What do you think?
Rate this book
Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children #0.5
Tales of the Peculiar
Before Miss Peregrine gave them a home, the story of peculiars was written in the Tales.
Wealthy cannibals who dine on the discarded limbs of peculiars. A fork-tongued princess. The origins of the first ymbryne. These are but a few of the truly brilliant stories in Tales of the Peculiar—known to hide information about the peculiar world—first introduced by Ransom Riggs in his Miss Peregrine’s Peculiar Children series.
Riggs now invites you to share his secrets of peculiar history, with a collection of original stories, as collected and annotated by Millard Nullings, ward of Miss Peregrine and scholar of all things peculiar.
Wealthy cannibals who dine on the discarded limbs of peculiars. A fork-tongued princess. The origins of the first ymbryne. These are but a few of the truly brilliant stories in Tales of the Peculiar—known to hide information about the peculiar world—first introduced by Ransom Riggs in his Miss Peregrine’s Peculiar Children series.
Riggs now invites you to share his secrets of peculiar history, with a collection of original stories, as collected and annotated by Millard Nullings, ward of Miss Peregrine and scholar of all things peculiar.
170 pages, Hardcover
First published September 3, 2016
About the author
Ransom Riggs
59 books22.4k followersHi, I'm Ransom, and I like to tell stories. Sometimes I tell them with words, sometimes with pictures, often with both. I grew up on a farm on the Eastern shore of Maryland and also in a little house by the beach in Englewood, Florida where I got very tan and swam every day until I became half fish. I started writing stories when I was young, on an old typewriter that jammed and longhand on legal pads. When I was a little older I got a camera for Christmas and became obsessed with photography, and when I was a little older still my friends and I came into possession of a half-broken video camera and began to make our own movies, starring ourselves, using our bedrooms and backyards for sets. I have loved writing stories and taking photographs and making movies ever since, and have endeavored to do all three.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 3,287 reviews
December 10, 2020
I am (generally) not a fan of tie-in novels but consider me converted.
Throughout the Peculiar Children series, they refer to this storybook. There weren't as many stories as I expected (only 10). As with the original series, the powers are inventive, the plot is quirky and the stories are fun.
The Splendid Cannibal - A population of peculiars can regrow limbs at will. A group of hungry cannibals move in next door and are willing to pay. Soon comes a story of greed and loss -though not on the side you'd think.
The Fork-Tongued Princess - A princess with a forked-tongue learns several lessons about life and love. Despite this being a short story, I was really impressed by the development of the main character. You go girl!
The First Ymbryne - Medieval England tale - the very first Ymbryne discovers her power and her destiny. Nice story, but it wasn't particularly interesting. Yawnsville.
The Woman Who Befriended Ghosts - Hildy spent her childhood in the company of her ghost-sister. She's grown now but doesn't want to spend time with the living. So she shops around - looking for the most haunted areas - so she could have company.
Cocobolo - Set in ancient China, a boy loses his father to the sea. And soon find himself being lost to the sea as well. Rather interesting tale but it was so sad at the end.
The Pigeons of Saint Paul's - This is the one from the main series. Not much is new or added to this one. Remember - never trust a pigeon.
The Girl Who Could Tame Nightmares - I appreciated the creepiness of this one and the lesson that not all peculiars are blessed with fun, quirky powers. The little girl can help people by plucking out their nightmares - but such a terrible power comes with a truly awful price.
The Locust - A boy who cared so much living creatures has a father who refused to see creatures as something to be loved. Thus, the boy becomes the creatures and can only be saved is someone could love the true him.
The Boy Who Could Hold Back The Sea - A dire warning about sharing powers with those who are willing and able to take advantage of them. It was an okay story, a bit dull after the first few pages.
The Tale of Cuthbert - A fleshing out of the Cuthbert tale from the first peculiar book. As before, I feel sorry for the poor, lonely giant. I want to visit him and give him a hug.
Audiobook Comments
Read by Simon Callow, Bruce Mann and Garrick Hagon - they did a rather nice job!
YouTube | Blog | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Snapchat @miranda_reads
Throughout the Peculiar Children series, they refer to this storybook. There weren't as many stories as I expected (only 10). As with the original series, the powers are inventive, the plot is quirky and the stories are fun.
The Splendid Cannibal - A population of peculiars can regrow limbs at will. A group of hungry cannibals move in next door and are willing to pay. Soon comes a story of greed and loss -though not on the side you'd think.
The Fork-Tongued Princess - A princess with a forked-tongue learns several lessons about life and love. Despite this being a short story, I was really impressed by the development of the main character. You go girl!
The First Ymbryne - Medieval England tale - the very first Ymbryne discovers her power and her destiny. Nice story, but it wasn't particularly interesting. Yawnsville.
The Woman Who Befriended Ghosts - Hildy spent her childhood in the company of her ghost-sister. She's grown now but doesn't want to spend time with the living. So she shops around - looking for the most haunted areas - so she could have company.
Cocobolo - Set in ancient China, a boy loses his father to the sea. And soon find himself being lost to the sea as well. Rather interesting tale but it was so sad at the end.
The Pigeons of Saint Paul's - This is the one from the main series. Not much is new or added to this one. Remember - never trust a pigeon.
The Girl Who Could Tame Nightmares - I appreciated the creepiness of this one and the lesson that not all peculiars are blessed with fun, quirky powers. The little girl can help people by plucking out their nightmares - but such a terrible power comes with a truly awful price.
The Locust - A boy who cared so much living creatures has a father who refused to see creatures as something to be loved. Thus, the boy becomes the creatures and can only be saved is someone could love the true him.
The Boy Who Could Hold Back The Sea - A dire warning about sharing powers with those who are willing and able to take advantage of them. It was an okay story, a bit dull after the first few pages.
The Tale of Cuthbert - A fleshing out of the Cuthbert tale from the first peculiar book. As before, I feel sorry for the poor, lonely giant. I want to visit him and give him a hug.
Audiobook Comments
Read by Simon Callow, Bruce Mann and Garrick Hagon - they did a rather nice job!
YouTube | Blog | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Snapchat @miranda_reads
February 14, 2017
I absolutely adored this. Review to come!
August 26, 2018
Tales of the Peculiar is a collection of 10 short stories featuring the peculiars most beloved folklore. I have yet to read the peculiar trilogy by Ransom Riggs, but since I absolutely loved his Talking Pictures, I decided to give this one a go. And it was one of the best decisions I made today.
“Passed down from generation to generation since time immemorial, each story is part history, part fairy tale, and part moral lesson aimed at young peculiars. These tales hail from various parts of the globe, from oral as well as written traditions, and have gone through striking transformations over the years. They have survived as long as they have because they are loved for their merits as stories, but they are more than that, too. ”
This review contains *mild spoilers*.
The Splendid Cannibals: 4.5/5 stars
As the title might suggest, in this tale wealthy cannibals dine on the discarded limbs of peculiars. Of course, they were "civilized cannibals and never killed innocent people."
Not only was the writing spectacular, but it was also such a fascinating and educational take on spending (or rather, wasting) money and never seeing a limit.
The Fork-Tongued Princess: 5/5 stars
“In the ancient kingdom of Frankenbourg there was a princess who had a peculiar secret: in her mouth hid a long, forked tongue and across her back lay shimmering, diamond-patterned scales.”
In this story the kingdom is preparing for a royal wedding. The princess has been matched with a prince from Galatia (for political necessity), but she's terribly frightened that once the prince discovers her secret, he'll reject her at once.
“Don’t worry,” counseled her handmaiden. “He’ll see your beautiful face, come to know your beautiful heart, and forgive the rest.”
“And if he doesn’t?” the princess replied. “Our best hope for peace will be ruined, and I’ll live the rest of my days a spinster!”
The only person to know her true identity is her lovely and trustworthy handmaiden.
At its heart, this short story is about finding love (not the romantic kind, thankfully) and acceptance in unexpected places.
“I believe I’m done with princes forever,” the princess said, “peculiar or otherwise.”
I seriously cannot be more thankful for that ending!! Her character growth was so inspiring and powerful. I loved it.
The First Ymbryne: 4.5/5 stars
“The first ymbryne wasn’t a woman who could turn herself into a bird, but a bird who could turn herself into a woman.”
Ymeene, born into a family of goshawks, has always felt unaccepted in her environment. She's been afflicted and blessed with the ability to turn into both bird and human.
So, when turned away from her family, she tries her luck as a human but soon figures out that no village among normals will accept her peculiarity.
You see, she had a talent other than her ability to change form: she could make small moments repeat themselves.
On a day where she's doing just that, she meets Englebert, a young man with his head disconnected entirely from his neck. He invites her back to his camp, where she meets her people.
“They welcomed her even after she showed them how she could turn herself into a hawk, and in turn they showed her some of the unusual talents they possessed. It seemed she was not alone in the world. Perhaps, she thought, there was a place for her after all.”
But what Ymeene didn’t realize was that she had joined them during one of the darkest periods for peculiars.
It was really interesting getting to know some background on the setting for Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. I'd read about the loop but never knew why it had been placed there from the start.
“It was then that Ymeene realized her time-looping talent had a use she’d never fully understood—one that would change peculiar society forever, though she couldn’t have known it then. She’d made a safe place for them, a bubble of stalled time, and the peculiars watched in fascination as the normals’ army advanced toward them and then faded away, over and over again, in a three-minute loop.”
One of the most satisfying moments.
Also, I love how strong the female character are in this collection. SO MUCH YES.
And no unnecessary romantic subplot!! TOO MUCH YES.
The Woman Who Befriended Ghosts: 4/5 stars
“There was once a peculiar woman named Hildy. She had a high laughing voice and dark brown skin, and she could see ghosts. She wasn’t frightened by them at all.”
Seeing ghosts is one of my biggest fears (I can fully blame my younger self for watching The Sixth Sense at night), so this short story was right up my alley.
Hildy's twin sister drowned when they were children, and when she was growing up, her sister’s ghost was her closest friend.
So when her twin informs her that she has to attend some ghost business for a few years, Hildy feel distraught.
To distract herself, she tries to connect with other (living) people but cannot for the live in her find common ground.
“Hildy found she preferred the company of ghosts to living people, and so she decided to make some ghost friends. The trouble was how to do it. Even though Hildy could see ghosts, they were not easy to talk to. Ghosts, you see, are a bit like cats—they’re never around when you want them, and rarely come when called.”
She comes up with the idea to buy a haunted house to easily befriend a (full-time) ghost, which made me think she was a bit strange (which, to be fair, she was).
What I didn't, however, expect was for this short story to be so... funny. I kid you not, I laughed out loud multiple times, which I greatly appreciated from a ghost story.
Passages like this next one set the tone perfectly for what I'm trying to convey:
“Hildy was getting desperate. At a particularly low moment, she even entertained the thought of killing someone, because then their ghost would haunt her—but that didn’t seem like a very good way to start a friendship, and she quickly abandoned the idea.”
Incredible.
Cocobolo: 4.5/5 stars
“As a boy, Zheng worshipped his father. This was during the reign of Kublai Khan in ancient China, long before Europe ruled the seas, and his father, Liu Zhi, was a famous ocean explorer.”
Zheng's father, a famous ocean explorer, disappeared when he was just ten.
“Liu Zhi’s final expedition had been to discover the island of Cocobolo, long thought legendary, where it was said rubies grew on trees and liquid gold pooled in vast lakes.”
Before leaving, he told Zheng to come looking for him if he should not return. And, after having frightful nightmares featuring Liu Zhi, his son was ready to go seek for his father. Zheng'd made a promise to his father and he intended to fulfill it.
“If I should never return, promise you’ll come looking for me one day. Don’t let grass grow under your feet!”
Turns out that that mysterious sentiment had been a message—a coded message. His father knew something peculiar was going to happen because the same had happened to him.
This was exactly my kind of tale because I love anything magical. And in this case Zheng listened to his prophetic dreams and let them guide him to Liu Zhi. “If that didn’t work, he would listen to the whales.”
It's an incredible read about fate and destiny. And that ending was damn beautiful.
The Pigeons of Saint Paul’s: 3.5/5 stars
According to Millard Nullings, the story of the pigeons and their cathedral is one of the oldest in peculiar folklore.
The pigeons are terribly grumpy that human buildings happen to intrude upon what the pigeons considered their private domain. So, pigeons being democratic and all, they decide to show the humans what's what.
“Of course, the pigeons knew they couldn’t win a war against humans—nor did they want to. (Who would drop scraps for them to eat if the humans were dead?) But pigeons are experts in the art of sabotage, and with a clever combination of disruption and vandalism, they began a centuries-long fight to keep the humans at ground level, where they belonged.”
But they don't quite understand what their effort might result in.
This short story is the perfect example of what "an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth" means.
The Girl Who Could Tame Nightmares: 4.5/5 stars
Eleven- year-old Lavinia wanted nothing more than to become a doctor just like her father.
“She would have made an excellent doctor—but her father insisted it wasn’t possible. He had a kind heart, too, and merely wanted to save his daughter from disappointment; at that time there were no female doctors in America at all.”
But Lavinia would not be discouraged. She made a promise to herself that she would discover a cure for something. One day she would be famous.
And that day comes when Lavinia realizes she could help her younger brother, Douglas, who had always suffered from bad dreams.
“As word of Lavinia’s mysterious talent spread, their house began to receive a steady stream of visitors, all of whom wanted Lavinia to take away their nightmares. Lavinia was thrilled; perhaps this was how she was meant to help people.”
She's the girl that can take away nightmares by sticking her fingers into the patient’s ear and pulling out a mass of thready black stuff.
But things start to get a bit messy with Lavinia taking surge at her new peculiarity.
“Some people deserved their nightmares, her father had said, and it occurred to her that just because she took them didn’t mean she had to keep them. She could be the Robin Hood of dreams, relieving good people of their nightmares and giving them to the wicked—and as a bonus she wouldn’t have a ball of nightmare thread following her around all the time!”
Such a fascinating take on what it means to be good or bad, and the consequences of having power over people.
Like MN said, this tale warns peculiar children that there are some talents that are simply too complex and dangerous to use, and are better left alone.
The Locust: 3.5/5 stars
We start with an introduction to a hard-working immigrant from Norway named Edvard who went to America to seek his fortune.
After settling down for a few years, his hard work prospered a little and he found a loving wife with whom he started a family when she gave birth to a baby boy.
But something was wrong with the baby: "its heart was so big that one side of its chest was noticeably larger than the other."
Upon taking his child to see old Erick, Edvard discovers that to his dismay his son - Ollie - is peculiar.
The older and sweeter Ollie becomes, the more his father felt his heart hardening against his son.
“Worst of all, the boy was enslaved to the whims of his too-large heart. He fell in love in an instant. By the age of seven he had proposed marriage to a classmate, a neighbor girl, and the young woman who played the organ at church, fifteen years his senior. If ever a bird should fall from the sky, Ollie would sniffle and cry over it for days. When he realized that the meat on his dinner plate came from animals, he refused to eat it ever again. The boy’s insides were made of goo.”
This was such a special story on loving someone and learning to accept them despite being stuck to your principles and prejudice.
The Boy Who Could Hold Back the Sea: 3.5/5 stars
“There was once a peculiar young man named Fergus who could harness the power of the currents and tides.”
Fergus is one of the best fisherman to ever exist, but with his mother dying, he makes a promise to never expose his talent:
“As she lay dying, his mother made him promise to leave for the coast as soon as she was in the ground. “With your talent, you’ll be the best fisherman who ever lived, and you’ll never have to go hungry again. But never tell anyone what you can do, son, or people will make your life hell.”
But, of course, when Fergus breaks his promise, consequences follow quickly.
The story was a very compelling take of trying to play hero and the aftermaths of it.
The Tale of Cuthbert: 4.5/5 stars
“Once upon a peculiar time, in a forest deep and ancient, there roamed a great many animals.”
In the age where giants still roamed the earth, Cuthbert - the kindly giant - stopped hunters from hunting the peculiar animals in this story. The animals greatly appreciated his kindness, and soon animals all over were coming to him every day, asking for help to be lifted out of danger.
“I’ll protect you, little brothers and sisters. All I ask in return is that you talk to me and keep me company. There aren’t many giants left in the world, and I get lonely from time to time.”
And they said, “We will, Cuthbert, we will.”
But then a witch comes to avenge the family of the hunter Cuthbert squashed, and the story takes a rather dark turn.
I thought this collection was going to end with a happily ever after... and thankfully Millard Nullings agreed because he took the liberty to improvise a new and less dire conclusion.
If this collection didn't convince me to pick up Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, I don't know what will. Like, this was everything I wanted from Ransom Riggs. EVERYTHING.
I mean:
Girl-power ✓
Close family relationships ✓
No unnecessary romance ✓
Diversity ✓
Gorgeous illustrations ✓
Tales of the Peculiar continued to greatly surprise me because each story got to my heart one by one. What more could a girl want?
*Note: I'm an Amazon Affiliate. If you're interested in buying Tales of the Peculiar, just click on the image below to go through my link. I'll make a small commission!*
Support creators you love. Buy a Coffee for nat (bookspoils) with Ko-fi.com/bookspoils
This review and more can be found on my blog.
“Passed down from generation to generation since time immemorial, each story is part history, part fairy tale, and part moral lesson aimed at young peculiars. These tales hail from various parts of the globe, from oral as well as written traditions, and have gone through striking transformations over the years. They have survived as long as they have because they are loved for their merits as stories, but they are more than that, too. ”
This review contains *mild spoilers*.
The Splendid Cannibals: 4.5/5 stars
As the title might suggest, in this tale wealthy cannibals dine on the discarded limbs of peculiars. Of course, they were "civilized cannibals and never killed innocent people."
Not only was the writing spectacular, but it was also such a fascinating and educational take on spending (or rather, wasting) money and never seeing a limit.
The Fork-Tongued Princess: 5/5 stars
“In the ancient kingdom of Frankenbourg there was a princess who had a peculiar secret: in her mouth hid a long, forked tongue and across her back lay shimmering, diamond-patterned scales.”
In this story the kingdom is preparing for a royal wedding. The princess has been matched with a prince from Galatia (for political necessity), but she's terribly frightened that once the prince discovers her secret, he'll reject her at once.
“Don’t worry,” counseled her handmaiden. “He’ll see your beautiful face, come to know your beautiful heart, and forgive the rest.”
“And if he doesn’t?” the princess replied. “Our best hope for peace will be ruined, and I’ll live the rest of my days a spinster!”
The only person to know her true identity is her lovely and trustworthy handmaiden.
At its heart, this short story is about finding love (not the romantic kind, thankfully) and acceptance in unexpected places.
“I believe I’m done with princes forever,” the princess said, “peculiar or otherwise.”
I seriously cannot be more thankful for that ending!! Her character growth was so inspiring and powerful. I loved it.
The First Ymbryne: 4.5/5 stars
“The first ymbryne wasn’t a woman who could turn herself into a bird, but a bird who could turn herself into a woman.”
Ymeene, born into a family of goshawks, has always felt unaccepted in her environment. She's been afflicted and blessed with the ability to turn into both bird and human.
So, when turned away from her family, she tries her luck as a human but soon figures out that no village among normals will accept her peculiarity.
You see, she had a talent other than her ability to change form: she could make small moments repeat themselves.
On a day where she's doing just that, she meets Englebert, a young man with his head disconnected entirely from his neck. He invites her back to his camp, where she meets her people.
“They welcomed her even after she showed them how she could turn herself into a hawk, and in turn they showed her some of the unusual talents they possessed. It seemed she was not alone in the world. Perhaps, she thought, there was a place for her after all.”
But what Ymeene didn’t realize was that she had joined them during one of the darkest periods for peculiars.
It was really interesting getting to know some background on the setting for Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. I'd read about the loop but never knew why it had been placed there from the start.
“It was then that Ymeene realized her time-looping talent had a use she’d never fully understood—one that would change peculiar society forever, though she couldn’t have known it then. She’d made a safe place for them, a bubble of stalled time, and the peculiars watched in fascination as the normals’ army advanced toward them and then faded away, over and over again, in a three-minute loop.”
One of the most satisfying moments.
Also, I love how strong the female character are in this collection. SO MUCH YES.
And no unnecessary romantic subplot!! TOO MUCH YES.
The Woman Who Befriended Ghosts: 4/5 stars
“There was once a peculiar woman named Hildy. She had a high laughing voice and dark brown skin, and she could see ghosts. She wasn’t frightened by them at all.”
Seeing ghosts is one of my biggest fears (I can fully blame my younger self for watching The Sixth Sense at night), so this short story was right up my alley.
Hildy's twin sister drowned when they were children, and when she was growing up, her sister’s ghost was her closest friend.
So when her twin informs her that she has to attend some ghost business for a few years, Hildy feel distraught.
To distract herself, she tries to connect with other (living) people but cannot for the live in her find common ground.
“Hildy found she preferred the company of ghosts to living people, and so she decided to make some ghost friends. The trouble was how to do it. Even though Hildy could see ghosts, they were not easy to talk to. Ghosts, you see, are a bit like cats—they’re never around when you want them, and rarely come when called.”
She comes up with the idea to buy a haunted house to easily befriend a (full-time) ghost, which made me think she was a bit strange (which, to be fair, she was).
What I didn't, however, expect was for this short story to be so... funny. I kid you not, I laughed out loud multiple times, which I greatly appreciated from a ghost story.
Passages like this next one set the tone perfectly for what I'm trying to convey:
“Hildy was getting desperate. At a particularly low moment, she even entertained the thought of killing someone, because then their ghost would haunt her—but that didn’t seem like a very good way to start a friendship, and she quickly abandoned the idea.”
Incredible.
Cocobolo: 4.5/5 stars
“As a boy, Zheng worshipped his father. This was during the reign of Kublai Khan in ancient China, long before Europe ruled the seas, and his father, Liu Zhi, was a famous ocean explorer.”
Zheng's father, a famous ocean explorer, disappeared when he was just ten.
“Liu Zhi’s final expedition had been to discover the island of Cocobolo, long thought legendary, where it was said rubies grew on trees and liquid gold pooled in vast lakes.”
Before leaving, he told Zheng to come looking for him if he should not return. And, after having frightful nightmares featuring Liu Zhi, his son was ready to go seek for his father. Zheng'd made a promise to his father and he intended to fulfill it.
“If I should never return, promise you’ll come looking for me one day. Don’t let grass grow under your feet!”
Turns out that that mysterious sentiment had been a message—a coded message. His father knew something peculiar was going to happen because the same had happened to him.
This was exactly my kind of tale because I love anything magical. And in this case Zheng listened to his prophetic dreams and let them guide him to Liu Zhi. “If that didn’t work, he would listen to the whales.”
It's an incredible read about fate and destiny. And that ending was damn beautiful.
The Pigeons of Saint Paul’s: 3.5/5 stars
According to Millard Nullings, the story of the pigeons and their cathedral is one of the oldest in peculiar folklore.
The pigeons are terribly grumpy that human buildings happen to intrude upon what the pigeons considered their private domain. So, pigeons being democratic and all, they decide to show the humans what's what.
“Of course, the pigeons knew they couldn’t win a war against humans—nor did they want to. (Who would drop scraps for them to eat if the humans were dead?) But pigeons are experts in the art of sabotage, and with a clever combination of disruption and vandalism, they began a centuries-long fight to keep the humans at ground level, where they belonged.”
But they don't quite understand what their effort might result in.
This short story is the perfect example of what "an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth" means.
The Girl Who Could Tame Nightmares: 4.5/5 stars
Eleven- year-old Lavinia wanted nothing more than to become a doctor just like her father.
“She would have made an excellent doctor—but her father insisted it wasn’t possible. He had a kind heart, too, and merely wanted to save his daughter from disappointment; at that time there were no female doctors in America at all.”
But Lavinia would not be discouraged. She made a promise to herself that she would discover a cure for something. One day she would be famous.
And that day comes when Lavinia realizes she could help her younger brother, Douglas, who had always suffered from bad dreams.
“As word of Lavinia’s mysterious talent spread, their house began to receive a steady stream of visitors, all of whom wanted Lavinia to take away their nightmares. Lavinia was thrilled; perhaps this was how she was meant to help people.”
She's the girl that can take away nightmares by sticking her fingers into the patient’s ear and pulling out a mass of thready black stuff.
But things start to get a bit messy with Lavinia taking surge at her new peculiarity.
“Some people deserved their nightmares, her father had said, and it occurred to her that just because she took them didn’t mean she had to keep them. She could be the Robin Hood of dreams, relieving good people of their nightmares and giving them to the wicked—and as a bonus she wouldn’t have a ball of nightmare thread following her around all the time!”
Such a fascinating take on what it means to be good or bad, and the consequences of having power over people.
Like MN said, this tale warns peculiar children that there are some talents that are simply too complex and dangerous to use, and are better left alone.
The Locust: 3.5/5 stars
We start with an introduction to a hard-working immigrant from Norway named Edvard who went to America to seek his fortune.
After settling down for a few years, his hard work prospered a little and he found a loving wife with whom he started a family when she gave birth to a baby boy.
But something was wrong with the baby: "its heart was so big that one side of its chest was noticeably larger than the other."
Upon taking his child to see old Erick, Edvard discovers that to his dismay his son - Ollie - is peculiar.
The older and sweeter Ollie becomes, the more his father felt his heart hardening against his son.
“Worst of all, the boy was enslaved to the whims of his too-large heart. He fell in love in an instant. By the age of seven he had proposed marriage to a classmate, a neighbor girl, and the young woman who played the organ at church, fifteen years his senior. If ever a bird should fall from the sky, Ollie would sniffle and cry over it for days. When he realized that the meat on his dinner plate came from animals, he refused to eat it ever again. The boy’s insides were made of goo.”
This was such a special story on loving someone and learning to accept them despite being stuck to your principles and prejudice.
The Boy Who Could Hold Back the Sea: 3.5/5 stars
“There was once a peculiar young man named Fergus who could harness the power of the currents and tides.”
Fergus is one of the best fisherman to ever exist, but with his mother dying, he makes a promise to never expose his talent:
“As she lay dying, his mother made him promise to leave for the coast as soon as she was in the ground. “With your talent, you’ll be the best fisherman who ever lived, and you’ll never have to go hungry again. But never tell anyone what you can do, son, or people will make your life hell.”
But, of course, when Fergus breaks his promise, consequences follow quickly.
The story was a very compelling take of trying to play hero and the aftermaths of it.
The Tale of Cuthbert: 4.5/5 stars
“Once upon a peculiar time, in a forest deep and ancient, there roamed a great many animals.”
In the age where giants still roamed the earth, Cuthbert - the kindly giant - stopped hunters from hunting the peculiar animals in this story. The animals greatly appreciated his kindness, and soon animals all over were coming to him every day, asking for help to be lifted out of danger.
“I’ll protect you, little brothers and sisters. All I ask in return is that you talk to me and keep me company. There aren’t many giants left in the world, and I get lonely from time to time.”
And they said, “We will, Cuthbert, we will.”
But then a witch comes to avenge the family of the hunter Cuthbert squashed, and the story takes a rather dark turn.
I thought this collection was going to end with a happily ever after... and thankfully Millard Nullings agreed because he took the liberty to improvise a new and less dire conclusion.
If this collection didn't convince me to pick up Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, I don't know what will. Like, this was everything I wanted from Ransom Riggs. EVERYTHING.
I mean:
Girl-power ✓
Close family relationships ✓
No unnecessary romance ✓
Diversity ✓
Gorgeous illustrations ✓
Tales of the Peculiar continued to greatly surprise me because each story got to my heart one by one. What more could a girl want?
*Note: I'm an Amazon Affiliate. If you're interested in buying Tales of the Peculiar, just click on the image below to go through my link. I'll make a small commission!*
Support creators you love. Buy a Coffee for nat (bookspoils) with Ko-fi.com/bookspoils
This review and more can be found on my blog.
September 13, 2016
Loved some, didn't love others!
Nice to dive back into this world!
Nice to dive back into this world!
October 14, 2016
Well, this was utterly delightful! Tricky cannibals, a ball of nightmares that follows you around, and many more strange and wonderful inhabitants. This short but rich book is written with masterful style, and manages to make its characters endearing without being maudlin--and without trying too hard for sentimentality and quirkiness. And it's funny! In a very sly, deadpan way, particularly in the first story which cleverly implies the origins of the phrase "an arm and a leg."
I just might have to read Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children after all.
Closest thing I've read in modern lit to Grimm's fairy tales--complete with macabre events and the occasional thoughtful morality tale. This is an author whose writing style is sophisticated and shows great restraint, and one who trusts in his readers--no matter their age--to follow along.
Audio Notes: LOVED the audio version narrated by the incomparable Simon Callow, whose plummy voice pronounces the delicious words with utmost care. I very much liked his different voices as well, and special applause for voicing young female characters with sympathy and appreciation.
Those who enjoyed the Harry Potter audio versions (Jim Dale or Stephen Fry) should definitely pick this one up, as I think the stories are similarly appealing and this voice performance is even better.
An audio version was provided by the publisher for review.
I just might have to read Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children after all.
Closest thing I've read in modern lit to Grimm's fairy tales--complete with macabre events and the occasional thoughtful morality tale. This is an author whose writing style is sophisticated and shows great restraint, and one who trusts in his readers--no matter their age--to follow along.
Audio Notes: LOVED the audio version narrated by the incomparable Simon Callow, whose plummy voice pronounces the delicious words with utmost care. I very much liked his different voices as well, and special applause for voicing young female characters with sympathy and appreciation.
Those who enjoyed the Harry Potter audio versions (Jim Dale or Stephen Fry) should definitely pick this one up, as I think the stories are similarly appealing and this voice performance is even better.
An audio version was provided by the publisher for review.
September 7, 2016
The first ymbryne wasn’t a woman who could turn herself into a bird, but a bird who could turn herself into a woman.
When I heard the news about this book, my heart was floating away. As everyone knows that I am a die-hard fan of Ransom Riggs because his works always excite and inspire me in the whimsical way. I loved his writing style and cherish his ideas even though I don't know where they come from. In this book, we'll see the tales with the original vibes and gruesome twists. Tales of the Peculiar is not a bed time story which is dreamy and fluffy. This is the tales of the peculiar and it'll deliver a nightmare to you after finishing. And I've already warned you.
The First Ymbryne is my favorite, it's the only tale that has a connection to those three books. Moreover, the other stories are not bad, they're energetic and imaginative like I was reading folklores.
The Pigeons of Saint Paul’s is an ordinary story without something unique, but Ransom gathered the moral issue and satirized it into his story, it made me think of some people who don't care nothing at all for they want to build their empire and let it be the highest one.
So the pigeons called a meeting, and several thousand of them gathered on an empty island in the middle of the river Thames to decide what to do about the humans and their increasingly tall buildings. Pigeons being democratic, speeches were made and the question was put to a vote. A small contingent voted to put up with the humans and share the air. A smaller faction advocated leaving London altogether and finding somewhere less crowded to live. But the vast majority voted to declare war.
Tales of the Peculiar is a real page-turner and what I expected.
September 22, 2016
There are some really good stories in this book and some others that I didn't care for too much. The first one I loved and it was just so gruesome and funny. <--- You don't find that every day.
It's about these peculiars that lived in Swampmuck. They made their living out of getting swamp grasses to take to the a town. They were very poor and lived the best they could. And they had a peculiar way about them. They could regrow limbs! So who is it that wanders in to their little part of the world one day: cannibals! But they were very nice cannibals, they didn't kill people, they just ate leftovers from the killings the king had done to people.
But the Swampmuck peculiars being the kind people that they are; helped the cannibals because they had been lost and were starving.
Afterward, some other really rich cannibals came to camp and I'm only going to say they lived with the people of Swampmuch and it got a little cray!
Out of the other 10 stories these are the ones I enjoyed:
1) The Fork-Tongued Princess
2) The First Ymbryne
3) The Woman Who Befriended Ghosts
4) The Girl Who Could Tame Nightmares
5) The Locust
The Fork-Tongued Princess is exactly what it says and tells her story of being on the run to find someone she can marry because her father thinks she is horrid. But she's really beautiful before they know of her tongue.
The First Ymbryne is of a bird who could turn into a woman. She's a goshawk but really likes being in human form and she also has some other abilities.
The Woman Who Befriended Ghosts is about Hildy who loves ghosts more than people. Her sister is a ghost and has to leave for some time and this makes Hildy sad. So she goes looking for the most haunted houses or haunted land to try to befriend ghosts, but most don't want to be friends. It all turns out in the end and I really enjoyed it.
The Girl Who Could Tame Nightmares is about Lavinia who pulls threads out of people's ears and keeps them. They end up being a form of pet to her. It's really bizarre and so freaking good. There is more to the story but you can read it on your own.
The Locust is about a boy named Ollie that didn't want the locusts killed even though they were eating all of the crops. Ollie's life takes on a whole new meaning for quite some time and teaches his father a valuable lesson.
I really enjoyed these stories and they will definitely find a home on my bookshelf one day.
MY BLOG: Melissa Martin's Reading List
It's about these peculiars that lived in Swampmuck. They made their living out of getting swamp grasses to take to the a town. They were very poor and lived the best they could. And they had a peculiar way about them. They could regrow limbs! So who is it that wanders in to their little part of the world one day: cannibals! But they were very nice cannibals, they didn't kill people, they just ate leftovers from the killings the king had done to people.
But the Swampmuck peculiars being the kind people that they are; helped the cannibals because they had been lost and were starving.
Afterward, some other really rich cannibals came to camp and I'm only going to say they lived with the people of Swampmuch and it got a little cray!
Out of the other 10 stories these are the ones I enjoyed:
1) The Fork-Tongued Princess
2) The First Ymbryne
3) The Woman Who Befriended Ghosts
4) The Girl Who Could Tame Nightmares
5) The Locust
The Fork-Tongued Princess is exactly what it says and tells her story of being on the run to find someone she can marry because her father thinks she is horrid. But she's really beautiful before they know of her tongue.
The First Ymbryne is of a bird who could turn into a woman. She's a goshawk but really likes being in human form and she also has some other abilities.
The Woman Who Befriended Ghosts is about Hildy who loves ghosts more than people. Her sister is a ghost and has to leave for some time and this makes Hildy sad. So she goes looking for the most haunted houses or haunted land to try to befriend ghosts, but most don't want to be friends. It all turns out in the end and I really enjoyed it.
The Girl Who Could Tame Nightmares is about Lavinia who pulls threads out of people's ears and keeps them. They end up being a form of pet to her. It's really bizarre and so freaking good. There is more to the story but you can read it on your own.
The Locust is about a boy named Ollie that didn't want the locusts killed even though they were eating all of the crops. Ollie's life takes on a whole new meaning for quite some time and teaches his father a valuable lesson.
I really enjoyed these stories and they will definitely find a home on my bookshelf one day.
MY BLOG: Melissa Martin's Reading List
January 21, 2018
Surprisingly Strong, Deep, Meaningful short story with many layers...
Of Acceptance, and Prejudice & rejection..
Of the hardness of finding friends..
And the complicated relation between Fathers & Sons..with Kafkaian Atmosphere..
Of Dreams & Nightmares...Of selling oneself, of greed and living on 'credit', of capitalism, banking, even 'silencing a revolution'...
All very beautifully illustrated, told in fairy tale way but deeper with touch of horror, peculiarity ....yet with hope and meaningful morals..
A real must read even if you didn't start the Trilogy yet...
Mohammed Arabey
From 15 Jan 2018
To 21 Jan 2018
Of Acceptance, and Prejudice & rejection..
Of the hardness of finding friends..
And the complicated relation between Fathers & Sons..with Kafkaian Atmosphere..
Of Dreams & Nightmares...Of selling oneself, of greed and living on 'credit', of capitalism, banking, even 'silencing a revolution'...
All very beautifully illustrated, told in fairy tale way but deeper with touch of horror, peculiarity ....yet with hope and meaningful morals..
A real must read even if you didn't start the Trilogy yet...
Mohammed Arabey
From 15 Jan 2018
To 21 Jan 2018
May 23, 2021
This book was so cozy to read on a rainy day! I love Ransom’s writing and since Millard is my favorite Peculiar in this universe, getting his little asides to the stories and reading his introduction was so fun. Now i’m off to complete the Miss Peregrine series!! So bittersweet.
March 30, 2018
Ein großartiges Buch! ❤
September 17, 2017
quick and fun read! if you like the other books then read this one
April 11, 2020
This collection of peculiar tales was absolutely stunning and such a great addition to the series. I loved each of these stories for different reasons, they each brought something so different to the table. I thoroughly enjoyed delving deeper into the folklore and fairytales of peculiardom. It provided great insight into certain stories that were only glanced over in the trilogy and I was so glad to be able to read them in full. Each story was incredibly entertaining in its own way and it was great to have one final foray into the world of peculiars. All in all, I absolutely loved this collection of tales and I wish there were more!
March 7, 2018
SO GOOD! I couldn't put it down! Tales of the Peculiar is a really quick and easy read. Seriously, you might spend like an hour on it? Maybe less? Maybe more? Either way, it doesn't take a lot of time out of your day to sit and read it. All of the short stories are unique in their own way. One made me cringe so hard but that mostly because it's not the life for me. They are all have really cool and unique names and definitely made me fall even more in love with this series.
I'm kind of upset that I didn't read this before I read the first book.. but I'm only human and I make a TON of mistakes. Live and learn people.
I'm kind of upset that I didn't read this before I read the first book.. but I'm only human and I make a TON of mistakes. Live and learn people.
October 16, 2016
"Tales of the Peculiar" are written by former Miss Peregrine’s ward, Millard Nullings. With the help of Mr. Riggs, Millard invited us to read the peculiar tales about the peculiar times and people, starting with wealthy cannibals and finishing with a lonely giant. All the tales had some spices of macabre and funny twists, peculiar history and of course a moral at the end.
I liked them, but they weren’t mind-blowing or amazing to squeal. It was great to read some back stories about the events and characters from "Miss Peregrine’s Peculiar Children" trilogy, because my son and I are the fans of it and we buddy read it with pleasure. But at the same time these tales felt a little bit clumsy, simple or even melodramatic (In fact, that was an advantage to my son, because, according to him, the tales should be so, sometimes scary, filled with humor, simple but twisty situations and memorable characters. "Tales of the Peculiar" are meant for kids and YA and my son asked me to stop complaining and being grumpy. I can’t disagree with him, because this book was a perfect example of such tales.). I really enjoyed Mr. Riggs’s wit, old-fashioned illustrations and scary side of the tales.
My rating: 3
My son’s rating: 5
Total:
December 4, 2018
A diferencia de la saga principal de los peculiares, que no fue mucho de mi agrado, disfruté mucho con estos cuentos tan extravagantes como ingeniosos. Aquí pude apreciar más la pluma de Ramsom, me gusta su estilo y de verdad hubiera querido tener una mejor opinión de Miss Peregrine, pero al final no consiguió mantenerme en la saga.
Este libro de cuentos es muy ingenioso y me recordó algunos de otro autor muy famoso, contiene todo para cautivar y hacer volar tu imaginación, con ellos comprendes un poco más a estas personas y descubres aspectos, datos, y todo lo necesario para notar que su historia es más profunda de lo que nos muestra en su primera entrega.
Este libro de cuentos es muy ingenioso y me recordó algunos de otro autor muy famoso, contiene todo para cautivar y hacer volar tu imaginación, con ellos comprendes un poco más a estas personas y descubres aspectos, datos, y todo lo necesario para notar que su historia es más profunda de lo que nos muestra en su primera entrega.
December 31, 2016
Como muchos saben, El Hogar de Miss Peregrine para Niños Peculiares no es uno de esos libros que me haya encantado; por el contrario, me pareció un poco lento y no me pude conectar muy bien con la historia. Precisamente por esa razón, tenía un poco de miedo o, más bien, pereza de leer los Cuentos Extraños para Niños Peculiares. Pensaba que me iba a encontrar con un estilo similar, muy pausado y sin elementos que me engancharan completamente a la historia... pero me equivoqué.
Los Cuentos Extraños para Niños Peculiares son una colección de historias tan variopintas como curiosas que nos llevan a los orígenes de los peculiares, a tiempos en los que no se tenían que ocultar, a aldeas y pueblos llenos de personas con poderes y a la mismísima creación del primer bucle temporal.
En este libro, Ranson Riggs se supera y crea, con la voz de Millard Nullings como narrador, un ambiente de rareza, excentricidades y leyendas primordiales que me engancharon como no lo pudo hacer el primer libro de Miss Peregine. No sé si fue la variedad de temas y épocas, el lenguaje ágil, las anotaciones de Millard o lo inesperadas que eran algunas historias lo que logró que me planteara el darle una nueva oportunidad al mundo de los peculiares.
Si yo que, como les decía, no soy la mayor fan de El Hogar de Miss Peregrine para Niños Peculiares, disfruté muchísimo de este libro y de su hermosa edición con letras doradas e ilustraciones, sé que quienes amaron desde las primeras páginas los libros principales van a adorar este pequeño libro compañero.
Y, por si se lo preguntan, aquí les dejo mis tres historias favoritas de los Cuentos Extraños para Niños Peculiares:
1. Los Caníbales Generosos.
2. La Chica Que Quería Ser Amiga de un Fantasma.
3. La Encantadora de Pesadillas.
Los Cuentos Extraños para Niños Peculiares son una colección de historias tan variopintas como curiosas que nos llevan a los orígenes de los peculiares, a tiempos en los que no se tenían que ocultar, a aldeas y pueblos llenos de personas con poderes y a la mismísima creación del primer bucle temporal.
En este libro, Ranson Riggs se supera y crea, con la voz de Millard Nullings como narrador, un ambiente de rareza, excentricidades y leyendas primordiales que me engancharon como no lo pudo hacer el primer libro de Miss Peregine. No sé si fue la variedad de temas y épocas, el lenguaje ágil, las anotaciones de Millard o lo inesperadas que eran algunas historias lo que logró que me planteara el darle una nueva oportunidad al mundo de los peculiares.
Si yo que, como les decía, no soy la mayor fan de El Hogar de Miss Peregrine para Niños Peculiares, disfruté muchísimo de este libro y de su hermosa edición con letras doradas e ilustraciones, sé que quienes amaron desde las primeras páginas los libros principales van a adorar este pequeño libro compañero.
Y, por si se lo preguntan, aquí les dejo mis tres historias favoritas de los Cuentos Extraños para Niños Peculiares:
1. Los Caníbales Generosos.
2. La Chica Que Quería Ser Amiga de un Fantasma.
3. La Encantadora de Pesadillas.
October 11, 2016
A great supplemental read to the Peregrine series!
Some short stories are better than others, in my humble opinion, but they all give you sort of a history and background of peculiardom based in their folklore.
If you know me and my reading taste, I shouldn't enjoy this series as much as I do - I generally do not like YA, nor do I like fantasy. But I loved these books. Perhaps it's the historical elements, vintage photography (in the series, not this book) and peculiarity.
Looking forward to seeing the movie as well!
Some short stories are better than others, in my humble opinion, but they all give you sort of a history and background of peculiardom based in their folklore.
If you know me and my reading taste, I shouldn't enjoy this series as much as I do - I generally do not like YA, nor do I like fantasy. But I loved these books. Perhaps it's the historical elements, vintage photography (in the series, not this book) and peculiarity.
Looking forward to seeing the movie as well!
February 20, 2020
The Splendid Cannibals: 3 ⭐⭐⭐
The Fork-Tongued Princess: 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The First Ymbryne: 3 ⭐⭐⭐
The Woman Who Befriended Ghosts: 4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Cocobolo: 2 ⭐⭐
The Pigeons Of Saint Paul's: 3 ⭐⭐⭐
The Girl Who Could Tame Nightmares: 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Locust: 2 ⭐⭐
The Boy Who Could Hold Back The Sea: 2 ⭐
The Tale Of Cuthbert: 2 ⭐⭐
The Fork-Tongued Princess: 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The First Ymbryne: 3 ⭐⭐⭐
The Woman Who Befriended Ghosts: 4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Cocobolo: 2 ⭐⭐
The Pigeons Of Saint Paul's: 3 ⭐⭐⭐
The Girl Who Could Tame Nightmares: 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Locust: 2 ⭐⭐
The Boy Who Could Hold Back The Sea: 2 ⭐
The Tale Of Cuthbert: 2 ⭐⭐
May 28, 2017
“So please enjoy these Tales—before a crackling fire on a chilly night, ideally,”
You can find this review and all of my other reviews at Novel Descent Thanks for the support!
This was a really fast and easy read for me. I read it within one sitting and when I was done, I wanted more. I'd say that is a pretty good sign.
Tales of the Peculiaris a collection of short stories/folk tales centered around "peculiar" people. At the time of reading this, I have only read the first book in Ransom Riggs series, it appears that you don't have read the trilogy before diving into this one. There wasn't any one tale that I didn't like. I had a lot of fun with it. I love reading folk tales/fairy tales so this was right up my alley. It would've been a five star for me but there were some that I felt ended too abruptly. Yes, I know that many fairy tales suddenly wrap up quickly, but it still frustrates me sometimes when I'm just really getting into the tale and BAM it's over. I did really love that they all read like a fairy tale/folk tale that I might read in a collection of Andrew Langs beloved fairy tales.
Oh and can we talk about the physical book itself? It's BEAUTIFUL. It has no dust jacket, so it looks like a beautiful old book. I wish more books went this route because I was in heaven when I got it in the mail yesterday.
Below are my personal ratings of the stories but I have chosen not to say much about them because I think this is a perfect book to go into blind. The stories aren't long so telling you much about them might take away some of the magic of this book.
The Splendid Cannibals 5/5
The Fork-Tongued Princess 4.5/5
The First Ymbryne 5/5
The Woman Who Befriended Ghosts 4/5
Cocobolo 5/5
The Pigeons Of Saint Paul 3/5
The Girl Who Could Tame Nightmares 5/5
The Locust 4/5
The Boy Who Could Hold Back The Sea 3/5
The Tale Of Cuthbert 4/5
I would certainly recommend this if you like fairy tales and/or enjoyed Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children.
You can find this review and all of my other reviews at Novel Descent Thanks for the support!
This was a really fast and easy read for me. I read it within one sitting and when I was done, I wanted more. I'd say that is a pretty good sign.
Tales of the Peculiaris a collection of short stories/folk tales centered around "peculiar" people. At the time of reading this, I have only read the first book in Ransom Riggs series, it appears that you don't have read the trilogy before diving into this one. There wasn't any one tale that I didn't like. I had a lot of fun with it. I love reading folk tales/fairy tales so this was right up my alley. It would've been a five star for me but there were some that I felt ended too abruptly. Yes, I know that many fairy tales suddenly wrap up quickly, but it still frustrates me sometimes when I'm just really getting into the tale and BAM it's over. I did really love that they all read like a fairy tale/folk tale that I might read in a collection of Andrew Langs beloved fairy tales.
Oh and can we talk about the physical book itself? It's BEAUTIFUL. It has no dust jacket, so it looks like a beautiful old book. I wish more books went this route because I was in heaven when I got it in the mail yesterday.
Below are my personal ratings of the stories but I have chosen not to say much about them because I think this is a perfect book to go into blind. The stories aren't long so telling you much about them might take away some of the magic of this book.
The Splendid Cannibals 5/5
The Fork-Tongued Princess 4.5/5
The First Ymbryne 5/5
The Woman Who Befriended Ghosts 4/5
Cocobolo 5/5
The Pigeons Of Saint Paul 3/5
The Girl Who Could Tame Nightmares 5/5
The Locust 4/5
The Boy Who Could Hold Back The Sea 3/5
The Tale Of Cuthbert 4/5
I would certainly recommend this if you like fairy tales and/or enjoyed Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children.
September 5, 2016
"Again! Another! Again! Again! Loop-the loop to double its skin!"
Welcome back Peculiars. As a warning, if you are not a peculiar, you must stop reading and go. We don't have time for the weak minded. Good? Good!
Received a chapter sampler at BEA Chicago and met Riggs. Reading that sampler left you clawing and crying for more.
Once I got my hands on this, the world righted itself on its axis and all my worldy problems disappeared.
Here is a collection of ten short peculiar stories. Some of these you might already to acquainted with. But it gives more depth into the stories that you have already fallen in love with.
Each tale is paired with an illustration to get the tale going. Simply beautiful and I needed more of those. Maybe they'll be another book just with peculiar illustrations... (wink) Get on it!!
These tales begin on a hungry note and leave on a sad one. But none that will leave you down in the dumps angry.
The main concern for people will be, do I have to read the Peregrines series to enjoy this? And the answer is no.
These are a great way to get started into the series, but you don't have to read the series to appreciate the strangeness.
I will say, reading these stories after the Peregrines books will make your head spin. It gives so much more insight into a world you didn't want to leave.
Word of advice, make sure you read everything and I mean everything. There might be some useful information that could save your life and your book.
Be warned Dear Readers!
Welcome back Peculiars. As a warning, if you are not a peculiar, you must stop reading and go. We don't have time for the weak minded. Good? Good!
Received a chapter sampler at BEA Chicago and met Riggs. Reading that sampler left you clawing and crying for more.
Once I got my hands on this, the world righted itself on its axis and all my worldy problems disappeared.
Here is a collection of ten short peculiar stories. Some of these you might already to acquainted with. But it gives more depth into the stories that you have already fallen in love with.
Each tale is paired with an illustration to get the tale going. Simply beautiful and I needed more of those. Maybe they'll be another book just with peculiar illustrations... (wink) Get on it!!
These tales begin on a hungry note and leave on a sad one. But none that will leave you down in the dumps angry.
The main concern for people will be, do I have to read the Peregrines series to enjoy this? And the answer is no.
These are a great way to get started into the series, but you don't have to read the series to appreciate the strangeness.
I will say, reading these stories after the Peregrines books will make your head spin. It gives so much more insight into a world you didn't want to leave.
Word of advice, make sure you read everything and I mean everything. There might be some useful information that could save your life and your book.
Be warned Dear Readers!
May 30, 2017
Bir varmış bir yokmuş, Tuhaf Masallar adında, Yaprak'ın çeviriye gittiği günden beri merakla takip ettiği bir kitap varmış. Gel zaman git zaman, bu kitabın çevirisi ve editörlüğü tamamlanmış, kitap baskı için güzelce hazırlanmış, basılmış ve Yaprak'ın eline geçmiş. Yaprak da elindeki kitabı bitirir bitirmez bir çırpıda onu okuyuvermiş.
Ve kitapla ilgili görüşlerinin tamamını blogunda yayınlamış (https://yaprakonur.wordpress.com/2017...) ama kısaca şöyle demiş:
Tuhaf Masallar benim için serinin en keyifli kitabı oldu, eğer seriyi tamamını okuyacak kadar beğendiyseniz sakın bu kitabı kaçırmayın. Seriyi okumadınız ama masal seviyorsanız da Tuhaf Masallara bir şans vermeniz gerektiğini düşünüyorum.
Ve kitapla ilgili görüşlerinin tamamını blogunda yayınlamış (https://yaprakonur.wordpress.com/2017...) ama kısaca şöyle demiş:
Tuhaf Masallar benim için serinin en keyifli kitabı oldu, eğer seriyi tamamını okuyacak kadar beğendiyseniz sakın bu kitabı kaçırmayın. Seriyi okumadınız ama masal seviyorsanız da Tuhaf Masallara bir şans vermeniz gerektiğini düşünüyorum.
July 30, 2018
The Splendid Cannibals: 4/5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Fork-Tongued Princess: 3.5/5 stars ⭐⭐⭐.5
The First Ymbryne: 4/5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Woman Who Befriended Ghosts: 5/5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Cocobolo: 5/5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Pigeons Of Saint Paul's: 3.5/5 stars ⭐⭐⭐.5
The Girl Who Could Tame Nightmares: 5/5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Locust: 3/5 stars ⭐⭐⭐
The Boy Who Could Hold Back The Sea: 4/5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Tale Of Cuthbert: 3/5 stars ⭐⭐⭐
The Fork-Tongued Princess: 3.5/5 stars ⭐⭐⭐.5
The First Ymbryne: 4/5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Woman Who Befriended Ghosts: 5/5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Cocobolo: 5/5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Pigeons Of Saint Paul's: 3.5/5 stars ⭐⭐⭐.5
The Girl Who Could Tame Nightmares: 5/5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Locust: 3/5 stars ⭐⭐⭐
The Boy Who Could Hold Back The Sea: 4/5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Tale Of Cuthbert: 3/5 stars ⭐⭐⭐
February 24, 2018
Highly enjoyed these short stories/fairytales. I thought they were set up great and had some thoughful messages behind them. Great addition to the series!
May 2, 2019
Great stories and some very good lessons to be learned if you’re peculiar enough to read these stories pick this book up!
October 8, 2017
This is a collection of tales the Peculiar Children from Ransom Riggs' trilogy have grown up with. They are basically a mixture of fairy tales, horror stories, and elements from the books.
For all those who have read the story of Jacob and his friends, this book supposedly has been written by Millard since the stories helped him and the others and because they are part of their identity. In general, all the stories have some great bottom lines and morale, not only relevant to the trilogy. Naturally, as befits the world this author created with the original trilogy, all the tales are quite dark.
What makes this little book stand out even more is the lovely and intricate design. The cover is green with gold impressions which makes stroking the cover quite nice and every tale has its own titular illustration. Here are my three favourites:
You don't even have to have read the books about Miss Peregrine and her wards in order to enjoy these tales. All you need is imagination and a love for fairy tales with a dark twist (which, originally, they all had).
For all those who have read the story of Jacob and his friends, this book supposedly has been written by Millard since the stories helped him and the others and because they are part of their identity. In general, all the stories have some great bottom lines and morale, not only relevant to the trilogy. Naturally, as befits the world this author created with the original trilogy, all the tales are quite dark.
What makes this little book stand out even more is the lovely and intricate design. The cover is green with gold impressions which makes stroking the cover quite nice and every tale has its own titular illustration. Here are my three favourites:
You don't even have to have read the books about Miss Peregrine and her wards in order to enjoy these tales. All you need is imagination and a love for fairy tales with a dark twist (which, originally, they all had).
October 8, 2017
I love the design of the book. It must be the most beautiful book I own. Also, the stories were very whimsical and fantastical, and they gave so much background and history to the Peculiar world. It felt like being a child all over again and reading a story book full of fairy tales.
February 24, 2017
Tales of the Peculiar by Ransom Riggs is a collection of short stories that acts as a companion piece to the Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children series. As you may know from that series, the character Millard Nullings is a scholar on peculiar history and these short stories here are presented as the best of the best of his collection of peculiar stories. The production of this audiobook is excellent and it's narrated by Simon Callow, Bruce Mann, and Garrick Hagon. I loved that Millard makes an "appearance" introducing the stories. All of the stories were good, but my favorites in this collection are "The First Ymbryne", "The Girl Who Could Tame Nightmares", "The Splendid Cannibals", and "The Tale of Cuthbert". You don't necessarily have to have already read the rest of the Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children books, but this companion book of short stories set in the peculiar world is much more interesting if you already know where it's coming from. Good work, Millard!
November 23, 2018
Prave američke pretjeranosti u svakoj priči. :-(
Bujna mašta, super ideja ali onda sve i jedna priča mora biti preko granica, možda je do mene, no fali suptilnosti. Iako je riječ o Čudnovatima i likovima koji su izmišljeni unutar već izmišljenog svijeta, nisam se povezala baš iz tog razloga. Do poante se može doći i bez da se pretjeruje.
Bujna mašta, super ideja ali onda sve i jedna priča mora biti preko granica, možda je do mene, no fali suptilnosti. Iako je riječ o Čudnovatima i likovima koji su izmišljeni unutar već izmišljenog svijeta, nisam se povezala baš iz tog razloga. Do poante se može doći i bez da se pretjeruje.
October 18, 2017
I swear if Riggs had included more stories like this in his trilogy I would have ended up liking the series a lot better. We get to read about tales that are put together by one of the characters we read about in Miss Peregrine's series. "Tales of the Peculiar" is supposedly written by a former Miss Peregrine ward, Millard Nullings. I don't know if you all know about him. But he was the character that was invisible. I would suggest reading the series before this book since there is not that great of an introduction before you plunge into these tales.
The Splendid Cannibals (5 stars)-Definitely a cautionary tale about greed in this one. I did like the story of a village of peculiars selling their body parts (they grow back) to cannibals who tire of eating rotting body parts. I did laugh though at the villagers trying to one up each other with how stylish their homes were getting.
The Fork Tongued Princess (5 stars)-I would love to read a follow-up story about this character. A gorgeous princess with a forked tongue and scales being treated like a monster by her father and her fiancee. When she is revealed to be a monster, she eventually has to run away to seek a better life. She at one point says that she is through with princes, and when you see what she is put through, you can see why. It though is ultimately a tale of forgiveness.
The First Ymbryne (5 stars)-We find out about these birds that could become humans and how they changed life better for the peculiars. I loved reading about how loops were discovered. This could have been a really cool pre-cool book for the series. But I actually like it better as a short story.
The Woman Who Befriended Ghosts (4 stars)-An okay story, it was fairly short I thought. I loved the idea of a young woman who could see and speak to ghosts. She gets a pretty happy ending too.
Cocobolo (5 stars)-I don't want to give anything away. But I loved this one! So original and I was worried about how it would end, but it ended happily. I think.
The Pigeons of St. Paul's (3.5 stars)-Another short one compared to other stories. I think this was originally in one of the books. I don't feel like looking it up. Okay story, but compared to the other stories, not as great.
The Girl Who Could Tame Nightmares (5 stars)-This one made me shiver. Plus we got an alternate ending which was straight up horror when you read it. Loved it.
The Locust (4 stars)-This is a tale about loving your peculiar children or bad things can happen. I liked the ending though I was surprised Riggs didn't give us another alternative horror one after the last story.
The Boy Who Could Hold Back the Sea (4 stars)-I thought this was a pretty cool story. A boy who could control the sea and all of the problems it brings him.
The Tale of Cuthbert (3.5 stars)-Only because I read this before I think in book #2 of the series and I already knew how it ended.
I found the illustrations to be beautiful in this e-book. I would love to see the gold lettering and illustrations in a hardcover.
Loved this little trip back to Miss Peregrine and her children.
The Splendid Cannibals (5 stars)-Definitely a cautionary tale about greed in this one. I did like the story of a village of peculiars selling their body parts (they grow back) to cannibals who tire of eating rotting body parts. I did laugh though at the villagers trying to one up each other with how stylish their homes were getting.
The Fork Tongued Princess (5 stars)-I would love to read a follow-up story about this character. A gorgeous princess with a forked tongue and scales being treated like a monster by her father and her fiancee. When she is revealed to be a monster, she eventually has to run away to seek a better life. She at one point says that she is through with princes, and when you see what she is put through, you can see why. It though is ultimately a tale of forgiveness.
The First Ymbryne (5 stars)-We find out about these birds that could become humans and how they changed life better for the peculiars. I loved reading about how loops were discovered. This could have been a really cool pre-cool book for the series. But I actually like it better as a short story.
The Woman Who Befriended Ghosts (4 stars)-An okay story, it was fairly short I thought. I loved the idea of a young woman who could see and speak to ghosts. She gets a pretty happy ending too.
Cocobolo (5 stars)-I don't want to give anything away. But I loved this one! So original and I was worried about how it would end, but it ended happily. I think.
The Pigeons of St. Paul's (3.5 stars)-Another short one compared to other stories. I think this was originally in one of the books. I don't feel like looking it up. Okay story, but compared to the other stories, not as great.
The Girl Who Could Tame Nightmares (5 stars)-This one made me shiver. Plus we got an alternate ending which was straight up horror when you read it. Loved it.
The Locust (4 stars)-This is a tale about loving your peculiar children or bad things can happen. I liked the ending though I was surprised Riggs didn't give us another alternative horror one after the last story.
The Boy Who Could Hold Back the Sea (4 stars)-I thought this was a pretty cool story. A boy who could control the sea and all of the problems it brings him.
The Tale of Cuthbert (3.5 stars)-Only because I read this before I think in book #2 of the series and I already knew how it ended.
I found the illustrations to be beautiful in this e-book. I would love to see the gold lettering and illustrations in a hardcover.
Loved this little trip back to Miss Peregrine and her children.
September 17, 2016
3.5 stars.
Better than the main series, there was more imagination and depth in the short stories than there was in the entirety of the Miss Peregrine trilogy. Then again any story is bound to better when there's an absence of a flat whiny main character and a bland romance.
Better than the main series, there was more imagination and depth in the short stories than there was in the entirety of the Miss Peregrine trilogy. Then again any story is bound to better when there's an absence of a flat whiny main character and a bland romance.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 3,287 reviews