| Title | : | Where the Veil Is Thin |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 1947659812 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781947659810 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 210 |
| Publication | : | First published July 7, 2020 |
Around the world, there are tales of creatures that live in mist or shadow, hidden from humans by only the slightest veil. In Where the Veil Is Thin, these creatures step into the light. Some are small and harmless. Some are bizarre mirrors of this world. Some have hidden motives, while others seek justice against humans who have wronged them.
In these pages, you will meet blood-sucking tooth fairies and gentle boo hags, souls who find new shapes after death and changelings seeking a way to fit into either world. You will cross the veil—but be careful that you remember the way back.
Where the Veil Is Thin Reviews
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oh, maybe THIS is everything i've ever wanted?
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So, here I am again, having read an entire anthology just because there’s a contribution from Seanan McGuire. I always think this is a brilliant idea when I first stumble across the book but my excitement generally turns to dread when I remember that short stories and I have a love-hate relationship. I love some and I hate some. Sometimes the love outweighs the hate but more times than I can count it’s the other way around.
Taking on faeries (“Yes, but we don’t like to use that word.”) are fourteen authors. Included in the mix are stories of love and betrayal, a unicorn named Kevin, changelings and a Choose-Your-Own-Adventure that knows when you’re cheating.
The Tooth Fairies: Quest for Tear Haven by Glenn ParrisNight always invited wayward blood thirst in one form or another.
Glamour by Grey Yuen“The door! We saw the door. I swear it! It had a mouth and it screamed!”
See a Fine Lady by Seanan McGuire“It’s always so much easier to do our shopping when someone can see us.”
Or Perhaps Up by C.S.E. Cooney“Family does not pull family under. We pull each other out.”
Don’t Let Go by Alana Joli Abbott“You shouldn’t have seen that.”
The Loophole by L. Penelope“Seems like my last meal isn’t agreeing with me.”
The Last Home of Master Tranquil Cloud by Minsoo Kang“Even as we speak, the fate of the man who has done me wrong is being sealed.”
Your Two Better Halves by Carlos Hernandez“Your choices are your opportunities.”
Take Only Photos by Shanna Swendson“What else that’s supposed to be imaginary is actually real?”
Old Twelvey Night by Gwendolyn N. NixIt happened the same way every time.
The Seal-Woman’s Tale by Alethea KontisAh, humans. My guilty pleasure, my fatal flaw. They were always just so … fun.
The Storyteller by David Bowles“Would you like to hear a story?”
Summer Skin by Zin E. RocklynIt would be nice to be noticed.
Colt’s Tooth by Linda Robertson“You’re not going anywhere ‘til I get those teeth!”
All of the anthologies that came before this one are now collectively pointing at me and sneering, ‘Have we taught you nothing about yourself?’ While this book already boasts multiple five star reviews, I wandered through it underwhelmed. I’d encourage you to read some of these five star reviews before deciding whether or not this is the book for you.
I loved Anna Dittmann’s cover illustration but unfortunately I didn’t come away with any favourite stories.
Content warnings include mention of assault, murder, self harm, sexual assault and torture.
Thank you to NetGalley and Outland Entertainment for the opportunity to read this anthology.
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Fantasy Literature
Where the Veil Is Thin (2020), an anthology of stories about fairies and spirits, began as a Kickstarter. The project was successful, and the book is now available. Editors Cerece Rennie Murphy and Alana Joli Abbott have brought together a diverse group of authors with a wide variety of writing styles and approaches to the fae. While the tag line on the back cover says “These are not your daughter’s faerie tales,” some of the stories do read as if they might be intended for a youthful audience, while others are definitely not for kids. The stunning cover art is by Anna Dittmann.
The collection begins with a brief introduction by Jim C. Hines. In it, he discusses the enduring appeal of fairies and other spirits in many cultures throughout history. He also observes that the whole Tooth Fairy ritual is kind of creepy when you think about it. There are two creepy Tooth Fairy stories in Where the Veil Is Thin, so this is quite apropos.
On to the stories:
“The Tooth Fairies: Quest for Tear Haven” by Glenn Parris: As you might guess from the title, this is one of the tooth fairy stories. Parris has a clever idea about why the fairies are so interested in teeth: it’s not the tooth they want, per se, it’s the blood! These fairies are a variety of vampire, but too small to bite people, so they have to take their sustenance where they can get it. I liked the concept, but found the story just sort of grubby and gross. This is one of the ones that reads “young,” probably mostly because the main human character is a little kid.
“Glamour” by Grey Yuen: This is a detective story with a fairy twist. It took me a while to warm to it because the narrator Jack is such a curmudgeon (everybody get off his lawn!), but it turned out to be pretty clever. Jack is investigating the death of a pop star, and finds that she was something other than human. It’s a creative take on a famous fairy legend, and plays on the double meaning of the word “glamour” — if there were fairies in the here and now, it makes complete sense that they’d be celebrities!
“See a Fine Lady” by Seanan McGuire: This story is a standalone, not set in any of McGuire’s series. A beleaguered Target employee’s life changes forever when a woman rides a unicorn into her store. The story is hilarious (unicorns do not, it turns out, poop rainbows!), and also perfectly captures the experience of a soul-sucking retail job.
“Or Perhaps Up” by C.S.E. Cooney: Reeling from a recent breakup, a young woman meets disaster when she unearths an abandoned swan boat from a carnival ride and tries to take it out on the water. Along the way, Cooney beautifully fills in the warm relationship between the woman and her mother. The story is funny in places, though in a drier way than McGuire’s entry, and then when the heroine capsizes and finds herself in a surreal watery realm, the prose becomes dreamlike. And then the mother-daughter relationship reemerges to break your heart.
“Don’t Let Go” by Alana Joli Abbott: This is a take on the ballad of Tam Lin, but set on the Isle of Man, which has its own unique folklore. Rain, an American college student, meets one of the locals, who is sexy and mysterious and seems to be in thrall to an unpleasant older woman. It’s an enjoyable retelling, but Rain’s friend Jonas is right — she’s a terrible mythologist if she doesn’t recognize any of the names and terms that come up!
“The Loophole: A Story of Elsewhere” by L. Penelope: Rhenna is a Boo Hag, though she prefers the term Breath Witch. Rhenna needs to do certain weird and gross things to sustain her existence, and I found the ins and outs of this process really interesting. I would gladly read a full-length urban fantasy novel about her life in her city. Unfortunately, the fairy character is so powerful that he kind of takes over the latter part of the story in a fae-us ex machina, and I wasn’t as interested in him.
“The Last Home of Master Tranquil Cloud” by Minsoo Kang: A famous philosopher wrote an uncharacteristic treatise about women’s rights just before his death, and the narrator recounts the legend of how this topic attracted his attention. The story is written in the form of a parable or a historical document, so the style is kind of dry, but it takes a type of spirit that has been maligned as a seductress and puts a more empowering spin on her.
“Your Two Better Halves — A Dream, With Fairies, In Spanglish” by Carlos Hernandez: This is a Choose Your Own Adventure-type story, and completely surreal. Hernandez’s fairies are “half of one thing yoked haphazardly with half of another thing.” And the two things can be anything: an animal, an inanimate object, an abstract concept. So as you might guess, the story is quite weird! Because of this piece in particular, I’m going to recommend that you read this book in paperback, because other reviewers have reported that it’s a pain to read “Your Two Better Halves” on an e-reader.
“Take Only Photos” by Shanna Swendson: An introverted office worker is disturbed by fairies partying in her house every night. The character is an adult with adult concerns, but the structure of the story felt younger at times. It just seemed a bit too tidy and the moral too obvious.
“Old Twelvey Night” by Gwendolyn N. Nix: Datura is an apple-tree spirit. This isn’t as pleasant as you might imagine; she’s only active during the winter when the apples are all fallen and withered, and there’s a lot of monotonous work involved in tending to the tree. Datura dreams of seeing the tree in summer and actually getting to eat a crisp apple. She falls in love with Tibb, one of the “mischief-things” that oppose the tree spirits and try to destroy the grove. This, like “Or Perhaps Up,” is the kind of thing I was looking for from this anthology: weird and pretty prose, and a palpable sense of longing.
“The Seal-Woman’s Tale: A Tale of Arilland” by Alethea Kontis: This story was kind of mood-whiplash for me. The first paragraph is “Ah, humans. My guilty pleasure, my fatal flaw. They were always just so … fun.” And the beginning of the story seems to be setting up a lusty, sexy story. Instead, “The Seal-Woman’s Tale” is extremely grim, and no humans are involved in the protagonist’s fate. This is a dark tale about a selkie who is enslaved by a troll-king with terrible ambitions. There are some heartbreaking moments that are really well done. I’m not sure how Kyria could have hidden her secret from Jason as long as she did, though.
“The Storyteller” by David Bowles: A lovely but very short story about a matriarch whose last yarn is very different from any she’s told before, and the great-granddaughter who figures out what it means. This is another one that feels “younger.” With its theme of reviving and continuing family traditions, it reminded me a bit of an old Joan Aiken story, “The Gift-Giving.”
“Summer Skin” by Zin E. Rocklyn: I’m not sure what kind of magical being the protagonist of this story is, but I know I don’t want to meet her in a dark alley! She has a skin condition, and as the tale begins, she is stalking a woman she believes can help her alleviate it. The skin condition is described in nauseating detail, and there are hints of worse things, made even more frightening by how the narrator dances around them instead of saying them head-on. “Summer Skin” is scary as hell and really effective at it.
“Colt’s Tooth” by Linda Robertson: The second tooth fairy story, this is set in Texas in 1867, a unique setting for fairies. It stars a six-year-old boy, Colt, and feels “young.” Colt’s mother takes him to the town barber to have his tooth pulled, but Colt can tell there’s something not right about the barber. The man is creepy indeed, but the story is tied up neatly with help from Ma and Pa, which (along with the young protagonist) is part of why it feels more kid-oriented.
As is often the case for anthologies, Where the Veil Is Thin is kind of a mixed bag. I’m glad I read it, because I got to enjoy stories from familiar authors and also find some new authors to check out. But the stories vary so much in tone and style that any one reader is unlikely to click with all of them, and that was true for me as well. I would recommend this collection most to people who are already a fan of at least one of the featured writers, so that you know there is something here you’ll enjoy, and you might also discover something new along the way. -
Apparently the tooth fairy is much, much scarier than I ever remembering thinking as a child. There are no less than three, yes 3, stories about evil tooth related fairies in this anthology. Who knew? Lol.
Overall this is just an okay anthology. I was disappointed by the Seanan McGuire story; which is the reason I picked this one up at all. But finding new, upcoming author Gwendolyn N. Nix is hopefully worth my time.
Here's some quick notes about each story:
Story #1 - The Tooth Fairies, by Glenn Paris
This story is a bit disturbing... but that might just be because the fairies are harvesting blood from a child, and a spider takes at least one of them out. *shudder*.
Story #2 - Glamour, by Grey Yuen
I read this story this morning... it was so dull I can’t remember anything about it.
Story #3 - See a Fine Lady by Seanan McGuire
Oh Ms McGuire, whose has the ability to both invoke dreamy intrigue and make me laugh at the same time. Nothing like a unicorn in Target to make on chuckle; but then to have it poop on the merchandise? Yep that’s pure ridiculous gold.
Story #4 - Or Perhaps Up by CSE Cooney
This story is very subjective and existentialist. It didn’t really grab my attention but someone in the right frame of mind might glean some wisdom from it...
Story #5 - Don't Let Go by Alana Abbott
Drop me in a story about fairies in Ireland any day and I'm likely to be pretty happy. Add in a handsome local and a bewildering visitor; and you've probably got a story I can get behind.
Story #6 - The Loophole by L. Penelope
Loved this one!! Took a couple pages to figure out what was going on but the ending is just wonderful. Dark but romantic.
Story #7 - Your Two Better Halves, A Dream With Fairies in Spanglish by Carlos Hernandez’s
Choose your own adventure books were at the height of popularity when I was a kid and the perfect age to love them. I’ve read dozens if not hundreds. But here’s the thing... they gave page numbers and we had paperback copies. On an e-reader with only letters and no hyperlinks it’s a disaster to try and read this
Story #8 - Take Only Photos by Shanna Swendson
Adorable! I really like the writing style of Swendson and am going to check out what else she has written. Some cute jokes, perfect portrayal of an introvert who just needed someone to reach out and be friends with. Oh and there are fairies. 😉
Story #9 - Old Twelvey Night by Gwendolyn N. Nix
”It’s crisp and good, but once you bite-even just a nibble-you have to eat the whole thing.” A quote regarding apples.
Wow! Love this. It’s creepy, compelling, and oddly relatable in a disturbing way. The only thing disappointing is to learn Nix hasn’t written much else. But she’s still young so here’s hoping she emerges. I’d sign her!
Story #10 - The Seal Woman’s Tale by Alethea Kontis
A classic tale spun with trolls instead of humans; and a survivor in the end. Lovely.
Story #11 - The Storyteller by David Bowles
Super short, a little sweet; but ultimately a let down.
Story #12 - Summer Skin by Zin E. Rocklyn
Predictable but still fairly well written.
Story #13 - Colt’s Tooth by Linda Robertson
Another evil tooth fairy story. Who knew so many people had bad thoughts or dreams about the tooth fairy! This one is okay; but nothing special.
In the end the best story, by far, is from Gwendolyn N. Nix. I really hope someone signs her immediately to a publishing deal as I need more of her work!!!
Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review. -
ARC provided by Outland Entertainment, Alana Joli Abbott, and Cerece Rennie Murphy via NetGalley. All opinions are mine and freely given.
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07-31: 'Where the Veil Is Thin' is a rather dark faerie anthology edited by Alana Joli Abbot and Cerece Rennie Murphy and featuring other names like Seanan McGuire, C.S.E. Cooney, David Bowles, Minsoo King, and many more.
The stories contained with in are far from the whimsical tales of children, but they're born of tales from around the world. Some benevolent, others.. well, some things just barely out of sight.. existing on the periphery of our world.. are best left there.
I eagerly began this collection, in part.. because I'd never read anything from Seanan McGuire, but I'd heard great things about her. The introduction at the forefront of the book.. however, from Jim C. Hines, absolutely set the atmosphere as he spoke of harmless stories we learn as children.. things like the trading of a tooth for money under our pillows in the night, then drew those ideas together with what many of us have become accustomed to reading as adults.. the risks included when we engage in a fairy bargain. And.. let's face it, that's exactly what the tooth fairy trade-off is.. a bargain.
It's funny that as I've read dark fae stories over the years and learned some of the rules, incur no debts with thanks and apologies, don't enter into bargains if you cannot fully see all the possibilities left out of the structure of wording, and never eat things provided by them.. especially across the veil in their world.. I never really sat back and connected them with those childhood experiences.
The first couple of stories were admittedly, mildly interesting perspectives on the old tales, but the anthology did indeed begin to pick up when I reached McGuire's offering.
'See A Fine Lady' was such an unorthodox story right from the start. Set in our very modern world, not just the urban space.. but literally a Target store, an employee sees a most extraordinary thing. Attempting to get closer, to convince herself she isn't crazy, things only become more bizarre. A seemingly simple decision made leads to a much more complex situation.
My favorite story in the collection is 'Or Perhaps Up' by C.S.E. Cooney. I had never heard of her before, but Wikipedia states she's best known for her fantasy poetry and short stories and has won the Rhysling Award for her poem 'The Sea King's Second Bride' and the World Fantasy Award--Collection for 'Bone Swans.
It feels almost tragic that I've never read anything penned by her before, as she writes with an ethereal mixture of hope and despair that tugs right at my heart. I seldom become so invested in a short story as I did with this one. She managed within just a few pages to make me care deeply for each of her characters and I love the world she created. This story and this author were an unexpected gem buried within the pages for me.
"We re-labeled all traditionally "family" holidays as "Feasts of the Forsaken," in which any friend estranged from blood-ties or too far distant to claim them could come celebrate with us."
Another highlight was 'Don't Let Go' by Alana Joli Abbott which delves into a side of Nordic lore I don't see often and mixing it seamlessly with Celtic legends I knew well. The story which seems to start off so lightly, progresses into a darkness with a glimpse of shadow and then small, subtle movements until you are desperately hopeful and fearful at once.
There are plenty of wonderful stories in this anthology and if you enjoy short stories, you should definitely pick it up. I have a couple of others that really stood out for me.. like 'The Loophole' by L. Penelope and 'The Seal-Woman's Tale' by Alethea Kontis. One is surprisingly sweet and the other borders on the horrible in spots, but both will leave an indelible impression on the reader.. and I loved them.
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“If I’d known then what I know now about fairy lore, I would have told my mother to burn that damned pillow and get those cursed teeth as far away from me as possible. Fairies and spirits aren’t generally known for altruism and charity, and a fairy bargain – even one so simple as trading a coin for a tooth – is a dangerous thing.”
“Perhaps most importantly, these stories hold a mirror to ourselves. J.M. Barrie of Peter Pan fame wrote that when the first human child laughed, that laugh shattered into countless pieces, and those pieces became fairies.”
It’s yesterday’s news that I am obsessed with Fae and that I blindly jump to every opportunity to read something new on the topic. This time it was an ARC of a fairy anthology with barely any authors familiar to me and a gorgeous cover. Of course I hit that request button.
It’s a known thing that each anthology is filled with stories which range from a hit to a miss. This is partly because editors use this method to promote up and coming authors, among the already famous, hardened ones. I don’t have anything against this, on the contrary, I think it’s an amazing thing, because I discovered some really great authors this way, but it doesn’t erase the fact that the day when I’ll rate an anthology with 5 stars is in a galaxy far, far away. This is mostly because of my rating process, where I rate each story separately, and then calculate the end results. The bad eggs bring the others down. The point I’m making here is that four stars is a pretty high score for an anthology, and that this one is worth your attention. On to the stories:
The Tooth Fairies by Glenn Parris
This one is obviously about tooth fairies, who are something like The Borrowers, except pretty bloodthirsty. On their mission to retrieve a molar, they encounter the one thing they fear most – a witch’s familiar. 4/5 stars
Glamour by Grey Yuen
I didn’t like this story much, even though it was well written. A murder happens, and the detectives discover the victim, a famous singer, was Fae, but there’s more to the crime scene than meets the eye. 3/5 stars
See a Fine Lady by Seanan McGuire
This one was interesting because it starts like a joke. A lady rides into a Target store on a unicorn. The lady is of course Fae, and only one worker can see the unusual beings and she’s curious to know more. 4/5 stars
Or Perhaps Up by C.S.E. Cooney
A truly lovely and imaginative story, it felt like a dream. A girl drowns in a river and becomes a water fairy. Beautifully written. 5/5 stars
Don’t Let Go by Alana Joli Abbott
This story was cute but not too interesting. It’s set on the Isle of Man, which is a setting I never encountered before. It’ about a girl who likes a boy with a secret. 4/5 stars
The Loophole by L. Penelope
I loved how this was written, but unfortunately it felt incomplete. It’s probably because this story is accompanying a larger work and didn’t do well on its own. I did like the characters though and that one of them was a breath witch, so I may look into the series this story fits into. 3.5/5 stars
The Last Home of Master Tranquil Cloud by Minsoo Kang
This was a lovely, sweet story about a Chinese scholar who stands up for women in a patriarchal society bent on destroying women without an obvious use. Bonus points for fox spirits. 4/5 stars
Your Two Better Halves: A Dream, with Fairies in Spanglish by Carlos Hernandez
Wow, this was wild. It’s a choose your own adventure story so that part was quite interesting, but it lacks quality in writing and characters, and the writer tried to compensate with throwing in random Spanish words. I had fun hopping around, like in a game, so that upped my rating. 3.5/5 stars
Take Only Photos by Shanna Swendson
One of the better stories in this collection. It’s a heartwarming tale of a woman who has mysterious nightly intruders, and then recruits a coworker to investigate what’s going on. 5/5 stars
Old Twelvey Night by Gwendolyn N. Nix
This story was excellent! It’s about an apple tree guardian spirit who dreams of becoming more and spreading its roots. It is also a story about friendship and betrayal, giving a new level to the natural order of things like seasons. 5/5 stars
The Seal-Woman’s Tale by Alethea Kontis
In this story, a selkie is tricked and captured by a troll king who senselessly tortures her every day. I love selkies and it was well written, but something was missing. 4/5 stars
The Storyteller by David Bowles
This story was short and weird and again something more was missing. It’s beautifully written though, and the main character is a Mexican storyteller grandma, I loved that. 3.5/5 stars
Summer Skin by Zin E. Rocklyn
Oh you know how I like weird and sometimes gory things? Well this story has that. It’s about an Indian girl with a weird skin condition who kidnaps an auntie because she has something the girl desperately needs. 4/5 stars
Colt’s Tooth by Linda Robertson
A funny, refreshing story about a boy who experiences a living nightmare after his mother takes him to a barber for a tooth extraction. It’s set in the 1800’s, so I guess barbers did that then. 4.5/5
After calculations, the final rating comes to something like 4.07, and that makes Where the Veil Is Thin one of the better anthologies I’ve read. If you love Fae like I do, go ahead and read this collections, and you’ll find all kinds of faeries and other wicked creatures.
“When you finish reading these stories, you return to our world with new eyes. Every new-budded flower, every firefly, every raven watching you from its perch, becomes more.”
A thank-you to Netgalley for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The review is also available on my blog
Books of Magic -
I received an eARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This had an eclectic group of short stories all themed with dark undercurrents. Some of those unfortunately didn't resonate with me, be it due to storyline or writing style.
But if I had to pick a stand out, for me it was See A Fine Lady by Seanan McGuire. It was funny, unexpected and relatable.
Fans of quirky, kooky and spooky short stories may find a hidden gem or two amongst this collection. From tooth fairies, to ghosts to unicorns, there is a story for everyone. -
I got this book for free for reviewing purposes through Netgalley, all thoughts and opinions are mine.
My overall rating is 2,5 stars
Where The Veil Is Thin is an anthology written by several different authors. Throughout the book we encounter several different stories, with varying genres, but one thing they all have in common are faeries. Stories about faeries from around the world.
I will start by saying that this might possibly be the most gorgeous book cover I have ever seen! If anybody knows who did the artwork please tell me!
Anyways, this book really takes you for a ride with the different stories, some where good and some not so much as it often is with anthologies.
I will do a short review for each story, or well just short descriptions really. There might be some spoilers, depending on what you think a spoiler is, so continue with caution!
If you don't want to continue reading my short thoughts about the stories, I will let you know in advance that I might just be really slow because I didn't understand most of what happened, but overall I found this book okay, it's not bad, but it's not the best either. There where stories I really enjoyed and others I just wanted to get over with, but it was a good blend of different themes.
And I guess maybe I just don't like stories about faeries.
The Tooth Faeries: Quest for Tear Haven by Glenn Parris - 2 stars, this story was okay, it was interesting, but I wouldn't read it again.
This is the first story. Sharon "Shanny" Prentice is six years old, and she has a loose tooth that the faeries want. Well the tooth and her blood, because these tooth faeries are related to vampires. We learn about these kind of tooth faeries, and what they fear.It was a little interesting but not my cup of tea.
Glamour by Grey Yuen - 1 star, because I didn't understand anything that happened
We are on the murder scene of a pop star that has died, and the detectives aren't sure how she died yet. And I honestly didn't get this story at all, this one was very confusing.
See A Fine Lady by Seanan McGuire - 1 star, two words unicorn poop
Frankie works at the store Target when she sees a horse or perhaps a unicorn with a woman riding on it, the problem is that she is the only one that sees them. This one is a weird story. Or I guess I'm just not into stories like these.
Or Perhaps Up by C.S.E Cooney - 3 stars, because confusing at first but actually kind of heartwarming, but also sad.
A girl goes on a hike all alone, reminiscing about her life, when suddenly her life changes. This story is also kind of confusing and weird, but again, I might just be really slow. This story takes you through different feelings, there was bleakness, warmth and sadness, at least for me.
Don't Let Go by Alana Joli Abbot - 4 stars, confusing but enjoyable.
Rain goes clubbing, whilst wondering why she can't seem to pick up guys. When out of nowhere she meets a handsome and tall man.
This story is short, but it still had suspense, and it was fun reading it. I got both happy and sad vibes from it.
The Loophole: A Story of Elsewhere by L. Penelope - 3,5 stars
We follow a person called Rhenna, and this story is so short that I don't know how to describe it without spoiling everything. It is again confusing but interesting. There as mystery, a little action and fun moments. I liked this story.
The Last Home: Of Master Tranquil Cloud by Minsoo Kang - Not sure if it's 2,5 or 3 stars
This story follows Tranquil Cloud and his life events. The start is slow and boring, but then it takes a turn for the better.
Your Two Better Halves: A Dream, with Faeries, In Spanglish by Carlos Hernandez - DNF
This story is like Black Mirror Bandersnatch or an adventure game. I don't want to switch from page to page looking for the right paragraph to build my own story. I rather just read everything through, because I'm lazy. So sadly I decided to not read this story, maybe if I had this as a real copy and not an e-book then I would have read it.
Take Only Photos by Shanna Swendson - 2,5 or 3 stars
Main character wakes up to find that the things in her apartment are not what it seems to be. But she just sums it up to being drunk the night before. But the same thing seems to happen every morning, is she going crazy?
This was actually a little heartwarming story, it was easy to read and thankfully not confusing at all.
Old Twelvey Night by Gwendolyn N. Nix - 1,5 stars, I just found it boring.
Datura is an apple spirit, and she befriends a mischief thing called Tibb .
The Seal-Woman's Tale: A Tale of Arilland by Alethea Kontis - 3,5 stars, beautiful and tragic
The Seal Woman can take on the skin of anybody for a day, but lust is what destroys her.
The Storyteller by David Bowles - 1,5 or 2 stars because this story was just okay kind of boring because it's so short.
Very very short only three pages, the story is about a family.
Summer Skin by Zin E. Rocklyn - 1 star
The main character has skin problems.The main character is practically a psychopath, it's a pretty creepy story.
Colt's Tooth by Linda Robertson - 2 stars
Colt is a little boy. This is another take on the tooth faeries. And it's creepy. -
trigger warning
This anthology is all about the fair folk in various places in the world. Most of these tales are about the keltic/ nordic side of things, but one story felt eastern. I am just not sure where in Asia it's set.
As it goes with anthologies, some tales appealed more to me than others, but there was not one I really disliked. All of the authors in here are talented and know what they're doing.
To be honest, I could have read a book twice the length of this because I enjoyed it so much.
I have not read anything else by any of those authors before, though I am familiar with Seanan Macguire's work, but I'll make sure to look up those people and what else they've done. Again, an anthology proved to be the perfect way to stumble upon new-to-me authors.
There is no fluff in here, so I'd recommend this anthology for young adult and adult readers.
You need to like fantasy, but apart from that: Go for it! You won't regret it!
I recieved a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. -
I give my thoughts on this short story collection in this video:
https://youtu.be/0p4i0tNeco0 -
“𝐈’𝐦 𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐦𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦𝐬, 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐮𝐝𝐬 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐮𝐩 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐧, 𝐬𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐝𝐞𝐞𝐩𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐰𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐢𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞. 𝐈𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐦 𝐨𝐟 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨’𝐥𝐥 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞?” - See a Fine Lady by Seanan Mcguire.
This anthology of short stories was so perfectly whimsical. Each story, grounded in legends of fae brought something entirely unique.
My favourites: 𝐐𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐓𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐇𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐧 - Mischievous vampiric tooth fairies. 𝐒𝐞𝐞 𝐚 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐋𝐚𝐝𝐲 - a woman wearing blackberry crown casually riding a unicorn in Target, and 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐭𝐰𝐨 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐬 - 𝐚 𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦, 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐟𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬, 𝐢𝐧 𝐒𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡 - a wacky ‘choose your own adventure’ story that literally laughs at itself.
As always with anthologies, story quality can be hit or miss, and there were some that weren’t as well written as others. However, if you’re looking for unique stories about fae, this is perfect and really enjoyable!
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. Where the Veil is thin comes out on July 7th (which also happens to be my birthday!!
TW for self-harm, talk of suicide, general gore and violence. -
I was given an E-arc by Netgalley in exchange of my honest opinion.
I've always been obsessed with the fae as a child, so I was excited when I heard about this book and decided to request it. While I didn't love all of the stories, I appreciate that we have different lore from different parts of the world and new reinterpratations to the roles that the faes occupy in stories. My favourite short stories from this collection were "Or perhaps up" by C.S.E. Cooney and "The Loophole-A story of elsewhere" by L.Penelope. -
I have a kind of love-hate relationship with short stories... and most times i end up not liking it as much as i had hoped. it happend with this one too. All the short stories blurred together...When they had started and maybe got a little interesting, they were just...finished. I did not get to know the characters or the story...just swish swish and done.
I got this eARC from Netgalley -
I requested this ARC because one of the contributing authors is Seanan McGuire (long live the queen), and of course, I enjoyed her contribution. But there were also a number of other authors whose contribution I liked so well that I'll now seek out their other works. I mean, vampire tooth fairies and drowning in a swan boat? Yes, please.
-
Some stories were great, others not so much.
Highlights would have to include McGuire, Cooney and Hernandez.
All were about the Fair Folk in one way or another, whether from humam perspectives or the fae themselves.
If youre a fan of fairies, i would definitely recommend giving it a chance -
Where the Veil is Thin is a wild ride from start to finish. This anthology features 14 tales about fairies from around the world. They range from frightening to funny, tragic to joyful. It's always difficult for me to rate anthologies because my thoughts on the individual stories always vary. I will break it down below.
1. The Tooth Fairies by Glenn Parris: 3 stars. This story gave the anthology a bit of a slow start, but it was a fascinating take on tooth fairies!
2. Glamour by Grey Yuen: 2 stars. This story honestly confused me!
3. See a Fine Lady by Seanan McGuire: 4 stars. This story hooked me and convinced me to keep reading. Super funny and honestly, relatable.
4. Or Perhaps Up by C.S.E. Cooney: 4 stars. A bit sad, a bit sweet, overall lovely.
5. Don't Let Go by Alana Joli Abbott: 5 stars. I think this was my favorite story in the anthology. I really connected with the characters!
6. The Loophole by L. Penelope: 4 stars. A bit violent, a bit fun, and a great read.
7. The Last Home of Master Tranquil Cloud by Minsoo Kang: 4 stars. A slow start but a great ending!
8. Your Two Better Halves: A Dream, with Fairies, in Spanglish by Carlos Hernandez: 3.5 stars. A fun choose-your-own-adventure!
9. Take Only Photos by Shanna Swendson: 4.5 stars. Super fun, I loved this story!
10. Old Twelvey Night by Gwendolyn N. Nix: 3.5 stars. A strange, dark, creative story.
11. The Seal Woman's Tale by Alethea Kontis: 3.5 stars. This story was really well done, and very sad. I wish it had been longer.
12. The Storyteller by David Bowles: 3.5 stars. A nice story about family.
13. Summer Skin by Zin E. Rocklyn: 2.5 stars. This story was creepy and strange and I was left quite confused. But honestly, that's probably the nature of stories about fair folk.
14. Colt's Tooth by Linda Robertson: 3.5 stars: This story genuinely was scary! Another fun take on the tooth fairy.
Overall, this anthology was a fun read and it introduced me to new authors. Anyone who is a fan of stories about fair folk should check out this book! -
*I received this book in exchange for an honest review*
I really tried pushing through this book, /really/ tried, but unfortunately I ended up dropping it after four stories. The star rating is an average of the ones I did read. I went into this expecting whimsical modern fairy tales, magical encounters, and an enchanting atmosphere. Instead, I was bored.
I honestly requested this book because I love Seanan McGuire but even her short story left me unimpressed. I couldn't help but feel the prose was a little clumsy in most of what I read and the whole anthology came across more like a university writing society magazine than a work by professional authors.
Perhaps the stories I didn't get around to would have been more to my taste, but the first four felt like such a chore that I lost any desire to read the rest. -
Where the Veil is Thin
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The book is an anthology, a collection of 14 short stories about the fairy creatures living in the dark.
Like most anthologies, there will be better stories than others, and it is hard to love or even like it all.
It was interesting, but it also took me a while to really get in the mood to read all of it.
Each story is very unique and offers something different. I feel like a lot of them should have been longer, for the real effect or message to shine through.
The Tooth Fairies - Quest for Tear Heaven by Glenn Parris:
This story tells a very different tale about the tooth fairies, It turns out they are not cute, innocent creatures. They are actually bloodthirsty hunters trying to get blood from small children's mouths... Yes, that was a bit of a shock for me too! The coins they leave behind is actually what they use to keep children's mouths open so they can reach.
Anyway, this story was a bit hard for me to get invested in, I think I, in general, have that problem with short stories. But by the end of it, I did enjoy it. It was unique and definitely had a new take on a classic tale, it had action and vicious creatures.
Glamour by Grey Yuen:
This story follows a crime scene where two inspectors investigate the murder of a famous young singer. Except the murder scene is nothing like usual.
To be honest, this one was a bit confusing to me, In the end, I still didn't really know what was going on. It did have a way of pulling me in, but it was just too confusing.
See a Fine Lady by Seanan McGuire:
This one takes place in Target (the store) where Frankie works. One day is different from the rest, that is the day where a dreamy looking girl rides in on Kevin the unicorn.
Frankly, this story wasn't much more than short and cute. It had a unique plot, I guess, but it was just so short that barely anything happened.
Or Perhaps up by S. E. Cooney
This is a sad story, it follows a young woman and what happens to her after an accident. It includes souls in a river, which I assume is a kind of fairies. It covers some pretty emotional subjects about life and deaths and dealing with grief. It was pretty good, a bit weird, but had used a very colorful language to explain the themes.
Don't let go by Alana Jolie Abbott:
This was probably one of my favorites. It follows the woman Rain, as she is doing an independent study on the island of Manx. Here she meets the mysterious but handsome Fin. She soon realizes that there is more to the island - and to Fin, than she thought.
This was one of the longer stories that allowed going into a little more debt and details, which was the right choice.
The Loophole - a Story of Elsewhere by L. Penelope:
In this story, we learn about a bar, a very peculiar bar. It is explicitly made for creatures who'd traveled to the human world. This was a very interesting story, it offered something very unique and I kind of wish it had been longer, I would have loved to hear more about this world and these creatures. It would have made a pretty cool episode of Super Natural or something like that.
The Last Home - of Master Tranquil Cloud by Minsoo Kang:
I was very confused in the first two pages of this story, but it all started to make more sense, ending up being a pretty great one. Tranquil Cloud has written a book about the injustice done to women, it is found, but he is gone. We then learn the story of what had happened to him, it is pretty brutal but also pretty satisfying.
Your two Better Halves - a Dream, with Fairies, in Spanglish by Carlos Hernandez:
This book is one of those ''make your own storyline'' kind of books; you know the type where you have options and then have to skip forward etc.
I have never read a book like that, and honestly probably never would have. It was a bizarre experience. I decided to try it with my husband, and it gave some funny options.
It is definitely a different way of reading.
Take Only Photos by Shanna Swendson:
Things are being moved around at night, messes are cleaned up, and the Christmas lights turned on - but who is doing this?
Okay, I didn't hate this one, but it just wasn't much either. For some reason, it felt a bit too familiar? And maybe a bit too simple?
Old Twelvey Night by Gwendolyn N. Nix:
The apple spirit, Datura, is doomed to spend spring, summer, and autumn under the ground with the roots of her apple tree - but doing winter, she comes out of the ground to protect the tree, but she has other dreams.
It had that sad feeling most nature books/stories have, a bit dreamy like a better future might come but also a bit like everything is over. If that makes sense?
The Seal Woman's Tale - a Tale of Arriland by Aletha Kontis:
A witch with a seals body can take the shape of humans' skin, which she uses to give the humans what they think they want - until it goes wrong...
Okay, this one was peculiar. I kind of like it, but it was pretty twisted and the whole seal/skin exchange was so odd.
The Storyteller by David Bowles:
This is probably the shortest in the book, but it left an impression. It was heartwarming and sad - it told the story of an old lady who always told her family's stories to the younger generations, so they could live on in the family. It was very sweet - but very short.
Summer Skin by Zin E. Rocklyn:
Damn... This was something else.
A woman is telling her story of her life and her skin... It is honestly horrible disgusting, to say it mildly. I actually felt a bit like throwing up while reading this.
But this was the only story that sucked me in from the beginning, where I lost track of everything else but the story. I need to know more about this woman and what the hell was going on with her skin!
Colt's Tooth by Linda Robertson:
So, a young boy has a loose tooth, he is taken to the barber (who is for some reason also the town dentist, yet referred to as the barber - because that seems legit) but the barber/dentist isn't what he appears to be.
Okay, so it is very short, and it sort of has that ''scary stories to tell in the dark'' feeling, that makes me feel like this is a story for children, kind of creepy but still.
I didn't love it, it was pretty plain, and since it was so short, I felt like so much went on unexplained.
So all in all, it was a pretty good book. It was interesting to hear some different myths and learn more about fays. I will give the book a total of 3 out of 5 stars. -
I was sold on this almost entirely due to Carlos Hernandez's involvement. And I did not live to regret it.
Hernandez's story -- "Your Two Better Halves: A Dream, with Fairies, in Spanglish" was my favorite, as expected. The story is a choose-your-own adventure encounter with fey, with a personality quiz aspect as your story choices determine your options for the two halves of your fairy self at the end. I was so charmed by EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS. (I was half sturdy tree, half planetarium, by the way.)
That story would have been worth the price of admission alone, but I also loved "See a Fine Lady" by Seanan McGuire (a woman rides a unicorn into Target), "Or Perhaps Up" by C.S.E. Cooney (a woman takes an ill-fated river journey on a swan boat), among others. In general the collected tended to be a bit darker than my usual preferences, but I found enough delights here to be very happy with the book overall. -
Rating: 4 stars.
This book was really unique. I enjoyed the fact that it featured different authors, and the stories worked well on their own but also together. They were also quite well mixed up so that a short story was followed by a long one which prevented boredom.
I also enjoyed the range of the stories, some were sad, some tragic, some funnier, so that really helped to keep me engaged as a reader.
My favorite story was "The Seal Woman's Tale", I loved the writing style, the flow of the story and I found it easy to connect to the characters.
One thing I found really unique was the story "Your two better halves", where you could build your own adventure. I've never read anything like that and it was really fun to experience and it really makes the book stand out from other fair folk-centered books. -
I'll admit upfront it was the cover that grabbed me when I chose Where the Veil is Thin: An Anthology of Faerie Tales edited by Cerece Rennie Murphy & Alana Joli Abbot. And it's been a while since I've reviewed an anthology of SFF stories, especially modern-day fairy tales, so why the hell not. As can be expected, this was a bit of a mixed bag for me, with some stories not quite hitting the mark for me, but overall a pleasing collection of tales.
"The Tooth Fairies: Quest for Tear Haven" by Glenn Parris is a somewhat grisly tale about why tooth fairies are so enamoured with collecting teeth. The story strives for a slightly gritty telling but left me feeling as a little let down. There were some quirky little characters with a somewhat sticky ending.
In "Glamour" by Grey Yuen, hardened cop Jack investigates what he initially sees as a celebrity murder, but with a twist, and leaves more mysteries than answers.
Seanan McGuire's "See a Fine Lady" is easily one of my favourite stories. And who among us who've ever been trapped in untenable work situations haven't fantasised about the weird spilling over and upending our everyday boredom. Here Frankie, who works in Target, has a day that rapidly turns strange when a woman rides a unicorn into her place of work – a unicorn only Frankie can see. Oh, did I mention the unicorn's name is Kevin?
"Or Perhaps Up" by CSE Cooney was another of my favourites – it has an entirely dream-like quality, dealing with concepts of loss, found family, and the spirits of the dead who reside in a sort of magical fae place. Cooney's prose is beautifully descriptive, and the story made me sad for all the right reasons.
"Don't Let Go" by Alana Joli Abbott had a bit more of an urban fantasy feel to it, about a student and her friends who have an extended stay in the Isle of Man, complete with an entanglement with the local fair folk and a clearly defined romance element. I did wonder how the human protagonists accepted the supernatural events so easily, but it was still a fun read.
We meet Rhenna, a fairy who gets by by stealing bodies in "The Loophole: A Story of Elsewhere" by L Penelope. The writing is gritty and tactile, and unashamedly grim in places, and follows the premise of a fairy's struggle to hold onto a stolen body. It feels more like a glimpse into an alternate reality rather than a finished story with a satisfying resolution.
"The Last Home of Master Tranquil Cloud" by Minsoo Kang is told in a standard fairy tale format, but it didn't really blow my hair back. I found myself skimming more often than not, so it's possibly just not for me.
"Your Two Better Halves" by Carlos Hernandez is a choose your own adventure, but as I was reviewing this in ebook format and there weren't any active links to skip pages, I passed on this story, mainly because I also really wasn't in the mood for the format. The writing also didn't engage me enough to put up with the endless paging backwards and forwards. I'm sure in print format this would not have annoyed me as much.
"Take Only Photos" by Shanna Swendson was quite fun, even if it peters out near the end. Our somewhat misanthropic narrator discovers that they have elves in their home, and a colleague helps them get to the bottom of the infestation.
"Old Twelvey Night" by Gwendolyn N Nix is lovely – a relationship between fae of opposing natures that takes a dark turn near the end. This story is strong, crisp and brings forth poetic imagery. Quite possibly one of the strongest in the anthology.
I admit I'm a sucker for selkie stories, but while "The Seal-Woman's Tale" by Aletha Kontis had some nice touches, it didn't quite hit the mark for me. Perhaps some of it lay in the trolls taking on an almost Tolkienesque orcish role, which felt a bit on the nose for me.
"The Storyteller" by David Bowles is filled with wonder and magical realism, and at its heart it's about the interleaving of family myth and the archetypical role of the storyteller. So much to love about this one.
Maybe it's because I used to suffer a chronic skin condition, but "Summer Skin" by Zin E Rocklyn wasn't really my cuppa Joe. Creepy and nasty, and not for the faint of heart.
"Colt's Tooth" by Linda Robertson offers us a creepy riff on the tooth fairy myth, in this American West-themed tale that offers us a run-in with a barber of dubious nature. Also, if tooth violence isn't your jam, stay away from this story.
I do suspect that with this anthology, your mileage will vary, and the stories that I didn't like may well be more to your taste. Well, that's the whole point with anthologies – there's generally a little something of everything, and the editors have put together a fine selection. -
**Thank you, Netgalley and publisher, for giving me an electronic ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.**
I loved these stories! I honestly don't know why it took me so long to read them.
Story 1 THE TOOTH FAIRIES: — QUEST FOR TEAR HAVEN — Glenn Parris: This story held me tight and creeped me out. This was my favorite line: "Cats, on the other hand, were wily creatures with an innate sense of the occult."
Story 2 GLAMOUR — by Grey Yuen: I wasn't a fan of this one; it felt like something that would be in the middle of a novel. This was my favorite line, I liked how descriptive it was: "Like everything on the street, the apartment was an old relic with a new skin draped over ancient bones, except this one had nothing in between , no meat, no substance."
Story 3 SEE A FINE LADY — by Seanan McGuire: This was my favorite one and I would do exactly what Frankie did. My favorite line is: "It wasn’t the sort of horse that went unnoticed. It wasn’t the sort of horse that went unremarked. It certainly wasn’t the sort of horse that belonged in Target."
Story 4 OR PERHAPS UP — by C. S. E. Cooney: This one was interesting I liked the imagery and descriptions. My favorite line is: "Hell, I should’ve remembered all those aforementioned fairytales (of which mamita and I were both so fond): that swans nearly always show up where dead girls drown."
Story 5 DON’T LET GO — by Alana Joli Abbott: This story was cute, I enjoyed reading about the fairies and myths. My favorite line is: "Rain had decided that if there was someone not to be trusted, it was that woman, who reminded her of nothing so much as fire— beautiful but destructive, and quick to burn."
Story 6 THE LOOPHOLE — A Story of Elsewhere by L. Penelope: I enjoyed the supernatural elements to it, I feel like this would be a great ending to a novel. My favorite line describes the sadness of Rhenna and really pulls you into her story: "This was a part of exile that she hadn’t expected. Not just being unable to go home, but unable to create a new one in this peculiar, human world."
Story 7 THE LAST HOME — OF MASTER TRANQUIL CLOUD — by Minsoo Kang: In the beginning I felt as if I was in a history class, but once it got to the story of what happened to Tranquil Cloud, I was hooked. I found myself liking the fox people and I would do exactly what Tranquil Cloud did. My favorite line is: "But my sorrow and rage over how I died turned me into a fox spirit so I could avenge myself. I met other fox spirits who had been women and girls who died under such circumstances. We came together, and we helped one another."
Story 8 YOUR TWO BETTER HALVES — A Dream, with Fairies, in Spanglish by Carlos Hernandez: I use to love chose your own adventure books! My path was, F, D, I, Q, LL, H, L, C, R, !, I chose LL and Q as my final form. That was fun!
Story 9 TAKE ONLY PHOTOS — by Shanna Swendson: If I had cleaning fairies, my life would be so much easier. I would have taken the rock too since the description was cool. "I didn’t want to say that the rock spoke to me because that sounded odd, but something about it had captivated me. Even now, I didn’t think I could articulate why. It was sparkly and a funny shape, but not so strange or beautiful that it should have even caught my eye."
Story 10 OLD TWELVEY NIGHT — by Gwendolyn N. Nix: Unless I am mistaken I believe this was a Persephone and Hades retelling. It was really cute, and felt genuine. My favorite line is: "The apple-god toppled, his ancient soul bare before the hacking picks and daggers of the mischief-things. Datura had brought a blight to the copse with her wants and dreams and wishes. And she still felt like she hadn’t seen anything, still ached that she hadn’t done anything."
Story 11 THE SEAL-WOMAN’S TALE — A Tale of Arilland by Alethea Kontis: This story didn't hold my interest as much, I did enjoy the shapeshifting aspect of it.
Story 12 THE STORYTELLER — by David Bowles: I liked the stories and the family dynamics in this story.
Story 13 SUMMER SKIN — by Zin E. Rocklyn: This one creeped me out due to her loosing time, and taking the skin of another person. I feel like I need a shower or something in order to take my mind off it again.
Story 14 COLT’S TOOTH — by Linda Robertson: Nope, just nope. I am now scared of the tooth fairy and barbers. -
Like most anthologies, this has a lot of highs and lows and in-betweens. Unfortunately, I felt like there were more lows than anything while reading this, and even the highs were more like just okay stories that I found entertaining. Overall, my biggest grievance is that the overall reading level of the stories felt like YA or younger, despite the content being very adult. If this was a YA collection that would be perfect, but NetGalley has this categorized as adult. (I double-checked halfway through reading it because I genuinely couldn't remember.)
My rating is based on an average of all the story ratings, rounded to the nearest integer.
---
Individual story ratings:
Quest for Tear Heaven - 2 Stars
This one just sort of seemed like it was written for young kids.
Glamour - 2 stars
I didn't care for the plot or the characters. The dialogue also wasn't that well-written, in my honest opinion.
See a Fine Lady - 3 stars
This was cute and whimsical. It was a pleasant enough read, but nothing really special about it.
Or Perhaps Up - 1 star
I honestly felt like the writing in this story was trying too hard to sound descriptive, including what I suspect was the misuse of a thesaurus. Did not end up even finishing the story as I didn't care for it.
Don't Let Go - 3 stars
This was engaging and fun to read, but nothing particularly blew me away about it.
The Loophole - 4 stars
A pretty solid story overall, but the romance aspect seemed a little contrived.
The Last Time of Master Tranquil Cloud - 2 stars
Took too long to kick off, I think a lot of the exposition could have been cut. I ended up skipping the story because I was bored in a few pages.
Your Two Better Halves - Not Rated
I decided to skip rating this one. It's a choose-your-own-adventure, which sounds fun in theory, but in practice is a pain in the fucking ass to try to read on a kindle. I don't want to rate the story poorly because of that, but I wasn't really able to engage with it in the way intended so I ended up skipping the story completely.
Take Only Photos - 2 stars
The writing felt like geared toward a YA audience, despite the main character being a full-on adult. That just didn't work for me.
Old Twelvey Night - 4 stars
Very well-written, entertaining, the perfect amount of whimsical. I really enjoyed this one.
The Seal Woman's Tale - 4 stars
The best story of the bunch. I thought this was really well-written, engaging, and the character work was just right for the length. Maybe more like 4.5 stars, but I only rate in whole numbers.
The Storyteller - 3 Stars
I'm not mad at this one, but it also didn't do anything for me.
Summer Skin - 3 Stars
I don't know how to feel about this one. The writing was decent, though, so I guess 3 stars is fair.
Colt's Tooth - 2 stars
Not a very strong ending to the anthology. I feel pretty shrug emoji about this.
---
An e-ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for honest review. -
It was... an interesting read. I can't say I didn't like it, I did. Some stories more than others as in every anthology that exist. But they were very unique and if it's not a bad thing in itself, they were sometimes puzzling. A few times, I've needed to go back a bit, re-read a few sentences. But one thing I've really loved is all those mythical creatures that we see differently.
The Tooth Fairies: tooth fairies being related to vampires, that's a first! I kinda rooted for them and find the end a bit sad. 2.5*
Glamour: that was one of the puzzling ones. An interesting take on the changeling myth. 3*
See a Fine lady: that was one of my favorites! Picture this: a worker in Target is the only one to see a unicorn (and the woman on it) who just enteres the shop. I love silly unicorns. 4*
Or Perhaps Up: another puzzling one. But here, I think it's supposed to. Not sure what myth is here. I'm guessing some kind of water spirits. More atmospheric. Love the characters though. 2.5*
Don't Let Go: more straightforward, it's about Irish myths on the Isle of Man with a meet-cute love story. Sweet. 3.5*
The Loophole: another favorite. Never heard of the boo hag (or Breath Witch). It was interesting. I also love the bar when she goes where we can all kind of creatures. Love the twist at the end. 4*
The Last Home of Master Tranquil Cloud: another favorite. I've always loved kitsune tales, and this one had a bit of a twist. 4*
Yout Two Better Halves: one of my least favorites. Too absurd for me and I've never been a fan of "Choose your own adventure" books. 1.5*
Take only photos: very sweet story where the fairies are not the main subject, but the friendship the main character forms with a coworker. As I'm also socially awkward, I've related so much with the mc. 4.5*
Old Twelvey Night: another puzzling one. Dunno about the myth either. (Edit: long live google, I now know a bit about the Apple Tree Man). But I liked the characters and the end. 2.5*
The Seal's Woman Tale: selkie myth mixed with trolls and feys and war. Too sad for me. 1.5*
The Storyteller: pretty much what the title says. Cute, but nothing more. 2.5*
Summer Skin: predictable, but still interesting. Don't remember on what myth it's based on though. 2.5*
Colt's Tooth: another take on the evil tooth fairy. 2* -
Thank you to Netgalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.
I've decided to categorize the different stories in this anthology series based on how much I liked them! That way, I can give small mini-reviews on each story and what worked for me.
The Pros: Stories I Liked
See A Fine Lady by Seanan McGuire: Hands down, one of my favourites from this collection. It was quirky and interesting and just crazy enough to be believable. It reminded me a lot of Seanan’s Wayward Children series so I really enjoyed this!
Don’t Let Go by Alana Joli Abbott: I remembered this fairy tale from another book, but it was nice to see a more urban version of it. I thought the author did a great job of capturing character personalities and details in such a short amount of time. I was very much invested in this story – and I think I’ve found a new author to binge-read!
The Loophole by L. Penelope: I loved reading this one! The introduction of a mythical creature I’m not familiar within an urban fantasy setting worked so well! The story was short but intense and I was sucked in from the start! Great premise, great execution, and another binge-worthy author added to the list!
Your Two Better Halves by Carlos Hernandez: This was an interactive story and it was so much fun! Readers could have various different endings, and I enjoyed trying all of them. I only wish I didn’t have an ebook of this one, as it made it difficult to flip back and forth. Overall, a fun read!
Old Twelvey Night by Gwendolyn N. Nix: What an interesting concept! I will never look at apple trees the same way again. I fell for the writing, the ambiance, and the characters in this story. Everything was well-developed; I just wanted more! Great unique concept and characters I really connected with!
The Storyteller by David Bowles: This was a very sweet and heartwarming tale. It fits perfectly in the scope of a short story, leaving things open-ended for the reader’s imagination.
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Thank you so much to the publishers and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!
Where the Veil is Thin is a delightful collection of stories about different varieties of Fey. This book was high on my priority list from the second I received a copy, and I was not disappointed. These stories explore many different kinds of Fey and don't just stick to your normal garden fairies or Tinkerbell types. The authors find ways to pull you in and decor their stories like it's enchanted fairy fruit, all while giving stellar endings for each story. Never once did I walk away from a story feeling like it wasn't resolved or complete in the best possible way.
Like all anthologies, I had my favorites that I liked even more than some others, but I won't tell you which those were in hopes of you finding a story or two that really speaks to you without prejudice. All of these stories were really enjoyable and paced beautifully. My only complaint about this collection is that there isn't more! While there are quite a few stories to be enjoyed, I could read twenty more and be satisfied. I know I'll be picking up a few copies for some of my friends who love fairies and lore, and highly recommend this book to any fantasy lover. -
This collection of short stories contains many imaginative and unique stories concerning fairies. There are great love stories. horror stories, and absurd stories.
Quest for Tear Haven: A story about fairies who are like little vampires who drink blood from lost teeth.
Glamour: A hard to follow story about changelings.
See a Fine Lady: Fairies and unicorn enter a Target.
Or Perhaps Up: A story of those who die in a river, and awake river made.
Don't Let Go: An adorable love story.
The Loophole: A cute love story with an interesting take on fairies.
The Last Home of Master Cloud: The story of an ancient scholar who wrote an addendum in the defense of women.
Your Two Better Halves: An absurdist choose your own adventure story.
Take Only Photos: A cute Christmas story about elves and new friendships.
Old Twelvey Night: Apple Spirts protect their orchard.
The Seal Women's Tale: A surprising narrative about a seal women who can change her skin.
The Storyteller: A grandmother tells stories to her grandchild.
Summer Skin: A creepy horror story.
Colt's Tooth: he last story is like the first... tooth fairies. -
An anthology of faerie stories featuring authors like Gwendolyn N. Nix, Seanan Mcguire, and Cerece Rennie Murphy, "Where the Veil is Thin" is not your average children’s fairytales.
Exploring everything from unicorns in Target, to the more-sinister-than-you-think motivations of tooth faeries, to forbidden fae love stories, and more, this collection has a little bit of something for everyone with a lot of genre diversity to offer.
But, like any anthology, it has its strengths and weaknesses, the latter of which mostly fall at the beginning of the collection. As is often the concern, especially with short fantasy works, not all the stories felt like they had the necessary time they needed to grow, while others, although they can be applauded for their attempts at originality, tried and fell-short of new and experimental concepts and formats.
That being said, "Where the Veil is Thin" is worth picking up if only to experience the few truly immersive and interesting stories; 'Old Twelvey Night' by Gwendolyn N. Nix, and 'Or Perhaps' by C.S.E. Cooney being by far the best. But 'Loophole' by L. Penelope, 'Summer Skin' by Zin E. Rocklyn, and 'The Seal Woman's Tale' by Alethea Kontis were also very good.
A great way to explore a handful of little-known (except Seanan Mcguire, of course), but obviously quite talented fantasy authors, Where the Veil is Thin is a must-read for any fae or faerie fan. My average rating for "Where the Veil is Thin" is 4 out of 5 stars.
Thank you to Outland Entertainment and Netgalley for an early copy in exchange for an honest review! -
This was a really interesting collection of Fairy stories. Some of them I didn’t really care for at all, some were relatively good and then there were a couple that I really enjoyed. Specifically, I loved “The Loophole” and “The Last Home of Master Tranquil Cloud”. “The Loophole” had a very intriguing and original idea and I honestly wish it would have been longer. I definitely would have read an entire book based on it. “The Last Home of Master Tranquil Cloud” was beautifully written and flowed really well. I really wasn’t expecting what happened at the end of the story and was happily surprised. All of the stories were very unique and offered different views into fairytales, which I loved. A couple of the stories were confusing and I couldn’t really get into, “Glamour” being the main one. All in all, a very neat collection of fairy stories.
I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. -
Thank you Netgalley for the eARC! When I read the first story in this anthology I wasn't sure if I would enjoy the rest of the book but after that one story I loved it! This book is comprised of numerous tales about faeries and other mythical creatures. Each story was written in a very poetic style and I really enjoyed them. There was even one story that was in a "choose your own story" format which was fun to read but slightly more difficult when reading from an ebook format. Some of the stories were a little bit confusing because of the language and writing style but I enjoyed them nonetheless. The stories in this anthology were a bit darker than the usual fairytales you read but that's one thing I liked about them. I really enjoyed 'See a Fine Lady' and 'Colt's Tooth'.
