I haven't read any of the previous volumes of Fairytales Slashed but this was a really cute collection of stories. There were both retellings of classic fairy tales and also some that were closer to original fantasy stories. Although I thought it started out kind of rocky, the stories were really enjoyable and I liked the diversity in both the characters and the settings. I would definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a quick read or just some m/m or f/f fairy tales in general.

A fantastic collection of queered fairytales. The quality and my own liking varied between each, of course, that is to be expected, but I really overall appreciated them - kudos to the editor! I was pleasantly surprised by the diversity, not just of sexualities - but I did love how it was M/M and F/F content together, yay for gay/lesbian solidarity! - but of culture and ethnicity too!
My favourites were 'Tam Lin' by Kathleen Danielson, 'The Fox-Bride' by Lotus Oakes, 'The Last Petal on the Rose' by Stephanie Rabig and 'Sleeping Betty' by Kodi Marshall.. I thought they all had really solid writing, great character development and entertaining characters to boot, and most importantly - inventive, compelling takes on fairytale classics!

A fun take on fairy tales. Happy endings all around with nice fables and fairy tales, some familiar others new (to me). Not a lot of explicit details, just fairy tale love and happy endings.

As a big fan of the first two volumes of Fairytales Slashed, I was delighted to jump on the opportunity to read more. The stories were wonderful and diverse and the quality never dipped too low for my liking, which makes this the most consistent anthology I’ve read in a long time. In fact, the stories got progressively better and better, with the last story being an absolute masterpiece. I will definitely be checking out some of these writers.

Tam Lin by Kathleen Danielson- 3 stars
Somewhat weaker than the rest of the anthology, but a nice start. Anabiel was a determined and strong character, and her romance with Tamlin was very sweet. The pacing was nice, but I could really do without the repeated threats of incestual corrective rape. I don’t mind being tense when reading, but not this kind of tense.
Honor in Mercy by Mercedes Vox- 3.5 stars
I was quite surprised at a story about roman gladiators being included in a fairy tale anthology, and while I still think it doesn’t thematically fit, the story itself was very interesting. Noctua as the protector of the innocent, using his kindness to help others was wonderful to see and while his romance with Atlas the lion was only sketched out, I can imagine their life together must’ve been wonderful. The ending to the story was very satisfying too.
The Fox-Bride by Lotus Oakes- 4 stars
This was where the anthology truly picked up for me. I loved Qiu Yue as a protagonist, she was kind but sensible and was aware of story tropes. The fox was charming and delightful and their slow growth from friendship to love was well done. By the end of their trials, I was cheering for them. Unfortunately, the ending was quite rushed and completely ruined the pacing of the story.
Riding Red by Charles Payseur- 4.5 stars
This story was so funny it made me laugh aloud in a doctor’s waiting room. As a big fan of the Fables series, the almost juvenile style of humor was definitely my cup of tea. The modern pop culture interpretation of the fairy tale Jack persona always charmed me, so it was a wonderful surprise to have him included. And while the sex scene was humorous and well written, it felt somewhat out of place with its very explicit nature in a book like this.
The Nixie in the Well by TS Porter- 4.5 stars
The style of this one reminded me of the old Scandinavian fairy tales I used to read as a child. It was quiet and soothing and flowed well. I liked the kind and responsible Ida and Elfreda and her kingdom fascinated me. This story gave me such a quiet joy and I loved it.
The Sky Hunter and the Princess by Althea Claire Duffy- 4 stars
A wonderful story with a very intriguing concept and setting- a flying kingdom in the sky. At points, it felt like it wasn’t streamlined enough, and the addition of a third pov character for only one scene felt redundant. The main characters were brave and kind though, and their attraction was charming. With a bit more editing, this story had the potential to be great.
The Last Petal on the Rose by Stephanie Rabig- 5 stars
This story absolutely charmed me. I loved the characters, especially Janos and his kindness and bravery to stand up to those more powerful than him just to protect others. I loved the the slow reveal of what the war between the kingdoms really is about, and all the past secrets. And I liked that Janos was a disabled character and Roland didn’t treat him with respect, without erasing his disability. I’d love to read an entire full-length novel just about these two.
Sleeping Betty by Kodi Marshal- 5 stars, but honestly more like infinite stars
Sleeping Betty was amazing. The perfect ending to a wonderful anthology, I couldn’t stop reading. I have never liked the original fairy tale and haven’t read a good adaptation yet, but my god, this one was glorious. It made me cry repeatedly and I didn’t want it to ever end. Meg as the prince charming was a perfect combination of funny, combative, and caring. The way she learned more and more about the sleeping princess, Elisabeth, was touching, and the way she got angry at Betty’s fate was beautiful. So many lines in this story made me think about the nature of love and what we really want in life. The pacing was perfect, the ending absolutely stuck the landing and I finished the story grinning from ear to ear, joyful tears in my eyes. I definitely want to check out more of the author’s writing.

I have a strange relationships with anthologies, finding it difficult to get into each of the short stories even as I convince myself that I want to read every one I can get my hands on just for those few amazing nuggets of stories.

Fairytales Slashed 8 definitely had a few of those!

I was immediately drawn in by the first two stories, both with fox themes, and "Riding Red" by Charles Payseur had me laughing out loud at these villains who ended up all working together by the end.

There were also some stories I thought would have fit in better within a more general fantasy rather than fairytale specific anthology, but of those I really quite loved "The Sky Hunter and the Princess" by Althea Claire Duffy as well as Stephanie Rabig's "The Last Petal on the Rose". Having read Stephanie's work before, I had quite high expectations this time. The main thing I wanted for both of these stories was for them to be longer, more fleshed out.

Gonna say, though, this anthology left the best till last. I don't think I've ever read a Sleeping Beauty retelling quite so much as I loved "Sleeping Betty". It was amazing. Kodi Marshal neatly got around the part where the main character is absent and in a sleep by showing her text books in which she'd written her own comments and opinions. I loved Meg, Betty's Princess Charming, as well. All in all, it was a fantastic note on which to end the anthology. That and "The Nixie in the Well" by TS Porter were probably my two very favourites out of this anthology.