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absolutely wonderful.
Firstly: oh my goodness look how CUTE this is! Seriously, this itty bitty 50-odd page bookling is so cute. Does this count as a chapbook? I don't know the official definition of chapbook, but part of me thinks this should be one, while part of me thinks no! Chaps won't read this! This is a ladybook, or a dreamerbook, or something.Yes, well. Anyway.This delightful product, whatever it is, comprises two short stories that riff off different fairy tales. Catherynne M Valente's "A Delicate Architect...
A lovely pair of dark fairy tales.
To Spin a Darker Stair is a collection of two short stories, the first is a reprint of Catherynne M Valente’s, A Delicate Architecture and an original short, Oracle’s Tower, by Australian author Faith Mudge. The cover and and internal illustrations are by Kathleen Jennings (who was interviewed by Galactic Chat here).I was lucky enough to get the book for $5 during Fablecroft’s World Fantasy Awards special offer – Kathleen Jennings has been nominated for her work across a number of projects, inc...
Very beautiful, if only it were longer!
Having finally got around to reading this, I absolutely loved it. Two beautiful, gorgeous stories; weaving the somewhat more sympathetic than expected backstories of two famous fairytale villainesses.
To Spin a Darker Stair was a very interesting,clever and well written book. It consists of two different stories by two different authors. The first story, A Delicate Architecture is written by Catherynne M. Valente. The second story, The Oracle's Tower is written by Faith Mudge. While both stories are wonderfully written I preferred The Oracle's Tower over A Delicate Architecture because I fell it holds more relevance with todays readers and could be a completely new story in its own right and
I received this bookling for Christmas and read it in two sittings (deliberately, to space it out). I'm probably a bit slow but it took me a while to twig at the fairytale behind A Delicate Architecture, but once I did it left me with a most delightful feeling of satisfaction. A beautiful, well-crafted story.I just finished Oracle's Tower so it's still fresh in my mind. I enjoyed the original take on Rapunzel, though I think I felt a tiny bit let down by the ending.The artwork is stunning and th...
What an amazing little book! A great twist on classic fairytales, but that does not destroy the classic fairytales. Great illustrations, too, as they make you think about the stories in more vivid detail (although the descriptions are amazing as well!).
To Spin a Darker Stair is a chapbook published by FableCroft Publishing and edited by Tehani Wessley. It contains two short stories, one each by Australian author Faith Mudge and well-know US author Catherynne M Valente, and gorgeous illustrations by Kathleen Jennings. Both stories are fairytale retellings with a sinister twist.The first story is "A Delicate Architecture" by Catherynne M Valente. From what I've read of Valente in the past (about half of Palimpsest and maybe a short story or two)...
So I ended up with this book because it was part of the Pozible (Australian Kickstarter) rewards for "Cranky Women of History" and I actually kicked up my donation in order to receive this chapbook with a Cat Valente story.Both stories were lovely, both were brilliant subversions, both were stories written by writers who know how to do things with language that make intricate cathedrals look simple and complicated embroideries seem tame. They overwhelm you with words in the best possible way.
Sweet, short, bitter and a little twisted. Stunning.
To Spin A Darker Stair is a short chapbook that pairs two fairytale reworkings: "A Delicate Architecture" by Catherynne M Valente and "The Oracle's Tower" by Faith Mudge. Valente's story is a reprint, picked specifically to complement the story by Mudge.Thematically, the stories are well-matched. Both carry a strong fairytale atmosphere and give the reader a sense that anything is possible. Both have a similar angle on their protagonist.However, this similarity is a double-edged sword. "A Delica...
I'm sorry that I didn't realize the Valente tale was a reprint but it's a fantastic retelling in any case and I was happy to read it again. It's made up of so many of the things I really love about Valente's work. I enjoyed the Mudge story too but it didn't strike me as especially memorable and I was a little confused as to why these two stories in particular were paired. I agree with the reviewers that said a third story at least might have made this seem like a more complete offering?
A short book containing two stories inspired by fairy tales. The first, A delicate Architecture by Catherynne Valente, is a prequel of sorts while the second, Oracle's Tower by Faith Mudge, is a darker retelling. Though neither is particularly hard to guess, I won't say which fairy tale is the inspiration for either, as the discovery is part of the pleasure of reading. The Valente story is just exquisite. Not only it turns the original story into a tragedy, it could also be a completely new fair...
