Retellings

Into The Heartless Wood by Joanna Ruth-Meyers

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Rating: 3/5

We named ourselves not very cleverly, but the names belong to us not to her. That gives us power for ourselves, do you see?

Into The Heartless Wood is a tale that mixes witches, fairies, monsters into one for a captivating folklore that will have you wanting more. The story follows Owen Merrick who is lured into the woods held by the witches, and when he thought that his life was going to end, one of the daughters, Seren saves him from that terrible fate. From that point on, the two were bonded as she longed to be a human and free to roam and he would climb the garden wall to see. The longing that Seren has to become human would prove to be a daunting mission as dangers lurk in the darkness and an anicent war will be revealed between the witch and the king trying to stop her.

The premise of the book itself is interesting but I feel like there was something lacking with hwo it developed and the romance between the characters. What I really loved about the book was the writing as it was incredibly captivating, moving, and easy to follow and I felt like I was in the world that Meyers created. She creates a world that feels so real and the world-building stood out the most me and it’s such a shame that the rest of the book didn’t match that expectation. While I liked the characters, I felt like the romance was a little rushed and I don’t believe it felt right. I liked both of their journeys on their own and I felt like I needed a little more for it to be believable. There were times where the writing didn’t match up with what was happening and I feel like the ending was a bit rushed. But aside from all this, if you love witches, fairies, and all things folklore then you will probably enjoy this just as much.

Darling by K. Ancrum

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Rating: 4/5

The Plot:

A dark and twisted retelling of an old classic, Peter Pan which tells the story of Wendy Darling who has just moved to Chicago with her parents. Wendy feels like her life will never get any better until her first night, a young boy by the name of Peter appears at her window and invites for a night on the town. Wendy is ready for a night on the town and expects the two to hit a party but instead they’re heading to the underground. While Wendy adapts to this new experience, she not only makes friends but enemies along the way and has to face her own struggles and insecruties of feeling like she’s trapped where she is with no way out. But, if she’s not careful she might make it out alive at all.

“Hearing the other teens laughing fake and loud made Wendy feel like she was about to pass out. People don’t get good at doing things like that unless they needed to. Unless they’ve done it often and for their own protection.”

The Characters:

While I did enjoy the characters, I actually felt like there were too many characters. I found them interesting but I was also flipping back and forth and feeling confused. I think it would’ve been better if there weren’t so many because it was hard to know who was being talked about and I also felt like it took away from the story in a way. Peter is very flawed as are the other characters, Detective Hook, Wendy, Tinkerbell which was very realistic and uncomfortable at the same time especially with Detective Hook and Peter Pan. Ancrum doesn’t shy away of showing how Peter’s toxic behavior and grooming of the disadvantage lost boys and how things get complicated once Wendy comes into the picture. Oh the other hand Detective is far from the hero as he reeks of incompotence, enables police brutality, among other things. The LGBT representation is also really good in the book and there’s even disability rep so that’s always a plus.

The Writing:

This was my first introduction to K. Ancrum and I really enjoyed her writing. She has a way with words and making super compex and uncomfortable subjects raw and real without overdoing it. This was a very interesting retelling of an old classic but people should take trigger warnings seriously before reading this book.

Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim

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Rating: 3.5/5

Shiori is the last princess of Kiata, has a secret that if it gets out could ruin everything she knows. Forbidden magic runs through her veins and although she is normally able to conceal, on the morning of her bethoral ceremony, she loses control and while she’s scared of being caught, it does delay her wedding which is what she wanted. But, Shirori can’t celebrate for long as her stepmother Raikmaka, who possess forbidden magic as well caught the entire thing and banishes the young princess while also turning her brothers into cranes and if she speaks a word about it, her brothers will die.

I was delighted to finally get to this book and not only because of the beautiful cover! I have been a fan of Elizabeth’s work since Spin The Dawn and found this book very enjoyable even with some minor issues! Her style shines in her latest work but with a very creative retelling of east asian folklores. While this is a pretty decent novel with the storytelling and culture, it does have some minor issues that kept me from loving it completely. The side characters weren’t as developed as I wanted them to be so it made it hard to feel invested in them. Some of the plot points were a bit predictable but for the most part the book is solid to the end. But, all that aside Six Crimson Cranes is a rich and solid diverse fantasy read with a creative retelling. Lim’s storytelling, prose, and rich worldbuilding help with creating a world that seems very real and intriguing.

Don’t Call The Wolf By Aleksandra Ross

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Rating: 3.5/5

“Perhaps it is easier to believe some are born evil, rather than admit that predilection exists equally in every one of us.”

Don’t Call The Wolf tells the story of Ren, a young queen who is losing her battle fighting a hoard of monsters that descended into the forest. She feels that nothing will save them until she meets Lukasz, the last survivor of the regiment of dragon slayers and the two strike a deal. If she helps him find his brother who dissapeared in her forest, he will slay the dragon. But, we don’t always keep our promises now do we?

A lush and entertaining retelling of eastern-european myths that intertwines beautifully written dialogue, world-building, and characters with retelling that fans of Leigh Bardugo and Katherine Arden will love. I would’ve never picked up this book if I hadn’t struggled to find an underrated book for a readathon that I was in. I couldn’t pick one that I felt was underrated, I had to find one that didn’t have a lot of reviews and came upon this and it was an entertaining read with absolutely gorgeous writing and a retelling that captivated me from the beginning. The only thing I didn’t like was the ending as I felt like it was too rushed and didn’t make much sense so that was disappointing.

I would recommend this story to anyone who loves dark fantasy, fairy tales, and retellings as it was fun and entertaining so if you’re looking something like this then check it out!

Sisters Of The Snake by Sasha & Sarena Nauna

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Rating: 3.5/5

“That’s what stories do. They teach us to remember, and to overcome.”

Sisters Of The Snake is a retelling of The Prince and The Pauper but instead this time, it tells the story of Princess Rani who longs to escape her gilded cage and prove herself and Ria, a street urchin stealing to keep herself alive. When the two collide, they decide to take a gamble and decide to switch places as the they are unmistakably identical. But, danger lurks in the darkness and the two girls must adapt to a world that is unlike their own while trying to stay alive at the same time.

I’ve been getting into retellings as of late and this was a fun filled enjoyed ride from the start. While it had it’s downsides which I’ll get to in a bit, it was enjoyable for the most part. The dual narriative being told from Ria and Rani’s perspectives was a plus as it helped give readers a better understanding of the girl’s motives and what they truly wanted in order to feel like their own person. This is a story of familial sacrifice, fate, opposites attract with a magical aspect to add to the cultural aspects throughout the book that make it very real.

However, there are some drawbacks that made me fall in love with it completely. I would’ve liked to seen more world-building and contextualization as there were times where I was confused with the magic system. There were some part that were very predictable and I didn’t feel very invested in the romance. With the romance, I feel there was much too much focus on that and not enough on the characters and the world around them. The notion of Ria’s and Rani’s fate being intertwined is very interesting and I would’ve liked more development then the romance.

Even with it’s faults, Sisters Of The Snake is a fun retelling of an old tale and it’s rich diversity and cultural aspects make it even more interesting than the original. A fun read so check it out if you want!

Fly With The Arrow by Sarah K.L. Wilson

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Rating: 3/5

“We are the story of our choices, our grim failures, our crippled successes. We are the story of our molten passions, our loves and hates, our tears in the silence. We are the story of how others touched or shunned us, of loves returned, revenges enacted. When all flesh and glory melts away and there is nothing left of us, we will be only the story going on to what comes next.”

No one told her the most important law of the court-the law of greeting. If she knew about it, maybe she wouldn’t have greeted Bluebeard who had come to claim a mortal wife. If that hadn’t happened, she wouldn’t have swept into away to the lands of the Wittenhame as his sixteenth wife. But, if none of that had happened then she wouldn’t have been such a integral part of the game that takes place every two years that will set the fate of the nations. But, as she tries to navigate her way not only as Bluebeard’s wife but her own identity, she will discover that not all is at it seems in more ways than she could imagine.

What a confusing, addictive, fun and entertaining book this was! When I was younger, I was obsessed with pirates and a huge fan of POTC but I grew out of it. I remember reading tales of Bluebeard so when I saw this pop up on my recommendations, I decided to give it a try. In this telling, Bluebeard is a misunderstood fae who is equally puzzled by Izdola, our heroine who is different from his previous fifteen wives. The enemies to lovers trope is a favorite of mine and it was done rather well throughout the book. There were a few parts where I was very confused but thankfully that didn’t last long the more that I got into the story and became very interested in what was to come.

It was a great read up until the last act which I felt like was a little rushed and a bit predictable. On top of that, it ended in a cliffhanger and we don’t know what happens until the second book comes out in September. I felt a little disappointed in the ending, I would’ve liked the book to be a bit longer and not end as a cliffhanger. It’s a fun and interesting story with a great dynamic between Bluebeard and Izdola but I felt like the last part of the book fell flat for me.

But if you’re looking for a fun and adventurous book, this is right up your alley!

This Poison Heart by Kaylnn Bayron

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Rating: 3/5

Brisesis has a strange yet fascinating gift where she can grow plants from tiny seeds to rich blooms with a single touch. But, when her aunt dies and gives her dilapidated estate to Bri and her parents decide to leave rural Brooklyn for the summer in hopes that Bri can hone her magically gift in the open space that surrounds her aunt’s estate. At first, things are perfect but looks can be deceiving and Bri and her family don’t have any idea of what sinister awaits for them. Soon, strangers start coming to the door wanting elixer’s and when Bri learns that she can make them, she decides to use her talent and things couldn’t be better. Until, Bri meets a woman named Maria and the two become friends until Bri finds out that Maria is keeping secrets of her own and soon Bri finds herself with more than she bargained for and she must not only save herself but her family.

This is the second book that I’ve read from Bayron and I actually prefer Cinderella is Dead to this one because the pacing for this book was awful imo. The character didn’t even arrive in the setting until 25% into the book and while there parts where I felt like things were picking up, the poor pacing continued throughout the book and it made me a bit disappointed. Briesis is very relatable character and I do think she was well-written and I liked her personality but I just felt like the pacing of the book really impacted my enjoyment of it. Another part that irked me a bit was the immortal love interested who was in the body of a seventeen year old. The main character, Breisis is barely seventeen yet her love interest some hundred years her senior? That might not bother some people but that felt weird to me.

But, there a few things that I enjoyed and in particular the relationship between Bri and her mother, I felt like it was a very well written and there is so much love between the two of them and that’s always nice to see. I also enjoyed learning about the magic system and I thought that it was explained very well and made it interesting. I wish I could’ve enjoyed this book as much as others did but I couldn’t due to the issues that I mentioned but if you feel like this sounds up your alley, check it out for yourself!

Neon Gods by Katee Robert

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Rating: 4/5

“If we were different people in different circumstances, I would get down on my knees and beg you to stay at the end of the winter. I would move heaven and earth and the Underworld itself to keep you with me.” 

A retelling of a very old tale between Persephone and Hades and one that will leave you begging for more. Society darling, Persephone Dimitriou is ready to leave the ultra modern city of Olympus and start over from the backstabbing politics of the Thirteen Houses but when her mother throws her into an engagement to Zeus, the dangerous power behind the city’s dark facade, she is desperate for a way out. She flees to the forbidden city, where she makes a devil bargain and is thrust into a world that she never knew existed along with a man she believed to be a myth.

This book was super steamy and I loved every minute of it. This book wasn’t originally on my tbr at all until I started hearing the buzz about it and decided to check it out and I am so glad that I did. Not only did I love the smut but I loved everything about the retelling of Persephone and Hades. I am fickle on retellings of this tale because it’s been done so many times so I was a little skeptical but the characters, the world-buidling, the writing, and of course the smut drew me in. I liked how the author was still able to weave in the gods aspect because the way it was done in this retelling added to the story in my perspective. I could actually see this world existing in my head and wondered what it would be like to experience it.

I can’t wait for more!!