Anthologies are always risky propositions, in my experience, but I rolled the dice on this one almost solely on the basis of that stunning cover. It didn’t hurt that I loved – still love – the concept of crossbreeding fairytales! So I was pretty hopeful when I opened it up.And I’m not sorry I did, because there are some real gems here. But overall, I would rate this book as…meh.THE GREATSSix Rusalki by Na Sulway – this was a mash-up of the Pied Piper of Hamlin and the myth of the rusalka, which

Received a complimentary e-arc for review this in no shaped or formed opinions for me. My review is of my own accord.Fairytales, what about them even as adults pulls us to them. They aren’t always wrapped in these weaved and fairy dusted beings.I absolutely loved that each of these were fresh new and from different voices and cultures that made each one just as if not even better for each one that we go through. I’ll definitely be adding this one in physical copy form to add to my never ending s...

This anthology is magical. These stories, which combine two or more fairytales or folktales reimagined in a different genre or retold from a new point of view (think Little Red Riding Hood in space or a futuristic, genderfluid take on The Little Mermaid), are diverse, imaginative and beautiful. The collection is wonderfully curated and the cherry on the cake is that gorgeous, original artwork on the cover. I'd love a physical copy of this to cherish and share with friends, one day.Thank you to t...

Firstly, I have to say that I love the cover for Upon a Once Time and it is what first caught my attention, and I am so glad that it did because I loved this anthology. I've been dipping my toes more and more into retellings this year, and I've found it a bit of a gamble, but this anthology was certainly a win. I loved the sheer variety of approaches and genres in these tales, as well as the wonderful diversity, and while I had some stories that I enjoyed more than others, every story in this co...

I love fairy tales and folklore. Retellings are right up my alley. This collection did not disappoint. There are a lot of talented writers who came together in this book and the compilation as a whole was quite fun to read. Short story collections are difficult to find where there is a sort of "flow" from start to end, but this one moved very well. I found myself excited to start each subsequent story.This was just a wonderful piece of escapism. There is a mix of light and dark, but things are b...

I saw "fairy tale retelling" and came running. In Upon a Once Time we find 21 short tales (loosely) based on existing fairy tales, some of which we all know, like Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, or the Little Mermaid, and others which were totally unheard of for me.It was a quick, entertaining read but nothing too special. Maybe because the stories were so short I didn't really have time to get fully invested in them. I still enjoyed reading them anyways.I very much appreciated that the storie...

I have a short story in this beautiful anthology! Check out "Mutability" and all the other cool stories.

Funded and backed the project on Kickstarter.The rewriting of folk tales and fairy tales is quite imaginative. For this anthology to not only include the rewriting of tales and selection of new genres, but combination of different rewritten tales, it is quite a worthwhile read. The tales contained in the anthology are imaginative and full of heart. Some of the genres selected veer away from the traditional fantasy based setting of fairy tales and pushes instead into the area of science fiction;

Even though fantasy is not my go-to genre, I do dabble, and I'm glad I did here (although all of the stories may not fall into that category). Readers are bound not to like all of the stories, but many of them are quite good. All are pretty imaginative. A good collection overall.Thanks very much for the review copy!!

I'm always a sucker for fairy tale retellings, especially ones that go against expectations. This collection delivered everything I wanted and then some! Opening with a dark tale of vengeance of six rusalki sisters, I knew this was going to be my kind of anthology. The second entry telling of space-hopping sentient worms was definitely a departure from anything I'd read before, and by the end I was fully invested. One entry ("Taketori Momogatari") was so bizarre I couldn't tell if it was told ea...

Many thanks to NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest, unbiased opinion. I want to start by appreciating the beautiful cover of this compound of short stories, it was what drew my attention at first! Its so gorgeousNow with that being said, Im a sucker for retellings so ofcourse I was interested in this anthology that not only promised Neil Gaimanesque stories and dark vibes but it actually delivered. The fairy tales used for this anthology range from the popular ones such as

**Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a free e-book in exchange for an honest review**"Upon a Once Time" is an SFF anthology featuring 21 fairy-tale retellings by different authors.The first thing I noticed about this book, the more and more I read, was how diverse it is, both in characters and in authors. There are multiple sapphic stories and non-binary authors, which I greatly appreciated. Apart from that, the stories are fun and weird, and they contain many genres such as sci-fi, fa...

When I began this book, I knew that it was about fairytales, but I thought it was a collection of old stories. I was so pleasantly surprised when I realized it was, infact, a collection of remained fairytales, ranging from sci-fi and fantasy to horror. From the very first story, I had a good idea that I would love this book and I'm so excited that not one story in this anthology was less than a five star for me. Each story was wonderfully unique in its reimagining of old favorites like Beauty an...

Cada cuento era una experiencia fascinante que me lograba sorprender.Aunque están basados en los cuentos de toda la infancia. La manera en que cada autor los retoma y logran crear algo creativo y hermoso es algo que me sorprendió.Ame con locura el cuento de Morgana.----------------------- Each story was a fascinating experience that managed to surprise me.Although they are based on the stories of all childhood. The way each author takes them up and manages to create something creative and beaut...

Originally published on my blog: Nonstop Reader. Upon a Once Time is a very well curated anthology of fairy tale retellings, blendings, reinterpretations, and mash-ups. Released 1st Nov 2020, it's 232 pages and available in paperback format. One reason I prefer collections and anthologies is that short fiction is really challenging. It's spare and the author doesn't have a wealth of wordage to develop characters or the plotting. Well written short fiction is a delight. I also love collections...

I was granted complimentary access to Upon a Once Time via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to whoever approved my request and please accept my apology for taking so long to get to it. My thoughts are my own and my review is honest. Upon a Once Time is a captivating collection of fairytale retelling flavoured short stories from cultures around the world. I'm a simple reviewer. I hear fairytale retelling and I say take my money! (And even better, no money was required in this...

Thank you to NetGalley and Air and Nothingness press for this e-arc in exchange for an honest reviewUpon A Once Time edited by Todd Sanders3/5 stars (spoiler free review)Anthologies have never particularly interested me, so going into this book, I was nervous. But I can safely say that I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this book and I also found myself intrigued by it.Upon A Once time is a collection of fairy tale re-imaginings written by 25 different authors. Each story takes on a new and i...

Thanks to NetGalley and Air and Nothingness Press for the ARCI don't mind fairy tale retellings in general, but I didn't like this one. It was just too muddled up for me. The fact that they combined multiple tales in one story was bad enough, but then you add multiply styles/genres, and all you get is a story that doesn’t know what it wants to be when it grows up. There are two or three that are good, or at least better than the rest. The golem retelling and the Cinderella retelling are not bad....

I was excited to read this book, as I do love fairytales and folktales. This book did not disappoint. Each author's voice was unique. I appreciated that before each story there was a page stating which tales the story was based on and what genre it was written in. I was surprised to see not just fantasy, but sci-fi, steampunk, cyberpunk, and even an Appalachian folk take. Each take was crafted with love, but my absolute favorites were: The Rabbi's Daughter and the Golem by Alex Langer(retelling

The description of this book on NetGalley says:"This book gathers twenty-one authors who have brought new focus to fairy tales by combining two well known stories with a literary genre of their choice."When you read this, your mind starts expecting a Neil Gaiman-esque fictional + fantastical bonanza. And the book does deliver to a great extent. The fairy tales used for this anthology range from the popular ones such as Beauty and the Beast, The Pied Piper and Little Red Riding Hood to totally un...