The Tangleroot Palace: Stories

I liked all the stories a whole lot. Ancient forests and love triumphing with change and hardship.The neatest I think was the tale with the Daoine Sidhe and the girl finding a home. The best was the final tale with Sally not because of any obvious traits but because it synergized so well with the other stories and it just clicked. The editor did a great job in how they ordered the stories because the book really does sort of build on itself despite the fact the stories are not related in topic.If you like weird fantasy with lgbtq and PoC characters that is well written and composed this is an anthology for you.

I was a fan of the the Hunter Kiss series and reading her short stories has made me decide to reread Hunter Kiss again. She’s a marvel.

This is a collection of short stories by this author that I believe have previously been published. What makes this slightly different though is the simple fact that at the end of each one the author gives her thoughts and background about just why each story was written. I have to say this actually added greatly to my enjoyment and overall appreciation.I will admit these are very dark stories, quite creepy and bloodthirsty too. As I write we are in the midst of a pandemic and there's a story here about the aftermath of such a cataclysmic event and it really gave me pause. Not only depressing vibes here though as there's a lot of love in these stories although perhaps sometimes you do have to think outside the usual box. Some of these characters are truly tortured souls so prepare yourself to be disgusted, sickened and yet I was very entertained so perhaps I myself am not all sweetness and light ? Whatever the case I do recommend this book with its insights and applaud the author for being unafraid to write unique fiction.This is a voluntary take of an advanced copy and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair

Series Info/Source: This is a stand alone collection of six short stories and one novella. I borrowed this as an ebook from my library.Thoughts: Like with any short story collection there are hits and misses here. The stories are all over the place genre-wise. There are some fairy tale retellings, more classic fantasy, science fiction, superhero, urban fantasy, and steampunk stories.I did feel like the first couple stories were a bit rough around the edges; they just didn’t flow as well as the later stories and were a bit tough to understand at parts. I did really enjoy a lot of the later stories.Usually I would do a run down of each story but I am a bit lazy with the new year just starting and all. I am also writing this quite some time after I read these stories and only have a vague impression of some of the stories in my head now. Suffice to say, my favorite of the bunch was the novella “Tangleroot Palace”. However, all of the stories were decent and I enjoyed the later ones more than the first couple. All of these are intriguing and the collection as a whole is definitely worth the read.My Summary (4/5): Overall I enjoyed this collection of stories (and one novella) by Liu. I liked that there was such a breadth of fantasy topics and sub-genres here. The first couple stories were a bit rough around the edges but the rest were engaging and very readable. The Tangleroot Palace novella was by far my favorite. I would recommend it to those looking for a solid fantasy anthology to read or, of course, if you are a big fan of Liu.

So there are short story collections where some feel just like slice of life, and some end too abruptly, and some feel shallow due to lack of space to flesh out the world details.Not here. Not Marjorie Liu. Each story is its own world, fully fleshed out, full of the scene-setting lush prose I expect from Liu. And for Dirk & Steele fans, there are two nuggets of awesomeness as two of the stories here are a prequel and a far, far sequel.And for someone like me, who is well versed in fantasy and fairy-tale tropes, things don't always play out as I'd expect.Take the titular story, Tangleroot Palace, wherein a princess we encounter mucking out rosebushes is promised to a Warlord in marriage-- and she runs off into an enchanted forest to find some way out of the marriage. My literary sense leads me to expect her to find magic power/helper in the forest...but not all as it seems. This story also showcases two of the reasons i love Liu stories: a lovely romance without super-unhealthy stockholm syndrome or stalkery tendencies and whimsical fighting powers such as a juggler who slips in throwing stars.It took me a while to read this because each story held such gravitas in my imagination. My only complaint, as always, is that each of these stories could easily have been an entire novel. Each one is a novel I'd eagerly read.

This book is Dark. Most short stories are pretty dark but these are just. Beyond dark. I should have guessed after Monstress, but this is somehow darker. Maybe because I understand what’s going on more than in the graphic novels? Some of the darkness gets lots in translation to pictures I think. These stories are quite good just. Need to read in small doses. And the images - often disturbing - stick with you no matter how you might wish to forget.I received a review copy of this book.

Marjorie Liu comes through with this collection of her short stories! All of the stories have appeared elsewhere, but now the author has taken the opportunity to gather them under one cover. A couple I had encountered before, but enjoyed renewing my acquaintance. My favorite was the last piece which gave collection its name - "Tangleroot Palace" - a tale of magic, fated love, and a spooky forest. So it you like out-spoken heroines, eerie tales, and stories told at a slant, be sure to grab a copy of Tangleroot Palace!Thanks Netgalley for the opportunity to read this title!