Faerytale

by Rachael Fuller

Faerytale, told in narrative rhyme, centers on two sisters, Ellie and her older sister Lucy. While playing, Lucy finds that Ellie has disappeared down a rabbit hole and is lost in a dangerous land of twisted fairy tales. A darker account of the classic tales of Rapunzel, Little Red Riding Hood and Snow White, Faerytale is a chilling story of Lucy's journey to find and rescue Ellie before the land is swallowed by impenetrable darkness.

82 pages, Paperback

First published October 31, 2011

Reviews

[Literary Ames · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome story told in verse,
excited now I am to converse.
A game of hide and seek with a little sister
turned into an adventure oh so sinister.

Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel, Snow White,
these tales gave Lucy quite a fright.
So brave and intelligent was she
Lucy didn't scream like a banshee.

I recommend this charming book to one and all
for it is enchanting to old and small.

[Sheryl Browne · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a small child, I remember not being very impressed when the only book left on the shelf of our little primary school library was a fairy tale book. Ugh, not for me - a tomboy, and precocious obviously! Leafing moodily through the pages of Grimm's Fairy Tales, I reluctantly began to read, and my eyes grew wide with pleasure and surprise. I was engrossed, totally absorbed, mesmerised. Rachael Fuller's Faerytale, told in the truer, darker style of the Brothers Grimm, whisked me back to that childhood, spellbound behind the bookshelves, absorbed in the classical telling of mystical tales. No sugar-coated fairies here, oh, no. They're more like naughty little imps. Told in magical narrative rhyme, this is the story of Lucy - far too old to believe in wood nymphs, dragons and fairies, who is forced to follow her little sister down a rabbit hole, find her and bring her safely back home before the skies fade to black. Faerytale is traditional fairy-storytelling at its best - and you don't have to be a child to enjoy it.

My only regret is that I didn't buy extra copies for nieces and nephews. Two I have in mind I know will adore it. It's free at the moment on Amazon Kindle, but the cover is so beautifully illustrated, I'm going for hard copies. I did! And they do!

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love any story where the elder sibling is the central character. Liked this.

[Kat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Faerytale by Rachael Fuller takes us back to our childhood where the magical world of fairies, wood nymphs and characters that graced our bookshelves comes to life. After reading the synopsis of this story I knew that I could not just "read" this story, but that I had to read it out loud. Told in narrative rhyme I was immediately pulled into the rhythm of the story. The cleverness of the author's words engaged my imagination and I became Lucy on her quest to find her sister. So real were the fairies that flitted to and fro, along with the wood nymph that told her where she must go. I found my voice take on a life of it's own; I knew in that moment that this is a book that everyone must own. I guess I should mention that reading this book will cause adults to burst out into spontaneous rhyme.


The author does a brilliant job of capturing the almost jaded like feeling as innocence turns to skepticism in the character of Lucy, who no longer believe in fairies, princes or happy endings. In Ellie we see the childlike wonder that sees magic in everything. The plot is very well put together and flows without a break in rhythm or rhyme, which is why I recommend reading this tale in one sitting. True to her Brothers Grimm inspiration, the author does a superb job of putting a dark twist on familiar stories and one that will leave you very much surprised. The illustrations in the story are beautifully done add much to help bring the story to life.


This book is such a fun read and suitable for all ages, even with the dark twists and turns to the story. For as a child I know I liked reading and listening to tales that made me a wee bit frightened, for in the depths of fear we find our courage. And in this story Lucy finds enough courage for herself, her sister and the world that is being swallowed by darkness. There is so much more that I could have covered but I did not want to give anything away. I highly recommend this book to everyone, it is a MUST read. Faerytale is set to be released October 31, 2011 by Safkhet Publishing and will be available on Amazon. I look forward to reading more of Rachael Fuller's future works. I have a feeling in years to come my grandchildren will be reading her tales. This book deserves 5 stars!

Reviewed for DarkissReads. www.darkissreads.com

[Lindsay · Rating 4 out of 5]

'Twisted tales, giant monsters, burning silver rain,
Girls with wings and evil witches out to cause you pain.'

Faerytale is a story about two young sisters, Ellie and Lucy. They are playing hide and seek, when Lucy realises that Ellie has vanished down a rabbit hole. She quickly follows her, and finds herself in a strange land, a place where fairy tales are not what you would traditionally expect. They are darker, and twisted, and the fairies are no longer friendly and kind. The three classic tales of Rapunzel, Little Red Riding Hood, and Snow While are taken here, and given a fresh, dark twist.

Lucy must try and discover where Ellie is and rescue her before they are trapped forever in this strange, dark land. It is written in narrative rhyme throughout, and it also features black and white illustrations. Lucy is the elder of the two sisters, and she teases Ellie for her love of fairytales, as do the other children. Ellie wishes she could escape the world and step into the fairy stories she reads:

'How she longed to live within the pages of her books,
To challenge evil witches and take back what they took,
Swim in silver seas with mermaids, listen to fairies sing,
And soar across the golden skies, on unicorns with wings.'

But little does she realise that there is a darker side to the three fairy tales contained here, with 'fairytales now brought to life, far darker than they'd seemed.' They are altered, and it's interesting and entertaining to remember these classic tales from childhood, and then find out how they are employed here. As Lucy journeys through each of the tales, the search for Ellie progresses.

A genuine sense of fear is created, there is an atmosphere of tension, as unexpected elements appear, frightening the sisters:

'Overhead she heard the screams of monsters taking flight,
The ground beneath began to shake with creatures of the night,...'

It's enjoyable to read passages aloud, to yourself or to others, and enjoy the poetry even more. The author has a really nice use of language, and has created an unusual, intriguing take on what we think of as fairy tales. This makes for a very clever, fun and magical read.

[Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the spirit of full disclosure, I was chosen to receive a copy of this book through the LibraryThing s Early Reviewers program; however, I did not receive a copy of this book to review. I ended up securing a copy through other means, which had no influence on this review.[return][return]This is a dark retelling of some classic fairy tales stitched together in an imaginative way. This tale is not as complex as Adam Gidwitz s A Tale Dark and Grimm, but it does address some complex subject matter that may not be suited for children younger than 11 years old. [return][return] Lucy climbed up on the ledge, releasing the braid of hair,[return]And as Rapunzel pulled it back, Lucy stood and stared.[return]Her regal face was pompous and grim, pretty if she just smiled.[return]A virtuous maiden she clearly was not, for she was big with child. [return][return]I won t give any clues as to what happens next, except that someone may want to order a paternity test. [return][return]This may be a fun story for older readers already well acquainted with various fairy tales, but it has the potential to be disturbing or confusing for a young or sensitive reader. While not one of my favorite retellings, I was impressed by the author s writing style.

[M— · Rating 4 out of 5]

A slender little tale told in rich poetic form, this story was really enchanting. And the illustrations were such perfect inclusions. What an ideal story to read aloud to a young girl. And it makes me want to reread Rossetti's "Goblin Market" all over again.

I suspect that children who love Faerytale would heartily enjoy Sharp Teeth once their reading level and maturity advanced a bit.

The ecopy to be sent by way of the LibraryThing Early Reviewers Program never did reach me. I commented on Goodreads about my (unsuccessful) efforts to track down a library copy of this work, and the publisher contacted me via that site with an offer to email a finished copy of the book to me immediately. I'm so glad they did. I loved this.

[William Sutton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one was not only a lot of fun to read, but also a lot of fun to make! Rachael is a really creative author, and Faerytale is a beautifully written piece of work. I quite enjoyed the rhyming. The illustrations in the text are fantastic: well drawn for that extra imagery, but not too much to take away from the imagination, which I think is the real driving force behind this book.

[Ant · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a lovely book, an impulse purchase that turned out to be exactly what I hoped. An old fashioned faery story told in verse - thinking about the concept, it could have easily dissolved into farce if it wasn't so well written.

[Ruby Fitzgerald · Rating 4 out of 5]

Surprisingly delightful!