Views from the Depths

by Jessica Grey

[Kim Deister]

Views from the Depths is a collection of short stories, retellings of four classic fairy tales. The stories are explored from much darker, more melancholy perspectives, bringing an entirely new light to stories that most of us are more familiar with in their more sanitized Disney-style formats. This collection answers questions that most of us never realized needed to be asked, Each story is told from multiple first-person POVs, which truly expands the story.

The first story is based on the classic The Little Mermaid. This one was told from the POVs of the Witch herself, as well as the mermaid, her sister, and her land-born rival. It is a story of choices and how those choices affect others. It made me look at the story in an entirely different way!

The second story is based on Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. The story begins with The Huntsman's version, and then tells the story from the POVs of the Queen, one of the dwarves, the Prince, and finally, Snow White herself. This story is about jealously and betrayal, unexpected emotions, and the fight for survival.

The third story is a retelling of The Twelve Dancing Princesses. This story is told from the POV of the King, the oldest daughter, the captive/champion soldier, and the youngest daughter. This story is interesting in that it is a bit "behind the scenes" to the classic tale.

The last story is based on The Beauty and the Beast. It is told from the POV of the Fairy, the Merchant, the Beast, and Beauty. This is a story of pridefulness, good intentions gone wrong, arrogance, and love.

While there may be a HEA or two, these stories are rather bittersweet and often without that classic HEA.

Things to love...

--The fresh twist to fairytales. I like that they are told from POVs other than those that we are used to.
--The darker tone, as opposed to the overly perfect Disney-style versions.

My Recommendation: If you love fairy tale stories, especially those with a darker edge, these are perfect!