A really really solid collection of short fairy tales if that's your thing, but a little too classic for me. These kinds of stories aren't nostalgic for me at all, so they tend to come off more overplayed than pleasantly familiar. But I was absolutely still entertained, and "Buttercups" especially was a beautiful love story.

The title story is the only one set in the modern day, and it falls a bit flat. The other four, set in fantasy lands, are excellent. A light-handed, non-syrupy touch prevails in these moving stories of love lost and found. My favorites are "Buttercups," about a middle-aged farmer, the young woman he falls in love with, some unusual magic, and a lot of realistic details of daily life on a farm, and "Healer," a moving tale about a mage and a young woman who cannot speak.

Really didn’t enjoy most of the stories, but it was all worth it for the last one

All the stories were delightful. One story told about a girl who could not speak and the man who could hear her. The next about a girl who did not wish to rule, but did so because she had to. The middle story about a girl who had to find her future by leaving it. The fourth about a woman and a man being honest to each other, and lastly a girl who saved a town. Over all mom and I loved these tales.

Like Robin McKinley's novels, these stories promise a lot, but then fall flat. Well written, but sometimes too long, and often ending with a thump. The title story in particular, which has a lot to recommend it, is a very long build up to an anticlimactic ending. One contemporary story, and several situated in the same fantasy country, Damar, with Luthe, the mage from the Damar novels.

There is something to enjoy in these stories, but they are very frustrating!

This story collection was really uneven. There's an emotional remoteness throughout that I don't remember from McKinley's novels, but perhaps it's just a time that is exacerbated in a short story. I hated the weird ellipses in the dialogue. A couple stories felt sweet-ish, but others were a little off. The casual attitude towards marital fidelity (one story has a queen leaving her husband and children to go off with a stag-man) has me wondering about McKinley's own marital history. I didn't enjoy the collection enough to want to read more, and I definitely wouldn't hand to my girls.

3.5

It's a hit or miss for me with Robin McKinley. She wrote my favorite books! I am sad I didn't like these short stories. It felt a bit muted in comparison to the Hero and the Crown and the Blue Sword.

3,5 star
A nice collection of fantasy short stories, some of them set in the same world like the Blue Sword.

I really enjoyed reading these stories. They were easy to read and they had characters and a storyline.

I was enjoying the fairy tale stories so much--I love that her heroines are always strong and that people for the most part mean well--and then that last modern-day story was so awful and endless and boring and pointless. It felt like a rough draft that she was planning to throw out and then decided she could use to pad the other stories to a book length.

The Healer: I enjoyed Sahath, Lily, and Jolin very much. Sahath's reunion with Luthe is very emotional and it was fun to see Luthe again. Lily and Sahath make the un-fairy tale like choice of turning away from a possible life of magic and adventure (well, Sahath has already had that but thought he lost his magic) and going back to a simple existence in a small village with their love for each other and foster-mother Jolin to keep them happy. Very other-worldly feeling - beautiful writing. 4 stars

The Stagman: I wasn't sure what to think at first, but it grew on me. A subversive fairytale. Ruen (a princess with a regent Uncle) from the beginning is thrust into a life with no choices. Raised by an uncle to believe she is worthless, the uncle finally figures out a way to get rid of her and take the kingdom. The stagman (doing Luthe's bidding) rescues her and takes her to Luthe before her Uncle can actually ensure her death, but Luthe doesn't give her any choices either. He kidnaps a prince from a neighboring kingdom to marry her and take her kingdom back, but it's telling that she has zero part or say in actually doing those things. Her people are never sure what to think about her. She presents her husband with all sons that are like him.

She finally takes her life into her own hands years down the road when the stagman reappears and leaves with him after accomplishing what she was 'destined' to do. I could have done with more buildup of her relationship with the stagman - that was the weakest part of the story. 3.5 stars

Touk's House: Another subversive fairytale - this one is a retelling of Rapunzel but Erana doesn't particularly want to marry the prince after she saves his life. She goes back to the witch who raised her and marries her son, Touk. She grew up with him and after leaving when she realized what the witch had planned from the beginning, she comes to realize she loves him and belongs there and doesn't care to stay in the human world. 4 stars

Buttercups: (A beautiful young woman named Coral marries an old farmer.) I liked both Coral and Pos, and their actions felt very realistic for a couple in their position. I liked how they came to accept and appreciate the wild land on their farm. They also held on to their love for each other despite their unconventional May/December romance. 3.5 stars

A Knot in the Grain: Very different feel to the other stories, as it's set in the modern day. Still has a subversive feel. In what fantasy tales do protagonists ever not explore the strange things they find? Annabelle deliberately asks the house to keep its secret and instead seeks out that which is more 'real' as she settles into her new town. 4 stars