Mneh. Poor kitsune-san.

Should I be concerned that I feel more sorry for the fox than for random female? Even though Mr.Fox was one of the most frightening fairy tales I knew as a kid...

Outside Mr. Fox's garden...
Three maids, playing with a golden ball...
Jenny threw it up, and Susan caught it...
Mary bounced it over the wall...

To this day I'm convinced that Jenny and Susan were in league with Mr.Fox. How come THEY never bounce it over the wall, ne? Or maybe they're just smart like that?

Holy. Holy. Holy crap.

Dammit, your stories are AWESOME.

This is the sort of thing that you don't applaud when the reader's finished, because you're too stunned to do anything, and applause would spoil it. Silence is all it needs. Silence for thought; a rare commodity these days.

Why can Beast love Beauty? Because Beast is part Wolf and part Man, and Dog is part Wolf and part Man. Dog may aspire to Wolf, but in truth Dog can never leave Man, Man who gave her/him name and identity, because Dog is not quite Wolf--weaker, more servile. Wolf has some of the nature of Cat. Dog/Wolf/Man cannot leave Man, because Dog needs Master.

I like Cat. Cat follows his own agenda. Cat does not care for humans. She only serves them when it serves her own purposes. Cat is true Wild, for Wolf remains in the tanglewood, fearing Man, but Cat goes wherever she pleases.

What was that French?

Hunting Hound and Horse are broken. They are tamed, subservient to Human. Hound is created by Man, Wolf-Man, but Horse is wild and Horse is beautiful and Horse needs no bindings of leather and iron to live. Hunting Hawk, though... Hunting Hawk is the most broken, once wild and free but now caught and bound and spiritbroken, flying only when her Man thinks to let her and bound by leather so she must return or be caught by the legs and starve and die.

I would choose Swan. Swan is beautiful and dangerous, Swan has freedom of air and water, Swan is moonlight and water-weed and grace and Human is awkwardness and hot-metal and blood-shed-for-sake-of-blood. Swan is not complicated, Swan does not have war and killing and more weapons ever because to kill is essence and if you do not have to strongest weapons you will be killed. Swan has beak and wing and body, no more and no less.

Wow... I'm not sure what to say. I find these chapters chilling, but I just can't stop reading. They're amazing!

Shivery. Nice take on Cinderella's character. She seems much more real.

this one's my favorite
it has this bittersweet tang that makes it more profound

you're an awesome writer

These are absolutly wonderful. I love the intesne themes and the fairy-tales thrown in. You did a fantastic job and I really can't weait for the next one.

I'm leaving this review here partly in appreciation of the stories given and partly in confusion of one in particular-- not this chapter, so it's strange that I'm reviewing this one. I am pointing out how much I like this one, you see-- I love this one, in fact.

However, I had problems figuring out what was going on in Red Riding Hood. Perchance could I ask for some clarification via e-mail or otherwise on what exactly is happening?

--Murand

Wow, even though I know the ending of the fairy tale, I was actually convinced it wouldn't happen. I was bloody well convinced Gretel would become a witch even though I know better! It's amazing how you see these potential aspects to these stories that no one would ever think of. It also makes me realise how bloody fairy tales actually are! Great work as usual!

This one confused me more than the others.

That put aside, your words still are music, and your lines have the flavor of vine.
A taste of experience.
One that require knowledge for each flavor to be appreciated.

Here I stay, lacking that skill.

Here I stay, still dreaming.

What tale was this? I do not know it. It made me sad though. :( I want to hug the little one.

~ Melody

That was freakin' amazing. I was just hooked on that chapter, it was unbelievable. Your work is just mesmerising, it always seems to leave me speechless, dumb. Keep it up!

This is, once again, lovely in a savage way. I adore all the descriptions and repetitions of Snow White as Snow, blood, and carrion. It's quite interesting what you did to Snow White's character, and how you humanized the Queen.

I like very much that the Queen doesn't ask the typical question about beauty of her mirror, but rather something befitting a queen. I also like the bit on the side that only mirrors that lie or are broken answer questions such as that from the original Snow White story.

I also adore that you are realistic with the woodman and his actions, and that the dwarves are harsh and cruel, rather than kindly old men. I love that everything in here compiles to make Snow White, or Yelena, what she became at the end, and her feelings on the world and the prince.

Quite impressive.

I look forward to reading more of this and more of your stories.

Incredible is the only way I can think to describe this story as a whole. Obviously, you spent some time researching swans for this particularly story, or else you had a good knoweledge of them already.

I love that you include what happened to all the brothers, the little bits and pieces and how being a swan did or did not affect them, and also, how the younger the brother (or so it seems), the wilder he is, until you come to the youngest who is still half swan.

This is beautifully done, with lovely switchbacks between swan and man.

And, once more, your finishing lines are beautiful and captivating.

You know, I've never quite heard a continuation of this story told like this. I never even once thought of how the gems might cut the lips, but I think it's quite ingenious of you to have thought of that. I especially adore the line about how the diamonds sometimes look like rubies because of the blood.

However, as far as I have read into this, it seems like all the young Kings in your stories have the same, everything is for my enjoyment complex, in some form or another. Might I reccomend stepping away from that for a story or two? Though, it does indeed make for an interesting tale.

I love the maid, and the sensitive details about Tom at the end, and all the idle chatter at the beginning, with her telling about the Queen's misfortune and coming up with the hand signals and what-not.

I also love the fore-shadowing early on in the story about how many gems a lullaby would give (although I would imagine that singing a lullaby to your child with a condition such as the Queen's would get him far too used to blood, and associating it with good things).

And I also love the way the maid speaks of the others, particularly the one who puts herself in the Queen's place, and how she pushes away Tom.

Nicely written.

This is quite lovely, if you don't mind my saying of such a grim story.

The wolf's thoughts and actions are incredible, something I could easily imagine of a predator of another type in modern times, were the predator particularly savage.

And Red's actions are well done, completely, typically defiant as a teenager (as that is what I'm guessing she is her) should be.

The repetition of the word's of Red's mother and the the words of the wolf (Stay to the path, daughter; Let us play a game.) is well used in the context of this story, a great affirmation of what may be going on in the minds of either character (though I'm guessing mostly Red's thoughts).

And, lastly, the bit about Red eating her own grandmother's flesh and blood is a wonderfully twisted inclusion.