ARC Review: The Scarlet Circus by Jane Yolen

Posted February 13, 2023 by Lisa Mandina in Review / 6 Comments

I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

ARC Review:  The Scarlet Circus by Jane YolenThe Scarlet Circus by Jane Yolen
Published by Tachyon Publications on February 14, 2023
Genres: Short stories, Romance, Fantasy, Fairy Tale
Pages: 256
Source: the publisher
Format: ARC
My Rating: five-stars
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Blurb:

The Scarlet Circus, the fourth volume in Yolen’s award-winning short fiction series brings you passionate treasures and unexpected transformations. This bewitching assemblage, with an original introduction from Brandon Sanderson, is an ideal read for anyone who appreciates witty, compelling, and classic romantic fantasy.

My Review

I really liked a lot of the stories in this one! Honestly there were only one or two that I didn’t quite get or care for after reading that much. While the other books might have been aimed at a bit younger readers, I feel like this might have had some more adult stories in it. But that could just be my opinion. Here are my quick thoughts about each story in the book.

Sans Soleil – This was short and not bad, but I did kind of wish for a bit more explanation for what happened at the end. However the moral of the story as the author put in the little notes at the end was definitely there.

Dusty Loves – I really liked this kind of retelling or different take on the Romeo and Juliet story.

Unicorn Tapestry – this was another really good story that I liked. It reminded me of the Unicorns vs. Zombies book in some ways.

A Ghost of an Affair – Another story that I really loved! It had a ghost romance but it was done in such a sad kind of way with just a short time for the couple to be together. But I liked it!

Dark Seed Dark Stone – An interesting story as well. I noticed a lot of the stories had the three sisters, and the one the story was about just didn’t fit in with the others.

Dragonfield – This story had a dragon and also a hero that wasn’t really quite a hero until made to be.

The Sword and the Stone – another fun re-imagining of the King Arthur story, and I liked it a lot as well!

The Sea Man – This was one that kind of made me think the stories were a little older than past collections in this series. But it was good and I liked the way the story went.

Memoirs of a Bottle Djinn – This had some good parts, although the ending was another that was kind of eh for me. And also a bit of a story that seemed a little older like I mentioned before.

Peter in Wonderland – This had some fun takes on a retelling of Alice in Wonderland. But it also was a little confusing at times in what was happening, and things happened really quick. Which I know has to be that way for a short story, but it left me a little bit unsatisfied with the story overall.

After all the stories there were poems to go with them in a little section at the end. As I’m not a big poetry reader, I didn’t really read them all. But I think they were probably perfect for the stories they went with.

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6 responses to “ARC Review: The Scarlet Circus by Jane Yolen

    • Lisa Mandina

      You would probably enjoy it! They’re are short stories, so quick reads. Some better than others, and honestly, all of these were pretty good!

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