Book Review: Where the Veil is Thin

Where the Veil Is Thin 

by Alana Joli Abbott
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Apparently the tooth fairy is much, much scarier than I ever remembering thinking as a child. There are no less than three, yes 3, stories about evil tooth related fairies in this anthology. Who knew? Lol.Overall this is just an okay anthology. I was disappointed by the Seanan McGuire story; which is the reason I picked this one up at all. But finding new, upcoming author Gwendolyn N. Nix is hopefully worth my time.

Here's some quick notes about each story:

Story #1 - The Tooth Fairies, by Glenn Paris
This story is a bit disturbing... but that might just be because the fairies are harvesting blood from a child, and a spider takes at least one of them out. *shudder*.

Story #2 - Glamour, by Grey Yuen
I read this story this morning... it was so dull I can’t remember anything about it.

Story #3 - See a Fine Lady by Seanan McGuire
Oh Ms McGuire, whose has the ability to both invoke dreamy intrigue and make me laugh at the same time. Nothing like a unicorn in Target to make on chuckle; but then to have it poop on the merchandise? Yep that’s pure ridiculous gold.

Story #4 - Or Perhaps Up by CSE Cooney
This story is very subjective and existentialist. It didn’t really grab my attention but someone in the right frame of mind might glean some wisdom from it...

Story #5 - Don't Let Go by Alana Abbott
Drop me in a story about fairies in Ireland any day and I'm likely to be pretty happy. Add in a handsome local and a bewildering visitor; and you've probably got a story I can get behind.

Story #6 - The Loophole by L. Penelope
Loved this one!! Took a couple pages to figure out what was going on but the ending is just wonderful. Dark but romantic.

Story #7 - Your Two Better Halves, A Dream With Fairies in Spanglish by Carlos Hernandez’s
Choose your own adventure books were at the height of popularity when I was a kid and the perfect age to love them. I’ve read dozens if not hundreds. But here’s the thing... they gave page numbers and we had paperback copies. On an e-reader with only letters and no hyperlinks it’s a disaster to try and read this

Story #8 - Take Only Photos by Shanna Swendson
Adorable! I really like the writing style of Swendson and am going to check out what else she has written. Some cute jokes, perfect portrayal of an introvert who just needed someone to reach out and be friends with. Oh and there are fairies. 😉

Story #9 - Old Twelvey Night by Gwendolyn N. Nix
”It’s crisp and good, but once you bite-even just a nibble-you have to eat the whole thing.” A quote regarding apples.
Wow! Love this. It’s creepy, compelling, and oddly relatable in a disturbing way. The only thing disappointing is to learn Nix hasn’t written much else. But she’s still young so here’s hoping she emerges. I’d sign her!

Story #10 - The Seal Woman’s Tale by Alethea Kontis
A classic tale spun with trolls instead of humans; and a survivor in the end. Lovely.

Story #11 - The Storyteller by David Bowles
Super short, a little sweet; but ultimately a let down.

Story #12 - Summer Skin by Zin E. Rocklyn
Predictable but still fairly well written.

Story #13 - Colt’s Tooth by Linda Robertson
Another evil tooth fairy story. Who knew so many people had bad thoughts or dreams about the tooth fairy! This one is okay; but nothing special.

In the end the best story, by far, is from Gwendolyn N. Nix. I really hope someone signs her immediately to a publishing deal as I need more of her work!!!

Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.

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