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The Maiden Thief
"The Maiden Thief" by Melissa Marr is a dark fantasy novelette about a teenager whose town is plagued by the annual disappearances of girls and young women. Her father blames her when one of her sisters is one of the taken.At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
33 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 27, 2016
8 people are currently reading
1484 people want to read
About the author
Melissa Marr
108 books13k followersMelissa Marr writes fiction for adults, teens, and children. Her books have been translated into 28 languages and been bestsellers in the US (NY Times, LA Times, USA Today, Wall Street Journal) as well as overseas. Wicked Lovely, her debut novel, was an instant New York Times bestseller and evolved into an internationally bestselling multi-book series with a myriad of accolades.
In 2024 she released a queer fantasy (Remedial Magic via Bramble), a picturebook about a wee one and his two moms (Family is Family via Penguin), and a DC Comics graphic novel about teen Harley & Ivy (The Strange Adventures of Harleen & Harley).
An Illumicrate edition of 6 Wicked Lovely books will release in 2025.
If she's not writing, you can find her in a kayak or on a trail with her wife.
In 2024 she released a queer fantasy (Remedial Magic via Bramble), a picturebook about a wee one and his two moms (Family is Family via Penguin), and a DC Comics graphic novel about teen Harley & Ivy (The Strange Adventures of Harleen & Harley).
An Illumicrate edition of 6 Wicked Lovely books will release in 2025.
If she's not writing, you can find her in a kayak or on a trail with her wife.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 172 reviews
November 6, 2019
He kisses me finally, but all I taste is bitterness. I will work harder to atone. I will show him that I have choked down ashes and brine.
this is a bluebeard spin that takes place in a town long-cursed by the disappearance of one of its young females every autumn: Autumn meant harvest, a chill in the air—and another missing girl. the vanishings themselves are the only constant - the women and girls are different ages and physical types, and the only consolation is that the maiden thief never visits the same family twice.
or never used to, anyway.
verena was sixteen when her older sister karis went missing, after verena herself publicly addressed the phenomenon in a, "seriously, town, why isn't anyone doing anything about this missing girls bullshit?" tract. their family had already endured many deaths, accidents, and reversals-of-fortune, and with her own birthday being in the autumn, verena felt a particular connection, almost a responsibility to the missing girls, even though she doesn't really fit her town's mold of how a girl should be.
Girls are to be seen, to be delicate, to be graceful, to be many things my sisters excel at, things I will never be—things I might not have even been if we’d kept our fortunes.
when karis goes missing, their father blames verena, that she had directed the maiden thief's attention to their family. verena feels guilty and horrified, but also a little bit relieved that her family has been marked, so her other sister will be safe.
but there's a first time for everything.
blamed, beaten, full of grief and self-recrimination, verena gets herself into a situation that makes her vulnerable until she sees it for what it really is - an opportunity for justice. tired of being told how how to be a girl, how to be a woman, how to be a wife, fed up with being told what to wear and how to be seen, taught that obedience and submission were valuable by a patriarchy that couldn't even keep its girls safe, verena approaches the trials and tests of her new situation (which is also somewhat like a high school child development class project) with all the rage she's learned from her upbringing:
never underestimate a smart girl with a revenge plot
read it for yourself here:
http://www.tor.com/2016/01/27/the-mai...
come to my blog!
this is a bluebeard spin that takes place in a town long-cursed by the disappearance of one of its young females every autumn: Autumn meant harvest, a chill in the air—and another missing girl. the vanishings themselves are the only constant - the women and girls are different ages and physical types, and the only consolation is that the maiden thief never visits the same family twice.
or never used to, anyway.
verena was sixteen when her older sister karis went missing, after verena herself publicly addressed the phenomenon in a, "seriously, town, why isn't anyone doing anything about this missing girls bullshit?" tract. their family had already endured many deaths, accidents, and reversals-of-fortune, and with her own birthday being in the autumn, verena felt a particular connection, almost a responsibility to the missing girls, even though she doesn't really fit her town's mold of how a girl should be.
Girls are to be seen, to be delicate, to be graceful, to be many things my sisters excel at, things I will never be—things I might not have even been if we’d kept our fortunes.
when karis goes missing, their father blames verena, that she had directed the maiden thief's attention to their family. verena feels guilty and horrified, but also a little bit relieved that her family has been marked, so her other sister will be safe.
but there's a first time for everything.
blamed, beaten, full of grief and self-recrimination, verena gets herself into a situation that makes her vulnerable until she sees it for what it really is - an opportunity for justice. tired of being told how how to be a girl, how to be a woman, how to be a wife, fed up with being told what to wear and how to be seen, taught that obedience and submission were valuable by a patriarchy that couldn't even keep its girls safe, verena approaches the trials and tests of her new situation (which is also somewhat like a high school child development class project) with all the rage she's learned from her upbringing:
never underestimate a smart girl with a revenge plot
read it for yourself here:
http://www.tor.com/2016/01/27/the-mai...
come to my blog!
April 18, 2016
Final review, first posted on www.FantasyLiterature.com. Lots of Bluebeard in my life lately!
Verena is a teenage girl with a harsh life: her family is living in poverty since her mother and brother were killed and her father permanently disabled in an accident. And each year, one girl from their town disappears without a trace. Who, or what, is this Maiden Thief? Verena can’t stand that the town isn’t doing more to catch him, so she writes and distributes a tract, gathering the facts and calling for action. Three days later, her older sister Karis disappears. Verena blames herself, the way we often do for something that really isn’t our fault. It’s even easier for her to feel guilty when her father blames her as well … and when another of her sisters disappears.
This is a competent retelling of the Bluebeard folk tale, although it never quite rises above its roots, but Marr’s retelling does add depth to the story and makes some intriguing changes to the original plot. There are dark aspects to this version of the tale, including forced sex and other types of emotional and physical abuse, but there are also some nice “girl power” moments as Verena becomes more fully aware of the danger she is in and realizes that she has to rely on her own wits to save herself.
Certain aspects of the ending (in particular, the part relating to the prior wives) struck me as highly unlikely, like the author pulled her punches in order to give the reader a more upbeat ending. But perhaps the story needed a good cathartic ending after all of the bleakness that came before.
Free online at Tor.com.
Verena is a teenage girl with a harsh life: her family is living in poverty since her mother and brother were killed and her father permanently disabled in an accident. And each year, one girl from their town disappears without a trace. Who, or what, is this Maiden Thief? Verena can’t stand that the town isn’t doing more to catch him, so she writes and distributes a tract, gathering the facts and calling for action. Three days later, her older sister Karis disappears. Verena blames herself, the way we often do for something that really isn’t our fault. It’s even easier for her to feel guilty when her father blames her as well … and when another of her sisters disappears.
This is a competent retelling of the Bluebeard folk tale, although it never quite rises above its roots, but Marr’s retelling does add depth to the story and makes some intriguing changes to the original plot. There are dark aspects to this version of the tale, including forced sex and other types of emotional and physical abuse, but there are also some nice “girl power” moments as Verena becomes more fully aware of the danger she is in and realizes that she has to rely on her own wits to save herself.
Certain aspects of the ending (in particular, the part relating to the prior wives) struck me as highly unlikely, like the author pulled her punches in order to give the reader a more upbeat ending. But perhaps the story needed a good cathartic ending after all of the bleakness that came before.
Free online at Tor.com.
March 4, 2016
I went into this story without actually having read a synopsis: I just fell for the title and the cover, despite this being by Melissa Marr... I may have about three books of her "Wicked Lovely" series.
So... "Maiden Thief"?
Great name for the title. Great haunting spooky minimalistic design.
I actually liked the beginning, and I was really curious about what was going to happen.
Unfortunately, my tolerance for this story wasn't destined to last beyond this line:
"We are not petty with each other, not short of temper or ill of manner,(..)Being with my sisters fills me with peace
Great, right! That's what I was thinking by then! The girls, the sisters like and respect each other. What more can a reader ask?
Just that this "sentiment" wouldn't follow:
"My sister smothers her gasp by slapping her hand to her mouth. It’s such a girlish gesture that I wonder how we’re related."
I just can't deal with this crap. These little offensive remarks that are supposed to separate our illustrious heroine from the rest of all "us women", because she is different.
When words like girlish and feminine are used as offensive remarks, my interest in a story pretty much fades.
Then it doesn't help that there isn't an actually developed story. For the type of retelling that this hopes to be what we are told, is just too little.
Give me a time period and stick to it. Parts of it feel Medieval, and then there's Doc Frankenstein?
Then there's Because, she's that smart...and different from the others -_-
The last line is actually good, but the whole thing was just a huge mess for me.
And I am used to messy retellings.
March 17, 2016
This is a short story that is really well written and beautiful.
We have a serial killer who is taking a girl a year. But, we also have a crazy f-ed up town that does absolutely nothing about this situation. They just worry every year about which girl will be taken, but they don't actually do anything to catch the killer. Hmmm... sounds like either the laziest police in the world or that the police are actually the ones killing the girls.... Either way, it sucks to be a girl in this place.
So, our heroine, Verena, actually has the nerve to write an article about the killer, called the Maiden Thief, wondering why nobody is doing anything to catch him.
The power of the press is evident. No, this doesn't call the police or people of the town to try and find the guy - it makes the killer target her family.
This story has a bit of a Grimms fairy tale quality to it. You will like it in the end, but you will also rage at the patriarchy until then.
Thanks to Paige for recommending it. She wrote an actual good review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
We have a serial killer who is taking a girl a year. But, we also have a crazy f-ed up town that does absolutely nothing about this situation. They just worry every year about which girl will be taken, but they don't actually do anything to catch the killer. Hmmm... sounds like either the laziest police in the world or that the police are actually the ones killing the girls.... Either way, it sucks to be a girl in this place.
So, our heroine, Verena, actually has the nerve to write an article about the killer, called the Maiden Thief, wondering why nobody is doing anything to catch him.
The power of the press is evident. No, this doesn't call the police or people of the town to try and find the guy - it makes the killer target her family.
This story has a bit of a Grimms fairy tale quality to it. You will like it in the end, but you will also rage at the patriarchy until then.
Thanks to Paige for recommending it. She wrote an actual good review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
March 17, 2016
Months and weeks pass, and the air eventually turns cool. No one seeks the killer. No one searches for the taken. We simply wait, knowing that inevitably autumn will come—and another girl will vanish.
Every year, a girl is stolen from a village. No one knows who took them or why and how. They simply vanish. I'm like why the fuck isn't the villagers rallying about this? If girls were being abducted, you can bet your ass I would investigate the matter.
Anyway, I love this. I love how vague and yet precise the blurb is. I love the way the story is short and yet it was fulfilling. The heroine in the story is someone that you'll appreciate. She's smart and she actually stands on her own. The fact that she's the only one who tries to find the reason why the girls are being abducted shows she uses her brain.
I want to understand the Maiden Thief. I want to prove my own theories wrong, and so for the first time, I find myself hoping that the reason no bodies are found is because the stolen girls are actually alive.
This story gave me a roller coaster ride. I feel sorry for some characters, I was disgusted and saddened by some and I was happy that finally, someone wrote a story where the girl didn't need a boy to save the day.
And the villain? For the love of Ra, he is perfect in a horrible way.
Do not presume to understand a madman.
Read this short story HERE.
February 24, 2017
A fairly straight retelling of the folktale of Bluebeard. Marr adds in a few 'modern' elements, but the overall feel remains what you would expect from a folktale, with the setting being a small, old-fashioned village of indeterminate locale. It's good - it's a classic story, after all - but it doesn't really add anything strikingly new to the plethora of versions of this story that exist.
January 30, 2016
Description: "The Maiden Thief" by Melissa Marr is a dark fantasy novelette about a teenager whose town is plagued by the annual disappearances of girls and young women. Her father blames her when one of her sisters is one of the taken.
Read here
Opening: I don’t remember a time before girls vanished. The first one I heard about was April Shaw. I didn’t know her, only her name. I had just turned ten when she disappeared. I was fourteen when the taken was someone I knew. That was the year Jenna Adams didn’t make it home. No one did anything. Autumn meant harvest, a chill in the air—and another missing girl.
Read here
Opening: I don’t remember a time before girls vanished. The first one I heard about was April Shaw. I didn’t know her, only her name. I had just turned ten when she disappeared. I was fourteen when the taken was someone I knew. That was the year Jenna Adams didn’t make it home. No one did anything. Autumn meant harvest, a chill in the air—and another missing girl.
February 24, 2017
This was AWESOME. LOVED the ending. Five stars, short freebie on Tor.com. If you like fairy tales and strong women, this is the story for you.
March 16, 2017
Strong adaption of Fitcher's Bird (minus feathers).
June 8, 2016
This girl-hate, anti feminine shit was strong in this book.
The dear MC was nothing like "other girls", and was soo much better than her girlishly girly sisters.
Ew. Pass. You know, I read this book around 3 months ago but I forgot about it! That's how much I didn't care for this story.
The dear MC was nothing like "other girls", and was soo much better than her girlishly girly sisters.
Ew. Pass. You know, I read this book around 3 months ago but I forgot about it! That's how much I didn't care for this story.
November 24, 2021
Verena spends her days waiting in terror. A serial killer has been ritualistically kidnapping girls from her village once every year. She fears that either her or her beautiful sister Amina are doomed to be chosen next. On the day of her sixteenth birthday, the Maiden Thief strikes again.
A decent retelling of a classic fairy tale (the name of which one is enough to spoil the story) about a mad charmer who abducts beautiful young girls in a desperate search for finding the one who's truly fit to steal his heart. The premise of the story starts off well enough, the tension between Verena and her father who unfairly blames her for an incident in their family was well done. While the opening is solid, there's a bunch of minor things that quickly dragged it down for me.
The protagonist acts like she's better and smarter than other girls yet she's extremely gullible and falls for one easily avoidable trap after the other. The suspense behind the mystery is instantly shattered because the villain is made brutally obvious within the first few pages and they're never really developed as a character with interesting motives. Themes of sexual abuse aren't handled very well, the main character turns into an idiot while other characters brag about how smart she is, etc. While the ending would've been satisfying under different circumstances, it ends up feeling like a Deus ex Machina because the way it was achieved was completely out of character.
A decent retelling, but I've read better such as Angela Carter's Bloody Chamber.
***
If you're looking for some dark ambient music for reading horror, dark fantasy and other books like this one, then be sure to check out my YouTube Channel called Nightmarish Compositions: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPPs...
A decent retelling of a classic fairy tale (the name of which one is enough to spoil the story) about a mad charmer who abducts beautiful young girls in a desperate search for finding the one who's truly fit to steal his heart. The premise of the story starts off well enough, the tension between Verena and her father who unfairly blames her for an incident in their family was well done. While the opening is solid, there's a bunch of minor things that quickly dragged it down for me.
The protagonist acts like she's better and smarter than other girls yet she's extremely gullible and falls for one easily avoidable trap after the other. The suspense behind the mystery is instantly shattered because the villain is made brutally obvious within the first few pages and they're never really developed as a character with interesting motives. Themes of sexual abuse aren't handled very well, the main character turns into an idiot while other characters brag about how smart she is, etc. While the ending would've been satisfying under different circumstances, it ends up feeling like a Deus ex Machina because the way it was achieved was completely out of character.
A decent retelling, but I've read better such as Angela Carter's Bloody Chamber.
***
If you're looking for some dark ambient music for reading horror, dark fantasy and other books like this one, then be sure to check out my YouTube Channel called Nightmarish Compositions: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPPs...
March 1, 2018
4.5 Stars
“The sun rose on those days,” Amina begins. She leans on her garden hoe for a moment. “There was a fox in the garden the morning Karis disappeared, possibly the day that the accident happened too. I sneezed those days. What ripples we see are not always causes.” She shakes her head. “We can look for patterns, and we might even find them. There were a lot of acorns this year, and the snow was heavy. Are they related? A fawn died of hunger after I chased it from the garden, and our sister died. Were they related?”
I really enjoyed the way Marr told this short story, I'm not going to go into my period of questioning and then revelation on the origins of this story itself, but it is a beautiful telling of a monstrous tale. The main character is a teenage girl named Verena, she has grown up in a town where maidens go missing annually with no explanation. She alone seems to ponder over where these girls go and who 'The Maiden Thief' is.
As I said I don't really want to go into too much detail, I think the story progresses wonderfully and I wouldn't want to spoil that for anyone. This starts as an almost dystopian tale and grows and shapes from that.
“The sun rose on those days,” Amina begins. She leans on her garden hoe for a moment. “There was a fox in the garden the morning Karis disappeared, possibly the day that the accident happened too. I sneezed those days. What ripples we see are not always causes.” She shakes her head. “We can look for patterns, and we might even find them. There were a lot of acorns this year, and the snow was heavy. Are they related? A fawn died of hunger after I chased it from the garden, and our sister died. Were they related?”
I really enjoyed the way Marr told this short story, I'm not going to go into my period of questioning and then revelation on the origins of this story itself, but it is a beautiful telling of a monstrous tale. The main character is a teenage girl named Verena, she has grown up in a town where maidens go missing annually with no explanation. She alone seems to ponder over where these girls go and who 'The Maiden Thief' is.
As I said I don't really want to go into too much detail, I think the story progresses wonderfully and I wouldn't want to spoil that for anyone. This starts as an almost dystopian tale and grows and shapes from that.
June 15, 2017
Ooooh, this short story was a Bluebeard retelling and quickly brought to mind another classic fairytale - The Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter.
This time we follow Verena who leaves with the mysterious Jakob and becomes his "bride". If you're familiar with Carter's retelling, you'll know what happens throughout so I'm not going to go into detail.
What I will say though is The Maiden Thief is a beautifully written tale full of mystery, intrigue and unnerved me at times. The atmosphere was tense and the characters highly believable.
An easy 5 stars!
This time we follow Verena who leaves with the mysterious Jakob and becomes his "bride". If you're familiar with Carter's retelling, you'll know what happens throughout so I'm not going to go into detail.
What I will say though is The Maiden Thief is a beautifully written tale full of mystery, intrigue and unnerved me at times. The atmosphere was tense and the characters highly believable.
An easy 5 stars!
finished-short-stories
August 31, 2020this was fairly average imo but to be fair, that’s probably warped by my growing disinterest towards bluebeard retellings (I just despise these dudes, this one was so yuck, he’s not put in a good light obvs but I just. supremely Don’t Want To See it).
I did like the ending though, got to love a protagonist who gets shit done and something a little different from the usual bluebeard premise
I did like the ending though, got to love a protagonist who gets shit done and something a little different from the usual bluebeard premise
March 20, 2021
He kisses me finally, but all I taste is bitterness. I will work harder to atone. I will show him that I have choked down ashes and brine.
The Maiden Thief by Melissa Marr is a re-telling of the Bluebeard story with a lovely twist. The heroine of our story does not wait for someone to save her day but takes matters into her own hands. Yay! Gorgeous storytelling.
m/f it's dark so expect dubious consent and physical abuse
Themes: the taken, waiting for the inevitably, poverty, the lonely castle, the test with the egg, the one locked room, saving yourself.
4 Stars
The Maiden Thief by Melissa Marr is a re-telling of the Bluebeard story with a lovely twist. The heroine of our story does not wait for someone to save her day but takes matters into her own hands. Yay! Gorgeous storytelling.
m/f it's dark so expect dubious consent and physical abuse
Themes: the taken, waiting for the inevitably, poverty, the lonely castle, the test with the egg, the one locked room, saving yourself.
4 Stars
April 2, 2016
A short story about a serial killer, taking one young woman a year. Once her two sisters have been taken, Verena complains that people are just accepting the disappearance of the girls, and nobody is doing anything about it.
Soon she is drawn into the story herself...
So much more and it is spoilers, but as others have put this in spoilers too, I guess I had better: This is a retelling of the fairytale.
It is a pretty good, quick read. Three stars.
Soon she is drawn into the story herself...
So much more and it is spoilers, but as others have put this in spoilers too, I guess I had better: This is a retelling of the fairytale.
It is a pretty good, quick read. Three stars.
February 10, 2016
A fairy tale re-telling, and of the fairy tale I love most: I didn't care for Marr's work the last time I tried it, but this story is so unlike the other that I didn't initially recognize Marr in it at all.
When the Tor.com description said it was dark fantasy, they mean it. Which fairy tale the story was based on is a spoiler and thus not listed on the label, so I wasn't necessarily braced for the triggery content within. The protagonist becomes so beaten down by rape and abuse that her That characterization choice lost me.
Competently written, but in the end I found it a straight-forward retelling of the fairy tale that brings little new to the table.
When the Tor.com description said it was dark fantasy, they mean it. Which fairy tale the story was based on is a spoiler and thus not listed on the label, so I wasn't necessarily braced for the triggery content within. The protagonist becomes so beaten down by rape and abuse that her That characterization choice lost me.
Competently written, but in the end I found it a straight-forward retelling of the fairy tale that brings little new to the table.
January 31, 2016
You may read online at Thor.com.
Opening lines:
I don’t remember a time before girls vanished. The first one I heard about was April Shaw. I didn’t know her, only her name. I had just turned ten when she disappeared. I was fourteen when the taken was someone I knew. That was the year Jenna Adams didn’t make it home. No one did anything. Autumn meant harvest, a chill in the air—and another missing girl.
Opening lines:
I don’t remember a time before girls vanished. The first one I heard about was April Shaw. I didn’t know her, only her name. I had just turned ten when she disappeared. I was fourteen when the taken was someone I knew. That was the year Jenna Adams didn’t make it home. No one did anything. Autumn meant harvest, a chill in the air—and another missing girl.
September 6, 2024
Divne korice i solidan početak. Disfunkcionalna dinamika centralne porodice mi se zaista dopala. Međutim, ostatak priče prilično je klišeiziran. Not like the other girls trope = obrazovana, strašno naivna i rođena pod srećnom zvezdom u kritičnom momentu. Završnica je iscrpljujuća i čini se prilagođenom isključivo željama autora.
November 30, 2016
I stumbled over the pacing of the story but I enjoyed it over all.
The premise drew me in immediately. Where were the girls going? Would they be found again? Would this be stopped?
All these questions are answered and this little shortie is wrapped up beautifully.
The premise drew me in immediately. Where were the girls going? Would they be found again? Would this be stopped?
All these questions are answered and this little shortie is wrapped up beautifully.
April 29, 2016
Holy CRAP. This one surprised me. I think it might be better to be surprised, so my review isn't going to describe the story at all. This is not what the story is.
First, what a KAPOW opening.
I was expecting a gentle little YA-style Celtic lite fantasy. It started like that.
I thought there might be fairies, or some vaguely mystical woman-centered power. Maybe a vampire. Maybe Baba-Yaga. I wasn't expecting Hecate to launch herself at me with bloody claws and teeth.
None of this is what really happens.
Find out yourself here: http://www.tor.com/2016/01/27/the-mai...
First, what a KAPOW opening.
I don’t remember a time before girls vanished. The first one I heard about was April Shaw. I didn’t know her, only her name. I had just turned ten when she disappeared. I was fourteen when the taken was someone I knew. That was the year Jenna Adams didn’t make it home.
I was expecting a gentle little YA-style Celtic lite fantasy. It started like that.
"What ripples we see are not always causes.” She shakes her head. “We can look for patterns, and we might even find them. There were a lot of acorns this year, and the snow was heavy. Are they related? A fawn died of hunger after I chased it from the garden, and our sister died. Were they related?”
I thought there might be fairies, or some vaguely mystical woman-centered power. Maybe a vampire. Maybe Baba-Yaga. I wasn't expecting Hecate to launch herself at me with bloody claws and teeth.
None of this is what really happens.
Find out yourself here: http://www.tor.com/2016/01/27/the-mai...
January 9, 2017
Every spring, as the fields are tilled, I watch for bones as if this, at least, will give me some insight into the secret of the Maiden Thief. I walk the long way home, meandering along the roads, peering into freshly turned soil as if I'll be the one to find the dead girls.
A retelling of the French folktale Bluebeard, Melissa Marr's The Maiden Thief starts out strong, but feels rushed in the end. It was disappointing to me that the narrative skipped over some of the action that led into the climax.
Three Stars: Not bad, but not fantastic either. I'll still recommend it, if I think that person might like it more than me.
A retelling of the French folktale Bluebeard, Melissa Marr's The Maiden Thief starts out strong, but feels rushed in the end. It was disappointing to me that the narrative skipped over some of the action that led into the climax.
Three Stars: Not bad, but not fantastic either. I'll still recommend it, if I think that person might like it more than me.
July 4, 2025
Last year I read The Witch of Duva which sadly, in my opinion is much better tale about vanishing girls. It's not that this one was bad, but it wasn't really original you know? And the villain in The Witch of Duva was way more chilling.
I suppose this is a retelling and as such it does a good job. The prose is very pretty and the characters suck you in. But yeah, nothing about this is unexpected really.
3,5⭐
Read for free here: https://reactormag.com/the-maiden-thi...
I suppose this is a retelling and as such it does a good job. The prose is very pretty and the characters suck you in. But yeah, nothing about this is unexpected really.
3,5⭐
Read for free here: https://reactormag.com/the-maiden-thi...
February 4, 2022
this story was really cool, idk if it's a retelling of something but it really gave me the vibes of an old fairytale, what with the riddles and the simplicity of it all. there might be some tw, like r*pe and abuse, so be aware of that
June 28, 2022
That part in All Too Well when Taylor says 'fuck the patriarchy'
March 21, 2016
A dark, chilling and compelling short story, and an empowering tale for women. It's about a girl, Verena, who lives in a town with the constant fear of the Maiden Thief who kidnaps women every year. Once she implores her town's people to take action, the result is losing her sisters. Then she "marries" a man who is not quite what he seems at first. It is a retelling of the original Bluebeard - and if you know how that ends, you'll understand what is going on. I have not read the original entirely but have read about it here and there. I'm pretty sure that in the original's ending, the main character needs her brothers to save her. In this story, everything falls on Verena's shoulders; a girl who has been guilt-ridden and blamed her whole life for things that have been out of her control. The story is about a girl who will either be passive and afraid in the face of abuse and danger, or take control and look for answers to haunting questions and be brave enough to face them on her own. Despite the story being short, Verena does grow and develop in the story, and you will go from feeling sad and worried for her to rooting for her and the choice she makes.
I enjoyed his story and I thank buddy-reader, Spira-Virgo, who recommended this short story to me.
It's recommended if you like fairytale retellings that are short and concise like their original counterparts, but with solid background and development on the characters. It's basically, an improved version of the original for modern readers.
October 26, 2016
Nothing completely engulfs me as much as tales of taken girls. Heck, when I watched Taken I was totally glued to the screen. Good thing this was just a short read or I would have died because I was holding my breath the whole time.
When I read or watch girls being kidnapped I always picture myself as being in their shoes, making for an utterly immersive experience. One that truly overwhelms me. I could never quite know if I really "enjoy" these kinds of stories because I feel a little disoriented after I finish them.
This is perfect for me as I was in the mood for something short and filling and this has done so wonderfully.
5 breathless stars
When I read or watch girls being kidnapped I always picture myself as being in their shoes, making for an utterly immersive experience. One that truly overwhelms me. I could never quite know if I really "enjoy" these kinds of stories because I feel a little disoriented after I finish them.
This is perfect for me as I was in the mood for something short and filling and this has done so wonderfully.
5 breathless stars
August 4, 2016
Apparently I needed more fantasy serial killers in my life.
I was previously unaware of the Bluebeard myth, but this is apparently a retelling. I wasn’t sure where it was heading, but as I was reading, it reminded me more of how Uprooted could have turned out.
Also notable for being a fantasy story without any noticeable magic: just a touch of phlebotinum.
You can read it online here.
I was previously unaware of the Bluebeard myth, but this is apparently a retelling. I wasn’t sure where it was heading, but as I was reading, it reminded me more of how Uprooted could have turned out.
Also notable for being a fantasy story without any noticeable magic: just a touch of phlebotinum.
You can read it online here.
March 9, 2019
A short story with pretty much zero world-building that strongly draws on the not-like-other-girls trope, its air of 'ew femininity', and the endless well of misogynistic rape stories that treat sexual abuse in incredibly problematic ways. The one good thing about this was the ending, but unfortunately not even that managed to turn this into a story worthy of two stars.
Content warnings: parental abuse, domestic abuse, rape, controlling behaviour.
Content warnings: parental abuse, domestic abuse, rape, controlling behaviour.
January 13, 2020
"It was you I wanted all along" he tells me. "I stopped at the orchard that first day because I'd seen you in town." He gently kisses my forehead. "You were always meant to be mine. I need you to be worthy of my love."
Read for the Pop Sugar Reading Challenge 2020, a book with a three-word title.
Read for the Pop Sugar Reading Challenge 2020, a book with a three-word title.
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