Review: Two and Twenty Dark Tales

Two and Twenty Dark Tales: Dark Retellings of Mother Goose Rhymes
Published October 16th 2012

by Month9Books

ARC from Netgalley

Summary from Goodreads:

In this anthology, 20 authors explore the dark and hidden meanings behind some of the most beloved Mother Goose nursery rhymes through short story retellings. The dark twists on classic tales range from exploring whether Jack truly fell or if Jill pushed him instead to why Humpty Dumpty, fragile and alone, sat atop so high of a wall. The authors include Nina Berry, Sarwat Chadda, Leigh Fallon, Gretchen McNeil, and Suzanne Young.

Thoughts:

I was actually yearning for something short and sweet so this anthology is just right for me. I'm a fan Gretchen Mcneil's and Sarwat Chadda's earlier books so that was another reason for me to get excited about this one.

This is certainly not your average happily ever after tales since I found that some of the short story are kind of gruesome and harrowing. The nursery rhymes that we grew up with have been given a dark twist and not all of the story ends with a happy note. It is as if the writers are out to outdo each other in giving the best Edgar Allan Poe's version of the nursery rhymes.

But if you're out for something out of the ordinary then this might just be for you. It is quite a good book to curl up with during the Halloween season.

Verdict: 4 stars.

In my Witches & Witchcraft Reading Challenge 
Available on: Amazon