This is indeed a fairytale of a book. The writing is unique and pretty, but I did find it difficult at times to engage with it - the generalisations were tricky in terms of relating to any characters (although I'm not sure that's entirely the point). Also the constant pain of women while written by a man... difficult to read for me!

A pleasant, if tricksy, diversion.

Oh wow. Just wow 🤯
I read the blurb and there is a clause saying it's dark fairytale kind of book so I have the expectations of a retelling of some sort buy boy I was wrong, and I'm glad I was wrong

The vocabulary and word building might be tough to some but as someone who has been reading epic fantasy the most of my reading life, the author was able to postulate intricate word building thay totally rocked the whole plotline.

Thinking of Neil Gaiman and John Gwynne old world kind of mash up. This is definitely a dark fantasy book with an awesome plot line and characterization

Keith Anthony Baird is a virtuoso of the fairy tale. His writing style is dreamlike, the voice of a storyteller telling the reader his tale by the crackling fires in the midst of the woods on a moonless night. In the Grimdark Strands of the Spinneret begins when betrayal extinguishes a noble bloodline and the final heir is a woman who takes refuge in the woods.

In any story, she would be the heroine. In this story, she is a scion of vengeance and hate, the wicked witch and the monster combined into one. Each line is constructed with pure care, drawing the reader into a nightmare. The spinneret herself is a complex monster, but a monster nevertheless.

Baird constructs a story of decadent nobles, the careless men and women who take all beneath them for granted. The spinneret is vengeance, and a terrible one, who intends to stop at nothing to kill those who made her into a monster. Baird lures the reader into her web bit by bit to strike them with the horror Baird has woven in so subtly, they only become apparent by the end.

One such scene involves a noble seduced by the spinneret into a tryst, our arachnid heroine slowly shifting from her human guise to strike as the hungry spider and drag her victim to a gruesome fate. Not a scene is wasted, and the line between good and evil repeatedly blurs.

Like any good fairy tale, there is a moral. But Baird may not leave anyone to live happily ever after.

“In the Grimdark Strands of the Spinneret” by Keith Anthony Baird is marketed as a “fairy tale for elders.” The main thrust of the plot revolves around a deposed princess who spends a lifetime plotting her revenge, only to, in turn, be betrayed by the next in line to her rule. There is magic and war and intrigue in the intervening years.

I generally like fairy-tale retellings or new incarnations based on the tropes of the past. This one has many of the appealing aspects of a dark fantasy. The basic plot points are good and could lend themselves to a very lush, long fantasy novel. Some of the language is quite poetic, but in other spots it feels overwrought. What is really missing here, however, is the deeper perspective that most reinventions utilize and that most modern readers desire. Because of the sparing use of dialogue and deep scene, the narration flows more like summary. I kept expecting what felt like the background retelling to stop and the real scene to begin, but it never happened. As a result, right up until the end, I was never into the text because it felt like narration that could be skimmed. In addition, one graphic scene was repeated four times with very little change. While I appreciate repetition for effect, in this case because of the length of the scene, it didn’t really work for me.

I really wanted to like Baird’s “In the Grimdark Strands of the Spinneret,” but it just wasn’t to my taste. Other readers have given it five stars. Check those reviews if you are still interested after reading mine. Maybe they will speak to you. I received this title from NetGalley in exchange for my review.

DNF I got 75% in and I was just skimming. Couldn’t follow along and was racing to the end. I could not get into this at all. I was expecting a dark fairy tale type story and it was so much more than that. I guess my problem was that it was just too vague

Powerful and dark fantasy nightmare which finds our hero, the sole survivor and heir from an ancient noble bloodline cast out. Saved and nurtured in years to come she seeks vengeance. Poetically dark fairy tale where the haunting woods cry magic and menace. Horror, desire and power are the ultimate contrasting bedfellows as this thrilling ride guides you to a not so typical fairy tale happy ever after! . A fantastical story that tickles the darkest spirit that lurks within the night..

A crone, a baron, and spiders of the dark are all woven together in this modern fairy tale that doesn't feel very modern at all. In fact, if I didn't know better I would swear that this is an old fairy tale of yore, passed down through generations with the intention of scaring children and chilling the souls of those who hear it told.

The tale is beautifully dark, poetic, and often very gruesome. The writing style is unique, with language that is often very flowery and gothic but still carries the story forward at a steady pace. The novella combines elements of magic fantasy, romance, grief, and horror within a story that continually circles back on itself, culminating in a fairy tale ending that is not your typical "happily ever after" but feels very satisfying.

This is one of the best horror fairy tales I've had the pleasure of reading and I recommend it highly.

Thank you to the author Keith Anthony Baird and the publisher Brigids Gate Press for the advance copy of the book in exchange for this honest review.

As I continued with the book I got more and more confused about what was going on. I don't know if it's just me not being into it or if something else is afoot.