Four of the stories are must-read: The Coldest Girl in Coldtown, A Reversal of Fortune, Paper Cuts Scissors, and The Poison Eaters. All the rest were well-written too. Can’t go wrong buying this one.

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This fantasy anthology of 12 stories is definitely meant for an older audience. Due to the content (mature themes AND use of profanity, I definitely would NOT recommend this book to middle school students. Some of the stories were just a bit too strange for my liking, but others were easier to follow. The Coldest Girl in Coldtown was an interesting read. Coldtown is an isolated area where folks who have been afflicted with vampirism go to survive. They keep humans as sources of blood. If you enter Coldtown, you don't get to leave. Matilda wants to rescue her boyfriend. She believes he has gone to Coldtown to save her, but that's not actually the case. Won't tell you what happens when she figures out the truth. In Reversal of Fortune, a girl makes a deal with the devil. He cheats, and she knows she's going to lose her soul to him, so she cheats as well, and manages to outsmart him. I quite liked that, although how she wins is a bit disgusting. Overall, some interesting stories, but definitely meant for older teens. ( )

My Thoughts:

Note: Because this is a review of the ARC, two stories are missing (The Boy Who Cried Wolf and Untitled [A Modern Faerie Tale Story]).

I don’t usually like to review anthologies, mainly because I’m a huge fan of back story, I mean, what’s a book without it? However, I am a bigger fan of Holly Black than I am of back story, so I absolutely could not turn down the opportunity to review this one.

The Coldest Girl in Coldtown
I’m a bit tired of the vampire trend, but if there were more vampire stories like this, I would eat them up. The whole time, I was sitting there thinking “please don’t end!” This is one I wish Holly would expand on. (Plus, you know a story is good, or extremely creepy, when you read six pages before bed and have dreams about it!)

A Reversal of Fortune
Holly’s heroines are some of my favorites. They are consistently strong, smart, and ballsy. I didn’t second guess anything the main character did or why. From the very beginning, I knew there would be no screwing with this girl. It did seem a bit weird, however, that none of the other characters questioned any of the radical events that took place, but I guess that’s what happens when there is no back story.

The Night Market
This is a perfect example of a less-than-typical story. The setting, the Philippines, was far from normal, yet vibrant and perfect. The fact that Holly integrated some Filipino into the story was fascinating; the fact that the characters got to use their native language really brought them to life. The ending was not a traditional happy ending, but I can’t see the story having the impact it did without this particular ending.

The Dog King
Paragraph by paragraph, this story was a bit confusing, but when you reach the end and put it all together…wow! Definitely one of my favorites in the book. This is another that I wish Holly would expand on. The story was original and the twist unexpected, truly fantastic.

Virgin
I think this was the most heartbreaking story of them all. Holly seems to write a lot about homeless children, luckily, it’s something she does extremely well. Another unique, tragic, unexpected plot.

In Vodka Veritas
When I started this story, I swore I had read it before. Turns out, I had. In Vodka Veritas first appeared in the anthology 21 Proms. After I figured that out and realized I wasn’t crazy, I was able to thoroughly enjoy the story for the second time. Though it works as a short story, I’m not sure I would be able to stand the characters for an entire novel, so, I guess, good thing it’s in an anthology!

Coat of Stars
So tragically beautiful. Holly has a penchant for the dark side, I believe. She loves to show us that faeries are not bright little things with wings, but that they are truly greedy, conniving demons. Again, the characters were not typical, and I loved that.

Paper Cuts Scissors
Though I liked the characters, they weren’t my favorite. The plot, however, was top notch. Definitely another one of my favorites. The characters literally come to life in this story. I was completely enthralled, once again. I’ve heard that a lot of people don’t like the ending to this one. I completely see where they get that, but at the same time, I didn’t get too attached to the characters, so I was fine with the way everything ended.

Going Ironside
This story really shows you how distinct all of Holly’s characters are. The story is a bit disjointed, and if you haven’t read the Modern Faerie Tales series, I doubt you’ll understand what’s going on. I feel like nothing much happened, but it was nice to revisit the world Holly created in Tithe, Valiant, and Ironside.

The Poison Eaters
Wow. Just, wow. If I was forced to choose, this would, by far, be my favorite. I so wish this was longer! It was so original! And heartbreaking! My God. It felt very classic, too, unlike the rest of the stories, which felt more modern. Honestly, I don’t have the words to describe my love for this story.

The Verdict: Fabulous. Tragic. Heartbreaking. Delicious. Creepy. Crazy. ( )

I don't usually like short stories. They are too short! I know, that's the point but I like to connect with characters and spend a lot of time with them. That's why I don't usually like short stories. I can honestly say that I really really enjoyed this batch though.

I tried to read Tithe by Holly Black a long time ago and could not get into it. I'm thinking after reading The Poison Eaters that I really need to give it another chance!



There is something for everyone in this collection of stories. Vampires, elves, shapeshifters, and of course faeries. I liked some of the stories more than others but I enjoyed all of them. The thing that stands out the most though, is Holly Black's gritty and honest writing. She doesn't pretty it up for anyone. I love that! Her writing is very dark at times but it's always beautiful. She weaves a web with her words and you get sucked right in.

I really recommend this collection to any supernatural/paranormal fan. Like I said, there's something for everyone! ( )