By Sarah Rees Brennan
Publisher: Subterranean Press
Read it here.
Sort of Beauty and the Beast- and sort of high fantasy- and a sort of zombie boyfriend. --Sarah Rees Brennan
Read it here.
3. 5 Stars
Review
Honestly, there is not much to say about a short story in an anthology. I mean, the story is probably only 4-5 pages total. Still, I wanted to put this story in the spotlight because it is a beautiful retelling of Beauty and the Beast. In some ways, I preferred this retelling of Beauty and the Beast over Alex Flinn's Beastly, Robin McKinley's Beauty and Donna Jo Napoli's Beast. The fantasy world, characters and writing style all together forming a retelling of a tale that exceeds the original by a long shot.
I know the description of the short story is not very clear nor very specific, but really. Ten minutes of your life will not be stolen from you if you try this incredibly short read. Seriously, is anyone going to sue me for recommending this novella to them? The only reason why I tried this short story is because I've read and enjoyed several of Sarah Rees Brennan's novels. Thankfully, the time was totally worth it.
Queen of Atlantis is one of those fantasies that entrances the reader far longer than on can expect from such a short tale. As soon as I read the first sentence, I knew that this would not have me regret for a minute when I clicked the link. Sarah Rees Brennan sucks the reader in for a few moments to travel to the world of two opposite countries connected by a sinister curse.
I wish that Queen of Atlantis was a novel, or at least a novella, instead of a story of an extremely short story. Sometimes, there is a story that as a reader, you would want to savor more, to make more of a meal out of it. The characters and setting were pretty rounded out for a few pages, but I still wanted to know them better. I wanted learn more about the curse, the rituals, the zombie country, everything! Why must such a dazzling retelling be subjugated this cruelty and torture?
At this point, I am ranting about how this short story receives recognition, which is totally true. Really, though, I totally recommend everyone to take a stab at this incredibly short fairytale. It is a tad bit rushed, considering its length, and ends on an odd note, but otherwise, I found it to be incredibly well-written and imagined.
I wish that Queen of Atlantis was a novel, or at least a novella, instead of a story of an extremely short story. Sometimes, there is a story that as a reader, you would want to savor more, to make more of a meal out of it. The characters and setting were pretty rounded out for a few pages, but I still wanted to know them better. I wanted learn more about the curse, the rituals, the zombie country, everything! Why must such a dazzling retelling be subjugated this cruelty and torture?
At this point, I am ranting about how this short story receives recognition, which is totally true. Really, though, I totally recommend everyone to take a stab at this incredibly short fairytale. It is a tad bit rushed, considering its length, and ends on an odd note, but otherwise, I found it to be incredibly well-written and imagined.
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