Beyond Grimm (original 2012; edition 2012)

Due to a hardware issue I lost this ebook before I finished it but what I did read was well written. It had some really good takes and twists on the classic stories. The quality between authors seemed to vary greatly but overall it was an enjoyable read. ( )

I am a huge fan of fairy tale retellings and was really looking forward to reading darker versions of the classic fairy tales. As always with short story anthologies, I loved some and disliked others. For Beyond Grimm: Tales Newly Twisted, I found myself enjoying most of the stories, however. As the title suggests, these stories are for those who enjoy more twisted, darker tales. It is even better that many are based off popular children's fairy tales.

Many of these authors are well established and I definitely enjoyed seeing more of their work. I requested this book because of Irene Radford, but I also loved reading stories from Sherwood Smith, Laura Anne Gilman, and Alma Alexander. "Hair Raising" made me want to read more of Pati Nagle, and "Ricky Cowlicky" was also a fun story by an author who was new to me.

I think that the first six stories are the strongest of the anthology, so the later ones were a bit of a disappointment for me. But I do think that there is something for everyone -- while I particularly enjoyed the twists on Rapunzel, Snow White, and Rumpelstiltskin, I think that fans of Arthurian legends will love "Nimue's Tale." I don't think that every single one of these stories will be favorites for one person, but anyone interested in fantasy will find at least one or two stories to love.

*I received a free copy from the publisher through LibraryThing's Early Reviewers program in exchange for my honest review.* ( )

Beyond Grimm: Tales Newly Twisted is an anthology edited by Deborah J. Ross and Phyllis Irene Radford that provides mostly humorous retellings and variations on fairy tales and myths, as well as original plots made in the fairy tale mode. Most of the short stories are light and airy, and the anthology contains both original works and reprints.

The standouts of the collection include "No Newt Taxes" by Patricia Rice, a nicely anti-Randian retelling of Snow White with a political bite, and Maya Kaathryn Bohnhoff's "Ricky Cowlicky," a standard morality tale of beauty and intelligence that is well-written and plays nicely with magic and character growth. ( )

I received this ebook as an Early Reviewer. I really enjoyed this book and all the stories - and I mean - all the stories, which doesn't often happen in a short story anthology. I would certainly recommend this book for lovers of fantasy fiction, especially short stories. ( )

"Beyond Grimm" is an interesting mix of tales, loosely based on folk tales, fairy tales, myths and legends. What makes it an interesting mix is the lack of consistent tone throughout, which may or may not appeal to you as a reader. Some of the stories seem like they are written for children, with a silly sense of humour and simple storylines, while others are very much adult content, highly sexual or violent. Some are light and superficial, others dark and thought-provoking. I think everyone will be able to find at least a couple of stories that they can enjoy, but I'm not sure whether any one reader would enjoy most of the stories, given that they each cater to such different tastes. For me the standouts were: "Rum Pelt Stilt's Skin" by Alma Alexander, "Mending Souls" and "To Ride Beyond the Wide World's End" by Judith Tarr, and "Sister Anne" by Sylvia Kelso (although I found the ending a bit baffling); all of these made me want to read more by the authors. I preferred the tales that were told in a more traditional fairy tale tone, but other readers might prefer the more modern-day retellings.