Review by Booklist Review
In her latest collection, master storyteller Yolen dazzles with 11 disparate fantasy tales showcasing the yearning, despair, and hope that ultimately spring from romantic love. The stories skip along at a brisk pace, kicked off by the brief but lingering "Sans Soleil," the cautionary tale of a new bride confronted by the tragic consequences of refusing to put trust in others. Pulling from elements of traditional folklore and introducing readers to characters that are instantly recognizable, all of the stories are given flight by Yolen's whimsy--in "Dusty Loves," the inspiration for Shakespeare's Juliet is reimagined as a ghost who is too intent on haunting a former flame to notice the fairy who loves her; "Peter in Wonderland" and "The Sword and the Stone" feature beloved characters and stories reinvented in fantastical ways; and "Dark Seed, Dark Stone" gives new life to long-forgotten history. Each story is unique in style, pacing, and length, giving new readers ample exposure to Yolen's narrative prowess, while long-time readers of her work will be charmed and comforted by her ability to consistently produce enduring, high-quality fantasy.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
For this whimsical collection, World Fantasy Award winner Yolen (The Midnight Circus) brings together 11 fantastical shorts centered on romantic love. Yolen's trademark fairy tale styling is on display throughout, with vivid, pithy prose animating each quirky flight of fancy. In her author's note, she complains that dictionary definitions of romance are all too "human-centric." Indeed, these tales feature romance between all manner of magical creatures: a fey man falls for a ghost in the comic "Dusty Loves," though she's more interested in haunting the boy she left behind; a sailor witnesses the love between a family of merpeople in the sweet "The Sea Man"; a princess meets a man who may or may not be a unicorn in standout "The Unicorn Hunt"; and an enslaved man finds romance with a djinn in the dated "Memoirs of a Bottle Djinn," the weakest piece. Many stories riff on the familiar: "The Sword and the Stone" offers a fresh take on King Arthur, while "Peter in Wonderland" imagines an adult Alice falling down the rabbit hole again. Despite the variety of romances here, with endings ranging from tragic to blissful, there's never any hint of queerness, a glaring omission in a celebration of love's possibilities. Still, this enchanting collection is sure to charm. Agent: Elizabeth Harding, Curtis Brown. (Feb.)
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Review by Library Journal Review
The idea of love is one that can be told over and over and never reach an exhaustion point. Even when the story is centered in another genre, such as science fiction or fantasy, aspects of love can still be a central theme. So muses Yolen in "A Little Bit of Loving" at the beginning of this latest collection focused on stories inspired by love and tales retold. "The Sword and the Stone" reveals a King that tires of the throne and a boy who may hold the knowledge to keep him in power. A princess tries to convince her love that the sun is not the enemy in "Sans Soleil." One new story for the book is inspired by the author's own new marriage: as a spinster, Alice discovers love with "Peter in Wonderland." The 11 stories are followed by Yolen's "Story Notes," which include poems that complement each short fiction. VERDICT This fourth volume in a series of short fictions and poetry from multiple award-winning Yolen (The Midnight Circus) showcases her enchanting storytelling and lyrical voice.--Kristi Chadwick
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
Surprising, entertaining, romantic stories in the tradition of folktales and legends reimagined. As skillful as The Emerald Circus (2017), thematically warmer than The Midnight Circus (2020), this volume's central thread is love. Featuring an introduction by Brandon Sanderson, it collects more of Yolen's reimagined narratives, many of them previously published. But fairy-tale endings are not guaranteed: Characters choose badly, and death and other sadness enters in. Julie appears from her grave, mourning Roman, in a wry rewrite of Romeo and Juliet narrated by an elf. Several tales are about the power--for good or ill--of belief; merfolk, djinn, and ghosts play major roles. There is time travel and some real history as well as appearances by Merlin and Arthur, Alice Liddell, and many brave and independent young women. The rich and varied plots and tones are matched by advanced but suitable vocabulary--fortuitously, lambent, incorporeal, slatterns, sepulchral, and legerdemain, for example--much of which young readers will be able to decipher from the context. Occasional poems are interspersed among the stories. The fully realized details bring to life both this-worldly and otherworldly settings. Yolen enthusiasts will be rapt, and new fans will be won. Endlessly imaginative, superbly crafted tales that stir the heart. (story notes and poems) (Fantasy. 14-adult) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
