Review: Ubiquicity by Various Authors

 Genre: Cyberpunk/Science Fiction/Short Story Anthology

Description:

“It is the dawn of the 22nd century, and in the sprawling development known as ‘UbiquiCity,’ the most wealthy and powerful districts possess all the latest in smart technology, with every building, device and control system connected via the Internet Of Things.

The world is augmented and identity is fluid. Satellite-guided cars drive themselves. Busy drones fill the skies. Cloud-assisted bots perform once-human jobs. Appliances, vehicles, buildings, media devices, products, streetlights, roadsigns and even toilets communicate electronically, all under the watchful eye of the AI CitySystem. For the inhabitants of the UbiComp zones, life is sweet.

But not everyone in the city is so blessed.

Short stories by Niko Carcosa, Antony Copeland, Tod Davies, Tod Foley, DeAnna Knippling, SL Koch, Shariann Lewitt, Adrian McCauley, and T Reynolds paint a picture of a realistic future city where ubiquitous computing is the source of much innovation, renovation and social disruption.”

Author:

A variety of authors.

Appraisal:

This book starts out with a map of Union City. All of the ten stories in this anthology take place in this shared story world. The map and the stories also share some terminology to describe things in the shared story world, for example sprawl zones and squatter towns are what might be thought of as the slums (to use terminology from our times) of Union Town. This also takes places in the future where artificial intelligence is widespread and those that populate the planet where Union City is located are as likely to be a robotic creature as anything else. (Be aware that there is a glossary at the end. If you find yourself wondering about the meaning of some terminology then scanning the glossary before continuing might be a good idea.)

Cyberpunk, the genre label used to describe these stories, happens in a dystopian future and, like the dystopian genre, these stories make you think about the potential downsides of some directions the world is headed. I found it interesting, yet logical in many ways, that those who lived in the slums of Union City often seemed like the happier characters. As with any collection of stories from multiple authors, some of the stories grabbed me more than others, but overall I found them to be good reads that succeeded in getting me to wonder about what the distant future will bring.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

Some adult language.

Format/Typo Issues:

A small number of proofreading misses.

Rating: **** Four Stars

Reviewed by: BigAl

Approximate word count: 105-110,000 words

Review: Once Upon an Ever After compiled and edited by Kaye Lynne Booth

Genre: Adult Fairy Tales/Short Story Anthology

Description:

600 or so stories were submitted for inclusion in the Gilded Glass: Twisted Myths and Shattered Fairy Tales anthology published by WordFire Press in 2022, but there was only room for 24 stories in the anthology. A lot of very good material had to be rejected. Booth creamed off the best and packaged it up into three anthologies: this one and, I think (they don’t advertise their kinship), Where Spirits Linger and Refracted Reflections. All the anthologies are short and inexpensive: ideal for reading on the commute or in bed.

Author:

Kaye Lynne Booth is a busy American indie author, poet, and facilitator of the writings of others. She has compiled a number of anthologies, mostly in the adult, modern fairy tale, fantasy, dark fantasy, SF and western genres. She has several enthusiastic writers working with her on her “Writing to be Read” blogsite. The writers featured on the blog appear regularly in the anthologies. There seems to be a thriving cottage industry involving these people, with – perhaps – opportunities for other emerging writers exploring genre fiction, mash-ups and other fringe creations.

Appraisal:

Gathering up these eleven stories and giving them a second chance was certainly worth doing. They richly deserve it. All the authors are young and female. (Each story is followed by a brief CV of its author.)  Their youth gives the work freshness. They recast established folk tales with enquiring minds, which brings a sparkle to the new work. That they are all women is also refreshing. Most fairy stories are – like so much of our literary heritage – written by men. Sure, women and girls appear in the traditional tales but, as we all know girls, patriarchy is – historically – never generous to women: they have no agency, unless they are wicked; if they are wicked they come to a bad end. And transgender people were unacknowledged when stories like the original Cinderella were first told.

Some of the stories are laugh out loud funny. All are witty. Some have happy endings, some do not. Some are based on stories of the Greek gods. Some laud the continuity of human kindness through history. Some deal with our destruction of our planet. Cliches are given a thorough pummelling.

The authors come from the USA, Canada, South Africa, Britain, Northern Ireland and Scotland. They are gay, straight and non-binary.

There is a great deal of variety here. It could be argued that three stories about magic mirrors out of a total of eleven stories is over-plenty about mirrors – but then one realises how different each mirror story is, and realises why there was room for all three of them.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

Format/Typo Issues:

A few.

Rating: **** Four Stars

Reviewed by: Judi Moore

Approximate word count: 35-40,000 words

Review: Giving the Devil His Due by Various

 

Genre: Short Story Anthology/Fantasy/Horror/Science Fiction

Description:

"What if a young girl had the power to stop her tyrannical father from battering her mother ever again?

What if a student had a secret weapon to end sexual assault by her predatory professor permanently?

What if a housewife had unusual means to get back at her controlling husband and walk away from her marriage alive?

In Giving the Devil His Due, The Pixel Project’s first charity anthology, sixteen acclaimed fantasy, science fiction, and horror authors take readers on an unforgettable journey to alternative worlds where men who abuse and murder women and girls meet their comeuppance in uncanny ways.

Featuring stories from Stephen Graham Jones, Christina Henry, Peter Tieryas, Kelley Armstrong, Linda D. Addison, Hillary Monahan, and more, Giving the Devil His Due presents sixteen stories that will make you think about the importance of justice for the victims of gender-based violence, how rare this justice is in our own world, and why we need to end violence against women once and for all.”

The proceeds from this book will go to support The Pixel Project, a non-profit focused on ending violence against women.

Author:

Sixteen authors, each with their own take on things and each bringing something personal to their story as mentioned in the appraisal below.

Appraisal:

The description for this collection says that these stories “will make you think about the importance of justice for the victims of gender-based violence, how rare this justice is in our own world, and why we need to end violence against women once and for all.” That’s the obvious goal of the stories and they absolutely deliver on that promise. The stories vary in genre, tending to have aspects of the speculative fiction genres, horror, fantasy, and science fiction, since these are the genres the authors invited to contribute specialize in. I found that some of the stories connected with me better than others, but hasten to point out that this wasn’t due to flaws in the stories. Instead, it was the particular set of circumstances and how well it related to those things I’d observed or could relate to in some other fashion. Which stories click with you will no doubt be different, but are varied enough that I think most will find many they can relate to.

After each story there is a brief author’s note that discusses the inspiration for the story, often a real-life experience of the author or someone close to them. These brief notes drive home that while these stories are speculative fiction and in some cases have paranormal or other aspects that obviously aren’t true, the issues at the core of the story are all too real.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

Some adult language and a lot of adult situations.

Format/Typo Issues:

My version was a pre-release ARC (advance readers copy) and I’m unable to gauge the final product for these kind of issues.

Rating: **** Four Stars

Reviewed by: BigAl

Approximate word count: 80-85,000 words

Review: Indies Unlimited 2018 Editors' Choice Flash Fiction Anthology by Various Authors

 

Genre: Flash Fiction/Varied Genres/Short Story Anthology

Description:

“The Indies Unlimited 2018 Flash Fiction Anthology features a year’s worth of winning entries from the IndiesUnlimited.com weekly flash fiction challenge. These stories were hand-picked by judges and editors. This collection contains 57 stories by 32 different authors from around the world, with full color pictures by award-winning photographer K. S. Brooks. From a soul-eating jack-o'lantern to a man's unexplainable shadow, there are a myriad of genres and stories to appeal to every taste.”

Authors:

“Authors with stories in the anthology include: Dana Adams, Allen Alright, Mary Kay Bonfante, Robert K. Blechman, E. Carr, E.J. Cooke, Rachelle Cory, Alyssa Devine, Bill Engleson, N.T. Franklin, Rutger Galtiarii, Diana Garcia, Judith Garcia, Dusty May Jane, A.L. Kaplan, Pharrel Katz, Dale E. Lehman, T. McGrath, Tamara McLanahan, Kevin P. Michaels, Antonia Overstreet, Mr. Pish, Diane Selby, Lou Silvestri, Jeremy James Smith, Lexi Storm, Stephannie Tallent, Ken Talley, Dana Vacca, Morgan Winters, JB Wocoski, and Ann Zimmerman.”

To learn more please visit the authors’ Amazon Author pages.

Appraisal:

Thirty-two authors from around the world contributed fifty-seven Flash Fiction stories in this 2018 Editors’ Choice Anthology edition. These are the best of the best, the cream of the crop, Flash Fiction submissions in Indies Unlimited weekly challenge.

The genre’s run the gamut from sci-fi, coming of age, paranormal, ghosts, evil spirits, thrillers, psychological games, miscommunications, and women fed up with men… Wanna know which were my favorites? Honestly, it would be hard to choose. I think we all know I love a good paranormal story, so aside from those Mary Kay Bonnfante’s, Sam the Ram made me giggle. I raised two girls so I appreciated the miscommunication. I also have a soft spot for kids so in Dale E. Lehman’s, Forest of Giants I should have seen the end coming. Rutger Galtiarii has a creative story with seven-year-old Max in, Secret of the Cave. Also, in A.L. Kaplan’s, Twin Stacks the kids are a little older and the end made me shiver. Ann Zimmerman’s, Little Dog, Big City was heartwarming and shows the powers of a pet.

All of the stories contained in this edition are great and everyone is bound to find their favorites. There are also twelve Honorable Mentions included. But wait there’s more! The photos, taken by K.S. Brooks, for Prompts without Winners are also included, perhaps they will inspire you to join in the weekly Indies Unlimited Flash Fiction Challenge. There are also about sections for the editors, and the authors all with active ToC links.

These Flash Fictions are only two-hundred and fifty words of less, so you can squeeze in a story or two in your busy schedules.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

Indies Unlimited 2018 Editors' Choice Flash Fiction Anthology is the 9th book in the Indies Unlimited Flash Fiction Anthology series. Best viewed on a full-color eReader to appreciate the photos provided by KS Brooks as writing prompts.

Format/Typo Issues:

None that I noticed.

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Reviewed by: ?wazithinkin

Approximate word count: 10-15,000 words

Review: Hashtag Queer: LGBTQ+ Creative Anthology, Volume 3 by Various

Genre: Short Story Anthology/Poetry/LGBTQ

Description:

“Still all-queer all the time, Hashtag Queer, Volume 3 presents even more short fiction, nonfiction, poetry and scripts all written by &/or about LGBTQ+ people from around the world. Includes work by two writers from India, where being gay was only just legalized less than a year ago. Volume 3 features 30 pieces by writers from around the world and across the rainbow spectrum of sexuality and gender-identity. Topics and themes explored include social justice, personal empowerment, magical realism, asexuality, gender-transitioning, aging, religion, friendship, death, parenting, Houdini and Batman, as well as love (of course.)”

Author:

A variety of authors from the LGBTQ+ community, mostly from around the US, but including at least one from India.

Appraisal:

My reasons for reading vary, but fall into a few categories. One of the big ones is the opportunity to put myself in the position of someone unlike me with the hope that by doing so I’ll understand them better. While members of the LGBT+ community would approach these stories from an entirely different angle, for me, it was this increased understanding that I hoped for when I decided to give this book a try. In many ways it delivered beyond expectations. I’m not much for poetry or reading scripts, but the short fiction and nonfiction in this collection definitely expanded my horizons, giving me some new perspectives on sexual and gender identity and what it is like for those who fall elsewhere on the spectrum than I do.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

Some adult language.

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant issues.

Rating: **** Four Stars

Reviewed by: BigAl

Approximate word count: 60-65,000 words

Review: Masquerade: Oddly Suited by Various

Genre: Short Story Anthology

Description:

“Find love at the ball…

Can a fake dating game show lead to love? Will a missing key free a clock-bound prince? Can a softball pitcher and a baseball catcher work together? Is there a vampire living in Paradise, Newfoundland? What’s more important—a virtual Traveler or a virtual date to the ball?

Ten authors explore young love in all its facets, from heartbreak to budding passion. Featuring the talents of L.G. Keltner, Jennifer Lane, C.D. Gallant-King, Elizabeth Mueller, Angela Brown, Myles Christensen, Deborah Solice, Carrie-Anne Brownian, Anstice Brown, and Chelsea Marie Ballard.

Hand-picked by a panel of agents and authors, these ten tales will mystify and surprise even as they touch your heart. Don your mask and join the party…”

Author:

The stories are by various authors who “won” placement in the book in a contest administered by the Insecure Writers Support Group.

Appraisal:

Each of these ten short stories have one thing in common, young love. Beyond that, they’re all solid efforts. In every other way they run a broad gambit with multiple genres and different writing styles represented. If a short read with young love as part of the story appeals to you, you’re sure to find at least a couple of these are a perfect fit for you. (If your taste in genres is wide enough, maybe all ten.)

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

Format/Typo Issues:

The copy I was provided was an advance copy so I can’t judge the final product in this area.

Rating: **** Four Stars

Reviewed by: BigAl

Approximate word count: 55-60,000 words

Reprise Review: Music Speaks by Various

Genre: Short Story Anthology

Description:

In these pages are eleven short stories from nine independent authors. These stories cover a wide range of genres—from romance to dystopia—but they all share a single theme: the power of music.

Titles include:

Gone Too Soon by Christopher T. Grace

The Heart Never Forgets by Ann Cathey

Solo by David Antrobus

Heavy Metal Lovesong by Pam Bainbridge-Cowan

Save Me by Erin McGowan

Playlist by James Clark

Music Heals All Hearts by Laurie Sorensen

Punk Rock 101 by JD Mader

and three Jukebox Heroes Vignettes by LB Clark

100% of profits from the sale of this short story collection will be donated to the MusiCares Foundation—a non-profit organization that helps musicians in times of need.

Author:

See author list in description.

Appraisal:

Anyone who has read many of my reviews knows I’m a sucker for stories that have a tie-in to music. Stories that share the common thread of the “power of music” to lift our mood, inspire, entertain, and even change our lives are a perfect fit. I’d use the cliché that they’re preaching to the choir in my case, if only I could sing. The fact that the profit from sales of this book go to an organization that has provided a safety net for musicians who have experienced financial setbacks such as crushing medical bills is just an added benefit.

Short story anthologies sometimes suffer from unevenness. That wasn’t what I found here. Although you might have favorites based on genre preference and taste, there isn’t a single clunker in this collection. I tried to pick a favorite and, if forced, would choose the lead story, Gone Too Soon, by Christopher T. Grace. But every story was a contender.

Buy now from:    Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

A small amount of adult language.

Added for Reprise Review: Music Speaks was a nominee in the Short Story Collections and Anthologies category for B&P 2013 Readers' Choice Awards. Original review ran August 13, 2012

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant issues

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Reviewed by: BigAl

Approximate word count: 35-40,000 words

Review: The Will to Survive by Various

Genre: Short Story Anthology/Post-apocalyptic

Description:

“When normal life collapses, peril waits around every corner, and one small slip could mean certain death. In The Will to Survive, twenty-two unique and brilliant voices bring to life stories of post-apocalyptic danger sure to make the heart race, the flesh creep.

It’s the end of the world. Do you have the will to survive?

NOTE: The Will to Survive is a collective effort by a great group of authors, born from the desire to help their fellow citizens suffering the devastating effects of multiple hurricanes. 100% of proceeds are being donated to two charities, One America Appeal and Global Giving Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund.

Twenty-two stories of tragedy, hope, and survival in one volume.”

Author:

Authors contributing stories to the collection are:

Steven Bird

Nick DeWolf

Patrick D’Orazio

D.J. Goodman

Shane Gregory

Joshua Guess

Josh Hilden

Kelly Hudson

Timothy Johnson

M.L. Katz

Jamie Mason

M.P. McDonald

Brad Munson

A.J. Norris

Stephen North

Chris Pike

Clabe Polk

C.A. Rudolph

Sean Schubert

Mike Sheridan

Sean T. Smith

Jonathan Yanez

Appraisal:

What a collection of stories. I kept waiting for a clunker. I kept expecting that with a collection this long, all mostly post-apocalyptic, they would start to feel samey. My expectations were shattered. Even though a lot of the stories explored the same territory, they vary drastically. Some, like Rusty’s Run, which is a story told from the point of view of the family dog, I’d have never seen coming, but even those that fit what I’d expect to see from the genre were unique, creative, and entertaining. If this is a genre you like, definitely give it a read. You might even find some new authors to follow. Not to mention the good reads here and having some of your money go to a good cause.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

Some adult language.

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant issues

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Reviewed by: BigAl

Approximate word count: 140-145,000 words

Reprise Review: Naughty or Nice by Various Authors

Genre: Short Story Anthology / Christmas

Description:

“A mix of magical, spooky, and romantic tales for the holidays.”

All proceeds of this book benefit Kids Need to Read.

Author:

Contributions from ten different authors:

Barbra Annino, J.R. Rain, Christiana Miller, Rose Pressey, Helen Smith, Heather Massey, Liz Schulte, Toni LoTempio, Danielle Younge-Ullman and J.W. Becton.

Appraisal:

A fun collection of longer short stories (the longest actually novelette length) with very little in common except they’re all good and the holiday season has some role in each. Some have a supernatural or paranormal element. Some have characters from one of the author’s novels, although I never felt I needed backstory about those characters to understand or enjoy the story.

I considered singling out stories that stood out as especially good or different than the others and realized I couldn’t. Genres run the gambit from a cozy mystery (Helen Smith’s Real Elves, featuring characters from her Emily Castles series) to what might be described as a psychological thriller in Barbra Annino’s The Perfect Gift. There are a couple stories where Santa Claus needs some help (Krampus Klaus by Christiana Miller and J.R. Rain’s The Santa Call). The possibility of budding romance on Chinese New Year in Heather Massey’s Fortune Cat’s Visit has a lesson about giving that, while the story wasn’t about Christmas, might have captured the spirit of the season best of all.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

Spelling conventions vary and appear to be dependent on the residence of the author.

Format/Typo Issues:

A small number of proofing and copyediting misses.

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Reviewed by: BigAl

Approximate word count: 60-65,000 words

Review: Once Upon a Spell by James Agee Jr., Josie Dorans, Kellie Honaker, Paul Dellinger, Christina Lockhart, and K.R. Thompson

Genre: Fantasy/Fairy Tales/Witches/Magic/Sci-Fi/Anthology

Description:

“Six magical tales based on the fairy tales you thought you knew! Discover a mix of fantasy and science fiction stories in this cross-genre collection.”

Red Greta by James Agee Jr. - “Life is dismal for Greta and her brother Hans after he signs a magical contract with a witch. The siblings are bound to one another and the witch’s life-altering demands.”

A Different Sort of Beauty by Josie Dorans - “A curse is laid upon two innocent babes in retaliation for the indifference of the village. Elana is given ethereal beauty with a heart of cold disdain where love cannot grow. Cecil is granted a beautiful heart full of love and kindness that is encased in a twisted and hideous body.”

The Cursed Prince by Kellie Honaker - “Jealous of the king's good fortune, the witch Hazel curses the king's son with the inability to feel fear. The prince spends his childhood embracing every danger and gradually falling into madness. A talking toad, a fireproof girl, a dying goblin, and a deal making dragon must join forces to save the kingdom.”

Walk to the Moon by Paul Dellinger - “The boy dreamed of touching the moon and, when he reached out one night, the moon reached back.”

The Raven of the Loch by Christina Lockhart - “Born the daughter of a great Pictish warrior king, Fiachna is spoiled and headstrong. Before her birth, a prophesy was told- two paths were set before her. One path was full of God's blessings, while the other was full of heartache and despair.”

Rose's Beast by K.R. Thompson - “As her punishment for accidentally turning a prince to a frog, the fairy Morgana has been tasked with fixing other spells that have gone awry. Her next assignment takes her to a tower deep within the Dark Forest guarded by a beast like none she has ever seen.”

Authors:

James Agee Jr.: “…writes fictional stories that border on the unknown… Stories surround him and he cannot help but to write a few of them down. He firmly believes that words have poser and that if you are reading, you are doing yourself a wonderful favor.” To learn more check out Mr. Agee’s website or Facebook page.

Josie Dorans: “Josie Dorans is the pen name responsible for unleashing the feistier side of a rather nice indie author who grew up in the heartland, currently lives surrounded by the mountains, but sometimes wishes her toes were still in the ocean of her twenties.” To learn more about Ms. Dorans visit her website or Facebook page.

Kellie Honaker: “When Kellie isn’t reading and rescuing animals, she’s busy mastering the art of becoming a hermit while sharpening her writing skills. When she edits her stories, she reads them aloud to her blind rescue dot named Teddy. She considers him to be her most valuable critic.” To learn more about Ms. Honaker visit her website or Facebook page.

Paul Dellinger: Is a multitalented author of short stories, novellas, and a play performed at Virginia’s Barter Theater. He also wrote a radio comedy-adventure serial that ran for two years on a Wytheville, VA station. He also worked as a newspaper reporter for forty-four years. To learn more visit his Amazon Author Page.

Christina Lockhart: “Blessed to be the mother of twins, Christina stays on her toes…She only recently started dabbling in writing and instantly fell in love with her characters. In her downtime, she focuses on her photography and hopes to one day combine that with her love of animal rescue.” The Raven of the Loch is her debut short story/novella. You can follow Ms. Lockhart on Facebook.

K.R. Thompson: “K.R. Thompson writes paranormal stories with a bite and fairy tales with a twist. An avid reader and firm believer in the magic of stories, she spends her nights either reading an adventure or writing one. She still watches for evidence of Bigfoot in the mud of Wolf Creek.” To learn more about Ms. Thompson visit her website or Facebook page.

Appraisals:

Red Greta is an extension of Hansel and Gretel’s tale after they leave their parents’ house to live on their own. It’s an engaging tale that will capture your sense of adventure. With Greta’s luck with witches should she trust another to help her and Hans out of their current situation? Enjoyable and highly detailed story.

A Different Sort of Beauty is an emotional and inspiring tale that will pull at your heartstrings. Elana’s mother has done all she can to combat the curse that was placed on her daughter by the angry witch at the annual May Day blessing ceremony after her birth. However, the curse is strong and deeply rooted in the beautiful girl’s cold heart to be affected by a mother’s love. The curse placed on Cecil, at the same blessing ceremony, was the opposite of Elana’s. He was given a beautiful heart full of love in a twisted monstrous body. The mothers of these two cursed babies develop a lasting friendship through the years. Together they come up with a plan. Neither of them took into consideration how this would affect Cecil, even though he was a big part of the plan. I loved this story, and consider it my favorite.  

The Cursed Prince is full of many fantastical elements. While you might think the cursed prince, Ezben, might be the hero of this tale, it is witch Hazel’s daughter Chasta who deserves heroine status in this story. Hazel curses the young prince with fearlessness and the castle with a dragon and goblins when the king refuses her gift of Chasta. Chasta is a mere three years older than the prince, who was ten years-old at the time of the curse. Chasta vows service to the king to help protect the prince from his fearlessness. She also vows to herself she will find a way to remove the curse her mother placed, she is not without powers of her own.

I found this a unique and captivating story that will take the reader on an adventure far greater than I expected. 

Walk to the Moon took me entirely by surprise. It started out as a fairy tale like story that turned into an emotional drama I wasn’t expecting at all in this anthology. We follow Boyd, a six year-old boy, from a dirt-poor dysfunctional family with two older brothers and an alcoholic father. Luckily for Boyd he had some teachers who recognized his desire to learn. And it all started off with the nursery rhyme Hey, Diddle, Diddle. Walk to the Moon is a captivating and inspiring story of trying to recapture the magic of childhood. Hold on tight for a heart wrenching ride, which may leave you with a sigh and a smile.

The Raven of the Loch is a heartbreaking tale wonderfully told by Christina Lockhart in her debut story. Have you ever wondered where or how the Loch Ness monster came about? It all starts out quite innocent with the 13th child of a great warrior king. Fiachna is the only female child with twelve older brothers. So, of course she was a little spoiled by her parents. She was also headstrong and tended to wander off on her own looking for adventure. She was lucky enough to make some good friends in the magical world around her who helped look after her. The Raven of the Loch is unique, fast moving, and full of vengeance with too much testosterone. Stupid men, ruined my HEA… However, I do believe Ms. Lockhart is a new indie author to watch.

Rose's Beast: In this twist of Beauty and the Beast, Morgana, a blue fairy, is tasked with fixing other fairy spells that have gone awry. Morgana is up to the challenge to set things right, even though her ways are somewhat questionable, which lead to humorous hijinks. She has a wonderful caring personality, but Prince Almond/Ormond has had dealings with her before and he’s not sure he trusts her. (Ms. Thompson switched back and forth on the Prince’s name, I assume this is a proofing error.) All magic has a price and the plot twists are entertaining and I found the twisted tale enjoyable. There is a mystery as to what is happening with the magic scrolls and Morgana has her own suspicions as to who is behind it all. Rose’s Beast is part of The Chronicles of a Blue Fairy.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

Once Upon a Spell is book two in The New Fairy Tales anthologies.

Format/Typo Issues:

Red Greta, A Different Sort of Beauty, The Cursed Prince, and The Raven of the Loch had no proofing issues to mention.

Walk to the Moon – A small number of extra or missing words.

Rose’s Beast – Several proofing errors. Mainly with the prince’s name, it kept changing back and forth. I consider this a grave error.

Rating: **** Four Stars

Reviewed by: ?wazithinkin

Approximate word count: 85-90,000 words