Photo: Jason Stemple

THINGS IN HER HEAD praises Jane Yolen’s forthcoming HOW TO FRACTURE A FAIRY TALE.

The idea of twisting and changing a part of a story is not that easy, especially a story that is already so popular and has been passed down by generations. This fracturing is greatly done and it is so fun to read! I really like that I could recognize some of the stories here because it excites me to read what we’re fractured and retained. I admit not all of the fairy tales here were familiar to me and I would want to read the original because I enjoyed it here!

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This is a five-star for me!! I like how the stories were fractured and mashed-up to give a new flavor and tone to it. It is not overly done and the lessons and morals that you could get from it is still there and in fact it is also leveled up along with the story. If you enjoy fairy tales and would want to read them in a different perspective then this book is definitely for you!!

NOVELTEA CORNER also enjoys the collection.

This is, essentially, a collection of fractured fairytales – both the very famous ones and some of the more obscure tales – with a spin on them I haven’t seen before. It also served to highlight just how few traditional tales I actually know well, because I was constantly having to look up the original source material to understand the changes that we made.

I have to say, my favourite stories were the retellings of The Three Billy Goats Gruff (from the Bridge’s perspective) and the Cinderella retelling – which I would not have originally thought to be stories I’d gravitate towards but I ended up loving and am still thinking about them now.

If you enjoy fairytale retellings, this is definitely worth a look when it’s released in November 2018.

Méabh Mcdonnell at CINDERS MAGAZINE lauds THE TRANSFIGURED HART.

The writing is beautifully lyrical, as we have come to expect from Yolen, but also has the refreshing rhythm of argumentative teens thrown in amid the dialogue.

The story is a grounded and entertaining depiction of a well-worn fantasy trope, but is handled with care and finesse by Yolen. It is fascinating to see how she integrates teenagers into the magic of the Hart’s domain, and how the real magic that occurs is between two very different people solidifying an enduring friendship.

And isn’t that the joy of fantasy? Of seeing traits you wish you had and traits you wish you didn’t reflected in people who witness magical scenes?  Jane Yolen will always be a lyrical superstar and a moment spent reading her stories is never a moment wasted.

CAPTAIN’S QUARTERS finds THE EMERALD CIRCUS perfect for a rainy day.

While I have read many of Jane Yolen’s works, most have been her novels.  It has only been recently that I have been reading her short stories.  And I have been missing out.  I was saving this collection for a day when I needed a pick me up.  So when I was stuck in rain and fog and feeling under the weather, I picked this up to be transported to a more magical time and place.

This collection has 16 varied tales.  Like any collection, I liked some better than others.  But all show Yolen’s skill and love of storytelling.  In addition this book also had something I wasn’t expecting.  The end of the book has author reflections on how the stories came to be along with some of her poetry.  I don’t really know much about the author’s life but she sounds like one awesome lady and this look into her writing process was lovely.

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I had to admit that I was immensely cheered up by reading this collection and will be thinking about me favourites for quite some time.  If ye be a Jane Yolen fan, this should tickle yer fancy.  If ye aren’t familiar with her work then this might be a good place to start.  Arrrr!

For more info on HOW TO FRACTURE A FAIRY TALE, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover design by Elizabeth Story

For more info on THE TRANSFIGURED HART, visit the Tachyon page.

Art by Thomas Canty

Design by Elizabeth Story

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

Cover design by Elizabeth Story