Dana (24 KP) rated Gilded Ashes (Cruel Beauty Universe, #1.5) in Books
Mar 23, 2018
This is a retelling of Cinderella and has become one of my favorites. It keeps the darkness, but keeps it in some sort of fantastical world that makes it even more beautiful.
This was just a short story, but that doesn't mean I didn't absolutely love it. I need to get my hands on Crimson Bound soon. Even in this short story, Rosamund was able to fully flesh out the characters and make them completely believable. I didn't feel like the story was rushed or too drawn out. It was just right.
I would highly recommend this to people who love dark stories, fairy tale retellings, or just a good short story.
The Lost Book of the Odyssey
Book
After ten years' journeying Odysseus returns, again and again, to Ithaca. Each time he finds...
Brigid is the daughter of a slave and a chieftain, and she narrowly escapes marriage to a man she doesn’t want, when a goddess hears her prayers. She helps her from this point on, and this is where the blurring between goddess/ paganism and catholicism starts - in a good way.
Brigid builds her sisterhood, cloaks it in religion and makes a safe haven for women in what would have been a brutal time for them. One of my favourite themes, found family, is prominent in this, along with sisterhood and religious politics.
I’m off to find The Morrigan, and I’m hoping that Kim Curran will continue to introduce us to the Irish folklore that I know far too little about.
Medea
8.0
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Shunned. Persecuted. Tormented. Medea longs for a different life. Since childhood, she has been...
Historical fiction Greek mythology retellings
Auburn (57 KP) rated The Neverland Wars (The Neverland Wars, #1) in Books
Apr 10, 2019
Instead I found myself saddened by the book, the story idea was amazing but I just got bored half way through the book. The premise of Peter Pan stealing kids away from families was only breifly mentioned and the parents/officers were mentioned only in beginning. I wanted more from each side, why did they think their kids were stolen, did most kids return home. Did they lose their memories once home as parents thought they were being kidnapped?
I did enjoy the magic and the thought provoking parts. Do you want to grow up, do you have to grow up? It really makes you think about your life and if growing up is a thought process or just a frame of mind.
Spooky Southwest: Tales of Hauntings, Strange Happenings, and Other Local Lore
Paul Hoffman and S.E. Schlosser
Book
A collection of folktales highlighting famous and not-so-famous Southwestern ghosts, mysterious...
Interweaving Myths in Shakespeare and His Contemporaries
Agnes Lafont, Charlotte Coffin and Janice Valls-Russell
Book
This volume proposes new insights into the uses of classical mythology by Shakespeare and his...
The Valkyrie
10.0
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From SUNDAY TIMES bestselling author Kate Heartfield comes a glorious, lyrical retelling of one of...
Norse mythology Retellings Historical fiction
ArecRain (8 KP) rated Depravity (Beastly Tales, #1) in Books
Jan 18, 2018
That being said, this series had me from page one and I couldnt put it down until the very last one. I missed a lot of sleep for it I am a huge fan of fairy tale retellings, especially if there erotica involved. This is definitely one of the better retellings of Beauty and the Beast, albeit a very dark one. The female lead is almost raped more times than I can count, abused by her obnoxious sisters, manipulated by an arrogant sorceress, and subjected to dealing with a short tempered man child stuck in a beasts body. Through it all, Benella stays determined and loved her grit.
There are some themes that may not sit well with some people, especially with the Beasts treatment of Benella in the second novel. I think they are missing the point of this story, however. The premise is not just about looking beyond aesthetic value, it is about personal growth. While it is the Beautys purpose to look beyond outer appearances to appreciate what people have on the inside; it is the Beasts role to develop from well a beast to a better person. I feel that most people look past that.
This is a great series for those looking for an adult retelling of Beauty and the Beast and can handle the dark themes and cliff hangers that come with it. If you can accept an anti-hero with faults who falls for a strong woman who can hold her own in a hateful sexist world, then this is definitely the series for you.
The Prose Edda: Tales from Norse Mythology
Snorri Sturluson and Jean I. Young
9.0
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"Prose Edda" is a work without predecessor or parallel. It was designed as a handbook for poets to...