"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: "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.

Calling All Writers Who Love To Read!

Our partnership with Timeless Tales has opened up an exciting new opportunity for our readers. We are forming a team of volunteer reviewers, so if you're a fellow fairy tale lover who would like to contribute to this blog (and have the opportunity for a little publicity for your own work), here is how you can apply.

We currently have a team of three regular reviewers and would like to add 2-3 more consistent members to our team and a longer list of intermittent members.  

I have no idea what kind of response this will receive, so consider this an open invite until May 1, 2015 with the possibility of us extending it.

INSTRUCTIONS

Send an email to Tahlia at 
timelesstalesbookreviews AT gmail DOT com 
with "I want to join the team!" in the subject line. 

Include the following information:

1. Your name and a short paragraph about yourself, focusing on your love of fairytales, your writing background, and what genres you like/dislike reading (so we know what books your most likely to enjoy). Please include links to any blogs or published pieces. Note: you are not required to be previously published to be considered for this position.

2. Are you interested in reviewing ebooks?

3. Do you have an iPad or iPhone? (We have a request at the moment that requires one of these devices) 

By Agata Kawa

General info:

• When you send us your application info, Tahlia will look it over and if she likes what she sees, she'll send you a review to write as a trial run. With the assignment, you will also receive all our review writing guidelines. If she's happy with what you submit, we will use it on the blog and consider you for further reviews. 
• This is sadly not a paid position, but we will give you full credit and a bio blurb at the end of the review, including links. 
• However, you will be allowed to keep any review copies/ARCs of books sent to you.
• The expected word count for your posts will be 250-500 words (not including the published blurb/synopsis).
• We will try to be flexible with your schedule, but must have writers who can commit to an agreed-upon deadline. If we send you a request and you choose to pass, that's totally fine. Once a deadline is agreed to and we send you a book, however, we will need you to meet that deadline (usually around a month after we mail you the book). Note: This is particularly important for books about to be released. We aim to support and promote the work of fairy tale authors, and possibly, one day, you too!

Congrats Catherynne Valente - Hugo Awards 2014 Finalist for 'Six Gun Snow White'

It's official! Catherynne M. Valente is a finalist for a Nebula this year!

Congratulations Ms. Valente. We have our guns, er, fingers, crossed for you. :)

From Subterranean Press, where it was published:

From New York Times bestselling author Catherynne M. Valente comes a brilliant reinvention of one the best known fairy tales of all time. In the novella Six-Gun Snow White, Valente transports the title’s heroine to a masterfully evoked Old West where Coyote is just as likely to be found as the seven dwarves. 

A plain-spoken, appealing narrator relates the history of her parents—a Nevada silver baron who forced the Crow people to give up one of their most beautiful daughters, Gun That Sings, in marriage to him. With her mother’s death in childbirth, so begins a heroine’s tale equal parts heartbreak and strength. This girl has been born into a world with no place for a half-native, half-white child. After being hidden for years, a very wicked stepmother finally gifts her with the name Snow White, referring to the pale skin she will never have. Filled with fascinating glimpses through the fabled looking glass and a close-up look at hard living in the gritty gun-slinging West, readers will be enchanted by this story at once familiar and entirely new. 

From Publishers Weekly (Starred Review):“Valente’s adaptation of the fairy tale to the Old West provides a witty read with complex reverberations from the real world… Any attempt to derive a simple message from this work would be an injustice to the originality of the atmosphere, the complexity of the interplay of its elements, and the simple pleasure of savoring Valente’s exuberant writing.”
From Library Journal: “Valente’s (Palimpsest; In the Night Garden) talent for telling stories that have the cadence and grace of poetry makes her a perfect interpreter of classic stories. Her fans will appreciate the humor and artistry in this imaginative retelling of one of the world’s most popular fairy tales.”
From Locus:“Catherynne M. Valente’s Six-Gun Snow White moves Snow into the wild, wild west and her take on this trope has all that you’d expect: prospectors, duels, horses, and dust. But Valente rips the beating heart out of the old versions of the story, dissects it to see how it works, jams it back into this new tale, and gives it a jolt of juice to bring it back to life. Six-Gun Snow White is a vital marvel.”
From SF Crowsnest:“…any reader who loves magical, poetic prose can dive into this sad and beautiful little story and take pleasure in the author’s elegantly rendered wordscapes.”

Note: The gorgeous cover is by the always-amazing Charles Vess.

Helen Oyeyemi (of "Boy, Snow, Bird") on Writing the Wicked Queen and the Power Fairy Tales

By now, you've probably heard of Helen Oyeyemi's book Boy, Snow, Bird, a literary retelling of Snow White that deals with racial issues. It's caught the attention of Oprah and The New York Times and is quickly rising on the best seller list.

Let me quickly add the press release blurb, in case this is still new to you, before we move on to others things:

Boy, Snow, Bird by Helen Oyeyemi 

From the prizewinning author of Mr. Fox , the Snow White fairy tale brilliantly recast as a story of family secrets, race, beauty, and vanity.In the winter of 1953, Boy Novak arrives by chance in a small town in Massachusetts, looking, she believes, for beauty-- the opposite of the life she' s left behind in New York. She marries a local widower and becomes stepmother to his winsome daughter, Snow Whitman.
A wicked stepmother is a creature Boy never imagined she' d become, but elements of the familiar tale of aesthetic obsession begin to play themselves out when the birth of Boy' s daughter, Bird, who is dark-skinned, exposes the Whitmans as light-skinned African Americans passing for white. Among them, Boy, Snow, and Bird confront the tyranny of the mirror to ask how much power surfaces really hold.
Dazzlingly inventive and powerfully moving , Boy, Snow, Bird is an astonishing and enchanting novel. With breathtaking feats of imagination, Helen Oyeyemi confirms her place as one of the most original and dynamic literary voices of our time.

Since there are a lot of reviews and information about the book out there already (I recommend starting with Heidi Ann Heiner of SurLaLune and her review HERE), I won't go over the same ground.

Instead I thought I'd offer some different aspects on this retelling of Snow White. As a little bonus, throughout the post are a variety of proposed designs for the book cover, which I always find interesting as they give a different but valid emphasis to the book.

Here's a short but lovely introduction to the book by way of audio. You'll get an idea of the language the author uses as well as immediate immersion into the fairy tale.

You can hear the whole book for free right now HERE (via one of those 30 day trial deals).

And here are three (four, really) treats: Helen Oyeyemi sharing her thoughts on, not only her book and Snow White but fairy tales in general, as well as excerpts from a very different fairy tale aficionado review.

First up is an excerpt from an interview in Bustle:

What did you see as the most compelling characteristics of the wicked stepmother? 

HO: I like that in the typical fairy tale, the wicked woman is the one who makes trouble. The wicked stepmother in “Snow White” made me think a lot about beauty: how women interpret beauty and how these interpretations feed into our relationships, from envy to rivalry to protectiveness. It also made me wonder why in the original story different types of beauty can’t co-exist. 

What was the most challenging part of constructing the wicked queen?  

HO: The challenge of building the wicked queen was in not relying on Boy’s past for a complete explanation of the problems between Boy and Snow — for most of the book, Boy’s quite determined not to do any reliving. 

I don’t like retellings of stories where a woman is explained by her past — where her past is something that was part of her personality. I wanted to loosen the walls and try to figure out a new way to tell the story of the wicked queen.   

You can read the whole of the interview HERE.

And from NPR, who often presents a refreshing perspective:

On playing off of fairy talesI think that they're the purest form of story that you can get. They sort of strip down human behavior to the absolute basics. So with Snow White you have this story about envy and what the consequences of those are. And I suppose that when I'm reading a fairy tale I find it easier to rescue the characters than with other stories.
And I wanted to rescue the wicked stepmother. I felt that, especially in Snow White, I think that the evil queen finds it sort of a hassle to be such a villain. It seems a bit much for her, and so I kind of wanted to lift that load a little bit. 

You can hear the interview at the NPR link above or, if you're having trouble hearing the audio on your device, there's a transcript available HERE.

And here's a very short, but interesting video of Ms. Oyeyemi speaking about the power of fairy tales in a New York Times interview:

Helen Oyeyemi, whose new novel, "Boy, Snow, Bird," was inspired by "Snow White," says fairy tales allow us to focus on "the nature of stories themselves, and the curious power they have."

Lastly, here are a couple of excerpts from an interesting write up from a Polish blog. Auto-translate is responsible for the weirdness of the language, including the his/her mix-ups but I kinda love the rawness of it as well. I'm including the introduction (shown in bold) because it gives an interesting commentary on the resurgence of fairy tale retellings in recent years as well:

In recent years, pop culture has returned to the fashion of fairy tales and their modern interpretations. After the age of luscious, candy filming the stables Disney fairy tales again regained its adult nature and conquered the imagination of a new culture all manner of modern eaters. Finally, the air is filled with the spirit of the mad and cruel story of Wilhelm and Jacob Grimm, sadness and despair beautiful Andersen story or moral decency fairy tale by Charles Perrault certain. She returned even coquettish Scheherazade, flew Peter Pan, or the witches in "The Wizard of Oz". I must admit that the classic fairy tale I have a big fondness. My beloved since childhood, much misunderstanding parents are "Jednooczka, Dwuoczka and Trójoczka" The Brothers Grimm - the title already seen that from an early age, I felt attracted to the strangeness, and how to add, that history also includes burying raw liver under the porch, it knows where to splatterpunka love and gore. As you know, I love to interpret... and fairy tales give me a wide range of possibilities, depending on the time in which to be not taking. Because the fairy tale worth coming back and read again, customize and play with meanings.  

Universal potential and great symbolic force emanating from the classic fairy tale has used in his latest novel entitled "Boy, Snow Bird" by British author Helen Oyeyemi . The writer very subtly and intriguingly tangled in his story magic, supernatural elements and the classic fairy tale themes, creating one of the most interesting reinterpretation of this type in recent years. The basis of the plot used in building one of the most famous stories in the world, that cult "Snow White" The Brothers Grimm. However, "Boy, Snow Bird" reader seeking also find echoes of "Sleeping Beauty", "The Snow Queen", or even "Cinderella". Helen Oyeyemi chose only a tiny kawalątki these stories, and the history of Snow White in a turbulent and presses the uneasy reality of the fifties and sixties of the twentieth century the United States. She told them a new, thus creating a fresh, contemporary fairy tale. And as it happens in the classical fairy tales filled it with ambiguity and universal symbolism, which will long remain in the subconscious mind readers. 

..."Boy, Snow Bird" Helen Oyeyemi is a story that still deceiving me, weaved and sucked in the twists and turns of its plot, as in the forest depths. A small American town seemed mysterious land which seemingly charming and "as a picture" was hidden in the shadows of a dirty racial obsession, intolerance and concerns of closed communities which do not have access to extensive changes in other parts of the country. Family of the picture in the house Whitman, who for one shake a magic wand proved to be the arena fighting for the acceptance of women, both in the eyes of others, as in his own. I mean, how can you live in harmony with each other, even when the mirror shows that we are not to end? When even those closest to us sometimes seem not to notice? When every look we have the impression that in a mirror dimly?

You can read the whole of the blog entry HERE, as long as you either can read Polish, or have Google translate. :)

I'm looking forward to reading this at some point in the (hopefully near) future but if you've already managed to dive in, feel free to share your impressions in the comments below.

Review: "Beyond the Glass Slipper" & Writing Contest with Cash Prizes!

Lesser known fairy tales from The Olive Fairy Book by Kate Baylay

I just wrote a review on Amazon for Beyond the Glass Slipper: Ten Neglected Tales To Fall In Love With by Kate Wolford and wanted to share it for two reasons:

1) It's a wonderful book and I highly recommend it
2) There's a writing contest in celebration of the book's release with a $200 cash prize for 1st place and four runner-up prizes of $50 each! (NO FEE TO ENTER.)

You don't need to purchase the book - just be inspired by the tales within (you can easily find the texts online). You have just over a month till the deadline (August 15, 2013 at 11:59pm EST).

However:

I do recommend investing your $10 because this book will get the ideas bubbling very quickly and keep the creative juices flowing (not to mention keep you smiling with Kate's witty commentary and behind-the-tale insights!) and whether you win or not, you won't find this a bad purchase in any way.

To the review!

✒ ✒ ✒ ✒ ✒ (click the "Read more" link below this line) ✒ ✒ ✒ ✒ ✒ 

The Girl With Glass Feet - Review

Strange things are happening on the remote archipelago of St Hauda's Land. Unusual winged creatures flit around icy bogland; albino animals hide in the snow-glazed woods; jellyfish glow in the ocean's depths… and Ida Maclaird is turning into glass.

The Girl With Glass Feet

The premise:
We're introduced to St. Hauda's Land in the coldest season and at first glance it seems this is a place where Winter rules all. The land is icy and snowbound, the guarded people forced together by the black sea surrounding it and the mysteries contained within. The boglands are harsh and lend themselves to ghost-sightings, though whether they're real or imaginary, most are reluctant to find out.

"Would you believe there are glass bodies here, hidden in the bog water?" Henry Fuwa says to mainlander Ida Mclaird, in a brief and very odd exchange.

It's something she dismisses as one stranger's delirious ramblings until her own feet begin to turn to glass. She returns to St. Hauda's determined to find Henry and some answers. But there's much more to the monochrome land, and it's people, than first meets the eye. Even with the reluctant help of a young local photographer named Midas, Ida finds more questions than answers, and, as the glass creeps up her ankles, it's apparent time is running out.

Illustration by Ali Shaw of St. Hauda's Land

Review:
Note: As this is a fairy tale themed blog I'll be focusing on the folk/fairy tale and mythic aspects of the novel.

Quite simply, I loved this book, not the least because it's all about transformation. It was an unexpected pleasure of magical realism interwoven with a touching and resonant love story*. The fantastical elements were so deftly handled it felt completely believable. While I was reading, the weather was cold and snow-filled and it wasn't a stretch to feel you could look out the window and catch a glimpse of the elusive creature who "turns everything she looks at pure white". Other creatures and phenomena are revealed so naturally you're drawn in to accept their reality without question, which in turn brings you to appreciate this harsh yet wondrous land. This is a story which just happens to have fantastic aspects. You don't need to like fantasy or fairy tales to enjoy this book.

A moth-winged bull by Ali Shaw

The fairy tale of this novel is very 'old world' in that it's not focused on the magic, nor on the happily-ever-after but instead on the people and the individual journeys they take - some more successful than others. A parallel could be made with Cinderella, considering the 'permanent' glass slipper and the ticking clock but I feel this fairy tale deserves it's own consideration apart from that story type. If anything, "The Girl With Glass Feet" seems to have a closer relation to Snow Maiden stories or Orpheus & Eurydice. Despite those parallels and the bleakness of the land and circumstances (for more than just Ida and Midas) there's a very real sense of hope and a blooming of life, something mirrored by the lovely little moth-winged cattle that share one of the most symbolic and touching scenes in the book.
It's apparent Mr. Shaw reads and loves the old fairy tales (something that was confirmed by visiting his blog, in which he discusses some of his favorites and shares the lovely sketches he's been inspired to draw, some of which are shown in this post). "The Girl With Glass Feet" draws on European fairy tales (as well as possibly some Inuit legends) and is infused with fantastic renderings that have as much believability as they had in the pre-mechanized past when everyday tasks and rituals allowed for the reality of such creatures and happenings.

Click Ali Shaw's sketch to go to his blog

The writing itself is lovely; an impressive debut with a wonderfully unique way of using words that's a pleasure to read. Told mainly from the point of view of Midas and Ida, the point of view changes within chapters (and sometimes paragraphs) were unexpected but I felt it worked for the most part, rarely pulling me out of the story (some were, in fact, humorous and/or wonderfully refreshing). I usually find such 'head-hopping' very distracting but the fluidity of storytelling remained in general. There are many relational intricacies between the many characters, including Midas' parents (one deceased and one not), Ida's parents and more. Overall they're well handled and interwoven. If anything bothered me it was possibly a little too much backstory on some of the more minor characters, making me impatient to get back to the ticking clock on Midas and Ida. This is forgivable though as all the characters felt very real. Even the descriptions of the locations had such variety and life, the land itself seemed alive and a character in its own right, with its own story.
There are many other reviews cropping up at present so I won't go into too much more detail except to say the book is full of deliberate contrasts which play off of each other beautifully (such as the lively Ida slowly turning to glass while Midas, who has stayed safely behind the glass lens of his camera, learns to embrace life). I love the symbolism used throughout, which doesn't feel at all heavy-handed (I'll let you to discover your own connections). The heart of the land and the hearts of the people living in it are juxtaposed to great effect while always there's the sense of water all around, moving everything and everyone along in the story. Even the prose has a very fluid feel to it with the words flowing beautifully and unpredictably, taking you to places you wouldn't expect.

Illustration by Ali Shaw for his blog post on The Nixie in the Millpond

I liked that reasons weren't given for every phenomena and that some things were left unexplained. There were enough depths and textures given that you could create your own theories if you thought about it but it also felt very fairy tale-like to have things just 'be' without dissection. I found the ending touching, completely satisfying and thought it finished with just the right amount of denouement.

If this is the only book Mr. Shaw writes**, it's a great one to have written. It's already gathering honorable mentions and being placed on the long and short lists for awards. I wouldn't be surprised if it becomes a movie one day, it has that sort of feel to it, reminding me of both Gabriel Garcia Marquez's books and "Snow Falling On Cedars".

Author Ali Shaw

Summary:
"The Girl With Glass Feet" is a magical, transformative story, full of an 'old world' fairy tale sense, contrasting wonder with bleakness, both in landscape and in circumstance. This book was such a joy to read - a true winter fairy tale that doesn't shy away from the pain and sadness of an imperfect world yet still shines with the hope of a coming sun.

Rating:
5 stars - excellent. Highly recommended.

Other reviews of "The Girl With Glass Feet" by fairy tale sites:
Folk and Fairy
Supernatural Fairy Tales
Cabinet Des Feés

* This isn't a romance per say but it is very much in keeping with how romantic love is portrayed in fairy tales - that is, truly, both in pain and in joy. There is more than one love story in this book and the others neatly serve to underscore the truth of the main, developing, love story between Ida and Midas.
** Ali Shaw is currently at work on his second novel.