Once Upon a Winter by H.L. Macfarlane - Book Review

Once Upon a Winter by H.L. Macfarlane

Genre: Fairytale Retelling, Short Stories, Anthology, Fantasy

3.8 Stars 

One Liner: A satisfying read 

*****

Once Upon a Winter is a short story anthology of seventeen stories by seventeen writers. It contains fairytale retellings and fresh fairytales dealing with an array of themes and topics. 

The collection is creepy, chilly, horrifying, cute, funny, and whimsical. Each story is different and has something to offer. While I didn’t love all the stories (which is quite common for an anthology), I was blown away by some. 

I’ve given a two to three-line review for each story so that you can decide if you want to pick this book. Needless to say, the ones set in the forests or with kids get more brownie points. ;)  

• The Biting Cold by Josie Jaffrey

This is the first story in the anthology and a fantastic blend of dark magic realism and dystopian. Set in a forest where the reader is the nameless protagonist, the narrative sucks you right into the setting. My favorite, without a doubt.  

• The Match Girl by Rebecca F. Kenney

The original match girl has been a favorite despite the melancholy (or maybe because of it). This retelling is slightly on the darker side with a hopeful ending. It was beautiful but felt mellow and not as impactful as it could have been. The storyline was cool, though. 

• Santa Claus is Coming to Town by Bharat Krishnan

This story is a blend of Indian folklore and Christmas. While the story, as such, isn’t great. It is the tone that makes one sit up and take notice. The narrator is an American pre-teen who is friends with an Indian American boy. The casual racism against non-whites in thought, action, and body language was spot on. 

• A Pea Ever After by Adie Hart

Okay, this is super cute and hilarious. You might have guessed the original by the title. The retelling brings active princesses, a nerdy prince, and a District Witch together with a fairy godmother sweeping her way into the plot. It’s lighthearted and funny. 

• The Snowdrop by H. L. Macfarlane

This is another cute story with a teeny snowdrop girl and a seven-year-old boy. The narration is simple, almost like a middle-grade story, and is just as sweet. This is easily another favorite from the book, though it is a complete contrast from the first one. 

• Silverfoot’s Edge by Ella Holmes

This is a magical story that seemed like a retelling or a mash-up of two/ more fairytales. We have a brave heroine, tiny good-folk, a quest, and true love. It’s written in a typical fairytale format but with a capable heroine. 

• The Storm Hags by Caroline Logan

It’s an interesting story about storm hags and a young girl. It is dark and kind of magical but felt too short to make an impact. The descriptions were beautiful, though. 

• The Boggart of Boggart Hole Clough by Jake Curran-Pipe

This is dark, sinister, and twisted. The reveal at the end is the highlight of the story. Yet, it fails to trigger any deeper emotions. 

• Around the Hawthorne Tree by Jenna Smithwick

It’s an Irish setting and another fairytale-like story about a young girl and magic. It is bittersweet with a rushed ending. 

• The Best Girl this Side of Winter by Laila Amado

This is a typical middle-grade dark fantasy with a young heroine. Set in Wintervale, the story has everything a kid would love to read about. A moral lesson is woven into the narrative. 

• The Snow Trolls by S. Markem

This is a short and snorty-choky-funny story. It sure is not something you want to read when eating. That’s all I’ll say. ;) 

• Lord of the Forest by Katherine Shaw

This is another short yet poignant story about a young girl and a mythical forest capture, Leshii. The tone is set from the first paragraph and gives us a fair warning of what will happen. It’s impactful in its own way. 

• Queen of the Snows by Joyce Reynolds-Ward

Umm… this has an interesting premise but feels very much like the prologue of a high fantasy novel than a short story. The overall result was, thus, underwhelming. 

• Long Meg and the Sorcerer’s Stones by M. J. Weatherall

I’m not sure, but the story seemed to be another legend for Stonehenge. I liked the flashback more than the initial part. This one, too, would have worked better as a longer story. There’s magic, witches, wizards, and gender dynamics. 

• The Frost of Mercy by A. J. Van Belle

This story seemed more on the metaphorical side. It deals with themes like friendship and environment by using dryads to deliver the message. I liked the sustained melancholic tone tinged with regret and hope. 

• Wintercast by R. A. Gerritse

Now, the POV of this story took me by surprise. It isn’t my kind of story, but I rather enjoyed the tone of the narrator. It sure was interesting. 

• You Can’t See Me by Kate Longstone

We have another middle-grade story to end the anthology. This one has a cute little girl and a Snow Pixie who loves honey. The plot deals with climate change without being in the face. The ending is sweet but not strong enough to linger with me after I close the book. 

To sum up, Once Upon a Winter is an intriguing and diverse collection of short stories. I enjoyed reading almost every story, and that’s an achievement for an anthology. (I know how hard it is to compile a short story collection that has something from every reader). 

The book is a part of the Once Upon Series (not to be confused with the Nora Roberts one) written for each season. There are three other books in the series.  

My thanks to Macfarlane Lantern Publishing and BookSirens for the digital review copy. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.