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79th out of 612 books
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1,313 voters
The Faery Reel: Tales from the Twilight Realm (Mythic Fiction #2)
Abort!
by
Ellen Datlow (Goodreads Author) ,
Terri Windling (Goodreads Author) , Holly Black (Goodreads Author) , Ellen Steiber , Nina Kiriki Hoffman , Patricia A. McKillip , Gregory Maguire , Hiromi Goto
,
more…
Faeries, or creatures like them, can be found in almost every culture the world over--benevolent and terrifying, charming and exasperating, shifting shape from country to country, story to story, and moment to moment. In The Faery Reel, Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling have asked some of today's best fantasists for short stories and poems that draw on the great wealth of wo...more
Paperback, 528 pages
Published
February 2nd 2006
by Firebird
(first published August 3rd 2004)
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A better-than-average collection of YA short stories (and a few poems) with a faerie theme.
I rejected a fair number of stories for whiny protagonists with trivial problems, and a few for being basically incomprehensible -- a short story is, well, short, and I need to know the rules within a couple of pages. Also, I'm weirdly uncomfortable witih writers who are palpably WASPs writing stories in other folkloric traditions, but I don't know whether that makes sense or whether it's just a quirk.
Kel...more
I rejected a fair number of stories for whiny protagonists with trivial problems, and a few for being basically incomprehensible -- a short story is, well, short, and I need to know the rules within a couple of pages. Also, I'm weirdly uncomfortable witih writers who are palpably WASPs writing stories in other folkloric traditions, but I don't know whether that makes sense or whether it's just a quirk.
Kel...more
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In the past I have not been a huge fan of short story collections but this book has changed my mind. I really enjoyed nearly every story in this anthology. The only story that sticks in my mind as less than satisfactory. It was a Peter Pan story from Captain Hook's point of view. I don't generally like this kind of story and even though this one had some interesting ideas it didn't manage to strike a chord with me. Neil Gaimen's poem was, on the other hand, brilliant. Another gem was "Screaming...more
Here's another good fantasy anthology edited by Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling (known for their Adult Fairy Tales series of anthologies and many years of The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror). It begins with a fine essay by Windling on the origins of faeries, from medieval times to today, and includes a list of recommended reading and even of faery-related music. The stories I particularly liked were: Bruce Glassko's "Never Never", a wry tale of Peter Pan -- from Captain Hook's point of view; Nin...more
I skimmed the preface, intro. and the poem by Charles De Lint. Sorry, poetry just isn't for and because my reading time is so sparse and this book is such a tome I wanted to get straight to the stories.
Catnyp by Delia Sherman: I loved this one about a human child kidnapped by the faery, renamed Neef and raised as a changeling. On a whim, she makes a bet with a broken hearted swan maiden that humans know more about love than faeries do. Unfortunately, she knows nothing about love and ventures int...more
Catnyp by Delia Sherman: I loved this one about a human child kidnapped by the faery, renamed Neef and raised as a changeling. On a whim, she makes a bet with a broken hearted swan maiden that humans know more about love than faeries do. Unfortunately, she knows nothing about love and ventures int...more
This is a short story collection edited by acclaimed anthologists Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling. Most of the stories have a modern twist, and most were mediocre or downright terrible.
I may also be a little biased because I went into the book not expecting almost every story to take place in modern America, my least favorite setting for fantasy novels.
The Boys of Goose Hill, Charles de Lint: ** dumb
Catnyp, Delia Sherman: *, stupid
Elvinbrood, Tanith Lee: **, only thing I enjoyed was the surpri...more
I may also be a little biased because I went into the book not expecting almost every story to take place in modern America, my least favorite setting for fantasy novels.
The Boys of Goose Hill, Charles de Lint: ** dumb
Catnyp, Delia Sherman: *, stupid
Elvinbrood, Tanith Lee: **, only thing I enjoyed was the surpri...more
Ellen Datlow e Terry Windling estabeleceram ao longo dos anos uma reputação como editores de antologias de fantasia de qualidade. "The Feary Reel", uma antologia de histórias YA originais sobre fadas também mantém um bom padrão. Estas não são histórias vitorianas pitorescas sobre fadas com asas. Estas remetem antes ao folclore sobre as criaturas que podem ser boas ou más, perigosas ou bondosas.
Muitos dos nomes mais conhecidos da fantasia moderna estão representados neste volume: Charles de Lint,...more
Muitos dos nomes mais conhecidos da fantasia moderna estão representados neste volume: Charles de Lint,...more
This one took quite a while to finish, as it was very thick. I don't usually read too much fantasy, but I guess after reading The Green Man (a similar anthology I highly reccomend) and Wings (one of my most favorite books ever) I was interested in this collection of retellings and fairy stories from across the globe.
Stories/poems I liked: The Boys of Goose Hill, CATNYP, The Faery Handbag, The Price of Glamour, The Night Market, Never Never, Screaming for Faeries, Immersed in Matter, Undine, The...more
Stories/poems I liked: The Boys of Goose Hill, CATNYP, The Faery Handbag, The Price of Glamour, The Night Market, Never Never, Screaming for Faeries, Immersed in Matter, Undine, The...more
I don't often read anthologies--or I haven't for quite a long time. I read this mainly because I couldn't find any of the books I wanted in the library and this one caught my eye as I was browsing the YA section. Because its an anthology and there were parts I liked far more than other parts, I feel I can't write a review the way I normally do. So, instead I will just list my favourite stories/poems from The Faery Reel and a little blurb telling you what each of them is about.
"The Boys of Goose...more
"The Boys of Goose...more
I loved this book! This was collection of short fairy tales and poems that are all pretty modern, from many of the modern fairy tale authors, such as Neil Gaiman, Holly Black, Charles De Lint, Gregory Maguire, etc. What I liked most about this book was that, and I was presently surprised to find out after I started reading it, it is multicultural! Almost all of the fairy tales take place in a different part of the world, and include cultural references to how that cultural perceives fairies. “El...more
Named after a poem/song by Neil Gaiman, The Faery Reel is full of goodies about the fey. Although I cannot call myself a connoisseur of faery, I have read my fair share (the most notable being Susannah Clarke's work)and am compelled to recommend this book to anyone even remotely interested. What I love about this anthology is that it covers a very wide definition of "fairies" (selkies, mermaids, Tam Lin...). I loved the modern interpretations and was thrilled by those based in ancient folklore....more
As always with an anthology, some great stories and some less exciting ones. It seemed to go very quickly on this re-read, but Charles Vess' beautiful illustrations have stuck in mind even with that quick gallop through. There are obvious standouts, such as Kelly Link's "The Faery Handbag", though all the items are very readable (I'd make an exception with the poetry, which I never particularly want to see in an anthology of this sort - I read for story and want chunkiness and plot, not so much...more
Atmospheric, whimsical; Engaging, lyrical.
This is good for ya through adult - ideal for lovers of folktales. About half the stories are set in the USA or in Europe and half are in other countries. Half also fall into the category of urban fantasy. Good choice for people who love the modern fantasists Neil Gaiman, Jane Yolen,Patricia McKillip, and Holly Black.
This is good for ya through adult - ideal for lovers of folktales. About half the stories are set in the USA or in Europe and half are in other countries. Half also fall into the category of urban fantasy. Good choice for people who love the modern fantasists Neil Gaiman, Jane Yolen,Patricia McKillip, and Holly Black.
Over the years, Datlow and Windling have established a reputation as editors of quality fantasy anthologies. This particular anthology contains various modern adult retellings of classic fairy tales which are essential reading for the fairy tale-addicted such as myself. Windling starts off with a fine introductory essay on the origins, varieties, and attitudes toward fairies in different cultures and, in particular, their treatment in English literature and art.
If you're expecting stories about...more
If you're expecting stories about...more
There are a ton of reviews on this book, but I'll add my two cents. I purchased this book long ago, and it has survived many purges. I have read each story once, except
The Annals of Eelin Ok by Jeffery Ford. I absolutely love this story and have read it many many times. I would also like to read this story for an audio book collection, but I am just getting started with producing audio material. I don't know if there is such a thing yet, or whether I will be able to get such a thing going. But I...more
The Annals of Eelin Ok by Jeffery Ford. I absolutely love this story and have read it many many times. I would also like to read this story for an audio book collection, but I am just getting started with producing audio material. I don't know if there is such a thing yet, or whether I will be able to get such a thing going. But I...more
Most of the short stories were good in this book. A few of them kind of tainted the overall quality of the book. Having read the folklore of faeries, all of these stories have the touch of the original fairy tales and not the watered-down pathetic ones that Disney has today. I particularly liked:
Catnyp by Delia Sherman
Elvenbrood by Tanith Lee
Tengu Mountains by Gregory Frost
The Faery Handbag by Kelly Link
The Price of Glamour by Steve Berman
The Night Market by Holly Black*
Never Never by Bruce Glas...more
Catnyp by Delia Sherman
Elvenbrood by Tanith Lee
Tengu Mountains by Gregory Frost
The Faery Handbag by Kelly Link
The Price of Glamour by Steve Berman
The Night Market by Holly Black*
Never Never by Bruce Glas...more
***Reviewing as I go along***
Catnyp, by Delia Sherman
-1 Star
-The main character, Neef, is annoying. Her narrative irritated the fuck out of me.
- The characters were completely one-dimensional. I knew practically nothing about them except their names and whether they were fairies or changelings or what-have-you. So when the climax of the story came, I didn't care at all whether Neef and her idiotic lover would die or not.
-In the story, Neef falls in love with a guy named Byron. Immediately. Lo...more
Catnyp, by Delia Sherman
-1 Star
-The main character, Neef, is annoying. Her narrative irritated the fuck out of me.
- The characters were completely one-dimensional. I knew practically nothing about them except their names and whether they were fairies or changelings or what-have-you. So when the climax of the story came, I didn't care at all whether Neef and her idiotic lover would die or not.
-In the story, Neef falls in love with a guy named Byron. Immediately. Lo...more
After finishing up Firebirds Rising, I was still hungry for fantasy short stories. When I was out at Borders, I came across The Faery Reel, an award winning anthology printed by Firebird Books, and edited by two women known for their talent as editors. When I looked at the list of authors who contributed and found Holly Black, Charles de Lint, Neil Gaiman, Nina Kiriki Hoffman, Gregory Maguire AND Patricia A McKillip, I knew that I needed to pick this up right away.
The collection is based around...more
The collection is based around...more
ed. by Terri Windling and Ellen Datlow
I finished this one in a hurry last night because it was due back at the library. So my thoughts on the last few stories are sketchier than for some of the earlier ones.
I liked "Catnyp" by Delia Sherman quite a bit. It had a fun twist on even the Beauty and the Beast, heroine saving the hero, theme. And I (naturally) loved the library setting.
"Your Garnet Eyes" by Katherine Vaz was gorgeous: beautifully written, with lovely characterization, and an unusual...more
I finished this one in a hurry last night because it was due back at the library. So my thoughts on the last few stories are sketchier than for some of the earlier ones.
I liked "Catnyp" by Delia Sherman quite a bit. It had a fun twist on even the Beauty and the Beast, heroine saving the hero, theme. And I (naturally) loved the library setting.
"Your Garnet Eyes" by Katherine Vaz was gorgeous: beautifully written, with lovely characterization, and an unusual...more
A solid anthology of young adult faerie stories. Terri Windling wrote an really fantastic introduction about the variety of faeries in cultures all over the world, as well as their presence in popular culture today. I especially enjoyed Catnyp (as someone who's become quite familiar with the New York Public Library), Tengu Mountain, The Faery Handbag (though I wish so much that this was a novel-length work, it felt like a wonderful intro), Night Market, Screaming for Faeries, Undine, Oakthing, T...more
Being an anthology there's something for everyone in here. While several of the stories are very typical Western/British faeries, there are plenty of stories that take fairie-like creatures from other cultural lore and form stories around them, ranging from Japanese, Brazilian, Filipino... It was a very pleasant surprise. And not all of the stories are about fairies whisking away human children or Fairy Courts. There is tons of variety and unique variations and spins on old legends.
I must admit, I only read parts of this anthology. I adore the work of Terri Windling, and she did the intro. First of all Undines by Patricia McKillip (another fav of mine) was delightful. It was sooo not what was to be expected and I loved that. How To Find Faery was a great poem by Nan Fry. Two odes by Charles de Lint and Neil Gaiman, The Boys of Goose Hill and The Faery Reel, respectively, were ok. The illustrations by Charles Vess were very cool.
My low rating on this may be the result of two things. I'm not a big fan of short stories and many of these were urban/contemporary in approach, again not a favorite sub-genre. The two I like best were those based on Asian folk tales. And Jeffrey Ford's story about faeries who inhabit sand castles was charming, even touching. Patricia McKillip is a favority author of mine but her story here is a dud.
I enjoyed this anthology about the fair folk. Perhaps my favorite story was Catnyp, by Delia Sherman, as it involves magical libraries and a wondrous cataloging system. I found Annals of Eelin-Ok, by Jeffrey Ford, to be a bit too cute for my taste (and not quite fitting with the rest of the anthology). None of the other stories particularly stand out, although I enjoyed nearly all of them.
A collection of short stories (and a few poems) about faeries, not the sweet innocent kind, but the sometimes-malicious and oftentimes just uncaring fairies of folklore. Each story has a different author and thus a different tone and take on the whole fairy-thing. Most stories occur in the present day. Some occur in recognizable cities from the U.S. A good read, but not a great one.
I’ve always been in love with fairytales so I just had to have this book. I practically heard it calling me from the bookshelf of one of my favorite bookstores. LOL.
I loved the variety of faerie culture that this book has offered and I enjoyed reading different tales about the Fair Folk.
I can’t say that I specifically had a favorite but there were stories that stood out to me more than the others, like Undine by Patricia McKillip and the Night Market by Holly Black. The latter was very significa...more
I loved the variety of faerie culture that this book has offered and I enjoyed reading different tales about the Fair Folk.
I can’t say that I specifically had a favorite but there were stories that stood out to me more than the others, like Undine by Patricia McKillip and the Night Market by Holly Black. The latter was very significa...more
Uno de los primeros audiolibros que puedo escuchar de principio a fin. Confieso que llegué a él por ciertos autores, pero me llevé una grata sorpresa con el resto.
Lo mejorcito para mi fueron las historias de Gregory Maguire, Charles de Lint, Patricia A. McKillip, Jeffrey Ford y Tanith Lee, pero lo demás no tiene desperdicio.
Lo mejorcito para mi fueron las historias de Gregory Maguire, Charles de Lint, Patricia A. McKillip, Jeffrey Ford y Tanith Lee, pero lo demás no tiene desperdicio.
Great short stories! Some of these compilations can start to feel like you are reading the same story over and over, but that is in no way the case here. Lots of original and fun spins on "classic" faery (however its spelled) tales. I especially loved the fairies who come into existence just to live in sand castles. Fabulous!
I hated 80% of the neverending stories. They did have morals behind them but they were very dull. The one with the foxwife didn't make any sense other than a girl lost in the woods (which were charmed to look like woods anyways) and then escaping with a werefox (Japanese) woman. I really hated this book. Wasted a lot of my time.
"The Boys of Goose Hill" by Charles de Lint: Fun sort of folk-song. 4/5.
"Catnyp" by Delia Sherman: About a changeling in “New York Between” and mostly set in the library. PERFECTION. 5/5.
"Elvenbrood" by Tanith Lee: Pretty standard changeling sort of story. I liked the family dynamics in this one. 4/5.
"The Faery Handbag" by Kelly Link: The ending of this one made me go ARRRRGGGHHH and it felt like it took advantage of my extreme interest during the rest of the story. 3/5.
"The Price of Glamour" by...more
"Catnyp" by Delia Sherman: About a changeling in “New York Between” and mostly set in the library. PERFECTION. 5/5.
"Elvenbrood" by Tanith Lee: Pretty standard changeling sort of story. I liked the family dynamics in this one. 4/5.
"The Faery Handbag" by Kelly Link: The ending of this one made me go ARRRRGGGHHH and it felt like it took advantage of my extreme interest during the rest of the story. 3/5.
"The Price of Glamour" by...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Faery Reel...amazing? | 5 | 36 | May 15, 2012 03:42pm | |
| Endicott Mythic F...: The Faery Reel: Tales from the Twilight Realm (The Mythic Fiction Series, #2) - Discussion | 21 | 23 | Dec 29, 2011 01:49pm |
Ellen Datlow has been an award-winning editor of short science fiction, fantasy, and horror for over twentyfive years.
She is editor of the Best Horror of the Year and has edited or co-edited a large number of award-winning original anthologies. Her most recent are Supernatural Noir, Naked City, Blood and Other Cravings, The Beastly Bride, Teeth, Trolls Eye View, and After (the last three with Ter...more
More about Ellen Datlow...
She is editor of the Best Horror of the Year and has edited or co-edited a large number of award-winning original anthologies. Her most recent are Supernatural Noir, Naked City, Blood and Other Cravings, The Beastly Bride, Teeth, Trolls Eye View, and After (the last three with Ter...more
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“(...) Some fairy lore makes a clear division between good and wicked types of fairies — between those who are friendly to mankind, and those who seek to cause us harm. In Scottish tales, good fairies make up the Seelie Court, which means the Blessed Court, while bad fairies congregate in the Unseelie Court, ruled by the dark queen Nicnivin. In old Norse myth, the Liosálfar (Light Elves) are regal, compassionate creatures who live in the sky in the realm of Alfheim, while the Döckálfar (the Dark Elves) live underground and are greatly feared. Yet in other traditions, a fairy can be good or bad, depending on the circumstance or on the fairy's whim. They are often portrayed as amoral beings, rather than as immoral ones, who simply have little comprehension of human notions of right and wrong.
The great English folklorist Katherine Briggs tended to avoid the "good" and "bad" division, preferring the categorizations of Solitary and Trooping Fairies instead. (...)”
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3 people liked it
The great English folklorist Katherine Briggs tended to avoid the "good" and "bad" division, preferring the categorizations of Solitary and Trooping Fairies instead. (...)”
“Annalise loves to take things out of wherever they've been put away and leave them in little mounds all over the house. Her father, my uncle Eric, says she is chaos incarnate, but actually she's very organized. She knows exactly where everything is.”
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2 people liked it
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