It was hard to select a favourite; although, I had read The Witch of Duva previously and loved the ominous gloom surrounding the story. To be honest, I loved the fresh take each tale took on old stories dried up from telling. The lessons to be learned, the harsh realities we as readers must now bear. From abuse to torture and finally murder. These are tragic, no holds barred, filled with darkness, pain, loss and sometimes a change in character that means no going back, no redemption (yet the reader understands and is empathetic to the outcome). I love the nods to The Nutcracker, The Velveteen Rabbit, Nibble, Nibble Mousekin (which we own), The Little Mermaid and a few others. We are also reacquainted with a well-loved villain from the Shadow and Bone Trilogy (but only briefly, and not by name). These tales will stick with the reader, scrape away the flesh and dig down into the bone ("current caught on some dark thing in [our] hearts"). I enjoyed that in many of the stories the supposed "villain" turns out to be your favourite character, and often times the true hero. Bardugo is very fond of turning monsters into martyrs and tropes into trivialities. I highly recommend this book, there are six folktales in all (placed throughout the Grishaverse/map; although, if she does another set, I hope it will include a tale from Shu Han). You do not have to have read her novels about the Grishaverse to appreciate this work. Some are short/easy reads and some are longer. Just be prepared for shifting your perspective around those well loved fables, and know that they are dark, sometimes twisted, but always entertaining. Breathtaking, they leave an impression long after you turn the last page.
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