Fairy Tales

Review - The Ugly Duckling by Sean Michael

My rating:

Brook agrees to a blind date that his old friend set up. His date turns out to be Ducky, one of a group of boys that bullied Brook in high school. They’ve both grown up since then. Brook is no longer the geeky kid, but a ballet dancer. Ducky is apologetic over his bad behavior and the two hit it off in a big way. “The Ugly Duckling” is a very short romance tale about two men finding a connection.

Tags: Fantasy Fairy Tales Novella

Review - The Fairest by Sam Burns

My rating:

Prince Carwyn will be crowned king in just a few days. He’s not really looking forward to it. Even at twenty years old, Carwyn doesn’t feel he’s mature enough to take on the job. His stepfather, the regent, seems to be doing a far better job than Carwyn feels capable of. Carwyn would much rather be spending his time with Gareth. The two were inseparable as children, but as Carwyn took on the tasks of learning to rule after his mother died, Gareth took up the role of huntsman and went off to live in the woods.

Tags: Fairy Tales Novella

Review - Feathered Friend by Fiona Glass

My rating:

Dexter inherited his father’s homing pigeons and has grown to love the birds. One day, after a meet, Dexter is checking all the birds made it back and finds an extra pigeon in the roost. He takes the bird into his house to try and track down the owner but when his back is turned the bird is gone and there’s a cute young man in his kitchen. The young man introduces himself as Avery and he’s clearly attracted to Dexter.

Tags: Fantasy Novelette Fairy Tales

Review - Froggie Went A Sailing by Sam Burns

My rating:

Crown Prince Jasper enjoys his sexual encounters with the men of the court, but those dalliances will have to end once he is married. It would be unseemly for a king to be seen cheating on the queen, even if it never bothered his father. The marriage was arranged before Jasper's older brother died, making Jasper next in line for the throne. It was a suitable arrangement for the spare heir, but now that Jasper is crown prince, his father would like to break off the engagement.

Tags: Fairy Tales Novella

Review - The Prince's Frog by Eden Winters

My rating:

Prince Bob - his full name is one of the reasons this is a novella and not a short story - has a problem. His parents want to marry him off to the princess of a neighboring kingdom. Bob dislikes the demanding young woman. Actually, everybody does, but they're too afraid to say so. To make matters worse, Bob doesn't really like women. He would much prefer the company of the blacksmith, or the jousting team.

Tags: Fairy Tales Novella Humor

Review - Wild Rose, Silent Snow by Angel Martinez

My rating:

Rowan and his brother Snowden live on an island in one of the many lakes of (one presumes) Minnesota. The twenty-something fraternal twins are on their own since their parents died. With minor but none-the-less limiting disabilities due to a childhood bout with encephalitis, they rely heavily on each other. With few resources, the dead of winter can be trying but they still manage to get by. Things go from grim to weird when a large grizzly bear that seems eager for human companionship shows up.

Tags: Fantasy Fairy Tales

Review - Tumbling Hair & Bread Crumbs by Charlie Richards

My rating:

What happens long after the happily-ever-after? For example, what became of Hansel and Gretel after they killed the witch? That, in part, is the question that inspires this funny and sexy mash-up of two fairy tales. Together with picking up the story of the two children later in life, we have the tale of Rapunzel mixed in. Of course, what would a fairy tale be without a handsome prince? These are familiar childhood stories, yet with very adult, and queer, twists, for it’s Hansel that catches the eye of Prince Jory, while Gretel is enamored of the long-haired Rapunzel.

Tags: Fantasy Fairy Tales