Wilful Eye. Tales From The Tower gathered by Isobelle Carmody and Nan McNab
Book One. Allen and Unwin, 2011. ISBN 9781742374406.
(Age 16-Adult) Recommended. An alluring cover with the names of some
of the best fantasy writers around was enough for me to put aside the
other books I was reading and delve into six fairytales. Margo Lanagan,
Rosie Borella, Isobelle Carmody, Richard Harland, Margaret Mahy and
Martine Murray all wrote compelling stories that I could not put down.
First up was Catastrophic disruption of the head by Margo
Lanagan. As
one would expect from an author of her calibre, this was a disturbing
take on Hans Christian Andersen's The tinderbox, which left me
biting
my nails and thinking about warfare. Eternity by Rosie Borella
takes a
look at The Snow Queen, but in a modern, drug-taking scene.
Margaret
Mahy's Wolf Night has a gang of Headloppers chasing her hero
and
heroine in suburban Woodlands. Richard Harland explores love and a
nasty father in Heart of the beast. I shuddered with fear,
thinking of
the plight of the prisoners in the tower in One window by
Martine
Murray. And of course, Isobelle Carmody's take on Rumpelstiltskin
was original and frightening.
There is a thought provoking foreword by Isobelle Carmody, and an
afterword is included by each of the authors, who have written about
their writing process and inspiration. These tales are not for the
young. They are frightening and challenge with their universal themes
of courage, love, war and greed.
I am a lover of re-tellings of fairy stories and I was not disappointed
in this short story collection. And it is only Volume 1! I can't wait
for Volume 2. Readers who enjoy this genre would also like books by
Shannon Hale, Laini Taylor, Robin McKinley and Juliet Marillier.
Pat Pledger