Elementals explores the ideas of fire and ice in several different ways.

It varies from "Cold", a fairy tale story with literal fire and ice in the form of an ice princess who marries a fire oriented prince, to "Crocodile Tears", a modern story with no magic where the ice manifests as a motif symbolizing guilt and grief.

With such a short collection - just six stories- I was disappointed that there was one that fell completely flat for me ("Baglady"), but as it was very short, just ten pages or so, it was over quickly.

My two favorites are the aforementioned "Cold" and "A Lamia in the Cevennes", a story which contrasts an artists obsession with perfection and a Lamia's desire to be human. It's given an added layer if you've read the source poem, Keat's "Lamia".