Member Reviews
An interesting collection of stories, with diverse takes into the concept of faeries. For me personally it was somewhat of a mixed bag, I LOVED some of the stories and wasn’t partial to others. My favorites were Or Perhaps Up by C.S.E Cooney, The Last Home of Master Tranquil Cloud by Minsoo Kang, Old Twelvey Night by Gwendolyn N. Nix and The Storyteller by David Bowles.
I was approved by netgalley for this copy. I thought it was a very interesting but just felt it was just thrown together. Some of the stories were ok but then others not so much. I appreciated the thought process of the story but it didnt turn out the way I thought it would.
There is much to explore and enjoy in this edgy exploration of the fairy tale genre. I love the variety of voices and approaches. Take in and savor!
This book was really unique. I enjoyed the fact that it featured different authors, and the stories worked well on their own but also together. They were also quite well mixed up so that a short story was followed by a long one which prevented boredom.
I also enjoyed the range of the stories, some were sad, some tragic, some funnier, so that really helped to keep me engaged as a reader.
My favorite story was "The Seal Woman's Tale", I loved the writing style, the flow of the story and I found it easy to connect to the characters.
One thing I found really unique was the story "Your two better halves", where you could build your own adventure. I've never read anything like that and it was really fun to experience and it really makes the book stand out from other fair folk-centered books.
ARc Copy...the way and words I can describe this collection is...yes there are fairies and magic abound but this arn't your regular Tinkerbell + kiddie fairy-tale stories and packed with reasons you should venture ignorant into the dark woods!
Where the Veil is Thin is a wild ride from start to finish. This anthology features 14 tales about fairies from around the world. They range from frightening to funny, tragic to joyful. It's always difficult for me to rate anthologies because my thoughts on the individual stories always vary. I will break it down below.
1. The Tooth Fairies by Glenn Parris: 3 stars. This story gave the anthology a bit of a slow start, but it was a fascinating take on tooth fairies!
2. Glamour by Grey Yuen: 2 stars. This story honestly confused me!
3. See a Fine Lady by Seanan McGuire: 4 stars. This story hooked me and convinced me to keep reading. Super funny and honestly, relatable.
4. Or Perhaps Up by C.S.E. Cooney: 4 stars. A bit sad, a bit sweet, overall lovely.
5. Don't Let Go by Alana Joli Abbott: 5 stars. I think this was my favorite story in the anthology. I really connected with the characters!
6. The Loophole by L. Penelope: 4 stars. A bit violent, a bit fun, and a great read.
7. The Last Home of Master Tranquil Cloud by Minsoo Kang: 4 stars. A slow start but a great ending!
8. Your Two Better Halves: A Dream, with Fairies, in Spanglish by Carlos Hernandez: 3.5 stars. A fun choose-your-own-adventure!
9. Take Only Photos by Shanna Swendson: 4.5 stars. Super fun, I loved this story!
10. Old Twelvey Night by Gwendolyn N. Nix: 3.5 stars. A strange, dark, creative story.
11. The Seal Woman's Tale by Alethea Kontis: 3.5 stars. This story was really well done, and very sad. I wish it had been longer.
12. The Storyteller by David Bowles: 3.5 stars. A nice story about family.
13. Summer Skin by Zin E. Rocklyn: 2.5 stars. This story was creepy and strange and I was left quite confused. But honestly, that's probably the nature of stories about fair folk.
14. Colt's Tooth by Linda Robertson: 3.5 stars: This story genuinely was scary! Another fun take on the tooth fairy.
Overall, this anthology was a fun read and it introduced me to new authors. Anyone who is a fan of stories about fair folk should check out this book!
What a wild ride. Where the Veil is Thin definitely makes you rethink a lot about what you think you know about magic and other worlds. It is an interesting collection of adventures, some that drew me in and made me want more, and some that had me begging for it to stop.
My BFF saw this available on NetGalley and immediately recommended it to me. I jumped on this as fast as she told me and am so happy I did! This scratches my itch for some good supernatural/horror stories, with a number of stories being a hit, while some were misses for me.
Each story is unique, only tied by the loose topic of faeries or those from the other side. Those from the other side are appropriately as mischievous as the olden lore, and the first story does a good job of introducing that fact. It's not that these otherlings are monsters -- it's just that they abide by their own laws and ways of thinking that don't always align with what humans think and do.
I enjoy that not every story is tense, that there is some lighter-hearted stories in here, and that they don't all only take place in the UK. Some of the stories I were not a fan of due to the writing or the structure of the story, but more than enough of the stories I enjoyed enough to recommend this to others to read if you also enjoy supernatural-related things.