Mandrake leaves are poisonous and have hallucinogenic properties and l found this book hypnotic and intriguing from the beginning. Weird characters and beings, names and totally unexpected and impossible happenings. I liked the way some characters were woven in and out of some of the stories from beginning to end. Grimm-like in some of its more unsettling incidents and the strange bendings of English gave this an ancient folk-lore, fairy-tale feel to it. Read it twice in a short time. Highly enjoyable!

Weird, enthralling, complex dark fantasy folk tales. Very much in a traditional mold of short stories featuring interlocking characters that appear in one story and then reappear later.

From the trickster Pickapple at the village crossroads to the two lovers chasing each other through the village and into the forest and mountains. The sea appears although it's location above the treetops is far from usual. Pickapple is essentially harmless and even benevolent, some of the other characters are far darker, village life being accustomed to bones and missing children.

None of the tales are directly linked to the traditional folk tales, but many of the themes will be familiar. Surprisingly engaging for the weirdness that's often there, but worth reading in a block to keep the familiarity with the earlier stories as the twists develop later on. ( )