Review - Happily by Kim Fielding

Happily

by Kim Fielding

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Tags: Fairy Tales Novellette

Posted in Book Reviews on November 29, 2025

Piers owns a modest little tavern with his partner. He’s very good at making ale, which means the pub has loyal customers, and Piers is also good at telling stories. One night, a stranger visits and is interested in hearing one of Piers’ stories, so the affable landlord tells him about the time he was cook for a pair of giants. It was a good job, with kind people who paid well, until that no-good rotten young man Jack showed up.

This retelling of the classic fairy tale “Jack and the Beanstalk” takes on the story from a different point of view. It very pointedly, right from the start, makes the case that “happily ever after” depends on which side of the story you’re on. There’s a cute twist at the end, so the tale is not as depressing as it may sound.

The narration is entirely from Piers’ point of view, and it’s a bit unusual. There’s no direct dialog with his visitor. We only know the other man says something or does something by Piers’ reaction. It’s an unusual style, but I didn’t find it impacted my reading enjoyment. Your experience may vary.

“Happily” is available from Smashwords or see BoobBub for other online sources.