Sunday 27 April 2008

The Faery Reel by Various

Synopsis

This lively anthology brings together 17 original stories and three poems with the common theme of fairies and other nature spirits. Windling leads off with a fine introductory essay on the origins, varieties, and attitudes toward fairies in different cultures and, in particular, their treatment in English literature and art. Among the authors represented are Neil Gaiman, Patricia McKillip, and Gregory Maguire, though less-well-known writers contribute some of the most imaginative and edgy pieces. Most of the stories bring magical elements into modern settings, including New York City, an English village, a Brazilian city, a Japanese mountainside, a French farm, and L.A. Datlow and Windling, who edit the annual adult anthology The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror, call this a companion volume to The Green Man: Tales from the Mythic Forest (2002), which was published for teen readers. A rewarding choice for those who like the traditional with a twist.

My View

I loved this collection of "faerie" stories each one was so different and as with the Green Man we see those authors we may be familiar with but, also ones I certainly have never heard of. I wouldn't say I enjoyed this any more than I did the Green Man as they are both quite different but, I think if you have read and liked one of them you will definitely like the others, would be nice to see a Volume 2 of these type of books they are great to read all at once ort to dip into every now and then for a short story. Althopugh aimed at young adults I loved this and I am very far from a young adult!

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I really hope to read this soon. You should definitely read the adult fairy tale series they both edited. I have read 5 of the 6 so far and have really enjoyed each one. There are reviews on my blog of all the ones I have read. The first in the series is Snow White, Blood Red and is being re-released.