Winter is a time to curl up with a warm cup of hot chocolate and read until the sun returns again. The Fairy Tale Magazine has prepared a list of books sure to brighten the darkness of your winter days, so curl up with a blanket and enjoy! The Bear and the Nightingale ,  by Katherine Arden (Book One of the Winternight Trilogy), takes place in the Russian wilderness where Vasilisa and her siblings tell stories by the fire. This beautifully written novel explores the conflict

An Interview with Kristen Baum DeBeasi Many of us have long been fascinated by creatures of other realms. And while we may collect them, read stories about them, or even watch movies in which non-human creatures are the main characters, there are some folks who spend time bringing them into our lives and enriching us all in the process. As part of our celebration of The Troll Issue here at Fairy Tale Magazine, we have interviewed a couple who do exactly that. As they say it,

Note: This was originally published in 2021 in a small newspaper I used to write for. It was a post-Thanksgiving column, but I think it’s potentially perfect for this year’s feast. Not everyone likes turkey, and when there’s lots of houses to visit on the big day, this is perfect for a breakfast celebration. Here’s the article in its original glory. Thanksgiving has come and gone, and it’s Black Friday. I won’t set foot out of the house on Black Friday. People are too nuts! Y

We are delighted to present The Troll Issue! The first poem and story are meant as invocation—the call to enter the realm of the trolls. From there, the issue is created as a “choose your own troll adventure.” Once you’ve downloaded  the PDF, you may toggle between each section using the Table of Contents to choose which section you want to experience first. Alternately, feel free to read from the beginning to the end. It’s curated to be fun however you choose to experience i

Spells, Strings, and Forgotten Things  begins “on a summer day ripe with dreams and mischief,” introducing readers to a trio of magical...

Intrepid Troll Hunter in Seven League Sneakers One of my assignments for The Fairy Tale Magazine’s   upcoming Troll Issue was a summer...

Readers will revel in the wisdom of trolls and other nature spirits in Ben G. Price’s fantasy novel Ogden: A Tale for the End of Time. The book begins with a prologue presenting language as a “Spell of Words” that creates false memories in our minds and separates us from nature. Then it launches into the tale of a baby troll born deep in the wilderness. The troll’s father, Huth, has been instructed by the voices of his ancestors to abandon the baby in the woods where it will

(Note: I originally published this in a small weekly newspaper that I wrote nearly a thousand columns for over many years. I hate to see...

Autumn has arrived in the Northern Hemisphere, and with it comes The Fairy Tale Magazine’s  list of spooky tales and forest reads to keep...