The Devil's Storybook

By Natalie Babbitt

Every now and then, the Devil likes to pop up into the world for an adventure. He’s a trickster and a mischief-maker, and just as full of vanity and other human failings. But he’s also a gifted storyteller.

I discovered this little gem after looking up books by Natalie Babbitt, who is probably best known for “Tuck Everlasting”. I’ve read a few of her books and enjoy her storytelling. This book has been banned in many schools and towns simply because it’s a book featuring the Devil. Of course this made me even more curious because I could not see Natalie Babbitt writing anything derogatory for children. This is a book full of short stories about the Devil and how he tries to torture and make people’s lives miserable. It ends up being ironic, instructive at times, and pretty humorous. It is one of those books that as a kid reading it, I would’ve been entertained by the stories, but as an adult I was impressed by the underlying wit of the stories. It was interesting to read. It can be along the same tone as Grimm fairy tales.  

I give it a 3 out of 5

The Light Princess and Other Stories

By George MacDonald

When the Light Princess was born, somebody messed up an invitation to her christening and left out her evil aunt, who was a witch. That evil aunt vented her anger by casting a spell on the Princess that left her immune to gravity. Which was a strange (and often inconvenient ) way for things to be -- more than once the wind caught hold of her while she slept, and you can go the most amazing places on the wind if you have no weight.
Then, when the princess got to be a young woman, she met a young prince and fell in love -- and the results of that love are the very essence of this tale . . . Also included in this volume are "The Giant's Heart," and "The Golden Key.”

I’ve been meaning to read more from George McDonald since I discovered that my own name was derived from one of his books. This is a collection of short stories, the main of which is The Light Princess. I adored the story of the Light Princess, and contrary to my initial assumption of her being a Light (as in the opposite of dark) princess, she is actually Light (as in the opposite of heavy) princess. It was funny and clever and felt like a classic fairy tale in every sense. It’s a story about levity and solemnity as well as the power of sacrifice and love. I’d recommend it to anybody who likes fairy tales. The other two stories included in the version I read were The Giant’s Heart and The Golden Key. The Giant’s heart was strange, but oddly endearing. It’s about two kids who set out on a journey to save themselves and other children from a child-eating giant by trying to find where he hid his heart. The Golden Key was a surreal story. It’s about two children who find themselves, for lack of a better word, in fairy land. Their journey is all to do with a Golden Key and what it unlocks. They encounter wonderful creatures and gods. It felt a bit disjointed, but I feel like I missed something and it makes me want to go back and read it again. It has a depth in the tone of the telling that I’m sure I missed the meaning behind it. This was, overall, a very satisfying read.

I give The Light Princess a 4.5 out of 5

I give The Giant’s Heart a 3.25 out of 5

I give The Golden Key a 3.5 out of 5

Those Extraordinary Twins

By Mark Twain

Those Extraordinary Twins came about because they were original characters in Twains other novel Puddin’ Head Wilson, but seeing that they detracted from the novel, he deleted all scenes that held the twins, and this novel is their story that was taken from Puddin’ Head Wilson.

Luigi and Angelo Capello are conjoined twins that move into the house of a widow and her daughter. They share peculiarities, such as the fact that when Angelo drinks, only Luigi gets drunk, and when Luigi is sick, only Angelo is able to take the medicine to make him well. The twins also share this peculiarity: Only one of the twins can control the body for one week at a time. This strange and oddly entertaining story is the kind of satirical nonsense you expect from the sarcastic Twain. While not feeling like a true novel, and being more of a series of stories about the Twins. It’s strange. It’s funny. It’s plain confusing at times. It was enjoyable at times and boring at others. I don’t  think I’d recommend this one to just anybody, probably just literature lovers that are familiar with and enjoy Twain’s writing.

I give it a 3 out of 5

The Blood Prince

By Jeff Wilson

Centuries have passed since the last of the great Sigil Knights, practitioners of lost arts, walked the earth wielding spiritual powers that are now only spoken of as part of myths and legends. Captain Aisen, a military officer in the newly re-founded Sigil Order, is returning home where his life will be altered forever.

His grandfather, Duke Kyreth Edorin, has died, and his body lies in preparation for a burial in the family crypts. As the heir to House Edorin, Aisen will be forced to leave his life as a soldier behind and assume the role of the next leader of his house. With help from his younger brother, Beonen, and his allies within the Sigil Corps, Aisen hopes to build relationships with the other noble houses and gain the respect of the people entrusted to his care.

Confronted by betrayal, Aisen will be shaped in ways which will give rise his reputation as the feared Blood Prince, and threaten to throw the nation of Nar Edor into a deadly conflict.

This is a promising start to what I hope (and expect) will be a great addition to the genre of fantasy. The form and style of writing reminded me of all the greats in high fantasy, everything was well fleshed out and felt realistic and credible. I was appreciative of the fact that it was so professionally written unlike many e-books that contain amateurish writing. I particularly enjoyed the main character Aisen and how his personality was explained through his reluctance as well as his ultimate actions in the finale of the short story. I was impressed with the depth of his character in the short amount of time in which he was introduced, and was excited by not knowing if he was intended to be a hero or a villain within the Archon Sigil Trilogy. I'll be happy to work that out when the first book is released this year. So congratulations Jeff for writing something that has me more than willing to read the full novels when they are released.
There was one thing that made the reading of this short story and prequel difficult, which is mostly just my own opinion. The beginning was challenging, where the specifics in names and places, and the general background of the world we are introduced to was overwhelming and confusing. I had to ignore the specifics I was being handed in favor of the generalities of the story. There was too much name-dropping for me to keep track of things in such a short amount of time. I would've appreciated being fed the specifics at a slower rate. Though, when the fighting began, Jeff was so detailed that I could see every thrust and parry, every move and counter move vividly.
When all is said and done, if you enjoy fantasy genres and kings and peasants, knights and mystical swords, then give this a go and see if the novels are going to be something you'll love. I can say for certain that if you like any of the above things, you'll love this short story (and probably the novels when they appear).

Content warning: There is a scene that has a pretty violent battle that includes a fair amount of bloodshed. I was cringing, but not sick to my stomach (thank heavens). It’d probably be like a PG-13 action film (think Lord of the Rings battles).

I give it a 4 out of 5

To Be Read at Dusk

By Charles Dickens

There isn’t really a synopsis for this short story by Dickens, so I’ll just summarize and review right here. This is a story about a man who is watching a beautiful sunset in the Swiss Alps and happens to evesdrop on five couriers as they tell a ghost story. While not particularly frightening for people who are used to gore and movies like Ouija and The Ring, it is a nice little ghost story for the time period and a quick fun read. I can’t really explain more without giving things away. So, if you like Dickens, if you like a traditional ghost story, then this is worth the hour it takes to read it. Oh, and I recommend taking the author's advice. Read it at dusk!

I give it a 3 out of 5- average.

Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle

By Betty McDonald

Everyone loves Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle. She lives in an upside-down house and smells like cookies. She was even married to a pirate once. Most of all, she knows everything about children. She can cure them of any ailment. Patsy hates baths. Robert never puts anything away. Allen eats v-e-r-y slowly. Mrs. Piggle Wiggle has a treatment for all of them.

I loved Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle as a kid. I found it hilarious to read about all these ill-behaved children and the ingenious cures that this little old lady came up with for bewildered parents. The book is cleverly written, and read more as a series of short stories containing different little children in each chapter with a different problem. I still like to read them and am happy to say there a quite a few Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle books to read, this being the first. I was reading these along with Junie B. Jones when I was in elementary.

I give it a 4 out of 5

The Memory of a Salt Shaker

By Bernard M. Cox

Bert discovers the salt in an ordinary salt shaker gives him the power to see his life through the eyes of his deceased wife. This magical realist short story is the first story in The Space Within These Lines collection exploring memory and loss in an effort to show that which connects all people, the power of love.

 

This short story was endearing and creative. A man, who tragically loses his wife by violent means, finds that when he uses salt from their salt shaker he is able to see memories of their lives together through her eyes. It is told in short spouts of memory and the loss unfolds as well as their love. It is a unique way to show how people deal with the death of loved ones.  There is mature content; sexual references and some smoking.

I give it a 3.5 out of 5

The Bone Knife

By Intisar Khanani

Rae knows how to look out for family. Born with a deformed foot, she feigns indifference to the pity and insults that come her way. Wary of all things beautiful, Rae instantly distrusts their latest visitor: an appallingly attractive faerie. Further, his presence imperils the secret her sister guards. But when the local townspeople show up demanding his blood, Rae must find a way to protect both her sister’s secret and their guest. Even if that means risking herself.

 

There was only one bad thing about this story. It was way too short. This was fantastically written, simple and beautiful and the world was magic. I would read anything this author wrote in a heartbeat if this short story is any indication. It was fantastic. I really really wanted it to keep going. I loved the characters and the faerie was so abnormal and creative. Rae was a great character and immediately deep.  I would recommend this story to anybody who loves a good tale. Bravo.

P.S. It's free if you have a Kindle!

I give it a 4.5 out of 5