Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this eARC.

Grimm Machinations is an anthology of fairy tale retellings with an almost steampunk-esque vibe/twist.

Some feel rather rushed with abrupt endings.

A beautiful anthology of fairytales transformed into epic steampunk adventures. I l8ve nothing more than a good old adaptation of a classic and these stories did just that. Thank you for my eArc.

Ten tales that put a steam punk spin on some tales that are not so classical any longer. Anthologies live in a world all of their own. Authors flex their talents and skills by putting the most of a story into the least of a book and we are the winners. The assortments range across genre to introduce us to new to us authors or show off the talents of some of our favorites. These ten will definitely have you thinking differently when finished. Enjoy at your own risk!

As a whole, the anthology has mostly average stories with a few select gems. We have ten stories in total, a commendably manageable amount. But I can tell that there was some sort of rigid limit on word count, because several of the stories have awfully abrupt endings, some to the point they feel underdeveloped and rushed, even cut short because of the word count, and thus the storytelling suffered. There were at least three stories that were ruined for me because of how unevenly paced and edited they were. This is something the editor should’ve been more careful with, it pays to be flexible with length limits when the quality of the story is at stake.

4 Stars
One Liner: An entertaining collection

Grimm Machinations is a collection of fairytale retellings with a steampunk/ gaslamp twist to the original. Each story is written by a different author, offering varied styles and themes.
Those who enjoy this subgenre will find the stories more appealing. Though I haven’t read Steampunk, I do like the concept and enjoy new takes on well-known fairytales.
As with every anthology, some stories are wonderful, while some are good, and some are okayish. Here’s a brief review of each retelling.

The Souls of Misbehaved Boys by James Chambers – 3.5 Stars
This is a retelling of Pinocchio. The atmosphere is spot on. The storyline has merit but feels rushed, with a few missing links. This could be because I barely remember the original, but even a retelling has to stand on its own. Maybe a slightly longer version would have helped. The steampunk twist, blending machines and magic is very well done. I enjoyed those bits.

The Fox and the Clockwork Bird by Jeff Young – 4 Stars
This is a retelling of The Wonderful Bird (adding a link as I read three versions before finding the actual one). This one is deftly done and reads exactly like a fairytale. It has a fox addressed as ‘they’, a kingdom in an industrial era where everyone wears masks, and a clever queen ruling the land. The story length is just right, provides the necessary information without going overboard, and has a smooth ending.

Three Days of the Cuckoo by Bernie Mojzes – 4 Stars
This story is a retelling of The Elves and the Shoemaker and combines steampunk, Elves, social commentary, etc. The storyline is strong and reads great until the last part. Then, it feels a little rushed, as if the ending needs to fit within a word limit. Yet, I love Lucia’s arc and the hopeful ending, different from how fairytales normally conclude. I’d have liked a little more description, but the writing is easy to follow.

The Porcelain Princess by David Lee Summers – 4 Stars
This story is based on Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. With the Snow White automation (that has a real heart), the dwarves as engineers, and the queen as an alchemist, the retelling is near perfect in presenting the original in a steampunk setting. The plot is elaborate but compact and has all the crucial elements with enough freshness to make for an entertaining read.

The Pipes Are Calling by Patrick Thomas – 4 Stars
As you might have guessed, this is a retelling of the Pied Piper. However, it comes from the POV of Spellpunk Grimstone, an earthling kidnapped and carried to a steampunk planet with airships and cool devices. But the sadistic Baron Rory was a pain. The plot blends the original with an innovative extension full of adventures and wit. I like the premise and the execution, even if the world-building is lacking.

The Binding Clause by Cynthia Radthorne – 4.5 Stars
This story is loosely based on Rumpelstiltskin. We have Emily, the only woman engineer in the steampunk city, working a boring and dangerous job for peanuts. She is excited when she gets an offer worth her caliber, but the warning bells in her head when signing the contract ring for a reason. So how does Emily outwit the other person? The setting is well-described without going overboard. The pacing is steady, and the ending is perfect.

The Six Clockwork Swans by Christine Norris – 4.5 Stars
This retelling of The Six Swans uses the original premise and recreates it in the steampunk setting. Kadie has to make six music box machinations to free her six older brothers of their curse. Her husband, Daniel, is a duke, and his mom is an evil mother-in-law. The story has a lot of ‘tell’ but combines it with enough descriptions to make the setting and characters come alive. The fairytale feel is intact and creates a great atmosphere.
Daniel becomes David at one point (I hope the error will be corrected in the final version).

Dress for the Occasion by Gordon Linzner – 3 Stars
This is a gender-reversed retelling of Emperor’s New Clothes. Maxine Minuchi takes over after her father’s death but is a terror to deal with. Rosa and Blanche are tailors who promise her the best dress ever seen in the history of the world. You can guess how it goes! I loved the idea of the gender reversal for the main characters. However, the plot doesn’t really offer anything else. The steampunk setting is a bare minimum and doesn’t even register its presence.

Ala al-Din and the Cave of Wonders by Danielle Ackley-McPhail – 3 Stars
This is a retelling of the Aladdin and the Lamp. Ala al-Din has a physical disability (his right hand is cut off at the wrist), which puts him at a disadvantage until a man claiming to be his uncle comes to bring a drastic change. The plot is true to the original and tries to recreate the same magic with mechanical birds and artful clocks. However, it doesn’t fully succeed in its attempt. It was interesting but not enough to wow me. (Also, I zoned out thrice in the beginning, which is never a good sign.)

Heart of Stone by Michelle D. Sonnier – 4 Stars
This is a retelling of the Stone Soup set in France in 1872. Lyse de Montre is a technomancer, an earth witch, without riches or backing. The Council provided her with basic skill training, but she needed to pay back the debt. Lyse took jobs, traveling from one town to another and completing her mission to earn a living. She needs to succeed in the Dambach-la-Ville mission or risk her life. The story is creative and provides a detailed backstory for the MC. I like how it uses the theme of Stone Soup in the steampunk setting. However, the climax feels rushed. Though it is heartwarming, the buildup is more than the main element.

As you can see, 7 out of 10 stories get a 4(+) rating. The collection can be read over a few days or at a time as they don’t feel repetitive. The author’s bios are at the end of the book. I wish there was an editor/ compiler’s note too.
To summarize, Grim Machinations is entertaining, creative, and fun take on fairytales. Most stories stay true to the original (which is mentioned right under the title) in some way or another. Grab this if you enjoy retelling with a good dose of gears, bolts, and machinations. ;)
Thank you, NetGalley and eSpec Books, for the eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

I absolutely love these short stories! They’re dark and twisty but awesome to read! I highly recommend reading this if you enjoy fairytales with a twist!

The writing in this anthology was well done and the stories were well thought out, but this one wasn't really for me. However, if you like fantasy, you'll like this.

I was initially interested in this book because it's been a long time since I've read steampunk stories. This collection of steampunk spins on classic fairy tales certainly fit the bill. While I think that many of the stories in the collection could have used better editing, a lot of them were genuinely unique takes on the stories we all know and love. Standouts for me included Three Days of the Cuckoo by Bernie Mojzes, The Porcelain Princess by David Lee Summers, and the Binding Clause by Cynthia Radthorne. It's not the most groundbreaking short story collection, but it certainly is entertaining and fun.

I absolutely adore any book that is fairytale inspired, and the way these tales twist those traditional fairytale into something more interesting and dark hooked me from the first story. Absolutely loved this book and would recommend anyone to read it!

This review was made possible via an ARC on NetGalley by the publisher.

Grimm Machinations is an anthology of fairy tale retellings with a steampunk/gaslamp twist and features a lot of things that I love about fairy tales. New worlds and old, twists on well-known tropes, and short enough that you can fit a story in before bed on busy days.

My personal favorites were The Fox and the Clockwork Bird by James Young, The Six Clockwork Swans by Christine Norris, and The Binding Clause by Cynthia Radthorne. Their use of the steampunk theme in fairy tales were unique and reminded me a lot of the times I would spend all night reading the books of fairy tales I had when I was a kid. There aren't a ton of retellings of the Six Swans, so I was truly delighted to find Norris' retelling and left quite satisfied. The use of masks in Young's story was intriguing and the Fox and the prince finding each other hit all the right buttons for fairy tale readings.

Even for the stories that were not my favorites, I wanted to read more from the author and see those stories more fleshed out. It's a real testament to the ideas presented when you're hungry for more.

The Binding Clause, a retelling of Rumpelstiltskin, was probably my absolute favorite and the story that buried the elements of its original story the most. The set-up stayed true to the world and theme and the use of Rumpelstiltskin and the way Radthorne wove the story were both quite masterful. I especially loved the conversation around contracts and intellectual property if employees that was presented.

I'd love to see more from these authors in the steampunk and gaslamp subgenres as they are genres that don't get a lot of attention and the authors really showed the variety of ways the subgenres can be utilized: from a very clear retelling that follows all of the beats to an alternate history to very real topical issues.

I would recommend this to lovers of fairy tales and fans of steampunk and gaslamp. It scratches a very particular itch if Arcane' left you hungry for more of what those worlds can offer.

I would not recommend this to readers who have found that steampunk/gaslamp is not for them. While the stories are done in a variety of ways and I personally think many readers would fall in love with several of them, it's also full of stories of automatons and Victorian vibes.

I just reviewed Grimm Machinations by edited by Danielle Ackley-McPhail. #GrimmMachinations #NetGalley
[NetGalley URL]. I loved the adaptation of all these short stories that turned our beloved fairy-tales into twisted depictions of themselves. The stories were so well written and have left me wanting to read more by the authors. Reading these stories in this book made me discover another side to myself in that I really enjoy these twisted tales. My initial thought was to read one short story every night, but once I read one I couldn't stop there. My weekend has been full of reading this book, and I don't regret it one bit. I could read this over and over and still feel what I did the first time I read this book. Thank you to Net Galley, and Danielle Ackley-Mcfail for this ARC in return for my honest review. I will be suggesting this to anyone asking for a book offering a thrilling good time.