Book Review: Faery Tales & Nightmares

Faery Tales & Nightmares

By: Melissa Marr

Published By: HarperCollins

Publication Date: February 21, 2012

Page Count: 432

Buy it at Amazon or IndieBound

Source: ARC Provided by Publisher

Audience: YA - Paranormal

Short story anthologies aren't always my thing, but this one I loved. I have been so bummed since finishing the last Wicked Lovely book. I hated the thought of not getting to spend any more time with Seth, Devlin, and Ani. I was pleasantly surprised to see that all of my favorite Wicked Lovely characters make appearances in this one. In addition to spending time in a world I already know and love, I was also able to experience some new tales from the mind of the talented Melissa Marr. These new tales feature selchies, vampires, ice bears, flesh eating goblins, and more. This anthology has a little bit of everything! 

Faery Tales & Nightmares is full of what I have come to expect from Marr's writing - its dark, beautifully written, and full of vivid descriptions. I know that other reviewers have rated this book a little lower because of the Wicked Lovely stories. However, I think you could read the ones in this book and enjoy them even if you have never read the series. Sure, someone like me who has read the entire series and loved the books will have a deeper connection to the stories relating to those characters, but at the heart of the matter is the fact that they are entertaining stories regardless of the amount of prior knowledge one brings to the table.

I loved the variety of the stories in the collection. There is a nice balance of Wicked Lovely material and stand alones. I had previously read the selchie story, "Love Struck", in another anthology, but I was happy to see it included in this one. It is one of my favorite selchie stories. My other favorites in the stand alones were "Winter's Kiss" and "Transition". "Winter's Kiss" is the story of a princess who is cursed with the breath of winter. She leaves her kingdom in order to spare them from her curse during the warm months, but along the way she meets a strange and interesting creature who will become her traveling companion. "Transition" is the vampire short story; I really liked seeing Marr's spin on the vampire mythology. Its really hard to put a fresh twist on vampires right now, but Marr managed to write something that left me craving a longer work. I hope that perhaps one day all of these little tidbit will turn into larger works.

Finally, I loved all of the Wicked Lovely stories that were included. My favorite was "Cotton Candy Skies". This is mainly because Devlin and Ani were my favorite couple in the series. I know that may sound odd to those who have read all the books considering that Devlin and Ani aren't major characters in most of the series, but there was just something about them that I loved. I wish that we had seen more of them both in the larger series. I also really liked this tale because we get to see more of Rabbit and learn more about his life after Darkest Mercy. 

It was also very cool to read "The Sleeping Girl and the Summer King". This is the short story that started it all! This story is what provided the inspiration for the Wicked Lovely series.

Faery Tales & Nightmares will appeal to Wicked Lovely fans and those looking for some creative paranormal tales. This is crucial to the collection of anyone who is fan of Melissa Marr's writing.

One Last Gripe: There were a few stories that didn't appeal to me much. I wasn't a huge fan of "Where Nightmares Walk" or "The Art of Waiting".

My Favorite Things About This Book: The variety of topics & getting to spend more time with the Wicked Lovely fey

First Sentence: The green glow of eyes and sulfurous breath shimmer in the fog as the Nightmares come into range.

Summary:

Dangerous promises and beguiling threats swirl together in a dozen stories of enchantments dark and light by New York Times bestselling author Melissa Marr. Uncanny and unexpected creatures appear from behind bushes, rise from beneath the seas, or manifest from seasonal storms to pursue the objects of their attention—with amorous or sinister intent—relentlessly. 

From the gentle tones of a storyteller’s cadences to the terror of a blood sacrifice, tales of favorite characters from Marr’s Wicked Lovely novels mix with accounts of new characters for readers to fall in love with...or to fear. 

Lush, seductive, and chilling, Melissa Marr’s stories revel in the unseen magic that infuses the world as we know it.