Book Review: The Iron King by Julie Kagawa

As I'm sure you've figured out by now, I've been celebrating fairy tales with NotNessie of Today's Adventure.  Which may leave you wondering why I'm posting a review of a book that doesn't scream 'fairy tale' at you.  Well, it just so happens, that I subscribe to the definition of fairy-story or fairy-tale that Tolkien explains in his essay "On Fairy-stories."  While talking about what exactly fairy-stories are for about ten pages, he finally gets to this little tidbit: 

A "fairy-story" is one which touches on or uses Faerie, whatever its own main purpose may be: satire, adventure, morality, fantasy... Tales about fairies, about the fair family in any of its houses, or even about dwarfs and goblins, are only a small part of their content. p 39 of The Tolkien Reader

Thus, as you will note from my labeled reviews of fairy tales, I refer both to the traditional idea of a fairy tale - like Cinderella, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty - and to the types of stories that are about fairies/faeries/fae in any form.  Which can be a lot of stories.  I say, the more then merrier.  And on that note, here's the review:

The Iron King by Julie Kagawa
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Publication date: February 2010
ISBN: 9780373210084
Source: Library

 

Meghan Chase does not have an easy life.  Her father disappeared when she was four.  Her mother remarried a nice guy, but one who hardly notices her.  She lives in the backwoods of New Orleans and has to put up with everyone at school teasing her for it.  But things are about to get a lot worse.  When her brother is apparently stolen by faeries, she must find a way into faeryland and then face hostile courts and a deadly enemy that could destroy them all.

Things I Liked:
While at first it seemed kind of like every other recent faery book I've read, I was pleasantly surprised at the interesting turn it took.  I liked the idea of a different court, one that no one knew about, but that was so destructive to the others.  The plot took a while for me to really enjoy, but when it took those interesting turns near the end, I found myself quite caught up in it.  I'll be interested to see where Kagawa takes the story next.  Here are some good quotes:

The wine filled my mouth, flooding my senses.  It tasted of nothing and everything.  It tasted of twilight and mist, moonlight and frost, emptiness and longing. p 55

And then, like an explosion of light on the inside of my eyes, I felt it.  It was like color given emotion: orange passion, vermilion lust, crimson anger, blue sorrow, a swirling hypnotic play of sensations in my mind. p190

Things I Didn't Like:
I have to admit, for the first half or so, I was really annoyed by Meghan.  Seriously, she just seemed like such an idiot - running into danger, needing to be saved at every turn, completely ignoring anyone who told her to run away from evil.  I wanted to slap her and tell her to get smart.  I think she managed it in the end.  Also, with all the fabulous reviews, I was expecting it to be more awesome, so I felt just a little let down.  It was still enjoyable but not the most amazing book I've read ever.  

Read-alikes:
Wicked Lovely series by Melissa Marr
Wings by Aprilynne Pike
Lament by Maggie Stiefvater
Wondrous Strange by Lesley Livingston

BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: !@#
fairly regularly throughout

mrg-factor: X
there were several rather sensual parts, but not a lot

v-factor: ->->
some fighting, nothing too gory

Overall rating: ****

What do you think of as fairy tales?  Does it include stories about fairies?

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage

Book Review: Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce

Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication date: June 2010
ISBN: 978-0316068680
Source: Library

 

Scarlett and Rosie March are Fenris hunters.  As two of the few people who know werewolves exist, they feel obligated to fight and kill them to protect innocent girls.  Scarlett wants to spend the rest of her life fighting them - it's the only thing that makes her feel whole.  Rosie, however, is finding that she'd much rather live a normal life, especially when their old friend Silas returns and she finds herself falling for him.  But all three of them must focus on defeating the Fenris when they begin to mysteriously appear in greater numbers.

Things I Liked:
I have to admit, there is something so delightful to me about a retelling of Little Red Riding Hood with werewolves.  Perhaps it's that I myself wrote a short story along those lines, though with some differences.  Or maybe it's that I don't in general even like the fairy tale, so the fact that this book made me like it was good.  I loved how the story was about the sisters more than anything else.  Books about sisters always get to me, since I have four sisters myself.  Their interactions were excellent, though I found myself angry at Scarlett more often, even while I sort of understood why she was so single minded.  Interesting and fun story.  I'm super excited to get in on the discussion over at Today's Adventure.  Here is one of my favorite parts:

When we were little, Scarlett and I were utterly convinced that we'd originally been one person in our mother's belly.  We believed that somehow, half of us wanted to be born and half wanted to stay.  So our heart had to be broken in two so that Scarlett could be born first, and then I finally braved the outside world a few years later.  It made sense in our little pig-tailed heads - it explained why, when we ran through grass or danced or spun in circles long enough, we would lose track of who was who and it started to feel as if there were some organic, elegant link between us, our single heart holding the same tempo and pumping the same blood. p 46

Things I Didn't Like:
It ended rather quickly and abruptly to me.  Perhaps it was that I figured out the end before hand and was expecting it, but it came to a rather neat conclusion, considering all the build up.  Still, satisfying nonetheless.

Read-alikes:
Cloaked in Red by Vivian Vande Velde 
and any of a number of other fairy tales (see my Listless Monday list of them)

BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: !
some

mrg-factor: X
implied mostly

v-factor: ->->->
rather a lot of fighting and stabbing

Overall rating: ****

Do you like sister books?  Why or why not?

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage

I Actually NEED It 6: Fairy Tale Style

It's been a while since I've done one of my NEED it lists.  And, since I'm celebrating fairy tales this week, I thought I'd share a few upcoming fairy tale(ish) books I'm interested in.


Cloaked in Red by Vivian Vande Velde
This one looks so delightful!  It's a collection of retellings of Little Red Riding Hood and I'm super thrilled just thinking of all that fairy tale delights I will experience in October 2010.

Entwined by Heather Dixon
Hello, retellings of Twelve Dancing Princesses?  Yes, I love them.  And the cover for this is absolutely fabulous.  Too bad I have to wait until April 2011 before I can get my hands on this one! 


Just as a side note, I thought I'd send you for a little blast to the past with my Why We Love Fairy Tales post from last year's Once Upon a Week celebration.

What fairy tales are you waiting on?

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage

Book Review: Princess of Glass by Jessica Day George

Princess of Glass by Jessica Day George
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA
Publication date: May 2010
ISBN: 9781599904788
Source: Library

 

Princess Poppy isn't too thrilled to be participating in a royal exchange program that takes her to a foreign court where she may be called upon to dance.  You see, having been forced to dance for many years makes it less desirable.  She manages to avoid dancing for a while, instead playing cards and meeting a handsome prince, until a young maid starts getting in the way of their budding friendship.  This servant not only is showing up to balls in gorgeous gowns but all of the young men seem to be falling for her.  Can Poppy figure out the mystery behind this maid before she finds herself caught in another deadly trap?

Things I Liked:
This was a fun, sweet story.  I like Poppy because she isn't a good, perfect, ladylike princess - she swears, she plays cards, she has an attitude and she is also quite blunt.  The story itself is very cute - I especially enjoyed the Cinderella twist that makes for a interesting new view of the original tale.  Plus, it's also refreshing to have the main character not actually be Cinderella.  Lots of fun for younger girls and fairy tale lovers.

"All in all a most satisfactory evening," Marianne announced.  
Poppy had to laugh.  "It ended with us standing in the garden, looking over an unconscious prince and a red-faced Jasper Antwhistle."  She paused, making sure that Lady Margaret was asleep before continuing.  "Who was attacked rather haphazardly, by Prince Christian after I slapped him for trying to kiss me and pinch my bottom at the same time." p 33

"Any girl with a dowry is told from the day she's born that she has to marry just the right person for just the right reasons at just the right time."  She grimaced.  "All you can hope for is that he's got teeth.  And hair." p 61

Things I Didn't Like:
I didn't think it had quite as much sparkle and life as Princess of the Midnight Ball, which is essentially about Poppy's older sisters.  Poppy was a delightful character, but the story was almost too simple and the ending fairly obvious from the start.  I liked the humor and sarcasm, but it definitely lacked the magic of the first book. 

Read-alikes:
My Fair Godmother by Janette Rallison
Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George
Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine

BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: none
though apparently Poppy can swear with the best soldiers, she never actually does so on page

mrg-factor: none

v-factor: none

Overall rating: ****

Got a favorite Cinderella story?

 For more reviews - click on the image!

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage

Fun Stuff in the Blogging World

Just wanted to let everyone know about these two upcoming events I'm participating in!

First up, the Got Books? event - a celebration of all things bookish, including lots of bookish contests.  If you want more info on this, check out the Got Books? site.  Be sure to pop back over here July 23-24 for a book contest and other fun.



The next event is the second annual Once Upon a Week event, hosted by NotNessie of Today's Adventure.  This year it is being held August 1-7.  It is a celebration of all things fairy tale, with loads of fairy tale reviews and other fun things.  And check out the gorgeous logo for the event.  Check out Today's Adventure for further details.

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage

Book Review: Keturah and Lord Death by Martine Leavitt

Keturah And Lord Death is the beautiful story of a young woman, hopelessly lost and at the brink of death, who weaves stories for Lord Death to bargain for her life. Now she has only 24 hours to find her one true love or return to be his for good.

Things I Liked:
While not strictly fairy tale, this story evokes a fairy-tale feeling. The village setting feels real to me, beautiful and loveable. I absolutely adore the story - it is different from many kinds of fairy tales, though there is a handsome prince of sorts. The language, while not flowery, seems just right and the romance is quite lovely. I loved how I felt while reading it. There is something old-fashioned about her language and wonderful about the way she weaves her tale. It definitely left me thinking:

"If untimely death came only to those who deserved that fate, Keturah, where would choice be? No one would do good for its own sake, but only to avoid an early demise. No one would speak out against evil because of his own courageous soul, but only to live another day. The right to choose is man's great gift, but one thing is not his to choose - the time and means of death." p.162

Things I Didn't Like:
I didn't like how she kept pleading with Lord Death to save people. It is an understandable feeling, but not exactly a healthy one. Did she really think she could save everyone she knew and loved from death? This definitely didn't detract from how much I loved this book, though.

Read-alikes:
Reminiscent of The Princess and the Hound and The Princess and the Bear by Mette Ivie Harrison and Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George
Death as a character: The Book Thiefby Markus Zusak

BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: none
unless you count naming the place where Lord Death presides

mrg-factor: none

v-factor: none

Overall rating: *****

If you buy through my Amazon linkage,
I will get a very small percentage

A Retelling of My Own

For this fabulous Thursday, as we near the end of the Once Upon a Week, NotNessie invited us to take a fairy quiz and rewrite a fairy story. And here are the...interesting results:

Having taken this quiz, I came out as Little Red Riding Hood. Not my favorite. But, you will see how I re-imagined this one with my own unique ideas. (Ok, so it's not really me as the heroine, but I think this heroine is a lot more interesting.)

Red Hood

Putting on my scarlet cloak and pulling the hood over my head, I begin to feel the thrill that comes from the hunt. Ostensibly, I'm headed to grandmother's house to visit her. The real reason for this trek through the wood is to eliminate the werewolf that's been terrorizing the nearby villages for months. Beneath my cloak, I clasp the trusty silver dagger and run my thumb along the familiar imprint of a wolf's head on the handle. Woflbane has been with me for most of my time as a wolf-hunter. It came most unexpectedly after I'd removed a female who prowled the king's own castle. From deep in his royal horde of weaponry, he'd produced this deceptively plain dagger. One look at the etching told me it was an ancient and very powerful weapon I'd only heard of in wolf-lore - the original blade of the original wolf-hunter. Having this dagger in my grasp helps me face the inevitable fear. I'd taken down hundreds of wolves in my time, but I never failed to feel that chill run down my spine and the blood pumping in my heart. I never forgot just how powerful and dangerous each wolf was.

But, now is not the time to let my fears surface, I have a job to do and I will complete it. Leaving behind the safety of the village, I step boldly into the forest. Almost immediately I feel isolated and oppressed by the trees. This must be a very powerful wolf to survive in this dark place. Sounds are muffled, creature noises faint and unidentifiable. My unease resurfaces and I glance from side to side, treading more cautiously. The track I follow is becoming more and more difficult to see with strange plants crowding its edges and trees moving in to obscure it.

I come to a point where I am uncertain precisely which direction to go. Instead of curling ahead of me like smoke, the path has evaporated into the thick foliage. I curse myself for being in such a hurry that I didn't ask more about the path. I have no desire to be stuck here at night. While the trees menace and creatures rustle nearby, I can imagine how all these things will appear without even the scant light that filters from above. Just as I am bending down to look for clues to my path, I see movement out of the corner of my eye.

In a flash, I am crouched low to the ground, Wolfbane in my hand, ready to strike. The muffled quiet of the forest is broken by a sound - chilling in its familiarity. It is a laugh - clear and strong and I'm flooded with memories from the sound. My body wants to relax, but my instincts keep me in my defensive stance, now facing the source of that laugh. Dread has begun to settle on me, draping my confidence in a cold blanket of fear. Only this time the fear is tinged with sorrow. I know that laugh. I watch in growing horror as he emerges from the trees wearing his human form, wearing that face that is so dear to me. It is as though someone twisted a knife in my belly.

"Not you," I pray, "not you."

"Hello, Red," he says as easy as if we were meeting on the village streets and not as enemies in a dark forest. I can't respond. "I see you have found a new purpose in life. I'd heard you became a wolf hunter. A good one, too." The cold fear in my heart is joined by a hot panic. I didn't foresee this, how could I not foresee this?

"Rumors of you have begun to bleed fear into our kind." Those last two words are enough to break my heart. Our kind. His kind. He was changed. I thought he was dead, but instead he was changed. He reads these thoughts in my face, my traitorous eyes. I see a slight softening of his hard features.

"You didn't know? How could you not know?"

He was the reason I became a wolf hunter, his death was the fuel for my burning hate, my motivation to become who I am today. With that foundation yanked from beneath my feet, indeed turned upside down, I feel a creeping weakness. I've never doubted myself before, but I am now. I know the wolf in this forest has terrorized the villagers - killed those who strayed into his path. And yet, I remember the softness of his embrace, the gentle way he touched my hands. All the memories I'd suppressed burst out of their hidden boundaries. These two conflicting sides of his being spark conflict in my own heart. Unconsciously, I lower my weapon. This man who is also a wolf will not hurt me - not me, who he once loved. There is still in his sometimes-human heart something that speaks of compassion.

We continue to gaze at one another without thought for our own safety. Our eyes greedily taking in the sight of each other - after all these years, he is still the same. Of course. He will not age. I have changed, in more than appearance. My nature has hardened into a hunter - one who would need to dig deep to find her own compassion.

I am just beginning to wonder how long our gaze will last when we both hear a stumbling and crashing in the wood not far from here. Instinctively I draw the dagger that I have put away. I see him flinch away from its power. We are both ready for what may appear down the faded track. Still some distance away, a white figure is clumsily fighting her way through the encroaching trees. This must be the grandmother I was going to see, but what is she doing out here in the wood? A whine escapes from him as he sniffs the air. The look of compassion from before is replaced by cold hunger, the spark of humanity gone - in his heart, he has already changed.

And yet, I hesitate. In that instant, he is gone - leaping in wolf form to that helpless victim. It is enough to spur me to action, slipping back into my hunter's mind. Unfortunately, with his head start, he is already upon her. I yell, hoping to distract him, but he ignores me. It is only when I reach them, grandmother's blood already staining the forest floor that he looks up. But, I am already in motion, the blade on its path. He moves just enough that the strike does not reach his heart. It has struck deep into his shoulder and I know he will not heal quickly. He has backed away from grandmother and is trying to get away from his enemy, from me. That moment when he looked up, his eyes were not wolf eyes, but human ones, full of remorse and sorrow, pain and betrayal. I think he feels guilt for his brutal nature. I think I feel guilt that my nature has changed as well.

I follow the wolf, aware he will not get far. When he does collapse, I hesitate again. It is always easier when the kill is immediate. As I prepare for a second strike, he turns his eyes on me again. Those eyes are full of pain, sorrow, guilt, heartache, so much in one pair of eyes, one look. They seem to plead both for life and for quick death - to remove him from this world where he is cursed. It is this pleading look that loosens my grip on the knife and it falls. Wolfbane, the blade of power, with some perverse awareness falls straight and true, blade down, right into his heart. With a last twitch, the light in his eyes is gone. And so is a part of me.

Why We Love Fairy Tales

I've been thinking lately about why fairy tales are so enduring. People are still reading (and writing) about these characters and stories hundreds of years later. I asked J.T. Oldfield this question in my interview with her and she says, quite succinctly, "They include all of the archetypes that speak to us." This, in essence, is one reason why fairy tales endure. Why they resonate with us so much. Why some tales like Cinderella and Beauty and the Beast have versions in many different countries. I did a little research to get some other opinions and ideas.

In The Enduring Modern Phenomenon of The Fairy Tale, the author states:

"The common sense morals to "Little Red Riding Hood" can be endlessly rewritten into relevant forms, distilled down to essentials: Don't talk to strangers, Appearances can be deceiving, etc. and so while an earlier version of the tale has the Wolf tricking Red into eating some of Grandma and a modern, more child-friendly version might not, both can be told as the same story and the core message will still resonate with truth without needing any one version to predominate."

This is so wonderfully true! While some modern retellings of fairy tales may not retain those essential morals, many of them will invoke those morals, simply by association with the original fairy tale. I love that this kind of story can be told in hundreds of different ways and still have similar themes.

Clarissa Pinkola Estes wrote in her introduction to Tales of the Brothers Grimm

"Fairy tales have survived political aggression and oppressions, the fall and rise of civilizations, massacres of generations, and immense overland and oceanic migrations. They have survived argument, augmentation, and fragmentation. How very diamond-hard these multifaceted jewels truly are. Perhaps this is their greatest mystery and milagro, miracle: The great soulful facts imbedded in the tales act exactly like the rhizome of the green plant whose hidden food source remains alive underground - even during the winter, when the plant appears to live no discernible life above ground. The ever-alive hidden essence remains, no matter the weather: that is the power of story." p. x

It is this essence of the tales - those experiences common to the human family - the morals, hopes, and ideas that ring true to our souls and thus, ensure the tale's survival. We can relate to those experiences and ideals - their familiarity speaks to us. We want these things to be true: that love will prevail, that good conquers evil, and that those who do good receive their just reward, just as those who do evil receive theirs. Whether these things always happen in real life or not, deep down, we hope they will.

In J.R.R. Tolkien's essay "On Fairy-Stories," found in the book The Tolkien Reader he discusses many aspects of fairy tales including what constitutes a fairy-story, their origins, and how they became associated with children, among other things. He offers us this metaphor for what may be hidden in our books of fairy tales:

"Collections of fairy-stories are, in fact, by nature attics and lumber-rooms,... Their contents are disordered, and often battered...but among them may occasionally be found a thing of permanent virtue: an old work of art, not too much damaged, that only stupidity would ever have stuffed away." p.59

I find this to be true of many of the glossed over, happily ever after Disney versions. A lot of clutter to hide one small truth. I do love happy endings, but I also sometimes prefer the older, less pretty versions.

On the subject of fairy tales being for children, I was interested, not being a child anymore and still being drawn to the fairy tales. Tolkien had a lot to say in defense of adults enjoying fairy tales. Here is just one quote (among many I considered) that explains one part of our attraction:

"The prime value of fairy-stories will simply be that value which, as literature, they share with other literary forms. But fairy-stories offer also, in a peculiar degree or mode, these things: Fantasy, Recovery, Escape, Consolation, all things of which children have, as a rule, less need than older people." p.67

I encourage those of you interested to pick up this essay, which is long and sometimes obscure in language, but which has a lot of insight and interesting thoughts on fairy-stories.

As a kind of conclusion, I offer you a quote from Fortune's Folly by Deva Fagan, a fun fairy tale retelling:

"Whether or not there is magic, or fairies, or trolls, or dragons in the world, there is love." p.46

I think that love in some form is found in every fairy tale - and it is the true magic in these enduring stories.

Please share your thoughts on fairy tales - why you love them or why they speak to you.

If you buy through my Amazon linkage,
I will get a very small percentage

Interview with a Fellow Fairy Tale-er

Today I am very fortunate to have an interview with J.T. Oldfield who blogs at Bibliofreak. We exchanged questions via email and I just LOVED reading her answers!

ME: Do you prefer twisted, traditional, or modern retellings?

JT: Well, I like the really old, gruesome originals. For modern retellings, I like them if they put a new spin on the tale, or use it allegorically.

ME: If you could meet any character from any fairy tale, which would you choose and why?

JT: I think I might choose Rumpelstilskin because he would be the most fun. I'd just have to be careful what I promise him. Or I might choose the elves from the elves and the shoemaker because maybe I could get them to make me some shoes.

ME: If you wrote a fairy tale what would be the name of your main character?

JT: I think that is a meme for this week! I would be Catra, and I would save the prince.

[ME: I LOVE this answer - I think there are a lot of princes out there who need saving!]

ME: Do you have a favorite retelling of a fairy tale?

JT: I really like Mirror, Mirror by Gregory Maguire.

[ME: Adding to my looong list of TBR fairy tale retellings...]

ME: Who is your favorite fairy tale villain and why?

JT: I really like the evil fairy Godmother from Sleeping Beauty, especially when she turns into a dragon in the Disney version.

[ME: She used to scare me to no end! But, I loved how her name sounded a bit like mine (Maleficent).]

ME: Do you prefer Disney-fied fairy tales (all happy endings) or the original not-so-happy-ending stories?

JT: Original! Though the Disney ones are entertaining!

ME: If you were in a fairy tale would you be the heroine or the villain?

JT: I'd be the heroine.

ME: What do you think makes fairy tales so compelling that we read and write about them for centuries?

JT: They include all of the archetypes that speak to us. Not to get too Jungian or anything...

ME: What's your favorite fairy tale creature (ie: dwarf, dragon, fairy) and why?

JT: I like mermaids. And also centaurs. I guess I like human hybrids?

ME: What is your least favorite fairy tale?

JT: Little Red Riding Hood. I mean, how could she possibly not tell that it was a wolf? Is she blind?

ME: Do you believe in magic or is that just the stuff of fairy tales?

JT: I would like to believe, but I'm too skeptical. Sometimes I can get myself to believe just for fun, though!

Thanks, J.T.! I love getting to know more about others' fairy tale preferences. Don't forget to check out her fabulous blog Bibliofreak.

What are your answers to some of these burning questions?

Book Review: Forest Born by Shannon Hale

Forest Bornis all Rin ever thought she'd be. She feels at home in the forest, among the trees. Until she does something that makes the trees reject her. Can she leave behind her home in the forest and travel with three powerful women in order to find the goodness she's lost? Or will her wrong deeds follow her wherever she goes?

Things I Liked:
I absolutely love Shannon Hale's writing. Her words encircle you in the story and you forget you don't belong there. This book seemed just a little different from the other Bayern books. Rin was a different kind of main character. I loved her, despite her doubts about herself and her lack of self-confidence. I thought she felt real. I also just love all the characters from her previous stories. Here are some samples of that fabulous writing:

"If it had been a color, it might have been green. If it had touched her ears, it might have sounded rhythmic, like the creak of a rocking chair or drone of a bee. If it had a scent, it might have been sweet and drowsy, like fresh pine on the fire." p.8

"Rin thought that she too could bloom away from home, but passing beneath that tree, under a foreign sky, she felt even tinier than before, a mote of dust that could be lost in the merest huff of wind." p.165

Things I Didn't Like:
I wish we could have learned more about why Rin mirrored other people's personalities and her connection to the trees. I wanted more about tree-speaking.

Read-alikes:
First three books of Bayern give background on the characters, but aren't vital to enjoyment of this book: The Goose Girl, Enna Burning, and River Secrets
Also loved Book of a Thousand Days also by Shannon Hale
A bit like Princess Ben by Catherine Gilbert Murdock

BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: none

mrg-factor: none

v-factor: ->
mild fighting

Overall rating: ****

Do you love fairy tales with happy endings or those that are more complex?

If you buy through my Amazon linkage,
I will get a very small percentage

Once Upon a Week

Welcome fairies, princesses, princes, and villains, to Once Upon a Week, a week-long celebration of all things fairy tale. NotNessie of Today's Adventure is hosting the celebration, so be sure to visit her for more fairy-eyed blogs. If you've read my blog for a while, you know I'm a sucker for fairy tale retellings, so I jumped at the chance to be a part of it. Here's what you can expect for the week:

Today, I'll post my review of Forest Born, the latest in Shannon Hale's fairy-tale-esque series of Bayern books (beginning with Goose Girl, which is based on the fairy tale of the same name).

Tomorrow, watch for my interview with fellow fairy-taled blogger, J.T. Oldfield, who blogs at the fabulous BiblioFreak.

Wednesday, I will wax philosophical about fairy tales and why we love them. I have actually done a bit of research on it, so if you're interested, check back. If not, you may want to avoid that day!

Thursday you will find me dropped into my own fairy tale - will it be all happy endings or something a bit less perfect?

Friday, I've got another review in the works - too many to choose from, so I haven't decided yet.

Be sure to leave any and all comments fairy-related or not. Especially I'd love to hear your thoughts on fairy tales, retellings, and villains.