Fairy Tale Fortnight Wrap-Up

Thank you so much The Book Rat & A Backwards Story for hosting this.

These last two weeks have been a lot of fun, and really busy too! I want to thank The Book Rat and A Backwards Story for hosting this event - and all of you for hanging out with me.


If you've missed any of my posts, I've collected a schedule of them all here. Everything I posted for Fairy Tale Fortnight is linked below.

Fairy Tale TBR
In Celebration of Villains
Five Favorite Fairy Tales
Fairy Tale Tunes
Soundtracking: Cruel Beauty
Review: A Wicked Thing by Rhiannon Thomas
Five Fairy Tales Books I Want To Read
Waiting For: Crimson Bound & Mechanica & Winter
Review: Fairest by Marissa Meyer
Series Spotlight: The Lunar Chronicles
Fairy Tales on the Silver Screen
My Eight Favorite 'Once' Characters (+ Retellings)
Review: Heart's Blood by Juliet Marillier
Fairy Tale Fortnight Wrap-Up (This Post)

Around the Blogosphere:

Of course, I'm not the only one that has been busy posting and sharing fairy tale related stuff this fortnight. Below I have collected some of my favorite fairy tale related posts.

Fairytale Releases of 2015 (Beth @ Printcess & Living a Goddess Life)
Fairy Tale-ish: Fairy Tales Around the Interwebs (Misty @ The Book Rat)
Cinderella Stays Late Book Review (Krysta @ Pages Unbound)
Cruel Beauty Book Review (Titiana @ Fishmuffins of Doom)
Postmodern Fairy Tale Music (Titiana @ Fishmuffins of Doom)
Cinder Book Review (Sarah @ Just One More Chapter)

I was going to list each post hosted by The Book Rat and A Backwards Story that I enjoyed - then I realized that would take me forever. Instead, just stop by their schedule of events pages.
The Book Rat A Backwards Story

Not of the fortnight, but I just have to leave you a link to the awesomely Epic Chart of 162 Young Adult Retellings put together by the folk over at epic reads.

Final Notes:

I had a lot of fun doing this. It was, however, a lot of work and now I feel like I'm lagging in getting my other posts for the month ready. I think all these fairy tales just made my brain stop. I'd like to participate in this again next year, but I'll have some reviews already to go, I think, instead of reviewing during the Fortnight what I read during the Fortnight.

Speaking of, I actually plotted out the order I'd read the three fairy tales in by: A Wicked Thing will probably be my least favorite, so let's get that out of the way first; Fairest will take me the least amount of time so let's add that for the second of those two really close reviews. I guess one out of two isn't bad. What to know which one I was right about? Check my reviews out. (Shameless plug.)

I have added over thirty books to my Goodreads TBR because of this event. Thirty! This is including books that I ran across while preparing my posts as well as the ones I found while reading everyones awesome - though very unhelpful at narrowing down my TBR - posts.

Review: Heart's Blood by Juliet Marillier

Heart's Blood by Juliet Marillier

Series: Standalone
Genre: Romance
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Whistling Tor is a place of secrets and mystery. Surrounded by a wooded hill, and unknown presences, the crumbling fortress is owned by a chieftain whose name is spoken throughout the district in tones of revulsion and bitterness. A curse lies over Anluan's family and his people; those woods hold a perilous force whose every whisper threatens doom.

For young scribe Caitrin it is a safe haven. This place where nobody else is prepared to go seems exactly what she needs, for Caitrin is fleeing her own demons. As Caitrin comes to know Anluan and his home in more depth she realizes that it is only through her love and determination that the curse can be broken and Anluan and his people set free.

My Eight Favorite 'Once' Characters (+ Retellings)

Thank you so much The Book Rat & A Backwards Story for hosting this.

I don't usually post on the weekends, but I wanted to do a couple of special Fairy Tale Fortnight posts. (And I thought that because they're non-bookish - at least, mostly - that the weekend would be perfect to post them. Besides, my week is filled!)

Originally this post was going to be about the fairy tale shows I've seen. (All two of them.) But, upon rewatching Once Upon a Time... well, let's just say, that changed.

I know you're asking 'why eight?' No, the fact that there are eight humans on that picture is just a coincidence. I chose eight because after that, things get progressively less neat and clearly defined. I just will have to face facts that I have eight favorites and everyone else. (Though I do have a couple of 'least favorites' but we won't talk about them.) Not exactly in order, but I do like the person at the top of the list more than the one at the bottom.

Ruby/Red Riding Hood

Retellings that feature Little Red Riding Hood:
Sisters Red, Princess of the Silver Woods, A Tale of Red Riding Hood

Regina Mills/The Evil Queen

Retellings that feature The Evil Queen:
Fairest of All, Dewitched #1, Fairest

Jefferson/Mad Hatter

Retellings that feature the Mad Hatter:
Hatter, The Looking Glass Wars, Alice in the Country of Hearts

Mulan

Retellings that feature Mulan:

The Wild Orchid, Defy, Rebel Wing

Killian Jones/Captain Hook

Retellings that feature Captain Hook:
Captain James Hook and the Curse of Peter Pan, Hook & Jill, Alias Hook

Dr. Whale/Victor Frankenstein

Retellings that feature Dr. Frankenstein:

The Casebook of Victor Frankenstein, This Dark Endeavor, iFrankenstein

Mr. Gold/Rumplestiltskin

Retellings that feature Rumplestiltskin:
Rumplestiltskin, The Crimson Thread, A Curse as Dark as Gold

Belle French

Retellings that feature Belle:
Cruel Beauty, Of Beast and Beauty, Beauty and the Beast


Notes about my choices: I am left unsure at the end of season three if Rumplestiltskin and Belle should still be on this list. I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt for being so likable through two seasons and hope that season three was not an indication of where I'm headed with them. If they did come off this list, they would be replaced with Kathryn Nolan/Abigail and Dr. Archie Hopper/Jiminy Cricket. The other reason I didn't go ahead and switch them out is because I'm not sure I could find one - much less three - retellings for King Midas' Daughter and/or Jiminy Cricket.

Rewatching season one, I discovered something that surprises me not at all: I miss Graham.

Ruby and Regina are in a constant flux over which one is my favorite. On the episodes that Ruby is actually on, it's her. All the rest are Regina. Jefferson has been my favorite of the guys since he was introduced, though Hook runs a close second.

Of these retellings, I've read only three. I would love to read more as some of these books sound really good.


Who are your favorites from Once? Want to give me any suggestions on retelling? Want to guess which one of these was the hardest to find retellings for? (Hint: It's the one I totally cheated on and gave you a manga for one of the books.)

Fairy Tales on the Silver Screen

Thank you so much The Book Rat & A Backwards Story for hosting this.

I don't usually post on the weekends, but I wanted to do a couple of special Fairy Tale Fortnight posts. (And I thought that because they're non-bookish - at least, mostly - that the weekend would be perfect to post them. Besides, my week is filled!)

I, like many other people, got my first exposure to fairy tales through the Disney animated movies.

Snow White, Cinderella and The Little Mermaid were all early staples for me - with Snow White being the one I've seen the most - but it wasn't until Beauty and the Beast that I started to love fairy tales. (I talked about my love for this fairy tale back in my April 3rd post.)

Since then I've watched a few other fairy tale movies.

Of these, Ever After is certainly my favorite. Between Drew Barrymore playing a Cinderella that was a lot more active - and physically fit - than most cinder girls, a 'Prince Charming' that wasn't perfect and a steller supporting cast, this is one that I still love rewatching.

When I originally saw Snow White on tv, I loved it. Upon buying it on dvd, I was less enchanted. The high points are a wonderful, charming Kristen Kreuk as Snow and a delightfully dastardly Miranda Richardson as the evil queen.

Beastly, while taking inspiration from my favorite fairy tale, certainly isn't without it's flaws. If you just give it a cursory glance, it's fun fluff. Any deeper though, and certain messages start to get a bit uncomfortable. (Especially for those of us that like fairy tales for the escape.) (And it kind of screwed up it's own tag-line...)

Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister was originally a book - something I did not know until recently. (And by the same author as Wicked, no less.) It was actually a movie I enjoyed a lot, as it was told from the perspective of the less mean of Cinderella's stepsisters. (If I recall, the movie wasn't as frothy as this cover makes it look, either.)

Finally, am I the only one that's seen Sydney White? I mean, you're not missing out on much if you haven't seen it, but you could do worse for college fluff. (Bet those two words don't go together often.) This movie was fun, but I hit a certain point - like as soon as I met him - and I was starting to wish that the titular Sydney wouldn't get the 'prince'.

And now, what fairy tale movies have you seen? Were they good? Not so good? 'Why did I ever watch that?' worthy? How about the new Cinderella movie? Have you seen it? I'd like to, but I'm probably waiting til it hits dvd, so tell me if you think it's worth it. Any movie suggestions?

Series Spotlight: The Lunar Chronicles

There's always those books that you meant to review, the books that you read before you started reviewing, or maybe you reviewed one of the books but it wasn't even the first one. Well, here's my answer to that: Series Spotlight. I'll be reviewing an entire series, and just generally talk about it.

Thank you so much The Book Rat & A Backwards Story for hosting this.

I was actually going to post this spotlight when it got closer to the release date of Winter to help the hype - but I'd rather do it for Fairy Tale Fortnight!

Review: Fairest by Marissa Meyer

Fairest by Marissa Meyer

Series: The Lunar Chronicles #3.5
Genre: Sci-Fi
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In this stunning bridge book between Cress and Winter in the bestselling Lunar Chronicles, Queen Levana’s story is finally told.

Mirror, mirror on the wall,
Who is the fairest of them all?

Fans of the Lunar Chronicles know Queen Levana as a ruler who uses her “glamour” to gain power. But long before she crossed paths with Cinder, Scarlet, and Cress, Levana lived a very different story – a story that has never been told . . . until now. 

Marissa Meyer spins yet another unforgettable tale about love and war, deceit and death. This extraordinary book includes full-color art and an excerpt from Winter, the next book in the Lunar Chronicles series.

Waiting For: Crimson Bound & Mechanica & Winter

Thank you so much The Book Rat & A Backwards Story for hosting this.

There's three amazing sounding, fairy tale retellings coming out this year. (Okay, there's probably more, so let me know about the ones I'm missing in the comments.) I'm really excited about all three of these books!

Five Fairy Tale Book's I Want To Read

Thank you so much The Book Rat & A Backwards Story for hosting this.

While there are a lot of fairy tale retellings out there that I want to read, these are the ones that have really caught my attention. Let me know if you've read any of them and if you've got suggestions for any other.

Review: A Wicked Thing by Rhiannon Thomas

A Wicked Thing by Rhiannon Thomas

Series: A Wicked Thing #1
Genre: Romance/Fantasy
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Rhiannon Thomas's dazzling debut novel is a spellbinding reimagining of Sleeping Beauty and what happens after happily ever after.

One hundred years after falling asleep, Princess Aurora wakes up to the kiss of a handsome prince and a broken kingdom that has been dreaming of her return. All the books say that she should be living happily ever after. But as Aurora understands all too well, the truth is nothing like the fairy tale.

Her family is long dead. Her "true love" is a kind stranger. And her whole life has been planned out by political foes while she slept. 

As Aurora struggles to make sense of her new world, she begins to fear that the curse has left its mark on her, a fiery and dangerous thing that might be as wicked as the witch who once ensnared her. With her wedding day drawing near, Aurora must make the ultimate decision on how to save her kingdom: marry the prince or run.

Rhiannon Thomas weaves together vivid scenes of action, romance, and gorgeous gowns to reveal a richly imagined world … and Sleeping Beauty as she’s never been seen before.

Soundtracking: Cruel Beauty

Thank you so much The Book Rat & A Backwards Story for hosting this.

I don't usually post on the weekends, but I wanted to do a couple of special Fairy Tale Fortnight posts. (And I thought that because they're non-bookish - at least, mostly - that the weekend would be perfect to post them. Besides, my week is filled!)

I've been thinking about doing posts like this for awhile. I'm not sure this is something I'll ever do again, but I wanted the chance to give a fairy tale retelling a fantasy soundtrack.

Fairy Tale Tunes

Thank you so much The Book Rat & A Backwards Story for hosting this.

I don't usually post on the weekends, but I wanted to do a couple of special Fairy Tale Fortnight posts. (And I thought that because they're non-bookish - at least, mostly - that the weekend would be perfect to post them. Besides, my week is filled!)


I love music. Okay, most people do - at least I've never heard anyone say 'oh, I hate music'. Anyway, I wanted to talk about some of the awesome fairy tale music out there. No, I don't mean singing squirrels from Disney (well, sometimes…) - but songs inspired by or blatantly mentioning a certain fairy tale. (Including youtube videos for your listening pleasure.)

My Five Favorite Fairy Tales

Thank you so much The Book Rat & A Backwards Story for hosting this.

Originally, this was going to be about my favorite fairy tale retellings (of course) but...well, this is a little embarrassing, but I feel like I haven't read enough to even have a top five list. *Cough cough*

In Celebration of Villains

Thank you so much The Book Rat & A Backwards Story for hosting this.

I remember the time when I used to fall firmly on the side of the 'heroes'. The 'white hats'. You know - before. Before I started sympathizing with the villain. Before I started finding them fascinating. Before I started actually liking them - sometimes more than the hero.

The question is, where would the story be without a good villain? There's this saying: villains act; heroes react.

In most stories, villains are the driving force behind - well - everything. Where would the Beast be without the villain? (Okay, that might not be the best example…) He surely wouldn't have met Beauty, though! How about Cinderella without the Evil Stepmother? Probably never even wanted to go to the ball.

One of my favorite things about retellings is how the villains can change. Maybe they were irredeemable in the original - but now they're a big teddy bear. (But shh. They still don't want it to get out.) Or, now they're the love interest. (Scarlet, anyone?)

While the heroes get their (much needed, usually) character development, the villains get a chance to show what they're truly made of too. Maybe they're as irredeemably evil as they first appeared. Maybe they have a history, a past (a Freudian Excuse, if you will). Maybe they are simply misunderstood (and face it, they generally are).

For a tv show that does villains right, check out Once Upon A Time. Sure, all their villains start out delightfully villainous, but after time, character development and the advent (sometimes) of their own true love, they start looking a lot more like people and a lot less like 'evil villains'.

It's easy enough for me to say why I started liking villains in all stories (so much more interesting and, dare I say, cool than the heroes) but in fairy tales, it's a little different. A lot of the villains in fairy tales, at least the Disney versions that I've seen, are female - and they are so much more gutsy and proactive than the damsels that are our 'heroines'.

Villains: Are they all that bad? Article in The Washington Post has some interesting things to say about this.

Want to find out which fairy tale villain you are? (And, honestly now, who doesn't want to know?) Check out this fun, quick little quiz over at quizsocial. Which Fairy Tale Villain Are You? (Me? I was The Big Bad Wolf. ;))

Fairy Tale Fortnight TBR

Thank you so much The Book Rat & A Backwards Story for hosting this.

I'll be participating in Fairy Tale Fortnight this month, and I've got three books planned to read for it. After the fortnight is over, I'll have my TBR post up for the rest of the months reading. Click on the covers to be taken to the Goodreads page for the book. If I feel like it and have a bit of extra time, I might read a few fairy tale novellas/short stories.

Review Dates:

A Wicked Thing - Thursday, April 6th
Fairest - Monday, April 9th
Heart's Blood - Tuesday, April 13th

Hope to see you for them!

What books are you reading this month? Are you participating in Fairy Tale Fortnight?

(I'm also re-watching season one of Once Upon a Time in celebration (? Honor?) of Fairy Tale Fortnight.