The Goodreads brief on this book says, "Twelve exquisitely written fantasy short stories and novelettes in almost every fantasy genre, ranging from dark fantasy to epic to urban and even humorous." I totally agree with that summary of the book.
I love short stories, and all the better if they are in the fantasy or horror genre. This book fits the bill perfectly. I had never heard of the author before, and am now a fan. I will be looking for a couple other books he has written.
These twelve stories take place mostly (if not totally) in Portugal, which also makes the stories interesting to me, because I'm pretty sure I've never read anything that takes place in that country. Lisbon is a major point in a lot of the stories.
The characters in these stories are vivid and engaging. I don't believe I ever lost interest in any of them, and even became a bit attached to a few of them. Some of my favorites:
The Girl Who Rode Over the Edge of the World, a tale of enchanted forests and protectors, in which one of two sisters, both of whom have shape-changing gifts, leaves the forest, risking her own life, to protect the forest.
Denouncing Her Magic, in which a young girl tries to do exactly what the title implies, but with different results.
Games of Men and Gods, possible my favorite in the book, involve a mysterious tattoo artist who goes a little bit rogue.
Hold My Hand Through the Ghostwoods was also a phenomenal tale of revenge and treachery.
All of these stories are quite good, and I highly recommend this book.