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The Halcyon Fairy Book
The Halcyon Fairy Book is a delightful collection of wry and insightful comments on traditional fairy tales, originally presented in her blog, along with her first collection of fairy-tale inspired original work, Toad Words, previously only available as a self-published eBook.
Contents:
- Introduction
- The Blue Light
- The Master-Maid
- The Wonderful Sheep
- The Wonderful Birch
- The Golden Apple Tree and the Nine Peahens
- The Deer Prince
- Two Cinderellas
- The Story of Log
- Tatterhood
- The Seven Doves
- The King of Love
- Toad Words - Introduction
- It Has Come To My Attention
- Toad Words
- The Wolf and the Woodsman
- Bluebeard’s Wife
- Loathly
- The Sea Witch Sets the Record Straight
- Never
- Bait
- Night
- Boar and Apples
- Odd Season
Contents:
- Introduction
- The Blue Light
- The Master-Maid
- The Wonderful Sheep
- The Wonderful Birch
- The Golden Apple Tree and the Nine Peahens
- The Deer Prince
- Two Cinderellas
- The Story of Log
- Tatterhood
- The Seven Doves
- The King of Love
- Toad Words - Introduction
- It Has Come To My Attention
- Toad Words
- The Wolf and the Woodsman
- Bluebeard’s Wife
- Loathly
- The Sea Witch Sets the Record Straight
- Never
- Bait
- Night
- Boar and Apples
- Odd Season
380 pages, ebook
First published January 19, 2017
204 people are currently reading
2607 people want to read
About the author
T. Kingfisher
57 books25.6k followersT. Kingfisher is the vaguely absurd pen-name of Ursula Vernon. In another life, she writes children's books and weird comics, and has won the Hugo, Sequoyah, and Ursa Major awards, as well as a half-dozen Junior Library Guild selections.
This is the name she uses when writing things for grown-ups.
When she is not writing, she is probably out in the garden, trying to make eye contact with butterflies.
This is the name she uses when writing things for grown-ups.
When she is not writing, she is probably out in the garden, trying to make eye contact with butterflies.
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October 18, 2021I am holding the new T Kingfisher for my holiday by an effort of will so I read this instead. It's half a very amusingly annotated collection of truly weird-ass fairy tales, and half the excellent collection Toad Words, which I have read before but not for a while. Very enjoyable.
December 4, 2023
Finally getting to the last scraps of T. Kingfisher's books that I haven't read yet. I had to request this one from an out-of-state library because it was so hard to find.
This is is two parts: the first being a collection of fairy tales from various works and time periods, which are annotated by Kingfisher. I honestly only read about a third of this part. Her annotations were funny, but reading the fairytales themselves felt tedious somehow. Like maybe trying to read this section in one swoop wasn't the best choice. It probably works better in blog form, where you get it doled out in smaller doses. Or, if I owned the book then I would come back to it from time to time, reading one or two annotated tales before setting it down again. As it is, this was due back at the library, so I needed to hustle.
The second part of the book is a collection of Kingfisher's original stories, previously published separately as "Toad Words". I liked this section much more, especially "Boars and Apples"......but at the end of the day, I don't really like short stories. I liked B&A because that story was almost long enough for a novella.
If I stumbled across a copy of this book somewhere, I'd grab it for my Kingfisher collection, but it's not enough for me to hunt it down for purchase.
This is is two parts: the first being a collection of fairy tales from various works and time periods, which are annotated by Kingfisher. I honestly only read about a third of this part. Her annotations were funny, but reading the fairytales themselves felt tedious somehow. Like maybe trying to read this section in one swoop wasn't the best choice. It probably works better in blog form, where you get it doled out in smaller doses. Or, if I owned the book then I would come back to it from time to time, reading one or two annotated tales before setting it down again. As it is, this was due back at the library, so I needed to hustle.
The second part of the book is a collection of Kingfisher's original stories, previously published separately as "Toad Words". I liked this section much more, especially "Boars and Apples"......but at the end of the day, I don't really like short stories. I liked B&A because that story was almost long enough for a novella.
If I stumbled across a copy of this book somewhere, I'd grab it for my Kingfisher collection, but it's not enough for me to hunt it down for purchase.
September 23, 2023
Did Not Finish —56 percent.
Sorry could not get through this. Didn’t realize this was just Kingfisher commenting on old fairy tales. I started getting annoyed by her asides. It just broke up the reading and wondered what was the point. Definitely not worth the price I paid. This should have been either free or $.99.
Sorry could not get through this. Didn’t realize this was just Kingfisher commenting on old fairy tales. I started getting annoyed by her asides. It just broke up the reading and wondered what was the point. Definitely not worth the price I paid. This should have been either free or $.99.
October 1, 2023
Can I just have her do commentary on everything I read?
May 24, 2020
T. Kingfisher's side commentary on thirteen classic but little-known fairy tales she selected for this anthology are quite hilarious and witty, throwing into sharp relief how bonkers fairy tales can be, even when they're being metaphorical. My favourite commentaries were for "The Crystal Casket," "The Wonderful Sheep," "The Deer Prince," and "Two Cinderellas."
April 5, 2023
Kingfisher's commentary was entertaining, but the public domain fairy tales left something to be desired. Not rating the author's original Toad Words short stories in the second half of the collection; I've already read those before.
March 18, 2024
This is an interesting little book. The first half is a collection of traditional fairy tales from around Europe that Vernon heavily annotates. Hilariously. She also takes the time to point out any bad botanical takes, like below:
You'll get very valuable advice about how to behave if you ever find yourself in a fairy tale. First of all, it's important to know that sooner or later there will be cannibalism and that's just the nature of things. Keep rocks handy. Always help animals. Unless they're a dragon, you have to take those on a case-by-case basis. Additionally, we are still unclear about whether we're supposed to be nice to old ladies, that one's a bit of a gamble. And whatever you do, never, ever, ever grant the last wishes of people with known magical associates.
The second part of this book is Vernon's first short story collection, which I already reviewed here, and adored. You can't get that collection in print, but you can get this book in print from the New England Science Fiction Association and my birthday is coming up.
"Grass is not rosemary. They specifically warned her against plucking grass and she plucked rosemary. Rosemary is a shrub. I am protesting this curse on the grounds of botanical inaccuracy! You cannot warn people against grass and then get mad when they start stripping needles off a woody perennial!
You'll get very valuable advice about how to behave if you ever find yourself in a fairy tale. First of all, it's important to know that sooner or later there will be cannibalism and that's just the nature of things. Keep rocks handy. Always help animals. Unless they're a dragon, you have to take those on a case-by-case basis. Additionally, we are still unclear about whether we're supposed to be nice to old ladies, that one's a bit of a gamble. And whatever you do, never, ever, ever grant the last wishes of people with known magical associates.
The second part of this book is Vernon's first short story collection, which I already reviewed here, and adored. You can't get that collection in print, but you can get this book in print from the New England Science Fiction Association and my birthday is coming up.
April 17, 2018
The annotated fairytale concept that makes up the first 2/3rds of this book was cute at first but quickly wore on me; it felt like the same points of fairytale (il)logic were being harped on over and over. But the original stories that make up the final third are a treat, particularly "Toad Words," "The Wolf and the Woodsman," and "Bluebeard's Wife."
October 18, 2025
The Halcyon Fairy Book is a collection of writing and stories from T. Kingfisher that folds together her commentary on fairy tales that she had as a series of blog posts with the stories from the Toad Words collection and overall, if you like T. Kingfisher's style and humor and you're fond of fairy tales, it's a very enjoyable read.
For me personally, I think the Toad Words selection is more suited to my personal preferences. I'm more interested in seeing T. Kingfisher tell the story but I did still enjoy her comments on the fairy tales that she selected in the first half. The stories in the second half where pretty much what I've come to expect from T. Kingfisher's style with fairy tales and honestly I loved them. The standout for me was "Boar, Snow, Apples" which was such a fun twist on Snow White, with the pointed commentary and humor that I always enjoy from Kingfisher. I read it pretty close to when I was reading another fairytale inspired story (This Princess Kills Monsters) and Kingfisher's story made me appreciate even more how she makes nuanced commentary on fairy tales without it feeling overbearing.
For me personally, I think the Toad Words selection is more suited to my personal preferences. I'm more interested in seeing T. Kingfisher tell the story but I did still enjoy her comments on the fairy tales that she selected in the first half. The stories in the second half where pretty much what I've come to expect from T. Kingfisher's style with fairy tales and honestly I loved them. The standout for me was "Boar, Snow, Apples" which was such a fun twist on Snow White, with the pointed commentary and humor that I always enjoy from Kingfisher. I read it pretty close to when I was reading another fairytale inspired story (This Princess Kills Monsters) and Kingfisher's story made me appreciate even more how she makes nuanced commentary on fairy tales without it feeling overbearing.
November 19, 2019
Kingfisher is in fine form. This is a collection of her fairy tale short stories, some line by line sporking of old fairy tales (and wow did she dig up some weird ones), and a few poems. Much of it will be familiar to readers of her blog.
There is a very particular earthiness to Kingfisher's writing - it is deeply rooted in the practicalities of daily life (especially gardening) and the feelings and desires of people who are far more familiar than perfect. I don't want to call it fairy tales for grownups, because god knows kids can handle some emotional depth, so I will call it well rounded and complex. It would fit beside many of the Datlow and Windling anthologies, but with less glamour and gore, and more middle aged women.
There is a very particular earthiness to Kingfisher's writing - it is deeply rooted in the practicalities of daily life (especially gardening) and the feelings and desires of people who are far more familiar than perfect. I don't want to call it fairy tales for grownups, because god knows kids can handle some emotional depth, so I will call it well rounded and complex. It would fit beside many of the Datlow and Windling anthologies, but with less glamour and gore, and more middle aged women.
April 18, 2022
The ridiculousness of the fairy tales had me losing it and the authors commentary was just freaking cherry on top. I remember throwing Andrew Langs collection of fairy stories across the room in frustration because of the ridiculousness of the stories and this brought me back to that. But in a good way. It healed the trauma lol. Highly recommend, if there was ever a need to giggle or laugh, this is the tea that may soothe.
July 5, 2024
So I grew up with a pretty comprehensive anthology of fairy tales, which I loved. I mean, yes, I was a little creeped out by The Red Shoes, and the original Little Mermaid was tragic. I never really tumbled to the weirdness, though, until I contemplated reading some aloud to my kindergarten class. I thought, “I could get fired for this!” I elected to keep my job. So, it was a pleasure to have Ursula call out the weird, the wild, the what?! in the funniest way possible. I laughed. I snorted. I may have peed—just a little.
January 4, 2026
The new stories that make up the second part of the book are exquisite and a 5-star read.
The annotated “vintage” stories in the first part of the book are fun and interesting, but only a 3-star read.
The annotated “vintage” stories in the first part of the book are fun and interesting, but only a 3-star read.
not-in-pima-okc-wi-but-want
December 1, 2020pbs wishlist
November 28, 2024
Some fun annotated fairy tales, and some great little snippets that remind me of why I love Kingfisher’s stuff. Unique fairy tale retellings, slightly disturbing short stories, nature-related poetry.
July 24, 2025
3 stars for the annotated fairy tales; 5 for Kingfisher's own
November 2, 2024
“I am practicing reading modernist revolutionary poetry aloud. My accent is atrocious. Still, a day will come when the Panamanian golden frog will tumble from my lips, and I will catch and hold it, and whatever word I spoke, I'll say again and again, until I stand at the center of a sea of yellow skins, and make from my curse at last a cloth of gold.” — from “Toad Words”
While the annotated tales were ok, her original retellings never miss for me. I’ve read & loved her The Raven and the Reindeer, Thornhedge, & Nettle and Bone previously, & her short stories in this collection were just as good. What I think I love particularly about Kingfisher‘s retellings is that she tends to find something about the original tale that really catches her interest or that speaks (or shouts) to her or just seems significantly off and in need of explanation or a backstory and then that’s the story she tells. & they always feature a twist that is explicitly subversive & usually dark.
Click here to read my full review of THE HALCYON FAIRY BOOK complete with my full thoughts, further reading suggestions, & more of my favorite quotes!
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
CW // gore, necrophilia, uxoricide, suicide attempt, equicide, child abuse
September 15, 2018
Note: because I predominantly read works by the author published as Ursula Vernon, I've referred to her as Vernon throughout this commentary.
# -----------------------
This books consists of two very different but thematically related sections, each of which is roughly half the book.
The first of these is a set of annotated fairytales, wherein Vernon effectively live-blogs her reading of them. The stories are from a wide range of sources, and many were ones I hadn't previously encountered. From this alone, I was pleased to have bought this collection. I did find that some of the commentary was distracting, although it was often on point, at least in terms of a modern reading of these stories. Possibly because of this, I found it hard to remember from one sitting to the next what it was that I had been reading.
The second section is an anthology of heavily influenced original short stories, many of them from the viewpoint of a minor character. There is also a smattering of short poetry.
The fiction is lovely -- but I'm a sucker for fairy tale inspired stories, regardless of quality. These stories do a great job of interrogating the original stories, and revisiting them for an audience with a much more sophisticated expectation of what a story Should Be. The poetry is cute, but mostly forgettable. Possibly if I had read the poetry separately from the stories, I'd have more of a feel for it. But as it was, each one is sandwiched between two stories, and the next story always eclipsed the poem before I'd really had time to hold it in my head.
I would say that this is a very readable book, but the fact that it has taken me nearly nine months to finish reading it does somewhat make a lie of that. It is a good book for dipping in to and reading a single story. But I didn't love it the way that I might have expected from my readings of others of Vernon's works.
# -----------------------
This books consists of two very different but thematically related sections, each of which is roughly half the book.
The first of these is a set of annotated fairytales, wherein Vernon effectively live-blogs her reading of them. The stories are from a wide range of sources, and many were ones I hadn't previously encountered. From this alone, I was pleased to have bought this collection. I did find that some of the commentary was distracting, although it was often on point, at least in terms of a modern reading of these stories. Possibly because of this, I found it hard to remember from one sitting to the next what it was that I had been reading.
The second section is an anthology of heavily influenced original short stories, many of them from the viewpoint of a minor character. There is also a smattering of short poetry.
The fiction is lovely -- but I'm a sucker for fairy tale inspired stories, regardless of quality. These stories do a great job of interrogating the original stories, and revisiting them for an audience with a much more sophisticated expectation of what a story Should Be. The poetry is cute, but mostly forgettable. Possibly if I had read the poetry separately from the stories, I'd have more of a feel for it. But as it was, each one is sandwiched between two stories, and the next story always eclipsed the poem before I'd really had time to hold it in my head.
I would say that this is a very readable book, but the fact that it has taken me nearly nine months to finish reading it does somewhat make a lie of that. It is a good book for dipping in to and reading a single story. But I didn't love it the way that I might have expected from my readings of others of Vernon's works.
January 27, 2022
This one took me a while to finish, mainly because I got distracted by a lot of other books. But I think it's best enjoyed a little at a time, in bits and pieces.
I particularly liked the commentary on the older fairy tales (some of which were extremely strange and surprising, and therefore pretty much begging for witty commentary). I also appreciated some of the background and context for these stories; I wasn't familiar with most of them and I learned a few things. I would have liked a bit of the same treatment for the author's original stories. The novella Boar and Apples -- a Snow White retelling -- was interesting since it varies greatly from the Disney version; I'm curious now to know how it compares to older versions of the fairy tale.
Bottom line: I found this collection entertaining, if a bit much to digest all at once. My rating is 4 stars (a compromise, since there were some parts I loved but others that were just okay).
I particularly liked the commentary on the older fairy tales (some of which were extremely strange and surprising, and therefore pretty much begging for witty commentary). I also appreciated some of the background and context for these stories; I wasn't familiar with most of them and I learned a few things. I would have liked a bit of the same treatment for the author's original stories. The novella Boar and Apples -- a Snow White retelling -- was interesting since it varies greatly from the Disney version; I'm curious now to know how it compares to older versions of the fairy tale.
Bottom line: I found this collection entertaining, if a bit much to digest all at once. My rating is 4 stars (a compromise, since there were some parts I loved but others that were just okay).
September 3, 2017
technically speaking i did not read this book! i did however read toad words and other stories as well as the annotated fairytales series ursula vernon put up in her blog which covers like 98% of the content so i feel like i should get the credit anyways
we all know that vernon's an excellent short story writer but now we also know she is a hilarious commentator on fairytales! definitely a worthwhile way to spend an afternoon
4 stars
we all know that vernon's an excellent short story writer but now we also know she is a hilarious commentator on fairytales! definitely a worthwhile way to spend an afternoon
4 stars
January 26, 2017
Holy fucking fuck, Ursula - you are both the funniest and most sobering author in my world right now.
March 27, 2020
Lovely and funny and more than a little true
February 24, 2023
Series Info/Source: This is a stand alone book. I got a copy of this as an ebook through Netgalley to review.
Thoughts: I didn't realize when I got this book that it is two books combined in one. The first section of this book is weird and obscure fairy tales with Kingfisher's snarky comments sprinkled throughout. The second half of the book is a collection of original fairy tales that was originally published as the "Toad Words" story collection. Kingfisher has been hit-and-miss for me. I really loved her Clocktaur War series and have loved a lot of her more recent novels like "Nettle & Bone" and "Nine Goblins". However, there are other books she's written I just haven't enjoyed as much, like "The Twisted Ones" and "The Saint of Steel" series.
Initially I found the collection of weird obscure fairy tales fascinating and really enjoyed Kingfisher's comments on them. However, this part started to drag on and I think I would have enjoyed it more if I was reading a this a little bit at a time over a longer period of time (unfortunately I got this from the library, so I had a limited time to read it). There are only so many weird stories that make absolutely no sense that I can read one after another. The snarky comments also got a bit predictable and repetitive. So, while this was kind of fun...it's not something I would read again and I thought it was a bit long.
I enjoyed the "Toad Words" section of the book more. This is a collection of short poems and short stories; each is a twist on a known fairy tale. There is a longer, nearly novella, length story, "Boar and Apples", which was my favorite of the bunch. I always love fairy retellings and some of these were very fun, while others were so-so.
My Summary (3.5/5): Overall I wasn't sure what I was getting into when I picked this up and it ended up being okay. When I started out I really enjoyed the weird fairy tales and the snarky comments but this section of the book got very long and I struggled to get through it (3 stars). I would recommend reading the first part of this book gradually over time to enjoy it more. The second half I liked more (4 stars). The second half included some short stories I liked and some poems that were so, so. All in all this was a mixed bag for me. However, if you love fairy retellings, it's worth at least picking up the "Toad Words" portion of it.
Thoughts: I didn't realize when I got this book that it is two books combined in one. The first section of this book is weird and obscure fairy tales with Kingfisher's snarky comments sprinkled throughout. The second half of the book is a collection of original fairy tales that was originally published as the "Toad Words" story collection. Kingfisher has been hit-and-miss for me. I really loved her Clocktaur War series and have loved a lot of her more recent novels like "Nettle & Bone" and "Nine Goblins". However, there are other books she's written I just haven't enjoyed as much, like "The Twisted Ones" and "The Saint of Steel" series.
Initially I found the collection of weird obscure fairy tales fascinating and really enjoyed Kingfisher's comments on them. However, this part started to drag on and I think I would have enjoyed it more if I was reading a this a little bit at a time over a longer period of time (unfortunately I got this from the library, so I had a limited time to read it). There are only so many weird stories that make absolutely no sense that I can read one after another. The snarky comments also got a bit predictable and repetitive. So, while this was kind of fun...it's not something I would read again and I thought it was a bit long.
I enjoyed the "Toad Words" section of the book more. This is a collection of short poems and short stories; each is a twist on a known fairy tale. There is a longer, nearly novella, length story, "Boar and Apples", which was my favorite of the bunch. I always love fairy retellings and some of these were very fun, while others were so-so.
My Summary (3.5/5): Overall I wasn't sure what I was getting into when I picked this up and it ended up being okay. When I started out I really enjoyed the weird fairy tales and the snarky comments but this section of the book got very long and I struggled to get through it (3 stars). I would recommend reading the first part of this book gradually over time to enjoy it more. The second half I liked more (4 stars). The second half included some short stories I liked and some poems that were so, so. All in all this was a mixed bag for me. However, if you love fairy retellings, it's worth at least picking up the "Toad Words" portion of it.
November 24, 2024
At this point I'd read a cookbook if T. Kingfisher wrote it. Her clever writing style, vivid imagination, and wicked sense of humor keep me coming back again and again, and her fairy-tale retellings do a good job of deconstructing and reimagining the source material. The Halcyon Fairy Book is a little different from her usual fare -- instead of being a true rewriting, it's a collection of blog posts where Kingfisher discussed obscure fairy tales, complete with her own snarky commentary and annotations. And boy, is it fun.
You won't find the best-known here -- no "Cinderella" or "Little Red Riding Hood" or "East of the Sun, West of the Moon" here. Here you find tales such as "The Wonderful Sheep," "The King of Love," "The Master-Maid," and "The Deer Prince." These are tales that are probably obscure for a reason -- if you thought the better-known fairy tales are nonsensical and strange, these ones are FAR more so. And Kingfisher is not shy about calling out tales for being nonsensical, misogynistic, contradictory with their own rules, or just plain weird. Her commentary makes these tales all the more readable.
This collection also comes with the short story collection Toad Words, which was previously published as a Kindle standalone. This collection contains Kingfisher's fairy tale retellings, and gives her own thoughtful take on such stories as Little Red Riding Hood ("The Wolf and the Woodsman"), Bluebeard ("Bluebeard's Wife"), Peter Pan ("Never"), and Snow White and the Seven Dwarves ("Boars and Apples"). I've read this collection before, but I greatly enjoyed revisiting it here.
Kingfisher proves her mettle here not just as a storyteller, but as one with a keen eye for just how ridiculous fairy tales can be. I'd love to see her release another book of fairy tale commentary someday.
You won't find the best-known here -- no "Cinderella" or "Little Red Riding Hood" or "East of the Sun, West of the Moon" here. Here you find tales such as "The Wonderful Sheep," "The King of Love," "The Master-Maid," and "The Deer Prince." These are tales that are probably obscure for a reason -- if you thought the better-known fairy tales are nonsensical and strange, these ones are FAR more so. And Kingfisher is not shy about calling out tales for being nonsensical, misogynistic, contradictory with their own rules, or just plain weird. Her commentary makes these tales all the more readable.
This collection also comes with the short story collection Toad Words, which was previously published as a Kindle standalone. This collection contains Kingfisher's fairy tale retellings, and gives her own thoughtful take on such stories as Little Red Riding Hood ("The Wolf and the Woodsman"), Bluebeard ("Bluebeard's Wife"), Peter Pan ("Never"), and Snow White and the Seven Dwarves ("Boars and Apples"). I've read this collection before, but I greatly enjoyed revisiting it here.
Kingfisher proves her mettle here not just as a storyteller, but as one with a keen eye for just how ridiculous fairy tales can be. I'd love to see her release another book of fairy tale commentary someday.
September 5, 2024
Well, this was amazing! :)
I used to gobble books and cartoons about fairy tales and myths from all around the world when I was a child, and then I kind of... stopped.
Either traditional fairy tales became too repetitive or I misplaced a good deal of my inner child's sense of wonder and amazement over the years. Probably a touch of both.
Anyhow, I greatly appreciated T. Kingfisher's annotations! Just what I needed to see me through the monotony, lack of nuanced characters and occassional instances of needless and (to me) nonsensical cruelty.
And when I got to Kingfisher's own retellings...
She says that she never saw herself as a short story writer and how she feared she would fail at them. What I noticed, however, is that they are skillfully and beautifully written and that they have an added quality which further distinguishes them from her novels.
Don't get me wrong, I love her novels - and I come to them for witty banter, often snappy-in-a-non-annoying-manner characters and whimsical fantasy. Her worlds feel fresh, original...
The short stories here, on the other hand, feel... less snappy. Composed. Solemn. More mature.
Maybe because many of them consist of characters reflecting from their own POV.
And they are still funny to read, with a beautiful turn of phrase, which occasionally reminded me of the first Neil Gaiman's short story collection that I read (and that is a compliment of the highest order because Fragile Things was one of those books with an impact, for me).
I'm just mad that a physical copy of this book is nearly impossible to obtain! And I want to gift it to a friend!
I used to gobble books and cartoons about fairy tales and myths from all around the world when I was a child, and then I kind of... stopped.
Either traditional fairy tales became too repetitive or I misplaced a good deal of my inner child's sense of wonder and amazement over the years. Probably a touch of both.
Anyhow, I greatly appreciated T. Kingfisher's annotations! Just what I needed to see me through the monotony, lack of nuanced characters and occassional instances of needless and (to me) nonsensical cruelty.
And when I got to Kingfisher's own retellings...
She says that she never saw herself as a short story writer and how she feared she would fail at them. What I noticed, however, is that they are skillfully and beautifully written and that they have an added quality which further distinguishes them from her novels.
Don't get me wrong, I love her novels - and I come to them for witty banter, often snappy-in-a-non-annoying-manner characters and whimsical fantasy. Her worlds feel fresh, original...
The short stories here, on the other hand, feel... less snappy. Composed. Solemn. More mature.
Maybe because many of them consist of characters reflecting from their own POV.
And they are still funny to read, with a beautiful turn of phrase, which occasionally reminded me of the first Neil Gaiman's short story collection that I read (and that is a compliment of the highest order because Fragile Things was one of those books with an impact, for me).
I'm just mad that a physical copy of this book is nearly impossible to obtain! And I want to gift it to a friend!
August 31, 2017
I have to admit, I'm a sucker for T. Kingfisher/Ursula Vernon. I happily read everything she's written and I've enjoyed it all, way back to when "digger" was being serialized. "The Halcyon Fairy Book" is an excellent addition to her body of work.
The first half of the book is comprised of old fairy tales that are in the public domain and Vernon's commentary on them, which is pretty funny. They were initially published on her blog, and have been tidied up a bit for publication. I'd personally appreciate if she'd expanded further on the commentary, and also if she'd added a bit of analysis, but one can't have everything and I still enjoyed it.
The second half is fairy-tale inspired short stories and poems that were originally collected in "Toad Words." I've read most of them previously, but it was fantastic to read them again, and the new material was wonderful. Vernon is obviously very widely read, pulling inspiration from many sources and combining them in fantastic ways. She maintains a wry wit throughout her work, and a feminist sensibility that is sometimes subtle and sometimes first and foremost.
If you're looking for retellings and reworkings of fairy tales, this is an excellent book to pick up.
The first half of the book is comprised of old fairy tales that are in the public domain and Vernon's commentary on them, which is pretty funny. They were initially published on her blog, and have been tidied up a bit for publication. I'd personally appreciate if she'd expanded further on the commentary, and also if she'd added a bit of analysis, but one can't have everything and I still enjoyed it.
The second half is fairy-tale inspired short stories and poems that were originally collected in "Toad Words." I've read most of them previously, but it was fantastic to read them again, and the new material was wonderful. Vernon is obviously very widely read, pulling inspiration from many sources and combining them in fantastic ways. She maintains a wry wit throughout her work, and a feminist sensibility that is sometimes subtle and sometimes first and foremost.
If you're looking for retellings and reworkings of fairy tales, this is an excellent book to pick up.
February 18, 2020
An important note: The Halcyon Fairy Book is a collection in two parts: the first is original fairy tales from various traditions with funny commentary by T Kingfisher (0riginally seen on Livejournal); the second is a reprinting of "Toad Words and Other Stories," fairy tale retellings. It's a two-fer! [I've also struggled to articulate 'original fairy tales,' which is the kind of phrasing that could go for either reprintings of 100 year old stories OR the author's original twist. o language.]
I have read Toad Words before, so I enjoyed revisiting several of the stories (I am Enormously Fond of the Bluebeard's Wife story, which is an entirely different tale, as well as the Red Riding Hood reinterpretation.) There's also a good bit with the Loathly Lady story, which I had honestly only heard mentioned before.
The retellings are very, very much like a late night binge of a livejournal - the commentary is funny and the stories are obscure, which makes them fun on a couple of levels. Kingfisher's grumping about gardens is always a delight.
I have read Toad Words before, so I enjoyed revisiting several of the stories (I am Enormously Fond of the Bluebeard's Wife story, which is an entirely different tale, as well as the Red Riding Hood reinterpretation.) There's also a good bit with the Loathly Lady story, which I had honestly only heard mentioned before.
The retellings are very, very much like a late night binge of a livejournal - the commentary is funny and the stories are obscure, which makes them fun on a couple of levels. Kingfisher's grumping about gardens is always a delight.
October 18, 2020
Reading T. Kingfisher's unsurprisingly very snarky commentary on some weird (VERY WEIRD) fairytales is superfun! I've read a fair number of fairytales and I hadn't read any of these which was fun on its own merits, but the comments so often mirrored my reaction it was rather delightfully like watching a tv show with a friend and whispering peanut gallery comments to each other.
The second half is the previously self-published Toad Words and it's fabulous. I really liked the reworking of Snow White. It was still entirely recognizable for all the beats and imagery of the story but the recasting of the dwarves was inspired and makes so much more sense! But the real winners are "Toad Words" and "The Sea Witch Sets the Record Straight". I'd read both before other places and re-read them frequently and yet I STILL re-read them and enjoyed them just as much. They are both so clever and make the "villains" of the stories so relatable and interesting, so much more interesting than the heroines.
The second half is the previously self-published Toad Words and it's fabulous. I really liked the reworking of Snow White. It was still entirely recognizable for all the beats and imagery of the story but the recasting of the dwarves was inspired and makes so much more sense! But the real winners are "Toad Words" and "The Sea Witch Sets the Record Straight". I'd read both before other places and re-read them frequently and yet I STILL re-read them and enjoyed them just as much. They are both so clever and make the "villains" of the stories so relatable and interesting, so much more interesting than the heroines.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 9, 2017
The first half is a collection of blog posts in which Vernon* hilariously annotates various fairy tales. Her pragmatic approach is wonderful and shows a love of these stories even as she points out their ridiculousness. (T. Kingfisher is the pen name of Ursula Vernon.)
The second half is a collection of Vernon's short fiction previously published as an ebook (some of which are available for free on her website). Many of these stories are based on familiar fairy tales (like Peter Pan, The Little Mermaid, Snow White, Red Riding Hood, Toads and Diamonds), but Vernon looks at them sideways, or takes them in a completely different direction. I love her prose, which is lyrical but has a very modern voice behind it. My favorite of the bunch is Toad Words, in which a curse becomes a boon with some determination and smarts.
This is an excellent review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
The second half is a collection of Vernon's short fiction previously published as an ebook (some of which are available for free on her website). Many of these stories are based on familiar fairy tales (like Peter Pan, The Little Mermaid, Snow White, Red Riding Hood, Toads and Diamonds), but Vernon looks at them sideways, or takes them in a completely different direction. I love her prose, which is lyrical but has a very modern voice behind it. My favorite of the bunch is Toad Words, in which a curse becomes a boon with some determination and smarts.
This is an excellent review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
September 28, 2017
Fairy tales are known for taking bizarre left turns and leaps of logic, not to mention having ridiculous plots and characters. Kingfisher both appreciates them for what they are and skewers them at the same time. She clearly pokes fun from a place of love, and it shows.
Kingfisher also includes a few of her own fairy tales, and they’re wonderful. She clearly puts to use some of her insight in order to create tales that retain that fairy tale feel yet incorporate insights that give them new and fascinating ground to cover. In particular I love her characters, human and not. They possess a great deal more depth and sense than typical fairy tale characters while remaining magical and weird.
Longer review available on my site: http://www.errantdreams.com/2017/09/s...
Kingfisher also includes a few of her own fairy tales, and they’re wonderful. She clearly puts to use some of her insight in order to create tales that retain that fairy tale feel yet incorporate insights that give them new and fascinating ground to cover. In particular I love her characters, human and not. They possess a great deal more depth and sense than typical fairy tale characters while remaining magical and weird.
Longer review available on my site: http://www.errantdreams.com/2017/09/s...
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