Faery Reel

Faery Reel: Tales from the Twilight Realm by multiple authors, edited by Terri Windling and Ellen Datlow.

Paperback: 544 pages
Publisher: Firebird;(February 2, 2006)
ISBN-10: 0142404063

From School Library Journal

The editors state in their preface that fairies are as individualistic as humans, with a variety of names, shapes, sizes, customs, habitats, and local histories. This collection includes fairy songs and poems by Charles de Lint, Neil Gaiman, and Nan Fry; and stories about fairies that live in magical handbags, elves in the Philippines who bewitch and sicken young girls; and futuristic urban societies where fairies siphon people's dreams. Twenty writers contributed tales, including Tanith Lee, Gregory Maguire, Patricia A. McKillip, and Ellen Steiber. Delia Sherman's "CATNYP" concerns a feisty changling girl who helps a changling boy return to the "real" New York City from the parallel fairy world where they were both raised. In the story, the New York Public Library's automated catalog called CATNYP is a real lion and a library page is literally an animated piece of paper that retrieves books. In Bruce Glassco's "Never Never," Captain Hook and his pirate gang find themselves repeatedly resurrected for the amusement of their eternal foe, Peter Pan. Gregory Frost's scary Japanese tale, "Tengu Mountain," is about an evil goblin that disguises itself as a priest or monk to attack and kill unsuspecting travelers. All but one of the 20 stories are new and each one offers an intriguing look at many different kinds of fairies. Teen characters are often featured, but even the selections without them will appeal to fantasy lovers

First off I will admit that I have not read each and every “short story” in this book!  As many know I am not a lover of short stories.   But for 1.00 I was not going to leave this book at the thrift store!  I mean really!  A nice Charles Vess cover and the potential that at least some of the stories might be enjoyable.

And I did read a number of them..before setting the book aside for those times when I am not up to reading a chapter or two in a normal book… I will say I am glad I brought this book home.

Of the stories I read I think Tengu Mountain by Gregory Frost was enjoyable.  I am sure to many they’d have the story all figured out way before the end, but I rarely try to do that..I let it come to me as the author writes it.

I will say what I found best of the book so far though, is the Introduction to Fairies written by Terry Windling.  In it she discusses the many types of Fairies through history and the parts of the world they came from…

I think the readers who enjoy short stories and like “good and bad” Fairies.. would really enjoy this book and should add it to their collection.