Title: Celtic Tales: Fairy Tales and Stories of Enchantment from Ireland, Scotland, Brittany, and Wales
Author Kate Forrester
Genre: Fantasy, Fairy Tales
Source: Ebook
Rating: 4 out of 5 paws

The traditional stories of Ireland, Scotland, Brittany, and Wales transport us to the fantastical world of Celtic folklore. Translated and transcribed by folklorists in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the 16 stories in this compilation conjure forgotten realms and rare magical creatures in vivid prose. These timeless tales brim with wit and magic, and each one is brought to life with elegant silhouette art by Kate Forrester in this special illustrated edition.

I have always loved fairy tales and folklore, none more than Celtic Tales as that is my heritage.  I was so excited when I seen this book and delved right into the stories.  They are short enough to devour in a few short hours, or you can read a few and set the book aside for another time.  Great for bedtime reading.  I love the story about the skelkies and the Witch of Lok Island.  They are all great stories but those two were among my favorites, I love skelkies as a whole and for some reason Lok Island Witch was interesting as well, it was one I haven't read before.

There is a certain enjoyment from reading fairy tales especially those from one's ancestry and this was no different for me.  I almost crave more Celtic tales to add to my knowledge and this book definitely does that.  I love how it is broken up between tricksters, the sea and romance.  Now if I want a short romance story or one about tricksters I know where to look.  Each story tells you where it originates and includes a nice little illustration.

Kate Forrester did a great job putting this collection of fairy tales together and I am glad I got to read it.  While the book is only about 177 pages take the time to enjoy each story and the fantasy world it creates.  Let the magic overtake you to a new realm.

The Girl In The Tower

Title: The Girl In The Tower
Author: Katherine Arden
Genre: Fantasy, Folklore
Source: Library hardback
Rating: 4 out of 5 paws


The Bear has been defeated, but because of it Vasya has been cast out of her village labeled a witch.  Instead of living life in a convent or allowing herself to be married to some man, Vasya decides to travel the world, see all that she can see.  She disguises herself as a boy and ventures out into the woods atop her grand horse. She encounters some bandits and after a narrow escape she stumbles upon a monastery which happens to be Sasha's monastery.  She earns the admiration of the Grand Prince, but must keep up the pretenses of being a boy.  She begins to notice things in Moscow that don't seem to add up and begins to realize the Grand Prince's kingdom is under threat, a threat that feasts and drinks wine with him.  But is it too late for her to stop things that are already in motion?

The Girl In The Tower is the sequel to The Bear and The Nightengale which may just be one of my favorite fantasy/folklore books so far this year. Just like The Bear and The Nightengale, this book revolves around the Russian folk lore of the frost-demon.  It is filled with elements of folk-lore, religion, politics, culture and fantastical elements. 


Vasya wants nothing more than to be her own person and not be confined to what society says she needs to be and how to act.  While she may feel like she is still wild young girl she once was, she grow immensely in this novel and forms ideal beyond that of simply not wanting to marry or go to a convent.  Readers see her enjoy being an advisor to the Grand Prince and finally being able to stand up for herself and be taken seriously.  Her voice is finally heard even if it is as a boy.  To her, that is a freeing experience.  Her shift into maturity happens so naturally that by the end of the novel you think to yourself, wow she grew tremendously in this novel, and you can't wait to see her in the next one.


Kathrine Arden's writing is beautifully lyrical and poetic.  It was easy to get lost in her world and forget everything in the real world, I almost forgot to go back to work after lunch.  Every character introduced plays an important part, there are no "small roles" in this novel and I love that.  I love that readers can feel connected to every character even Katya in the beginning.  While Vasya isn't out right romantically involved with anyone she feels a love towards Morozko.  I think he can win everyone's heart, he won mine!  I almost want a story focused on him.

Every time you take one path, you must live with the memory of the other: of a life left unchosen. Decide as seems best, one course or the other; each way will have its bitter with its sweet.

This is probably my favorite quote from the book.  It says so much within these two sentences that define the series and life in general.  After reading it I paused and thought about what those words meant for me, for my life and the path I have chosen.  From start to finish you find yourself melting into the words of Katherine Arden.  There is no better way to describe it.


I highly recommend this novel, and will keep my eye out for the third book and feel like I need to buy all versions of this book.  Check it out.

The Bear and The Nightengale

Title:  The Bear and The Nightengale
Author: Katherine Arden
Genre: Fantasy, Fairy Tale
Source Library Book: Hardback
Rating: 4 out of 5


Amid the Russian wilderness, winter seems to last forever.  Vasilisa spends her time huddled around the fire to listen to stories told by her nurse, her favorite being about Frost; the winter demon who appears in the night to claim souls.  Soon after her birth, Vasilisa's mother passes away and her father goes to Moscow to find a new wife.  Her new step mother forbids the family and the rest of the estate to honor the house, yard, and forest spirits and honor the Christian God instead.  But Vasilisa personally knows these spirits are real, and the family rituals are more important than others realize.  Soon enough crops begin to fail, and creatures of the forest venture closer to the homes.  Her stepmother and the new priest combine their efforts to force the young girl into either marriage or the convent, but Vasilisa will have nothing of it and escapes into the sanctuary of the forest.  What she finds will change her forever.

This book came up as a recommendation because I loved reading Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern, and I was skeptical of the comparison.  While this book doesn't have the same theme or idea as Night Circus, it still spun a spell around my mind and soul and Katherine Arden's talented writing drug me deep into her tale. The book was enchantingly dark, darker than I expected but I loved it, couldn't get enough of it.  Arden has been able to craft a world that lingers on the fence between the seen and unseen and pokes at the mystery of the beyond. She has transformed this Russian folklore into something magical and fresh.


I have always enjoyed reading books based on folklore, especially folklore that I am not accustomed to and this novel was the perfect opportunity to introduce myself to something outside my realm of knowledge.  I appreciated the fact that while Vasilisa honored the house/yard/forest spirits, she also did not discount the faith of her step-mother, priest and brother.  She seemed to respect them and simply asked the priest to respect her own beliefs and allow her to practice as she has always done.  This was a powerful aspect of the novel as we are reminded that she is a young woman not 16 yet (I believe by the end she is 14 or so). Vasya is a strong-willed independent character who continues to grow into herself and the things she believes in.  There is a lot to be said in her character not being willing to sacrifice herself to fit what everyone else wants her to be.  That's powerful in and of itself. 


I loved how Arden uses some traditional Russian words, it helped put me into the setting and made me want to learn more about the language.  There is a glossary at the end as well as an Authors Note about the terms that help the readers understand the usage of these terms.  She has a very lyrical writing style which is perfect for this kind of a book as it really makes the story feel like a folklore/fairy tale.  She does a great job in showing the relationship between good and evil as well as the transition between old beliefs and new and how it could become a battle ground of faith and self preservation.


I highly enjoyed reading this novel and plan on checking out the second book in the series The Girl In The Tower.  This book had everything I was looking for in a read, magic, some adventure, and folk lore.  It was the perfect choice for my vacation last week.  If you enjoy novels like fairy tale retellings and spinning of folk lore, give this book a shot I'm sure you might like it.


Check out some other reviews of The Bear and The Nightengale:


Arlene's Book Club

Suicide Forest

Title: Suicide Forest by Jeremy Bates
Media Source: Ebook - Kindle
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Recommendation:  Such a creepy story, don't read it at night.  I highly suggest this novel to anyone who enjoys a great folklore and creepy story.

 Aokigahara forest lies just outside of Tokyo.  Several travels expecting to hike Mt. Fuji get stranded by the rain and decide to camp out in  Aokigahara instead.  They learn the legend of  Aokigahara forest being a popular site for people to commit suicide.  Many in the group decide they do not want to spend the night, while others don't believe the legends and convince everyone to spend one night in the forest.  They walk off the trail deep into the forest to find a good spot, and notice there is no sign of life, not even birds chirping.  The next morning one of their group members is found hanging in a tree.  The try to find their way out only to get lost deeper into the forest.  While they try to work together, personal feelings and emotions begin to get in the way.  Will they be able to find their way out, will they survive the legend of Suicide Forest?

Jeremy Bates does a phenomenal job at writing a spell binding story.  I honestly could not put this book down.  The story unfolds through Ethan's eyes, an American living in Japan teaching English.  His backstory is slowly unraveled throughout his interactions with other members of the group, as well as their stories.  The story is told at a steady pace, with the group responding to their situations according to their personalities.  Bates takes the time to use things at add a cultural sense to the story with his descriptions of music, food even reading material as well as Tomo's (a psychology major) language and attempts with American slang.  While the group come from various different backgrounds, they all share thoughts about suicide or even death, which is revealed throughout the novel.  Not that they think about committing it per say but rather their individual thoughts on the subject.  Suicide Forest holds intrigue for each person, and as the story unfolds it holds intrigue for the reader as well.  One which may cause the reader to contemplate their thoughts on the subject as well (again not thoughts on performing the act, but general thoughts).

There are several twists and turns leading up the to climax of the story which will take readers off guard.  This is definitely a book that is NOT predictable.  The shocking end to this story will leave readers not only satisfied with the story, but also pondering who the real monsters are.  There is always some sense of truth to every legend.  Jeremy Bates takes folk lore and makes it his own.  He adds his own touch to the truth behind Suicide Forest.  The story really drags you in and holds you captive until the very end.  Then it leaves readers craving more from this exceptional author, I know I want more.