This felt so incredibly kind to me. It's not that all the stories take place in societies/cultures that widely understand and accept trans and nonbinary folks, but more that the narration always affirms them. It uses correct pronouns and names for trans and nonbinary protagonists all the time (even when other characters don't know these), and in the case when another character comes out to the protagonist, the protagonist asks and promptly changes pronouns and titles for the character in question.
The stories also almost always include characters who are are supportive, even if not everyone is. These relationships were some of my favorites. The sibling relationships in "Early to Rise" are the ones I loved most in the entire book. The relationship between the princess and her assigned companion in "Daughter of Kings," as well as the brief interaction with the elderly lord. The mentor/adoptive father-son relationship in "His Father's Son," as well as the other familial relationships.
Also a note on the cultures/societies: we see some misgendering, but not deadnaming as far as I can remember, and we don't really see other forms of anti-transness.
The stories are really character-focused. I wouldn't call them low stakes -- there are often pretty high stakes going on, even in the lives of the protagonists -- but the stories aren't sprawling with a lot of characters and places and complicated politics. All of that might be going on, but we see it filtered through the lens of our protagonists and how the world and prophecies affect them personally. It definitely contributes to the comforting feel of the collection for me.
There are content warnings for all stories in the table of contents and at the beginning of each story. There are also pronunciations for neopronouns at the beginning of the stories they're used in.
There's one aromantic character, Claude in "Early to Rise." Claude doesn't really have words for their aromanticism, and they're questioning to some extent, but they're pretty sure they don't and won't have the True Love of their prophecy. And this is resolved in such a beautiful, unique way (that also involves their genderfluidity) that ends up valuing a type of platonic relationship that I didn't expect.
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Customers say
Customers praise the anthology's lovingly crafted stories that twist classic fairy tales, with beautiful prose and well-chosen pronoun guides. The book features many different types of trans characters and resonates with readers, with one customer noting its usefulness for thinking expansively about gender and sex.
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20 customers mention story quality, 18 positive, 2 negative
Finally a fairy tale for someone like me this book was worth way more than i paid.Read more
Mardoll writes with xer usual skill, crafting believable, engaging tales that suck the reader in and carry them through each world....Read more
...I loved every one of these stories, and was relieved to get to the end only because it was already an hour past my bedtime, and I wouldn't otherwise...Read more
Wonderful story telling great visualization and subject matter, I really appreciate it the list of trigger warnings at the beginning very helpful to...Read more
16 customers mention content, 16 positive, 0 negative
12 customers mention subject matter, 12 positive, 0 negative
...Fun to read and thought-provoking, too!Read more
Wonderful story telling great visualization and subject matter, I really appreciate it the list of trigger warnings at the beginning very helpful to...Read more
...is something I have NOT read before and it's a fascinating and fantastic perspective!...Read more
...Even now, they are so relevant to me. Ana writes sparsely but with a lovely lyrical lightness that is respectful and empathetic....Read more
9 customers mention character, 9 positive, 0 negative
...all in beautifully written prose, page-turning plots and characters you really care about....Read more
...There is so much love and respect for the characters in each story; no one suffers unnecessarily, there's no hurt just for the sake of hurting, and...Read more
...The prose is beautiful and easy to read, the characters and their world full of life, and I could not be more enthused to read stories where people...Read more
...are rich and full and you get the sense that characters truly care for one another. Their interactions feel natural and identities are respected....Read more
6 customers mention writing style, 5 positive, 1 negative
...finds many fresh angles and interesting perspectives all in beautifully written prose, page-turning plots and characters you really care about....Read more
This book is, as the headline says, incredibly excellent. The prose is beautiful and easy to read, the characters and their world full of life, and...Read more
The writing is haunting & joyful in equal measure and suffused with the liberation of speaking one's own truths....Read more
Mardoll writes with xer usual skill, crafting believable, engaging tales that suck the reader in and carry them through each world....Read more
5 customers mention pronunciation, 4 positive, 1 negative
...With a few well-chosen words, the author drops you into the middle of an ongoing story at a pivotal moment surrounded by the mundane....Read more
...It uses correct pronouns and names for trans and nonbinary protagonists all the time (even when other characters don't know these), and in the case...Read more
...them, it is very awesome that there are content notes and pronoun pronunciation guides at the start of the stories that have them....Read more
...The unfamiliar nonbinary pronouns did trip me up a bit, personally, but that's on me more than anything - they're not pronouns I'm familiar with,...Read more
Incredibly Excellent
This book is, as the headline says, incredibly excellent. The prose is beautiful and easy to read, the characters and their world full of life, and I could not be more enthused to read stories where people do great and magical things precisely because of who they are. I love every tale, and I'm going to wish on all the stars I see for a wild crossover - if these characters can do so much on their own, imagine what they could do together! The unfamiliar nonbinary pronouns did trip me up a bit, personally, but that's on me more than anything - they're not pronouns I'm familiar with, but I would like to be. There should be more stories like these so we CAN be familiar with them. I'll insist that my friends look into this book if they have the funds, and lend it out if they don't. <3
Top reviews from the United States
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Top reviews from other countries
- CatReviewed in the United Kingdom on August 29, 2019
Heartfelt and clever
Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase - Astrid LarsenReviewed in Canada on July 30, 2018
I love this collection
Format: KindleVerified Purchase - KeirReviewed in the United Kingdom on September 3, 2019
A wonderful collection of reworked fairy tales
Format: KindleVerified Purchase - sabrinaslivingliteratureReviewed in the United Kingdom on June 18, 2021
Amazing short stories of acceptance and fantasy
Format: KindleVerified Purchase
