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ClareR (5879 KP) rated The River Has Roots in Books
Mar 11, 2025
I have deep love for a fairy tale - especially the ones that border on the macabre.
The River Has Roots is a beautiful tale of two sisters who live on the border of Arcadia (Faerie), and sing to the Willow trees twice a day in tribute to the men they once were.
The sisters are very close: Ysabel and Esther, and they always want to be together. But of course, as in all good fairytales, a man throws a spanner in the works.
The River Has Roots is a novella and honestly, if El-Mohtar wrote this as a full length novel or decided to write more such stories, I would be all in. The writing is beautiful - full on fairytale style at its best.
This gave me “The Twa Sisters” vibes, equally as tragic, but not exactly the same - you’re not getting an exact retelling. This is a story in its own right.
The Lino-cut illustrations (Kathleen Neely) throughout the book were perfect for the story, too.
There was a bonus story at the end, “John Hollowback and the Witch”, and it was a rather pleasant surprise - a fabulous cautionary tale.
This is a must-read for my fellow fairytale fans!
The River Has Roots is a beautiful tale of two sisters who live on the border of Arcadia (Faerie), and sing to the Willow trees twice a day in tribute to the men they once were.
The sisters are very close: Ysabel and Esther, and they always want to be together. But of course, as in all good fairytales, a man throws a spanner in the works.
The River Has Roots is a novella and honestly, if El-Mohtar wrote this as a full length novel or decided to write more such stories, I would be all in. The writing is beautiful - full on fairytale style at its best.
This gave me “The Twa Sisters” vibes, equally as tragic, but not exactly the same - you’re not getting an exact retelling. This is a story in its own right.
The Lino-cut illustrations (Kathleen Neely) throughout the book were perfect for the story, too.
There was a bonus story at the end, “John Hollowback and the Witch”, and it was a rather pleasant surprise - a fabulous cautionary tale.
This is a must-read for my fellow fairytale fans!
Book Divas (227 KP) rated Gathering Frost (Once Upon a Curse, #1) in Books
Dec 12, 2017
I've always loved fairy tales so when I was given the opportunity to receive an ARC of Gathering Frost I quickly jumped on it as Sleeping Beauty was one of the movies I remember my mom taking me to see in the theaters when it first came out (that's another shh moment). I love how the author took a classic fairy tale and gave it her own twist as this is definetely not the tale we grew up with.
After a catastrophic life altering event, we find ourselves with two worlds that have become one and we find that Jade is a completely different person. Strong, agile and fierce she does what needs to be done to accomplish the task at hand but she doesn't feel emotions. An encounter with Asher is the beginning of changes that she never expected, let alone believe to be possible.
I loved how well the blending of the old with the new was done and I certainly loved the scenery and characters but above all else the story. You will find yourself being transported into the story line as Ms. Davis weaves her web and I believe you will find it hard to put this book down. I certainly am looking forward to the next book as the author left us with what I call a tid bit of what's going to be her rendition of Beauty and the Beast.
You won't be disappointed!
After a catastrophic life altering event, we find ourselves with two worlds that have become one and we find that Jade is a completely different person. Strong, agile and fierce she does what needs to be done to accomplish the task at hand but she doesn't feel emotions. An encounter with Asher is the beginning of changes that she never expected, let alone believe to be possible.
I loved how well the blending of the old with the new was done and I certainly loved the scenery and characters but above all else the story. You will find yourself being transported into the story line as Ms. Davis weaves her web and I believe you will find it hard to put this book down. I certainly am looking forward to the next book as the author left us with what I call a tid bit of what's going to be her rendition of Beauty and the Beast.
You won't be disappointed!
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2346 KP) rated The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom in Books
Mar 9, 2018
Join Princes Fredric, Gustav, Liam, and Duncan as they must ban together to stop an evil witch from taking over their kingdoms. Of course, first, they must learn their own strengths and how to get along with each other.
This book was laugh out loud funny from start to finish with wonderful character growth and an engaging plot. My only complaint is that I didn't read it even sooner. With strong male and female characters, I think both boys and girls will equally love it. And adults will delight in this middle grade fractured fairy tale as well.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2014/08/book-review-heros-guide-to-saving-your.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
This book was laugh out loud funny from start to finish with wonderful character growth and an engaging plot. My only complaint is that I didn't read it even sooner. With strong male and female characters, I think both boys and girls will equally love it. And adults will delight in this middle grade fractured fairy tale as well.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2014/08/book-review-heros-guide-to-saving-your.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Zuky the BookBum (15 KP) rated This is a Love Story in Books
Mar 15, 2018
All this book did was frustrate me! Chick-lit is definitely not my favourite genre, however I can cope with it on occasions. This book is one of those that reminds me why I steer clear of chick-lit!
Lovely little fairy tale story line, boy meets girl, girl meets boy and guess what... that fall in love! But do they admit it? Nope, not until your brain is crying from the nonsense of it all! I wish these books would come up with a different story line of boy and girl love each other but don't tell each other for ages, Pride & Prejudice tells that story perfectly well, we don't need anymore!
Lovely little fairy tale story line, boy meets girl, girl meets boy and guess what... that fall in love! But do they admit it? Nope, not until your brain is crying from the nonsense of it all! I wish these books would come up with a different story line of boy and girl love each other but don't tell each other for ages, Pride & Prejudice tells that story perfectly well, we don't need anymore!
Sarah Betts (103 KP) rated The Evil Queen (The Forest of Good and Evil, #1) in Books
Dec 31, 2019
I received a copy of The Evil Queen from Harlequin TEEN (US Canada) through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I wanted to like this one more than I actually did.
The righting is great and a lot of it is really evocative but the character of Every came off as about 12 or so. Her reactions didn't strike me as realistic for a high schooler at all.
The dialogue is a bit cheesy at points but I'm not gonna complain to much because what's a fairy tale without some cheese?
I did enjoy the story but the sensual parts did come off a bit awkward to me on account of the MC seeming so young.
I wanted to like this one more than I actually did.
The righting is great and a lot of it is really evocative but the character of Every came off as about 12 or so. Her reactions didn't strike me as realistic for a high schooler at all.
The dialogue is a bit cheesy at points but I'm not gonna complain to much because what's a fairy tale without some cheese?
I did enjoy the story but the sensual parts did come off a bit awkward to me on account of the MC seeming so young.
Matthew Krueger (10051 KP) rated Gretel & Hansel (2020) in Movies
Apr 30, 2020
Twisted Fairy Tale
Gretel & Hansel - is a decent movie, it has good scaries, good suspense, good thrills, good psychological espects and thats pretty much it. I mean the story is decent, but it could of been better.
The plot: When their mother descends into madness, siblings Gretel and Hansel must fend for themselves in the dark and unforgiving woods. Hungry and scared, they fortuitously stumble upon a bounty of food left outside an isolated home. Invited inside by the seemingly friendly owner, the children soon suspect that her generous but mysterious behaviour is part of a sinister plan to do them harm.
Sophia Liillis was good, the source matteral was decent. I just wish this movie was better.
The plot: When their mother descends into madness, siblings Gretel and Hansel must fend for themselves in the dark and unforgiving woods. Hungry and scared, they fortuitously stumble upon a bounty of food left outside an isolated home. Invited inside by the seemingly friendly owner, the children soon suspect that her generous but mysterious behaviour is part of a sinister plan to do them harm.
Sophia Liillis was good, the source matteral was decent. I just wish this movie was better.
Annie Baker recommended Fanny and Alexander (1982) in Movies (curated)
The Chocolate Lady (94 KP) rated The Music Shop in Books
Oct 7, 2020
Rachel Joyce, bestselling author of "The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry" and "The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessy" brings us a new novel that starts simply with "There once was a music shop." No, this is no fairy tale, but a story of how music is an international language, which if you listen to it just right, can change your whole world. The blurb on this book says, "The Music Shop is about learning how to listen and how to feel; it's about second chances and choosing to be brave despite the odds. Because in the end, music can save us all. Read more in my review here.
https://tcl-bookreviews.com/2017/09/10/hallelujah-for-vinyl/
https://tcl-bookreviews.com/2017/09/10/hallelujah-for-vinyl/
Rachel King (13 KP) rated Beastly in Books
Feb 11, 2019
I have a small obsession with the classic fairy tale of Beauty and the Beast, so any time a new retelling comes out, I must read it. This version written by Alex Flinn is both modernized and aimed at the Young Adult genre. I was curious to see how closely it would parallel the original fairy tale and still feel like an original story, and I think that it succeeded fairly well. There were parts that felt cliche, and it certainly verged into the realm of fantasy with the presence of the witch, but not so much that I was bothered by these elements. Plus, I liked the ways that the author diverged from the original tale and added new elements, such as the continuing involvement of the witch and the character of Kyle's father.
The plot wraps around the character of Kyle Kingsbury, who becomes the Beast. The book mainly felt like a character study as he progressed from a conceited, self-involved boy to a self-sacrificing, repentant young man. This is certainly a change from most retellings of this tale, since it is usually from the viewpoint of the character who plays the role of "Beauty." Many of the side characters were also just as fascinating, such as the blind tutor who comes to live with Kyle. I love the fascination that Kyle adopted for roses and the details of their care that were included in the book, it gave the book more depth. Probably the most exciting part of the book was his frantic race through New York City and the way that he handled the reactions that he created during this foray.
I know that this book was turned into a movie recently. I have not seen it as of yet, other than the previews, but I do look forward to it. But I already know of one major difference that the movie has from the book, and that is Kyle's beastly appearance is changed to resemble extravagant and disfiguring tattoos. I'll reserve opinion on this until after I've seen the movie.
The plot wraps around the character of Kyle Kingsbury, who becomes the Beast. The book mainly felt like a character study as he progressed from a conceited, self-involved boy to a self-sacrificing, repentant young man. This is certainly a change from most retellings of this tale, since it is usually from the viewpoint of the character who plays the role of "Beauty." Many of the side characters were also just as fascinating, such as the blind tutor who comes to live with Kyle. I love the fascination that Kyle adopted for roses and the details of their care that were included in the book, it gave the book more depth. Probably the most exciting part of the book was his frantic race through New York City and the way that he handled the reactions that he created during this foray.
I know that this book was turned into a movie recently. I have not seen it as of yet, other than the previews, but I do look forward to it. But I already know of one major difference that the movie has from the book, and that is Kyle's beastly appearance is changed to resemble extravagant and disfiguring tattoos. I'll reserve opinion on this until after I've seen the movie.
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Maleficent: Mistress of Evil (2019) in Movies
Oct 15, 2019
In “Maleficent: Mistress of Evil”; Angelina Jolie returns as the title character to the smash Live-Action film based on the classic Fairy Tale and Animated film.
In the years since the last film ended; Aurora (Elle Fanning) has relished in her role as Princess over the Moors and all of the enchanted creatures that live within it. When she accepts a proposal from Prince Phillip (Harris Dickinson), this sets off a chain of celebratory events as they all prepare for the big day which will unite the two lands.
Phillip’s parents King John (Robert Lindsay) and Queen Ingrith (Michelle Pfeiffer) are eager for the union while Maleficent strongly opposes it and tells Aurora that there will be no wedding. When Aurora persists; Maleficent reluctantly accepts an invitation to dinner at the Castle where things soon go horribly wrong and Maleficent is accused of putting a curse on the King.
Injured while fleeing, Maleficent is wounded and takin in by others of her kind who are preparing for war against the humans as a dark and dangerous plan is underway and the survival of the enchanted creatures is threatened.
The film then becomes a tense adventure with plenty of action, magic, and fantasy which is a nice framework for the great visual effects of the film.
I had been concerned that the film might be too dark for the usual audience for this type of film and there are moments where my concerns are validated. However there is much more charm, fantasy and wonder in the film and if anyone has ever read the original Grimm Fairy Tales; they will know that this is considerably toned down compared to what they offered.
The film has some great visuals to it but they never overshadow the characters in the film as Jolie seems to be taking gleeful delight in playing the title character but allows herself to have some fun with the character at times which helps her emerge as a well-rounded character versus being a staple Fairy Tale Villain.
The film may take a bit of time getting up to the main events but it does so to give more time for the characters to develop which helps them stand out from the usual good/bad monikers given to many fantasy characters.
The supporting cast is solid especially the performances by Pfeiffer and Chiwetel Ejiofor who add much to the complexity of the film and also invoke many themes of discussion that mirrors what is happening in much of society today.
In the end the film delivers a strong performance by Jolie and plenty of magic to make this a modern Fairy Tale Disney classic in the making.
3.5 stars out of 5.
In the years since the last film ended; Aurora (Elle Fanning) has relished in her role as Princess over the Moors and all of the enchanted creatures that live within it. When she accepts a proposal from Prince Phillip (Harris Dickinson), this sets off a chain of celebratory events as they all prepare for the big day which will unite the two lands.
Phillip’s parents King John (Robert Lindsay) and Queen Ingrith (Michelle Pfeiffer) are eager for the union while Maleficent strongly opposes it and tells Aurora that there will be no wedding. When Aurora persists; Maleficent reluctantly accepts an invitation to dinner at the Castle where things soon go horribly wrong and Maleficent is accused of putting a curse on the King.
Injured while fleeing, Maleficent is wounded and takin in by others of her kind who are preparing for war against the humans as a dark and dangerous plan is underway and the survival of the enchanted creatures is threatened.
The film then becomes a tense adventure with plenty of action, magic, and fantasy which is a nice framework for the great visual effects of the film.
I had been concerned that the film might be too dark for the usual audience for this type of film and there are moments where my concerns are validated. However there is much more charm, fantasy and wonder in the film and if anyone has ever read the original Grimm Fairy Tales; they will know that this is considerably toned down compared to what they offered.
The film has some great visuals to it but they never overshadow the characters in the film as Jolie seems to be taking gleeful delight in playing the title character but allows herself to have some fun with the character at times which helps her emerge as a well-rounded character versus being a staple Fairy Tale Villain.
The film may take a bit of time getting up to the main events but it does so to give more time for the characters to develop which helps them stand out from the usual good/bad monikers given to many fantasy characters.
The supporting cast is solid especially the performances by Pfeiffer and Chiwetel Ejiofor who add much to the complexity of the film and also invoke many themes of discussion that mirrors what is happening in much of society today.
In the end the film delivers a strong performance by Jolie and plenty of magic to make this a modern Fairy Tale Disney classic in the making.
3.5 stars out of 5.