Shaykitteh's World of Books

Wishes and Sorrows is a collection of stories all linked together through myth or magic. From a retelling of Cinderella through the ages, told by a fairy who unintentionally put Cinderella and her Prince on a path where they would never be together, to a version of Frankenstein's monster, this is a fun collection with many unique stories.

I've noticed a theme, especially in recent years, to put a modern or different twist on an old tale... usually Fairy Tales. While Speer does include a few retold fairy tales, this collection contains new and unique stories as well. My favorite story of them all was probably One Hundred Eight Degrees, the story of a woman who once lived in a magical world and has to make the choice between power and love. The darkness found in The Jester's Heart shows how magic and bitterness can twist a person's soul, and is a great story to show what can happen with someone who is pushed too far. Every Word I Speak is the continuation of the kind girl from the fairy tale Toads and Diamonds and we see that "Happily Ever After" isn't always true.

Over all, this is a really good collection of short stories. Since I received a review copy from Netgalley, so there may be some minor changes in the final edition. While I did notice a few typos and grammatical errors, they weren't enough to detract from the overall enjoyment of the stories.