"The Golden Arrow and Other Tales": Review by Sarah Lawson

"The Golden Arrow and Other Tales"

Review by Sarah Lawson

Editor's Note: The author of The Golden Arrow and Other Tales is also an accomplished musician, recording and performing as a professional violinist. She composed and recorded the soundtrack for the trailer for her book, which I am including below. You can check her Facebook page for her performance schedules, new recordings and for additional updates and details on her book release.

Jacket description: 

A forsaken princess must leave her room for the first time in her life... to rescue her father’s kingdom.

Three knights are bound to protect a city... by satisfying a ravenous dragon’s thirst for blood.

An old widow’s handsome new companion never speaks... but that’s the least mysterious thing about him.

An enchanted weapon bestows unlimited power upon the one who wields it... but at a price.

In this debut collection of short fiction, Samantha Gillogly weaves a quartet of original tales from the threads of classic European fairy story tradition. Freshly imaginative, yet evoking a bygone era, The Golden Arrow and Other Tales enchants with new stories about timeless archetypes that feel as though they’ve always been with us.

Coming May 1st, 2015 from Artistic Media Associates, Inc.

Like most of us here, while I adore classic fairy tales, I’m always curious about new ones. So imagine my excitement when I was given the chance to read The Golden Arrow and Other Tales by Samantha Gillogly--a collection that I can sum up in one word: delightful. Four stories weave together classic motifs and I quickly fell in love with each character, even the dastardly ones, because they were at once both familiar and new.

Gillogly’s anthology cover a wide variety of tones--sometimes enchanting, sometimes ominous, and once or twice they are downright gruesome. However, from the first page, it’s clear she has mastered the fairy tale narrative voice. The first line, “The princess had sight, but she had no eyes”, instantly grabbed my attention. I wanted to read more about this princess who was born with blue flowers where her eyes ought to be and her arduous quest to save the kingdom. Out of all the stories, though, my favorite was Dragonsblood, which includes a monstrous woman (a theme I’m currently studying) and knights straight out of Arthurian tradition. My inner medievalist was thrilled! For other fairy tale scholars, you may be interested to hear I was particularly impressed by the author’s use of the Rule of Threes. It came up multiple times, but always slightly differently so that it never felt boring or repetitive (a tricky thing to do with that particular motif).

Incidentally, the author, who is also a professional musician, wrote and performed the music for the trailer. The track, “Telling Tales” is skillfully done, with a distinctive Celtic feel. I think it accompanied the collection well and was very fantasy-esque, which was perfect. 

If I had to criticize anything about the book, I’d say that the dialogue seemed a bit heavy at times. Since dialogue tends to be sparse in most fairy tales, the amount of discussion Gillogly included in her stories occasionally tripped up the pace. Of course, this is a small criticism and rarely takes the reader out of the action.

It truly was a pleasure to read this collection. Gillogly does more than just play with fairy tale themes; she fully engages with them and creates fleshed-out, compelling stories so rich that it’s hard to believe that they were written in this century.  I wholeheartedly recommend The Golden Arrow and Other Tales to any Once Upon a Blog reader.

NOW AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER HERE

Disclosure: A complimentary copy of the book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

Sarah Lawson is currently earning my Master’s Degree in Literature at the University of Rochester and will be writing her Master’s Thesis on the Brothers Grimm. On a non-academic level, she has been working on a series of fairy-tale retellings for about five years.

"Toad Words and Other Stories": Review by S. Y. Affolee

"Toad Words and Other Stories"

Review by S. Y. Affolee

Editor's Note: I came across this ebook fortuitously, via an artwork search. I loved the cover, which instantly said "fairy tale" to me and looked into it further. I realized I'd read at least one of these stories before somewhere, and when I discovered where, I thought it was high time I brought it to other fairy tale folk's attention. I think you'll enjoy reading why from our reviewer's point of view.

Jacket description: 

From author T. Kingfisher comes a collection of fairy-tale retellings for adults. By turns funny and dark, sad and lyrical, this anthology draws together in one volume such stories as "The Wolf and the Woodsman," "Loathly," and "Bluebeard's Wife," along with an all-new novella, "Boar & Apples." 

Author's Note: Many of these stories have appeared in various forms on the author's blog.

This anthology by T. Kingfisher (AKA children’s fiction writer Ursula Vernon) is a wonderful assortment of retellings with vivid, crisp writing and dark undercurrents that echo the unvarnished fairy tales of the past. As her use of a pen name indicates, these stories are far from the Disneyfied versions and Kingfisher doesn’t shy away from the darker parts of human nature. While Toad Words may not be suitable for kids, by uncovering modern concerns, this collection is sure to resonate with adult audiences.

What I found most fascinating about this collection was how the retellings rely on transforming the tales’ core messages rather than simply swapping window dressing. For me, altering details like time periods and settings merely make a retelling a variation on the original. But several of these stories focus on self-examination and self-acceptance rather than the original tales’ emphases.

For example, Kingfisher’s retelling of Charles Perrault’s “Diamonds and Toads” is told from the vantage of the cursed sister. While the original story rewards correct behavior and punishes incorrect behavior, “Toad Words” considers the possibility that what seems like a curse may actually be a gift in disguise. Later on, “Bluebeard’s Wife” examines an alternate personality for the newly married heroine. She values the notion of privacy so much that she cannot think of impinging on another’s, even if there are signs indicating something isn’t quite right. If Bluebeard’s wife is changed from being insatiably curious to being completely incurious, will it alter the story’s outcome?

This anthology also reimagines the Arthurian Loathly Lady trope. The cursed maiden is no longer some prize won by a knight, but a metaphor for the acceptance of self, beast and all. This retelling neatly parallels the pathway many tread on their way towards self-acceptance--first hating themselves for seemingly monstrous flaws, then transforming themselves (in a traumatic way) to fit society’s expectations, and finally realizing that contentment requires embracing those so-called flaws regardless of what society thinks. 

A novella version of Snow White called “Boar & Apples” balances darkness and whimsy. What really made this story stand out for me was the reframing of classic tropes. Here, the queen is not monolithically evil, but a stand-in for parts of society where horrific deeds may be symptoms of mental illness. Snow is no longer the passive princess who has a prince rescue her. Circumstances force her out of passivity to take her own agency. Dwarves are replaced by wise-cracking pigs, which may sound unusual at first, but is actually an inspired choice. Because pig hearts have anatomical similarities to human hearts and have been considered by the medical field for possible transplantation, it makes sense that an old sow’s heart fooled the queen when the huntsman brought it back as “proof” of Snow’s death. There are many such instances illustrating how human the pigs are. Their kindness and courage not only give Snow a role model for behavior but turn the demeaning metaphor “behaving like a pig” completely on its ear. 

Adult readers who enjoy short story retellings with a modernist twist will find many gems in this collection. Kingfisher’s succinct and conversational tone in dealing with the darker issues harkens back to the matter-of-fact recounting found in the original tales that heightened their fantastic and gruesome aspects. But by fundamentally giving the stories new motivations and personalities, the author has put together an excellent fairy tale anthology that is not only well written, but also conceptually provoking.
_____________________________________________________________________________
Note: Additional novella by T. Kingfisher in same vein also available, though not reviewed here.

Description: Rhea is an ordinary miller’s daughter, engaged to be married under suspicious circumstances to a man not of her choosing. He has unknown powers and a manor house full of mysterious women. 

Rhea has a hedgehog.

It’s probably not going to be enough.

From T. Kingfisher, author of “Toad Words & Other Stories,” and “Nine Goblins” comes a retold fairy-tale of white roads, dark magic, and small mammals.

Disclosure: A complimentary copy of the eBook was given in exchange for an honest review.

S. Y. Affolee is the pseudonym for a biomedical scientist currently working in Southern California. Outside of the lab, she’s an avid bookshop hunter, tea drinker, and inveterate scribbler. She’s always been fascinated by fairy tales and enjoys reading retellings ever since she first picked up Robin McKinley’s Beauty in grade school.

"Splintered": Review by Kelly Komm

"Splintered"

Review by Kelly Komm

Editor's Note: The Splintered series is now complete (with three novels and two novellas -the last, Untamed, to be published in January 2016). They all came out in fairly quick succession from January 2013 on, and have been very popular to the point of almost a cult following. Fans post art, write fan fic, hold Splintered parties and events and, of course, cosplay. Once Upon A Blog was asked to review back in 2014 when it was clear the series was a hit, but for multiple reasons I wasn't able to do it. With our new review posse coming together, we decided to revisit the Splintered series and to begin at the beginning, in case you're unfamiliar with it. You've likely seen the gorgeous cover, but there's much more to these books than 'the pretty'. Take it away Kelly!

Jacket description: 

Alyssa Gardner hears the whispers of bugs and flowers—precisely the affliction that landed her mother in a mental hospital years before. This family curse stretches back to her ancestor Alice Liddell, the real-life inspiration for Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Alyssa might be crazy, but she manages to keep it together. For now. 

When her mother’s mental health takes a turn for the worse, Alyssa learns that what she thought was fiction is based in terrifying reality. The real Wonderland is a place far darker and more twisted than Lewis Carroll ever let on. There, Alyssa must pass a series of tests, including draining an ocean of Alice’s tears, waking the slumbering tea party, and subduing a vicious bandersnatch, to fix Alice’s mistakes and save her family. She must also decide whom to trust: Jeb, her gorgeous best friend and secret crush, or the sexy but suspicious Morpheus, her guide through Wonderland, who may have dark motives of his own.

Splintered is the first in A.G. Howard’s dark YA fantasy series, featuring a modern, macabre take on Wonderland. While the controversy on whether or not Alice in Wonderland is a fairy tale continues to rage on, it is always worth discussing — as are excellent novels that pay homage to it. 

In this first installment of the Splintered series, we meet skater Alyssa Gardner and her punk-artist BFF/love interest Jeb. Alyssa is a descendant of Alice Liddell, the inspiration for Carroll’s famous story. The women in Alyssa’s family have been cursed since her ancestor began the Wonderland adventures almost one hundred and fifty years earlier. Her mother has been in an asylum for years and Alyssa herself has heard insects and flowers speaking to her since puberty hit. As Alyssa faces a pivotal decision in her mother’s treatment, the reality of Wonderland is revealed to her, plunging her into a world both foreign and familiar. She must face the deceits that have led to her family’s curse and she is forced to choose between those who matter most. 

Splintered pays tribute to Alice by continuously referencing the original and inserting various “Carrollisms”. However, the author is always careful to remind the reader that this isn’t only a story about Wonderland. Just as the reader snuggles into recognizable Wonderland territory, Howard reveals the latest emotional dilemma for transparent Alyssa. This isn’t just a girl going down a rabbit hole story—this is the girl finding the rabbit hole inside her. Alice is told through the eyes of a little girl, whereas Splintered is through the eyes of a girl on the verge of womanhood. 

There are plenty of fairy tale tropes in Splintered for those who are keen of eye—there’s a list of impossible tasks, a terrible family curse, and a Changeling. Characters’ names having meaning (the Greek origin of Alyssa is loosely “not-insane”). Old friends realize they’ve always loved each other and there’s even a Happily Ever After ending. Splintered ultimately gives readers a neon rendition of Wonderland—complete with nightmarish creatures like the skeletal Rabid White (White Rabbit) and the carnivorous Octobenus (Alice’s Walrus). It balances these otherworldly creatures with predictably heroic protagonists and leaves the reader somewhere between Victorian, Carroll-esque familiarity, and post-Twilight teenage rom-angst. Had little Alice grown up in this time, perhaps she would wear blue hair pieces, thick eyeliner, and black taffeta as well. ;)

Disclosure: A complimentary copy of the book was offered in exchange for an honest review, however the reviewer used her own, previously bought, copy.

Kelly Komm is a Canadian fantasy writer. She continues to question her sanity as she holds a day job and a night job, in addition to her life as a busy mom of two. You can follow her occasional ravings online at kellykomm.blogspot.ca/

"The Silver Witch": Review by Tahlia Merrill

"The Silver Witch" 

Review by Tahlia Merrill

STOP THE PRESSES:

-- GIVEAWAY ALERT! --

We will be interviewing the author of The Silver Witch, Paula Brackston, TOMORROW, TUESDAY APRIL 14th, on her virtual book tour, and we'll also be having a GIVEAWAY!

Psst - if you love Celtic stories with that unique blend of natural and Otherworld, past and present, then this is likely a book for you.

Enter the giveaway (details tomorrow) for a chance to add it to your fairy tale library!

Jacket description: 

A year after her husband's sudden death, ceramic artist Tilda Fordwells finally moves into the secluded Welsh cottage that was to be their new home. She hopes that the tranquil surroundings will help ease her grief, and lessen her disturbing visions of Mat's death. Instead, the lake in the valley below her cottage seems to spark something dormant in her - a sensitivity, and a power of some sort. Animals are drawn to her, electricity shorts out when she's near, and strangest of all, she sees a new vision; a boatful of ancient people approaching her across the water.

On this same lake in Celtic times lived Seren, a witch and shaman. She was respected but feared, kept separate from the community for her strange looks. When a vision came to her of the Prince amid a nest of vipers she warned of betrayal from one of his own. Prince Brynach both loved and revered her, but could not believe someone close to him wished him harm, even as the danger grew.

In her own time, Tilda's grief begins to fade beside her newfound powers and a fresh love. When she explores the lake's ancient magic and her own she discovers Seren, the woman in her vision of the boat. Their two lives strangely mirror each other's, suggesting a strong connection between the women. As Tilda comes under threat from a dark power, one reminiscent of Seren's prophecy, she must rely on Seren and ancient magic if death and disaster are not to shatter her life once more.

The Silver Witch is steeped in a mythic and mysterious Welsh landscape, blending historical fiction with contemporary fantasy, to take you on a journey shared by two women, who, despite living in very different times, need each other to find their way. 

This is my first time reading this New York Times bestselling author's work, so while I can't say how representative it is of her usual style, I can tell you Brackston handles the ambitious premise with aplomb. I thoroughly enjoyed the dual-narrative structure that alternated between one woman’s modern journey of self-discovery and another’s unraveling of ancient court intrigue.

The narrative is split between two women, divided by hundreds of years, but connected by the same mysterious lake in Wales. Modern day Tilda has always feared water and can’t shake the uneasy feeling surrounding her new lakeside home. On the other side of time, Seren is a respected female shaman receiving alarming visions of her village’s future. Even though the two women never meet, their fates are inextricably woven together.

Much like the wild magic of fairy tale forests, Silver Witch’s lake symbolizes great power, but also great danger. Seren is confident in her abilities and embraces the water as a source of strength. In fact, her ancient Celtic village has even built their dwellings—known as crannogs—in the middle of the lake (see picture). When Tilda moves near it, a power awakens inside her that she has avoided her whole life (it’s telling that her favorite hobby is running). Her journey is one of self-discovery.

Just like every forest has its wolves, Silver Witch’s lake has its monster lurking in its depths. If you’ve never heard of the Afanc, let me share what I learned from a quick wikipedia perusal (yes, I know, how horribly unscholarly of me)…

The Afanc, sometimes called The Addanc, is a lake monster that shows up throughout Celtic folklore. It’s as elusive as the  Loch Ness Monster, but sometimes it looks like a beaver, but other times it’s reported to take crocodile or dwarf form (no clue what’s terrifying about a beaver...maybe the tail?). It even makes an appearance in a version of Arthurian legend where the knight Percival slays an invisible poison-dart-shooting Afanc. I don’t want to give too much away, so I won’t discuss how Brackston involves the creature, but she certainly puts her own twist on it.

Despite the many strong points mentioned, Silver Witch has its weaknesses. Brackston writes Tilda’s story in third person present—a bold choice that never quite settled comfortably for me. In contrast, the first person present voice used for Seren’s narration feels natural and confident, much like the character herself. Stylistic choices aside, though, if you’ve never explored the era in Celtic history where the established Druid traditions are being reconciled with incoming Christianity, The Silver Witch gives you a great taste of that conflict. For a light introduction to Celtic history, wrapped in an introspective adventure, definitely consider trying The Silver Witch.

Disclosure: A complimentary copy of the book was provided by Thomas Dunne Books in exchange for an honest review.

Tahlia Merrill is Editor of Timeless Tales Magazine, and an official partner of Once Upon A Blog.

Review: "The Outsorcerer’s Apprentice" by Kevin J.J. Carpenter

"The Outsorcerer’s Apprentice" 

(A Novel of Overlords, Underlings and Inhuman Resources)

Review by Kevin J.J. Carpenter

Editor's Note: When you pick this book up in its paper incarnation, the initial impression is that maybe it fell out of the box on the way to the shelves... perhaps even a couple of times. Then you realize, wait: are those scorch marks? The very capable Kevin J.J. Carpenter has the rest of the report.

Jacket description: 

A happy workforce, it is said, is a productive workforce.

Mmmm.

Try telling that to an army of belligerent goblins. Or the Big Bad Wolf. Or a professional dragon slayer. 

Who is looking after their well-being? Who gives a damn about their intolerable working conditions, lack of adequate health insurance, and terrible coffee in the canteen?

Thankfully, with access to an astonishingly diverse workforce and limitless natural resources, maximizing and improving operating profit has never really been an issue for the one they call "the Wizard." 

Until now.

Because now a perfectly good business model -- based on sound fiscal planning, entrepreneurial flair, and only one or two of the infinite parallel worlds that make up our universe -- is about to be disrupted by a young man not entirely aware of what's going on.

There's also a slight risk that the fabric of reality will be torn to shreds. You really do have to be awfully careful with these things.

This is a fun book! With The Outsorcerer's Apprentice, Tom Holt weaves a satirical mosaic hidden under the guise of an eccentric -albeit clunky- fairy tale perfectly suited for the modern world. There's plenty of techno-talk, a wealth of socio-political overtones, enough caustic language to garner a giggle, and most of the characters have an extreme case of cynical meta-syndrome, an increasingly popular trope in literature. The story has been penned solely for the internet generation, and all is held together by a surplus of sardonic humour.

The world Holt introduces to us is an amalgam of classic stories and while the presentation of this alternate reality is graceless and cumbersome, a coherent understanding of its complicated history is evidentially not the author's intention.* A little dubiety no doubt goes a long way in allowing readers to appreciate Holt's foreign fairy land. When one also considers that the world is described as nothing more than a patchwork of city-states, each weaved from our childhood imaginations, it is easy to understand why the author chose a less-explicative approach.

The story itself can best be described as a modern fairy tale. The familiar beats are all here and Holt uses a host of time-honoured tropes. There's the typical 'Once upon a time' opening, the particularly persistent Big Bad Wolf, and a strong female protagonist who practically begs to be the brainchild of the Brothers Grimm. Holt also offers plenty unanticipated twists to the genre staples. For example, the childhood fear of wicked relatives and cannibalistic witches has been updated to include an emphasis on economic instability. Quite ingeniously, Holt never treats the issue as anything more than allegorical, even going as far to state that economics is a 'wizard's word'. Furthermore, Holt portrays his goblin king as an empathetic characters, shown to genuinely care for the safety and longevity of his goblin-kin. This beast of the underdark is far removed from the gluttonous pigs of Rossetti's Goblin Market or the industrious demons from The Lord of the Rings, and it's a refreshing interpretation of a stale cliché.

Although Holt's peculiar novel can be a gratifying and amusing experience, the enjoyment factor is entirely dependent on how one approaches the story. At least a spattering of interest in the mythical is crucial. A base knowledge of pseudo-science and admitting to a guilty pleasure of the satirical would certainly go a long way toward appreciating the core substance of Holt's wacky world. As I said before, this is a fun book, and it doesn't try to be anything more than that.

*After a little research, it appears The Outsorcerer's Apprentice is actually the conclusion to the YouSpace Trilogy, which might account for some of the disorientation in the text, but can still be enjoyed as a standalone novel.

Disclosure: A complimentary copy of the book was provided in exchange for an honest review.

Kevin J.J. Carpenter is a professional editor, writer and an avid reader. He enjoys all genres, particularly the classics, and has a personal library of nearly 1,500 books. He currently resides in Sydney, Australia. For more of his reviews, you can visit his GoodReads page HERE. ( https://www.goodreads.com/kevinjjcarpenter )

Review: Metalalia - "A Multimedia Fairy Tale Experience" by Stace Dumoski

"Metalalia - A Multimedia Fairy Tale Experience"

Review by Stace Dumoski

Editor's Note: Stace was brave enough to take on an unusual request - not just an ebook but a multimedia ebook at that, and it's clear she was just the right person for the job. (I'm also very much looking forward to her future reviews.) And in case you're wondering, what Metalalia means: "Metalalia comes from the Ancient Greek words meta, meaning ‘after’, and lalia, meaning ‘stories told’. It accurately describes the stories we are telling: original stories influenced by the thousands of fairytales, folktales and myths that have gone before, and re-imaginings of those bygone tales adapted to serve the needs of our time." (Note: image above is from Metalalia's "The River Girl".)

Description:

Metalalia: Mixed Media Fairytales for Phones and Tablets Metalalia is a unique multimedia e­reader, an immersive storytelling experience featuring - - High­ definition art, narration and music - Launched in December 2014 - Free to download, includes one free story - Additional stories available for in­app purchase with new content to be released monthly An ever growing library of stories, Metalalia contains bold retellings of classic tales in dynamic new settings. The app offers an experience unlike any other and the ability to customise how you enjoy your story.

Founded by LA­based musician Pam Shaffer, Metalalia combines Pam's signature haunting melodies with stories by the NESTA award­winning British writer Alex Nicholson alongside art from a team of accomplished visual artists and app developer Adam Schwem, known for his work on Shazam and Music ID.

I have been fascinated with the possibilities of digitally-assisted narrative ever since Captain Picard first walked onto the holodeck, so I was very excited to be given the opportunity to review Metalalia, an app designed for Apple's iPhone and iPad that presents original fairy tales as a multimedia experience. The app is the creative project of writer Alex Nicholson and musician Pam Shaffer, who collaborated with various composers, artists and programmers to create this digital storybook, which they envision as "an illuminated manuscript, but for the iPad."

It's important to point out Metalalia is not a single story, but an engine for presenting various tales produced by the authors. The free download includes one story, and there are currently three additional titles available for purchase at $2.99 each.

The app itself is very clean and intuitive to use. It opens with the image of a rustic bookcase from which you select the story you wish to read. Once the story begins, readers swipe the screen to turn the page, and can toggle text, music, and narration on or off, giving them complete control over the storytelling experience. On a technical level, the experience was flawless, and I'd like to see more storytelling experiments in this format.

The "fairy tale" that accompanies the download of Metalalia is a Rapunzel-inspired story called "The Hair-Woven Rope." I didn't think to time it, but the story lasts about 15 minutes, if you play the narration. It starts off well, with a fortress on a floating island and an unnamed protagonist locked away in a tower by her father. It features seven illustrations by artist Amy Faigin, and a lovely piano score by Shaffer. It's a fine, feminist adventure tale in which the heroine manages to escape her unhappy situation by her own devices (I'm sure you can guess how from the title of the story). It's a story I'd be happy to share with my own kids, but I'd say more "fairy tale inspired" than an actual fairy tale itself.

"The Wind-Up Boy" is a steampunk version of Pinocchio, in which the title character is created not to fulfill his father's desire for a child, but as an automated soldier for an ongoing war with a neighboring country. While the original Pinocchio is a moral tale that promises rewards for good behavior, Metalalia's version feels like it was intended to be a parable about the dehumanizing effects of war. Jiminy Cricket envisioned as a propaganda-spouting electronic "locust" is a particularly intriguing idea. (Editor: That IS intriguing! What a great concept.) I wanted this story to be longer, and for the author to spend less time echoing the events and characters of the original novel, and more time exploring the heart of the Wind-Up Boy. The adventure ends abruptly without him ever being tested, or having a chance to come to terms with his place in the world, and I found myself swiping my screen to look for more.

Shaffer and Nicholson promise more stories "featuring music and visual art set to original and reimagined fairytales and myths featuring LGBTQ characters, POC and disabled people." From the descriptions available about the other stories available for purchase, it seems like the fairy tale elements might be a little stronger than the story I read. Anyone who is looking for more stories like these should visit the Metalalia website for more information, or go HERE to the iTunes store for the app.

Note: You can see a video HERE of Metalalia in preview mode.
Disclosure: Complimentary copies of some of the stories were provided by Metalalia in exchange for an honest review.

Stace Dumoski is a professional content writer, aspiring fantasy novelist, and lover of all things magical and fantastical.  She has an undergraduate degree in Medieval Studies and has undertaken formal study in Folklore and Mythology and helmed the website "Phantastes: The Online Journal of Fantasy Criticism" which was listed three years running in the Year's Best Fantasy and Horror anthology. In joining the OUABlog review posse, she brings her extensive skills to report on some of her favorite subjects. You can find her magic filled blog HERE.

Review: "The Rabbit Back Literature Society" by Caitlin Postal

"The Rabbit Back Literature Society"

Review by Caitlin Postal

Editor's Note: This is one of those books I dearly wished I'd had time to review personally, with the use of folklore motifs and fairy tale-like echoes in the characters. Fortunately, partnering with Timeless Tales Magazine means we're able to begin building a "review posse" so Once Upon A Blog can post book reviews far more regularly (and Timeless Tales Magazine's Editor in Chief can get to know some new writers as well). Today, Caitlin gives you a glimpse as to why you might just be intrigued by The Rabbit Back Literature  Society too.

Jacket description: 

Only nine people have ever been chosen by renowned children’s author Laura White to join the Rabbit Back Literature Society, an elite group of writers in the small town of Rabbit Back. Now a tenth member has been selected: a young literature teacher named Ella.  

Soon Ella discovers that the Society is not what it seems. What is its mysterious ritual known as "The Game"? What explains the strange disappearance that occurs at Laura White’s winter party? Why are the words inside books starting to rearrange themselves? Was there once another tenth member, before her? Slowly, as Ella explores the Society and its history, disturbing secrets that had been buried for years start to come to light. . . .

To put it simply, The Rabbit Back Literature Society is not a fairy tale, nor does it claim to be. Instead, author Pasi Ilmari Jaaskelainen serves up an intriguing mystery woven with elements of folklore, which make the reader just as contemplative as the protagonist, Ella Milana.

The tale begins in the small town of Rabbit Back, best known for its renowned author Laura White and the nine students she hand selects to groom into writers. When Ella becomes the Society’s tenth member, she finds herself drawn into a fantastical conspiracy shared only by the nine other members.

Upon Ella's induction to the Rabbit Back Literature Society, however, Laura White disappears into thin air, like an enigmatic Snow Queen, leaving only flurries of snow behind. Willing search parties cannot find her and they refuse to venture into the forest. It's nearly impossible to discuss the folklore elements of this novel without spoilers, but suffice it to say, things are not what they seem. At first, I saw Laura White as an eccentric benefactor but I couldn't have anticipated the truth.

Many folktales use the wild mysterious forest as a contrast to the safety of town life. But this novel subverts that trope. Jaaskelainen’s woods are certainly mystical, but the town is also inexplicably touched by magic. From the garden gnomes in Ella’s front yard to the wild dogs who patrol, Rabbit Back is not a normal town. What has returned to Martti Winter's garden? Why is Ingrid Katz burning books? How did Laura White disappear? What happened to the Society’s first tenth member?

What the forest takes, it doesn't give back and Ella comes to realize that "Under one reality there's always another. And another one under that." And so the reader is drawn into teasing out the mystery, just like Ella herself.

The Rabbit Back Literature Society’s patented small town charm has a deliciously sinister undertone, thanks to the shadowy presence of the woods. For readers looking to add a touch of the Fae to their cozy mystery collection, this novel is sure to be a hit.

Disclosure: A complimentary copy of the book was provided by Thomas Dunne Books in exchange for an honest review.

Caitlin Postal is a marketing specialist who loves literature, history, and pop culture. When not writing, she can be found sewing costumes and donning medieval armor. You can find her on twitter: https://twitter.com/goingpostale.