A Sweet Sting of Salt Review — Is It Worth Reading?
A wintry, gothic selkie retelling set in 1830s Nova Scotia, with real menace and a tender closed-door love story, held back by a slow middle and a reveal readers see coming.
Fairy Tale Retelling
The Apples Hung Like Stars Review — Is It Worth Reading?
Verdict: A short, spicy fae novella with big ideas: curious mortal Janet ventures into the Golden Apple, a club run by fae Dommes, and falls for Cliodhna, Queen of the Banshees, in a sapphic retelling of Tam Lin. Readers enjoy the heat and the Irish mythology; many felt the plot arrived too late and too … Read more
Embers Review — Is It Worth Reading?
Verdict: A bright, big-hearted butch/femme Cinderella with a scene-stealing gay fairy godfather and a fairy-tale-sized HEA, held back by insta-love pacing, cartoon villains and a reader base too small and too friendly to test it hard. Best for: Readers who want a comfort-read retelling where the butch is Cinderella, who enjoy camp and broad villainy, … Read more
The Seafarer’s Kiss Review — Is It Worth Reading?
Updated on October 9, 2026 Verdict: A sharp, genuinely original Norse-myth Little Mermaid with a bisexual mermaid, a lesbian shieldmaiden and Loki as the sea witch, let down by a 224-page length that leaves the romance and the characters underbuilt. Best for: Readers who want a fast, icy, feminist fairy-tale retelling with sapphic longing at … Read more
Girls Made of Snow and Glass Review — Is It Worth Reading?
Updated on October 9, 2026 Verdict: A thoughtful feminist Snow White retelling that puts the stepmother and stepdaughter at the centre and makes their bond the real love story, held back by a slow first half and a sapphic romance that stays firmly in the background. Best for: Readers who want a character-driven YA fairy … Read more
The Secret World of Briar Rose Review — Is It Worth Reading?
Updated on October 9, 2026 Verdict: A genuinely brave YA Sleeping Beauty reimagining about depression and the pull of escape, with a dreamscape worth visiting, let down by prose so ornate that close to one reader in five gives up before the end. Best for: Readers who want lyrical, emotionally heavy fantasy about mental health, … Read more