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Once Upon a Winter
A shape-shifting spirit haunts a family in England during the depths of winter.
A woman must locate a snowflake for a magical trickster to save her frozen true love.
A witch knocks upon a young man’s door to take his life on Christmas day.
A small boy meets a faerie housed within a snow drop.
Once upon a time stories travelled from place to place on the tongues of merchants and thieves and kings alike. Under the blanket of night they were exchanged between children, and passed on to their children, and their children after them. Details were altered from one generation to the next until thousands of tales existed where once there were few.
In the spirit of these age-old stories comes Once Upon a Winter, a seasonal anthology of folk and fairy tales from 17 authors across the globe. It covers the Gothic, the romantic, the whimsical, the frightening and everything in-between, and features both intriguing twists on classic tales and exciting original stories.
The first of four planned seasonal anthologies from Macfarlane Lantern Publishing, Once Upon a Winter is sure to have a story for just about everyone. Grab your copy in time for Christmas today!
Inside this anthology:
The Biting Cold by Josie Jaffrey
The Match Girl by Rebecca F. Kenney
Santa Claus is Coming to Town by Bharat Krishnan
A Pea Ever After by Adie Hart
The Snowdrop by H. L. Macfarlane
Silverfoot’s Edge by Ella Holmes
The Storm Hags by Caroline Logan
The Boggart of Boggart Hole Clough by Jake Curran-Pipe
Around the Hawthorne Tree by Jenna Smithwick
The Best Girl this Side of Winter by Laila Amado
The Snow Trolls by S. Markem
Lord of the Forest by Katherine Shaw
Queen of the Snows by Joyce Reynolds-Ward
Long Meg and the Sorcerer’s Stones by M. J. Weatherall
The Frost of Mercy by A. J. Van Belle
Wintercast by R. A. Gerritse
You Can’t See Me by Kate Longstone
A woman must locate a snowflake for a magical trickster to save her frozen true love.
A witch knocks upon a young man’s door to take his life on Christmas day.
A small boy meets a faerie housed within a snow drop.
Once upon a time stories travelled from place to place on the tongues of merchants and thieves and kings alike. Under the blanket of night they were exchanged between children, and passed on to their children, and their children after them. Details were altered from one generation to the next until thousands of tales existed where once there were few.
In the spirit of these age-old stories comes Once Upon a Winter, a seasonal anthology of folk and fairy tales from 17 authors across the globe. It covers the Gothic, the romantic, the whimsical, the frightening and everything in-between, and features both intriguing twists on classic tales and exciting original stories.
The first of four planned seasonal anthologies from Macfarlane Lantern Publishing, Once Upon a Winter is sure to have a story for just about everyone. Grab your copy in time for Christmas today!
Inside this anthology:
The Biting Cold by Josie Jaffrey
The Match Girl by Rebecca F. Kenney
Santa Claus is Coming to Town by Bharat Krishnan
A Pea Ever After by Adie Hart
The Snowdrop by H. L. Macfarlane
Silverfoot’s Edge by Ella Holmes
The Storm Hags by Caroline Logan
The Boggart of Boggart Hole Clough by Jake Curran-Pipe
Around the Hawthorne Tree by Jenna Smithwick
The Best Girl this Side of Winter by Laila Amado
The Snow Trolls by S. Markem
Lord of the Forest by Katherine Shaw
Queen of the Snows by Joyce Reynolds-Ward
Long Meg and the Sorcerer’s Stones by M. J. Weatherall
The Frost of Mercy by A. J. Van Belle
Wintercast by R. A. Gerritse
You Can’t See Me by Kate Longstone
369 pages, Paperback
Published November 15, 2021
14 people are currently reading
246 people want to read
About the author
H.L. Macfarlane
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NOTE: H. L. Macfarlane is currently on a publishing hiatus to focus on her mental health. She hopes to return with new titles in early 2026 and appreciates your understanding in the meantime.
Hayley Louise Macfarlane hails from the very tiny hamlet of Balmaha on the shores of Loch Lomond in Scotland. After graduating with a PhD in molecular genetics she did a complete 180 and moved into writing fiction. Though she loves writing multiple genres (fantasy, romance, sci-fi, psychological fiction and horror so far!) she is most widely known for her enemies-to-lovers STEM rom-com, The Unbalanced Equation, and her Gothic, Scottish fairy tale, Prince of Foxes � book one of the Bright Spear trilogy.
NOTE: H. L. Macfarlane is currently on a publishing hiatus to focus on her mental health. She hopes to return with new titles in early 2026 and appreciates your understanding in the meantime.
Hayley Louise Macfarlane hails from the very tiny hamlet of Balmaha on the shores of Loch Lomond in Scotland. After graduating with a PhD in molecular genetics she did a complete 180 and moved into writing fiction. Though she loves writing multiple genres (fantasy, romance, sci-fi, psychological fiction and horror so far!) she is most widely known for her enemies-to-lovers STEM rom-com, The Unbalanced Equation, and her Gothic, Scottish fairy tale, Prince of Foxes � book one of the Bright Spear trilogy.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews
February 20, 2022
An interesting anthology with many outstanding stories. The book is the first of four planned anthologies based on the seasons, with summer, spring, and autumn to follow. The idea is to put on paper the inherent essence of each season. This book is based on winter, so all the stories are set against a cold, snowy background. As the editor’s note declares, for winter, the intention is to capture "its darkest, deepest depths."
The tagline on the cover suggests that it is also a “folk and fairy tale anthology�. Thus all the tales have this fantastical setting that involves magic and mystique, spookiness and surrealism, romance and regret. The collection contains 17 stories from a variety of writing styles. Some are scary, some are funny, some are emotional, some are simply bizarre. The collection goes to show how fairy tales and folk tales are much beyond what people assume them to be. They aren’t always light and frothy. If you read the original Grimm’s fairy tales, you will know how dark and atmospheric they can get. This collection is more on those lines.
Most of the stories in this collection were wonderful. They gave me exactly what I look for in short stories � an impactful experience without compromising on the plot structure or character development. The few that I didn’t enjoy were more because they weren’t my type of stories rather than because of writing fallacies. What’s important is that none of the stories felt similar to each other or repetitive in their themes. It was like reading a multitude of books bound together in a single volume. There are a couple of retellings included in the line-up, and surprisingly to me, I enjoyed the retellings even better than I did the original stories.
My favourites from this collection are:
Overall, this was a highly satisfying experience, and I look forward to reading the other three books of this season-based anthology series. Definitely recommended to short story lovers and fantasy lovers.
3.75 stars, based on the average of my ratings for the seventeen stories.
My thanks to Macfarlane Lantern Publishing and BookSirens for the DRC of “Once Upon a Winter�. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
***
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The tagline on the cover suggests that it is also a “folk and fairy tale anthology�. Thus all the tales have this fantastical setting that involves magic and mystique, spookiness and surrealism, romance and regret. The collection contains 17 stories from a variety of writing styles. Some are scary, some are funny, some are emotional, some are simply bizarre. The collection goes to show how fairy tales and folk tales are much beyond what people assume them to be. They aren’t always light and frothy. If you read the original Grimm’s fairy tales, you will know how dark and atmospheric they can get. This collection is more on those lines.
Most of the stories in this collection were wonderful. They gave me exactly what I look for in short stories � an impactful experience without compromising on the plot structure or character development. The few that I didn’t enjoy were more because they weren’t my type of stories rather than because of writing fallacies. What’s important is that none of the stories felt similar to each other or repetitive in their themes. It was like reading a multitude of books bound together in a single volume. There are a couple of retellings included in the line-up, and surprisingly to me, I enjoyed the retellings even better than I did the original stories.
My favourites from this collection are:
The Biting Cold - Josie Jaffrey - The second person made it a bit difficult to get into at the beginning but soon the story caught me by its frosty tentacles. Amazing imagination! - 🌟🌟🌟🌟💫
The Match Girl - Rebecca F. Kenney - Retelling of the original fairy tale by the same name, darker and yet lighter. - 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Santa Claus is Coming to Town - Bharat Krishnan - Takes the urban legend of ‘Nale Ba� from Bangalore and transfers it to a Christmas setting in the USA. I kind of expected the ending but I still enjoyed it. - 🌟🌟🌟🌟💫
A Pea Ever After - Adie Hart � ‘Princess and the Pea� retelling, and what a fabulous job of turning that clichéd story into a sweet yet intriguing one. - 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
The Snowdrop - H.L. MacFarlane - Retelling of some folk tale I had read but I couldn't figure out which one. Kind of like Thumbelina, but with a twist. The story was superb but the end was a tad too hackneyed. - 🌟🌟🌟🌟
The Best Girl This Side of Winter - Laila Amado - Lovely story but seems very inspired from the night watchers of Game of Thrones. - 🌟🌟🌟🌟
The Snow Trolls - S. Markem - A story that keeps you laughing from start to end. No thanks to the fun, conversational style is written in. Perfect! - 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Lord of the Forest - Katherine Shaw - Though it's easy to set where things were going, it's still wonderfully written. - 🌟🌟🌟🌟💫
Overall, this was a highly satisfying experience, and I look forward to reading the other three books of this season-based anthology series. Definitely recommended to short story lovers and fantasy lovers.
3.75 stars, based on the average of my ratings for the seventeen stories.
My thanks to Macfarlane Lantern Publishing and BookSirens for the DRC of “Once Upon a Winter�. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
***
Join me on the Facebook group, , for more reviews, book-related discussions and fun.
December 20, 2022
3.8 Stars
One Liner: A satisfying read
Once Upon a Winter is a collection of seventeen stories, a combination of fairytale retellings and originals. The stories range from lighthearted to dark, middle grade to adult, and fantasy to romance. Readers who like multiple genres will enjoy this book more than others.
The highlight of the book is that each story was unique. No two stories felt similar, despite the common thread of fairytale and folklore themes running through them.
Listing my favorites below (in the order as printed in the book):
� The Biting Cold by Josie Jaffrey: This is fantastic. The narration pulls you right into the story and keeps you there until the end (even if you can guess what will happen).
� Santa Claus is Coming to Town by Bharat Krishnan: Read this more for acing the character’s tone rather than the storyline.
� A Pea Ever After by Adie Hart: This is probably the best retelling I’ve read in a long time. It’s just too good!
� The Snowdrop by H. L. Macfarlane: My heart went aww� reading this one. Such a sweet one, though the ending is predictable.
� The Best Girl this Side of Winter by Laila Amado: An adventurous MG fantasy. What's not to like.
� The Snow Trolls by S. Markem: Do not read this when eating or drinking. You’ll enjoy the narrative style and the execution.
� Lord of the Forest by Katherine Shaw: You can’t have a story with a mythical creature from a forest and expect me not to like it. Short yet powerful.
� Long Meg and the Sorcerer’s Stones by M. J. Weatherall: Almost made it to my best list. It should have been longer and more fleshed out.
To Sum up, Once Upon a Winter is a lovely collection of multiple genres, themes, and tales set in snowy white lands, castles, forests, and mysterious villages.
My thanks to Macfarlane Lantern Publishing and BookSirens for the digital review copy. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
One Liner: A satisfying read
Once Upon a Winter is a collection of seventeen stories, a combination of fairytale retellings and originals. The stories range from lighthearted to dark, middle grade to adult, and fantasy to romance. Readers who like multiple genres will enjoy this book more than others.
The highlight of the book is that each story was unique. No two stories felt similar, despite the common thread of fairytale and folklore themes running through them.
Listing my favorites below (in the order as printed in the book):
� The Biting Cold by Josie Jaffrey: This is fantastic. The narration pulls you right into the story and keeps you there until the end (even if you can guess what will happen).
� Santa Claus is Coming to Town by Bharat Krishnan: Read this more for acing the character’s tone rather than the storyline.
� A Pea Ever After by Adie Hart: This is probably the best retelling I’ve read in a long time. It’s just too good!
� The Snowdrop by H. L. Macfarlane: My heart went aww� reading this one. Such a sweet one, though the ending is predictable.
� The Best Girl this Side of Winter by Laila Amado: An adventurous MG fantasy. What's not to like.
� The Snow Trolls by S. Markem: Do not read this when eating or drinking. You’ll enjoy the narrative style and the execution.
� Lord of the Forest by Katherine Shaw: You can’t have a story with a mythical creature from a forest and expect me not to like it. Short yet powerful.
� Long Meg and the Sorcerer’s Stones by M. J. Weatherall: Almost made it to my best list. It should have been longer and more fleshed out.
To Sum up, Once Upon a Winter is a lovely collection of multiple genres, themes, and tales set in snowy white lands, castles, forests, and mysterious villages.
My thanks to Macfarlane Lantern Publishing and BookSirens for the digital review copy. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
Read
January 22, 2023
paused // final review to come
Okay, I’m going to try and review the stories individually, but it might take me a while because I’m a slow, distracted, mood reader and I tend to dip in and out of anthologies, but I’m going to try and get through this one ASAP! All the stories look excellent and there are multiple names I recognise, so I can’t wait!
I’ve finished nearly all of the stories in here, I’ve only got a few left and I’ve hand written some of the reviews in my notebook, so I’m going to try and get the book finished soon and type up the rest of the reviews ASAP, but I’m not sure when I’ll get to them, so I’m pausing this for now!
Josie Jaffrey’s The Biting Cold:
You already know that winter is a thing with teeth.
I loved this one. I loved it and was horrified by it and was left with my mouth open going NO NO NO � but in that really good way that only happens when you’re reading a horror story that is wonderfully well done in its all-encompassing horrific-ness. This story follows a young unnamed main character (second person perspective) who lives alone in the wilderness. They grow and hunt and source their food; somewhere in the distance, a village is growing. Each winter that passes, the food gets less and less, and a monster within the forest grows bigger, hungrier, more metallic and plastic. I don’t want to give more away than that, because it’s quite short and you need to read it, but I was utterly impressed with Jaffrey’s idea and her prose. Just, all around excellent stuff.
Note: In a way that I can’t really explain, this story made me think of . That novel doesn’t have a monster, nor is it horror, but the heavy focus on human waste really takes front and centre in both. Again, nothing similar in terms of plotting, but it did spring to mind!
Rebecca F. Kenney’s The Match Girl:
She was dying of cold. Dying, in a town full of people, full of houses swelling with heat and light, bursting with fragrance and food. She was dying, because they were too frightened, too comfortable, too careless and cruel to let her in.
I’ve had Kenney’s books on my list for a while now (I own a few of them already and can’t wait!) but my TBR is long, long, long and I haven’t been able to dive in just yet, so I was delighted to get to The Match Girl. This fantastical short follows a young witch named Ember who finds herself alone in the world. She tries to get by, but no one trusts a witch, even when she does no harm and wants only to survive. She quickly discovers that her guardian left her matches that could very well save her.
I thought this story was super original and I really liked how it ended. Dare I ask for a sequel? I want to know more about what happens next!
Bharat Krishnan’s Santa Claus is Coming to Town:
Sometimes, it’s better to believe in silly stories than try and learn the truth. Sometimes, ignorance really is bliss.
This story follows young Carter, who learns about the Nale Ba at his friend Vignesh’s house while over for dinner. (Also, Carter and I could not be more in disagreement because Shubha’s food sounded really good!)
The witch has no real name, but we call her Nale Ba. It means “come tomorrow� in Kannada.
I had never heard of the Nale Ba before this - she’s a witch who comes on Christmas, and I thought it was a really interesting take on Christmas tales. This one blends Indian folklore with Christmas and has a bit of a horror twist.
Also, I had to laugh at the opening scene with Mr Krishnaswamy dealing with the HOA lady. So funny!
“Sandy, please, you know that HOA regulations don’t apply to religious practices. I’m begging you: care about something else.�
Adie Hart’s A Pea Ever After:
I’ve seen a lot of strange things in my time as a District Witch, but even I wasn’t expecting a man-sized peacock to open the castle door.
The Princess and the Pea is a fairy tale I vividly recall from my childhood. I think I watched an animated cartoon of it, but for the life of me I cannot remember what it was called (darn it!). I remember the colours, though. And how the princess couldn’t sleep. Hart’s twist on the tale is, I must say, quite splendid! In this retelling, Elsie, the local district witch, takes shelter from a snowstorm in a castle. She’s instantly thrown into the strangest competition of her life � everyone’s competing for the prince. But, alas, no one actually wants him (and she’s not actually a princess - not that the host seems to care). The problem is, none of them can leave with a storm raging outside.
“There’s no nice way to say this, Percy, but none of us particularly wants to marry you.�
“Oh, charming,� said Percy.
Trapped by a fairy with a controlling desire to fix up poor Prince Percival, her nephew, with a suitable wife, the princesses are put through pea-themed competitions, in pea coloured clothes. Pea, cos, you know, the prince is named Percy and his aunt is called Prudence. ;)
“I shall never even look at a pea again once we get out of here,� declared Harriet. “The woman has a pea obsession.�
Overall I loved the whole colourful cast and I thought the ending was super cute.
Katherine Shaw’s Lord of the Forest:
Of course, they wouldn’t find the Leshii, they never did, and that would only fuel their anger more. Each time it evaded them a new crime was added to the list: spoiling the crops, stealing the livestock, spreading disease, even bringing the heavy blanket of gloom which threatened to suffocate their little rural village.
I loved the atmosphere and plot twists of this woodsy, dark little tale. The way Shaw’s prose beckons you to sink into the woodland setting along with the creatures and trees which surround Anca and the Leshii. I thought this was a truly original, lovely little story and I’d really like to see where Anca goes from here. And while I was so saddened by the ending, it was a great twist.
I can’t wait to read Shaw’s next work!
A. J. Van Belle’s The Frost of Mercy:
When our trees grow old and die, we die with them. But Forsythia is not old. Her tree is not old. It wanes because our soils are depleted of nutrients, because our air is thick with poison from the factory smokestacks along the Gulf Coast. The festering waste of humans� pillage of the Earth is killing Forsythia’s tree, and with it my only remaining sister.
This one was fascinating and ethereal and trippy and strange and beautiful. I loved the science and the workings of the world that Belle describes and I thought it was such an original idea. How all the trees of all the world are connected to each other; how the energy never really dies, but transforms and goes elsewhere and takes on a new form. Such a wonderfully done little tale!
On to the next one!
� | | �
I’ve finished nearly all of the stories in here, I’ve only got a few left and I’ve hand written some of the reviews in my notebook, so I’m going to try and get the book finished soon and type up the rest of the reviews ASAP, but I’m not sure when I’ll get to them, so I’m pausing this for now!
Josie Jaffrey’s The Biting Cold:
You already know that winter is a thing with teeth.
I loved this one. I loved it and was horrified by it and was left with my mouth open going NO NO NO � but in that really good way that only happens when you’re reading a horror story that is wonderfully well done in its all-encompassing horrific-ness. This story follows a young unnamed main character (second person perspective) who lives alone in the wilderness. They grow and hunt and source their food; somewhere in the distance, a village is growing. Each winter that passes, the food gets less and less, and a monster within the forest grows bigger, hungrier, more metallic and plastic. I don’t want to give more away than that, because it’s quite short and you need to read it, but I was utterly impressed with Jaffrey’s idea and her prose. Just, all around excellent stuff.
Note: In a way that I can’t really explain, this story made me think of . That novel doesn’t have a monster, nor is it horror, but the heavy focus on human waste really takes front and centre in both. Again, nothing similar in terms of plotting, but it did spring to mind!
Rebecca F. Kenney’s The Match Girl:
She was dying of cold. Dying, in a town full of people, full of houses swelling with heat and light, bursting with fragrance and food. She was dying, because they were too frightened, too comfortable, too careless and cruel to let her in.
I’ve had Kenney’s books on my list for a while now (I own a few of them already and can’t wait!) but my TBR is long, long, long and I haven’t been able to dive in just yet, so I was delighted to get to The Match Girl. This fantastical short follows a young witch named Ember who finds herself alone in the world. She tries to get by, but no one trusts a witch, even when she does no harm and wants only to survive. She quickly discovers that her guardian left her matches that could very well save her.
I thought this story was super original and I really liked how it ended. Dare I ask for a sequel? I want to know more about what happens next!
Bharat Krishnan’s Santa Claus is Coming to Town:
Sometimes, it’s better to believe in silly stories than try and learn the truth. Sometimes, ignorance really is bliss.
This story follows young Carter, who learns about the Nale Ba at his friend Vignesh’s house while over for dinner. (Also, Carter and I could not be more in disagreement because Shubha’s food sounded really good!)
The witch has no real name, but we call her Nale Ba. It means “come tomorrow� in Kannada.
I had never heard of the Nale Ba before this - she’s a witch who comes on Christmas, and I thought it was a really interesting take on Christmas tales. This one blends Indian folklore with Christmas and has a bit of a horror twist.
Also, I had to laugh at the opening scene with Mr Krishnaswamy dealing with the HOA lady. So funny!
“Sandy, please, you know that HOA regulations don’t apply to religious practices. I’m begging you: care about something else.�
Adie Hart’s A Pea Ever After:
I’ve seen a lot of strange things in my time as a District Witch, but even I wasn’t expecting a man-sized peacock to open the castle door.
The Princess and the Pea is a fairy tale I vividly recall from my childhood. I think I watched an animated cartoon of it, but for the life of me I cannot remember what it was called (darn it!). I remember the colours, though. And how the princess couldn’t sleep. Hart’s twist on the tale is, I must say, quite splendid! In this retelling, Elsie, the local district witch, takes shelter from a snowstorm in a castle. She’s instantly thrown into the strangest competition of her life � everyone’s competing for the prince. But, alas, no one actually wants him (and she’s not actually a princess - not that the host seems to care). The problem is, none of them can leave with a storm raging outside.
“There’s no nice way to say this, Percy, but none of us particularly wants to marry you.�
“Oh, charming,� said Percy.
Trapped by a fairy with a controlling desire to fix up poor Prince Percival, her nephew, with a suitable wife, the princesses are put through pea-themed competitions, in pea coloured clothes. Pea, cos, you know, the prince is named Percy and his aunt is called Prudence. ;)
“I shall never even look at a pea again once we get out of here,� declared Harriet. “The woman has a pea obsession.�
Overall I loved the whole colourful cast and I thought the ending was super cute.
Katherine Shaw’s Lord of the Forest:
Of course, they wouldn’t find the Leshii, they never did, and that would only fuel their anger more. Each time it evaded them a new crime was added to the list: spoiling the crops, stealing the livestock, spreading disease, even bringing the heavy blanket of gloom which threatened to suffocate their little rural village.
I loved the atmosphere and plot twists of this woodsy, dark little tale. The way Shaw’s prose beckons you to sink into the woodland setting along with the creatures and trees which surround Anca and the Leshii. I thought this was a truly original, lovely little story and I’d really like to see where Anca goes from here. And while I was so saddened by the ending, it was a great twist.
I can’t wait to read Shaw’s next work!
A. J. Van Belle’s The Frost of Mercy:
When our trees grow old and die, we die with them. But Forsythia is not old. Her tree is not old. It wanes because our soils are depleted of nutrients, because our air is thick with poison from the factory smokestacks along the Gulf Coast. The festering waste of humans� pillage of the Earth is killing Forsythia’s tree, and with it my only remaining sister.
This one was fascinating and ethereal and trippy and strange and beautiful. I loved the science and the workings of the world that Belle describes and I thought it was such an original idea. How all the trees of all the world are connected to each other; how the energy never really dies, but transforms and goes elsewhere and takes on a new form. Such a wonderfully done little tale!
On to the next one!
� | | �
December 21, 2021
Overall, this was a fun atmospheric read. The only thing missing in my part of the world was the snowy backdrop to get the full experience. As with any anthology, there were standout stories I love and others that just didn't quite hit the mark for me. But this book was worth it for A Pea Ever After by Adie Hart. I, immediately, scoured the internet for any books or writing by this author. My second favorite was Santa Claus is Coming to Town by Bharat Krishnan. The way that author gave an engaging Christmas horror story was AMAZING. Some stories were a little too purple prose for my tastes but I know that it's more personal preference than anything.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
May 28, 2022
This work is a collection of winter-themed short stories that feel like fairytales and folklore. In total there are seventeen stories that explore various themes and some even revisit familiar stories. Some of the stories were spooky, some contained themes exploring climate change, and others were humorous.
There were several stories that I was absolutely blown away by � honestly, the majority of these stories were quite good. There were only two that I didn’t find to be particularly interesting. This was a fun way to be exposed to many new authors and their works. Despite the theme of the anthology, the stories were not repetitive or too similar, and I greatly enjoyed some of the retellings that were included.
My only complaint about this work was that there were several typos including extra commas and spaces. I loved the winter theme of this anthology, and highly recommend reading it! I’m going to reread it again when it’s not 90 degrees outside.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
There were several stories that I was absolutely blown away by � honestly, the majority of these stories were quite good. There were only two that I didn’t find to be particularly interesting. This was a fun way to be exposed to many new authors and their works. Despite the theme of the anthology, the stories were not repetitive or too similar, and I greatly enjoyed some of the retellings that were included.
My only complaint about this work was that there were several typos including extra commas and spaces. I loved the winter theme of this anthology, and highly recommend reading it! I’m going to reread it again when it’s not 90 degrees outside.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
November 24, 2021
I received an ARC copy for free and am leaving this review voluntarily.
This was the perfect story to kick off winter! Being in a desert, I long for the feeling of cold and this book delivers it in spades! I could feel the cold air, taste the wind on my lips and hear the crunch of snow under my feet. This book will immerse you.
All the stories here are lovely escapes from the ordinary with captivating themes. I learned about new cultural traditions, I discovered a feeling of utter terror combined with joy, and I enjoyed every outing!
I sincerely hope there are other anthologies for the other seasons!
This was the perfect story to kick off winter! Being in a desert, I long for the feeling of cold and this book delivers it in spades! I could feel the cold air, taste the wind on my lips and hear the crunch of snow under my feet. This book will immerse you.
All the stories here are lovely escapes from the ordinary with captivating themes. I learned about new cultural traditions, I discovered a feeling of utter terror combined with joy, and I enjoyed every outing!
I sincerely hope there are other anthologies for the other seasons!
November 19, 2021
Who doesn't adore Fairy tales and Folk Legends? Probably very few; and those who do can revel in this delightful (yes, sometimes scary!) collection from 17 disparate authors around the globe. Get your fairy tale groove on!
ONCE UPON A WINTER is first in a series Celebrating the Seasons.
ONCE UPON A WINTER is first in a series Celebrating the Seasons.
December 3, 2021
A real selection box of stories of differing genres but all themed around the coldness of winter, there's likely something for everyone here. Overall there's nothing I'd say badly written; an odd typo or a strangely meandering tale perhaps, but as I always say of anthologies there's such a range of styles there will always be those that speak to you and those that don't. A couple left me a bit confused, maybe for being overly ambitious to fit into a short story format, but generally the standard is set high here.
Beware the many different genre hops. I kinda wish they'd put notes in these kinds of anthologies, again because some readers will adore a good horror and run a mile from a YA retelling, while others are the complete opposite. Unlike a lot of indie anthologies, the typo standard is also very high; barely a whisper of an error.
My hands down favourites just happened to be fantasy stories: A PEA EVER AFTER by Adie Hart, which is a fun YA romance play on The Princess and the Pea; SILVERFOOT’S EDGE by Ella Holmes, a fae-bargain fantasy that's more than good enough to stand up there with the big names in YA; and THE STORM HAGS by Caroline Logan, which takes The Chosen One trope and gives her a new and breathtaking bittersweet choice to make. These three alone, plus a couple of other strong contenders, made me rate it as highly as I did.
My impressions of the stories included:
� THE BITING COLD by Josie Jaffrey (Fantasy Horror)
A terrifying eco-horror fever-dream of a story where "you" are the main character. Twisted, bizarre and wholly captivating... Even though it was total disturbia, it makes its point felt.
� THE MATCH GIRL by Rebecca F. Kenney (YA Fantasy/Paranormal - CHRISTMAS THEMED)
A very weird and dark reworking of The Little Match Girl whereby said girl isn't so little or innocent as she appears. A little bit sad, but mostly creepy.
� SANTA CLAUS IS COMING TO TOWN by Bharat Krishnan (MG+ Horror - CHRISTMAS THEMED)
A modern Christmas Special Edition of Goosebumps, complete with utterly vile narrating kid insulting other cultures (better hope it doesn't come back to bite yooouuu...) A bit zippy, but still makes a point about the stupidity of prejudice.
� A PEA EVER AFTER by Adie Hart (YA Fantasy)
A witch is mistaken for a princess and is thrown into a battle for Prince Percival's hand in marriage. A battle none of the captive princesses seem too keen on winning... One of those cute, predictable but ultimately satisfying modern inclusive YA takes on a fairy tale. Really sweet, with just enough mini twists within the tale to keep things fresh. Wonderful comfort fluff.
� THE SNOWDROP by H. L. Macfarlane (MG+ Fantasy)
A boy finds a tiny girl hidden inside a snowdrop... Thumbelina, only modern and cutesy. I expected it to suddenly become dark, but phew! A low tension, dreamy and romanticised childhood friendship story.
� SILVERFOOT’S EDGE by Ella Holmes (YA Fantasy)
A girl in love is tasked by a fae woman to find the perfect snowflake in order to save her beloved from an icy curse, but there's more to the story than what she's been told. A sweet and original fairy tale told with breath-stealing style. I'll admit the end seemed a tad rushed, but the build up is beautiful.
� THE STORM HAGS by Caroline Logan (Fantasy)
What happens when The Chosen One's task is ended... and they're full of regrets? Almost a high fantasy Christmas Carol, this one was so surprising with the bittersweet twist!
� THE BOGGART OF BOGGART HOLE CLOUGH by Jake Curran-Pipe (YA Horror)
A boy discovers the origins of the name of the park where his mother works, and it might not just be a bad fairy story... I was a little confused by the unreliable narration, but it's a YA Goosebumps-like contemporary horror tale with strange mythological undertones.
� AROUND THE HAWTHORNE TREE by Jenna Smithwick (YA Fantasy)
A girl learns that the faery stories stories her mother tells may hold a grain of truth after all, and only their knowledge can save her village. A sweet and ethereal folklore fantasy.
� THE BEST GIRL THIS SIDE OF WINTER by Laila Amado (MG/YA Fantasy)
A bratty girl goes to stay with her grandma out in the winter woods where there is magic... but dark things dwell. A very YA meandering sort of story - sorry, I didn't quite understand the way the message was shown.
� THE SNOW TROLLS by S. Markem (Fantasy/Humor)
Two trolls learn a valuable lesson. Silly humor!
� LORD OF THE FOREST by Katherine Shaw (YA Fantasy)
A girl finds herself caught by a hunted monster of the forest, but it's not as it appears. An odd little YA fantasy that could feel a tad zippy, but a nice dark twist at the end.
� QUEEN OF THE SNOWS by Joyce Reynolds-Ward (Contemporary? Fantasy)
A woman wakes to find her world changed, and there are magic weapons and ski lifts? Sorry, I'm not quite sure what this one was about.
� LONG MEG AND THE SORCERER’S STONES by M. J. Weatherall (Fantasy)
A witch recalls how she and her sisters ended up... changed. A bit of a strange story with modern talking characters in a 13th century world.
� THE FROST OF MERCY by A. J. Van Belle (Fantasy/Mythology)
The last of the dryads makes a bid to save her only friend. I found this one a tad confusing, like maybe it was part of a bigger mythological world that I didn't quite get, but it's got an eco message and is a sad story of friendship.
� WINTERCAST by R. A. Gerritse (Fantasy)
A snarky being known as a Spark makes a discovery about his very nature. I found this one a little odd to follow; loved the idea of how winter doesn't just have to be about the literal season, just a bit meandering.
� YOU CAN’T SEE ME by Kate Longstone (MG Fantasy)
A young girl finds a magical friend who inspires her. A little odd in how it ends up, but cute. Would probably have liked it more if I hadn't just read The Snowdrop earlier in the anthology as it's quite similar.
Overall it's a strong selection with plenty of genres and styles to choose from. I've certainly found a few authors to watch, and if you're a fantasy fan looking for a fiction snack or two to get you through those colder months (or you just dream of ice and snow) you're in for a right treat.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Beware the many different genre hops. I kinda wish they'd put notes in these kinds of anthologies, again because some readers will adore a good horror and run a mile from a YA retelling, while others are the complete opposite. Unlike a lot of indie anthologies, the typo standard is also very high; barely a whisper of an error.
My hands down favourites just happened to be fantasy stories: A PEA EVER AFTER by Adie Hart, which is a fun YA romance play on The Princess and the Pea; SILVERFOOT’S EDGE by Ella Holmes, a fae-bargain fantasy that's more than good enough to stand up there with the big names in YA; and THE STORM HAGS by Caroline Logan, which takes The Chosen One trope and gives her a new and breathtaking bittersweet choice to make. These three alone, plus a couple of other strong contenders, made me rate it as highly as I did.
My impressions of the stories included:
� THE BITING COLD by Josie Jaffrey (Fantasy Horror)
A terrifying eco-horror fever-dream of a story where "you" are the main character. Twisted, bizarre and wholly captivating... Even though it was total disturbia, it makes its point felt.
� THE MATCH GIRL by Rebecca F. Kenney (YA Fantasy/Paranormal - CHRISTMAS THEMED)
A very weird and dark reworking of The Little Match Girl whereby said girl isn't so little or innocent as she appears. A little bit sad, but mostly creepy.
� SANTA CLAUS IS COMING TO TOWN by Bharat Krishnan (MG+ Horror - CHRISTMAS THEMED)
A modern Christmas Special Edition of Goosebumps, complete with utterly vile narrating kid insulting other cultures (better hope it doesn't come back to bite yooouuu...) A bit zippy, but still makes a point about the stupidity of prejudice.
� A PEA EVER AFTER by Adie Hart (YA Fantasy)
A witch is mistaken for a princess and is thrown into a battle for Prince Percival's hand in marriage. A battle none of the captive princesses seem too keen on winning... One of those cute, predictable but ultimately satisfying modern inclusive YA takes on a fairy tale. Really sweet, with just enough mini twists within the tale to keep things fresh. Wonderful comfort fluff.
� THE SNOWDROP by H. L. Macfarlane (MG+ Fantasy)
A boy finds a tiny girl hidden inside a snowdrop... Thumbelina, only modern and cutesy. I expected it to suddenly become dark, but phew! A low tension, dreamy and romanticised childhood friendship story.
� SILVERFOOT’S EDGE by Ella Holmes (YA Fantasy)
A girl in love is tasked by a fae woman to find the perfect snowflake in order to save her beloved from an icy curse, but there's more to the story than what she's been told. A sweet and original fairy tale told with breath-stealing style. I'll admit the end seemed a tad rushed, but the build up is beautiful.
� THE STORM HAGS by Caroline Logan (Fantasy)
What happens when The Chosen One's task is ended... and they're full of regrets? Almost a high fantasy Christmas Carol, this one was so surprising with the bittersweet twist!
� THE BOGGART OF BOGGART HOLE CLOUGH by Jake Curran-Pipe (YA Horror)
A boy discovers the origins of the name of the park where his mother works, and it might not just be a bad fairy story... I was a little confused by the unreliable narration, but it's a YA Goosebumps-like contemporary horror tale with strange mythological undertones.
� AROUND THE HAWTHORNE TREE by Jenna Smithwick (YA Fantasy)
A girl learns that the faery stories stories her mother tells may hold a grain of truth after all, and only their knowledge can save her village. A sweet and ethereal folklore fantasy.
� THE BEST GIRL THIS SIDE OF WINTER by Laila Amado (MG/YA Fantasy)
A bratty girl goes to stay with her grandma out in the winter woods where there is magic... but dark things dwell. A very YA meandering sort of story - sorry, I didn't quite understand the way the message was shown.
� THE SNOW TROLLS by S. Markem (Fantasy/Humor)
Two trolls learn a valuable lesson. Silly humor!
� LORD OF THE FOREST by Katherine Shaw (YA Fantasy)
A girl finds herself caught by a hunted monster of the forest, but it's not as it appears. An odd little YA fantasy that could feel a tad zippy, but a nice dark twist at the end.
� QUEEN OF THE SNOWS by Joyce Reynolds-Ward (Contemporary? Fantasy)
A woman wakes to find her world changed, and there are magic weapons and ski lifts? Sorry, I'm not quite sure what this one was about.
� LONG MEG AND THE SORCERER’S STONES by M. J. Weatherall (Fantasy)
A witch recalls how she and her sisters ended up... changed. A bit of a strange story with modern talking characters in a 13th century world.
� THE FROST OF MERCY by A. J. Van Belle (Fantasy/Mythology)
The last of the dryads makes a bid to save her only friend. I found this one a tad confusing, like maybe it was part of a bigger mythological world that I didn't quite get, but it's got an eco message and is a sad story of friendship.
� WINTERCAST by R. A. Gerritse (Fantasy)
A snarky being known as a Spark makes a discovery about his very nature. I found this one a little odd to follow; loved the idea of how winter doesn't just have to be about the literal season, just a bit meandering.
� YOU CAN’T SEE ME by Kate Longstone (MG Fantasy)
A young girl finds a magical friend who inspires her. A little odd in how it ends up, but cute. Would probably have liked it more if I hadn't just read The Snowdrop earlier in the anthology as it's quite similar.
Overall it's a strong selection with plenty of genres and styles to choose from. I've certainly found a few authors to watch, and if you're a fantasy fan looking for a fiction snack or two to get you through those colder months (or you just dream of ice and snow) you're in for a right treat.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
December 19, 2021
Originally posted on .
At this time of year I’m always on the lookout for winter or holiday themed books, and being someone who primarily reads fantasy and science fiction, there aren’t that many to be found unless someone specifically sets about putting together a themed anthology. So when I found out about Once Upon a Winter: A Folk and Fairy Tale Anthology, I was thrilled! Even more so as it has a story from one of my favourite authors, Caroline Logan, and a few other authors on my TBR 🙂
Once Upon a Winter: A Folk and Fairy Tale Anthology is the first of four planned seasonal anthologies from Macfarlane Lantern Publishing, and if this first anthology is anything to go by you’ll want to ensure you check out the other three too! This beautiful anthology pulls together a variety of stories with the core themes of winter, folklore and fairytales, and the result is an incredible mix of talent. This is an anthology that draws on every essence of folklore and fairytales, from the magical to the downright terrifying, so while there are some stories in here that are perfect for sharing with the family during the holidays (The Snowdrop by H. L. Macfarlane springs to mind) there are also some that are not child-friendly (such as ‘Santa Claus is Coming to Town� by Bharat Krishnan and ‘The Boggart of Boggart Hole Clough� by Jake Curran-Pipe). These two lean towards the traditional Grimm fairytales where things aren’t all sugar and spice�
As with all anthologies, some stories resonated with me and some didn’t. The only one that failed to completely, and I admit I had to skip it, was the first one; ‘The Biting Cold� by Josie Jaffrey. I suspect the choice to put this one first was to get the reader into the right frame of mind, however, I’m not a fan of second perspective stories (where the writer uses the pronoun “you� to address the reader rather than “I� or a gender pronoun) and instead of helping me identify with winter it only alienated me as a reader. Thankfully, after that one story, everything else was a vast improvement.
Only one other story stuck out as feeling a bit odd, and that was ‘Queen of the Snows� by Joyce Reynolds-Ward. It was a good story, very interesting premise, but it felt as though it was a chapter of a larger story that had been cut out and repackaged as a short story. As a short story, it didn’t make sense, and it didn’t feel as though it had an actual ending, which was a shame because it was so good.
Normally I find the humorous story in an anthology like this to be infantile and terrible, so I feel that I have to give ‘The Snow Trolls by S. Markem� a nod for being exactly what it was supposed to be; silly and fun. It had me groaning and facepalming, but that was the point of the story. Thank you for remembering that humour is about being fun and not laughing at someone (the snow trolls not withstanding�).
Another win for me with this anthology was that the publisher, Macfarlane Lantern Publishing, is very local to me. It was a pleasure to read an anthology by a local Scottish publisher which included Scottish writers too.
The full list of stories in Once Upon a Winter: A Folk and Fairy Tale Anthology is as follows. I’ve marked my favourites with a *
The Biting Cold by Josie Jaffrey
The Match Girl by Rebecca F. Kenney *
Santa Claus is Coming to Town by Bharat Krishnan
A Pea Ever After by Adie Hart *
The Snowdrop by H. L. Macfarlane *
Silverfoot’s Edge by Ella Holmes
The Storm Hags by Caroline Logan *
The Boggart of Boggart Hole Clough by Jake Curran-Pipe
Around the Hawthorne Tree by Jenna Smithwick *
The Best Girl this Side of Winter by Laila Amado
The Snow Trolls by S. Markem
Lord of the Forest by Katherine Shaw *
Queen of the Snows by Joyce Reynolds-Ward
Long Meg and the Sorcerer’s Stones by M. J. Weatherall
The Frost of Mercy by A. J. Van Belle
Wintercast by R. A. Gerritse
You Can’t See Me by Kate Longstone *
For more of my reviews please visit !
At this time of year I’m always on the lookout for winter or holiday themed books, and being someone who primarily reads fantasy and science fiction, there aren’t that many to be found unless someone specifically sets about putting together a themed anthology. So when I found out about Once Upon a Winter: A Folk and Fairy Tale Anthology, I was thrilled! Even more so as it has a story from one of my favourite authors, Caroline Logan, and a few other authors on my TBR 🙂
Once Upon a Winter: A Folk and Fairy Tale Anthology is the first of four planned seasonal anthologies from Macfarlane Lantern Publishing, and if this first anthology is anything to go by you’ll want to ensure you check out the other three too! This beautiful anthology pulls together a variety of stories with the core themes of winter, folklore and fairytales, and the result is an incredible mix of talent. This is an anthology that draws on every essence of folklore and fairytales, from the magical to the downright terrifying, so while there are some stories in here that are perfect for sharing with the family during the holidays (The Snowdrop by H. L. Macfarlane springs to mind) there are also some that are not child-friendly (such as ‘Santa Claus is Coming to Town� by Bharat Krishnan and ‘The Boggart of Boggart Hole Clough� by Jake Curran-Pipe). These two lean towards the traditional Grimm fairytales where things aren’t all sugar and spice�
As with all anthologies, some stories resonated with me and some didn’t. The only one that failed to completely, and I admit I had to skip it, was the first one; ‘The Biting Cold� by Josie Jaffrey. I suspect the choice to put this one first was to get the reader into the right frame of mind, however, I’m not a fan of second perspective stories (where the writer uses the pronoun “you� to address the reader rather than “I� or a gender pronoun) and instead of helping me identify with winter it only alienated me as a reader. Thankfully, after that one story, everything else was a vast improvement.
Only one other story stuck out as feeling a bit odd, and that was ‘Queen of the Snows� by Joyce Reynolds-Ward. It was a good story, very interesting premise, but it felt as though it was a chapter of a larger story that had been cut out and repackaged as a short story. As a short story, it didn’t make sense, and it didn’t feel as though it had an actual ending, which was a shame because it was so good.
Normally I find the humorous story in an anthology like this to be infantile and terrible, so I feel that I have to give ‘The Snow Trolls by S. Markem� a nod for being exactly what it was supposed to be; silly and fun. It had me groaning and facepalming, but that was the point of the story. Thank you for remembering that humour is about being fun and not laughing at someone (the snow trolls not withstanding�).
Another win for me with this anthology was that the publisher, Macfarlane Lantern Publishing, is very local to me. It was a pleasure to read an anthology by a local Scottish publisher which included Scottish writers too.
The full list of stories in Once Upon a Winter: A Folk and Fairy Tale Anthology is as follows. I’ve marked my favourites with a *
The Biting Cold by Josie Jaffrey
The Match Girl by Rebecca F. Kenney *
Santa Claus is Coming to Town by Bharat Krishnan
A Pea Ever After by Adie Hart *
The Snowdrop by H. L. Macfarlane *
Silverfoot’s Edge by Ella Holmes
The Storm Hags by Caroline Logan *
The Boggart of Boggart Hole Clough by Jake Curran-Pipe
Around the Hawthorne Tree by Jenna Smithwick *
The Best Girl this Side of Winter by Laila Amado
The Snow Trolls by S. Markem
Lord of the Forest by Katherine Shaw *
Queen of the Snows by Joyce Reynolds-Ward
Long Meg and the Sorcerer’s Stones by M. J. Weatherall
The Frost of Mercy by A. J. Van Belle
Wintercast by R. A. Gerritse
You Can’t See Me by Kate Longstone *
For more of my reviews please visit !
December 8, 2021
As soon as I saw this anthology advertised I knew that I wanted to read it. I love folklore and fairytales, and the idea of a winter-based approach to that was great, and I just adore that cover. At the time I hadn’t realised it was the first of four seasonal based anthologies, but I’m delighted to know that and will definitely be checking out the others as and when they are available because this was a wonderful collection of stories.
As with any anthology, some stories resonated more strongly for me than others, but the writing across the collection was stellar, and every single story offered a fascinating take on both the central theme of winter, but also on the tales that they draw inspiration away from. I loved the blend of classical stories and original tales, but even those more rooted in existing material took approaches that made it new and refreshing � for example, one of my absolute favourites was Little Match Girl which is based on my favourite fairy tale. I could see the familiar elements, but I adored how the author took that and twisted it � and I did not see the reveal about Ember coming.
‘She was dying of cold. Dying, in a town full of people, full of houses swelling with heat and light, bursting with fragrance and food. She was dying because they were too frightened, too comfortable, too careless and cruel to let her in.�
What I particularly liked was not just the variety of stories, which as the summary states runs the gauntlet from whimsical, to creepy and everything in between, was that while they kept that feeling of being a folk or fairy tale whether old or new, there was always added depth to each story. There is a variety of themes being explored here, which gave the anthology that much more of an impact in my mind, but also demonstrates just what can be done with these kind of tales.
While some might not have resonated quite as strongly, there wasn’t a single story I disliked in Once Upon a Winter and I feel that each one brought something essential to the collection. That said I did have my favourites, as already mentioned I loved Little Match Girl by Rebecca F. Kenney � it was just a wonderful take on an already beloved story, and I’ve already gone back and read it a couple of times. I adored the wonderfully creepy ending to Santa Claus is Coming to Town by Bharat Krishan, and it was a fantastic opportunity to learn a new folk legend that I hadn’t heard of before.
Possibly my favourite was APea Ever After by Adie Hart, which was a fairytale I know but had never been a huge fan of, and yet I loved what Hart did with it here � from the nods to the classic story, to the explanation of why the trials were needed and I loved the idea of Fairy Godmothers having that kind of role, but most of all it was the characters that made it shine for me � they were vibrant, wonderfully realised and each one stood out and I also liked that the Prince wasn’t relegated to a silent presence. Another one I have to highlight, and will freely admit this is due to personal bias is The Boggart of Boggart Hole Clough by Jake Curran-Pipe just because I adore Boggarts, and there just aren’t enough stories about them, especially wonderful ones like this. And another contender for favourite alongside A Pea Ever After is The Storm Hags by Caroline Logan, firstly because of how it played with the idea of prophecy and the Chosen One and I loved the idea that fulfilling destiny isn’t always the right thing; but also because of the imagery which was simply fantastic.
These are just my personal favourites, there were so many positives about each story and I think everyone would be able to find something that resonates in Once Upon a Winter. This is a wonderfully atmospheric collection that is absolutely perfect for this time of year. Some of the stories will have you shivering, and wrapping that blanket around you a little tighter, while others will have you waiting, pressed up against the window for the snow to arrive so you go chase fey in a winter wonderland.
As with any anthology, some stories resonated more strongly for me than others, but the writing across the collection was stellar, and every single story offered a fascinating take on both the central theme of winter, but also on the tales that they draw inspiration away from. I loved the blend of classical stories and original tales, but even those more rooted in existing material took approaches that made it new and refreshing � for example, one of my absolute favourites was Little Match Girl which is based on my favourite fairy tale. I could see the familiar elements, but I adored how the author took that and twisted it � and I did not see the reveal about Ember coming.
‘She was dying of cold. Dying, in a town full of people, full of houses swelling with heat and light, bursting with fragrance and food. She was dying because they were too frightened, too comfortable, too careless and cruel to let her in.�
What I particularly liked was not just the variety of stories, which as the summary states runs the gauntlet from whimsical, to creepy and everything in between, was that while they kept that feeling of being a folk or fairy tale whether old or new, there was always added depth to each story. There is a variety of themes being explored here, which gave the anthology that much more of an impact in my mind, but also demonstrates just what can be done with these kind of tales.
While some might not have resonated quite as strongly, there wasn’t a single story I disliked in Once Upon a Winter and I feel that each one brought something essential to the collection. That said I did have my favourites, as already mentioned I loved Little Match Girl by Rebecca F. Kenney � it was just a wonderful take on an already beloved story, and I’ve already gone back and read it a couple of times. I adored the wonderfully creepy ending to Santa Claus is Coming to Town by Bharat Krishan, and it was a fantastic opportunity to learn a new folk legend that I hadn’t heard of before.
Possibly my favourite was APea Ever After by Adie Hart, which was a fairytale I know but had never been a huge fan of, and yet I loved what Hart did with it here � from the nods to the classic story, to the explanation of why the trials were needed and I loved the idea of Fairy Godmothers having that kind of role, but most of all it was the characters that made it shine for me � they were vibrant, wonderfully realised and each one stood out and I also liked that the Prince wasn’t relegated to a silent presence. Another one I have to highlight, and will freely admit this is due to personal bias is The Boggart of Boggart Hole Clough by Jake Curran-Pipe just because I adore Boggarts, and there just aren’t enough stories about them, especially wonderful ones like this. And another contender for favourite alongside A Pea Ever After is The Storm Hags by Caroline Logan, firstly because of how it played with the idea of prophecy and the Chosen One and I loved the idea that fulfilling destiny isn’t always the right thing; but also because of the imagery which was simply fantastic.
These are just my personal favourites, there were so many positives about each story and I think everyone would be able to find something that resonates in Once Upon a Winter. This is a wonderfully atmospheric collection that is absolutely perfect for this time of year. Some of the stories will have you shivering, and wrapping that blanket around you a little tighter, while others will have you waiting, pressed up against the window for the snow to arrive so you go chase fey in a winter wonderland.
December 4, 2021
Once upon a December I was given a free ARC of this book through BookSirens, so thank you to everyone involved in that! I am a huge fairy tale fan and am always ready to read any old, new and retelling that comes my way. I'm also a big fan of short story collections, especially when it gives me the chance to read something by authors I don't already know and may not have come across otherwise. So this was a winner for me all around. It had 17 stories by 17 different authors and all of them, as you may have guessed, take place in the Winter. There wasn't really a terrible story in the bunch, yet some of my standout favorites were "The Match Girl" by Rebecca F. Kenney, "The Best Girls This Side Of Winter" by Laila Amado, "A Pea Ever After" by Adie Hart, "Silverfoot's Edge" by Ella Holmes, and "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town" by Bharat Krishnan (this one was legit chilling haha). I enjoyed that all the stories spanned different genres, a lil horror, a lil fantasy and so on, so there is really something for everyone. All in all this was a wonderful collection, and I'm hopeful that there will be other book collections released in this series for the rest of the seasons. If there are I will be the first one ready for them when they come out!
November 25, 2021
Folk and Fairy Tale Anthology . . .
“ONCE UPON A WINTER� is a seasonal Anthology of folk and fairy tales from 17 authors across the globe that gives us intriguing twists on classic tales and exciting original stories. Jump into the season, warm up by the fire, cuddle in a warm blanket, and start reading! With the variety offered, you should easily find some stories you can enjoy and even add to your “To Be Read Again� pile!
That’s the fun of an Anthology collection like this where you can move around from story to story and pick and choose what draws your attention at the moment -- a “customized experience�! This is the perfect way to find authors you enjoy and then purchase some of their other books once you see how much their writing style draws you in.
Titles inside this Anthology:
� THE BITING COLD by Josie Jaffrey
� THE MATCH GIRL by Rebecca F. Kenney
� SANTA CLAUS IS COMING TO TOWN by Bharat Krishnan
� A PEA EVER AFTER by Adie Hart
� THE SNOWDROP by H. L. Macfarlane
� SILVERFOOT’S EDGE by Ella Holmes
� THE STORM HAGS by Caroline Logan
� THE BOGGART OF BOGGART HOLE CLOUGH by Jake Curran-Pipe
� AROUND THE HAWTHORNE TREE by Jenna Smithwick
� THE BEST GIRL THIS SIDE OF WINTER by Laila Amado
� THE SNOW TROLLS by S. Markem
� LORD OF THE FOREST by Katherine Shaw
� QUEEN OF THE SNOWS by Joyce Reynolds-Ward
� LONG MEG AND THE SORCERER’S STONES by M. J. Weatherall
� THE FROST OF MERCY by A. J. Van Belle
� WINTERCAST by R. A. Gerritse
� YOU CAN’T SEE ME by Kate Longstone
Stories like these used to be passed along by word-of-mouth. As each person told the story, they might add to it or enhance it and it changed a little as it was repeated over and over. Some of these stories will remind you of this as they may sound familiar, yet take you in another direction. Don’t miss the fun! Grab your copy and let the authors thrill you!
“ONCE UPON A WINTER� is a seasonal Anthology of folk and fairy tales from 17 authors across the globe that gives us intriguing twists on classic tales and exciting original stories. Jump into the season, warm up by the fire, cuddle in a warm blanket, and start reading! With the variety offered, you should easily find some stories you can enjoy and even add to your “To Be Read Again� pile!
That’s the fun of an Anthology collection like this where you can move around from story to story and pick and choose what draws your attention at the moment -- a “customized experience�! This is the perfect way to find authors you enjoy and then purchase some of their other books once you see how much their writing style draws you in.
Titles inside this Anthology:
� THE BITING COLD by Josie Jaffrey
� THE MATCH GIRL by Rebecca F. Kenney
� SANTA CLAUS IS COMING TO TOWN by Bharat Krishnan
� A PEA EVER AFTER by Adie Hart
� THE SNOWDROP by H. L. Macfarlane
� SILVERFOOT’S EDGE by Ella Holmes
� THE STORM HAGS by Caroline Logan
� THE BOGGART OF BOGGART HOLE CLOUGH by Jake Curran-Pipe
� AROUND THE HAWTHORNE TREE by Jenna Smithwick
� THE BEST GIRL THIS SIDE OF WINTER by Laila Amado
� THE SNOW TROLLS by S. Markem
� LORD OF THE FOREST by Katherine Shaw
� QUEEN OF THE SNOWS by Joyce Reynolds-Ward
� LONG MEG AND THE SORCERER’S STONES by M. J. Weatherall
� THE FROST OF MERCY by A. J. Van Belle
� WINTERCAST by R. A. Gerritse
� YOU CAN’T SEE ME by Kate Longstone
Stories like these used to be passed along by word-of-mouth. As each person told the story, they might add to it or enhance it and it changed a little as it was repeated over and over. Some of these stories will remind you of this as they may sound familiar, yet take you in another direction. Don’t miss the fun! Grab your copy and let the authors thrill you!
December 6, 2021
I picked this collection to read because of one author but I enjoyed the wide variety of authors and stories. Considering that this book concentrates on my least favorite season, I was genuinely surprised to enjoy the folk and fairy tale aspects.
A few of the stories were a little scary but nothing to make sleeping not possible, just enough to check my surroundings. Variety is always the key to a good collection, and this one has it all.
This is the first of four planned books, one for each season. I really look forward to Summer � my favorite season.
A few of the stories were a little scary but nothing to make sleeping not possible, just enough to check my surroundings. Variety is always the key to a good collection, and this one has it all.
This is the first of four planned books, one for each season. I really look forward to Summer � my favorite season.
November 22, 2021
This holds a great collection of wintry tales of varying degrees. The Match Girl by Rebecca F. Kenney is by far my favorite of this anthology.
December 28, 2021
Great wintery story collectiom
This was the perfect December read. I loved the different takes on various fairy tales & folk stores - a few I recognised but plenty were new to me which was nice.
Some particular favs were the princesses trapped in the castle by a pea-obsessed fairy godmother and the woman who became Queen of the Solstice.
I
Would definitely recommend for anyone who wants a fun and interesting Winter read.
This was the perfect December read. I loved the different takes on various fairy tales & folk stores - a few I recognised but plenty were new to me which was nice.
Some particular favs were the princesses trapped in the castle by a pea-obsessed fairy godmother and the woman who became Queen of the Solstice.
I
Would definitely recommend for anyone who wants a fun and interesting Winter read.
December 9, 2021
Thank you Booksiren for the Advanced Review Copy of Once Upon a Winter in exchange of an honest review.
Anthologies featuring different authors as well as different genres are curious works to read, and when I chose to read Once Upon a Winter, I held my hopes high. The idea behind a collection of folk and fairy tales based on the season in which the events occur is brilliant. I thoroughly enjoyed the novelty and diversity of themes explored in the stories, especially reimagined classical tales featuring queer characters. Some of my favourite stories are the Storm Hags, the Match Girl, the Boggart of Boggart Hole Clough etc.
Unfortunately, I am not satisfied with the book in its entirety. Some stories adopted much cliched plot devices which killed the suspense (if you talk about a monster in the beginning of the story, everyone knows that the monster is going to appear in the end, or create more tension and throw more details, distract the readers and then the appearance of the said monster would be more of a suspense). In the same way, if some old person is talking about a chosen one appearing to save the village in the beginning of the story, pretty much everyone can figure out that the protagonist is the chosen one. It is wise to not make a big deal out of it. Some stories with enough potential to become masterpieces fell into lazy writing in the end and the tension they created went unresolved. I am not in support of spoon feeding, but I doubt whether some authors provided enough details for the readers to figure it out themselves. They created more questions beyond the material they put forward.
Anthologies featuring different authors as well as different genres are curious works to read, and when I chose to read Once Upon a Winter, I held my hopes high. The idea behind a collection of folk and fairy tales based on the season in which the events occur is brilliant. I thoroughly enjoyed the novelty and diversity of themes explored in the stories, especially reimagined classical tales featuring queer characters. Some of my favourite stories are the Storm Hags, the Match Girl, the Boggart of Boggart Hole Clough etc.
Unfortunately, I am not satisfied with the book in its entirety. Some stories adopted much cliched plot devices which killed the suspense (if you talk about a monster in the beginning of the story, everyone knows that the monster is going to appear in the end, or create more tension and throw more details, distract the readers and then the appearance of the said monster would be more of a suspense). In the same way, if some old person is talking about a chosen one appearing to save the village in the beginning of the story, pretty much everyone can figure out that the protagonist is the chosen one. It is wise to not make a big deal out of it. Some stories with enough potential to become masterpieces fell into lazy writing in the end and the tension they created went unresolved. I am not in support of spoon feeding, but I doubt whether some authors provided enough details for the readers to figure it out themselves. They created more questions beyond the material they put forward.
April 19, 2022
This anthology is made up of 17 fairytales, some original and some retellings, all set during the dark of a cold, snowy winter.
Like all anthologies, some stories spoke to me more than others.
My favorite story of the bunch was Silverfoot’s Edge by Ella Holmes. Maeve is tasked with a seemingly impossible quest in order to save her beloved. I loved the fairy folk in this tale, as well as the protagonist, and the imagery brought to mind the wonderful aesthetics of Ridley Scott’s Legend. It’s a clever story, with great themes.
Another standout was A Pea Ever After, by Adie Hart. A colorful, magical, super imaginative retelling of The Princess and the Pea that was a lot of fun.
Honorable mentions go to The Snowdrop by H L Macfarlane, a very sweet story about an encounter with the fairy folk and 7 year old Toby. Around the Hawthorne Tree by Jenna Smithwick, about tradition and love. The Best Girl this Side of Winter by Laila Amado, a golden apple retelling that introduces an interesting fantasy world I would love to read more about. Lord of the Forest by Katherine Shaw about escaping brutality and prejudice.
Unlike a lot of themed anthologies, Once Upon a Winter has huge variety in its stories, with very little repetition in imagery or themes, despite their wintery fairy tale settings.
I also particularly liked the little illustrations that accompanied each story, and the cover illustration is beautiful.
Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a free copy and I’m voluntarily leaving an honest review.
November 27, 2021
Like most anthologies, this book had some stories I absolutely loved and some I didn’t care for at all. I have super brief mini reviews for every story included, and go a bit more in depth into a couple I liked the most. Happily, the stories I loved greatly outweighed the ones I didn’t like!
The Biting Cold by Josie Jaffrey
Second person present tense, fantasy horror. 2 stars
The Match Girl by Rebecca F. Kenney
Immediately went to lookup Kenney’s blacklist. Give me this romance novel PLEASE. I love this dark fantasy romance spin on The Little Match Girl and really wish this was a full novel. I would read it IN A HEARTBEAT. 5 stars
Santa Claus is Coming to Town by Bharat Krishnan
Holiday horror, THOROUGHLY creeped me out. It was especially effective after the dark romance of the previous story and the sort of fluffy feminist take on a classic fairy tale that came after. 4 stars
A Pea Ever After by Adie Hart
Absolutely adorable (feminist) twist on The Princess and the Pea! For such a short story I came to care about all the princesses (and the poor prince, haha) very much. I love the various relationships in this, and can see it existing as an interstitial novella as part of a series. I’ll definitely be checking out this author’s other work. 5 stars
The Snowdrop by H. L. Macfarlane
Cute but not much substance, the ending felt very abrupt. 2.5 stars
Silverfoot’s Edge by Ella Holmes
Felt the most like a traditional fairy tale so far, complete with some fae sidekicks and an impossible task. 3.5 stars
The Storm Hags by Caroline Logan
Almost Buffy-like vibes somehow. I had trouble getting into this story, but it was very interesting. It had a very urban fantasy feel despite also being told like a more traditional fairy tale and seeming to be set in a sort of medieval setting. But what happens after the tale? 3.5 stars
The Boggart of Boggart Hole Clough by Jake Curran-Pipe
Hated the writing style, DNF
Around the Hawthorne Tree by Jenna Smithwick
Actual fae in this one, being tricksy and fae. I could easily see this being a full novel or at least a novella. If it were a full novel I’d definitely pick it up! 3.5 stars
The Best Girl this Side of Winter by Laila Amado
Lovely coming of age fantasy story. The ending was a but abrupt for me and I’d really love to see this as a fully fleshed out YA fantasy romance novel. I think it could be BIG! Sort of Game of Thrones Nightwalker type vibes. 4 stars
The Snow Trolls by S. Markem
Lol what the heck? This story just so silly, I loved it. Of you’re a fan of gag gifts like “snowman poop� that is actually mini marshmallows, and authors like Terry Pratchett, you’ll probably love this story! 4.5 stars
Lord of the Forest by Katherine Shaw
Adore this story. I love Slavic mythology so this was right up my alley. I was upset when it was over because I need MORE. Yet another story I wish was longer! 5 stars
Queen of the Snows by Joyce Reynolds-Ward
I felt a little lost through most of this, like it’s a side story for a greater series I haven’t read. I tried looking at Joyce Reynolds-Ward’s other works and couldn’t find anything that looked like a series to go with this story, and I’m kind of mad because I want to read it. A modern day epic fantasy. 4 stars
Long Meg and the Sorcerer’s Stones by M. J. Weatherall
Is this a legend about how Stone Henge came to be? It seems like it. Interesting and I love the Sapphic vibes. 3.5 stars
The Frost of Mercy by A. J. Van Belle
Haunting tale of dryads in a modern day world where they’ve been polluted just about out of existence. 4 stars
Wintercast by R. A. Gerritse
Amazing story about “sparks of inspiration� � or are they? Intriguing insight into the Winter that comes before the Spring. 4 stars
You Can’t See Me by Kate Longstone
This is such a cute little fairy story! I had a silly grin on my face at the end, it was just too cute. Reminded me a lot of Alethea Kontis� work. 5 stars
A digital ARC of this book was provided by the tour company for review. All opinions are unbiased and my own.
The Biting Cold by Josie Jaffrey
Second person present tense, fantasy horror. 2 stars
The Match Girl by Rebecca F. Kenney
Immediately went to lookup Kenney’s blacklist. Give me this romance novel PLEASE. I love this dark fantasy romance spin on The Little Match Girl and really wish this was a full novel. I would read it IN A HEARTBEAT. 5 stars
Santa Claus is Coming to Town by Bharat Krishnan
Holiday horror, THOROUGHLY creeped me out. It was especially effective after the dark romance of the previous story and the sort of fluffy feminist take on a classic fairy tale that came after. 4 stars
A Pea Ever After by Adie Hart
Absolutely adorable (feminist) twist on The Princess and the Pea! For such a short story I came to care about all the princesses (and the poor prince, haha) very much. I love the various relationships in this, and can see it existing as an interstitial novella as part of a series. I’ll definitely be checking out this author’s other work. 5 stars
The Snowdrop by H. L. Macfarlane
Cute but not much substance, the ending felt very abrupt. 2.5 stars
Silverfoot’s Edge by Ella Holmes
Felt the most like a traditional fairy tale so far, complete with some fae sidekicks and an impossible task. 3.5 stars
The Storm Hags by Caroline Logan
Almost Buffy-like vibes somehow. I had trouble getting into this story, but it was very interesting. It had a very urban fantasy feel despite also being told like a more traditional fairy tale and seeming to be set in a sort of medieval setting. But what happens after the tale? 3.5 stars
The Boggart of Boggart Hole Clough by Jake Curran-Pipe
Hated the writing style, DNF
Around the Hawthorne Tree by Jenna Smithwick
Actual fae in this one, being tricksy and fae. I could easily see this being a full novel or at least a novella. If it were a full novel I’d definitely pick it up! 3.5 stars
The Best Girl this Side of Winter by Laila Amado
Lovely coming of age fantasy story. The ending was a but abrupt for me and I’d really love to see this as a fully fleshed out YA fantasy romance novel. I think it could be BIG! Sort of Game of Thrones Nightwalker type vibes. 4 stars
The Snow Trolls by S. Markem
Lol what the heck? This story just so silly, I loved it. Of you’re a fan of gag gifts like “snowman poop� that is actually mini marshmallows, and authors like Terry Pratchett, you’ll probably love this story! 4.5 stars
Lord of the Forest by Katherine Shaw
Adore this story. I love Slavic mythology so this was right up my alley. I was upset when it was over because I need MORE. Yet another story I wish was longer! 5 stars
Queen of the Snows by Joyce Reynolds-Ward
I felt a little lost through most of this, like it’s a side story for a greater series I haven’t read. I tried looking at Joyce Reynolds-Ward’s other works and couldn’t find anything that looked like a series to go with this story, and I’m kind of mad because I want to read it. A modern day epic fantasy. 4 stars
Long Meg and the Sorcerer’s Stones by M. J. Weatherall
Is this a legend about how Stone Henge came to be? It seems like it. Interesting and I love the Sapphic vibes. 3.5 stars
The Frost of Mercy by A. J. Van Belle
Haunting tale of dryads in a modern day world where they’ve been polluted just about out of existence. 4 stars
Wintercast by R. A. Gerritse
Amazing story about “sparks of inspiration� � or are they? Intriguing insight into the Winter that comes before the Spring. 4 stars
You Can’t See Me by Kate Longstone
This is such a cute little fairy story! I had a silly grin on my face at the end, it was just too cute. Reminded me a lot of Alethea Kontis� work. 5 stars
A digital ARC of this book was provided by the tour company for review. All opinions are unbiased and my own.
Currently reading
June 23, 2022I bought this anthology specifically for the Adie Hart story ("A Pea Ever After"), so I skipped ahead to read that one first - and yay, it was just as adorable and charming as I'd anticipated based on the earlier story of hers that I'd read in IndieBites magazine. A district witch gets looped unwillingly into a set of pea-themed trials being run by a fairy godmother for the hand of her favorite godson (who is mortified by the whole experience!), she and the other princesses bond over the horror, and everything turns out delightfully (not a spoiler). It was just wonderfully light and fun, perfect for fans of W.R. Gingell's upside-down fairy tale retellings.
And now I'm going to move on to read the rest of the stories! :) But I'm already happy to have grabbed the anthology.
And now I'm going to move on to read the rest of the stories! :) But I'm already happy to have grabbed the anthology.
November 24, 2021
I absolutely adore folktales and fairytales, whether they are variations of the original stories, simply influenced by the classic tales or completely brand new imaginings. I didn't hesitate to say yes toÌýOnce Upon a Winter.ÌýWhat's even more exciting is thatÌýOnce Upon a WinterÌýis the first of four planned seasonal anthologies from Macfarlane Lantern Publishing. Obviously, this one starts with the colder season of the year and all the stories within containing the cold bite of winter's wind and snow.
As with all anthologies, there are stories that will resound more with the reader over others, which is the beauty of an anthology. While there were a couple of the stories that didn't work so well for me, the vast majority did. The atmosphere of the stories varies from sweet and romantic like "The Snowdrop" by H. L. Macfarlane, in which a boy meets an unexpected faerie friend, to the humorous "The Snow Trolls" by S. Markem where the edict is "Don't eat the yellow snow" and then there are those much, much darker, which are always going to be my personal favorites.Ìý
That's not to say I still didn't enjoy the other stories. "A Pea Ever After" by Adie Hart is a feminist tale that is on the lighter side of the retellings in the anthology but I loved this take on The Princess and the Pea by Hans Christian Andersen. A fairy godmother has gathered four princesses together to compete for the hand of the prince. It was welcome to see smart, capable princesses that had no need of rescuing. In fact, the princesses had no interest in marrying the prince at all. Not that he's not perfectly handsome or refreshingly educated or even remarkably kind and funny because he is, they just aren't interested or have better things to do with their lives.Ìý
Once again on the darker side of things is "Silverfoot's Edge" by Ella Holmes. In this tale, a trickster freezes a woman's love in a small pool and tasks her with findingÌýoneÌýspecialÌýsnowflake in the midst of so many. This story starts in winter but spans the following months as well. It's everything that I love about fairytales. There's the peril of her loved one, the riddle to solve, a clearly defined baddie, and a determined and cunning heroine.Ìý Not to mention that the little-folk creatures sent with her to "weigh" the snowflakes—the only way she'll know she's found the correct one—are adorable. My favorite passage of the entire anthology is here:Ìý
Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý
ÌýÌý ÌýÌýÌý ÌýMy mother once said to meÌýlove is an edge you will fall over, and she was right.Ìý
ÌýÌý ÌýÌýÌý ÌýI think about it often as I walk the woods. She is dead and shrouded in the earth, and I feel her with every bare-footed step throughout the dirt.Ìý
Landing among my favorites as well were two others in the collection: "The Best Girl this Side of Winter" with its undead, poisoned claws, and an impossible quest and Katherine Shaw's "Lord of the Forest" which introduced me to the Leshii, a Slavic forest protector spirit. Don't let the fluffy bunnies on the cover fool you, there are wolves within these pages.Ìý
If you love the stories by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm,ÌýCharles Perrault, and Hans Christian Andersen, there's a story here for you. Unlike the aforementioned authors, this anthology sees a more diverse authorship being primarily comprised of female and LGBTQ+ authors from various countries. Grab yourself a copy and a blanket and expect a little magic for those long dark winter evenings.
As with all anthologies, there are stories that will resound more with the reader over others, which is the beauty of an anthology. While there were a couple of the stories that didn't work so well for me, the vast majority did. The atmosphere of the stories varies from sweet and romantic like "The Snowdrop" by H. L. Macfarlane, in which a boy meets an unexpected faerie friend, to the humorous "The Snow Trolls" by S. Markem where the edict is "Don't eat the yellow snow" and then there are those much, much darker, which are always going to be my personal favorites.Ìý
That's not to say I still didn't enjoy the other stories. "A Pea Ever After" by Adie Hart is a feminist tale that is on the lighter side of the retellings in the anthology but I loved this take on The Princess and the Pea by Hans Christian Andersen. A fairy godmother has gathered four princesses together to compete for the hand of the prince. It was welcome to see smart, capable princesses that had no need of rescuing. In fact, the princesses had no interest in marrying the prince at all. Not that he's not perfectly handsome or refreshingly educated or even remarkably kind and funny because he is, they just aren't interested or have better things to do with their lives.Ìý
Once again on the darker side of things is "Silverfoot's Edge" by Ella Holmes. In this tale, a trickster freezes a woman's love in a small pool and tasks her with findingÌýoneÌýspecialÌýsnowflake in the midst of so many. This story starts in winter but spans the following months as well. It's everything that I love about fairytales. There's the peril of her loved one, the riddle to solve, a clearly defined baddie, and a determined and cunning heroine.Ìý Not to mention that the little-folk creatures sent with her to "weigh" the snowflakes—the only way she'll know she's found the correct one—are adorable. My favorite passage of the entire anthology is here:Ìý
Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý
ÌýÌý ÌýÌýÌý ÌýMy mother once said to meÌýlove is an edge you will fall over, and she was right.Ìý
ÌýÌý ÌýÌýÌý ÌýI think about it often as I walk the woods. She is dead and shrouded in the earth, and I feel her with every bare-footed step throughout the dirt.Ìý
Landing among my favorites as well were two others in the collection: "The Best Girl this Side of Winter" with its undead, poisoned claws, and an impossible quest and Katherine Shaw's "Lord of the Forest" which introduced me to the Leshii, a Slavic forest protector spirit. Don't let the fluffy bunnies on the cover fool you, there are wolves within these pages.Ìý
If you love the stories by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm,ÌýCharles Perrault, and Hans Christian Andersen, there's a story here for you. Unlike the aforementioned authors, this anthology sees a more diverse authorship being primarily comprised of female and LGBTQ+ authors from various countries. Grab yourself a copy and a blanket and expect a little magic for those long dark winter evenings.
April 11, 2022
This one was a treat. It's a wonderful mix of fantasy stories based on the winter season.
There's darker fantasy like the story of the risen dead in a frozen forest to silly with not so bright trolls searching for yellow snow.
I have never heard of most of the authors and now have new books to read. That's what I hope for when reading an anthology not by favorite authors.
I received this ARC from Booksirens all thoughts and opinions are my own.
There's darker fantasy like the story of the risen dead in a frozen forest to silly with not so bright trolls searching for yellow snow.
I have never heard of most of the authors and now have new books to read. That's what I hope for when reading an anthology not by favorite authors.
I received this ARC from Booksirens all thoughts and opinions are my own.
December 23, 2022
Full disclosure: One of the authors of this book gave me an electronic copy in exchange for an honest review.
There are certain aspects that influence what kind of books readers take a look at. Some are personal, while others are coincidental, but they could be seasonal too. Much like certain songs, some books are meant to be consumed at a certain time of the year. A case in point is "Once Upon a Winter: A Folk and Fairy Tale Anthology" edited by H.L. Macfarlane, and it’s a very good collection of stories all set in winter.
To see more of this review, click on this link:
There are certain aspects that influence what kind of books readers take a look at. Some are personal, while others are coincidental, but they could be seasonal too. Much like certain songs, some books are meant to be consumed at a certain time of the year. A case in point is "Once Upon a Winter: A Folk and Fairy Tale Anthology" edited by H.L. Macfarlane, and it’s a very good collection of stories all set in winter.
To see more of this review, click on this link:
February 7, 2025
Very atmospheric and varied set of short stories - all enjoyable (no weak links), and I really liked the illustration at the start of each one.
I also appreciated the environmental(ism) themes featured throughout. It felt fitting for a set of stories themed around winter to acknowledge the impact of humanity & man-made climate change on the natural world, and those messages didn’t detract from the stories themselves in any way.
My favourite stories in this collection were:
The Biting Cold - haunting yet beautiful, with a dark edge to it;
The Storm Hags - clever, and both heartbreaking & heartwarming;
The Best Girl This Side of Winter - stunning imagery, excellent world-building and the ending made me cry;
The Snow Trolls - absurd & funny, reminds me of Lewis Carroll;
Lord of the Forest - a little hasty, but a very emotive tale.
I’m looking forward to trying the other three books in this collection, maybe moving on to Spring next to keep them thematically linked!
There are quite a few sensitive themes that feature in this book, so I’m listing some Content Warnings here for those who find them helpful. So STOP READING HERE TO AVOID MINOR SPOILERS:
—â¶Ä”â¶Ä”â¶Ä”â¶Ä�
Content Warnings:
I also appreciated the environmental(ism) themes featured throughout. It felt fitting for a set of stories themed around winter to acknowledge the impact of humanity & man-made climate change on the natural world, and those messages didn’t detract from the stories themselves in any way.
My favourite stories in this collection were:
The Biting Cold - haunting yet beautiful, with a dark edge to it;
The Storm Hags - clever, and both heartbreaking & heartwarming;
The Best Girl This Side of Winter - stunning imagery, excellent world-building and the ending made me cry;
The Snow Trolls - absurd & funny, reminds me of Lewis Carroll;
Lord of the Forest - a little hasty, but a very emotive tale.
I’m looking forward to trying the other three books in this collection, maybe moving on to Spring next to keep them thematically linked!
There are quite a few sensitive themes that feature in this book, so I’m listing some Content Warnings here for those who find them helpful. So STOP READING HERE TO AVOID MINOR SPOILERS:
—â¶Ä”â¶Ä”â¶Ä”â¶Ä�
Content Warnings:
June 2, 2022
I have said this before: I am a fan of the anthology. Books, movies, you name it � but especially books. For me, the Reader (capital “R�), there is nothing better than a well-curated anthology. For me, that means each story stands on its own, but there is something that connects them. And Once Upon a Winter is a well-curated anthology.
Growing up, I spent hours in the library. My literary adventures leaned more towards fantasy and horror from an early age. I near-always found myself in the neighborhood with faeries, ghosts, witches, sorcerers, wizards, and goblins. Their adventures were sometimes exciting, sometimes spooky, but always joyful. Once Upon a Winter brought me back to those worlds.
Immensely readable, each story drew me in; each story stood on its own; each story truly belonged in this book. I particularly enjoyed the fantasy world of The Snowdrop, as it intertwined with a wee bit of underlying, subtly implied spooky.
The Lord of the Forest also grabbed me. Expertly drawn, I could see the Lord of the Forest as he stood over Anca—eerily calm and frightening. Anca, frozen in fear, stared at the monster of the village, hunted and reviled by all. And then the shift. But I will say no more. You should read this one and the rest of the stories in Once Upon a Winter for yourself.
Once Upon a Winter is a wonderful compilation of stories of the fae—the dark and the light. Read it from beginning to end, or read it as I did, a story here and there, as a title caught my fancy. Either or, this anthology is undoubtedly worthy of being in anyone’s collection of fairy tales.
Growing up, I spent hours in the library. My literary adventures leaned more towards fantasy and horror from an early age. I near-always found myself in the neighborhood with faeries, ghosts, witches, sorcerers, wizards, and goblins. Their adventures were sometimes exciting, sometimes spooky, but always joyful. Once Upon a Winter brought me back to those worlds.
Immensely readable, each story drew me in; each story stood on its own; each story truly belonged in this book. I particularly enjoyed the fantasy world of The Snowdrop, as it intertwined with a wee bit of underlying, subtly implied spooky.
The Lord of the Forest also grabbed me. Expertly drawn, I could see the Lord of the Forest as he stood over Anca—eerily calm and frightening. Anca, frozen in fear, stared at the monster of the village, hunted and reviled by all. And then the shift. But I will say no more. You should read this one and the rest of the stories in Once Upon a Winter for yourself.
Once Upon a Winter is a wonderful compilation of stories of the fae—the dark and the light. Read it from beginning to end, or read it as I did, a story here and there, as a title caught my fancy. Either or, this anthology is undoubtedly worthy of being in anyone’s collection of fairy tales.
November 27, 2021
A solid 3.5 stars.
I do not normally read fairy tale books let alone an anthology of them but I was drawn to the description of this book. A winter themed, seasonal anthology in which 17 authors have written folk and fairy tale stories. Including all original stories and some traditional ones with twists to them.
These are the kinds of stories that make you want to sit by a fire, under a warm blanket and drink hot cocoa. I am interested to see the other seasons stories that they have planned. After each story is a little information about the author. I thought that was somewhat interesting, if you are curious about the contributors.
With 17 different titles and authors, I'm sure you will find at least one story that peaks your interest. I will put a star by my favorites:
-The Biting Cold by Josie Jaffrey *
-The Match Girl by Rebecca F. Kenney *
-Santa Claus is Coming to Town by Bharat Krishnan
-A Pea Ever After by Adie Hart
-The Snowdrop by H.L. Macfarlane *
-Silverfoots Edge by Ella Holmes *
-The Storm Hags by Caroline Logan *
-The Boggart of Boggart Hole Clough by Jake Curran-Pipe *
-Around the Hawthorne Tree by Jenna Smithwick
-The Best Girl This Side of Winter by Laila Armado *
-The Snow Trolls by S. Markem
-Lord of the Forest by Katherine Shaw *
-Queen of the Snows by Joyce Reynolds-Ward *
-Long Meg and the Sorcerers Stones by M.J. Weatherall
-The Frost of Mercy by A.J. Van Belle
-Wintercast by R. A. Gerritse
-You Cant See Me by Kate Longstone
I received this book free from Booksirens for an honest review.
I do not normally read fairy tale books let alone an anthology of them but I was drawn to the description of this book. A winter themed, seasonal anthology in which 17 authors have written folk and fairy tale stories. Including all original stories and some traditional ones with twists to them.
These are the kinds of stories that make you want to sit by a fire, under a warm blanket and drink hot cocoa. I am interested to see the other seasons stories that they have planned. After each story is a little information about the author. I thought that was somewhat interesting, if you are curious about the contributors.
With 17 different titles and authors, I'm sure you will find at least one story that peaks your interest. I will put a star by my favorites:
-The Biting Cold by Josie Jaffrey *
-The Match Girl by Rebecca F. Kenney *
-Santa Claus is Coming to Town by Bharat Krishnan
-A Pea Ever After by Adie Hart
-The Snowdrop by H.L. Macfarlane *
-Silverfoots Edge by Ella Holmes *
-The Storm Hags by Caroline Logan *
-The Boggart of Boggart Hole Clough by Jake Curran-Pipe *
-Around the Hawthorne Tree by Jenna Smithwick
-The Best Girl This Side of Winter by Laila Armado *
-The Snow Trolls by S. Markem
-Lord of the Forest by Katherine Shaw *
-Queen of the Snows by Joyce Reynolds-Ward *
-Long Meg and the Sorcerers Stones by M.J. Weatherall
-The Frost of Mercy by A.J. Van Belle
-Wintercast by R. A. Gerritse
-You Cant See Me by Kate Longstone
I received this book free from Booksirens for an honest review.
November 10, 2021
I received an Advance Reader Copy of this book thanks to BookSirens in exchange for an honest review.
This book will be published on November 23, 2021.
I gave this a 3.5 which I have rounded up for the purposes of Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ.
This is an anthology of short stories that all are either fairy/folk tale retellings or New fairy/folk tales. Some, like most classic fairytales, have creepy vibes. Some, also like classic fairytales, are more focused on giving the reader a love story. I thought that the creepier the story, the more successful it was to my sensibilities. I did enjoy the atmospheric tone of many of the stories, and was sad when some of the stories didn't have that element of "winter horror." I would say that as a "Winter" themed book, it succeeds. Most, if not all, of the stories, made me want to read them with a cup of hot cocoa next to the window on a snowy day. The caliber of writing is good, I just didn't vibe with some of the plots. As modern fairytales, this also works, since the original (I just mean the ones that aren't retellings - All of them are original in one way or another) ones do have the FEEL of a fairytale even if some are kinda cheesy in the execution (This too is reminiscent of classic fairytales though).
All in all, a solid anthology for your winter heart.
This book will be published on November 23, 2021.
I gave this a 3.5 which I have rounded up for the purposes of Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ.
This is an anthology of short stories that all are either fairy/folk tale retellings or New fairy/folk tales. Some, like most classic fairytales, have creepy vibes. Some, also like classic fairytales, are more focused on giving the reader a love story. I thought that the creepier the story, the more successful it was to my sensibilities. I did enjoy the atmospheric tone of many of the stories, and was sad when some of the stories didn't have that element of "winter horror." I would say that as a "Winter" themed book, it succeeds. Most, if not all, of the stories, made me want to read them with a cup of hot cocoa next to the window on a snowy day. The caliber of writing is good, I just didn't vibe with some of the plots. As modern fairytales, this also works, since the original (I just mean the ones that aren't retellings - All of them are original in one way or another) ones do have the FEEL of a fairytale even if some are kinda cheesy in the execution (This too is reminiscent of classic fairytales though).
All in all, a solid anthology for your winter heart.
November 25, 2021
I received this book in exchange for an honest review.
I am often wary of anthologies, as the stories can cover such a wide range and don't always fit my tastes. Well with this one, I needn't have worried. I liked most of the stories, and loved more than a few! I definitely think wintery fairytales is the way forward for me :D There's such a great spread of ideas in this, but all still managing to come together really nicely.
It starts really strong, with The Biting Cold by Josie Jaffrey - a stunning eco story, and evolves through traditional fairy tales, folk warnings and even a little comedy. My favourites were The Biting Cold, A Pea Ever After by Adie Hart, The Snow Drop by H. L. Macfarlane and Lord of the Forest by Katherine Shaw. All for different reasons - Josie's eco story really made me think about the environment, Adie's feminist retelling of the Princess and the Pea was brilliantly lighthearted and wonderfully inclusive, The Snow Drop was romantic and sweet, and Lord of the Forest was a nice twist on a beast terrorising a town.
I thoroughly enjoyed this, and encourage you to read and let me know which your favourites were! 4 stars.
I am often wary of anthologies, as the stories can cover such a wide range and don't always fit my tastes. Well with this one, I needn't have worried. I liked most of the stories, and loved more than a few! I definitely think wintery fairytales is the way forward for me :D There's such a great spread of ideas in this, but all still managing to come together really nicely.
It starts really strong, with The Biting Cold by Josie Jaffrey - a stunning eco story, and evolves through traditional fairy tales, folk warnings and even a little comedy. My favourites were The Biting Cold, A Pea Ever After by Adie Hart, The Snow Drop by H. L. Macfarlane and Lord of the Forest by Katherine Shaw. All for different reasons - Josie's eco story really made me think about the environment, Adie's feminist retelling of the Princess and the Pea was brilliantly lighthearted and wonderfully inclusive, The Snow Drop was romantic and sweet, and Lord of the Forest was a nice twist on a beast terrorising a town.
I thoroughly enjoyed this, and encourage you to read and let me know which your favourites were! 4 stars.
December 27, 2021
A wonderful wintery book filled with 17 short stories.
Here are my ratings for each:
- The Biting Cold by Josie Jaffrey 3
- The Match Girl by Rebecca F. Kenney 3
- Santa Claus is Coming to Town by Bharat Krishnan 1
- A Pea Ever After by Adie Hart 5
- The Snowdrop by H. L. MacFarlane 5
- Silverfoot's Edge by Ella Holmes 5
- The Storm Hags by Caroline Logan 3
- The Boggart of Boggart Hole Clough by Jake Curran-Pipe 3
- Around the Hawthorne Tree by Jenna Smithwick 3
- The Best Girl this Side of Winter by Laila Amado 2
- The Snow Trolls by S. Markem 1
- Lord of the Forest by Katherine Shaw 4
- Queen of the Snows by Joyce Reynolds-Ward 1
- Long Meg and the Sorcerer's Stones by M. J. Weatherall 2
- The Frost of Mercy by A. J. Van Belle 2
- Wintercast by R. A. Gerritse 3
- You Can't See Me by Kate Longstone 4
My favourites were A Pea Ever After, The Snowdrop and Silverfoot's Edge. I really liked the variety of stories in this collection, but there were quite a few I really didn't enjoy or felt ambivalent to or indifferent.
A great book to read around Christmas or for the wintery season, cosied up indoors.
Here are my ratings for each:
- The Biting Cold by Josie Jaffrey 3
- The Match Girl by Rebecca F. Kenney 3
- Santa Claus is Coming to Town by Bharat Krishnan 1
- A Pea Ever After by Adie Hart 5
- The Snowdrop by H. L. MacFarlane 5
- Silverfoot's Edge by Ella Holmes 5
- The Storm Hags by Caroline Logan 3
- The Boggart of Boggart Hole Clough by Jake Curran-Pipe 3
- Around the Hawthorne Tree by Jenna Smithwick 3
- The Best Girl this Side of Winter by Laila Amado 2
- The Snow Trolls by S. Markem 1
- Lord of the Forest by Katherine Shaw 4
- Queen of the Snows by Joyce Reynolds-Ward 1
- Long Meg and the Sorcerer's Stones by M. J. Weatherall 2
- The Frost of Mercy by A. J. Van Belle 2
- Wintercast by R. A. Gerritse 3
- You Can't See Me by Kate Longstone 4
My favourites were A Pea Ever After, The Snowdrop and Silverfoot's Edge. I really liked the variety of stories in this collection, but there were quite a few I really didn't enjoy or felt ambivalent to or indifferent.
A great book to read around Christmas or for the wintery season, cosied up indoors.
July 3, 2022
Winter Themed�
Fairy Tales/ Forklore�
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Dark �
Fantasy �
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A mix of paranormal fairy tale, folklore short stories with a winter theme. Winter is associated with dark times so it fits the stories perfectly. Especially with the cold, dark and snowy time. The stories varied from funny, to scary/horror, some had an emotional touch and I admit a story or so was awkward.
I couldn’t connect with it and found myself pushing to finish it. While i found myself captivated and immersed in others.Despite that, the collection of stories was great. A good short read without having to jump into a full novel or series. Love learning about different cultural traditions.
These short stories would be good for those who read Grimm, more so since some of the stories are retellings of fairy tales with a darker touch. So if any reader is like me who tends to enjoy retellings more than the original story then there is a bit for everyone.
I shouldn't have read some of them at night because I have an extremely vivid mind and it was hard to sleep ..lol.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Fairy Tales/ Forklore�
³§³¦²¹°ù²ââœ�
¹ó³Ü²Ôâœ�
Dark �
Fantasy �
¸é±ð-³Ù±ð±ô±ô¾±²Ô²µ²õâœ�
A mix of paranormal fairy tale, folklore short stories with a winter theme. Winter is associated with dark times so it fits the stories perfectly. Especially with the cold, dark and snowy time. The stories varied from funny, to scary/horror, some had an emotional touch and I admit a story or so was awkward.
I couldn’t connect with it and found myself pushing to finish it. While i found myself captivated and immersed in others.Despite that, the collection of stories was great. A good short read without having to jump into a full novel or series. Love learning about different cultural traditions.
These short stories would be good for those who read Grimm, more so since some of the stories are retellings of fairy tales with a darker touch. So if any reader is like me who tends to enjoy retellings more than the original story then there is a bit for everyone.
I shouldn't have read some of them at night because I have an extremely vivid mind and it was hard to sleep ..lol.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
April 25, 2022
A great collection of short stories such as
The Biting Cold by Josie Jaffrey - Excellent. Will keep you turning the pages. A forest creature unlike any other.
The Match Girl by Rebecca F. Kenney - If you have memories of a young girl trying to sell matches on a winter street like I did, you can forget them. The concept is there but the differences are vast.
A Pea Ever After by Adie Heart - A totally different take on The Princess and The Pea.
The Boggart of Boggart Hole Clough by Jake Curren-Pipe - Who was the real monster here? The Boggart or Jordan?
The Snow Trolls by S. Markem - Hilarious!
Lord of the Forest by Katherine Shaw - How easy it is to fear that which we don't understand.
The Frost of Mercy by A.J. Van Belle - A bargain made is a bargain kept.
I received a free Advance Reader Copy of Once Upon a Winter Anthology through BookSirens and have chosen to leave a review
The Biting Cold by Josie Jaffrey - Excellent. Will keep you turning the pages. A forest creature unlike any other.
The Match Girl by Rebecca F. Kenney - If you have memories of a young girl trying to sell matches on a winter street like I did, you can forget them. The concept is there but the differences are vast.
A Pea Ever After by Adie Heart - A totally different take on The Princess and The Pea.
The Boggart of Boggart Hole Clough by Jake Curren-Pipe - Who was the real monster here? The Boggart or Jordan?
The Snow Trolls by S. Markem - Hilarious!
Lord of the Forest by Katherine Shaw - How easy it is to fear that which we don't understand.
The Frost of Mercy by A.J. Van Belle - A bargain made is a bargain kept.
I received a free Advance Reader Copy of Once Upon a Winter Anthology through BookSirens and have chosen to leave a review
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