Collection of fantasy short stories by Wrede:

Rikiki and the Wizard
A sweet story about a greedy wizard and his kind and beautiful daughter.

The Princess, the Cat, and the Unicorn (Enchanted Forest)
The middle princess from a kingdom where nothing is quite as it "should" be goes out to seek her fortune. The palace cat goes with her and they meet a haughty unicorn. Cute and funny.

Roses by Moonlight
An older sister meets an unusual woman and takes a walk through a unique garden. This story is different in that not a whole lot actually happens, and yet at the end, it still feels as though it did. I love this story.

The Sixty-two Curses of Caliph Arenschadd
An Arabian Nights type story with a wizard-monarch who curses everyone who makes him angry. Funny.

Earthwitch
This is a dark, sad story of love and war. I never feel like I've quite understood it, but it's moving nonetheless.

The Sword-Seller
Classic good-vs-evil high fantasy, with a few twists. Dark and dramatic.

The Lorelei
Some students on a school trip to Germany make an unexpected stop at the Lorelei cliffs. A great story and I love the main character.

Stronger Than Time
Sleeping Beauty gone awry. The end is unexpected.

Cruel Sisters
A beautiful and sharp retelling of an old ballad.

Utensile Strength (Enchanted Forest)
Queen Cimorene and King Mendanbar must find the wielder for a powerful enchanted weapon. Absolutely hilarious. Recipe included. ( )

Summary: A collection of what I would call fairy tales or folk stories, although they're mostly original imaginings - only one or two tread the ground of retelling familiar stories. There are stories of not-too-bright gods, singing enchantresses, vain unicorns, curses and werewolves, a bone harp that may or may not speak the truth, a curse that may have been left too long to be broken, an enchanted rose garden, an ancient sword with unusual power, and a short story from the Enchanted Forest, featuring Cimorene, Mendenbar and The Frying Pan of Doom. And, to top it all off, there's a recipe at the end for Barbarian's Quick After-Battle Triple Chocolate Cake (it makes more sense in context, I swear) (edit: Just made the cake, and it's not the best cake I've ever had, but it's pretty darn good).

Review: I enjoyed this book a lot more than a lot of the other "fairy tale" books I've read recently. A large part of that is that I really enjoy Patricia C. Wrede's writing: it's clever and elegant without getting too caught up in itself, and I think it's accessible to younger readers without any talking down that might alienate adult readers. I was a little surprised about halfway through the book at how dark some of the stories were. All of Wrede's writing that I've read so far (the Enchanted Forest Chronicles and the Sorcery & Cecelia series) have been for the most part pretty light and very witty, and the first few stories in this volume follow the same vein, so when I got to "Earthwitch", with its darker view of magic and the cost it exacts, it was sort of... not off-putting, certainly, but it definitely threw me a little. Overall, though, every story had either substantial charm and humor, or some real power and emotional pull behind it, and sometimes both.

Recommendation: Definitely worth the read for some original fairy tales that aren't exclusively for kids. ( )

Some great short stories in here, including my favorite epic weapon ever, The Frying Pan of Doom. I've never tried the recipe, but it sounds yummy. ( )

Patricia C. Wrede is a writer I enjoy reading immensely. She creates witty, charming, fascinating characters that I love to read over and over, mainly her Enchanted Forest Quartet.

Book of Enchantments is a collection of her short stories through the last twenty years or so. Some of them were a little too short, some were decent but not great. My favorite would have to be her Frying Pan of Doom, a return to the characters and setting of the Enchanted Forest. Very lighthearted and funny, I could read a whole book of short stories just about the Enchanted Forest. ( )

It is a charming book, full of short stories for those of all ages.
Included are two tales set inside The Enchanted Forest, which Wrede's best selling books surround, so for fans of the Chronicles, it is an essential.
That asside, it is simply a wonderful edition to any fantasy reader's collection, with witches, wizards, dragons, knights, and everything else that you would expect.
Pure entertainment can be found within these pages, with something for everyone, be they young adult, or retired.
It is a true joy to read, and, for those that have not read her other literatures, a wonderful introduction into the world of Patricia C Wrede. ( )