Short Story Sunday - The Language of Thorns #1

Ayama and the Thorn Wood

A monstrous son is born. A king builds a maze to keep him trapped. Yet, he escapes. 

The village people suffer and no one is able to stop the monster.

A family ashamed of one of their daughters sends her to be a messenger with the beast in hopes that they'll become rich and the monster will stop terrorizing the town, or at least be rid of their daughter.

Ayama is the main character of this opening short story of The Language of Thorns. She's a girl who wasn't born as beautiful as her sister and is therefore ostracized by her family. She is treated like a servant, forced to sleep in the kitchen, covered in ash and responsible for all of the chores. She's silenced by her family until she almost forgets how to speak. Yet, she's the only one in the village who will try to face the beast, speak to him, and try to save the town. It's when she reaches the monster that her voice is revealed, as well as her sharp tongue, quick wit, and honesty. The fact that these character traits are all revealed under duress show Ayama's bravery and courage. It also shows that these traits can be found in unexpected people. It reminds me of the old adage, don't judge a book by its cover. Because we can't judge a person based on their looks. It's their personality, their characteristics that matter. Just as Ayama proves in this short tale. 

When she arrives at the wood, the beast demands she tell him a story in exchange for her life. She adds truth to a fairy tale and he lets her leave unharmed, promising to leave the town's livestock alone. Her family is rewarded but Ayama is still treated like a servant. No one cares about her, only about their own freedom from the monster. Until it seems that he has returned to continue his terrorizing. So Ayama is once again sent to the woods.  

She once again must trade a story for her life. She again adds truth to a fairy tale and survives, saving the village yet again. A village that didn't care for her. A village that was too afraid to face the monster a young girl could face. But saving the village wasn't enough for the King. He sent her back to the monster with a specially crafted knife with orders to kill him. Ayama returns and tells him another story and she finds out the truth behind the King's accusations and the village's torment. 

In the end, truth prevails and the true monsters of the story are punished while those who look like monsters, but aren't, are rewarded. This opening tale of The Language of Thorns sets the tone for this collection of short stories as honest and representative of the cruelty sometimes found in leadership, the selfish nature of humanity, and that things aren't always as they appear. Though this story had a happy ending, we'll see if that continues over the next few weeks. The power of this opening story has me really excited to see what power the following stories have. 

My favorite part about this short story is that Ayama saves her own life by telling a story, a fairy tale, but with truth added to it. And by truth, I mean realistic outcomes. She removes (part of) the fantasy of the fairy tale and exchanges it for something she has learned from her own life. This adds a sadness to the story but also twists it to make it true for the monster. This act gives the story, and the art of storytelling, power. It demonstrates that sometimes storytelling, or sharing, can provide peace and save a life. 

Next Week: "The Too-Clever Fox" 

The Grumpface

The Grumpface is a poetic fairy-tale that tells the story of Dan, an inventor who ventures into a forest looking for a rose. Instead he finds the mysterious Grumpface who threatens to hold him captive unless he passes some difficult challenges. What follows is a humorous adventure that neither Dan nor the Grumpface could have anticipated.

The Grumpface is a tale in the spirit of any grand adventure. It is about a clumsy young inventor's quest for love and the challenges he must face to find it. It is also a tale of bravery, absurdity and happiness, and the power of these qualities over negativity and sheer grumpiness.

Every parent will be acquainted with their own little 'grumpface' now and then. This story stands as a small piece of hope - that no matter how ingrained the grump, there will always remain in every one of us a smile or a laugh just waiting to come out.

**

The Grumpface by BCR Fegan was a very enjoyable children's book! I always read children's books out loud, to get the sense of how they hear as well as how they read, and this book is perfect for reading aloud. It has a great rhyme scheme with a nice mix of vocabulary. The story itself follows Dan the Inventor on a journey to find a rose when he gets lost and stumbles upon Grumpface. 

Dan is a creative main character who carries little inventions around with him. Most importantly, he's nice to the Grumpface even when the goblin-like creature threatens him with being trapped in the forest forever. When the Grumpface sets tasks for Dan and they aren't as easy as Dan believed, he doesn't get frustrated or upset; he just believes he'll do better on the next task. I think how Dan reacts throughout the storybook is a really good example of how to react when facing difficult challenges. To children, this will help solidify the idea that giving up or getting mad isn't the best reaction when things don't go your way. 

The Grumpface, though, a little mean at the start, is more of a likeable villain. As Dan attempts each task set before him, the Grumpface starts to smile a little more. I like how this demonstrates that any anger can be overcome and with children I'm sure this would be a good talking point when it comes to meeting new people. Just because they seem grumpy doesn't mean that they're actually mean people. I feel like it also promotes giving people a chance before judging them as Dan ends up helping Grumpface make his own big change at the end of the book.

With two nice main themes that jump out and a great poetic style, I think The Grumpface is a really good book for elementary school children. 

Rating: 4/5 Cups

All Darling Children

All boys grow up, except one.

On the tenth anniversary of her mother's death, fourteen-year-old Madge Darling’s grandmother suffers a heart attack. With the overbearing Grandma Wendy in the hospital, Madge runs away to Chicago, intent on tracking down a woman she believes is actually her mother.

On her way to the Windy City, a boy named Peter Pan lures Madge to Neverland, a magical place where children can remain young forever. While Pan plays puppet master in a twisted game only he understands, Madge discovers the disturbing price of Peter Pan's eternal youth.

*May Contain Spoilers*

The story of Peter Pan continues with All Darling Children by Katrina Monroe. Wendy Darling has grown up. When she had a daughter, Jane, something happened and she disappeared. Wendy swears she's deceased, but Margaret (Madge), Wendy's granddaughter refuses to believe that. Madge is the main character of this adventure to Neverland, after she's visited by Peter and told that he can take her to her mother. 

Neverland has never seemed like the most inviting and safe place and Madge is in for a nightmarish collection of games when she arrives in Neverland. Madge is a young girl who has always been shunned and mistreated by her grandmother. Locked away constantly, Madge wants nothing more than to escape. Her persistence not only gets her into more trouble with Wendy, it also introduces her to the world of Peter Pan. When she meets the Lost Boys in Neverland, she fears them but also comes to care for a few of them. She sees the awfulness Peter puts them through and wants to help. Readers will side with her on this and support her resistance of Peter's methods. However, there is a mean streak underneath Madge's caring exterior. A streak that gives her the edge to perhaps finally defeat Peter Pan, which Tiger Lily and Hook have been trying to do for years. Madge is a brave little girl who depends on herself. She's the heroine of this story, but details about her family history make me wonder if she'll remain the hero after her plan to defeat Pan is complete. 

Captain Hook and Tiger Lily also play important roles in this story, supporting Madge and pushing her to defeat Peter Pan. Though Hook is now a ghost who cannot actually help in any physical way, he provides important advice and guidance for Madge and Tiger Lily. Tiger Lily is the next chief of the Red Men and she must fight for her people's survival, as Peter consistently attacks their camps. She pushed Madge to destroy Peter, but doesn't worry about what consequences Madge will face if she succeeds. 

The plot of All Darling Children is all based around the destruction of Peter Pan. Madge visits Neverland and though she enjoys the island, she is also afraid. She learns that Peter is not just a boy who likes to have fun and never wants to grow up. He's a boy with a wicked sense of humor and a severe lack of morals. Though Peter Pan is usually thought of as a children's story, this continuation of Peter Pan is anything but. The book contains adult language, adult situations, and a few grisly scenes. Readers who enjoy fantasy and fairy tales, I believe, will enjoy this book, but the mindset needs to be more adult than you'd think because this fairy tale has a dark side. And it may not be over... 

Rating: 3/5 Cups

Poisoned Apple

Snow White’s a goth and Prince Charming’s a jerk.

On Neve’s eighteenth birthday, her stepmother kicks her out. A group of diner rats offer her refuge—including Brendan, who offers his couch for her to crash on. But the more time she spends with him, the more he confuses her. One second, he’s kissing her. The next he’s pushing her away.

Believing her life has reached rock bottom, Neve struggles to ditch her “damaged girl” label. But when she uncovers the truth about her life, she’s rocked to her very foundation. Will Neve be able to hold on to the good things coming her way, or will her bad luck poison everything?

*May Contain Spoilers*

 

Sometimes life seems like a fairy tale. And other times, it tries to turn you into the villain. It's an old cliché, but it still resonates: life is hard. For Neve, it's almost impossible. Poisoned Apple, a novella by Katherine McIntyre, shares the story of an abandoned, orphaned girl and how she tries to overcome the bad luck that follows her.

 

Neve knows that there is no love between her and her stepmother. Evil doesn't even begin to describe the witch, but Neve still hoped that after her 18th birthday she would still offer Neve a place to live. Alas, no. The novella begins with Neve celebrating her special day by packing her suitcase and leaving her home. From the beginning, readers see both Neve's bravery and her vulnerability. An instant connection is made as the author appeals to the pathos of the readers. The connection deepens with each obstacle that Neve encounters. The writing style helps to sway the reader onto Neve's side by showcasing the nature of other characters. With all that Neve goes through, it's courageous that she still fights for happiness.

 

The plot begins with Neve's birthday and her stepmother kicking her out of the house since the child support will sequentially stop. Neve packs a suitcase and leaves, finding a 24-hour diner with a group of friends that invite her to sit with them. She doesn't know it, but this group of guys will be her saving grace. Readers will whip through this entertaining and emotional novella. I found Poisoned Apple quite engrossing, but I was a little confused by the title. Though I saw the parallels, I thought that it would more closely follow the story of Snow White ... it did not. I still enjoyed the novella overall. The only real problem I had with the story was the ending. Emotions were high and it looked as if Neve would never overcome the unfortunate hand that life had dealt her. And then Prince Charming appears. Romantic and heroic, but it was a little too corny for my tastes. Neve's promise of happily-ever-after just didn't seem real. Though I emotionally connected with Neve and wanted her to find that elusive happiness, the ending didn't hit home. However, I'm sure some readers will love the ending as it paints the future in a purely positive light. Poisoned Apple it a novella that swells with emotion, loss, and the hope to rise above it all.

 

Rating: 3/5 Cups

Beastly

I am a beast.

A beast. Not quite wolf or bear, gorilla or dog but a horrible new creature who walks upright--a creature with fangs and claws and hair springing from every pore. I am a monster.

You think I'm talking fairy tales? No way. The place is New York City. The time is now. It's no deformity, no disease. And I'll stay this way forever--ruined--unless I can break the spell.

Yes, the spell, the one the witch in my English class cast on me. Why did she turn me into a beast who hides by day and prowls by night? I'll tell you. I'll tell you how I used to be Kyle Kingsbury, the guy you wished you were, with money, perfect looks, and the perfect life. And then, I'll tell you how I became perfectly . . . beastly.

*May Contain Spoilers*

Alex Flinn modernizes the classic Beauty and the Beast tale in her novel, Beastly. I've been wanting to read this for a quite some time, probably since the movie adaptation came out. It definitely lived up to my expectations. 

Kyle Kingsbury is the main character of this fairy tale. He's the guy that everyone secretly, or not so secretly, hates. He's snooty, selfish, and knows he's attractive. The worst combination ever. He's also cruel to those he sees as below him. Until the witch that is. Then Kyle becomes a spell induced beast who can no longer rely on his looks and his money to get through life. Kyle then changes his name to Adrian King. But his name isn't the only thing that changes, obviously. He becomes caring, kind, and thoughtful and begins to realize his own potential. Readers will no doubt dislike Kyle Kingsbury, but they will come to love Adrian King. Though it's difficult to relate to a beast, that fact can be used as a metaphor for any characteristic that makes us self conscious. This interpretation will connect readers to the beast. 

The plot begins with Kyle taunting a girl named Kendra who plays the witchy role. When he fails Kendra's little test, she casts a spell on him. Kyle will look like the beast he is on the inside until he can find someone who will love him for him. Someone he loves as well. And he only has two years. The modernized tale follows the well known story pretty closely and is easy to enjoy. With relatable characters, fairy tale situations, internal struggle, and a happily ever after, Beastly won't disappoint. 

Rating: 3.5/5 Cups

The Reflections of Queen Snow White

On the eve of her only daughter, Princess Raven's wedding, an aging Snow White finds it impossible to share in the joyous spirit of the occasion. The ceremony itself promises to be the most glamorous social event of the decade. Snow White’s castle has been meticulously scrubbed, polished and opulently decorated for the celebration. It is already nearly bursting with jubilant guests and merry well-wishers. Prince Edel, Raven's fiancé, is a fine man from a neighboring kingdom and Snow White's own domain is prosperous and at peace. Things could not be better, in fact, except for one thing:

The king is dead.

The queen has been in a moribund state of hopeless depression for over a year with no end in sight. It is only when, in a fit of bitter despair, she seeks solitude in the vastness of her own sprawling castle and climbs a long disused and forgotten tower stair that she comes face to face with herself in the very same magic mirror used by her stepmother of old.

It promises her respite in its shimmering depths, but can Snow White trust a device that was so precious to a woman who sought to cause her such irreparable harm? Can she confront the demons of her own difficult past to discover a better future for herself and her family? And finally, can she release her soul-crushing grief and suffocating loneliness to once again discover what "happily ever after" really means?

*May Contain Spoilers*

Charming has been dead for a year and Queen Snow White still feels as if it were yesterday. In David Meredith's novel, The Reflections of Queen Snow White, a woman who has experienced so much pain has lost the hope that once bloomed inside of her. When she stumbles up the abandoned staircase of her deceased wicked step-mother, the Queen finds a mirror that helps her rediscover herself by showing Snow the life she lived and all she has overcome. 

Readers get an in-depth look at what happens when happily ever after, seemingly, comes to an end. Snow White is plagued with feelings of loneliness and a bleak outlook on life. She struggles to accept that life goes on after her true love has died. Meredith writes Snow's character as a strong woman who has lost her faith, leaving her weak and isolated. Readers will connect with the fairy tale princess as her reflection is presented in new ways. Though, this is not a fairy tale for young readers. The situations that Snow White reflects upon vary between degrees of horrendous torture while others are of a more adult nature. 

The novel is framed by Snow's discovery of the magical mirror and her daughter's wedding. The mirror takes the Queen, and readers, on a trip through the past, outlining her weaknesses and strengths. If Snow White can force herself to re-live the past, then perhaps she can find happiness once again. The Reflections of Queen Snow White tells an incredibly sad tale laced with brief shimmers of hope that leaves a resonating message with its readers. 

Rating: 3/5 Cups

Rapunzel (Demon Tales)

Chloe, princess of the iron fey and heir to the throne, is trapped. Kidnapped from her life at the young age of fifteen and imprisoned by the Vulcans, she has suffered at their hands for more than a decade.

Broken weak and hopeless, she has long stopped dreaming of a better life.

When a large demon is captured by the Vulcans and thrown into her tower, Chloe has no idea that fate has a plan.

Bent on fulfilling a promise he made to his dying mother, Blane finds himself behind bars. Locked in the legendary Vulcan tower, with a woman he fears is his mate, Blane realizes that even the best laid plans can fail.

Blane never wanted a mate. Never wanted anyone to rely on him. But can he walk away from the one woman who is meant to be the other half of his soul?

*May Contain Spoilers*

Kerianne Coombes adds a thick supernatural air to a well known fairy tale with her novel, Rapunzel. Though the main character isn't named Rapunzel, Coombes weaves together the story of the long haired healer with fey folk and demons. 

Blane and Chloe are the two main characters and each share their own point of view as the novel unfolds. Blane is loyal, brave, enticing, yet crude. His outbursts are certainly unexpected but understandable as he is, in fact, a demon. The promise he made to his mother rules his life. After previous repercussions, Blane is determined to never make, or break, another promise. Chloe is the opposite of Blane. She's reserved with a quiet strength. Her past is filled with memories of torture and the exploitation of her powers. Readers will connect with Blane through his loyalty and the need to give meaning to a horrible tragedy. They will connect with Chloe both sympathetically and through her desire to be free. 

The plot follows Blane as he searches for necessary items to keep his promise. While searching, he is captured and thrown in a tower holding cell with Chloe. From there they attempt escape and try to escape the feelings that grow between them. Though verbally intense, Rapunzel is a heroic fairy tale in which readers see the story from the eyes of both the hero and the damsel in distress. 

Rating: 3/5 Cups

Seventh Night

A romantic, comic, action, adventure fantasy in which a princess attempts to marry a prince while someone has set out to sabotage their wedding and the resulting alliance.

*May Contain Spoilers*

Iscah begins the real fairy tale with her novel, Seventh Night, which was introduced by The Girl With No Name. When Seventh Night, a young princess, rushes to the kingdom of her betrothed prince, Kaleb, she inserts herself into a horrible situation. Her prince is poisoned and lays sleeping, moments from death. She sets off to find the mythic Sorceress who is said to inhabit the desert with her newly acquired friend, Phillip, and the twin brother her fiance never mentioned, Neithan, in hopes that the Sorceress will be able to find a cure for her prince. 

All four, Neithan, Kaleb, Seventh Night, and Phillip share the story as main characters. Neithan is a quiet and reserved brawny prince who is nothing but fluid, adapting quickly to every situation. He is incredibly reliable and forthright with his morality. To readers, he comes off as a bit standoffish at first glance, but as the story evolves, Neithan becomes the prince fit to be a king. 

Kaleb is the complete opposite. He is flirtatious and charming, apt to strike up conversation and cheer wherever he goes. But he has a darker side, which he hides quite well, even if everything he does is for the good of the kingdom. 

Seventh Night is a princess that isn't afraid to get her hands dirty. Even if it means pretending to be a messenger or dressing like a soldier. She's open to true love and wants her life to be filled with just that. Readers will like her forward-thinking personality even if she does come across as a bit naive. 

Phillip is a melting pot of characteristics. He's brave when he needs to be, intelligent in a tricky situation, thoughtful at all times, and is quickly falling in love with Seventh Night. He not only saves her life (twice at least) but the life of her fiance, Kaleb. He is also the brains behind every idea that turns out good. Readers will enjoy his strength of character and connect with his adventurous nature. 

The plot of Seventh Night begins with Kaleb being poisoned, follows the characters on a trek through the desert to find the Sorceress, and ends with the adventure of saving Seventh Night from a treacherous, deceitful plan. With the style of a storybook, fairy tale creatures, and imaginative adventure, Seventh Night is a novel that awakens the believing child within its readers. 

Rating: 3.5/5 Cups

Blood and Snow

Snow White lives in Salem, Massachusetts with her dad, stepmother, and her cat, Gatsby. Her entire life she's been teased for her fairy tale name, and the fact that her seven best friends happen to be guys whose names begin with the same letters as the seven dwarves.

Everything changes two months before her sixteenth birthday. She's bitten by The Hunter, and transformed into a revenant—not quite human, not quite vampire.

*May Contain Spoilers*

RaShelle Workman adds a vampiric twist to the story of Snow White in her novella, the first in the series, Blood and Snow. However, this version of Snow White gives a more supernatural overtone rather than that of a fairy tale. With quirky details and the promise of vampires this opening novella has me excited.

Snow is the main character throughout the series. She's an absolute klutz who's falling in love with the boy next door. Well, one of them, since there are seven boys living in the neighboring mansion. Snow's mother died when she was young and her father and step-mother often leave her alone for long periods of time. (Yes, the step-mother sounds a little evil.) Readers will connect with her based on her teenage angst and her new found crush. However, since this first installment of the series is so short, it's hard to build upon that initial connection. 

The plot of the series isn't completely laid out in Blood and Snow, but readers do learn that the Queen Vampire has chosen Snow... for something and has already begun to change her into a vampire. This book is definitely a teaser for what's to come. Hopefully in the following novellas, Workman will build on the initial connection that she's created so that readers can have a firm bond with Snow.

Rating: 2.5/5 Cups

Blood and Snow (#1 Blood and Snow series)

Sleeping Handsome

Paige should have never agreed to do her best friend’s semester English project. Community service sucks. Especially when you have a major social life. But it’s that or possible expulsion from school. Reading to a boy in a coma is just plain creepy, but her English teacher somehow thinks her acting skills make it the perfect community service match.

But when she finds the boy’s journal hidden among his books, things turn from creepy to interesting. Very interesting. The boy who looked like death slowly comes alive as she reads his own words to him. And each day Paige is wishing more and more he would wake up. 

*May Contain Spoilers*

Jean Haus brings a twist to the classic fairy tale, Sleeping Beauty, with her modern day version, Sleeping Handsome. As a lover of fairy tales, I've had this novella on my TBR list for quite sometime and finally found a couple of hours to read it. 

The novella focuses on Paige, a teenager, queen bee, wanna-be actress who only acts full of herself so she can remain in the popular crowd. When she is required to do community service, she meets Zack. Zack is a fellow teenager who had an "accident" and is now in a coma. 

At the beginning of the story, I highly disliked Paige. But as the novella continues, readers learn why she acts like a snotty b****, for lack of a more appropriate term. She wants to become an actress, so she decides that she can claim stake in the popular crowd as she works on her acting skills. But after meeting Zack, she starts to realize that you can't live your life for other people. 

I loved the plot of this novel because it focused on Zack's journal, which Paige finds on his book shelf disguised as Frankenstein. The journal and how Paige reacts to it brings the reader into the lives of both teenagers. 

The only dislike I have about the novella is that it is a novella. The scenes of the story are mainly set in Zack's bedroom. When Paige tells Zack about what's going on in her life, I wanted to read that too! Not just hear her tell Zack her side of what happened. Plus, the scenes that Zack's journal describes, I mean come on! Can we please do flashbacks? 

This short book is an enchanting, mysterious read with great character development. But I wanted more! I'll have to look into the various novel length pieces that Jean Haus has written. I'm convinced that I'd love them. 

Rating: 3/5 cups

Sleeping Handsome

Into the Realm of Rush

Fairytale by Maggie Shayne was a magical novel. I was completely swept away with the characters and the plot. It was truly enchanting and I found myself pretending that I was Brigit, one of the main characters in the book.

Brigit was dropped off at an orphanage when she was a baby with a storybook and a beautiful necklace. She grew up on the streets and worked as an art forger to make money. But she wasn't as alone in the world as she thought and now her twin sister Bridin is searching for her so they can return to the Fairy realm of Rush.

Suddenly, I found myself trying to break free of the criminal world, praying that Raze's illness would improve, and that I could heal the hurt in Adam's eyes. Most of all, I was hoping that magic really did exist.

The plot of this novel had plenty of twists and turns to keep it moving at a steady pace. And there definitely were not any disappointing parts. Shayne made Brigit very relatable and real. She was a woman with a past, regrets, love, fears, hopes, and qualities of both the good and bad. If you're in the mood for a new character connection (aka friend), Brigit is your girl, fairy tale story included.

Fairytale on Amazon