Mirror, Mirror is an anthology featuring delightful stories by J.D. Robb, Mary Blayney, Elaine Fox, Mary Kay McComas and R.C. Ryan. Each author provides a wonderful twist on a familiar fairy tale, ranging from a version of Hansel and Gretel (who knew that the Amber Alert would still be in use in the future?) to a magical coin that complicates a maid’s tendency to try out other folks’ beds, a sleeping Prince who falls afoul of an evil fairy, a generous woman who tends to collect matches and a woman who has trouble believing in happy ever afters, especially with her mean stepmother undermining her. Each author deftly gives a new perspective to a classic story.
A fun combination of stories that celebrate love, both in the stories themselves and in the dedication that each author has penned. I am always entranced by J.D. Robb (aka Nora Roberts) and her ability to conjure up vivid situations yet stay true to her characters and I loved the contrasting twin bonds showcased intertwined with the good witch/bad witch scenario presented in Taken in Death. The meek but resourceful maid and the wily war veteran provide a entertaining but occasionally a bit contrived story in Mary Blayney’s If Wishes Were Horses but I still enjoy the adventures provided by the persistent magic coin. Elaine Fox does a nice switch with Beauty Sleeping and I was entertained by Aunt Malva’s modernization and I thought the transformation of the Prince was very nicely portrayed. Mary Kay McComas had an interesting twist on the Match Girl story and although I thought it took awhile for the story to get to the point and I didn’t appreciate some of the events, I enjoyed the miraculous solution provided in The Christmas Comet. Last but certainly not least...finding out the hero’s last name provided a wonderful chuckle while reading the romantic tale Stroke of Midnight by R.C. Ryan (Ruth Ryan Langan). All of these stories celebrate love and fantasy and provided an entertaining read that left me with a warm happy glow. I look forward to seeing what the next anthology conjures up in the fertile imaginations of these talented writers.
© Night Owl Reviews
I received a copy of this title in return for an honest review.
Mirror, Mirror (Amazon link)
This sounds like a really good book, I definately want to check it out---Rae
ReplyDeleteThanks for visiting Rae! I love it when authors do a nice job of rewriting favorite fairy tales and I thought these were fun reads.
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