SHORT STORY REVIEW: The Girl who Ruled Fairyland- For a Little While
Title: The Girl who Ruled Fairyland- For a Little While
Author: Catherynne M. Valente
Series: Fairyland (side story prequel)
Long Before September ventured into the world of Fairyland, there lived a girl named Mallow. Mallow, a solitary figure, spends her time living in the country, studying magic. Then she receives an invitation to the city, where she will attend an old, forgotten ceremony put on by the King. But when Mallow discovers the dark side of the King’s ceremony, she finds that she cannot stand for it.
When I read The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of her Own Making, I fell in love with this story about a normal girl who gets carried away to Fairyland, and experiences grand adventures. With the sequel coming out next month, I thought I’d read The Girl Who Ruled Fairyland- For a Little While, to get back in the mood. I immediately found myself pulled into the Valente’s beautiful writing style and inventive world building (I especially liked the different types of magic described here), elements that would be commendable in any writing project, but actually appears in every Valente work that I have read so far. Mallow herself is a likable, if somewhat atypical lead. The fact that she is a bit of a shut in reminded me of the poet Emily Dickinson, and her interest in more casual romance is not something you see in fiction aimed at younger readers. As this is a prequel to The Girl who Circumnavigated Fairyland, the outcome is pretty predictable to anyone who’s read the book, but that didn’t bother me at all
The short story’s one drawback is although the style of writing maintains the attractive wistful aura that The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland possessed, the story lacks the attractive throwback to classic fantasy tales, like Alice and Wonderland or Peter Pan, where children are pulled into a wonderful fantasy world. As this one of my favorite aspects of September’s story, I found that I did miss it in Mallow’s story. Still, perhaps the fault here is more in my own expectations than the story itself. After all, Mallow is a different character than September.
Final Thoughts- The Girl who Ruled Fairyland - For a Little While is a beautifully written short story that will surely appeal to fans of Valente’s first book about Fairyland. The prequel aspect also means that it can be read without having reading The Girl who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of her Own Making, if you so choose. The story may have it's differences from Valente’s first Fairyland novel, but I would still recommend it to fans of the series. The short story can be found for free at tor.com as well as a 99 cent ebook. Four Stars
Next I will be reviewing Six Months, Three Days by Charlie Joe Anders
Author: Catherynne M. Valente
Series: Fairyland (side story prequel)
Long Before September ventured into the world of Fairyland, there lived a girl named Mallow. Mallow, a solitary figure, spends her time living in the country, studying magic. Then she receives an invitation to the city, where she will attend an old, forgotten ceremony put on by the King. But when Mallow discovers the dark side of the King’s ceremony, she finds that she cannot stand for it.
When I read The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of her Own Making, I fell in love with this story about a normal girl who gets carried away to Fairyland, and experiences grand adventures. With the sequel coming out next month, I thought I’d read The Girl Who Ruled Fairyland- For a Little While, to get back in the mood. I immediately found myself pulled into the Valente’s beautiful writing style and inventive world building (I especially liked the different types of magic described here), elements that would be commendable in any writing project, but actually appears in every Valente work that I have read so far. Mallow herself is a likable, if somewhat atypical lead. The fact that she is a bit of a shut in reminded me of the poet Emily Dickinson, and her interest in more casual romance is not something you see in fiction aimed at younger readers. As this is a prequel to The Girl who Circumnavigated Fairyland, the outcome is pretty predictable to anyone who’s read the book, but that didn’t bother me at all
The short story’s one drawback is although the style of writing maintains the attractive wistful aura that The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland possessed, the story lacks the attractive throwback to classic fantasy tales, like Alice and Wonderland or Peter Pan, where children are pulled into a wonderful fantasy world. As this one of my favorite aspects of September’s story, I found that I did miss it in Mallow’s story. Still, perhaps the fault here is more in my own expectations than the story itself. After all, Mallow is a different character than September.
Final Thoughts- The Girl who Ruled Fairyland - For a Little While is a beautifully written short story that will surely appeal to fans of Valente’s first book about Fairyland. The prequel aspect also means that it can be read without having reading The Girl who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of her Own Making, if you so choose. The story may have it's differences from Valente’s first Fairyland novel, but I would still recommend it to fans of the series. The short story can be found for free at tor.com as well as a 99 cent ebook. Four Stars
Next I will be reviewing Six Months, Three Days by Charlie Joe Anders