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.

Full review at my blog: http://reading.kingrat.biz/reviews/po... ( )

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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! ( )

Loved this! There was only one story I didn’t really care for: Going Ironside – it didn’t seem to actually go anywhere. The other stories were dark in topic as well as tone. Many of the stories fit into the Tithe world, and some seemed like they’d fit into the Spiderwick world, but not all the stories are appropriate for younger teens. I especially loved Paper Cuts Scissors for this Jasper Fforde-ish tale.
Recommended for anyone who likes short stories on ….the dark side. (cue music!) ( )

For me, this book was a mixture of like an dislike. Some of the stories I absolutley loved an thought were great such as The Coldest Girl in Coldtown, The Night Market, The Dog King, Paper Cuts Scissors, and The Posion Eaters. All of these I really liked. But some of the other ones were very confusing and a little out there like Virgin and Going Ironside. I din't like these at all. ( )

I Loved this book!!! All the stories made me want to read more. If I had to complain at all it would be about the short story a coat of stars. I sometimes wonder if people write about homosexuals to tell the world that they're not against them. Like blatantly saying see I'm not racist I have black friends. But over all the book was wonderful. ( )

This was a quick, enjoyable read full of delicious wickedness and strange tales. Holly does an amazing job weaving life into her stories. I can honestly say I enjoyed all of the stories in this collection and wish there were more to be read. From vampires to unicorns, to characters from books coming to life there's a story for all tastes within these pages.

If you're looking for a quick story to bide you over between appointments or just before bed, this would be the perfect book.
(I received this from the Library Things Early Reviewer program.) ( )

This book is composed of short stories. The book is entertaining and easy to read. Great for wanting to read a book that is short and passes the time. Some parts can be a bit confusing and weird, but it's a new way to read. ( )

If there is one thing that I could say about Holly Black it would be this: The lady is good. I haven't read many things by her, but everything that I have read continues to impress me. The Poison Eaters is no exception. The ability to tell an entire story in less than 15 pages is something that very few people can accomplish, and yet Holly makes it look like a cake walk. The only comparison that I can think of to sum up all of the stories inside of The Poison Eaters is that of the Brothers Grimm. Every story has a classic twist to it that leaves you completely in awe when you realize that never did you ever expect that to happen.

Since this is a collection of short stories though, what I did was rate each story individually and then averaged the ratings together for the final rating.

The Coldest Girl In Coldtown 3 1/2 stars
It's no secret that I am getting horribly tired of vampires, however this story introduces us to the idea of a world (in the near future) where vampires are commonplace in the world. We know they're there, and they are not the good kind. The only thing that I disliked was the ending which to me felt a little blah.

A Reversal of Fortune 5 stars
This by far is my favourite story out of the entire collection, it's witty, wise, and the main character is a tricky little thing. LOVED the work-in reference to Devil Went Down to Georgia, although I couldn't get the jump rope reference, anyone who might know what it is, should tell me :)

The Night Market 4 stars
This story was very cute, but slightly sad. It's nice to see a story where siblings fight for each other. And yet again the main character was strong and fought for what she wanted. There was a nice twist there at the end that I honestly didn't expect at all.

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Very long review, so you can read the rest at http://booknerds.net/the-poison-eater... ( )

The Poison Eaters was as almost all collections of short stories are- a mixed bag. Some of them—such as The Night Market, In Vodka Veritas, and The Coat of Stars—were great and made me wish for more than just a few short pages. On the other hand, some of the stories were downright confusing and mildly disturbing. Virgin and Ironside were the two that left me scratching my head and wondering what the point was.
But, as in all Holly Black books, the good outweighs the bad. The standouts in this collection were Paper Cuts Scissors and The Poison Eaters. The first brings to life the dream that so many book lovers have—seeing all your favorite characters leap out of their pages and interact with one another. Not to mention the ability to fold yourself into your favorite volumes and live there. The latter reads like a traditional, though twisted, fairytale. Of all the stories, it felt as though it would make the best stand alone book.
I enjoy short story collections, and this was no exception, though I think I prefer those that have selections from different authors. By the end I knew what to expect from each story since Black has such a distinctive style and way of storytelling. Overall, I liked this book, and would recommend it to any fan of dark paranormal literature. ( )

It was like reading a book of fables, but I couldn't work out what the morals were supposed to be (which may be a plus, actually). There was a real mixture of stores I liked and stories I didn't care for but regardless, it was a fun little book and a quick read. ( )