Throwback Thursday July 5th: Snow White and Rose Red by Patricia Wrede

Throwback Thursday is a weekly meme hosted by The Housework Can Wait and Never Too Fond of Books! It’s the nature of book blogging to focus mainly on new releases, but there are thousands of great books out there that haven’t seen the “New Releases” shelf in years. Through Throwback Thursdays THCW and NTFB hope to be able to bring attention to some older titles that may not be at the top of the current bestseller list, but still deserve a spot in your To-Be-Read pile.

This week’s Throwback Thursday book is Snow White and Rose Red by Patricia Wrede.

Summary from Amazon: Snow White and Rose Red live on the edge of the forest that conceals the elusive border of Faerie. They know enough about Faerie lands and mortal magic to be concerned when they find two human sorcerers setting spells near the border. And when the kindly, intelligent black bear wanders into their cottage some months later, they realize the connection between his plight and the sorcery they saw in the forest. 

Why You Should Read This Book:  Have I mentioned before how much I love fairy tale retellings? Oh, I have? Well then it should come as no surprise that I adored Patricia Wrede’s retelling of the Grimm Brothers fairy tale by the same name!

Wrede weaves the original tale into her retelling, sharing an excerpt at the beginning of each chapter. But, her story is far richer and more involved than the original tale was. The juxtaposition of Elizabethan England and the world of the fairy was fascinating and had me turning page after page.

However, fair warning, this book is set in Elizabethan England and so the language is a bit old-fashioned at times. It did take me a bit of time to get into the flow of the language but after that it was easy enough!

If you’re a fan of fairy tales and their (many) retellings, this book is worth a look!

 

Throwback Thursday June 14th: Outlaws of Sherwood by Robin McKinley

Throwback Thursday is a weekly meme hosted by The Housework Can Wait and Never Too Fond of Books! It’s the nature of book blogging to focus mainly on new releases, but there are thousands of great books out there that haven’t seen the “New Releases” shelf in years. Through Throwback Thursdays THCW and NTFB hope to be able to bring attention to some older titles that may not be at the top of the current bestseller list, but still deserve a spot in your To-Be-Read pile.

This week’s Throwback Thursday book is The Outlaws Of Sherwood by Robin McKinley.

Summary from Amazon: The classic tale of Robin Hood gets a new lift as real flesh-and-blood outlaws, on the lam from the gallows and the sword, fight for the sake of justice. Robin and his merry cohorts swing through the forest in these fresh additions to the timeless stories.

Why You Should Read This Book: Ever since I was a small child I’ve been fascinated by the Robin Hood myth. My mom tells me that I wore out my VHS copy of the Disney Robin Hood and it had to be replaced twice and as a three year old I insisted that she make me a Robin Hood costume for Halloween (complete with bow & arrows!). So, it’s definitely no surprise that my favorite Robin McKinley book is her retelling of the famous robber of Sherwood Forest.

Robin McKinley leaves her signature stamp on the classic tale by adding a few strong willed and independently minded women to Robin’s merry band of men. In this version Maid Marian is no shrinking violet and she often bests Robin at archery! I always appreciate the way McKinley lets her female characters take control right out of the mens hands and this book is certainly no exception.

The backstories that McKinley gives the various merry men flesh out these characters better than in any previous versions I’ve read, Little John, Allan-a-Dale and even Will Scarlett become more human and more engaging that you’ve ever seen.

If, like me, you have a soft spot in your heart for Robin Hood this is the re-telling to read, I plan on reading it for the twentieth or so time in the near future! Although, this has reminded me that I need to buy a new copy, as my copy is so well-read that pages fell out when I picked it up to flip through for this post. Oops?

 

Throwback Thursday June 7th: Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier

Throwback Thursday is a weekly meme hosted by The Housework Can Wait and Never Too Fond of Books! It’s the nature of book blogging to focus mainly on new releases, but there are thousands of great books out there that haven’t seen the “New Releases” shelf in years. Through Throwback Thursdays THCW and NTFB hope to be able to bring attention to some older titles that may not be at the top of the current bestseller list, but still deserve a spot in your To-Be-Read pile.

This week’s Throwback Thursday book is Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier.

Summary from Amazon: Lovely Sorcha is the seventh child and only daughter of Lord Colum of Sevenwaters. Bereft of a mother, she is comforted by her six brothers who love and protect her. Sorcha is the light in their lives, they are determined that she know only contentment.

But Sorcha’s joy is shattered when her father is bewitched by his new wife, an evil enchantress who binds her brothers with a terrible spell, a spell which only Sorcha can lift-by staying silent. If she speaks before she completes the quest set to her by the Fair Folk and their queen, the Lady of the Forest, she will lose her brothers forever. 

When Sorcha is kidnapped by the enemies of Sevenwaters and taken to a foreign land, she is torn between the desire to save her beloved brothers, and a love that comes only once. Sorcha despairs at ever being able to complete her task, but the magic of the Fair Folk knows no boundaries, and love is the strongest magic of them all…

Why You Should Read This Book: “Daughter of the Forest” is a retelling of the classic fairy tale “The Six Swans” by the Brothers Grimm. Marillier captivates her readers with a story that is far richer and more involved than the original tale ever could was and set against a backdrop of the ancient British Isles it’s absolutely beautiful. Sorcha is a fiery, independent woman who will do anything for her family. It’s both heartbreaking and wonderful to watch her fall in love.

Marillier is no stranger to fantasy, nor to retellings of fairy tales, and all of her stories are full of intriguing characters, plots that twist and turn and settings that have a life of their own. This book is the start of a trilogy, however it’s also able to be read on it’s own to provide a satisfying ending.

If you’re a fan of fairy tales or high fantasy this is definitely an older book worth checking out!