The publisher of this book made it available to read for free on NetGalley. This is an honest review.

This book is compared a lot to Angela Carter, so let me talk about Angela Carter for a bit. Carter is one of those writers that I feel like I should love: a reteller of fairytales, but one that (supposedly) makes them subversive and feminist, and somewhere along the line, I picked up the idea that she also made them queer. No Angela Carter fairytale I've ever read was any of those things. Retellings, yes, told from a different perspective, set in a different time, somehow different from the original. But not enough to make them in any way subversive. And feminist?? Well, in my experience, none of Angela Carter's female characters are given any more agency or treated any better by their stories than they had or were in versions by Perrault or Andersen or either Grimm. Just because something that is usually written by a man is retold by a woman doesn't make it feminist.

(One notable exception to this is the story <i>The Courtship of Mr Lyon</i>, in which Belle's father exchanges her freedom for the rose, and tells Belle this when he brings it home, and she chooses to go and fulfil that bargain. Not because she feels she must, but because she wants to. It is the one single Angela Carter story that I've ever enjoyed.)

Angela Slatter's fairytales, on the other hand, were everything I expected Angela Carter's to be. Dark, yes, but in a different way than the Perrault or Andersen or Grimm or Carter versions. The stories didn't constrain themselves to having one Villain, one Antagonist, one Big Bad to be defeated or otherwise neutralised: there was danger everywhere. Sometimes the danger was the protagonist, sometimes the protagonist willingly went towards a new danger to escape the one that lived in her house. There were quite a few paedophilic fathers, fair warning. Sometimes society and its predominant attitudes was the danger - much like in our world.

These stories were not necessarily less brutal but they were more sympathetic, and any character that was brutalised in any way got her revenge on those that were responsible. The women, by and large, had more agency. They made their own choices. They were not beholden to the menfolk the way women in fairytales usually are, and even when it seemed like they had no choice, they found a way to make their fate their own regardless. In every story it was women who drove the plot, they were not merely plot devices or cautionary tales masquerading as protagonists. In most cases the men were the devices, the cautionary tales, the weak-willed side characters that drove the women to do more, to be bigger than the men would have them stay. That's not to say there weren't any excellent men, who were decent people who wanted to live good lives - they were there too, but in small numbers.

Several of the characters in several of the stories were queer, and many of the stories were not straight retellings but new tales about a character we knew, or a character very like one we knew. A lot of the characters recurred through several stories, and some stories contained more than one recognisable name, sort of like Once Upon A Time. The last few stories were written specifically to tie in with each other, which I immensely enjoyed, but small connections existed between most of the stories. Those connections enclosed the world of the book, and made it much more intimate in that they felt like they could be true: if Mother Magnus and Hepsibah Ballantyne were both well-known to five different people in five separate stories, then they must have existed. There was a sense of community, of continuity, and it made for a very well-rounded and believable fictional universe.

Very rarely in my life have I read fairytales that have made me feel like I could have a meaningful existence in their world, either as a female-presenting person or as a queer person, but this one did make me feel that way. I loved this collection and will gladly read anything else by Angela Slatter, because if this collection is any indication of the rest of her work, I'm going to love it all.

Highly recommend.

This is a very entertaining collection of stories that are dark retellings of fairy tales . The author takes us on a ride that will keep you on the edge of your seat . Each story has a creepy factor that will keep you turning the pages .
Each story has a strong heroine that will not let anyone get her down . She is a strong character and will triumph over the evil that is coming for her . Bluebeards Daughter I think is my favourite story out of them all . The tension between the characters and the ending really just blew me away. But that happened with each story I read .
So if you like a book that has magic brooms. dresses and so much more . With reoccurring characters that you will either love or hate . And you love scary retelling of fairy tales . This is the book for you , Check it out .

Cannot write a review as I seem to have deleted the book by accident. If you want me to review it please contact me.

I love a good retelling, and Angela Slatter does a brilliant job in this collection! Dark and gritty, she takes old, well known stories, and makes them her own!

A Feast of Sorrows by Angela Slatter

3.75 stars

This is a short story collection that is dark, gritty, and slightly unsettling at times. Slatter tackles many simple and famous stories and puts her own spin on them. It was incredibly fun and entertaining to read new tales that have connection to the past. I do enjoy a good retelling and Slatter is capable of creating new worlds and building upon old ones and expanding on them. This makes her a strong short story writer and since finishing this collection in 2016, I believe she is one of the stronger modern short story writers I’ve come across. In fact, I still think about this collection and it’s February 2018. I think that says something about these small and simple tales. They stuck with me in a way that some novels struggle to do.


Whimsical Writing Scale: 4.25

Sourdough – 4 stars This story follows a woman who kneads bread dough and falls madly in love with a witch’s soon-to-be husband. I loved the twist Slatter took and I was immediately impressed with her writing style. It’s a strong starting story, but it isn’t an absolute favorite.

Dresses, Three – 4.25 stars This story is absolutely immersive. The descriptions of the dresses are amazing- peacock feathers, butterfly wings, and words. I loved the ending and it definitely won me over.
“I live, now, in one room. The rest of the huge house is quiet around me; nothing runs along its artery- like corridors. No life.”

Bluebeards Daughter – 5 stars A stepmother plots to get rid of all of the daughters through fairy tales one-by-one. This is one of my favorite short stories EVER! I think about this one often and how the rug was completely pulled out from under me. I don’t want to say too much about this one, but if you read only one short story out of this collection, make it this one!
“We’re all bad witches at some point.”

The Jacaranda Wife –4.5 stars This story follows a woman born from a jacaranda tree. It greatly reminded me of The Brides of Rollrock Islands and the selkie myth. I loved it and thought it was stunningly beautiful.

Light as Mist, Heavy as Hope – 3.25 stars An interesting take on Rumpelstiltskin! The problem is that I’ve never been a fan of this story and it has its moments to set itself a part from the tale, but it’s not a favorite.

The Coffin Maker’s Daughter – 3.5 stars (I originally gave this 2 stars, but no longer agree with that rating) I changed my rating because this is a story that has stayed with me. I thought the writing wasn’t as lyrical as the previous stories and found it to be disjointed. However, the plot and overall theme of this story has stuck with me and I’m glad that my opinion has changed on it. Plus, this story Is about a lesbian coffin maker who has supernatural powers. What more you could want?

By the Weeping Gate – 3 stars Prostitutes and young girls are being murdered by a man obsessed with immortality. Voldemort is that you? Mediocre plot and meh feelings towards this one.

St. Dymphna’s School for Poison Girls – 3 stars Interesting tale about an assassin academy and the man trapped to the earth who is tied the schoolgrounds. There’s a reoccurring character in this one and that was super fun, but I think this is one of my least favorites of the collection because it’s choppy and far too long.

By My Voice I Shall Be Known – 4 stars A young woman loses her tongue after a horrible attack. This is a story of revenge – a lover’s revenge. It sounds cliché, but this story was wild. Slatter has a way of making cliché stories slowly progress away from the direction you are expecting them to go.

Sister, Sister – 4.75 stars A former queen now finds herself living as a whore after her sister steals the palace. One, Theodora is a badass. Two, this story has trolls and changelings. How awesome is that?!?!!

The Badger Bride – 3.25 stars A copier of books is given a dangerous book and finds a badger. This book could destroy her, but the badger could save her. Cheesy, but it’s a cute story and I really did enjoy the ending.

The Tallow Wife – 2.75 stars Incredibly long story about a woman and her family. Yeah, I have nothing to say about this one. It was underwhelming and it didn’t stick with me at all.

What Shines Brightest Burns Most Fiercely – 3 stars This is a continuation of The Tallow Wife from the PoV of Theodora’s (from Sister, Sister) grandson. I loved the deep connections between the stories, but I wasn’t a huge fan of this one, but it was better than The Tallow Wife.

Bearskin – 3 stars Cordelia’s (The Tallow Wife) son, Torden, is forced to be a hunter and it is a sweet story. I don’t think it was the best way to end the collection, but it was nice. I really want more stories set in the world because I need to know if Cordelia gets her children back and exacts revenge.

Overall, Slatter’s short story collection, A Feast of Sorrows, is a strong set of stories that stand out individually and compliment each other. I recommend this to fans of dark retellings and someone who is looking for something along the lines of Tor Shorts. I’m definitely looking forward to more from Slatter.


Cover Thoughts: I don’t like this cover, but I knew immediately when I saw that it had something to do with fairytales. I also think it may be a little hint to the Bluebeard’s Daughter and the “Have an apple” line.

Thank you, Netgalley and Prime Books, for providing me with a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Book – A Feast of Sorrows: Stories
Author – Angela Slatter
Star rating - ★★☆☆☆
No. of Pages – 304
Would I read it again – No.
Genre – Fantasy, Short Story, Fairy Tales, Collection, Anthology


** COPY RECEIVED THROUGH NETGALLEY **



This came labeled as a comic/graphic novel on Netgalley, so I'll admit that I'm a little disappointed to find that it's no such thing. It's actually a collection of stories, like any other novel/novella that collects various stories within its pages. There are no illustrations, no comic pages, nor any graphic novel material. It's an anthology of short stories within the 'fairy tales' theme.

I have to admit, though I was initially excited to read this book, I felt a sense of foreboding as I read the 'Introduction'. I didn't like the tone nor the constant lyrical waxing about the author. It didn't set me up well for the story. I don't want to be told that I'm going to fall under a spell or fall in love with the stories and the author before I've even started. I want to make up my own mind. And this Introduction just really rubbed me up the wrong way. Other people might love it and think it a fun little piece, but it made fun of the entire wicca belief system and the concepts of magic, sorcery and reading. It turned me off the book entirely, before I even got to the first story.

After that, unfortunately, things didn't get much better. I found myself bogged down in info dumps, bracketed excess information or jokes, and extra emphasis within quotation marks. I wasn't a fan of the writing style, especially as the stories were told in 1st person – my least favourite POV – and some switched between past and present tense. It was just too biographical and too choked with unimportant details for me to really get into any of the stories without wishing it would just get on with it.

There are some dark themes in here, too, which makes sense for dark fairytales, but I really wasn't expected to face themes of rape, incest or murder, without at least the slightest trigger warning. There's also themes of cheating and pedophilia. I certainly appreciated the appearance of a lesbian character, but wasn't thrilled by how she was portrayed.

Overall, this just wasn't the book or author for me.

Sorry I never got to this one before my time ran out and so didn't get to review it.

Perfect for people who love dark and depressing stories, but not for anyone who'd like a happy ending.

The book is the first United States collection whic has fourteen of her stories. The stories are dark fairy tales. The stories are about strong women and girlssome of these are fairy tales being retold. The stories are a combination of fantasy and horror. For example, Bluebeard' daughter is the traditional Bluebeard story but has blended Snow White and Hansel and Gretal into it.

The author's storyingtelling is fantastic! It kept me reading the collection and when the book ended, I realized that I wanted more to read. The author has a new follower for her great writing.dont miss out on reading this talented writer!

A lovely little collection of dark and twisted fairy tales.

A Feast of Sorrows by Angela Slatter is a collection of short stories, almost all of them reprints. Long-term followers of this blog will know that I am a big fan of Slatter's stories and I have previously read and reviewed The Bitterwood Bible and Other Recountings and Sourdough and Other Stories, both of which I loved. A Feast of Sorrows contains some stories from those two collections, which I haven't reviewed a second time, as well as stories new to me and stories not set in the same universe.

A Feast of Sorrows—Angela Slatter’s first U.S. collection—features twelve of the World Fantasy and British Fantasy Award-winning Australian author’s finest, darkest fairy tales, and adds two new novellas to her marvelous cauldron of fiction.

Stories peopled by women and girls—fearless, frightened, brave, bold, frail, and fantastical—who take the paths less traveled by, accept (and offer) poisoned apples, and embrace transformation in all its forms. Reminiscent of Angela Carter at her best, Slatter’s work is both timeless and fresh: fascinating new reflections from the enchanted mirrors of fairy tales and folklore.

Slatter's stories are always beautifully written and those included in this collection are no exception. I think, overall, I have preferred her "mosaic novel" volumes of stories, rather than those, like A Feast of Sorrows (or Black-Winged Angels), which are more thematically than literally linked. That doesn't stop the stories themselves from being gorgeous, of course, and I also suspect I would have enjoyed this volume more if all the stories had been new to me.

That said, I was delighted to learn, when reading the Afterword containing Slatter's notes on each story, that the last three stories in A Feast of Sorrows will form the opening of another mosaic novel, to be called The Tallow-Wife and Other Tales. Certainly something I'm looking forward to.

My notes on the individual stories, written as I read them and skipping most of those I'd read before:

"Dresses, three" — A tale of magical dresses, their maker, her son, and their wearer.

"Bluebeard’s Daughter" — A brew of fairytales. A poisoned Apple, a witch with a house made out of confectionery, and a girl too clever to be easily trapped.
"The Jacaranda Wife" — Similar in general ideas to a selkie story, but with a woman that comes from a jacaranda tree rather than a seal.

"Light as Mist, Heavy as Hope" — Rumplestiltskin, more or less. Read this one before, but reread it because I couldn't remember the ending. A tale of mother-daughter bonds.


"The Tallow-Wife" — A longer story that I think is set in the Bitterwood/Sourdough universe (or Angelia, as Theodora Goss dubs it in the introduction). I enjoyed the story about a wife and mother coming to terms/realisation with some of her life choices, but I didn't find the ending very satisfying as I have many of Slatter's same-world stories.

"What Shines Brightest Burns Most Fiercely" — To my delight, this story follows on with some of the characters from the previous one, "The Tallow-Wife", and improves it by association/continuation. It also gives a bit more insight into side characters as one gets a deserved comeuppance.
"Bearskin" — Another story linked with the previous two. An unfortunate tale about an unhappy child and his questionable fate.


As I keen saying, Slatter's stories are wonderful and I cannot recommend them enough to all fantasy fans. As far as collections of short stories to start with go, this one is a good a place as any and gives a reasonable cross-section of Slatter's work. As ever, I look forward to reading of Slatter's work as soon as I can get my hands on it.

4.5 / 5 stars

First published: 2016, Prime Books
Series: Not really, but some stories are linked to others in other volumes.
Format read: eARC
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Challenges: Australian Women Writers Challenge

A beautifully structured book that just entrances the reader. Loved every moment of this novel.