Everything Else

The Little Match Girl Selection

I created this page for “Tell a Fairy Tale Day” in 2024 (February 26, 2024, to be exact). In 2022, I did something similar for Snow White, see The Snow White Read-Off. This page will be a little different in that it will be a collection of all things “The Little Match Girl.” From reviews, to reflections, to promoting my own version, all “Little Match Girl” fans should find something here worthy to peruse.

The Basics. Let’s start with the basics. “The Little Match Girl” is a fairy tale written by Hans Christen Andersen in 1845. Read The Little Match Girl because it’s in the public domain (if the link doesn’t work, just search it). This is one of my favorite tale by Andersen. Poignant, terse, offbeat for a fairy tale, and deeply moving, this should be required reading in all schools.

My Adaption. I’ve included my version of The Little Match Girl in my novels and short stories of a fairytale mashup world of Kingdom. My version, named Valencia, is rescued before she dies and becomes a queen. But she never forgets her roots, and has a fondness for the poor, championing them at every turn. She’s a large part of every novel, but comes front and center in Deliver Us & Will Be Done. See Queen Little Match Girl for the reasons why The Little Match Girl makes an excellent queen.

Review #1. Sweet Remembrance by Emily Ann Putzke. This is just a spot-on retelling and one I think Andersen would’ve approved of. Here’s the review. I recommend this to everyone. 5+ stars.

Review #2. The Little Match Girl (A Steampunk Graphic Novel) by Rod Espinosa is set in a steampunk world is a delight and a joy. Full of color, it imagines a sweeter, more upbeat, ending than Andersen’s. The expression on the Little Match Girl’s face near the end is precious. And not a word of dialog until the end—extremely difficult unless the art is masterful. If you just can’t stomach the original, this one is the one for you.

(Not) Free Short Story. On February 26, 2024 only, I posted a story about Valencia, The Little Match Girl, in her later years. This story is published in my novel, Kingdom Ascension . The story appeared on this page Ticklish, but I have removed it. For now, enjoy the beautiful illustration above by Daniel Johnson.

Review #3. Matchless (The Little Match Girl Retelling) by Gregory Maguire. Matchless by Gregory Maguire is a retelling of the Little Match Girl worthy of the original. The author of “Wicked” wrote this after being asked to tell a Christmas tale on NPR’s “All Things Considered.” So please note, it’s very, very short. Nonetheless, Maguire has taken a refreshingly original approach than most retellings. He has written a new story and enfolded it around the Little Match Girl story. Yes, the woeful tale of the Little Match Girl is still here, but Maguire offers new insight into what happens before and after the events of Andersen’s story. It comes together beautifully, and really highlights the theme and mood of the original. I’m not a Maguire fan, but I did love this retelling.

Everything Else

Review of Might of the Divided City

Might of the Divided City by Jeremy Gordon Grinnell accomplished a rare feat while I was reading it. I planned to review it, I planned to take notes on it, but suddenly, I was so wrapped up in the plot and characters, I was just reading it with the abandon of a youngster. This novel is that sort of a book.

Might is the third in the Relics of Errus series. I had reviewed both the earlier novels some time ago, recalling that I had enjoyed them, and marveling at their unique spin on the tired portal fantasy genre. Three girls discover a magic compass on Earth that opens a doorway to the world of Errus. Errus has all manner of fantasy creatures, a war between two nations, and mystical items that empowers the bearer with special abilities. Yes, you’ve heard all this before. But, this narrative introduces two sides in a never-ending war, both of which are heroic and villainous. The relics are attached to elementals, and those fantasy creatures? They are born from major weather events and consider the elemental gods their parents.

Now that’s interesting.

The first book was told from the point-of-view of the adventurous middle child, an odd choice. The second from a character that was born in Errus and crosses paths with the girls, an odder choice. Might of the Divided City is told from the oldest girl’s perspective. Eloise, or Eli, is the traditional heroine in that she’s smart and studies a lot, but at times, her mind gets away from her and she’s not sure what to say. She’s also not the bravest of the three; in fact, she may be the most fearful. She and her sisters plot an escape to Errus over their spring break while their father is traveling as their mother has long since died. They didn’t anticipate landing in one of the remotest parts of this world.

When Eli is separated from her sisters, it appears as if she’ll never see them again, and perhaps never get back home. Her adventure on her own has her character grow, advance the series, and give the reader all the action and adventure an author can pack into a middle grade book.

As with any series that is put aside for a period of time while awaiting the next book, it’s a challenge to remember certain characters and events that transpired. This novel was no different. I’m happy to report, though, that this novel, similar to the two books that preceded it, providing a self-contained adventure. So, though this ends with a major revelation, it doesn’t feel unfinished.

Might of the Divided City fits well into the Relics of Errus chronicles. Third books are the crux of any series. They either promise bigger or better events in the future, or they show a never-ending pattern that will eventually peter out. Might is the former type, and I’m excited to see where Grinnell will take us readers next.

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CJCSLLK1

Everything Else

Review Winters’ Resonance

Jenifer Lynn’s Winters’ Resonance (A Series of Echoes Book 1) is a horror novel that scares us with the most frightening monster of all—teenagers. Seriously, it’s a chilling story of killer humanoids that appear as teens from out of the night to wreak destruction. In the prologue, a family on their way to Disney World encounters these creatures and the results scar the youngest member, Julia Winters.

The plot advances to the year 2000 as mysterious events start happening around an adult Julia. Julia is now a photographer for the local newspaper, and she meets a detective covering an unusual assault case on a young man. The detective should keep Julia away, but something about her makes him want to collaborate with the photographer. At the same time, another man, named Bash, exits a train into the same town, though the railway hasn’t seen an active train on it in years. The three worlds collide when Julia is kidnapped.

The author knows how to write tense scenes, and the teenagers are truly frightening. The novel excels at hiding information so that the powerful monsters remain a mystery, keeping the reader in the dark. Also, this horror novel expands into a larger backstory far more expansive than what a reader might expect from the dust jacket. Without revealing too much, the novel walks a tightrope between enticing the reader with fascinating details without explaining away the threat, and thus the horror, of the monsters.

However, while this is great for tension, Winters’ Resonance could have inserted more explanation of the origins of the murderous kids in the prologue. Unfortunately, the reader doesn’t find out much about them and where they came from until the second half of the book. The unknown is a great vehicle to create suspense and it works here, but at some point, the curtain has to pull back. That said, the book’s ending is satisfying as it wraps up its own plot points. The reader shouldn’t feel disappointed.

Winters’ Resonance has a great premise and appropriately spooky vibe running the entire length of the narrative. Its creepy scenes and interesting characters make this first entry in the A Series of Echoes worth reading.

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07MCM7TQ8

Everything Else

Sheltered in Place

Full disclosure. I met professor and poet C.J. Giroux before either of us started as students our freshman year at our different universities. He and I became friends while working a college job. We rarely discussed writing, English, or the arts. Even in the years since, our friendship has been based on more of our life experiences than our professions. When Giroux announced he had published a book of poems, though, it was a no-brainer that I was going to read it. But since he’s a friend, this blog post will not be a review of his work.

Sheltered in Place made me reflect a lot on the legacies we leave behind, especially living through a world-altering event like the pandemic. On the surface, the poems inside are about aging, changing perspectives, and the sickness that infected the world in 2020. However, if you take the time to go deeper, you’ll find Sheltered in Place is more about how the world slowed down…and how it didn’t. The style varies but also repeats throughout the book, allowing the reader to look at the next entry with fresh eyes but also feel the rhythm so important to poetry. I made a decision to read each poem slowly and thoughtfully. I also took my time and read it over a period of weeks. I suggest the reader do the same.
If you want something more reflective, more thought-provoking, and more insightful, then give this book a read. Sheltered in Place gives a new perspective on the event that made the world hold its breath. The book makes the experience all the more relatable.

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1646629264

Everything Else

Review of Final Chance

E. B. Roshan’s Final Chance: Shards of Sevia is a drama set in a fictional country (Sevia) currently in the middle of a major internal conflict. The ethnic Turs and the Sevia majority are violently clashing until Europe sends peacekeeping troops. With this tenuous situation in place, a young woman named Preen receives a phone call from her assumed-dead husband, Rama. Thinking of their two-year-old daughter, Preen heads off to a battle-ridden city of Dor to find if her husband is alive. If Rama is living, and if Preen can convince him to return home, this may be their final chance to make their marriage work.

While this summary may sound like a romance, Final Chance reads more like the thriller it actually is. Chases, gunfights, narrow escapes, and cat-and-mouse games build tension as Preen explores the city around her. The novel reflects life in countries where revolutionaries fight for freedom and gunshots are heard every night. Though Preen is Tur, the book never makes a firm stand on the righteousness of either the Turs or Sevians. Villains and heroes exist on both sides of the conflict.

Though billed as a second in a series, I had no problems picking up the narrative. A short history and a cast of characters orient the reader immediately. FYI, so many reviewers look down their noses on including a cast of characters, but I love them.

Final Chance is categorized as Christian contemporary, but you won’t find many Bible quotes here. The narrative asks the question of whether God gives out a second, or third, or final chance. And what happens to one’s faith when opportunities go awry, or the actions of a well-intended Christian ends with horrible consequences? Preen struggles with these significant questions through the story.

Final Chance is a gritty contemporary novel and not for the faint-hearted. Mostly bleak in tone, it’s a Christian thriller that doesn’t pull punches. The novel is short at 168 pages and could’ve used a little padding when describing the details of the city or the refuge camp. The characters, however, are realistic and make logical choices, keeping the reader pulling for them.

It’s a rare offering these days to see a Christian novel depict such a hopeless situation, so it’s refreshing to see one take the risk. This book is not what one often sees on “shelves,” which allows it to stand out among its contemporaries.

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08CBR69TS

Everything Else

Review of Havok World Tour

Havok’s new anthology promises to take us on a world tour of stories set around the Earth. For this Havok anthology, I rated each story based on three categories: story, mechanics, and theme. The story rating is how much it entertained, its creativity, the stakes/conflict. In essence, how moving was it? The mechanics rating measures how the writing supports the plot and characters. Did the author use a unique style, variety of words, or otherwise inject a lyricism to the story? The last category was if the location of the tale could be identified, if it matched the world theme, and if the setting lent some important element to the offering. For fun, I also captured the type and subtype (e.g. Fantasy / Urban Fantasy) and the country’s location.

Most stories averaged in the “exceeds expectations” tier, and I congratulate authors and editors for such an engaging anthology. The anthology was a quick read, and the variety of genre, tone, and setting elevated this above most anthologies.

I’d like to highlight a few entries that stood out. 

“In the Shadow of Ol Doinyo Lengai” by Lisa Godfrees.

“Man Nor Beast” by Rose Q. Adams.

“That’s the Spirit!” by Katie Hanna.

“Protocol One” by Caleb A. Robinson.

“Hinewai” by Deborah Bainbridge.

The following would’ve been “best in class” in any other anthology.

“New Jersey and You” by Austin Grisham. This story only works in New Jersey; it nailed the theme.

“The Worst Kind of Betrayal” by Rachel Dib. A rare mystery offering that plays like a Hitchcock episode.

“The Quest for Terlinvir” by Hailey Huntington. How did a story with such a large scope fit in a flash fiction word count?

“Perforation” by Ryan Helcoski. Horror writers take note of the writing in this piece.

“Gentleman Dracula” by J. L. Ender. Really enjoyed this idea, and it could only happen in London.

“The Secret in Kensington Gardens” by Mia Rumi. This drew me in. I wanted it to continue.

“Portage, Ohio, in Early Autumn” by Emma E. Murray. Absolutely stunning, and contrasts nicely with many other offerings.

My favorite offering had to be “Those Unseen” by Rachel Dib. The combination of idea, writing, and adherence to theme all worked wonderfully in this short, gripping tale. This is one I won’t forget for a while.

The stories were everything from funny to disturbing, from wildly fantastic to grounded in reality. Entering a new world in each piece was a highlight. But, near the end, I noticed the stories clustered in certain places: the United States, the United Kingdom, and Japan. I would’ve preferred a few stories from different locations like Spain, Russia, or India. It would’ve made it seem more “worldly.” “Those Unseen,” for example, is set in Ukraine which stands out in the Europe section. However, in my last Havok review, I bemoaned the lack of horror entries. Someone listened, because Portage, Gentleman Dracula, and Perforation were all top-notch horror stories. Havok will publish a light fairy tale or a grim huis clos tale as long as it’s of high quality.

Again, many thanks to the editors and authors of Havok for creating such an interesting anthology. I hope their themes continue to be this inspiring.

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CPJX9Z4H

Everything Else

Review Blood Secrets

Morgan L. Busse’s Blood Secrets is the second of the Skyworld duology. In SkyWorld, the land has been overridden with a green mist containing deadly spores that reanimate corpses. Called “The Turned,” these zombie-like creatures roam the countryside. But the mist hasn’t reached the higher altitudes, so many people live on the sides of mountains. The wealthiest houses are on floating islands in the sky. Traveling in this world requires zeppelins, helicopter-like vehicles, or a new construction similar to a plane.

The second novel finds our main characters Theo and Cass on the run from those in power who want the world to stay the way it is. Though the mist is rising and everyone will be consumed in its grasp, the wealthy turn a blind eye to the oncoming peril. Theo has a solution, but it will require time and keeping the antidote—the McGuffin in this novel—safe. Meanwhile, Cass and Theo are learning to live with each other in their separate worlds. Are they so different that, even if they succeed, they can’t be together? And perhaps the greatest divide between them is Theo’s faith. Cass isn’t sure about the god Theo believes in. Does such a higher being really exist in this land of misery, brutality, and thirst for power?

The book is equal parts steampunk adventure, cozy romance, and faith-crisis drama. They balance nicely and the threads that intertwine them come naturally. Blood Secrets doesn’t shy away from the hard questions such as why do people live in poverty if there’s a loving God? Or if you save the world will it change for the better? This lesson is often overlooked in most novels where the end assumes a happily-ever-after. The narrative pokes at this concept.

The characters have depth and stakes, especially Cass. Though she’s unconscious for a small part of this novel, she is the main character. Her situation and struggles lend credence to both the plot and to the themes the author wants to explore. Cass is the figure most readers will gravitate toward.

The antagonist in the novel also tempts Cass with an idea of revolution and a new world order. This character comes across as both villainous yet credible. His actions, motivated by his past, fit into the overall story perfectly.

Overall, Blood Secrets wraps up the Skyworld series to a satisfying conclusion. The world building is ingenious and fascinating. The Turned, while not as frightening as in a horror novel, provides a constant source of tension. Most importantly, the themes explored in the narrative transcend the typical steampunk novel and elevate this offering to a must-read.

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B3HLHF83

Everything Else

Review Children of the Wild

Children of the Wild by debut author Krysta Tawlks is a historical fantasy about magic and creatures with a hint of steampunk. But what it’s really about is family, loss, guilt, and revelations. While the setting may adhere close to certain Steinbeck novels—a rare choice for a fantasy novel—the plot and characters are all original.

Our hero is Elbert, or Elby, Dowden. He’s developing a burning sensation in his body at the start of the novel that seems serious. Unfortunately, his parents are in no condition themselves to help him. And as a middle child, his older brother and sister aren’t adults yet. So Elby toughens it out at first. Meanwhile, his friend Harold tells him about rumors about a giant wolf and stag in the neighborhood that disappear when chased. Elby’s not sure about these disappearing acts because Harold was always one to believe in tall tales. That is, until the boys see it themselves.

This premise starts a journey of self-discovery and redemption for multiple characters while remaining deeply rooted in a grassroots farming family. The Dowdens are a tight knit clan but have secrets like most families. And Elby isn’t sure what’s happening to him until a paddle race in the river produces an encounter with someone who has information. A lot of seemingly unrelated threads weave together into an exciting last quarter of the book.

The writing is clean and gets its point across effectively. A mother pulls out her deceased daughter’s dress and holds it to her chest, or Elby’s father is described as carved from stone and lit with fire. Scenic descriptions down to a table in a poor family’s house teleport the reader into this world. Historical fiction is hard to write as it requires research, but author Tawlks has captured the details accurately and put the reader firmly in this world.

Historical fiction, even of the speculative type, takes its time. This novel, while short, also is a slow build. When everything comes together, however, the reader is hooked. My one quibble is that a certain set of interesting characters exit too quickly and mysteriously at the end. I’m not sure if this sets up a sequel—the book doesn’t read like a series—but if it does, I hope a certain threesome will return.

Children of the Wild is a rare offering these days. It’s not high fantasy or modern urban fantasy, it’s not a retelling, and it depicts a period of American life not often written about. A story about a farm boy, his Waltons-style family, and a metamorphosis is a gripping read. As a book about magic, this novel casts its own spell, one with a lasting effect.

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CKX3XK8B

Everything Else

Review My Brother’s Keeper

Tim Powers is a name more people should know. His The Annubis Gates and Declare novels are essential reading to any speculative fiction fan. And his On Stranger Tides populated many of the ideas of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, not only the fourth one. Now he’s back with a new novel, My Brother’s Keeper.

I’ve not read all of his novels, but I have read The Stress of Her Regard way back in my past. I only remember my feelings about the novel, but to this day, I cannot read Keats’ La Belle Dame Sans Merci the same way. And, though my rational mind knows Keats died naturally, my romantic mind thinks he died the way Powers depicted it.

I bring up The Stress of Her Regard because My Brother’s Keeper is quite similar to that novel. In Stress, the novel’s main characters are Keats, Shelley, and Lord Byron. In My Brother’s Keeper, Powers has made protagonists of the Brontë sisters. The heroine of the novel, Emily Brontë, is indeed the very same author of Wuthering Heights. If you read the history of the Brontë family, you’ll be amazed at what they accomplished in such a short time. Agnes Grey, Jane Eyre, and Wuthering Heights. We lost them all, sadly, much too young.

My Brother’s Keeper imagines an intrusion of the supernatural world into the moors and heaths where the Brontë sisters lived. When Emily finds a severely wounded man on the moors, she’s surprised to find him missing after she goes for help. He’s left behind a curious blade which Emily keeps. The Brontë sisters’ brother, Branwell, has secrets of his own he’s keeping from the family. How does all this tie to a ritual conducted by three of the children when they were young? And why does the family patriarch fire a bullet over the church’s graveyard at dawn?

One thing about Powers’ novels is they over-deliver on their premise. If I summarized this entire book’s plot, most readers would think it outrageous. But that’s the magic. Powers, with his accurate historical descriptions and fascinating characters, makes the narrative seem so real. The novel twists and turns with some characters growing in resolve and others weakening. And it’s evident that Powers has a true depth of feeling for the real Brontë family in this fascinating horror fantasy.

Wuthering Heights is a great novel and deserves its title of classic. It may be the most famous Brontë novel of them all. My Brother’s Keeper may not thrill fans of Wuthering Heights. Romance is missing in Keeper, and a rousing ghost story (mostly) missing in Heights. Yet, for that cross-section of speculative fiction readers who enjoy their classic literature, this book was made for them.

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C32ZYFBT

Everything Else

Review of Little Red and the Lumpy Bed

C. Rae D’Arc continues her Sleeping Princesses series with the third entry, Little Red and the Lumpy Bed. This series mashes together famous fairytale princesses in a fantasy land known as Somnus. All is well until someone starts poisoning the princesses. The oldest princess, Garnet, administers a potion to slow the poison but a side effect places the victim in a deep sleep. The sleeping princess awakens somewhere in our world, and from there, must find a way home.

The summary above has been the pattern for the first two books. The second book alternated chapters between Somnus and a location on Earth. Watching Sleeping Beauty or Snow White navigate our modern society has been a fun read, but could it last for a third outing? Fortunately, the third book provides enough variety to spice things up.

This novel introduces twins Ruby and Dot. As with some twins, they are jealous of each other, wanting what the other wants, lording over things the other doesn’t have. They “awaken” on Earth at different locations on the west coast of the United States. Dot wakes up deaf while Ruby finds herself blind, although neither are blind nor deaf in Somnus. They have “inhabited” another person’s life and happen to have the same looks, mannerisms, and names as that other person. The majority of the story is the two girls finding each other and learning the customs of this world.

Clearly, Ruby is the little girl from “Little Red Riding Hood” and Dot is the princess from “The Princess and the Pea.” Bringing these characters to life as rivaling fifteen-year-old sisters is ingenious, and their interactions make this book stand out from the first two. The fate of the two characters also differs quite a bit from the pattern of the prior offerings.

Meanwhile, back in Somnus, our gang of awakened princesses and heroes are trying desperately to find the sleeping versions of Dot and Ruby. They run away from old enemies while encountering a new one. This new threat is an epic, wonderfully described water creature. But not all of their adversaries are monsters. A huntsman is on their trail, and he has a surprising secret.

Little Red and the Lumpy Bed continues the Sleeping Princess series with everything the first two had: memorable characters, captivating settings, madcap situations, and a helping of romance. A grand adventure on two worlds, along with a healthy dose of relatable humor, make this fantasy offering one worth reading.

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CKWFTRZD