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A Little Fairy Dust
Nine tales of magic, love, and a little fairy A military posting at the Rapunzel Tower to avoid war in The Tower; a Brownie that just wants to do something right in Cleanly Wrong; a dream of love unfulfilled in A Heart’s Dream; saving the victims of an evil witch in The Red Apple Witch; a boy who just wants to go to the ball in Cinder-Elle; a cursed kingdom and search for lost love in The Curse; a thief and his fairy godparent with different ideas about love in Happily Ever After; a lightning strike, a lost egg, an ancient battle, and love at first spark in Thunderbird; and a prince trapped, knowing his true love will never save him in The Beast.
465 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 4, 2021
22 people are currently reading
130 people want to read
About the author
Mell Eight
69 books279 followersWhen Mell Eight was in high school, she discovered dragons. Beautiful, wondrous creatures that took her on epic adventures both to faraway lands and on journeys of the heart. Mell wanted to create dragons of her own, so she put pen to paper. Mell Eight is now known for her own soaring dragons, as well as for other wonderful characters dancing across the pages of her books. While she mostly writes paranormal or fantasy stories, she has been seen exploring the real world once or twice.
For more information on Mell’s stories and future writing plans, visit her website.
For more information on Mell’s stories and future writing plans, visit her website.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews
Want to read
March 11, 2021I haven't read many retellings and I want to stay far from the lunar chronicles but I WANT THIS!!!
January 6, 2021
As a fan of fairy tales retellings I could pass the opportunity to read this one. A Little Fairy Dust is a collection of nine stories with LGBTQIA+ representation. Some of those soties as standalones but some are connected to others. I really like how different fairy tales were mixed into the same stories. It was really great idea as connecting some of them made sense and explaned so many things. My favories stories from this book were "Cinder-Elle" and "The Red Apple Witch".
However I felt like those stories were too short and because of that worldbuilng and characters development was lacking. I wish this book could be longer and provides reader more information because there is so much potential in those stories.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me copy of book inexchange for review. All opinions are my own.
However I felt like those stories were too short and because of that worldbuilng and characters development was lacking. I wish this book could be longer and provides reader more information because there is so much potential in those stories.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me copy of book inexchange for review. All opinions are my own.
March 12, 2021
When I started reading this anthology, I remembered that when I requested it the stories were LGBTQ, but I had forgotten that all of the stories were M/M. Not that this was an issue, I just kept expecting other representations of LGBTQ within the stories until I realized that wouldn’t be the case. That being said, I really enjoyed this collection! It did start to feel a little long at about the 80% mark (this anthology is 456 pages) so I wouldn’t recommend doing what I did and just reading it straight through. Take your time and read a story here and there. All-in-all I truly loved all of the stories in this collection except for the 2nd and 3rd to last stories which is where the anthology started to drag for me. The stories weren’t bad by any means, they just didn’t strike me and stick with me like the others did. Luckily, the anthology ended with a bang and I loved the last story! I’m not going to go into ever story, but here are a few of my favorites:
• The Tower – A take on Rapunzel but with a man instead and the tower is used as a watchtower to protect their land of Monrath. Every 7 years the guard in the tower switches. The MC, Ishiah, finds a hidden basement with magical relics belonging to the tower’s original wizard owner, Zel.
• Cleanly Wrong – A story about brownies (Scottish folklore) and about one specific brownie who fails out of brownie school because he won’t clean the way they are supposed to. Doing things based on convenience for the homeowner instead of just always organizing the same way (i.e. color coding or alphabetizing). He hides in the prince’s castle and only cleans those closed off areas of the castle so as not to get caught as the prince has stated no brownie is allowed in the castle.
• Cinder-Elle – Cinderella retelling with a son and two stepsons. Elle dresses as a woman to be able to attend the ball and he cannot know that the person, Theo, that he is in love with is actually the prince. I loved the secondary characters in the story. There is a great nod to the original Cinderella story where here story is actually taking place congruently to the MC’s story.
• The Curse – Aurora (Rory) is the princess and soon to be queen who falls under the sleeping beauty spell. The frog prince is included as well as a direct tie-in to the first story, The Tower.
• The Beast – Based on Beauty and the Beast, Sleeping Beauty and Snow White. The cruel ruler that was trying to take over Monrath in The Curse is cursed by Ishiah and Zel, the mains from The Tower.
Highly recommended if you enjoy fairy tale retellings/reimaginings and LGBTQ fiction.
Received via Negalley
• The Tower – A take on Rapunzel but with a man instead and the tower is used as a watchtower to protect their land of Monrath. Every 7 years the guard in the tower switches. The MC, Ishiah, finds a hidden basement with magical relics belonging to the tower’s original wizard owner, Zel.
• Cleanly Wrong – A story about brownies (Scottish folklore) and about one specific brownie who fails out of brownie school because he won’t clean the way they are supposed to. Doing things based on convenience for the homeowner instead of just always organizing the same way (i.e. color coding or alphabetizing). He hides in the prince’s castle and only cleans those closed off areas of the castle so as not to get caught as the prince has stated no brownie is allowed in the castle.
• Cinder-Elle – Cinderella retelling with a son and two stepsons. Elle dresses as a woman to be able to attend the ball and he cannot know that the person, Theo, that he is in love with is actually the prince. I loved the secondary characters in the story. There is a great nod to the original Cinderella story where here story is actually taking place congruently to the MC’s story.
• The Curse – Aurora (Rory) is the princess and soon to be queen who falls under the sleeping beauty spell. The frog prince is included as well as a direct tie-in to the first story, The Tower.
• The Beast – Based on Beauty and the Beast, Sleeping Beauty and Snow White. The cruel ruler that was trying to take over Monrath in The Curse is cursed by Ishiah and Zel, the mains from The Tower.
Highly recommended if you enjoy fairy tale retellings/reimaginings and LGBTQ fiction.
Received via Negalley
January 4, 2021
3.5 ⭐
I received a copy from netGally in exchange for an honest review.
A little Fairy Dust is a collection of fairytale retelling with lgbtq representation.
What I liked the most-as a whole was how the stories were told. The writing at some point started off, especially the first 2 storie. Howewer, it picked up after that and continued until the 6th and the inconsistency begins again
I really enjoy how the author pulled of interesting twist of the retelling that made it even more interesting especially the 3rd to the 6th story which was done very well.
However the characterization and the writing needed worked at most. I also felt that some characterization of the male to male relationship were to much although I didn’t really had much problem because it felt like those leads in the BL comics I’ve read but for some I think it might be too much.
So for the individual review of each stories:
𝟏. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫
The Tower is a Rapunzel retelling with a twist and instead of having Rapunzel in the Tower there wasn’t one but instead we get a Rapunzel tower, a wizard and a war between kigdoms and a set of characters on it’s own.
The start of this story is a bit slow and off. It took me atleast 50% of this story to be fully invested. I really enjoyed the interaction between the leads, Isaiah-the bastard prince, who I expected to turned out evil but didn’t and Zel-a hundred and more years old (correct me if I’m wrong), I really enjoyed their relationship although I believed that the story was a bit rushed and was hoping we could get more of them. As of the magic system, I think it’s was alirght considering that this was a short story, it might not be that well detailed. Overall, I really enjoyed this story, the pacing starts to picked up during the middle part and as for the writing, I liked it, I believed the writing as well starts to get better during the middle part of the story. Even though it felt like a rushed, it was good. I just hoped that there’s more of Isaiah and Zel in their own story.,
𝟮. 𝗖𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝗪𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴
I was very confused with this story. I even thought of dropping this story as I don’t get where this one was inspired by, the start of this one was also a bit messy and didn’t picked up until the middle.
The most interesting part for me was the relationship of Rung and Prince Lionel’s, I really find it cute, and I just find Rung cute as well.
𝟯. 𝗔 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁'𝘀 𝗗𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗺
This one is a Cindrella inspired story but with a twist, we get to see Dragons (genderfluid or shifter correct me if I’m wrong , ogres, fairy and elves creatures.
What I really liked about this one is the story telling. I was just engrossed how the author tells this story. There wasn’t much changes from the original one but I still enjoyed the it thanks to how this was told.
The male to male romance on this once was cute I think but I kind of felt that it wasn’t that much developed because of how short this was but I really enjoyed it.
𝟰. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝗱 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗪𝗶𝘁𝗰𝗵
This story is a mixed of Snow White, Rapunzel, Hansel and Gretel and Sleeping Beauty, too much for a short story but I really enjoy how the author totally made a new one out of these 3 stories.
Prince Marcel, which is the Evil Queen’s son and Snow White’s half brother, is my favourite of all the new characters on this story. I just find him interesting and a very sassy character and I really wish I could have more of him.
I definitely enjoyed this one. The writing and the pacing really picked up after the 3rd story and this one was honestly just too good as well. I was totally engrossed in the story from the start until the very end of this one. I really liked the twist on this one and just love the relationship between Prince Johann, Hansel and Marcel, although I would love to see more of Prince Marcel and Prince Johann’s friendship.
I really didn’t feel the chemistry between Hansel and Johann’s relationship and just felt that theirs was a forced one just to have a representation.
𝟱. 𝗖𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿-𝗘𝗹𝗹𝗲
Cinder-Elle is basically a Cinderella retelling but with no magic and fairy god mother.
I really love the main character which is Elle-who is blind after his step-brother pushed him on the stairs resulted to his blindness. Elle is just basically a very enthralling character in my opinion.
I really love Prince Theo as well, he’s such a caring, kind and funny character. I really love the relationship they had.
I also love Elle’s relationship with the other servants, Macy and Lucy.
This story might be my fave among all of the 9. I just love everything. From the writing, pacing and characterization. I was really smiling and giggling while reading this one.
I just wish this was a full novel length and how the retelling was told was really interesting, I would really love to read this again.
𝟲. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲
The Curse is a retelling of Sleeping Beauty and Frog Prince and a mixed of Rapunzel-as the previous characters from The Tower-Zel and Isaiah were present in this story, which I’m very glad.
However I didn’t really enjoy this that much because;
1. I didn’t felt the characters that much, I couldn’t feel Gabriel and Sean at all same with Zel and Isaiah that just made me not care about them at all.
2. The story seemed like a drag and a force one
The are some parts that I find funny especially when they found the frog. Overall this was a let down.
𝟳. 𝗛𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗶𝗹𝘆 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗔𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿
This might be a little let down Cinderella retelling I’ve read in this collection. Might be because I’ve already read two from this which were both amazing.
Rainier’s character might be a little bit edgy for me at the first start, I didn’t seemed to like him at most first however he redeemed it when he helped the real Cinderella-Ella escaped the ball.
I really could see Rainer and Elle being a best of friends if this could have been longer or was written that way, I believed that their friendship together with Mab would be amazing to see.
𝟴. 𝗧𝗵𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗯𝗶𝗿𝗱
I find this one weird. I read the story with confusion and couldn’t tell if it was really a bird/shape shifter or just purely a bird. DNFed halfway
𝟵. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘁
This one is probably the only retelling that I wished wasn’t a male to male romance but more of a mentor-student.
Kiki is alright and I relate to him being so done with the kids, kids drives me crazy as well. As for Nicole, he was cute when he’s a kid but when grew up, I’m not a fan.
𝗢𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹𝗹 I did enjoy most of them. I really love the story of 𝗔 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁'𝘀 𝗗𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗺, 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝗱 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗪𝗶𝘁𝗰𝗵 and 𝗖𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿-𝗘𝗹𝗹𝗲. I love that the past characters, especially Zel and Isaiah were featured in some stories. I really enjoyed how the author connected and mixed some stories and the twist as well. Would really recommend this for those who are looking for a good lgbt representation stories.
I received a copy from netGally in exchange for an honest review.
A little Fairy Dust is a collection of fairytale retelling with lgbtq representation.
What I liked the most-as a whole was how the stories were told. The writing at some point started off, especially the first 2 storie. Howewer, it picked up after that and continued until the 6th and the inconsistency begins again
I really enjoy how the author pulled of interesting twist of the retelling that made it even more interesting especially the 3rd to the 6th story which was done very well.
However the characterization and the writing needed worked at most. I also felt that some characterization of the male to male relationship were to much although I didn’t really had much problem because it felt like those leads in the BL comics I’ve read but for some I think it might be too much.
So for the individual review of each stories:
𝟏. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫
The Tower is a Rapunzel retelling with a twist and instead of having Rapunzel in the Tower there wasn’t one but instead we get a Rapunzel tower, a wizard and a war between kigdoms and a set of characters on it’s own.
The start of this story is a bit slow and off. It took me atleast 50% of this story to be fully invested. I really enjoyed the interaction between the leads, Isaiah-the bastard prince, who I expected to turned out evil but didn’t and Zel-a hundred and more years old (correct me if I’m wrong), I really enjoyed their relationship although I believed that the story was a bit rushed and was hoping we could get more of them. As of the magic system, I think it’s was alirght considering that this was a short story, it might not be that well detailed. Overall, I really enjoyed this story, the pacing starts to picked up during the middle part and as for the writing, I liked it, I believed the writing as well starts to get better during the middle part of the story. Even though it felt like a rushed, it was good. I just hoped that there’s more of Isaiah and Zel in their own story.,
𝟮. 𝗖𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝗪𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴
I was very confused with this story. I even thought of dropping this story as I don’t get where this one was inspired by, the start of this one was also a bit messy and didn’t picked up until the middle.
The most interesting part for me was the relationship of Rung and Prince Lionel’s, I really find it cute, and I just find Rung cute as well.
𝟯. 𝗔 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁'𝘀 𝗗𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗺
This one is a Cindrella inspired story but with a twist, we get to see Dragons (genderfluid or shifter correct me if I’m wrong , ogres, fairy and elves creatures.
What I really liked about this one is the story telling. I was just engrossed how the author tells this story. There wasn’t much changes from the original one but I still enjoyed the it thanks to how this was told.
The male to male romance on this once was cute I think but I kind of felt that it wasn’t that much developed because of how short this was but I really enjoyed it.
𝟰. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝗱 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗪𝗶𝘁𝗰𝗵
This story is a mixed of Snow White, Rapunzel, Hansel and Gretel and Sleeping Beauty, too much for a short story but I really enjoy how the author totally made a new one out of these 3 stories.
Prince Marcel, which is the Evil Queen’s son and Snow White’s half brother, is my favourite of all the new characters on this story. I just find him interesting and a very sassy character and I really wish I could have more of him.
I definitely enjoyed this one. The writing and the pacing really picked up after the 3rd story and this one was honestly just too good as well. I was totally engrossed in the story from the start until the very end of this one. I really liked the twist on this one and just love the relationship between Prince Johann, Hansel and Marcel, although I would love to see more of Prince Marcel and Prince Johann’s friendship.
I really didn’t feel the chemistry between Hansel and Johann’s relationship and just felt that theirs was a forced one just to have a representation.
𝟱. 𝗖𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿-𝗘𝗹𝗹𝗲
Cinder-Elle is basically a Cinderella retelling but with no magic and fairy god mother.
I really love the main character which is Elle-who is blind after his step-brother pushed him on the stairs resulted to his blindness. Elle is just basically a very enthralling character in my opinion.
I really love Prince Theo as well, he’s such a caring, kind and funny character. I really love the relationship they had.
I also love Elle’s relationship with the other servants, Macy and Lucy.
This story might be my fave among all of the 9. I just love everything. From the writing, pacing and characterization. I was really smiling and giggling while reading this one.
I just wish this was a full novel length and how the retelling was told was really interesting, I would really love to read this again.
𝟲. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲
The Curse is a retelling of Sleeping Beauty and Frog Prince and a mixed of Rapunzel-as the previous characters from The Tower-Zel and Isaiah were present in this story, which I’m very glad.
However I didn’t really enjoy this that much because;
1. I didn’t felt the characters that much, I couldn’t feel Gabriel and Sean at all same with Zel and Isaiah that just made me not care about them at all.
2. The story seemed like a drag and a force one
The are some parts that I find funny especially when they found the frog. Overall this was a let down.
𝟳. 𝗛𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗶𝗹𝘆 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗔𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿
This might be a little let down Cinderella retelling I’ve read in this collection. Might be because I’ve already read two from this which were both amazing.
Rainier’s character might be a little bit edgy for me at the first start, I didn’t seemed to like him at most first however he redeemed it when he helped the real Cinderella-Ella escaped the ball.
I really could see Rainer and Elle being a best of friends if this could have been longer or was written that way, I believed that their friendship together with Mab would be amazing to see.
𝟴. 𝗧𝗵𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗯𝗶𝗿𝗱
I find this one weird. I read the story with confusion and couldn’t tell if it was really a bird/shape shifter or just purely a bird. DNFed halfway
𝟵. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘁
This one is probably the only retelling that I wished wasn’t a male to male romance but more of a mentor-student.
Kiki is alright and I relate to him being so done with the kids, kids drives me crazy as well. As for Nicole, he was cute when he’s a kid but when grew up, I’m not a fan.
𝗢𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹𝗹 I did enjoy most of them. I really love the story of 𝗔 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁'𝘀 𝗗𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗺, 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝗱 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗪𝗶𝘁𝗰𝗵 and 𝗖𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿-𝗘𝗹𝗹𝗲. I love that the past characters, especially Zel and Isaiah were featured in some stories. I really enjoyed how the author connected and mixed some stories and the twist as well. Would really recommend this for those who are looking for a good lgbt representation stories.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 6, 2021
A Little Fairy Dust
Author: Mell Eight
Genre: Fantasy-Romance anthology, LGBTQ Fiction.
#ContainsMinorSpoilers
I love anthologies and with a title such as this, I had high expectations from this book. It met quite a few, but I felt it didn't live up to its potential.
This book has 9 stories over 450+ pages. Each story is a retelling of one or more fairy tale with an LGBTQ angle added to the romance.
Here's a brief spoiler-free review on the stories and the book as a whole.
1. The Tower - Rapunzel with a totally unthinkable twist. Slow but fun to read.
2. Cleanly Wrong - The note at the end told me that this was based on Scottish folklore brownies. I'm not aware of the original version. The retelling was wonderful but the LGBT angle seemed very forced. This story would have worked wonderfully without it.
3. A Heart's Dream - Wow for having a story with a "Cinder fella"! I loved this retelling for its brilliant take on the Cinderella story. Absolutely unusual and enjoyable!
4. The Red Apple Witch - Hansel and Gretel plus Snow-white plus Rapunzel plus Sleeping Beauty, all in one story! 🙆🏻♀️ This was wonderfully imaginative and well-executed. I enjoyed this story a lot.
5. Cinder-Elle - The only story in the book that takes enough time to flesh out all its main characters. Though this is yet another Cinderella retelling, you won't find anything else similar between this story and "A Heart's Dream". This is the best story in the book, without any doubt.
6. The Curse - Based on Sleeping Beauty plus The Frog Prince. Characters from 'The Tower' make a reappearance here. This was the weakest story of the book for me based on its poor plot structure and abrupt ending.
7. Happily Ever After - A third Cinderella retelling. Thankfully, this isn't from the point of view of Cinderella or the Prince but from a petty thief who gatecrashes the ball. A beautiful story, quite well-written too.
8. Thunderbird - I haven't heard of the original Native Indian folk tale but this was a pleasant narration. I enjoyed the characters and the thrills. The Thunderbirds and the snakes were impactful characters. I didn't like the idea of MMM romance though. Tripartite romance never clicks as a workable idea with me.
9. The Beast - Based on Beauty and the Beast. Nicely written with admirable characters. One of my favourites from the book.
Where the book clicks:
- Though there are some fairy tales reused across the stories, each retelling is still distinct from the other. There is no sense of repetition.
- The author is definitely creative. Her twist on the traditional versions of the tales is quite innovative, and in some cases, stunning!
- The way she tackles LGBTQ representation and even gender fluidity is amazing.
- The stories take some time to get in the groove so you really have to be patient at the start of each tale. But once they settle into the narrative, they become very interesting and you won't be able to keep them aside till the end.
- I learnt a new gender neutral pronoun: Ze/Zir/Zir, third person singular. Used to refer to a person of unspecified or non-binary gender instead of the he/she pronoun set.
Where the book needs work:
- The stories take a long time to build up their momentum. A slow start is a luxury reserved for full-length novels; short stories need to create an immediate impact on the reader in order to keep them captivated from the start. I had to force myself to concentrate at the start of each story because I couldn't understand where it was going. But luckily, I stuck with the book because the effort was definitely worth it. Not all readers will be as patient.
- I understand that a full-length novel can cover only one or at the most two angles of LGBTQ romance. But in an anthology, I was hoping for a better representation of the community. To read story after story having only m-m romance gets a bit boring and predictable, especially when the stories are based on known fairy tales.
I loved the cover illustration designed by Natasha Snow. It gives the perfect touch of elegance to this book.
Overall, I think this book is worth a read for anyone who likes creative retellings, who wants to read accurate LGBTQ fiction, and who has patience to deal with slow starts in narratives.
I received an advance review copy of the book from NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
*************
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Author: Mell Eight
Genre: Fantasy-Romance anthology, LGBTQ Fiction.
#ContainsMinorSpoilers
I love anthologies and with a title such as this, I had high expectations from this book. It met quite a few, but I felt it didn't live up to its potential.
This book has 9 stories over 450+ pages. Each story is a retelling of one or more fairy tale with an LGBTQ angle added to the romance.
Here's a brief spoiler-free review on the stories and the book as a whole.
1. The Tower - Rapunzel with a totally unthinkable twist. Slow but fun to read.
2. Cleanly Wrong - The note at the end told me that this was based on Scottish folklore brownies. I'm not aware of the original version. The retelling was wonderful but the LGBT angle seemed very forced. This story would have worked wonderfully without it.
3. A Heart's Dream - Wow for having a story with a "Cinder fella"! I loved this retelling for its brilliant take on the Cinderella story. Absolutely unusual and enjoyable!
4. The Red Apple Witch - Hansel and Gretel plus Snow-white plus Rapunzel plus Sleeping Beauty, all in one story! 🙆🏻♀️ This was wonderfully imaginative and well-executed. I enjoyed this story a lot.
5. Cinder-Elle - The only story in the book that takes enough time to flesh out all its main characters. Though this is yet another Cinderella retelling, you won't find anything else similar between this story and "A Heart's Dream". This is the best story in the book, without any doubt.
6. The Curse - Based on Sleeping Beauty plus The Frog Prince. Characters from 'The Tower' make a reappearance here. This was the weakest story of the book for me based on its poor plot structure and abrupt ending.
7. Happily Ever After - A third Cinderella retelling. Thankfully, this isn't from the point of view of Cinderella or the Prince but from a petty thief who gatecrashes the ball. A beautiful story, quite well-written too.
8. Thunderbird - I haven't heard of the original Native Indian folk tale but this was a pleasant narration. I enjoyed the characters and the thrills. The Thunderbirds and the snakes were impactful characters. I didn't like the idea of MMM romance though. Tripartite romance never clicks as a workable idea with me.
9. The Beast - Based on Beauty and the Beast. Nicely written with admirable characters. One of my favourites from the book.
Where the book clicks:
- Though there are some fairy tales reused across the stories, each retelling is still distinct from the other. There is no sense of repetition.
- The author is definitely creative. Her twist on the traditional versions of the tales is quite innovative, and in some cases, stunning!
- The way she tackles LGBTQ representation and even gender fluidity is amazing.
- The stories take some time to get in the groove so you really have to be patient at the start of each tale. But once they settle into the narrative, they become very interesting and you won't be able to keep them aside till the end.
- I learnt a new gender neutral pronoun: Ze/Zir/Zir, third person singular. Used to refer to a person of unspecified or non-binary gender instead of the he/she pronoun set.
Where the book needs work:
- The stories take a long time to build up their momentum. A slow start is a luxury reserved for full-length novels; short stories need to create an immediate impact on the reader in order to keep them captivated from the start. I had to force myself to concentrate at the start of each story because I couldn't understand where it was going. But luckily, I stuck with the book because the effort was definitely worth it. Not all readers will be as patient.
- I understand that a full-length novel can cover only one or at the most two angles of LGBTQ romance. But in an anthology, I was hoping for a better representation of the community. To read story after story having only m-m romance gets a bit boring and predictable, especially when the stories are based on known fairy tales.
I loved the cover illustration designed by Natasha Snow. It gives the perfect touch of elegance to this book.
Overall, I think this book is worth a read for anyone who likes creative retellings, who wants to read accurate LGBTQ fiction, and who has patience to deal with slow starts in narratives.
I received an advance review copy of the book from NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
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January 15, 2021
A Joyfully Jay review.
5 stars
Fairy tale retellings can be quite chancy. It can be hard to meld the whimsy with the wish, the romance and the ridiculous, the magic and the mischief without overdoing one or the other. But these nine tales by Mell Eight manage to straddle the line between the wide-eyed wonder of childhood and the lovesick sweetness of a good, love story. With such classic influences as Cinderella, Rapunzel, and Snow White, we get to see evil witches, charming wizards, and enough prince charmings to fill the largest castle.
The writing is, across the board, clean and crisp and effortless. The stories are often clever and creative, but, for the most part, the romance is not the strong suit. With one or two exceptions, all of the stories have the feel of the expected outcome. Instead, you simply sit back and enjoy the journey.
Read Elizabeth’s review in its entirety here.
5 stars
Fairy tale retellings can be quite chancy. It can be hard to meld the whimsy with the wish, the romance and the ridiculous, the magic and the mischief without overdoing one or the other. But these nine tales by Mell Eight manage to straddle the line between the wide-eyed wonder of childhood and the lovesick sweetness of a good, love story. With such classic influences as Cinderella, Rapunzel, and Snow White, we get to see evil witches, charming wizards, and enough prince charmings to fill the largest castle.
The writing is, across the board, clean and crisp and effortless. The stories are often clever and creative, but, for the most part, the romance is not the strong suit. With one or two exceptions, all of the stories have the feel of the expected outcome. Instead, you simply sit back and enjoy the journey.
Read Elizabeth’s review in its entirety here.
June 23, 2024
I didn't really care for this. Some of these stories were really hard to get through, specifically Cleanly Wrong. Most of these had way too much buildup, and then the conclusion was super abrupt. While I liked the idea of an anthology with fairytale retellings, this one didn't work for me at all.
September 1, 2021
4.5 I really loved all of these. I like how they also mixed with each other as each story was told. I love fairytales and these were unique and adorable.
February 27, 2021
First I want to say thank you to NetGalley, Mell Eight and NineStar Press for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions of this book are my own and are not influenced by the gifting of this book.
A Little Fairy Dust is an anthology of nine fairytale retellings all with LGBTQ+ representation.
I am a huge fan of retellings and fairytales and when I saw this book I was so excited to read it. Any book that will bring me the joys and nostalgia of my childhood but can tell them with a modern twist is my kind of book. I loved the how the author made each twist and turn in each story different and interesting.
My biggest issue with the book is the same issue I have with most anthologies, some of the stories were just not long enough for me. There were at least three stories in this collection that I would love to read as full length novels. With some in-depth character development and world building some of these stories would make absolutely incredible books.
1. The Tower- The first story is based on Rapunzel but instead of a princess locked in a tower, we get a tower used for military operations and war. This story was a little slow in the start, it did take a while to really get going. I enjoyed the two main characters and their interactions, I loved the magical elements to the storyline. I just wish that this story had been a little longer and more in depth. I would love to know what happened to after the ending and how things developed. Overall I enjoyed it.
2. Cleanly Wrong- This story is based on a Scottish Folklore brownies. I have no knowledge or experience with the original story. So, naturally I Googled it to after reading to find out as much as I could. This story is probably my least favorite. I just didn’t sit very well with me, I found it a little boring and it felt like it went on a lot longer than the other stories.
3. A Heart’s Dream- Based on Cinderella and Heart of Stone. I enjoyed this story and found the relationship between the two main characters was adorable. However, I feel like this story could have been longer. There was so much potential but because of the length it didn’t quite work for me.
4. The Red Apple Witch- Based on Hansel & Gretel, Rapunzel, Sleeping Beauty and Snow White. This is my favorite story in the book. I haven’t come across a story that has manages in intertwine so many different stories. I love the way the author handles the mixing of all the stories. This is one of those books I would want as a full length story. There is just so much to unpack and cover, can you imagine how incredible this would be?!
5. Cinder-Elle- Based on Cinderella. Imagine the story of Cinderella, now take away all the magic, the carriage, the magical shoes and even the fairy God mother and that is the story you have. Our main character Elle is blind thanks to his step-brother, he is by far one the best characters in the entire book. I also really loved Prince Theo in this story, he is a very caring and kind character. This is probably my second fav story and I would also love to see this is a full length story with detailed character development and world building,
6. The Curse- based on Sleeping Beauty. There was an overlap between this story and The Tower with the presence of the main characters in this story. However, I didn’t like this stories. I felt like the characters were kind of detached from each other. I felt very disconnected from the story and wasn’t really interested in what was happening.
7. Happily, Ever After- Based on Cinderella. There are a few Cinderella stories in this book and this one is probably the weakest. Not that it is a bad story but I enjoyed the previous two a lot more. Elle and Rainer’s relationship could be a little more detailed and interesting. The story just felt a little lacking.
8. Thunderbird- This story is based on a Native American Folklore. A similar situation with Cleanly Wrong. I was not aware of the original story when going into this and to be honest I didn’t finish this one. It was very confusing and not that interesting. I looked up the original after finishing and feel like I will enjoy that one more.
9. The Beast- based on Beauty and The Beast, Sleeping Beauty and Snow White. Another story mixed with a number of different fairytales. The author is really good at the mixing the stories. I just really wished it was a longer story.
Overall, I enjoyed the majority of the stories. My favorites are Cinder-Elle and The Red Apple Witch. I adore the way Mell Eight intertwines several fairytales and characters into one story. I just wish that some of them were a little more detailed and longer stories.
A Little Fairy Dust is an anthology of nine fairytale retellings all with LGBTQ+ representation.
I am a huge fan of retellings and fairytales and when I saw this book I was so excited to read it. Any book that will bring me the joys and nostalgia of my childhood but can tell them with a modern twist is my kind of book. I loved the how the author made each twist and turn in each story different and interesting.
My biggest issue with the book is the same issue I have with most anthologies, some of the stories were just not long enough for me. There were at least three stories in this collection that I would love to read as full length novels. With some in-depth character development and world building some of these stories would make absolutely incredible books.
1. The Tower- The first story is based on Rapunzel but instead of a princess locked in a tower, we get a tower used for military operations and war. This story was a little slow in the start, it did take a while to really get going. I enjoyed the two main characters and their interactions, I loved the magical elements to the storyline. I just wish that this story had been a little longer and more in depth. I would love to know what happened to after the ending and how things developed. Overall I enjoyed it.
2. Cleanly Wrong- This story is based on a Scottish Folklore brownies. I have no knowledge or experience with the original story. So, naturally I Googled it to after reading to find out as much as I could. This story is probably my least favorite. I just didn’t sit very well with me, I found it a little boring and it felt like it went on a lot longer than the other stories.
3. A Heart’s Dream- Based on Cinderella and Heart of Stone. I enjoyed this story and found the relationship between the two main characters was adorable. However, I feel like this story could have been longer. There was so much potential but because of the length it didn’t quite work for me.
4. The Red Apple Witch- Based on Hansel & Gretel, Rapunzel, Sleeping Beauty and Snow White. This is my favorite story in the book. I haven’t come across a story that has manages in intertwine so many different stories. I love the way the author handles the mixing of all the stories. This is one of those books I would want as a full length story. There is just so much to unpack and cover, can you imagine how incredible this would be?!
5. Cinder-Elle- Based on Cinderella. Imagine the story of Cinderella, now take away all the magic, the carriage, the magical shoes and even the fairy God mother and that is the story you have. Our main character Elle is blind thanks to his step-brother, he is by far one the best characters in the entire book. I also really loved Prince Theo in this story, he is a very caring and kind character. This is probably my second fav story and I would also love to see this is a full length story with detailed character development and world building,
6. The Curse- based on Sleeping Beauty. There was an overlap between this story and The Tower with the presence of the main characters in this story. However, I didn’t like this stories. I felt like the characters were kind of detached from each other. I felt very disconnected from the story and wasn’t really interested in what was happening.
7. Happily, Ever After- Based on Cinderella. There are a few Cinderella stories in this book and this one is probably the weakest. Not that it is a bad story but I enjoyed the previous two a lot more. Elle and Rainer’s relationship could be a little more detailed and interesting. The story just felt a little lacking.
8. Thunderbird- This story is based on a Native American Folklore. A similar situation with Cleanly Wrong. I was not aware of the original story when going into this and to be honest I didn’t finish this one. It was very confusing and not that interesting. I looked up the original after finishing and feel like I will enjoy that one more.
9. The Beast- based on Beauty and The Beast, Sleeping Beauty and Snow White. Another story mixed with a number of different fairytales. The author is really good at the mixing the stories. I just really wished it was a longer story.
Overall, I enjoyed the majority of the stories. My favorites are Cinder-Elle and The Red Apple Witch. I adore the way Mell Eight intertwines several fairytales and characters into one story. I just wish that some of them were a little more detailed and longer stories.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 4, 2021
This collection of 9 short stories feature fairy tale re-tellings with LGBTQIA+ representation. There are 3 Cinderella re-tellings, a Rapunzel re-imagining, and some other tales for which I was not familiar with the source material.
'A Heart's Dream,' 'The Red Apple Witch' and 'Cinder-Elle' were my absolute favorites in this collection. Three other stories were set in the same universe and some of the characters in the first story appear in the other two, which was nice to see.
'A Heart's Dream' - Shape-shifting includes gender shifting and a gender-fluid MC.
'The Red Apple Witch' - The plot is genius, back story is so creative. I wish this was a full-length novel, to explore the three main characters further.
'Cinder-Elle' - This story was very carefully thought out, especially its plot twists. This made me feel sorrow, as usual for Cinderella tales, but this was very well-done.
#ALittleFairyDust #NetGalley - I voluntarily read a Review Copy of this book. All opinions stated are solely my own and no one else’s. Read more reviews! http://dreamerjbookreviews.blogspot.com
'A Heart's Dream,' 'The Red Apple Witch' and 'Cinder-Elle' were my absolute favorites in this collection. Three other stories were set in the same universe and some of the characters in the first story appear in the other two, which was nice to see.
'A Heart's Dream' - Shape-shifting includes gender shifting and a gender-fluid MC.
'The Red Apple Witch' - The plot is genius, back story is so creative. I wish this was a full-length novel, to explore the three main characters further.
'Cinder-Elle' - This story was very carefully thought out, especially its plot twists. This made me feel sorrow, as usual for Cinderella tales, but this was very well-done.
#ALittleFairyDust #NetGalley - I voluntarily read a Review Copy of this book. All opinions stated are solely my own and no one else’s. Read more reviews! http://dreamerjbookreviews.blogspot.com
December 30, 2020
Nine stories of magic, love and a little fairy dust: A military post at the Tower of Rapunzel to avoid war in The Tower; a Brownie who just wants to do something right in Cleanly Wrong; a dream of unfulfilled love in A Heart's Dream; saving the victims of an evil witch in The Red Apple Witch; a boy who just wants to go to the dance in Cinder-Elle; a cursed kingdom and seek lost love in The Curse; a thief and his fairy godmother with different ideas about love in Happily Ever After; a lightning bolt, a lost egg, an ancient battle, and love at first sight in Thunderbird; and a trapped prince, knowing that his true love will never save him in The Beast. Something I love is the retellings and this book brings 9 stories based on the classic fantasy stories. Each story has its touch of magic, which makes them special, at first they are a little confusing, since they tell us things as if we were familiar with the context, but from there on they are very good, the way they turn things around is amazing. I must admit that some of them were a bit boring, but I liked the scenery of each one of them. If you are a fan of fantasy and retellings, you will certainly like this book, although it has some scenes that are not suitable or to the liking of all, besides it has a great diversity of characters, with different characteristics from the usual ones, but I assure you that you will love this book.
* I received an Advanced Copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion*
* I received an Advanced Copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion*
January 3, 2021
I adored this collection of fairytales reimagined. It was such an incredibly special collection. Each story is its own little gem. I especially loved the intertwined nature of so many of them - but not all. Many are standalones - but the ones that feature characters or plotlines from other stories had an extra special place in my heart. I think of all the stories my favorite was the one about Brownies. I also loved Beauty and the Beast. Really - picking a favorite here might be as difficult as picking a favorite child. The LGBTQ side of these stories really worked seamlessly - and maybe even better than the originals.
This is the perfect way to start 2021!
I received this as an ARC from NetGalley, but these opinions are all my own. This is a true gem. Highly reccomend.
This is the perfect way to start 2021!
I received this as an ARC from NetGalley, but these opinions are all my own. This is a true gem. Highly reccomend.
December 25, 2020
I received a free copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Mell Eight has reimagined and rewritten ten fairy tales. Some of them very famous. A couple of them were new to me.
The book is OK. A little boring sometimes.
Mell Eight has reimagined and rewritten ten fairy tales. Some of them very famous. A couple of them were new to me.
The book is OK. A little boring sometimes.
December 31, 2020
I received a copy in exchange for an honest review.
I've always been a fan of updated/modernised fairy tales and so I said yes when offered this book. Especially as it's written by Mell Eight, their Supernatural Consultant series has been such great reading for me. In these nine delightfully engrossing stories you will find Native American Legends, Scottish Folk Stories and a lot of Fairytales all stirred together in one pot. Some of the stories are entwined in the same Fantasy world and some are contemporary. Over all, even if you don't like up dated stories with an m/m twist, I think you will still find at least one tale to enjoy in amongst these nine.
January 23, 2021
I was granted the chance to read an arc of this book for free from Netgalley and publishers in exchange for my honest review and opinions.
A little fairy dust is a collection of 9 fairytails reimagined with a lgbtq+ twist.
Overall I enjoyed the stories some left me wanting more and others were okay as is. I really enjoyed the few that all connected together and brought back some characters from a previous story.
I appreciated the lgbtq+ spin on the stories, it was a nice modern twist to the classic boy meets girl. With that said I would have liked more variety in the characters as it is all the love stories are between men, it would have been nice to have a variety and have had some love stories between two women.
One thing that threw me off reading Happily Ever After was the zi and zir pronouns for Mabli the fairy godparent. I don't know if it was a continuous typo like maybe the author wasn't sure what gender they wanted to assign the fairy or if it was a way to give gender neutral pronouns? Either way it was difficult for me to picture Mabli and made that story a little less enjoyable.
Some of the relationships seemed really forced, like in Cleanly Wrong, but it was also a short story. I enjoyed that it brought a new fairy tale that I had never heard of. Same as Thunderbird.
Overall it is an enjoyable and interesting twist on known fairytales.
A little fairy dust is a collection of 9 fairytails reimagined with a lgbtq+ twist.
Overall I enjoyed the stories some left me wanting more and others were okay as is. I really enjoyed the few that all connected together and brought back some characters from a previous story.
I appreciated the lgbtq+ spin on the stories, it was a nice modern twist to the classic boy meets girl. With that said I would have liked more variety in the characters as it is all the love stories are between men, it would have been nice to have a variety and have had some love stories between two women.
One thing that threw me off reading Happily Ever After was the zi and zir pronouns for Mabli the fairy godparent. I don't know if it was a continuous typo like maybe the author wasn't sure what gender they wanted to assign the fairy or if it was a way to give gender neutral pronouns? Either way it was difficult for me to picture Mabli and made that story a little less enjoyable.
Some of the relationships seemed really forced, like in Cleanly Wrong, but it was also a short story. I enjoyed that it brought a new fairy tale that I had never heard of. Same as Thunderbird.
Overall it is an enjoyable and interesting twist on known fairytales.
January 24, 2021
trigger warning
Short version: It's queer fluff. You'll like it.
Long version: This is a short story collection featuring retellings of fairytales by the Brothers Grimm and the native american folklore of thunderbirds and horned snakes.
The minimum level of queerness is a gay relationship, but we have shapeshifting dragons that can either appear male or female, have a non binary fairy, a consenting poly relationship, a trans person. Some short stories tie into each other but still can be read as standalones.
Some stories focus on one myth or fairytale alone, some are mashups. The thought is simple: Is there one evil witch, or might the person who famously had a garden full of rapunzel lettuce have been up to other things besides?
Cinderella seems to be the author's favourite, there are so many twists in this collection. And Mell Eight seems to have a thing about green-eyed people, but I'm not complaining. Sex happens off-screen, which is an ace friendly option.
Normally I'd delete a file of an arc after reading, but since I was given a non-expiring one and had so much fun, I'll keep this one and since this is the second work by this author I enjoyed, I will look out for further works. Full recommendations.
The arc was provided by the publisher.
Short version: It's queer fluff. You'll like it.
Long version: This is a short story collection featuring retellings of fairytales by the Brothers Grimm and the native american folklore of thunderbirds and horned snakes.
The minimum level of queerness is a gay relationship, but we have shapeshifting dragons that can either appear male or female, have a non binary fairy, a consenting poly relationship, a trans person. Some short stories tie into each other but still can be read as standalones.
Some stories focus on one myth or fairytale alone, some are mashups. The thought is simple: Is there one evil witch, or might the person who famously had a garden full of rapunzel lettuce have been up to other things besides?
Cinderella seems to be the author's favourite, there are so many twists in this collection. And Mell Eight seems to have a thing about green-eyed people, but I'm not complaining. Sex happens off-screen, which is an ace friendly option.
Normally I'd delete a file of an arc after reading, but since I was given a non-expiring one and had so much fun, I'll keep this one and since this is the second work by this author I enjoyed, I will look out for further works. Full recommendations.
The arc was provided by the publisher.
September 9, 2021
I am an absolute sucker for fairy tales and this book is an excellent collection of them! With really well done twists to classics, taking them with different characters and alternate angles, they were sweet and truly believable stories of magic and fairy tale happily ever after. The tales that wove through and connected to each other were some of my favourites from the collection and were a fun to encounter as they popped up. Loved it all!
January 19, 2022
Thank you Netgalley for the advance reader copy of A Little Fairy Dust by Mell Eight in exchange for an honest review. I really enjoy reading new takes and spins on fairy tales, sometimes they are delightful, sometimes dark and twisted. These were nice as they brought representation of LGBTQ into the stories.
May 8, 2021
I loved this LGBTQ fairytale retelling anthology.
Each story was unique, and interesting with good representation.
This magical bundle packs a bunch of short fairytale shorts.
I absolutely recommend this for a light, magical read.
Each story was unique, and interesting with good representation.
This magical bundle packs a bunch of short fairytale shorts.
I absolutely recommend this for a light, magical read.
August 25, 2021
A story anthology with interesting twists, Old, well-known, and beloved fairy tales are given new life..
A pleasant change with surprising endings
And they all lived gaily ever after,
A pleasant change with surprising endings
And they all lived gaily ever after,
March 17, 2022
This is a great anthology for anyone who likes the different takes on fairytales.
December 31, 2020
Alright before I start, I have an issue. We often talk about, in the book world, how when white women primarily write m/m romances that it is a bit fetishising. Now, the book was well-written but this is something that should be taken into account.
I also believe that many of the stories would have worked better as their own stories rather than part of this anthology.
The Tower
I really liked this story. I wish the magic system was a little more fleshed out but I understand that it couldn't be too well done as it was a short story. I liked the characters but the writing style isn't my favorite. This story was a bit rushed as well
Cleanly Wrong
I hated this one, like so much. I couldn't understand the basis on which this story was built on and the characters were beyond weird.
A Heart's Dream
I honestly really enjoyed this. There was a genderfluid dragon and a male/male romance that I, personally, really enjoyed.
The Red Apple Witch
I really liked this one it was superbly done. the characters were fleshed out and the stories amazing. gender and sexuality just flowed as throughout this short story collection so far. It did feel a bittttt rushed though.
Cinder-Elle
this was beautifully and wonderfully done omg. the writing is a bit middle grade but it's still really good. I loved the characters, I'm so attached, and the plot was so intriguing (even if I guessed the ending).
The Curse
I enjoyed this one, but this is where I started to get bored. We did see characters from the first story and Aurora from a different one!
Happily Ever After
Bros there was a nonbinary character using ze/zir pronouns omg I'm so excited ab that I've never seen that rep in a book before. other than that, however, not the MOST entertaining but still really good.
Thunderbird
I DNFed this one it just was super boring and not at all what I wanted
The Beast
I liked the inclusion of past characters, but this one was especially boring. I don't know, but I just wasn't a fan. The weird part was the the MC feel for the guy that he met when he was a child, I don't know but it just did not feel right to me.
Thank you to NetGalley for giving me tan e-copy for me to read and review!
I also believe that many of the stories would have worked better as their own stories rather than part of this anthology.
The Tower
I really liked this story. I wish the magic system was a little more fleshed out but I understand that it couldn't be too well done as it was a short story. I liked the characters but the writing style isn't my favorite. This story was a bit rushed as well
Cleanly Wrong
I hated this one, like so much. I couldn't understand the basis on which this story was built on and the characters were beyond weird.
A Heart's Dream
I honestly really enjoyed this. There was a genderfluid dragon and a male/male romance that I, personally, really enjoyed.
The Red Apple Witch
I really liked this one it was superbly done. the characters were fleshed out and the stories amazing. gender and sexuality just flowed as throughout this short story collection so far. It did feel a bittttt rushed though.
Cinder-Elle
this was beautifully and wonderfully done omg. the writing is a bit middle grade but it's still really good. I loved the characters, I'm so attached, and the plot was so intriguing (even if I guessed the ending).
The Curse
I enjoyed this one, but this is where I started to get bored. We did see characters from the first story and Aurora from a different one!
Happily Ever After
Bros there was a nonbinary character using ze/zir pronouns omg I'm so excited ab that I've never seen that rep in a book before. other than that, however, not the MOST entertaining but still really good.
Thunderbird
I DNFed this one it just was super boring and not at all what I wanted
The Beast
I liked the inclusion of past characters, but this one was especially boring. I don't know, but I just wasn't a fan. The weird part was the the MC feel for the guy that he met when he was a child, I don't know but it just did not feel right to me.
Thank you to NetGalley for giving me tan e-copy for me to read and review!
January 8, 2021
Title: A Little Fairy Dust Anthology
Author: Mel Eight
Publisher: NineStar Press
ISBN: 978-1-64890-18677
Buy Link: https://ninestarpress.com/product/a-l...
Reviewer: Teresa Fallen Angel
Blurb:
Nine tales of magic, love, and a little fairy dust: A military posting at the Rapunzel Tower to avoid war in The Tower; a Brownie that just wants to do something right in Cleanly Wrong; a dream of love unfulfilled in A Heart’s Dream; saving the victims of an evil witch in The Red Apple Witch; a boy who just wants to go to the ball in Cinder-Elle; a cursed kingdom and search for lost love in The Curse; a thief and his fairy godparent with different ideas about love in Happily Ever After; a lightning strike, a lost egg, an ancient battle, and love at first spark in Thunderbird; and a prince trapped, knowing his true love will never save him in The Beast.
Total Score: 5/5
Summary:
This was an incredible anthology based in the mythical county of Monrath spanning olden times with kings and queens to modern society. The retelling of fairy tales with the twist of magic each story was unique the magical component added a deeper link between them.
The book began with The Tower altering Rapunzel in a fascinating and unique way with a LGBT twist. In each succeeding story a few characters lives continued while also adding a new plotline. The book ended with The Beast taking a character form the original story with the possibility of redemption while continuing the conflict form the first story.
The wonderful LGBT twist added an interesting change to each story within this anthology. Mel eight as done it again!
Author: Mel Eight
Publisher: NineStar Press
ISBN: 978-1-64890-18677
Buy Link: https://ninestarpress.com/product/a-l...
Reviewer: Teresa Fallen Angel
Blurb:
Nine tales of magic, love, and a little fairy dust: A military posting at the Rapunzel Tower to avoid war in The Tower; a Brownie that just wants to do something right in Cleanly Wrong; a dream of love unfulfilled in A Heart’s Dream; saving the victims of an evil witch in The Red Apple Witch; a boy who just wants to go to the ball in Cinder-Elle; a cursed kingdom and search for lost love in The Curse; a thief and his fairy godparent with different ideas about love in Happily Ever After; a lightning strike, a lost egg, an ancient battle, and love at first spark in Thunderbird; and a prince trapped, knowing his true love will never save him in The Beast.
Total Score: 5/5
Summary:
This was an incredible anthology based in the mythical county of Monrath spanning olden times with kings and queens to modern society. The retelling of fairy tales with the twist of magic each story was unique the magical component added a deeper link between them.
The book began with The Tower altering Rapunzel in a fascinating and unique way with a LGBT twist. In each succeeding story a few characters lives continued while also adding a new plotline. The book ended with The Beast taking a character form the original story with the possibility of redemption while continuing the conflict form the first story.
The wonderful LGBT twist added an interesting change to each story within this anthology. Mel eight as done it again!
February 6, 2021
4 /5 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟
A collection of fairy tales reimagined. This book takes inspiration from classic fairy tales and folklore and gives them a twist.
The one I liked reading the most was Cleanly Wrong. It takes on Scottish folklore and delivers a story that mixes politics and doing what's right.
Being short stories, the romantic relationships seemed a bit forced into the plots.
The one about Rapunzel Tower was really good, but a bit too long for my taste.
The descriptions were really accurate and specific. I'm not a fan of long descriptions but some readers like them so I don't take this as a bad thing.
If you like fairy tales and are looking for a new twist on them, you should try reading this book.
Thank you so much NetGalley,
Mell Eight and Nine Star Press for this ARC!
A collection of fairy tales reimagined. This book takes inspiration from classic fairy tales and folklore and gives them a twist.
The one I liked reading the most was Cleanly Wrong. It takes on Scottish folklore and delivers a story that mixes politics and doing what's right.
Being short stories, the romantic relationships seemed a bit forced into the plots.
The one about Rapunzel Tower was really good, but a bit too long for my taste.
The descriptions were really accurate and specific. I'm not a fan of long descriptions but some readers like them so I don't take this as a bad thing.
If you like fairy tales and are looking for a new twist on them, you should try reading this book.
Thank you so much NetGalley,
Mell Eight and Nine Star Press for this ARC!
February 8, 2021
A Little Fairy Dust by Mell Eight
Publisher: NineStar Press, LLC
Genre: LGBTQIA | Romance
Release Date: January 4, 2021
A Little Fairy Dust by Mell Eight is a collection of short stories, reinventing tales from our childhoods.
I loved each of these stories and how they blended together. The author weaved together a world of fantasy and magic. The romances are sweet and lovely. One of my favorite things about each story was the acceptance of each relationship and how they are each viewed as 'normal' and not out of the ordinary. I think that moved me the most.
This is a beautiful book filled with love, acceptance, and wonderful romance.
I'm so grateful to Mell Eight, NineStar Press, LLC, and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this ARC ebook in exchange for my honest review.
Publisher: NineStar Press, LLC
Genre: LGBTQIA | Romance
Release Date: January 4, 2021
A Little Fairy Dust by Mell Eight is a collection of short stories, reinventing tales from our childhoods.
I loved each of these stories and how they blended together. The author weaved together a world of fantasy and magic. The romances are sweet and lovely. One of my favorite things about each story was the acceptance of each relationship and how they are each viewed as 'normal' and not out of the ordinary. I think that moved me the most.
This is a beautiful book filled with love, acceptance, and wonderful romance.
I'm so grateful to Mell Eight, NineStar Press, LLC, and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this ARC ebook in exchange for my honest review.
January 12, 2021
M/M retelling of several fairytales, (though not explicit). Several of the more well known tales are turned a little off center. Characters woven together from different tales created an interesting new take on the old familiar stories. There were even two I wasn’t acquainted with.
The Rapunzel story was my favorite. Totally different but keeping to the integrity of the original. I loved the Beast. His pain was palpable. This author has a way of pulling me into her books. I realize the purpose of an anthology is to introduce the reader to snippets of stories but I wish some would of been a little longer.
As a fan of fairytales, both the sweet, sanitized versions and the darker, bloodier ones, I found this retelling to be very satisfying.
This book was provided by the author via IndiGo Marketing & Design in exchange for an honest review. Review Copy requested and reviewed on behalf of OMGReads.
The Rapunzel story was my favorite. Totally different but keeping to the integrity of the original. I loved the Beast. His pain was palpable. This author has a way of pulling me into her books. I realize the purpose of an anthology is to introduce the reader to snippets of stories but I wish some would of been a little longer.
As a fan of fairytales, both the sweet, sanitized versions and the darker, bloodier ones, I found this retelling to be very satisfying.
This book was provided by the author via IndiGo Marketing & Design in exchange for an honest review. Review Copy requested and reviewed on behalf of OMGReads.
March 6, 2021
If you are looking for easy-reading, fun gay fairytales then this is definitely likely to be your vibe.
Whilst most stories lacked strong characters and recycled a lot of narratives (e.g. we met as children for a brief time and are reunited) they were enjoyable enough. The stories seemed to blend into one after a while, but I do like the author bringing back some characters further into the collection.
My favourites were the first two in the collection: The Tower, a Rapunzel retelling focused on using the tower as a military lookout station, which I thought was creative and engaging, and the romance felt developed and fun too; Cleanly Wrong was adorable and contained some interesting lore about Brownies and made me want a longer story for the main romance.
Whilst most stories lacked strong characters and recycled a lot of narratives (e.g. we met as children for a brief time and are reunited) they were enjoyable enough. The stories seemed to blend into one after a while, but I do like the author bringing back some characters further into the collection.
My favourites were the first two in the collection: The Tower, a Rapunzel retelling focused on using the tower as a military lookout station, which I thought was creative and engaging, and the romance felt developed and fun too; Cleanly Wrong was adorable and contained some interesting lore about Brownies and made me want a longer story for the main romance.
January 3, 2021
A little fairy dust is a collection of fairytales reimagined to include queer life stories. I really liked the inclusion in this book, and while there were some stories I found the love too quick, or unnecessary as it was mentioned in the end, there were a fair few books I’d have liked to read a lot more about. One of those was Cinder-Elle. I would have really liked more backstory and world building so I could love the characters and their stories even more. Overall, this was a very easy, cute read but would have been better if there wasn’t as much insta-love and some stories had had more substance. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!
January 10, 2021
I received a copy of A Little Fairy Dust by Mell Eight via IndiGo Marketing & Design in exchange for an honest review. I’ve been reading gay takes on classic fairy tales for years, especially this past year, and this book is the best so far. The author did so much more than making the love interest same-sex; for example, in one story they added in a physical disability. As someone with a disability, I know how rare it is to find a main character anything less than physically perfect. I also enjoyed how they tied together some of the more well-known tales from our childhood and gave them all a happy ending, even a seeming villain. In these trying times, from plague to coup, escaping into fairy tales is just right.
January 25, 2021
Thank you Netgalley for letting me read this book in return for an honest review.
A Little Fairy Dust contains nine stories that are based on several fairy-tale plots, characters and even buildings. For instance, the first story has a Repunzel Tower. I found the stories interesting with how they were developed from the original tales and all of them are LGBT+. While a lot of the stories are very fluffy and soft, there are warnings for each story such as; bullying, violence, etc.
Rating: 3.5⭐
Would I Read It Again? Yes. I like how I can pick which story I want to read
Would I Recommend it? Yes
A Little Fairy Dust contains nine stories that are based on several fairy-tale plots, characters and even buildings. For instance, the first story has a Repunzel Tower. I found the stories interesting with how they were developed from the original tales and all of them are LGBT+. While a lot of the stories are very fluffy and soft, there are warnings for each story such as; bullying, violence, etc.
Rating: 3.5⭐
Would I Read It Again? Yes. I like how I can pick which story I want to read
Would I Recommend it? Yes
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