Review: The Tale of the Tailor and the Three Dead Kings by Dan Jones

The cover and blurb attracted me to this book; originally I didn't click that it was written by historian Dan Jones. Based on a medieval manuscript, this is a quirky short story that would make a good stocking filler for anyone who likes a ghost story that is a little bit unusual!

One winter, in the reign of King Richard II (ie: the late 1300s), a tailor is riding home when he is knocked off his horse by a huge raven, which then turns into a hideous dog. The dog tells the tailor he must go to the priest and ask for absolution, or there will be terrible consequences...

This is a short story, so it is hard to say more without giving away the plot. It is well-written, deliciously chilling, but very strange - probably because it is based on an original story written in the 1400s by an unknown monk. According to Amazon the book is 196 pages long, but be aware that the original Latin version is included,  along with a foreword by the author. There are also notes at the end, about the history of Byland Abbey. I particularly enjoyed reading them! 

So this book would be best suited for someone like me, who loves history, ghost stories, and anything strange and quirky! A perfect short read for Halloween, the hardback would made a good Christmas stocking filler too.

The Tale of the Tailor and the Three Dead Kings will be published in the UK on 14th October 2021

Thank you to Dan Jones and Head of Zeus for my copy of this book, which I requested from NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily.

Review: Serpentine (His Dark Materials #3.6) by Philip Pullman

I loved Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials series but I have not read any of the connected short stories. Serpentine comes after Lyra's Oxford but before the new Book of Dust series. Philip explains in his notes at the back of Serpentine that the story was intended as a one-off - he handwrote the original version several years ago to be auctioned for charity. It does, therefore, read like a deleted scene or an epilogue, rather than a short story.

A few years after the events of The Amber Spyglass, Lyra and her daemon Pantalaimon return to a town they first visited in Northern Lights and meet up with an old friend. As this is a short story, to tell you any more would involve spoilers!

Fans of His Dark Materials will love the book. It's a snapshot into an older Lyra's life where she learns something about herself and her relationship with Pantalaimon. The book is beautiful to look at and the illustrations are gorgeous. It would make a perfect stocking filler. However, it is very short (80 pages, including the illustrations and a note from the author) and takes less than 20 minutes to read.

Best suited for the fan who wants to read everything about Lyra and her world.

Thank you to Philip Pullman and Penguin for my copy of this book, which I requested from NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily.

Review: Dolor's Legs by Frances Hardinge

Dolor's Legs is a very, very short story that was briefly available via NetGalley. I'm not sure if it will appear anywhere else. It is set in the world of Frances Hardinge's most recent YA novel, Deeplight.

Deeplight was about a boy who scavenged the body parts (not quite as gruesome as it sounds!) of the tyrannical and murderous gods that ruled his world decades before. Dolor's Legs is a prequel, set while those gods are still alive. The heroine is a twelve-year-old girl who hero-worships a glamorous couple who live on a boat. Dolor is one of the gods, the size of a village, who collects legs (also not as gruesome as it sounds). If I tell you any more, I'll ruin the story for you.

Dolor's Legs is the perfect introduction to Deeplight, or as a prequel if you've already enjoyed it. For such a short story it's clever and creepy, with a surprising twist at the end. My only disappointment was that I wanted more!

Thank you to Frances Hardinge and Pan Macmillan for my copy of this book, which I requested from NetGalley and read voluntarily.

Related Posts:

Deeplight by Frances Hardinge 

Review: A Chance on Love by Louise Allen

I'm a huge fan of Louise Allen and I've been catching up on the books of hers I haven't read.

A Chance on Love is a short story/novella of about 30 pages, that should only take about 30 minutes to read.

It is 1809 and Lady Johanna Holt arrives in Calcutta to escape from a scandal, with the full intention of turning right around and heading back home again. Instead of her cousin, she is met off the boat by Sir Alexander Darvell and persuades him to give her a tour of the city.

To say much more than that would spoil the story for you, but it's a sweet Regency romance, with engaging characters and a beautiful setting. Recommended!

Related Posts:

Marrying His Cinderella Countess by Louise Allen

Moonlight and Mistletoe by Louise Allen

A Mistletoe Masquerade by Louise Allen

Once Upon a Regency Christmas by Louise Allen, Annie Burrows and Sophia James

Review: The Mistletoe Bride (and other haunting tales) by Kate Mosse

I bought this short story collection back in August last year, with the idea I would dip in and out of it, and it spent the next four months on my desk. So much for that idea! But I picked it up again this Christmas and read each story, one after the other, and really enjoyed them!

This is a collection of seventeen ghost stories, set in different places and in different time periods. Some are traditional in style, others are based on folk stories. Some had a positive ending, others were really sad. Most have been previously published in magazines or other anthologies.

My favourites were The Yellow Scarf, about a woman who visits the ruin of an old manor house and is transported back to the time of the Civil War, and The House on the Hill, about a dolls house and a woman coming to terms with an event in her past. I didn't understand La Fille de Melisande, but that's probably because it's based on a an opera I've never heard of, and Syrinx left me cold, purely because I hate reading stories in script format!

But overall I really loved this collection and will probably read it again next Christmas! I particularly liked the way the author took the time to explain the inspiration behind each story at the end. Five stars!

Related Post:

The Taxidermist's Daughter by Kate Mosse 

Review: The Text by Claire Douglas

This clever little short story is currently free to download, and perfect to read on a phone while in a waiting room or stuck in a queue.

Emily Latimer has booked a trip to Edinburgh with her friends but now her new boss wants her to work instead. Furious, she sends a text to her boyfriend telling him the news, adding that she hopes her boss dies - but accidentally includes her entire office group. The next day the police turn up on her doorstep. Her boss has died and she is high on their list of suspects - but what if the murderer is one of her friends?

The Text is listed as having 40 pages, but the story ends at about 65% and the rest is an extract from one of the author's novels, Last Seen Alive. But it is a little gem of a murder mystery, packed with twists. I felt as though it ended a bit abruptly, but I think that is because I was enjoying it so much - I just wanted it to carry on! Recommended!

Review: The Painted Chamber by Katherine Clements

The Painted Chamber consists of two short stories and a sample from one of the author's full-length novels, The Crimson Ribbon. The short stories take about ten minutes each to read, and the sample of the novel starts at 35%. At the time of writing it was 99p to download but I did feel it was worth it because the stories were a beautiful read.

Too much detail and we head into spoiler territory, so I'll just say that the first story, The Painted Chamber, is a beautiful tale of first love between a yeoman's daughter and an artist. The second story, How to Roast a Pig with the Hair on, is about a farmer and his wife. Both stories are historical, although the exact time period is not mentioned. Both stories are exquisitely written, but very dark. Any scenes of sex or violence are implied rather than detailed.

I enjoyed both stories, which had a slight fairy tale quality to them, although I think my favourite was The Painted Chamber. Recommended!

Review: The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman

I downloaded this one because it was referenced in the last book I read, Paul Tremblay's A Head Full of Ghosts. Also, it's a short story (about 30 pages) and free - and I'm shallow, what can I say? But I'm really glad I did, because it's a fabulous little psychological suspense about a woman slowly driven mad - by her wallpaper!

"One of those sprawling flamboyant patterns committing every artistic sin."

The story was written in 1892, in the form of a journal, and has pertinent things to say about how mental illness was viewed in those times, along with women's role in society. Despite the sad subject matter there are flashes of dry humour and the author's introduction at the beginning explains how she was inspired to write the story after suffering from post-natal depression.

The narrator has recently moved to a large, decaying house with her husband to recover from 'temporary nervous depression'. Her husband, who is also her doctor, has refused to let her work (write), so she has nothing to occupy her mind other than to lounge about their bedroom and obsess about the wallpaper. She feels that, 

"There is something strange about the house - I can feel it. I even said so to John one moonlight evening, but he said what I felt was a draught, and shut the window."

It's a little gem of a story, and I'm so pleased I discovered it. There are several free versions available to download, but I chose the Wisehouse Classics one because I liked the cover (yes, shallow!) and it contained the original illustrations.

Related Post:

Review: A Headful of Ghosts by Paul Tremblay

Review: Ruth's First Christmas Tree by Elly Griffiths

Ruth's First Christmas Tree is a short story from Elly Griffiths's Ruth Galloway series, and fits in neatly between A Room Full of Bones and Dying Fall. At the time of writing, it's available as a free ebook; the last third of the book is an extract from Dying Fall.

Ruth has decided this year she will have the 'perfect' Christmas. Her daughter is now old enough to appreciate Santa Claus - and presents! It's three days until Christmas and all Ruth needs now is the perfect tree.

This series often refers to Ruth's involvement in excavating a wooden henge on the beach near to where she lives. The henge was moved to a local museum for preservation and now a small piece has gone missing. The curator is in hospital with pneumonia and Ruth's druid friend, Cathbad, is convinced the man's recovery depends on the finding of this small peg.

Will Ruth ever find the perfect Christmas tree? Will she solve the mystery of the disappearing peg? Unlike the novels in this series, no one is murdered but I found the story entertaining all the same. Part of the appeal of this series for me has always been the characters (especially Cathbad!) and the subtle humour. It's like spending Christmas with old friends!

Related Reviews:

The Crossing Places

The Janus Stone

The House at Sea's End