If you enjoy folktales, legends and mythology from different cultures, then I highly recommend this carefully curated collection of stories.

It's beautifully written and the descriptions are so vivid you can almost see them playing in your mind.

I read this in one sitting and I loved it!

Before e-books we had magazines and trade paperbacks. One could hold and look at magnificent full page renderings done by master fantasy artists. Read short fantasy and science fiction stories brought to life in the simple compiled pieces of paper. That's what the fox's fire brought back to me.

Wonderfully written short stories that leave room for the imagination to soar. Kitsune in love, dying worlds, proud people trying to save what's left, lost dreams found, sacrifices for love made by vengeance.

This book has a fantastic bunch of short stories. All full of memorable characters any fantasy fan will love.

I received this as an ARC from #Netgalley #eSpecBooks all opinions about this book are my own.

Summary: I only liked three of the eight stories.

The Fox's Fire: Ryoko, a kitsune, chases a male she desires, in a strange new land Coyote the Trickster led her to when she became upset at his game hunting. Nice mix of different folklore; Japanese and Sioux. The pocket realms are a cute touch. This story is a valuable lesson. The ending is beautiful; a mix of sad and happy.

The Promise of Death: A shapeshifting alicorn who is being hunted and who hunts the hunter across a modern Dublin, get's involved with an abduction mystery. A Romani clan helps. I want to know more about this world. Despite a bit of info-dumping, this one's good, for a short story. Good enough that I'd buy it if it were expanded into a novella or novel.

The Devil in the Details: An odd, confusing story that leaves us with unanswered questions. It involves a tree, a boy and a grandmother.

A Moment Out of Time: I often enjoy time travel, but this story was rather derivative.

Forever and a Day: Set in the same universe as A Promise of Death, since the Romani clan is mentioned here, this faery story takes place in the future. It also suffers from info-dumping, yet is intriguing. This and the other story don't work as short stories, but again, should be a novel.

Crossroads and Curses: A story about an elf, a human, and of course, a crossroad. It was short and boring.

Mis En Place: A chef has no diners on a night when there rumours of the military coming. And they do. This one doesn't seem to fit with the theme of this book.

Mama Bear: Another info-dumping one, this story seems like the middle of a novel, because so much of what's going on is not explained. Maybe there's also a novel or series it's in, but I don't see anything on the authors page that seems to indicate that. Authors should either not publish pointless stories like this, since they don't make sense, or at least tell us there's a novel that explains what's going on.


I noticed after reading this book, that there is a 4-book Kalderas clan series, so I think I will read that.

NetGalley has graciously provided me with the opportunity to read this collection of tales in exchange for an honest review:

Like fusion food? Now introducing fusion Faerie Tales?!

I'll admit, after reading the first tale of this composition, I was feeling somewhat wanting. But each story peels back another layer of rich narrative that melds traditional fairy tale themes with different aspects of modernity. From Japanese kitsunes encountering Native American Coyote tricksters, to bad ass Fae women on Harleys, and even a cut-throat chef grappling with her world being turned upside down, this book has every! And by everything-- on a deeper note-- what I mean is Ackley-McPhail has beautifully brought the tradition of folk tales into our age: many authors who write about the Fae, the Fair Folk, elves, and natural beings of the Old leave these magical beings stuck in the past. However, have we not immigrated, traveled, shared our culture along with our hopes and dreams with others? It seems fitting that fairy tales grow and evolve with us, and I'm all for it.

On another note, Ackley-McPhail is a master of the narrative voice. Each story's tone is unique and flows on the page. Perfect for anyone (like me) who drinks up fantasy like it's a tall glass of honeyed water.

My only criticism is that all too soon the tales end, leaving me wanting more. Again, though, once I started to move on to the next tale, the purpose of the brevity opened up to me. Much like Irish folk tales, there's a sense of movement, of life happening just along the edges. We're given room to imagine, to know that these characters are alive and still carrying on in their various worlds. To me, seeing this concept was endearing and intriguing at the same time.

Hands down, I encourage all to give this book a gander.