school library journal Archives - Tachyon Publications

August 3, 2020

Readers of Daniel Pinkwater’s unusual and smart mystery, ADVENTURES OF A DWERGISH GIRL, will enjoy the connections between this unbelievable story and the incredible adventures of real life

Rick Klaw blog adventures of a dwergish girl, daniel pinkwater, lindsay persohn, netgalley, review, school library journal 0

Cover by Aaron Renier
Design by Elizabeth Story

For SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL, Lindsay Persohn praises Daniel Pinkwater’s forthcoming ADVENTURES OF A DWERGISH GIRL (not due out until September, but available for pre-order from your favorite bookseller or direct from Tachyon and for reviewers via EDELWEISS and NETGALLEY).

Those who enjoy a good mystery with an unusual plot, strong characters, and smart language will find connections between this unbelievable story and the incredible adventures of real life.

NETGALLEY is featuring the book.

December 5, 2017

Jane Yolen’s THE EMERALD CIRCUS leaves the audience spellbound

Alec Checkerfield Uncategorized elizabeth story, fantasy literature, foreword reviews, Jane Yolen, meagan logsdon, npr, pop culture happy hour, review, school library journal, tadiana jones, the emerald circus, the quiet monk

Jane Yolen’s perfectly crafted prose in THE EMERALD CIRCUS bedazzles and fascinates.

Photo: Jason Stemple

Meagan Logsdon, in FOREWORD REVIEWS, garnishes the outing with a starred review.

THE EMERALD CIRCUS is a moving collection of stories that conveys timeless truths as it affectionately plays with traditional tales.

Jane Yolen’s latest collection is a wonderful menagerie of twists on classic fairy tales, legends, and the lives of literary figures. These stories parade beneath a circus tent knit by the underlying theme of the power of art.

<snip>

The prose never fails to entrance, and the creativity on display impresses. There is an obvious depth of research and care, particularly evident in “The Jewel in the Toad Queen’s Crown,” a tale centering on Disraeli, the intriguing Jewish-turned-Anglican prime minister of Victoria’s England on two separate occasions. Notes in the back on each individual story offer a peek into the mind of the writer and give context for Yolen’s inspiration. These are interspersed with a few of her own poems, which are warm and inviting.

The Emerald Circus dances at the border between bucking tradition and paying homage to the great stories and figures of ages past. The result is a brilliant assemblage of narratives with the potential to leave an audience spellbound.

FANTASY LITERATURE offers two reviews of the collection.

Tadiana Jones says:

Under the big top of THE EMERALD CIRCUS (2017) is a fantastical assemblage of sixteen short stories and novelettes by Jane Yolen. Historical figures like Emily Dickinson, Benjamin Disraeli, Hans Christian Andersen and Edgar Allen Poe enter the three rings and shed their normal identities, dancing across the high wires and peering into tigers’ mouths. In this circus’ House of Mirrors we also see unexpectedly twisted reflections of fictional characters like Alice in Wonderland (who makes an appearance here in two very different Yolen tales), Merlin, and Dorothy Gale. A few fairy tale characters ― the Snow Queen, Beauty and the Beast, Red Riding Hood and the wolf ― round out the performers in this entrancing circus.

<snip>

THE EMERALD CIRCUS is a circus worth visiting and revisiting from time to time.

Jana Nyman:

Your mileage may vary on the author’s notes for each story; I generally find insight into an author’s creative process to be fascinating, and that was certainly the case in The Emerald Circus. Yolen writes honestly about her difficulties in finishing projects or meeting deadlines, as well as her own insecurities and triumphs. The blank- and free verse poems provided an additional level of insight into how Yolen considers her characters from multiple angles.

All in all, THE EMERALD CIRCUS was fascinating and enjoyable, and there are certainly a few stories that I’ll be coming back to again and again.

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL includes the collection among Best Adult Books 4 Teens 2017.

Tackling everything from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland to the real magic behind Hans Christian Andersen and Emily Dickinson, Yolen reimagines folktales, legends, literature, and history with these 16 dazzling fantastic stories. The immensely talented author refreshingly blends feminist politics, perfectly crafted prose, and a childlike sense of the magic of reality.

On POP CULTURE HAPPY HOUR, A podcast from NPR, praises THE EMERALD CIRCUS (at about 18:52).

People who love
fairy tales and mythic stories but love it even more when a certain
amount of analytical intellect is apply to them are really going to
enjoy this book.

For more info on THE EMERALD CIRCUS, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover design by Elizabeth Story

October 17, 2017

Jane Yolen’s dazzling THE EMERALD CIRCUS maybe the best book of the year

Alec Checkerfield Uncategorized biz hyzy, booklist online, elizabeth story, Jane Yolen, mark flowers, patricia a mckillip, review, school library journal, the emerald circus, the emerald city book review, the forgotten beasts of eld, Thomas Canty

The buzz surrounding Jane Yolen’s forthcoming THE EMERALD CIRCUS continues.

For SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL, Mark Flowers praises the collection and author.

In fact, Jane Yolen’s EMERALD CIRCUS may be my favorite book of the year, period, with apologies to Jeff Vandermeer’s Borne. Many years ago, when I had my own blog, I wrote a post celebrating the versatility of Yolen—one of the few authors who can write top-shelf books at any age level. Emerald Circus is a perfect example of her fluid but rock-solid prose.

Photo: Jason Stemple

Biz Hyzy at BOOKLIST ONLINE enjoys the book.

Ever the wordsmith, Yolen dazzles with her first short story collection for adults in years. In these fairy-tale retellings, she cites popular tales as well as obscure myths, uniting them with strangeness and whimsy. Some entries are dark, some optimistic, but all delve into real-life sensations and emotions.

<snip>

Readers may even wonder if she, like Hans Christian Andersen in “Andersen’s Witch,” cut a deal with the Ice Maiden to deliver such enchanting results. Even though Yolen subverts the folklore that made the original stories famous in the first place, she stays true to why they matter and why we continue to revisit them.

THE EMERALD CITY BOOK REVIEW announces the forthcoming giveaway for two Tachyon titles.

Thanks to Tachyon Publications, I’m thrilled to be able to offer a giveaway of THE FORGOTTEN BEASTS OF ELD by Patricia McKillip AND THE EMERALD CIRCUS by Jane Yolen. As well as the US-only giveaway for paperback copies of each book, there will also be an e-book giveaway for the same titles, open internationally.

For more info on THE EMERALD CIRCUS, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover design by Elizabeth Story

For more info about THE FORGOTTEN BEASTS OF ELD, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover by Thomas Canty

June 29, 2016

Patricia A. McKillip’s lyrical and deeply visceral DREAMS OF DISTANT SHORES fascinates and haunts

Alec Checkerfield Uncategorized axie barclay, collection, dreams of distant shores, fantasy, kitty g., manhattan book review, patricia a mckillip, review, school library journal, tamara saarinen, Thomas Canty

A trio for reviews for Patricia A. McKillip’s beautiful DREAMS OF DISTANT SHORES.

For SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL, Tamara Saarinen lavishes the collection with praise.

Unified by the theme of supernatural events, these short stories (three previously unpublished) exude mystery and magic in their lyrical texts. The tales range in subject from a boy who was once a horse to a grandmother who hangs out with aliens (much to her family’s disbelief) to a frustrated artist who accepts Medusa’s help in pursuing art and his model. Previously published as a novella, “Something Rich and Strange” focuses on a couple seduced by ancient sea creatures; they must decide if their relationship is worth fighting for. The selections allude to sex but do not go into great detail. The book is reminiscent of Kelly Link’s PRETTY MONSTERS, which also provides a fascinating assortment of paranormal offerings. Young adults who like fantasy tales with strong female characters willing to save themselves and others will enjoy this volume. VERDICT This collection of fascinating and haunting tales that will linger with readers is a strong addition to short story and fantasy collections; hand to fans of Holly Black, Robin McKinley, and Donna Jo Napoli.

In her video, Kitty G. lauds the book.

Axie Barclay for MANHATTAN BOOK REVIEW loves the volume.

From a goddess imbued in the statue of a mermaid, to a young artist’s possession by his muse, these powerful stories are seductive and strange, a combination that makes for stories like no other. Monsters, witches, magic, and death coexist and intermingle with the everyday, with artists, sailors, and waitresses. Part fairy tale, part lucid dreams, these tales are elegant, beautiful, and heartbreakingly vivid. Reading one is like everything wonderful about a Patricia McKillip novel distilled into concise, precise bites.

Elegant and absorbing, her work never reads as stiff or formal, as some fantasy stories can lean toward, and the language, while beautiful, never loses the reader, but instead remains both lyrical and deeply visceral. There is nothing quite like the experience of reading a Patricia McKillip novel. Fans of her work will not be disappointed in this collection, and likewise new readers will find themselves enchanted.

For more info on DREAMS OF DISTANT SHORES, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover by Thomas Canty