What’s better than reading a book? Why, reading a book that helps a good cause of course! All proceeds from the Enchanted Forests anthology are donated to the Rainforest Foundation to support their conservation efforts. This collection consists of ten fantasy short-stories written by multiple authors and illustrated by Elena Shelest. There’s also a bonus story at the end of the collection.
Thank you again for gifting me with a free eCopy in exchange for an honest review!
Story 1: Gems of Fae and Foolery – Alice Ivinya
Gems of Fae and Foolery by Alice Ivinya is a fun and magical tale about two dwarves looking for a better life. I’m not sure how it’s possible, but this was actually the first story I’ve ever read in which dwarves are the main characters. Huh. I’ve clearly been missing out, because I greatly enjoyed this adventure! A promising start to the anthology!
About the author: Alice Ivinya is a USA bestselling author living in England. She writes both fantasy and Christian books. Her work includes fairytale retellings (e.g. Feathers of Snow – a Goose Girl retelling) and several Christmas Fairytale Short-stories (that might very well be the best concept I’ve ever heard of, definitely reading Slipper in the Snow later on).
Story 2: The Lucky Tortoise – Ben Lang
The Lucky Tortoise by Ben Lang is an emotional and inspiring story about a young boy’s friendship with a tortoise. The start of this story was cute and endearing. As it progressed, it became a lot more reflective and moving. I would consider it as an Asia-inspired cross between a fable and a myth. Loved it!
About the author: Ben Lang is a fantasy author who is passionate about myths and who aims to combine great monsters with emotive plots. He also contributed to Enchanted Waters, which is another anthology of fantasy short-stories.
Story 3: Feather Green – Jennifer Kropf
Feather Green by Jennifer Kropf is a philosophical and magical tale about a girl whose life is suddenly changed forever by an encounter with royalty. The story teaches us about reflecting on one’s purpose in life and learning to live in the here and now. A very nice short-story indeed!
About the author: Jennifer Kropf was a finalist for the Indie Fantasy Book of the Year award in 2020 and is the author of the Winter Soul Series, which includes new interpretations of famous characters from our Christmas stories (e.g. St. Nicholas, the Scrooge). I’m so curious to discover this series, doesn’t it sound amazing?
Story 4: Apple and the Dead Forest – Xander Cross
Apple and the Dead Forest by Xander Cross is an Asia-inspired dystopian tale about a futuristic world in which humans exhausted their environment. It’s also a story of hard truths and the power of believing in one’s self. A very interesting story indeed! Want to read more? Check out The Atlas Dystopia Apocalyptica!
About the author: Xander Cross is a writer of paranormal fiction with a passion for Japanese culture and folklore. Next to his supernatural cyberpunk series mentioned above, he also published a paranormal romance novella trilogy Come by Night.
Story 5: To Snare a Prince – Sky Sommers
To Snare a Prince by Sky Sommers is an amazing fairytale that will capture your attention as of the very first moment. It tells the story of Greta (sister of Hans 😉 ) who accidently opens an animal hospital after having wished for a raccoon to be able to speak. You’ll encounter both known fairytale characters and new ones in this hilarious tale. Perfect for the fans of Once Upon a Time. Do you want more? The sequel will be published in Enchanted Flames (June 2023)
Can I just add how much I love the dragon illustration for this story? <3 <3 <3
About the author: Sky Sommers has written various novels, inspired by Greek and Arthurian myths, legends and fairytales. Her Magic Mirrors Saga are adult retellings of tales such as Cinderella, Red Riding Hood, and The Wizard of Oz. Adding aaaaalllll to my TBR list! She has also written a dystopian book and will soon venture into romance!
Story 6: Blood of the Unicorn – N.D.T. Casale
Blood of the Unicorn by N.D.T. Casale is a royal tale of enchanted forests and unicorns. In this story, a princess is confronted with the danger of wishes and it illustrates the search for one’s deepest desires. It’s a beautiful tale and I loved that the author added an epilogue which perfectly wrapped up the story.
About the author: N.D.T. Casale is an Italian-American writer who has written several fantasy and (paranormal) romance stories, which feature in various collections such as Enchanted Waters, Once Upon a Name , and All I Want for Christmas.
Story 7: Dimensions of the Sasquatch – Donna White
Dimensions of the Sasquatch by Donna White starts from a fascinating concept: a woman who is training to walk through dimensions. Also intrigued and wanting more of this tale with urban fantasy vibes? Then you are in luck, as you can follow the main character’s story further in the author’s main series (see below).
About the author: Donna White is the author of the Whitmere Legacy Series. This series has it all: mystery, fantasy, a touch of horror, and a pinch of humor! Main character Grace White certainly is a power woman: she has supernatural powers, martial art skills, and artistic talents, which she must all employ to ensure the safekeeping of dangerous artifacts.
Story 8: The Fern Flower: Part one – Elena Shelest
The Fern Flower by Elena Shelest starts with one of my favourite opening paragraphs ever:
To release the tension in her chest, Miray took a big breath of the warm midsummer air. After the morning thunderstorm, it was filled with the sweet aroma of cedar trees and the earthly scent of moss. This old forest was the only place where she could be herself, never rejecting her as people did. Its leafy arms were always open. In their embrace, surrounded by the soft murmur of leaves and trills of birds, the young woman could forget for a moment how different she was from others. Sometimes she even heard her mother’s songs woven into the soothing melody of nature and hummed the tunes of her distant childhood when no one could overhear.
Isn’t that just beautiful? I felt immediately drawn into the story and connected with the main character. This is a romantic, at times dream-like story about a girl trying desperately to fit in and to find love. While I was able to roughly place the setting, I greatly appreciated the further clarifications provided by the author notes. These explain that “this story is set in the 17th century, during the time when Ukraine was still dealing with frequent Crimean-Nogai slave raids”.
About the author: Elena Shelest immigrated to the U.S.A. from Ukraine as a teenager. She has written several contemporary fantasies, like The Seven Lives of Grace and Sweets Make Everything Better, and is working on more tales set in the fictional village in which The Fern Flower takes place. She’s also the artist who illustrated this lovely anthology!
Story 9: Willow Daughter – Astrid V.J.
Willow Daughter by Astrid V.J. is a fairytale that gave me distinct Arthurian legend vibes. It’s the tale of a human man who encounters an elemental spirit in the forest one day, and receives a magical tinderbox. Years later, he narrates the story to his granddaughter, which sets in motion the events of the author’s upcoming retelling of The Tinderbox by Hans Christian Andersen, called Johara’s Choice.
About the author: Those of you who have been reading my blog for a while will know that I’ve already read several tales by Astrid V.J., like Naiya’s Wish (review) and The Destitute Countess (review). Astrid writes transformation fiction and focusses on retellings of lesser known fairytales (Elisabeth and Edvard’s World Series) and new fairytales set in a Fantasy/Space opera world (The Wishmaster Series and its accompanying tales called The Wordmage’s Tales).
Story 10: One Fair Eve – Lyndsey Hall
One Fair Eve by Lyndsey Hall is a tale that is as musical as it is magical. It follows Pip, a young man desperately trying to get into a prestigious conservatory. Having failed his interview, can magic be his saviour? Just remember, all magic comes at a price!
About the author: Lyndsey Hall is an English writer whose debut novel, The Fair Queen, tells the story of a girl taken from our world into the fairy realm. This book is high on my TBR list, I cannot wait to finally start reading it! It’s the first part of the Fair Chronicles.
Bonus Story: The Green Chapel – Astrid V.J.
The Green Chapel by Astrid V.J. is the bonus story added at the end of the anthology. The style reminded me a lot of the tales sung by bards in long-ago times, narrating the adventures of heroes. The story is a retelling of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, an Arthurian legend. Part one of this serial tale is available in the ARC version of Enchanted Forests. The next parts will become available to those who vote in the All Author Cover Contest in September 2022.
Enchanted Forests
I’ve loved this amazing collection of magical stories <3 somehow, somewhere along the road of life I forgot about the joy of reading short stories and fairytales and I’m so glad that this bundle has reawakened that feeling. The illustrations were also so very beautiful. If I wasn’t so opposed to markings in a book, I would love to colour them…tempting, tempting…Four gemstones out of five:
Do you want to discover more?
If my review inspired you to pick up the book, don’t hesitate to check it out at Goodreads or pre-order it at the below online stores.
Amazon.nl: eBook edition
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Looking for other fantasy anthologies? Check out Enchanted Waters, the previous collection of short-stories published by several of the same authors. All profits of this bundle go to Oceana to support their mission to protect the world’s oceans and promote sustainable fishing.
In June 2023, another work will be published in this anthology series, called Enchanted Flames. All proceeds thereof will go to a charity dedicated to conservation relating to forest fires that will be announced later this year. I, for one, cannot wait <3