Zavora: Website • Facebook • TwitterFormat: eBook,
Source: Author
Release Date: June 3, 2013
Age Group: Adult
Get It: Amazon
Enter a world of dark beauty…~synopsis provided by GoodreadsInspirationsby Ava Zavora
This collection of enchanting and disturbing stories ranging from fantasy to speculative fiction will leave you spellbound! (Includes retellings of Beauty and the Beast)
Transfigured – The Beast has changed back to a handsome prince, yet Beauty finds out that although some curses may be broken, they are never completely destroyed.
No Loyal Knight and True – In this modern-day retelling of Tennyson’s The Lady of Shalott, a boyhood encounter with an odd girl who lives in a tower alters the course of Ryan’s destiny.
Belle Noir – Young Jane flees from her abusive father into a seemingly perfect marriage only to find that the darkest hearts are never revealed until it is too late.
Grotesque – A woman hardened by a difficult past witnesses a horrifying tragedy and undergoes a magical transformation.
Mirabilis (A Novelette) – Rosaria's life changes the day the veiled and mysterious Lord Devlin hires her to cure him of a terrible curse.
***Some stories contain mature subject matter. 18+***
Any talk of fairy tales and writing in general begins and ends with Beauty by Robin McKinley. This enchanting book is probably the reason why Beauty and the Beast runs in my blood and why I ever wanted to write in the first place. I know I can never approach McKinley's version - but I think I gave it a fair try with three retellings :)
Aside from the classic fairy tale, my other obsession has to do with Tennyson's The Lady of Shalott. Like many overly dramatic teenage girls, I identified with John William Waterhouse's painting, which hung on my bedroom wall.
Her story haunted me so much that I was compelled to write about her. I was determined to weave a happy ending in counterpoint to the tragic one of the poem. However, despite my intentions, the story took on a life of its own, and as the Lady says, "What has already been woven cannot be undone."
Trivia: did you know that "If I Die Young" by The Band Perry was inspired by The Lady of Shalott? You can see the lead singer holding a volume of Tennyson's poetry in the video as she lies on the boat.
I am not a fan of short stories. It's hard for me to get into the stories and connect with the characters. I always end up wanting more and end up disappointed. It takes a special type of collection to get me to even pick up the collection. Of course, fairy tales are right up my alley. Obviously - see blog title.When Zavora asked me to review her collection, I was a little hesitant, but the synopsis of her stories sounded like something I couldn't pass up. And I'm glad I didn't.
Of all the stories, Transfigured has got to be my favorite. In this story, happily ever after is not where Beast and Beauty ended up. The Beast is now a handsome prince - king? - but he is haunted by his curse. He stays in his own wing and Beauty stays in hers on the opposite side of the castle. He's the perfect husband... in public. Beauty tries all that she can to connect with him, but he rebukes her every effort. After years of being in an unhappy marriage, Beauty finally takes things into her own hands.
This story was beautiful and tragic. I thought it was the perfect length and really told the story of what happened after the curse was broken. It is far from the Disney version of this tale and really grasps your attention. It was one of the rare short stories where I didn't want more, as it would have ruined the ending and been too much.
Each of the following stories are equally tragic in their own way. You pity the characters, especially Jane in Belle Noir. And in No Loyal Knight and True, which has a nice mixture of fantasy and reality, you can't help but feel for the girl who just wants to be loved and ends up scorned. You see how their happiness is so close and within reach only to be ripped violently away in tragic circumstances.
I found the ending of Grotesque a little hard to follow. I would have to reread certain passages to make sure I understood what was happening. However, all around the writing was done very well and full of detail.
Mirabilis was a nice ending for the collection, ending with a note of hope and that just maybe one of the ladies would find the happily ever after she so craved.
While most of them have an element of Beauty and the Beast, they're all different enough that it's not repetitive or mundane. If you're a fan of fairy tale retellings, this is definitely a collection for you to pick up.
As far as the rating goes, I am very conflicted. I tend to stick to whole numbers and only do .5s when I'm really really conflicted. In this case, I am really really really conflicted. It's not a 3.5, it's not quite a 4. Maybe a 3.8? 3.8 sounds good.
Actually 3.8, not 3
