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Fairytales Slashed
Fairytales Slashed 2
In this second volume of fairytales, see what happens when magic is put to the best and worst of uses. In The Beast, a beautiful but spoiled young man is attacked by a dark faerie seeking vengeance... vengeance that destroys the young man's world, and leaves him hideously disfigured and afflicted by a terrible curse... The Wizard's Tower is the story of a soldier who receives a letter informing him his brother has gone missing, one of many victims of an evil wizard. But when he arrives in the village where his brother lives, all that remains of the wizard is a lone tower and a strange young man... The Huntsman faithfully serves his King, guarding the forest that surrounds and protects the castle. But the peace his kingdom has long enjoyed is shattered when the King returns home early with a new Queen on his arm, a woman of great beauty and terrible magic... Sleeping Beauty tells the story of a poor, young teacher desperate to save his sister, the only family he has left. But her disease is rare, and the cure beyond their means, and the only chance at saving her requires a terrible price...
299 pages, ebook
First published December 1, 2010
About the author
Megan Derr
272 books2,868 followersMegan is a long time resident of queer romance and keeps herself busy reading and writing it. She is often accused of fluff and nonsense. When she’s not involved in writing, she likes to cook, harass her wife and cats, or watch movies. She loves to hear from readers and can be found all over the internet.
meganderr.com
patreon.com/meganderr
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facebook.com/meganaprilderr
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@meganaderr
meganderr.com
patreon.com/meganderr
meganderr.blogspot.com
facebook.com/meganaprilderr
[email protected]
@meganaderr
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
January 22, 2018
I really liked:
- The Beast by Megan Derr, a retelling of the Beauty and the Beast fairy tale.
- The Huntsman by Megan Derr, a retelling of the Snow White fairy tale.
Both were enjoyable, engaging stories with nice twists.
The rest of the stories were good, but not very memorable.
- The Beast by Megan Derr, a retelling of the Beauty and the Beast fairy tale.
- The Huntsman by Megan Derr, a retelling of the Snow White fairy tale.
Both were enjoyable, engaging stories with nice twists.
The rest of the stories were good, but not very memorable.
August 7, 2013
The Beast by Megan Derr
A enjoyable and interesting twist on the Beauty and the Beast tale. I really liked we got to see the Beast for a while before he meets his Beauty.
4 stars.
The Tower by Sasha L Miller
I really enjoyed the Rapunzel twist to this story, a very well thought out idea. I never warmed to
Roark though. He was mean and gruff, and I never really saw much of a change in him.
3.5 Stars.
The Huntsman by Megan Derr
Probably my favorite story. Not only a clever twist on the Snow White story, but packed full of much more detail. The romance in this one was probably the strongest for me too.
4.5Stars.
Sleeping Beauty by Sasha L Miller.
Another well thought out and interesting take on the Sleeping Beauty theme. We get to meet up with Cos, Roark and Bralin again, and I actually liked Roark more this time. Asa and Bralin were the main couple and while I could fully understand Bralin losing his temper, my heart still broke for poor Asa. Luckily like all true fairytales I didn't have to wait long to see their HEA lol.
4 Stars.
Overall 5 stars because the authors did a wonderful job spinning these Fairy tales into something more.
A enjoyable and interesting twist on the Beauty and the Beast tale. I really liked we got to see the Beast for a while before he meets his Beauty.
4 stars.
The Tower by Sasha L Miller
I really enjoyed the Rapunzel twist to this story, a very well thought out idea. I never warmed to
Roark though. He was mean and gruff, and I never really saw much of a change in him.
3.5 Stars.
The Huntsman by Megan Derr
Probably my favorite story. Not only a clever twist on the Snow White story, but packed full of much more detail. The romance in this one was probably the strongest for me too.
4.5Stars.
Sleeping Beauty by Sasha L Miller.
Another well thought out and interesting take on the Sleeping Beauty theme. We get to meet up with Cos, Roark and Bralin again, and I actually liked Roark more this time. Asa and Bralin were the main couple and while I could fully understand Bralin losing his temper, my heart still broke for poor Asa. Luckily like all true fairytales I didn't have to wait long to see their HEA lol.
4 Stars.
Overall 5 stars because the authors did a wonderful job spinning these Fairy tales into something more.
August 23, 2014
The Beast by Megan Derr - 2 stars (Beauty and the Beast)
Absolutely hated the Beast (character) at the beginning but he redeems himself at the end. The true essence of Beauty and the Beast.
The Wizard's Tower by Sasha L. Miller - 2 stars (Rupunzel)
Roark's only real personality is that he's grumpy all the time? A lot of it was really vague? --this is how one of the characters actually speaks...which is a little annoying...
The Huntsman by Megan Derr - 4 stars (Snow White)
By far the best story in the collection, I think, and my favorite of the lot. It is perhaps a little dark, but Snow White is a pretty dark tale. Waiting (looking?) for the story about Goulet and Marcum.
Sleeping Beauty by Sasha L. Miller - 2 stars (Sleeping Beauty)
My least favorite in the collection. Started off pretty rough and the characters didn't really leave much of an impression. Bralin was much more likable in The Wizard's Tower where he wasn't a main character.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 21, 2012
3.5 Stars
5 stars for The Beast
4 stars for The Huntsman
3 stars for The Wizard's Tower
2 stars for Sleeping Beauty
5 stars for The Beast
4 stars for The Huntsman
3 stars for The Wizard's Tower
2 stars for Sleeping Beauty
August 5, 2018
3.5 Stars
October 6, 2014
1st read: The Wizard's Tower by Sasha L. Miller. Awesome story, from start till finish. 5 stars!
2nd read: Sleeping Beauty by Sasha L. Miller. Kind-of sequel to the first, but with a new set of main characters. 5 stars!
3rd read: The Beast by Megan Derr. A new spin on Beauty and the Beast, and fabolously done. 5 stars!
4th read: The Huntsman by Megan Derr. A spin on the Snow White fairytale. It was brilliant, but got taken a little down because of a certain event that I hadn't expected and never wanted to happen. 4.5 stars!
2nd read: Sleeping Beauty by Sasha L. Miller. Kind-of sequel to the first, but with a new set of main characters. 5 stars!
3rd read: The Beast by Megan Derr. A new spin on Beauty and the Beast, and fabolously done. 5 stars!
4th read: The Huntsman by Megan Derr. A spin on the Snow White fairytale. It was brilliant, but got taken a little down because of a certain event that I hadn't expected and never wanted to happen. 4.5 stars!
April 4, 2011
Really enjoyed all the stories offered in this. Nice m/m flavored twists to fairytales. There's almost no smexxin (except for that one time...), but the writing draws you in so well, you don't even miss it.
A few editing errors (on the Kindle edition anyways), but nothing to take away your enjoyment of the book.
A few editing errors (on the Kindle edition anyways), but nothing to take away your enjoyment of the book.
February 24, 2015
I loved this a lot, except for the last story where every other sentence ended in a question mark. Was it a question or a statement or a doubtful statement? I don't know and I don't care and I found them too annoying!
March 12, 2017
Barely 3 stars - I am really disappointed! This book is definitely darker than volume one, which is not a bad thing in itself (most fairytales ARE really dark, originally), and the stories are far longer than the much lighter "shorts" of volume one. Unfortunately, all of them are far TOO long, boring the reader by introducing twists and turns that unnecessarily deter from the main story, by going too far into details, by repeating stuff over and over again, and by explaining every little thing where there is absolutely no need. As usual with this author, there are many typos, words missing here and there, and a few completely garbled sentences. Besides, I do not appreciate the complete lack of reasonably acceptable, if not sympathetic, female characters in this book (apart from Snow White, who is something else entirely, they are either sick/helpless, unfriendly/rude or extremely disgusting/evil).
THE BEAST (Beauty and the Beast) is my favourite, but mostly because I am very much in love with beautiful and gentle Rohese. The Monster turns into a Beast, and I have a hard time comprehending throughout the story why exactly Rohese falls for him (again): apart from the fact that the Beast does not do drugs or alcohol and is not physically abusive anymore, he is a good cook (who never eats himself), he owns and reads a lot of books, and he also helps Rohese's family financially, at the very end. Yay!!! But to me, all these things, though nice perks, are not really that endearing as such - and I just expected there to be more ... The introduction of Meir is strange, and there are some inconsistencies. The things that do not fit, at least not for me, include the rewarding "investments", the solicitor, the book publishing, Rohese forgetting (but not really forgetting) etc. The HEA is rushed, but ok.
THE WIZARD'S TOWER (Rapunzel) has a nice concept, but I do not like the characters at all, Bralin being the only exception, with his cheerful demeanour. The whole atmosphere of the book/village/farm is oppressive bordering on hostile; Roark is an unsympathetic grouch; Cos is far too childlike (and where did that love come from, with Roark mostly yelling/growling/snapping at him?), and there is absolutely nothing endearing Amara to me. Besides, the HFN feels somehow rushed and forced.
THE HUNTSMAN (Snow White and the Seven Dwarves) is not bad, focusing on the huntsman (the magic binding him to his ancient forest is an interesting touch!) instead of the princess, but again, there were so many far-fetched details that I did not truly enjoy it. I liked the bickering between Goulet and Marcum, though, and I would not mind reading their story.
SLEEPING BEAUTY (well, Sleeping Beauty, of course!) does not have anything in common with the original story (apart from Sariah and Cos sleeping for 2 weeks, but for a totally different reason). It is mostly a tale of two awkward guys who refuse/are unable to talk to each other, and about complications arising from curses. The story is actually the continuation of THE WIZARD'S TOWER, set a few years later: Bralin - whom I did NOT like this time around - is the MC, and his colleague Asa is his secret crush (who secretly crushes on him in return - surprise!!!!). Roark and Cos also make an appearance, with Roark still being a grouchy neanderthal, and Cos now being one of Asa's students. Cos seems a bit more grown up, though not by much, but he does save the day, and there is a HFN for Bralin and Asa. The reference to landlords and their (non-)liability for exploding ovens, the Distor-Mafia empire, the recurring mention of trecking up five flights of stairs being exhausting, the mention of slums, as well as the elaboration of the differences between assistant and full professor threw me, though, and I wondered frequently whether this was still a fantasy story set in a random kingdom or a contemporary story with magic in it.
I am seriously considering to abandon the series at this point ...
THE BEAST (Beauty and the Beast) is my favourite, but mostly because I am very much in love with beautiful and gentle Rohese. The Monster turns into a Beast, and I have a hard time comprehending throughout the story why exactly Rohese falls for him (again): apart from the fact that the Beast does not do drugs or alcohol and is not physically abusive anymore, he is a good cook (who never eats himself), he owns and reads a lot of books, and he also helps Rohese's family financially, at the very end. Yay!!! But to me, all these things, though nice perks, are not really that endearing as such - and I just expected there to be more ... The introduction of Meir is strange, and there are some inconsistencies. The things that do not fit, at least not for me, include the rewarding "investments", the solicitor, the book publishing, Rohese forgetting (but not really forgetting) etc. The HEA is rushed, but ok.
THE WIZARD'S TOWER (Rapunzel) has a nice concept, but I do not like the characters at all, Bralin being the only exception, with his cheerful demeanour. The whole atmosphere of the book/village/farm is oppressive bordering on hostile; Roark is an unsympathetic grouch; Cos is far too childlike (and where did that love come from, with Roark mostly yelling/growling/snapping at him?), and there is absolutely nothing endearing Amara to me. Besides, the HFN feels somehow rushed and forced.
THE HUNTSMAN (Snow White and the Seven Dwarves) is not bad, focusing on the huntsman (the magic binding him to his ancient forest is an interesting touch!) instead of the princess, but again, there were so many far-fetched details that I did not truly enjoy it. I liked the bickering between Goulet and Marcum, though, and I would not mind reading their story.
SLEEPING BEAUTY (well, Sleeping Beauty, of course!) does not have anything in common with the original story (apart from Sariah and Cos sleeping for 2 weeks, but for a totally different reason). It is mostly a tale of two awkward guys who refuse/are unable to talk to each other, and about complications arising from curses. The story is actually the continuation of THE WIZARD'S TOWER, set a few years later: Bralin - whom I did NOT like this time around - is the MC, and his colleague Asa is his secret crush (who secretly crushes on him in return - surprise!!!!). Roark and Cos also make an appearance, with Roark still being a grouchy neanderthal, and Cos now being one of Asa's students. Cos seems a bit more grown up, though not by much, but he does save the day, and there is a HFN for Bralin and Asa. The reference to landlords and their (non-)liability for exploding ovens, the Distor-Mafia empire, the recurring mention of trecking up five flights of stairs being exhausting, the mention of slums, as well as the elaboration of the differences between assistant and full professor threw me, though, and I wondered frequently whether this was still a fantasy story set in a random kingdom or a contemporary story with magic in it.
I am seriously considering to abandon the series at this point ...
December 10, 2018
Retold fairytales featuring male/male Romance, Volume 2.
The Beast (4 stars): Clearly a Beauty and the Beast retelling. This one was told entirely from the Beasts pov, starting with when he was cursed. That was new, and interesting. I was not particularly convinced by the romance, but the entire arc of the Beast progressively becoming less and less of an asshole because life happened to him was lovely. I would have liked more of just that.
Wizard's Tower (3.5 stars): Rapunzel retelling consisting of wizards, towers and kidnappings. Technically. Doesn't feel like much of a retelling, though- because while the elements are all there, there is no cohesive fairytale narrative to tie them all together. This is more like a fantasy magic-system world building story which just happens to have Rapunzel references. Competently told, but I was more interested in the side characters than the protagonists, and I'm definitely not convinced by the romance. Weeks of verbal abuse followed by a relationship makes said relationship shaky. Yes. Even if the abuse is well-meaning crankiness. Cos is ridiculously passive, and pairing him up with Roark is something that needs more buildup. I can see why it would work because Cos is a bonafide badass, but the romance developed too fast. We should still be firmly in grudging friendship territory.
The Huntsman (4.5 stars): This is the Snow White retelling, in case you couldn't tell. It's also my favorite story in the bunch because it's deliciously creepy (living dolls!), actually pretty funny, and features both a strong supporting cast as well as a believable romance.
Sleeping Beauty (3.5 stars): A direct sequel to Wizards Tower, featuring one of the supporting characters in the leading role. Also, I'm glad it was actually called sleeping beauty, because I couldn't for the life of me figure out what fairytale it was supposed to be retelling. Suffers from almost the exact same problems as it's predecessor, with the story elements being shoehorned it a world that would frankly work better without them. And yes, the romance was again... meh. I get that these are short stories and building a romance in them is hard, but that's no reason to let standards slip.
That said, I quite like what Sasha L Miller did with characterization- each person clearly has distinguishable personalities. I plan to read more things by her, because I want to see what she can do in a less restrictive setting.
Overall; 4 stars.
The Beast (4 stars): Clearly a Beauty and the Beast retelling. This one was told entirely from the Beasts pov, starting with when he was cursed. That was new, and interesting. I was not particularly convinced by the romance, but the entire arc of the Beast progressively becoming less and less of an asshole because life happened to him was lovely. I would have liked more of just that.
Wizard's Tower (3.5 stars): Rapunzel retelling consisting of wizards, towers and kidnappings. Technically. Doesn't feel like much of a retelling, though- because while the elements are all there, there is no cohesive fairytale narrative to tie them all together. This is more like a fantasy magic-system world building story which just happens to have Rapunzel references. Competently told, but I was more interested in the side characters than the protagonists, and I'm definitely not convinced by the romance. Weeks of verbal abuse followed by a relationship makes said relationship shaky. Yes. Even if the abuse is well-meaning crankiness. Cos is ridiculously passive, and pairing him up with Roark is something that needs more buildup. I can see why it would work because Cos is a bonafide badass, but the romance developed too fast. We should still be firmly in grudging friendship territory.
The Huntsman (4.5 stars): This is the Snow White retelling, in case you couldn't tell. It's also my favorite story in the bunch because it's deliciously creepy (living dolls!), actually pretty funny, and features both a strong supporting cast as well as a believable romance.
Sleeping Beauty (3.5 stars): A direct sequel to Wizards Tower, featuring one of the supporting characters in the leading role. Also, I'm glad it was actually called sleeping beauty, because I couldn't for the life of me figure out what fairytale it was supposed to be retelling. Suffers from almost the exact same problems as it's predecessor, with the story elements being shoehorned it a world that would frankly work better without them. And yes, the romance was again... meh. I get that these are short stories and building a romance in them is hard, but that's no reason to let standards slip.
That said, I quite like what Sasha L Miller did with characterization- each person clearly has distinguishable personalities. I plan to read more things by her, because I want to see what she can do in a less restrictive setting.
Overall; 4 stars.
November 1, 2014
Get comfortable. This review may end up longer than the book.
If you've read Fairytales Slashed 1, which had 17 short stories - many of which were either different enough from standard-issue fairy tales that I didn't recognize their influence, or else were totally original - you may not realize that this isn't quite the same thing.
Volume 2 only has four stories. They're longer and more involved, so it's not like this book is markedly shorter than the first version. I do tend to like my stories longer and meatier, but there's also less wiggle room if one falls flat, you know? In book one, if I didn't care for one of the stories, I had sixteen others to pick up the slack.
Now, this is interesting: I didn't realize before I bought this - or really, even, until I was about 99% done - that this wasn't entirely written by Megan Derr. Yes, even though Sasha L. Miller's name is right there. When I was just about done with this review, I went back to see who did what, and interestingly, the two stories I liked best were Derr's. I call this interesting because I bought the book thinking she wrote the whole thing like she did the first volume, and I've been on kind of a Megan Derr kick lately in any case, and it was unexpected to have what was essentially a blind trial prove that I really do like her stuff better than the average gay fairy tale. Or, I would if there were any such thing as an "average gay fairy tale."
THE BEAST (Derr) - 4.5 stars - This is a reimagining of Beauty and the Beast. Now, volume one had a BATB retelling in it too ("The Rosebush," if memory serves) that I really liked, so as soon as I realized what was going on, I was hoping that it would be both different enough from that other tale to qualify as a separate story (I'd have been ticked if I paid for four short stories and found out I'd already read one of them) and that it was also as engaging as that other one.
I needn't have worried. This was, IMO, the best in the volume. It started out rather, hmm, grittier? than I was expecting. Volume one was pretty G-rated, so I was surprised to see this one start off with a...well, I suppose "a bang" fits pretty well, huh? I was also a little worried when I realized just how truly entitled and selfish and hateful the beast was; it's hard to get the reader on a character's side when there really isn't much to like about him. And she did an artful job of turning him into a sympathetic character.
I have very little bad to say about The Beast. It occurred to me as I read that I might have made some different choices if I were telling the story...but I wasn't, and she did a fine job it.
THE WIZARD'S TOWER (Miller) - 2.5 stars - I confess, this was probably my least favorite in the book. I think this is supposed to be a reupholstered Rapunzel, but I only think that because the book came right out with the classic "let down your hair" line. Other than that, there really weren't any similarities, at least from what I can remember of Rapunzel, between this story and that one. (Which I readily admit probably isn't much, so don't let that sway you.)
Two things really grated on me. The first was one of the main characters' insistence on ending declarative sentences with question marks. Think Rupunzel, valley girl style. It's an artistic decision that set him apart, but I kind of wanted to shake that particular character. Often.
The other is Roark, the main main character. I didn't like him. Usually, with unlikeable characters, they're humanized somewhere in the story so that the reader can become more sympathetic. The end of this story, I still kind of wanted to hit him. It's a theme I've seen before in fantasy stories with gay romance elements, where the main character is this beastly, unpleasant dude with some sort of irresistible masculine energy. It's hard to imagine why the other characters forgive the fact that the guy is a great hairy toad and fall for him anyway, with no charm in evidence. (Rugged good looks certainly aren't enough for me, and I can't say I have a whole lot of respect for people who overlook immature, nasty behavior just because the perpetrator is hot.) So my main problem with the book was that I didn't like Roark, and the author didn't give him enough in the way of redeeming qualities for me to grow to like him. When you find yourself rooting for the bad guys to take your hero down a peg...
THE HUNTSMAN (Derr) - 4 stars; 5 if not for the editing - This is a retelling of Snow White, and it's pretty clever. The author manages to take other unrelated fairy tales (Sleeping Beauty, for example) and work them into the story in a peripheral way. Unlike the last story, I liked all the characters in this one. I did think once or twice that the Huntsman seemed to be afflicted with Poor Suffering Martyr syndrome, and maybe he'd have fewer problems if he'd try being a little more practical, but he did alright in the end. I did like all of the supporting characters. Even the evil stepmother!
The one flaw in this tale was the poor proofing. As a whole, this book wasn't as well copyedited/proofed as the prior volume, but for some reason, about five times as many mistakes jumped out of this story at me as did in the previous two stories. Obvious mistakes. Typos, punctuation, at least one instance of the wrong pronoun being used... I think I'd bump this up to five stars and promote this story to "favorite" if the story was tidied up, but as it is, the errors distracted from an otherwise awesome tale.
SLEEPING BEAUTY (Miller) - 3.5 stars - This story returns to the world of "The Wizard's Tower" (story #2). Which is unfortunate, because, like I mentioned, I didn't care for that world much. (Normally, BTW, I love cameos.) This one relegates Roark to supporting actor and let's the others take a more involved role, and that's the only thing that saved this story; Roark is still a toad without any manners. Bad enough that I still couldn't put my finger on what redeeming quality he had, and he must have had one, because none of these people have stopped speaking to him. Anyway, Roark is refreshingly absent for much of the tale.
One reason for a less than perfect score for this one is tied to one of my problems with the second story - speaking declarations as though they're questions. NOW it's not only the one dude that does it, it's like a contagious disease. I want to believe that this was an artistic decision, done entirely on purpose. I assume she's attempting to show hesitation and subservience. It's still kind of maddening.
All in all, I enjoyed this collection of stories. I know I talked a great deal about the faults, but I read this book straight through to the end, and I'm glad I did. It's not quite worth the five stars I gave volume one, but it's still good despite the flaws.
If you've read Fairytales Slashed 1, which had 17 short stories - many of which were either different enough from standard-issue fairy tales that I didn't recognize their influence, or else were totally original - you may not realize that this isn't quite the same thing.
Volume 2 only has four stories. They're longer and more involved, so it's not like this book is markedly shorter than the first version. I do tend to like my stories longer and meatier, but there's also less wiggle room if one falls flat, you know? In book one, if I didn't care for one of the stories, I had sixteen others to pick up the slack.
Now, this is interesting: I didn't realize before I bought this - or really, even, until I was about 99% done - that this wasn't entirely written by Megan Derr. Yes, even though Sasha L. Miller's name is right there. When I was just about done with this review, I went back to see who did what, and interestingly, the two stories I liked best were Derr's. I call this interesting because I bought the book thinking she wrote the whole thing like she did the first volume, and I've been on kind of a Megan Derr kick lately in any case, and it was unexpected to have what was essentially a blind trial prove that I really do like her stuff better than the average gay fairy tale. Or, I would if there were any such thing as an "average gay fairy tale."
THE BEAST (Derr) - 4.5 stars - This is a reimagining of Beauty and the Beast. Now, volume one had a BATB retelling in it too ("The Rosebush," if memory serves) that I really liked, so as soon as I realized what was going on, I was hoping that it would be both different enough from that other tale to qualify as a separate story (I'd have been ticked if I paid for four short stories and found out I'd already read one of them) and that it was also as engaging as that other one.
I needn't have worried. This was, IMO, the best in the volume. It started out rather, hmm, grittier? than I was expecting. Volume one was pretty G-rated, so I was surprised to see this one start off with a...well, I suppose "a bang" fits pretty well, huh? I was also a little worried when I realized just how truly entitled and selfish and hateful the beast was; it's hard to get the reader on a character's side when there really isn't much to like about him. And she did an artful job of turning him into a sympathetic character.
I have very little bad to say about The Beast. It occurred to me as I read that I might have made some different choices if I were telling the story...but I wasn't, and she did a fine job it.
THE WIZARD'S TOWER (Miller) - 2.5 stars - I confess, this was probably my least favorite in the book. I think this is supposed to be a reupholstered Rapunzel, but I only think that because the book came right out with the classic "let down your hair" line. Other than that, there really weren't any similarities, at least from what I can remember of Rapunzel, between this story and that one. (Which I readily admit probably isn't much, so don't let that sway you.)
Two things really grated on me. The first was one of the main characters' insistence on ending declarative sentences with question marks. Think Rupunzel, valley girl style. It's an artistic decision that set him apart, but I kind of wanted to shake that particular character. Often.
The other is Roark, the main main character. I didn't like him. Usually, with unlikeable characters, they're humanized somewhere in the story so that the reader can become more sympathetic. The end of this story, I still kind of wanted to hit him. It's a theme I've seen before in fantasy stories with gay romance elements, where the main character is this beastly, unpleasant dude with some sort of irresistible masculine energy. It's hard to imagine why the other characters forgive the fact that the guy is a great hairy toad and fall for him anyway, with no charm in evidence. (Rugged good looks certainly aren't enough for me, and I can't say I have a whole lot of respect for people who overlook immature, nasty behavior just because the perpetrator is hot.) So my main problem with the book was that I didn't like Roark, and the author didn't give him enough in the way of redeeming qualities for me to grow to like him. When you find yourself rooting for the bad guys to take your hero down a peg...
THE HUNTSMAN (Derr) - 4 stars; 5 if not for the editing - This is a retelling of Snow White, and it's pretty clever. The author manages to take other unrelated fairy tales (Sleeping Beauty, for example) and work them into the story in a peripheral way. Unlike the last story, I liked all the characters in this one. I did think once or twice that the Huntsman seemed to be afflicted with Poor Suffering Martyr syndrome, and maybe he'd have fewer problems if he'd try being a little more practical, but he did alright in the end. I did like all of the supporting characters. Even the evil stepmother!
The one flaw in this tale was the poor proofing. As a whole, this book wasn't as well copyedited/proofed as the prior volume, but for some reason, about five times as many mistakes jumped out of this story at me as did in the previous two stories. Obvious mistakes. Typos, punctuation, at least one instance of the wrong pronoun being used... I think I'd bump this up to five stars and promote this story to "favorite" if the story was tidied up, but as it is, the errors distracted from an otherwise awesome tale.
SLEEPING BEAUTY (Miller) - 3.5 stars - This story returns to the world of "The Wizard's Tower" (story #2). Which is unfortunate, because, like I mentioned, I didn't care for that world much. (Normally, BTW, I love cameos.) This one relegates Roark to supporting actor and let's the others take a more involved role, and that's the only thing that saved this story; Roark is still a toad without any manners. Bad enough that I still couldn't put my finger on what redeeming quality he had, and he must have had one, because none of these people have stopped speaking to him. Anyway, Roark is refreshingly absent for much of the tale.
One reason for a less than perfect score for this one is tied to one of my problems with the second story - speaking declarations as though they're questions. NOW it's not only the one dude that does it, it's like a contagious disease. I want to believe that this was an artistic decision, done entirely on purpose. I assume she's attempting to show hesitation and subservience. It's still kind of maddening.
All in all, I enjoyed this collection of stories. I know I talked a great deal about the faults, but I read this book straight through to the end, and I'm glad I did. It's not quite worth the five stars I gave volume one, but it's still good despite the flaws.
October 20, 2018
I've just read The Beast and I have to write something about it, because the story is almost a full 5* from me. I was so engaged in the story I even cried at one time, which is the first time I have cried because of any book in quite some time. The story is long, but thanks to that the evolution of Alcor is more believable. And it was just right that Rohese met the beast not right after the curse, but quite a time later. I came to really like Alcor. Rohese was a slight too perfect, but I guess him being so only served to humble the Beast for not seeing and appreciating it before. A really emotional and lovely tale.
Okay, so now I have read the Huntsman as well, and I'm sorry to say I'm disappointed. First of all, what the queen had forced Calder to do was disgusting and didn't sit well with me. Secondly, Caldar looked promising in the beginning, but turned out to be something between a martyr and emo kid. And he was simply an idiot and a coward for not going to get Lev's help right from the start. Levaughn, on the other hand, was boring and it did nothing to help his image that while he had been in love with Calder all the time, he slept with other men when they were apart. Marcum and Goulet were much more to my liking and I was disappointed that while they were obviously interested in each other, their story didn't get further than that. Just sneaky glances and jealous comments. I really want their own story!
Okay, so now I have read the Huntsman as well, and I'm sorry to say I'm disappointed. First of all, what the queen had forced Calder to do was disgusting and didn't sit well with me. Secondly, Caldar looked promising in the beginning, but turned out to be something between a martyr and emo kid. And he was simply an idiot and a coward for not going to get Lev's help right from the start. Levaughn, on the other hand, was boring and it did nothing to help his image that while he had been in love with Calder all the time, he slept with other men when they were apart. Marcum and Goulet were much more to my liking and I was disappointed that while they were obviously interested in each other, their story didn't get further than that. Just sneaky glances and jealous comments. I really want their own story!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 11, 2018
Okay so unlike the first volume, there are fewer stories but they’re longer. The first inspired by Beauty and the beast. A noble is cursed by a dark fae. I really liked this one. It was sad but sweet, a tale of friendship, loss and love.
Didn’t like the second story as much. Rapunzel. Roark goes to find his missing brother who’s been taken by a wizard. Cos was a little too shy, he felt like a small child so it didn’t feel right. Roark has serious anger management issues. I preferred the first story.
Ooh it’s hard to tell if I liked the huntsman or the beast best. This one had everything, goblin, wizard, alchemist and of course Snow White and the evil queen. I loved this one from start to finish. Really wanted to see what happened with Marcum and Goulet.
Cos and Roark are back in Sleeping beauty, this time Bralin has a love interest. Asa is a poor wizard assistant professor looking after his dying sister, he spends most of his time draining his magic into her or researching spells to save her. Kinda felt like Cos was the main source of trouble in this one. Roark was less angry and Bralin was an average pain. Felt sorry for Asa and his sister.
Didn’t like the second story as much. Rapunzel. Roark goes to find his missing brother who’s been taken by a wizard. Cos was a little too shy, he felt like a small child so it didn’t feel right. Roark has serious anger management issues. I preferred the first story.
Ooh it’s hard to tell if I liked the huntsman or the beast best. This one had everything, goblin, wizard, alchemist and of course Snow White and the evil queen. I loved this one from start to finish. Really wanted to see what happened with Marcum and Goulet.
Cos and Roark are back in Sleeping beauty, this time Bralin has a love interest. Asa is a poor wizard assistant professor looking after his dying sister, he spends most of his time draining his magic into her or researching spells to save her. Kinda felt like Cos was the main source of trouble in this one. Roark was less angry and Bralin was an average pain. Felt sorry for Asa and his sister.
May 13, 2017
The Beast - Megan Derr: ★★★★★
A more angsty take on the traditional Beauty and the Beast story
The Wizard's Tower - Sasha L. Miller: ★★★
I liked the story and characters, but wasn't really feeling the chemistry between the male leads
The Huntsman - Megan Derr: ★★★★★
Loved it, probably my favourite of the collection
Sleeping Beauty - Sasha L. Miller: ★★★★★
I found the resolution to be a little too tidy, but overall, I really liked it
A more angsty take on the traditional Beauty and the Beast story
The Wizard's Tower - Sasha L. Miller: ★★★
I liked the story and characters, but wasn't really feeling the chemistry between the male leads
The Huntsman - Megan Derr: ★★★★★
Loved it, probably my favourite of the collection
Sleeping Beauty - Sasha L. Miller: ★★★★★
I found the resolution to be a little too tidy, but overall, I really liked it
February 5, 2018
The Beast: 3,5/5 Bittersweet, but I loved how instead of rushing it, we were given the opportunity of seeing the evolution of the MC
The Wizard's Tower: 2,5/5 Ok, so I liked the idea, but basically Roark's defining trait is just scowling and being angry all the time? And the romance wasn't there for me at all.
The Huntsman: 3,5/5 This one was great! I really liked it, I just wish there was a second part or something, because I totally want to read more of this world.
Sleeping Beauty: 3/5 Again, a nice idea but... dunno *shrugs*
The Wizard's Tower: 2,5/5 Ok, so I liked the idea, but basically Roark's defining trait is just scowling and being angry all the time? And the romance wasn't there for me at all.
The Huntsman: 3,5/5 This one was great! I really liked it, I just wish there was a second part or something, because I totally want to read more of this world.
Sleeping Beauty: 3/5 Again, a nice idea but... dunno *shrugs*
November 7, 2019
Longer stories than the first book of Fairytales Slashed and I appreciate it very much! Satisfying to read.
January 26, 2021
Both "The Beast" and "The Huntsman" from Megan Derr, which were the ones I 50% read-50% skimmed (the other I skimmed almost totally), were a bit too dark for my tastes and although Beauty and the Beast is my favorite fairytale and I do think that Derr gave a great twist to it, the beginning was a bit gruesome and the end too fluffy.
As far as "The Huntsman" goes I was totally uncomfortable reading about the Queen and the Huntsman and I just couldn't get into the whole thing. I would love to read the story of Goulet and Marcum though!
As far as "The Huntsman" goes I was totally uncomfortable reading about the Queen and the Huntsman and I just couldn't get into the whole thing. I would love to read the story of Goulet and Marcum though!
March 4, 2017
Some of the stories really were beautiful, but others were not so interesting or plain obvious
August 21, 2019
Fairtales Slashed: Volume 2 by Megan Derr and Sasha L. Miller
Overall Rating: 4 stars
I am giving this book an overall rating of 4 stars from the strength of Megan Derr’s stories alone. The two of them are worth the price of the book.
The Beast(Megan Derr): 4 stars
I love re-imagined fairy tales and Beauty and Beast is one of my favorite. I absolutely loved this version of the classic tale. Alco was so unlikeable in the beginning of this tale. The author did a good job of chronicling his journey from an apathetic, self-important, drug addled nobleman to the Beast and his ultimate happy ever after.
The Wizard’s Tower(Sasha L. Miller): 3 stars
I liked this re-imagining of the Rapunzel fairy tale, but I didn’t really love it. Ultimately what brought the story down for me was the fact that Roark was so unlikeable as the hero of the story. From start to finish, I disliked him as a character and thought that Cos deserved better.
The Huntsman (Megan Derr): 4 stars
Very dark and gritty version of Snow White. I loved it and all the characters. It’s a toss up to which one I liked more. This one or The Beast.
Sleeping Beauty (Shasa L. Miller) 2.5 stars
This story utilized many of the characters from The Wizard’s Tower and frankly the best part of this book was Cos. I really couldn’t get into to it much and there was absolutely no chemistry between the two MCs. Didn’t buy their love story at all. The author could have left that part out and dealt with Asa and his struggle finding a cure for his sister’s illness and it would have been a better story. Bralin was just unlikable in this story, which is a shame since I liked him in the Wizard’s Tower.
Overall Rating: 4 stars
I am giving this book an overall rating of 4 stars from the strength of Megan Derr’s stories alone. The two of them are worth the price of the book.
The Beast(Megan Derr): 4 stars
I love re-imagined fairy tales and Beauty and Beast is one of my favorite. I absolutely loved this version of the classic tale. Alco was so unlikeable in the beginning of this tale. The author did a good job of chronicling his journey from an apathetic, self-important, drug addled nobleman to the Beast and his ultimate happy ever after.
The Wizard’s Tower(Sasha L. Miller): 3 stars
I liked this re-imagining of the Rapunzel fairy tale, but I didn’t really love it. Ultimately what brought the story down for me was the fact that Roark was so unlikeable as the hero of the story. From start to finish, I disliked him as a character and thought that Cos deserved better.
The Huntsman (Megan Derr): 4 stars
Very dark and gritty version of Snow White. I loved it and all the characters. It’s a toss up to which one I liked more. This one or The Beast.
Sleeping Beauty (Shasa L. Miller) 2.5 stars
This story utilized many of the characters from The Wizard’s Tower and frankly the best part of this book was Cos. I really couldn’t get into to it much and there was absolutely no chemistry between the two MCs. Didn’t buy their love story at all. The author could have left that part out and dealt with Asa and his struggle finding a cure for his sister’s illness and it would have been a better story. Bralin was just unlikable in this story, which is a shame since I liked him in the Wizard’s Tower.
June 1, 2012
I loved the first volume so much I was disappointed to discover how different this volume was. I loved that the first one had a whole bunch of shorter stories, so I was almost not looking forward to only having 4 long ones in this volume. That said, I definitely enjoyed most of the stories.
I LOVED The Huntsman! Cal and Lev were both beautifully written and incredible characters. I loved how the huntsman's relationship to the forest was described. I loved how vividly the background in each of the scenes was portrayed, from the goblin caves to the forest to the castles to the lake, it all was incredibly vivid.
I liked both The Wizard's Tower and Sleeping Beauty. I enjoyed that the same characters were in both and that we got to see more of the relationship between Roark and Cos.
I didn't really like The Beast as much, but that's likely 100% personal taste: I don't like being in the heads of characters who are that spoiled and selfish and awful to people. And I really don't like having to read about them living through horrific violence or having to heal from it afterward.
I LOVED The Huntsman! Cal and Lev were both beautifully written and incredible characters. I loved how the huntsman's relationship to the forest was described. I loved how vividly the background in each of the scenes was portrayed, from the goblin caves to the forest to the castles to the lake, it all was incredibly vivid.
I liked both The Wizard's Tower and Sleeping Beauty. I enjoyed that the same characters were in both and that we got to see more of the relationship between Roark and Cos.
I didn't really like The Beast as much, but that's likely 100% personal taste: I don't like being in the heads of characters who are that spoiled and selfish and awful to people. And I really don't like having to read about them living through horrific violence or having to heal from it afterward.
April 6, 2021
The first story is definitely five-stars-worthy! So much can be told in such a short novel. The main character was an entitled asshole, but he did not deserve such suffering, emotional and physical.
05.12.18, 22.09.20, 06.04.21, 2h 28-29min
The second story is really nice, 4 stars! A grumpy and aggressive main character and a skittish and mysterious 'love interest'.
05.12.18, 22.09.20, 1h 40min
The third story is a twisted take on Snow White, very twisted indeed - the huntsman suffers deeply.
05.12.18, 09.07.20, 4,5 stars
The fourth story can be read as a standalone, though I wouldn't recommend it. The main characters from the second story are side characters for this one and the other way around.
05.12.18, 22.09.20, 3,5 stars, 1h 30min
05.12.18, 22.09.20, 06.04.21, 2h 28-29min
The second story is really nice, 4 stars! A grumpy and aggressive main character and a skittish and mysterious 'love interest'.
05.12.18, 22.09.20, 1h 40min
The third story is a twisted take on Snow White, very twisted indeed - the huntsman suffers deeply.
05.12.18, 09.07.20, 4,5 stars
The fourth story can be read as a standalone, though I wouldn't recommend it. The main characters from the second story are side characters for this one and the other way around.
05.12.18, 22.09.20, 3,5 stars, 1h 30min
April 4, 2023
The Beast - 4 stars. Lovely yale about the MC learning to love himself.
The Wizard's Tower - 4 stars. A soldier called home to find his missing brother.
The Huntsman - 4 stars. This is darker than the others. My heart broke over and over for Cal as he was forced to do things he didn't want to do (Yes, I'm being vague because spoilers). The romance is probably the strongest of the collection. And I need a story titled 'the goblin's alchemist' or some such, because those two need a story.
Sleeping Beauty - 3.5 stars. The least satisfying of the four. The main focus of the story was the friendship between Asa and Cos (from The Wizard's Tower) and there wasn't enough attraction between Asa and Bralin to carry the relationship part of the story. Also I think everyone treated Bralin poorly after his 'outburst', when Asa and Cos were the ones in the wrong. (Plus loads of editing errors in this one)
Ignore the editing issues and enjoy these low steam, different takes on fairy stories.
The Wizard's Tower - 4 stars. A soldier called home to find his missing brother.
The Huntsman - 4 stars. This is darker than the others. My heart broke over and over for Cal as he was forced to do things he didn't want to do (Yes, I'm being vague because spoilers). The romance is probably the strongest of the collection. And I need a story titled 'the goblin's alchemist' or some such, because those two need a story.
Sleeping Beauty - 3.5 stars. The least satisfying of the four. The main focus of the story was the friendship between Asa and Cos (from The Wizard's Tower) and there wasn't enough attraction between Asa and Bralin to carry the relationship part of the story. Also I think everyone treated Bralin poorly after his 'outburst', when Asa and Cos were the ones in the wrong. (Plus loads of editing errors in this one)
Ignore the editing issues and enjoy these low steam, different takes on fairy stories.
July 16, 2014
It's been a while since I read this, so I'll review some of it.
The Beast - review to come.
The Wizard's Tower - The problem I have with this story (apart from the question marks ...) is that Roark came off as a full grown adult whereas Cos seemed like a child. I may have to reread it to see if I missed something. Otherwise, I quite liked it. Sort of.
The Huntsman - I keep rereading this one, mainly because of Marcum and Goulet. The story is well done and the two main characters are good too. I'm kind of hoping that Derr's WIP (according to her website) "The Goblin Market" will somehow be about Marcum and Goulet (the goblin). One can dream.
Sleeping Beauty - Didn't much care for this one. Cos and his questions again, and Roark again, whom I didn't much like the first time around.
The Beast - review to come.
The Wizard's Tower - The problem I have with this story (apart from the question marks ...) is that Roark came off as a full grown adult whereas Cos seemed like a child. I may have to reread it to see if I missed something. Otherwise, I quite liked it. Sort of.
The Huntsman - I keep rereading this one, mainly because of Marcum and Goulet. The story is well done and the two main characters are good too. I'm kind of hoping that Derr's WIP (according to her website) "The Goblin Market" will somehow be about Marcum and Goulet (the goblin). One can dream.
Sleeping Beauty - Didn't much care for this one. Cos and his questions again, and Roark again, whom I didn't much like the first time around.
February 6, 2017
Amazing book!
I loved of all the stories. I really loved how They put such a neat spin on known tales, especially with the spells being known by fairy tale names, yet having a twist from what you come to expect. Each one was unique and the relationships were sweet.
My absolute favourite was The Beast. Having read a different beauty and the beast rendition from Derr which I quite liked, I wasn't certain how another version would stand up. This was by far the best one I have ever read! I felt for each and every character and I was entranced by their actions throughout. I especially loved that lifting a curse did not guarantee a HEA in this world and in fact could sometimes hinder it. Beautiful story, well worth the read!
I loved of all the stories. I really loved how They put such a neat spin on known tales, especially with the spells being known by fairy tale names, yet having a twist from what you come to expect. Each one was unique and the relationships were sweet.
My absolute favourite was The Beast. Having read a different beauty and the beast rendition from Derr which I quite liked, I wasn't certain how another version would stand up. This was by far the best one I have ever read! I felt for each and every character and I was entranced by their actions throughout. I especially loved that lifting a curse did not guarantee a HEA in this world and in fact could sometimes hinder it. Beautiful story, well worth the read!
January 3, 2016
The various twists to the different fairytales were interesting and I liked the change of perspective in The Beast the most.
But this book is so full of mistakes I sometimes wanted to throw it against the wall. I might have liked it more without them. I even thought about taking note of every mistake to show the publisher what kind of a shitty job they've done. I think I've not yet read a book by Less than three press which had not lots of obvious mistakes. And they expect the reader to pay for this? I'm glad I got this book for free.
But this book is so full of mistakes I sometimes wanted to throw it against the wall. I might have liked it more without them. I even thought about taking note of every mistake to show the publisher what kind of a shitty job they've done. I think I've not yet read a book by Less than three press which had not lots of obvious mistakes. And they expect the reader to pay for this? I'm glad I got this book for free.
April 15, 2013
The Beast (a Beauty and the Beast fairytale, 3 stars) – started off great, I was completely engrossed in the beginning; then became too winding and ultimately felt too long
The Wizard’s Tower (inspired by Rapunzel, 3 stars)
The Huntsman (inspired by Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, 2 stars) – my least favorite story, with too much sex; it’s a fairytale, for christ’s sake; any amount of sex would have been too much
Sleeping Beauty (loosely based on The Sleeping Beauty, 4 stars) – my favorite and with more heart than the other three stories
The Wizard’s Tower (inspired by Rapunzel, 3 stars)
The Huntsman (inspired by Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, 2 stars) – my least favorite story, with too much sex; it’s a fairytale, for christ’s sake; any amount of sex would have been too much
Sleeping Beauty (loosely based on The Sleeping Beauty, 4 stars) – my favorite and with more heart than the other three stories
June 19, 2020
Good afternoon reading material...
I really enjoy Megan Derr's and Sasha Miller's writing. It's to the point, descriptions and dialogue flowing naturally while merging with each character's inner monologue to produce an entertaining story that takes the reader into a different world and time. I often marvel at the creative talent entailed to create lives and worlds so different from what we know while inserting enough of the familiar so it's easy to fall into the stories. Five stars.
I really enjoy Megan Derr's and Sasha Miller's writing. It's to the point, descriptions and dialogue flowing naturally while merging with each character's inner monologue to produce an entertaining story that takes the reader into a different world and time. I often marvel at the creative talent entailed to create lives and worlds so different from what we know while inserting enough of the familiar so it's easy to fall into the stories. Five stars.
January 1, 2013
Unfortunately, Miller's long-winded, rambling prose dropped this book down to a 3. It certainly did not help that they were connected--if we're going to spend that much time hemming and hawing about everything, let's at least get a new universe out of it.
Taken alone, Derr's contributions were easily 4-5 material. I would recommend skipping over Miller's two stories, unless you particularly enjoy her style.
Taken alone, Derr's contributions were easily 4-5 material. I would recommend skipping over Miller's two stories, unless you particularly enjoy her style.
September 23, 2014
"The Beast" and "The Huntsman" made this worth reading. The MC's in the other stories were flat and one dimensional; it was hard to care about them. I had a couple of surprises with this book: the poor editing, and two authors. The editing problem was annoying, but it was comforting to learn the weak stories were not from Ms. Derr's pen.
May 28, 2015
Not quite as good as the first one, I think. I slightly preferred the stories by Megan Derr over those by Sasha L. Miller; they just had a more fairytale-y feel to them, even if I thought The Beast was a little too long.
Somewhere inbetween the story length in this volume and that of the first would be perfect.
Somewhere inbetween the story length in this volume and that of the first would be perfect.
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