentially abducted by aliens. Her visions of UFO lights also give a few of her poems an inspiration source.

"The Gift of the Magicians": I hate “The Gift of the Magi” but this uniquely violent retelling of it was a bit abrupt and weird, but also simply amazing. (This easily could have been the set up to a Grimm episode and that made me very happy).

"Tough Alice": Alice learns to overcome her fears in a weird meta-Wonderland way (it involves the Jabberwock, but to say much more would be to spoil it). I’m still a tad bit conflicted over the message in the end, but it had many character cameos and was the best of the Wonderland stories in the book.

If you’re looking for some unique retellings of some unique stories and plots, or if you’re a fan of Yolen’s work in general, I would definitely recommend picking this up. (Do note that many of these stories have been published elsewhere before). Whether you end up liking all the shorts, or just a few, there’s probably going to be at least one story in here that you’ll love. I could also see this being a fun book for a college class on retellings of classic tales.

Review of The Emerald Circus by Jane Yolen

In the interests of full disclosure, I was sent an ARC of this book by the publisher for review purposes.

Jane Yolen always has an interesting twist to her stories. In this collection you will be surprised, shocked, intrigued, and awed both by new tales and by new perspectives on old, well-loved tales.
Each story evokes its own unique space and time, and opens the imagination a wee bit more.
Don’t skip the story notes and poems at the end of the book. The poems are well worth the time, and the insights into how each story came to be are a brief look into the mind of a writer.

I give it 5 stars.

An odd collection of short stories that was not quite as good as I had hoped. A couple of them were brilliant but overall a touch to obscure for my taste.
I do think that this collection will appeal to people who like an unusual twist to their literature.

Jane Yolen is one of the great writers of middle-grade/ya fantasy (and the occasional Adult, such as the beatiful Briar Rose entry into Terri Windling's Fairy Tale series). She is especially adept at the short story length, and there was a period of time when I was younger where I rarely picked up a YA fantasy anthology without finding a story by her.

This is a collection of short stories that cover over thirty years of her short stories, although a number of the stories have appeared in others among her collections (aimed at different audiences, though).

I did find that the first four stories in the collection were still my favorites at the end of reading.

Anderson's Witch (2012) is a theme setter for the book, being a fairy tale origin story for Hans Christian Anderson, with him making a bargain with a supernatural being as a child. Considering the sort of person Anderson was as an adult, this story fits nicely into explaining the real person.

Lost Girls (1997) was my absolute favorite, in which a girl gets pulled into Neverland, and finds that Peter Pan is a jerk, and his territory is very sexist, with all the Wendys (he can't be bother to remember names) cleaning and cooking, using the pirate threat to keep them in line. So what's a modern girl to do but start a strike.

Tough Alice (1997) is about Alice having to confront the Jabberwocky over and over again until she figures out how to defeat it.

Blown Away (2013) is a variation on The Wizard of Oz, where Dorothy comes home, telling the story of being dropped, injured and amnesiac, outside of The Emerald Circus.

After those four stories, there was a string of stories that were a little less enthralling to me. Lancelot as the Wandering Jew looking for the graves of Arthur and Guinevere, a different take on Poe's The Raven, a story of Disraeli and Queen Victoria, origin/birth stories for Robin Hood, Merlin, and Excalibur (along with Guinevere). And then a strong finish with the story of Emily Dickinson meeting an alien poet who takes her on a tour in his spaceship.

One additional element that I enjoyed is that at the end of the book, there are author notes about each story and it's origins, and each one is accompanied by a poem, at least loosely related to the story's subject matter.

At a Glance


Genre(s)/Categories:


Adult fantasy, short story collection, fairy tales


Plot:

In this short story collection, readers are swept away with familiar characters to re-imagined lands and tales. Wendy leads a labor strike in Neverland. Dorothy learns to tightrope walk. And Emily Dickinson travels the stars. This collection of 10 stories is mesmerizing at every page turn.

Pros:

I love fairy tales re-imagined and this collection is fantastic.
Every story is accompanied by an author's note and a poem
Jane Yolen has taken well-known characters and made the fresh and new
Each story stands alone while simultaneously weaving together similar themes

Cons:

I could have read 10 more stories!
I wish the author's story notes would have accompanied each story instead of being in the back of the book (it was difficult to flip back and forth on my Kindle)


Would I recommend this title:

Yes, yes, yes!


Full Review:


I am a big fan of Jane Yolen's children's books. So I was excited to be able to read some of her adult work as well. This book did not disappoint. My experience with short story collections is that they are usually a mixed bag--there are a few great stories mixed in with some not so great stories. That was not the case with The Emerald Circus. Almost every one of Jane's stories knocked it out of the park for me.

Just as each act in a circus can be enjoyed on its own but also serves to make the whole circus better, each story in The Emerald Circus is satisfying by itself while also enriching the whole. Jane is a master storyteller and I would highly recommend this to anyone that enjoys storytelling at it's finest.


*the link for the post will go live on November the 8th*

One small issue with this... I didn't realize it was a collection of Yolan's stories and was hoping for new stories but I love Yolan so I loved this collection!!! It's the best fairy tale re imaginings ever...

Jane Yolen is no stranger to short fiction. As one of the preeminent authors in the field of science fiction and fantasy, she's written over 300 books, including short stories and poetry. She also writes fiction and non-fiction picture books for kids. She's also been called the Aesop of the twentieth century by the New York Times and the Hans Christian Andersen of America by Newsweek--massive praise that she very much lives up to.

Honestly, I don’t know when Jane Yolen finds time to sleep but I'm selfishly glad she's been able to produce wonderful stories filled with deft turns of phrases, palpable atmosphere, and interesting, flawed characters.

Her forthcoming short story collection, The Emerald Circus, published by Tachyon, is another rich entry into Yolen's catalogue. Holly Black, author of Tithe and The Spiderwick Chronicles, provides a glowing introduction. Many of the stories featured in this collection have been published previously, while others are brand new. This collection also features an appendix where Yolen talks about her inspiration for each story and includes an accompanying poem. The poems were my favorite part of the collection, not only because they're beautifully written, but also because they enhance the story with which they're paired. I almost wish every short story collection were constructed this way, but I also realize that not every prose writer is a poet. Yolen happens to be excellent at both. (Another SFF author who executes both forms equally well is Theodora Goss.)

The Emerald Circus has a story for everyone. Yolen selects old tales and makes them new and surprising and yet instantly recognizable. The collection features a slate of disenfranchised Wendys (from Peter Pan); Guinevere, Lancelot, and Merlin of the Arthurian legends; Alice and company from the Wonderland stories; Dorothy and the gang before the big twister. These stories are also rich in atmosphere inspired by Yolen's travels, particularly "A Knot of Toads," which is spooky and moody and makes me want to move to Scotland immediately.

Yolen is also not shy about writing about historical and literary figures such as Hans Christian Andersen, Edgar Allan Poe, Emily Dickinson, Queen Victoria, and Benjamin Disraeli, and her perspective on their lives feels fresh while still remaining respectful. My favorite story in the collection is "Sister Emily's Lightship," which won the Nebula a few years ago. In this story, Emily Dickinson struggles with a new poem, hosts afternoon tea, and takes a spacefaring jaunt with an alien before finally completing her poem. The plot is relatively straightforward, but Emily feels both delicate and strong, and like someone I'd very much like to befriend, which makes the story sing.

I also enjoyed Yolen's post-Arthurian tale, "The Quiet Monk." Those of us who love the grandeur and glory of the Arthurian legends often rue the bitter betrayals that bring the tales to a close. Although we know that Arthur lies sleeping, waiting for that fabled moment England might need him again, the legend feels incomplete without much-needed absolution. "The Quiet Monk" addresses the mortal failings of Guinevere, Arthur, and Lancelot, and allows at least one character to seek much-needed redemption. After reading about Yolen's planned Arthurian anthologies in the appendix, I really hope some publisher decides to pick them up.

For lovers of fairy tales, folklore, and a cracking good yarn, I highly recommend The Emerald Circus.

The table of contents for The Emerald Circus is as follows:

Andersen’s Witch
Lost Girls (Nebula Award Winner)
Tough Alice
Blown Away
A Knot of Toads
The Quiet Monk
The Bird (Original story)
Belle Bloody Merciless Dame
Jewel in the Toad Queen’s Crown
A Gift of Magicians
Rabbit Hole
Our Lady of the Greenwood
The Confession of Brother Blaise
Wonder Land
Evian Steel
Sister Emily’s Lightship (Nebula Award Winner)

Thank you to NetGalley and Tachyon for providing an advance reading copy for review.

The Emerald Circus is a collection of Jan Yolen's stories that have appeared in other anthologies or magazines first. But do no hold that against these stories. They needed to appear somewhere and it is very nice that they have been gathered here for the reader to enjoy. In the book are tales of adventure, trickery and magic woven into familiar stories that have been bent out of their normal shape. There is a tale of Beauty and the Beast after the end of the normal tale. Dorthy of Oz fame gets a backstory from one of the farmhands. There are a trio of Arthurian tales scattered through the book along with a young Hans Christian Anderson making deals while Emily Dickinson manages to take a very far trip. And one must not forget Alice or Wendy and their adventures. So if you enjoy good storytelling, sit your self down with your favorite beverages and snacks and settle in for an enjoyable read!

For those not in the know, short stories have a habit of sending me into a bit of a reading slump but The Emerald Circus was such an interesting kaleidoscope of some of my favourite stories that I stayed interested throughout.

A lot of these feel a little like a writing prompt gone awry, not that it’s a bad thing, but you can see how ‘what if we combined Peter Pan and labour strikes?’ could turn into a great short story? (The Wendy plot has always been one of my least favourite plots in classical literature and annoys me because I love Peter Pan so fixing it was appreciated).

So yes, these are twists and turns on some of the most well known stories, The Wizard of Oz, Arthurian Legend, Alice in Wonderland and similar. Some of them, like Dorothy’s retelling, were strange and sinister in a great way, some of them worked less well and felt a little like a great idea executed in a mediocre fashion.

What I think is most important is that these stories will stir up your curiosity and will help you to see some of the more interesting elements of the original stories in a different light. Well worth a read, maybe one to keep on the bedside table when you’re burning the midnight oil?

My rating: 3/5 (I liked it, but I don’t think I need to reread it)

The Emerald Circus releases on the 14th of November so keep your eyes peeled!

By the way, I received a digital advanced review copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

The Emerald Circus by Jane Yolen is a collection of short stories with an introduction to the works done by author Holly Black. I do believe some of these by Yolen at least have been published before but I was not familiar with her work so the entire collection was new to me. I’m not a huge fan of short stories myself but when seeing this I realized that some of the collection included stories on some of my favorite stories such as Peter Pan, the Wizard of Oz and Alice in Wonderland so of course I had to check this one out.

Of course when all was said and done my favorites are the ones I was looking forward to reading although there were a few others within the book that I also quite enjoyed too. There were however a few stories that I wondered why they were even included as there didn’t seem to be much to them but perhaps someone that loves short stories overall would enjoy them more than myself who is always thinking were is the rest of this when it comes to short stories or books. I think though that regardless of being a huge fan of this type of read if you are interested in retellings and new twists on old classics then you’ll at least enjoy those stories.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

I have mixed feelings about this book. In general I love Jane Yolen's writing especially her retellings. However, I had a hard time getting through this book. There are definitely stories that I liked such as Andersen's Witch, Lost Girls, Blown Away and The Bird to name a few. But there were others that just took me some time to get through like A Knot of Toads, Belle Bloody Merciless Dame, The Gift of the Magicians and Rabbit Hole. My favorite part of the book is actually the Author Notes and Poems at the end of the book where Jane explains the inspiration behind each of the stories and included a Poem for each as well. I would still recommend this to people who enjoy Jane Yolen's other works or retellings in general.

[Disclaimer: I was provided a free e-copy of this book from NetGalley for review purposes.]

Jane Yolen has been a longtime favorite of mine. I guess you could say, a lifelong favorite of mine. I started reading her in middle school, I think (at least, that's the point at which I became aware of the authors of the books I enjoyed). Her Sister Light, Sister Dark trilogy, and the Jackaroo books are probably the ones I enjoyed the most. But in all my years of being a Yolenite, I've never actually read any of her short stories or poetry.

Jane Yolen has published over 300 books. And I have yet to find one that I don't enjoy. This collection of short stories, mostly published elsewhere before, were almost entirely "twists" on the traditional. The opening story about Hans Christian Andersen started the book off with a punch to the gut. I loved almost every story that followed. The one with the take on Red Riding Hood wasn't very interesting to me, and I wasn't sure exactly what to think of the one with all the frogs and witches (although I did enjoy it). I think my favorite of the bunch was the story about the island of women, where Guinevere gets her start. The story about the monk's confession did not immediately strike me as being about Merlin's birth because I'm not wholly versed in his mythology, but once that was explained (in the notes at the end - make sure you read those!), I liked it a whole heck of a lot more.

This was a quick read, as I find most short story collections to be. It is definitely one worth reading. I loved it! It's a little funny that this is being released this year, as I just re-read Sister Light, Sister Dark a few months ago. Up until then I hadn't read a Yolen book in years. It was sitting on the shelf in my bedroom staring at me, and so I picked it up and loved it all over again. Seeing this on the NetGalley roster brought back a flood of emotions. I was excited to read The Emerald Circus, and was not disappointed in the least.

This is a delightful collection of short stories based on some classic books from your childhood. From Wendy in Peter Pan to Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz we have a premise that starts with the original story and takes a strange turn. Most of the stories are great for all ages of readers. The fantasy element is the common thread that keeps you turning the pages.

I will first give my praise to the cover art of this book, which is bright, eye-catching, and truly wonderful to look at! Some of my favourite reads of this year have been circus related, and whilst I knew that wasn't what this book was about, I couldn't help but be drawn to it nonetheless.

"The author has been called the Hans Christian Andersen of America and the Aesop of the twentieth century." - A Note from the Publisher

I certainly cannot argue with the above statement; her story telling is truly wonderful, and Jane's ability to weave our well-loved tales from childhood into something modern and in many cases, very funny and relatable, is really something to be admired! From all the stories I am certain we all know and love, Jane brings new tales; Andersen’s Witch, Lost Girls, Tough Alice, Blown Away, A Knot of Toads, The Quiet Monk, The Bird, Belle Bloody Merciless Dame, Jewel in the Toad Queen’s Crown, A Gift of Magicians, Rabbit Hole, Our Lady of the Greenwood, The Confession of Brother Blaise, Wonder Land, Evian Steel, and Sister Emily’s Lightship. I think from the list my favourite were Andersen's Witch, Blown Away, and Lady of Greenwood. Though I still very much enjoyed many of the others.

One problem for me that there were stories that I did not recognise, and I felt that you had to at least have an idea of the original in order to make sense of the retelling, though I am sure that many others will know and recognise all of these! For those which I did not know, I found it hard to stay motivated, particularly when they came one after another. But I am glad I stuck with it, since I did always come across another which I would thoroughly enjoy!

I would have also liked some of the stories to be a little longer, with more detail and storyline to them. But equally for some, the brevity worked well.

I would not discourage anyone from reading this book, it is well written, imaginative, and I think for people who love short stories, fables, and fairytales, this would be the perfect book. You don't even have to read it all in one go! Just have it sitting on your bedside table for that sneaky little bedtime read, one "chapter" = one story! Perfect for those of us who can't resist knowing what else happens when reading a regular novel!

My overall rating for this book is 3/5. I wasn't a huge fan of it, though there were elements I did enjoy. I cannot fault the writing, if at times a bit brief; but hey - it's a book of short stories. Although it wasn't for me, I would recommend it to you if you like retellings of tales, and especially those with a humourous or unexpected twist in places.

I was really interested in this book when I heard about it, and there were some definite high points: “Evian Steel”, “The Confession of Brother Blaise”, and “The Quiet Monk” we’re particular favorites. None of the stories were bad, but some were definitely a slog to get through, despite my initial interest in them. The book was well written, but I just didn’t get into it like I thought I would. Still, a fun way to revisit some old fairy tales and fantasy stories.

This story collection was really hit and miss. While I expect that from a story collection (they can't all be winners), I was disappointed to have that occur with a Jane Yolen collection. Anyone familiar with he'd knows she is one of the most consistent and solid authors in YA. She is a legend and rightfully so. That being said, some of these stories were excellent (her take on Beauty and the Beast meets Gift of the Magi was particularly fun), but most were either readable but forgettable or simply unreadable.

I don't know what I was expecting when I went to read this story. The author intrigued me because I have read some of her other stories and absolutely loved them. I wasn't expecting a short story collection but I was not disappointed by this at all. Actually, I really really enjoyed that format., it fit perfectly with the atmosphere. There are so many different tales that there will be one (or more) for anyone!

If like retellings with twists you should really pick this book up!

This is an absolutely delightful collection of short stories by the masterful Jane Yolen. When I saw this on Netgalley I knew I had to read it, and read it I did! I cannot resist re-tellings, I just can't. Jane Yolen's BRIAR ROSE is to blame for this affliction of mine.

The stories in this collection run the gamut from Alice in Wonderland to Edgar Allen Poe. There is a good variety here, with a short and brutal retelling of Beauty and the Beast being followed by Arthurian legend. I think my favorite has to be Lost Girls. What an unabashedly feminist take on Neverland! Telling Dorthy's story from the POV of her family is sheer brilliance. And she was a circus performer?! Be still my beating heart.

I can't say enough good things about this collection. Maybe I was in the right frame of mind. Maybe it's just what I needed when I needed it, but I devoured this book. I will definitely be doing a re-read and a more in-depth review to post online closer to the release date.

This is a mixed bag of stories, in all genres and styles, all combined by their (sometimes tenuous) links to original fairy tales, myths, and legends. These short retellings received a mixture of responses for me, with some being deceptively clever and poignantly written, to others falling short and feeling rather pointless. Whilst I enjoyed finding the myriad of original tales mentioned and did find this a well-written anthology, I wasn't sold on every one of the tales gathered within, and therefore could only give a mediocre star rating. This is, however, well-worth a read as some gems await to be discovered within.

Andersen’s Witch - 4/5 stars

This focuses on the son of a washerwoman and a shoemaker. Right from the very beginning this seemed to evoke the classic fairy tale vibe, even before the intermission of any magical disturbances. Discontent with his life of poverty and struggle young Hans makes a bargain with the Ice Maiden that will see his current position in life reversed as he ages. But making a deal with the Ice Maiden is fraught with difficulties and loop-holes, as Hans will soon find out for himself.

I enjoyed this tale but right up until the last few paragraphs wondered what the point of it all would be. Once the ending was revealed it completely changed the tone of the preceding writing and turned this into a joyful, lovely little piece.

This also showcased some truly lovely penmanship. Peppered with lovely expressions, such as “a low cloud cover, like a well-made bed, kept everything neat and tidy”, I was eager to carry on with this collection to see if the others would prove to be as captivating.

Lost Girls - 4/5 stars

From the title I had assumed this to be a Peter Pan retelling, but with switched genders for the young island inhabitants. The appearance of Captain Hook in the very first paragraph proved this assumption correct.

This revoked the darkness of the original Peter Pan tale, rather than retelling the Disney version, as Peter isn’t content with just one Wendy and has stolen a total of sixteen young girls to serve him and his horde of lost boys.

This is a modern feminist re-visioning of the Wendys’ fate. The expectations of the females to serve the males is accepted by all the previous Wendys, taken from throughout history and seen as figureheads of their individual time periods, but it takes the modern-day Wendy to inform them of the unfairness of this treatment. With new notions of gender equality invading their thoughts, the Wendy’s revolt! And through this political uprising the reader is made aware of the satirical and political edge to this tale, and a democratic community is created to replace the previously accepted dictatorship.

Tough Alice - 4/5 stars

The original Alice is one of my favourite books so I was eagerly anticipating reading this re-telling. I was initially disappointed,as the first portion of this was just a whistle-stop tour of the events from the original. That is, until the battle with the Jaberwock.

This felt most like a traditional fairy tale, as it was tinged with a moralistic edge that gave the events a wry feel. Despite its shortness this left the reader much to mull over and, again like the original tales, had an ageless and timeless appeal because of this.

Blown Away - 3/5 stars

This Wizard of Oz retelling began much like the original, only with Toto’s fate being decidedly less wholesome than in the original. Once the tornado hit Dorothy’s farm and she disappeared with the winds, this follows the lives of those left behind to mourn her.

When Dorothy returns she tells the story of what happened whilst she was far away. As part of the Emerald Circus, which this anthology is named after, she lived an extraordinary life before returning, seven years later, to her rural farm life. She changed the way the farm folk viewed their lives and inspired a yearn for otherness in some, or an acceptance of their lot in others. I found the ending of this as poignant as the others but it just missed out on the insightfulness the others seemed to achieve.

A Knot of Toads - 2/5 stars

This probably had the best title of the collection and, so, I was intrigued and excited to begin reading it.

It was easy to fall in love with a protagonist who loves books but the rest of the story kept me at a distance. For such a short piece there seemed too much preamble before the main point of the story. I also think the fantasy of the story is obvious to a reader who is aware of fables including amphibians. Once set up nothing happens for some time and I found this a dull addition to the anthology.

The Quiet Monk - 3/5 stars

The Quiet Monk has come to join the brotherhood and share the burden that haunts him. His mysterious past makes him the focus of much speculation and eagerness to learn what drove him to wandering and religion.

This brought some much needed diversity to the collection and, whilst I was not aware of any original tale it was based from, enjoyed the legends evoked in the piece. This was another slower paced story, like the last three, yet I thought it worked well in this instance.

The Bird - 4/5 stars

This begun with a hilarious anecdote of a bird who defecates wherever it lands. Its owner is at the end of his tether with his uncontrollable pet. But however negatively he feels towards it, he feels quite the opposite for Virginia. This object of his affections is brought to meet the bird but It ends up delivering far more than just amusement.

Despite the shortness of this piece it managed to deliver a surprise ending that belied the frivolity of its beginning. In a Gothic twist of events this managed to completely turn the tone of the tale around in just a few paragraphs.

Belle Bloody Merciless Dame - 3/5 stars

The reader is invited to feel nothing but dislike and distrust for the protagonist, who willingly cheats on his betrothed during his bachelor party. I adore stories with unlikable focal characters, so this immediately intrigued me. Before this even got started it seemed to end, however, which stunted my enjoyment.

The Jewel in the Toad Queen’s Crown - 3/5 stars

This follows on, in dual perspectives, from one discussions between two individuals - Disraeli and Queen Victoria. Whilst with a distinct magical twist, the basis for this story is authentic and an unlikely friendship did, in fact, form between the renowned duo.

This is a fascinating insight to the historical period detailed. Discussions of religion and belief dominate and form much of the text’s focus. Through these conversations a heartening relationship is formed and the reader is privy to its conception.

The Gift of the Magician’s - 2/5 stars

The note by the title exclaims ‘with apologies for You Know Who’, which evoked a link to Harry Potter, in my mind. Immediately, though, the reader is introduced to Belle and the Beast, which confused me, before this quickly transforming into an Alice in Wonderland retelling. There was too much going on in this one for me to understand any of it.

The Lady of the Greenwood - 4/5 stars

I believe this is my first ever Robin Hood retelling so I was intrigued with what I was going to discover. This begun nothing like the original tale and with no discernible links to it. A boy is born on the stroke of midnight and, with instructions from his now deceased mother, the midwife is to deliver him to the fae who reside in the forest. The woman’s journey through the glade is penned with a poetic beauty that made me feel the dappled moonlight and gentle stroke of leaves, as we made our way to the forest’s heart together. It also made me feel the creep of dread with what possibilities could lay in the shadows.

Despite enjoying this tale I wondered where the links to the renowned Robin Hood would come about. The reader is not provided with this information until the very last line. This, like the earlier pieces in this collection, used the withholding of information to the story’s power and made this a far stronger piece by doing so.

The Confession of Brother Blaise - 3/5 stars

This tale was set in the year 1125, in a monastery. A young girl falls pregnant within the confines of the monastery walls and claims it to be the product of a liaison that happened entirely inside her dreams. Despite the brothers of the monastery crying of the devil’s work, I could not help but to see links between this story and that of the biblical birth of Jesus. Whether that was the author’s intention or not, I can not say.