Ahoy there me mateys! I received this short story collection eARC from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. So here be me honest musings . . .

While I have read many of Jane Yolen’s works, most have been her novels. It has only been recently that I have been reading her short stories. And I have been missing out. I was saving this collection for a day when I needed a pick me up. So when I was stuck in rain and fog and feeling under the weather, I picked this up to be transported to a more magical time and place.

This collection has 16 varied tales. Like any collection, I liked some better than others. But all show Yolen’s skill and love of storytelling. In addition this book also had something I wasn’t expecting. The end of the book has author reflections on how the stories came to be along with some of her poetry. I don’t really know much about the author’s life but she sounds like one awesome lady and this look into her writing process was lovely.

I don’t want to spoil the magic of the stories and can’t really do them justice with me own paltry words but I will try to give ye an idea of the bare bones of the stories and me thoughts on me favourites:

“Andersen’s Witch” – a Snow Queen retelling with a wonderful twist; poignant and lovely start to the book

“Lost Girls” – a Peter Pan novelette where girls take over; this be me favourite of the collection by far and won the 1998 Nebula. I want to rave about how clever it is but can’t cause spoilers!

“Tough Alice” – the first Alice in Wonderland retelling wherein Alice has to fight her own battle and is entertainment for the Wonderland gang; there are three Wonderland stories in this collection. This was me favourite but it was wonderful to read and compare the differences between the three.

“Blown Away” – a tale of what really happened after Dorothy was sucked up by a tornado; this piece is where the collection title comes from. It is told from an awesome perspective that I wasn’t expecting. I also will never look at Toto the same way.

“A Knot of Toads” – a women goes back to her hometown for her father’s funeral and discovers the real reason behind her father’s death and also some truths about his life; witches and toads and Scotland. I loved it.

“The Quiet Monk” – a story about what actually happened to Lancelot; I have to admit that I am not the biggest fan of Arthurian tales but I loved the feel of this one and the fabulous ending.

“The Bird” – a story about Edgar Allan Poe and his wife Virginia. Oh and a raven of course; bittersweet and wonderful.

“Belle Bloody Merciless Dame” – this is about a treacherous elf on midsummer’s day; this was the weak link for me even though it was well written. I just didn’t love it.

“Jewel in the Toad Queen’s Crown” – fun piece about the relationship between Queen Victoria and Prime Minister Disraeli with magic of course!

“A Gift of Magicians” – a Beauty and the Beast story; my other favourite piece of the collection. The ending!

“Rabbit Hole” – what happens when Alice goes back down the rabbit hole at 80; such a cool concept.

“Our Lady of the Greenwood” – a Robin Hood origin story; because surely he had to come from somewhere; I particularly loved how he got his name.

“The Confession of Brother Blaise” – a Merlin origin story; this was me other least liked story. Though I did like the idea of the death bed confession. It was certainly different.

“Wonder Land” – the last Wonderland retelling, this time an Alice/little red riding hood mashup; this was me least favourite of the three. Allison is going through the woods to a friends house and meets scary creatures along the way.

“Evian Steel” – this was a tale about the forging of the sword for King Arthur; I loved that the women of the island forged the steel. This story was compelling and fascinating. Ye get to see where Guinevere comes from.

“Sister Emily’s Lightship” – This last story talk about Emily Dickinson meeting a Martian; Another Nebula winner for Best Short Story in 1997, what I most loved about it was Emily’s secret nocturnal life and her relationship with her dog.

I had to admit that I was immensely cheered up by reading this collection and will be thinking about me favourites for quite some time. If ye be a Jane Yolen fan, this should tickle yer fancy. If ye aren’t familiar with her work then this might be a good place to start. Arrrr!

So lastly . . .

Thank you Tachyon Publications!

Check out me other reviews at https://thecaptainsquartersblog.wordpress.com/