When it comes to YA fantasy, fairy tales are constantly being reinvented and subverted. But, except on very rare occasions, none of those subversions and reinventions are quite as clever as the authors think they are. Tangleweed and Brine not only proves it can be done, but this dark and twisted (in all the best ways) short story anthology is also hugely reminiscent of the re-imagined fairy tale collection that still stands head and shoulders above them all: Angela Carter’s wonderful The Bloody Chamber. It doesn’t feel like a rip-off of Carter’s work – it defiantly has its own magic and its own identity – but the comparisons are there, and not just in its subject matter but also in the glorious enchantment of Deidre Sullivan’s writing. Sullivan’s prose is simpler, cleaner and less psychologically heavy than Carter’s (befitting the YA audience this book is aimed at) but it has equally as much to say about feminism, womanhood, and the urgent need to eviscerate tired old patriarchal clichés. As the back cover of our review copy states, ‘There’s darkness here. Tread softly and be careful’. Trust us, that blurb ain’t kidding.
From Cinderella to Little Red Riding Hood (but a Red Riding Hood who’s very different from Carter’s Company of Wolves heroine), from Rapunzel to Hansel and Gretel (the witch in the gingerbread house is heart-breaking) to Snow White to Beauty and the Beast to The Little Mermaid and several lesser known fairy tales in-between (it’s nice to see Donkeyskin get a well-deserved updating) these modernisations are as relevant as they are beautiful, touching upon subjects as varied as love, loss, obsession, and the fine and often blurred line between good and evil. These are stories that prove how relevant fairy tales still are, and why they continue to exert a power over us no matter how old we get. For that reason, Tangleweed and Brine is a collection you don’t have to be a young adult to enjoy. So long as you don’t open the cover with The Bloody Chamber on your mind, you’ll come away very impressed. Also, each story is accompanied by a handsome black-and-white illustration from the artist Karen Vaughan. Vaughan’s detailed drawing, heavily reminiscent of Aubrey Beardsley’s artwork, is a wonderful addition and the perfect complement to Sullivan’s prose. In every respect, this is absolutely enchanting.
TANGLEWEED AND BRINE / AUTHOR: DEIRDRE SULLIVAN / PUBLISHER: LITTLE ISLAND BOOKS / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW
