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  • This and That

    Hello Enchanted Friends: Happy Spring tomorrow! Today I'm preempting "Cinderella's Hearth" (yes, again) to share bits of new with you. The Fairy Godparents Club has closed membership for the year, but we have around 50 members, which is great! Each will receive a free Advance Reader Copy of Glass and Feathers, by Lissa Sloan. The book publishes on March 26, only on Amazon. It will be available in both Kindle and paperback. If you've already read it, please leave a review on Goodreads! If you are a 2024 Fairy Godparents Club member, you should already have a Zoom link for tonight's meeting at 7 PM, EST, so double check your email. Kelly Jarvis, our Contributing Editor, and I, are hard at work on the May 1 issue. So put that day on your calendar, because we think it's going to be a great issue. The FALL/WINTER submissions window will be opening June 17, 2024 at 12 AM, EST., and closing on June 24, 2024 at 11:59 PM, EST. There is no fee to submit. We will be doing the fundraising contest in 2024. It will be our major fundraising event for the year. The contest window would be July 1 through July 30. This is the only fee-to-submit situation for 2024. All rules for length, theme, and content in place overall for this year are also in place for the contest. More info will come later in the year. If you have any questions about anything listed here, please don't put them into the comments, but email me at katewolford1@gmail.com. Please check the 2024 submissions guidelines before emailing me about submitting this year. Have a great week! Kate Image from Pixabay.

  • The Magic Mirror, by Cheryl Israel

    Editor's note: Happy St. Patrick's Day! We know you'll enjoy this imaginative take on leprechauns. It is midnight on March 17. Tellie’s eyes widen as she peers up into cloud-like puffs of shamrock green floating around her room. There is an aroma of fresh mint. She shakes her head back and forth, turns to her side, and is astonished to see a tiny person sitting on the edge of her bed. He is less than a foot tall, with red hair and dressed in green. A top hat sits snugly on his head and rests at the top of his eyebrows. “Aye,” he says, "‘tis time you woke.” She places her hands over her eyes, blinks rapidly and opens them. He is still sitting on the edge of the bed, watching her. “I…what…who?” “I am your little people representative, Shorty.” “Interesting hat,” she comments, giving herself time to contemplate. It’s about adding height,” he quips. He gives her a serious look. “I am here beckoning you to join me on a trip to meet our people.” Tellie’s eyes widen in fear and excitement. The two feelings aren’t all that far apart, she thinks. “You needn’t be afraid, I am friendly.” Shorty dances to an unheard rhythm with random, short hops. Tellie laughs but she hesitates. She considers Shorty’s twinkling eyes, and finally nods. “Now, close your eyes.” Shorty counts to ten. “Now, open.” Tellie, to her wonder, is Shorty’s height, "in ruffled elf design clothes,” she thinks to herself. She clicks her new turned-up-toe mint green shoes together, takes a few steps, and finds that she cannot keep from taking short hops. She laughs at her odd, gleeful feeling. Shorty takes Tellie’s hand and hops onto a cloud-like puff of shamrock green. She is leery, but they float easily through the open window. They travel upward, to the Milky Way. “The stars are much further apart when you see them up close,” Tellie says. Next, they stop on top of the moon. Turns out the man isn’t home. Their cloud-like vessel accelerates and skates around the rings of Saturn, and they fall about, laughing. The vessel scoots into the atmosphere and begins to slowly descend. Tellie’s eyes widen. “The stars are so bright, so crystal clear up here. Shorty nods. "'Tis true, it's a wonder." They both gasp as a group of stars shoot into the night air, like playful dolphins, acknowledging their presence. The vessel lands gently in a lush green meadow, where a large pack of Little People have gathered. A spokes-woman steps forward. "We have been looking forward to meeting you." "I… this surprise… why me?” Tellie stutters. “We have been watching you for years as you celebrated St. Patrick’s Day in honor of your grandfather’s birthday. You held parties, filled your house with green and purple shamrock plants, and acknowledged St. Patrick, our hero." Tellie raises her eyebrows in question. "Legend has it that he drove the snakes out of Ireland. This was a great relief to us. The snakes thought of our people as delicious tidbits, ripe for eating. They could creep up on our people, what with them being so quiet and slinky. The snakes closed their throats around thousands of our people, suffocated and ate them. St. Patrick ended all that by pitching the snakes into the sea.” Tellie’s face inches upward and into the shape of a large hunter green exclamation point. “That stung,” she says, after her face snaps back into shape. The spokes-woman continues. “People often discount us because of our size, and we are sometimes spit upon. You, on the other hand, have many times toasted us as ‘little people with big hearts.” In unison, they place their hands on their chests, and the sound of a babbling brook rolling over stones fills the air--a dynamic sound, given the size of the crowd. “You also speak of us as gentle people, not mischievous tricksters, as is often told.” The spokes-woman steps forward and holds up a tiny shamrock-shaped mirror made of gold. “Made especially for you with pieces from our pot of gold. We can stay in touch through the mirror, and you can access the power it can bestow.” “How will I know how to…?” The spokes-woman interrupts. “You will know how to use it intuitively, if the need arises.” Suddenly, a menacing creature appears. It has a large square head, and prongs of thick striped skin extend from its wrinkled, rough body and short end-tail. It growls, shows long dagger-sharp teeth, chomps down on the golden mirror, and disappears into the woods. The spokes-woman cringes. “I must recover the mirror to stop that vile creature from transmitting evil, hypnotizing messages for its own gain.” She runs toward the woods, and the group follows. They rush through the trees, and ram into a dense, eye-watering fog. “The creature is using the mirror’s power to try and stop us,” the spokes-woman mutters. She tells everyone to lock arms and stay close together. “If we work in a united front, we can conquer this evil.” Her face is set as she moves further into the woods with them. The trees pull up roots and follow. They stare with carved, distorted faces, open-mouthed and menacing, and push to surround the crowd. Shorty pulls out a bit of leftover magic dust from his knapsack and throws down an invisible barrier. The trees reach out with knife-sharp branches in protest but cannot break through. The group proceeds further into the woods. Suddenly Tellie points a shaking hand at the striped end-tail of the creature in the distance. Remembering the quietness of the slinking snakes, she lays down, stretches out, and twists her body forward, moving toward the creature. The group follows her motions. They slither up without notice and form a circle around the creature. It reacts quickly, wraps its tail around the magic mirror, and crashes through the circle. The group watches as the creature races into the clearing. Tellie remembers the Peter Pan fairy tale and how he taught others to fly just by wishing they could. She wishes and pleads with an unseen force, and then sputters, and soars upward. The creature looks up, distracted by the soaring and sputtering. It arches its back and uses all its force to leap in the air and concentrates on annihilating Tellie. It fails to see the steep, hazardous cliff a short distance away—and plunges to its peril. Cringing, Tellie watches the creature fracture into pieces. Striped skin, cartilage and stomach contents crash down the cliff and explode on the rocks below. The creature’s severed head moves about in wild, zig-zag thrusts like that of a beheaded rooster. Tellie catches her breath, and when the movement stops, she swoops down and recovers the coveted mirror. When she walks into the clearing, the crowd shouts, and whistles with all their might. The elation echoes through the woods and softens the distorted faces of the trees as they sink back into their roots. Everyone dances back to the meadow led by Tellie, who holds the magic mirror tightly in her hand. The spokes-woman smiles, tips an imaginary hat, and nods at Tellie and Shorty. Graceful, like an orchestra conductor, she turns toward her people, and extends her arms. The air fills with a soft, light fog. When it clears, the little people are gone. Shorty and Tellie look at each other, surprised at the abrupt end to their adventure. The cloud-like poof sputters with impatience. "'Tis time to go," Shorty says. When they land at Tellie’s home, she climbs out, and looks at Shorty, teary-eyed, and her lips trembling. “Aye,” Shorty says, his voice shaking.They stand together in meditative silence until the vessel relays its impatience.Shorty faces Tellie and bows."Interesting hat," she says.Shorty chuckles, and floats into the night air. The next morning. "What an exquisite dream, a surreal adventure," Tellie says aloud. She turns to her side, and in awe, sees the tiny, gold shamrock-shaped mirror lying on her pillow. “I will look into this,” she whispers. She smiles as the aroma of fresh mint wafts through her room. Bio: Cheryl Israel captured family dialogue as an early attempt at storytelling. She self-published a novella entitled About Chessie. She wrote faculty and alumni profiles for the Dance Department, Kinesiology, and the Center for World Performance Studies at the University of Michigan before retiring. She holds an MFA from DePaul University.

  • Free ARC of Glass and Feathers if You Join the Club!

    Hello Enchanted Friends: The deadline to join the Fairy Godparents Club for 2024 is March 17 (Sunday) at 11:59 PM, EST. And, if you've joined by then, you'll get a free Advanced Reader Copy of Glass and Feathers, by Lissa Sloan, which publishes on March 26! The first club meeting is Monday at 7 PM, EST. Don't miss it. Lissa will be giving away the Glass and Feathers swag pictured here to one lucky attendee! She'll also be reading a passage from the book. (And Kristen Baum DeBeasi will be sharing original music, along with other members sharing their own work or favorites by others.) Club membership is only $20 for the year. (PayPal only.) We will officially meet four times this year: March 18, June 17, Oct. 21 and Dec. 16. These meetings will be about celebrating our achievements and sharing our own poetry, prose and art (or a favorite by someone else). I hope to slip in a couple of unofficial fun meetings into the mix as well. And there will always be a giveaway that those who attend the official meetings can enter! (We’ve already done the free reiki course for members this year, but I’m hoping to offer another extra as well. Stay tuned.) Hurry up to join. Just email me at katewolford1@gnmail.con, and you'll be a member in a flash. Yours in Enchantment, Kate

  • Throwback Thursday: Snowballs for Angels, by Priya Sridhar

    Modern takes on classic fairy tales can prove fascinating when they subvert the original narrative. Whether it's differing values, updated understanding of gender and economics, and plain wanting to add a new message, you can always find a new spin on older tales. Hans Christian-Andersen (HCA) earned fame in Denmark for his fairy tales. While a few had happy endings, the more infamous ones went to the downer conclusions. HCA believed that true love was hard to find and that sometimes death is the only happiness someone can find in their quest for dignity, or for a warm bed at night. Then modern writers like Terry Pratchett would lovingly mock this, and affirm that everyone may live, getting some comfort. Matches In The Snow "The Little Match Girl" is one of the most depressing HCA tales, and that is saying something. Even the first line warns us about the depression to come: "It was so freezing." We see the title character attempt to sell matches during a cold wintry night. She has a few coverings, and while she left the house with oversized slippers, a boy stole one of them and a horse carriage accidentally knocked off the other. If she doesn't sell any matches, then her father will beat her for bringing no coins home. Rather than go home after no customer comes to help, the girl crouches between two sumptuous houses and starts lighting matches to keep warm. They show her visions of loveliness to help her cope with the cold. People ignore her while going about their commute to work, or doing the shopping. As the night gets cold, the matches show different scenes: warmth from a stove, a good Christmas meal, and a shooting star. When she sees her grandmother in heaven, the girl asks for her grandmother to take her there. HCA was not in a happy state of mind when he wrote this. You can tell that he knew how to get into the mindset of someone facing a bitter cold in winter. Hogfather Says No To This Ending In Discworld, the fantasy parody series by the late Terry Pratchett, the little match girl story plays out during a segment in both the novel and television special Hogfather. Albert and Death encounter her still body in the snow, while Death is filling in for the world's Santa Claus, the Hogfather. Death says that a little girl should not freeze in the night. He says that it is not fair, and this is a chance to right a wrong. Albert, a retired wizard, and overall cynic, tells Death that it's how the winter stories go. Going against the status quo should find disruption. Everyone romanticizes a girl freezing to death in the snow while thanking their stars that it wasn't them. Normal folks have enough food and coal to get through the night and if they don't, then at least they aren't a child freezing in the snow. They can tell stories to make up for the drafty holes in the wall. If Death weren't the Hogfather, and if not for events in previous books, he would have accepted this state of affairs. Death is not fair, and he comes for everyone. An earlier book had him chide an apprentice for saving a princess from a pre-appointed assassination, complete with smacking him on the face for insubordination. But here, Death says no. He gives life, rather than reaps it. The match girl is not a fictional character, but an actual child that he can carry in the snow. You may not see this in the film because it would have broken the budget, but the "affronted" angels show up to collect the match girl's soul and take her to heaven. Albert responds by tossing snowballs at them so they will go away. Even though Albert tells Death to let the story play out as is, he listens to his master. Unlike the original fairy tale, we see the angels attempt to complete the tale. Death asked why didn’t they come earlier, to give the child a hot drink and a blanket. He has a point and shows that he puts his money where his mouth is by picking up the child and asking several constables to give her a place to sleep for the night, and a meal. Angels are supposed to be protectors. Yet they did not protect an innocent kid. Why is it important that Albert toss snowballs at the angels? He shows them how humans feel about the cold, and how an object traditionally used for child's play can prove annoying and disruptive to a formal occasion. This is not a time to be civil, but to show anger. Add A Level Of Disruption Sometimes we cannot accept children freezing in the snow. We can't tell a crying kid, "There are starving children in Somalia, cheer up." You can't let the little match girl serve as your cautionary tale against parental abuse and thieves that steal slippers from the vulnerable. Pick up that child if you can, and change the story. Show that happiness is possible, even if difficult to reach. Instead of waiting for the angels, shoo them away, and use your powers for a new ending. Priya Sridhar has been writing fantasy and science fiction for fifteen years, and counting. Capstone published the Powered series, and Alban Lake published her works, Carousel and Neo-Mecha Mayhem. Priya lives in Miami, Florida with her family. Illustration: The Little Match Girl by Arthur Rackham

  • Review by Kelly Jarvis: Clever, Cursed, and Storied by Amy Trent

    Inspired by Toni Morrison who once said, “If there’s a book that you want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it,” Amy Trent presents readers with a retelling of the little-known Scottish fairy tale Kate Crackernuts in her beautifully crafted novel Clever, Cursed, and Storied. The second book in Trent’s Enchantment Retold series begins with a prologue that references Trent’s Smoke, Steel, and Ivy (a Twelve Dancing Princesses reimagining) before continuing with the stand alone story of Kate, who has fled to the North Mountains seeking magic to disenchant her cursed sister Annie, and Henry, the ailing prince of the North Kingdom who is suffering from a curse of his own. Disguised as storyteller, Kate must navigate a hostile environment to save both Henry and her sister. Although the overarching plot of Clever, Cursed, and Storied is a retelling of Kate Crackernuts, the novel glistens with references to other well-known fairy tales like Bluebeard, Hansel and Gretel, Sleeping Beauty, and Little Red Riding Hood. Kate, who has been wandering the countryside telling stories in exchange for meals and shelter, finds herself in the palace of the North Kingdom where she relays many of these famous tales to Henry. Storytelling is presented as a form of enchantment and connection, allowing Kate and Henry to share their fears and burdens with each other. They learn to see each other in the stories Kate tells, revealing the transformative magic at the heart of storytelling that will ultimately help the pair, and their siblings, face a dangerous and uncertain future. I thoroughly enjoyed Amy Trent’s luscious reimagining of Kate Crackernuts. Trent’s novel is set in a romantic world filled with dancing, dreams, Fae, and magic. The protagonists and their siblings are engaging characters who come to life through Trent’s beautiful description and well-paced narrative. Together, Kate and Henry learn that “the best stories…{have} something that {works} for everyone.” Clever, Cursed, and Storied: A Fairy Tale Retelling is one of those stories. This novel has something that will work for every reader, and it is a must read for all who look for the magic that lies at the heart of storytelling. I loved it! You can find the book here. Kelly Jarvis works as the Assistant Editor for The Fairy Tale Magazine where she writes stories, poems, essays, book reviews, and interviews. Her poetry has also been featured or is forthcoming in Blue Heron Review, Mermaids Monthly, Eternal Haunted Summer, Forget Me Not Press, The Magic of Us, A Moon of One’s Own, Baseball Bard, and Corvid Queen. Her short fiction has appeared in The Chamber Magazine and the World Weaver Press Anthology Mothers of Enchantment: New Tales of Fairy Godmothers. You can find her at https://kellyjarviswriter.com/

  • Cinderella’s Hearth: Wouldn’t This Swag Be Awesome At Your House ?

    Just a quick reminder that Lissa Sloan, author of Glass and Feathers, has put together a glorious swag collection that we will be giving away at the March 18 Zoom meeting for the Fairy Godparents Club. The collection, featured here, contains a signed proof copy of the book, a tote, two postcards, a bookmark (created by Lissa herself), one notecard, a teabag, and a lavender sachet. Plus, there is a vintage, highly collectable, Fenton glass Cinderella's slipper. One lucky club member will win this entireswag package, but you must be present to win! Still not a member? Contact me (Kate) at katewolford1@gmail.com. We're taking new members through 11:59 PM, EST, March 17. It only costs $20 for the whole year. It's a gorgeous collection, and we know having these fabulous objects in your home will enchant your life. And since the book is based on "Cinderella," it definitely has a place here under "Cinderella's Hearth!

  • Glass and Feathers Reviews, Godparents Club

    Hello Enchanted Friends: Today we're skipping "Throwback Thursday" to ask last year's readers of the serialized version of Lissa Sloan's Glass and Feathers to please leave reviews at Amazon and/or Goodreads. What are people saying on Goodreads so far? Suzanne Steward says: "I read this book in installments and absolutely loved it! This is a very wise and thought provoking tale about what really happens after the happily ever afters and the importance of being true to yourself in relationships. Read it; I promise you'll love it!" Johanna Haas says: "Excellent telling of what happens after the Cinderella story ends. Would you want to be stuck in a castle with all those better-than-everyone types having to wear a new dress everyday, but with the same glass slippers? Well-written and plotted this story goes in directions you will not expect." Tabby Brooke says: "This is like no other fairytale I have ever read, it was messy and it was beautiful. Instead of fancy party’s, extravagant dinners and over the top palace living there was deception and self-deprecation. So afraid of not fitting in, being unwelcome by her new royal in-laws and everyone else around her, Cinderella was unable to see that her Prince loved her truly—not just because of some wish." Supporting the this book not only helps book sales, it supports the magazine! The profits the Enchanted Press earns will go directly to The Fairy Tale Magazine. And while I'm on supporting the magazine, time is running short to join The Fairy Godparents Club. The window for joining closes at 11:59 PM, EST, March 17. Our first meeting is at 7 PM, EST on March 18. And a glorious Glass and Feathers swag package will be the prize for the night. If you wish to join, just email me at katewolford1@gmail.com. It's only $20 to join for the year. That's all for now. Stay Enchanted, Kate

  • Review by Kelly Jarvis: Salt and Broom by Sharon Lynn Fisher

    Sharon Lynn Fisher had me in her clutches when I learned her new book, Salt and Broom, was a “witchy retelling of Jane Eyre.” As a fan of both 19th century novels and witch lit, I was excited to fall into a tale that brings the latent magic of the original novel to the forefront with Fisher explaining, “Rochester teasingly refers to Jane as fairy, elf, witch, and sprite, but we know she is not any of these things. At one point, the question came to me: what if she was?” Salt and Broom is more of a rewriting of source material than a retelling, and I adored it! In Fisher’s version of the story, an orphaned Jane Aire, named after the famous river in Yorkshire, is left on the steps of Lowood School as an infant. The novel opens thirty years later when Jane is working at the school as an herbalist. Edward Rochester writes to the headmaster seeking a “Lowood witch” to help him break a curse that has been haunting his ancestral home since his wife’s death. Milk has been souring, apples have blighted, and the servants have come down with fevers. Rochester seeks supernatural help in return for a large donation to the Lowood School for Orphaned Girls, and Jane, who has benefited from the charity of the school, feels pressured to unravel the mystery. Jane is much more than an herbalist; she is a witch who engages with the fairy world, casts spells, and uses magical enchantments. Throughout the course of her time at Thornfield she maintains her fierce independence, residing in a small cottage on the grounds of the estate, while also falling in love with the brooding and mysterious master. She faces dangers and discovers hidden information about both her own past and the past of Rochester’s family. The characters of this novel are altered from the original in significant ways; Jane has not suffered the abuse and indignities of her original childhood, Rochester has never locked his wife in the attic, and Antoinette Mason is presented as a kind and loving spirit who perished early in her life. Nevertheless, the story is an addicting read, and I devoured it in one sitting. If you love classic Gothic romance, 19th century estates, herbal witchcraft, and fairy lore featuring ghosts, dryads, and fairy cats, then you will enjoy Salt and Broom. This book is a lovely escape that provides readers with both dark thrills and a satisfying happily ever after. You can find it here. Thank you to NetGalley for a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. Kelly Jarvis works as the Assistant Editor for The Fairy Tale Magazine where she writes stories, poems, essays, book reviews, and interviews. Her poetry has also been featured or is forthcoming in Blue Heron Review, Mermaids Monthly, Eternal Haunted Summer, Forget Me Not Press, The Magic of Us, A Moon of One’s Own, Baseball Bard, and Corvid Queen. Her short fiction has appeared in The Chamber Magazine and the World Weaver Press Anthology Mothers of Enchantment: New Tales of Fairy Godmothers. You can find her at https://kellyjarviswriter.com/

  • Cinderella’s Hearth: In Praise of Meditation

    I (Kate) used to be one of those people who thought meditation was impossible. I was steeped in the idea that “successful” meditation meant that I must clear my mind of all thought. I couldn’t imagine doing that, so I wrote it off. But in 2016, I started to get the feeling that life was getting harder for everyone. It seemed like the world was losing its mind, and I needed some sort of touchstone to keep me from joining in the madness. Out of desperation, I decided to try the Headspace app, but without realizing it, I accidentally paid for an entire year’s membership. I was FURIOUS! I wanted to try it, not buy it. I was stuck. So in my contrarian, bumbling way, I said to myself, well, if Headspace is gonna make me have it for a year, then I’ll show Headspace. I’ll learn how to meditate. Pretty silly, right? But here’s the thing: Within two weeks, I literally felt like my head had more space. I felt calmer, more at ease. I didn’t dwell on the negative nearly as much as I once had. (Rumination is really, really bad for your mental health. And creative types, like writers, ruminate a lot.) Within two months, I decided to become a certified meditation teacher. And I did. And you know what? I’ve never once completely cleared my head of all thoughts, but meditation makes me calmer, more relaxed and less reactive. It absolutely has changed my life for the better. If Cinderella’s stepmother had meditated, maybe we’d have a different fairy tale—but then again, I do love me a Cinderella story. Anyway, if you’ve never tried it, give meditation a whirl. There are nearly as many forms of meditation as there are meditators, and the right one is likely out there for you. To get started, try the Insight Timer app. It’s free and great for beginners! Speaking of Cinderella, Lissa Sloan's novel, Glass and Feathers, a Cinderella continuation novel, publishes on March 26. Learn more here.

  • Chosen Authors for May 1 Issue

    The authors for the May 1 issue have been chosen. They are listed below. Lorraine Schein Kristine Baum DeBeasi Silvatiicus Riddle Ian Li Grace Nuth Kathryn Shailer Lissa Sloan Amy Trent James Dodds Raina Alidjani Lauren Reynolds Helen Patrice Lynn Hardaker Madeleine Elias Deborah Sage Plus: works from staff members Kelly Jarvis and Kim Malinowski. Thanks to all who submitted. If your name is not listed, we release all claim to your submission. Please remember that we do not give feedback. Image from Pixabay

  • Aren’t They Beautiful?

    The proof copies for Glass and Feathers have arrived and they are glorious! It's amazing how much better a book cover looks in real life. The pages are a rich cream, and we love the fonts we chose. (Ebook Launch did the cover and all of the formatting, for for those who'd like to know.) Naturally, the actual books for sale will not have the proof copy stripe across them, but proof copies are special in their own way. After all, only five of them exist. You still can't preorder the print editions of the book, but ebook lovers can preorder today. Please consider doing it, as every preorder elevates the listing on Amazon. Also, and this is very exciting, Lissa will be giving away a swag box filled with Glass and Feathers goodies at our Fairy Godparents meeting on March 18 at 7 PM, EST. Only people who are present can win. Membership opportunities close on March 17, so if you'd still like to join, send $20 through PayPal to katewolford1@gmail.com (that's our official email) and indicate that it's for the Fairy Godparents Club in the message. Then you'll be in for the whole year! The book officially publishes on March 26 and we can't wait!

  • Review by Kelly Jarvis: What Monstrous Gods by Rosamund Hodge

    What Monstrous Gods is a complex retelling of the Sleeping Beauty fairy tale set in a world of gods and magic. The protagonist and narrator, Lia Kurinava, is about to turn seventeen when the novel opens. She has been raised by the sisters of a convent dedicated to the goddess of spring, new life, and healing, and she is one of a handful of girls to be born with the power to enter the briars, kill the evil sorcerer Ruven, awaken the royal family from their 500 year long sleep, and restore peace and health to the kingdom. Lia succeeds in her task early on in the novel and is surprised when the newly awakened queen betroths her to Prince Arauun in recompense for her service to the kingdom. Lia has pledged herself to the convent that raised her, hoping to become a nun, but a little known rule that those born with magic power must marry into the royal family or die thwarts her life plan. Lia and Araunn are sent on a pilgrimage to awaken the shrines and bring back the saints, opening the space for a slow burn to their growing relationship. Lia is haunted by the ghost of Ruven and surprised by what she learns of gods, lending tension and suspense to the journey. Fans of Sleeping Beauty will enjoy Hodge’s loose take on the fairy tale. The story is rich in religious contemplation, and the book begins with a clear overview of the gods and their shrines to help the reader keep track as the characters’ journeys move forward. The book is full of theological musings, mysterious surprises, and atmospheric world building that will delight fans of fantasy and fairy tale. You can find it here. Thank you to NetGalley for a free copy of the book in exchange for a fair review. Kelly Jarvis works as the Assistant Editor for The Fairy Tale Magazine. Her poetry has been featured or is forthcoming in Blue Heron Review, Mermaids Monthly, Eternal Haunted Summer, Forget Me Not Press, A Moon of One’s Own, The Magic of Us, and Corvid Queen. Her short fiction has appeared in The Chamber Magazine and the World Weaver Press Anthology Mothers of Enchantment: New Tales of Fairy Godmothers. She can be found at https://kellyjarviswriter.com/

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