Sometimes the strangest places to visit are right in your own area. Ms Constatne shows the fears and horrors of life right here, as well as in lands far away. Terrifyingly addictive. ( )

This e-book was sent to me by accident, when the publisher sent it instead of the Early Reviewer book I was picked to receive. After sending me the correct book, which I read and reviewed, I decided to read this book and review it as well. I'm glad I made that decision because I enjoyed the majority of the stories and found a new author to read.

The tales in this anthology were inspired by bits and pieces of anecdotes Storm Constantine was told by friends. She embellishes them with fantasy elements to create engaging and atmospheric tales. The stories vary in amount of fantasy elements used. One story tells of a bored woman who walks down a familiar street that becomes a new reality full of exotic sensations. Another story I enjoyed is a coming of age story set during a Summer holiday. A story that has stayed with me is about a cousin that is passed from one relative to another because of his strangeness. Like all anthologies, some of the stories are better than others. I was impressed with her writing and will look for more of her works. ( )

A nice collection of stories but nothing that stands out strongly. ( )

I thought this was a great opportunity to get to know the author's work. However, it didn't work out for me - half of the stories I skipped through because I was bored to sleep or just didn't care about characters or plot or both. I definitely feel kind of like an outsider with my opinion, but I can't help it. I did expect something great and inspiring from such a praised author and started reading with a "I surely can't go wrong with that author" attitude in mind.

True, I'm not a big fan of short stories, but then again I encountered some great collections anyway (e.g. Braunbeck or Burke, and do I really need to mention King?). Okay, fantasy is not my favorite genre either, but this is not only about fantasy, or is it!? Of course, there were a number of fantasy tales featuring all the characteristics I dislike about it - ridiculous invented names, overly long descriptions of needless details and even longer (but not necessarily important) dialogues. Which makes me wonder if maybe this is not the wrong kind of book, but I'm the wrong kind of reader for it. Does this make sense? Funny thing is, I do understand and respect why other readers would love these stories, because the stories are really well-written and original and fantastic. As you see, this book left me with a lot of questions, so I'll finish with this last one: is it plausible to recommend a book I didn't enjoy reading myself?

(I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review) ( )

I received a free copy of this anthology from the Publisher through the Library Thing Early Reviewers Program in exchange for my honest review.

Storm Constantine's prose is poetic, transporting the reader into strange and distant realms peopled by characters who, at the same time, may be beautiful, dark, and terrible. Several of stories reminded me of the original fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm - tales that do not necessarily deliver happy endings.

One of my favorites in the collection, reminiscent of the old tales, is Haven. In this story, a prince named Garland from what I would best describe as a "cookie-cutter" kingdom, happens upon a witch whilst hunting in the forest. The dark lady tells him she is a queen from another land and the prince, intrigued, brings her home with him to his kingdom. What happens afterward is not at all what Garland expected.

Another I particularly enjoyed was Violet's House. This eerie coming-of-age tale centers on cousins who are shipped off in the summer to their Aunt Violet's strangely magical estate, Herons. The narrator of the story, Nan, is the youngest at 14 years of age, and as Constantine tells the story of this fateful summer, we journey along with her as she loses forever her innocence.

These are wonderful stories for anyone who enjoys the genre and this collection is highly recommended. ( )