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Synopsis:

Lovely Creature
In the New City lives a girl with a secret: Elizabeth can do magic. But someone knows her secret–someone who has a secret of his own. That secret is a butterfly that lives in a jar, a butterfly that was supposed to be gone forever, a butterfly that used to be called the Jabberwock…

Girl in Amber
Alice and Hatcher are just looking for a place to rest. Alice has been dreaming of a cottage by a lake and a field of wildflowers, but while walking blind in a snowstorm she stumbles into a house that only seems empty and abandoned…

When I First Came to Town
Hatcher wasn’t always Hatcher. Once, he was a boy called Nicholas, and Nicholas fancied himself the best fighter in the Old City. No matter who fought him he always won. Then his boss tells him he’s going to battle the fearsome Grinder, a man who never leaves his opponents alive…

The Mercy Seat
There is a place hidden in the mountains, where all the people hate and fear magic and Magicians. It is the Village of the Pure, and though Alice and Hatcher would do anything to avoid it, it lies directly in their path…

Review:

Alright, let’s take our seats and listen to this announcement. Henry is the bloody Queen of retelling fairy tales in a dark, gloomy yet gripping way that will literally have you on the edge of your seat wanting to know what happens next. Trust me, I love me some fairy tales retellings and by far, Henry has got this down packed. Though a Robin Hood retelling would be nice… just a suggestion J

Anyway, I think the Looking Glass is a good starting point if you haven’t read any of her previous work, you get a glimpse of her fantastic writing style and the gloom of the story but without the edge of the seat experience. Think of this as dipping your toes in the water before you jump in. Personally, I think all her works are amazing but as soon as you say gloom, everyone ducts for cover. But trust me, please trust me, when I say you need to read Henry’s work you really do.

Looking Glass is based on Alice in Wonderland and includes 4 short stories that you will absolutely adore as much as I do!

Lovely Creature:

Elizabeth lives in New York City and has a butterfly in a jar that used to be a Jabberwock.

I loved Elizabeth’s character, she was smart yet caring and daring, and it was great to capture so much of her personality in such a short space of the book which proves that Henry is a great writer. I loved the mystery that surrounded this book including the secret that was kept hidden. This short story was well paced and didn’t feel rushed at all.

Girl in Amber

This was gorgeous and again the crossover of the two worlds was done brilliantly and didn’t feel forced at all.

When I First Came to Town

Ohhh this concept was delightful. I loved that Hatcher lives sort of two separate lives sort of. I also love him as a character, strong willed and determined. I didn’t predict how this story was going to play out but wow, it took me by surprise.

The Mercy Seat

This was the perfect short story to end with! Where you finish with Alice and a story of hers, this was gorgeous but not long enough, I needed more!

Overall this collection of short stories were absolutely brilliant, I love Henry’s work and I cannot wait to see what she comes out with in this future!!

Rating: 5/5

ISBN: 9781789092868

Publisher: Titan Books