Helpful Score: 3
First in a series, but can easily be a stand-alone read. No one can retell a fairy tale quite like Dennis--refreshed, beautiful, touching, and entertaining.
From the back cover: "Once upon a winter's night, a poor crofter trades his daughter Camille to wed Prince Alain of the Summerwood in exchange for a lifetime of riches. Though love blossoms between Camille and the prince, he is haunted by sadness and will not allow her to see his unmasked face. Believing she can lift whatever curse has been bestowed upon him, Camille acts on her own--with devastating results, as all she loves is swept away.
Now, to regain what she has lost, she must embark on a desperate quest through the hinterlands of Faery, seeking a mysterious place lying somewhere east of the sun and west of the moon..."
From the back cover: "Once upon a winter's night, a poor crofter trades his daughter Camille to wed Prince Alain of the Summerwood in exchange for a lifetime of riches. Though love blossoms between Camille and the prince, he is haunted by sadness and will not allow her to see his unmasked face. Believing she can lift whatever curse has been bestowed upon him, Camille acts on her own--with devastating results, as all she loves is swept away.
Now, to regain what she has lost, she must embark on a desperate quest through the hinterlands of Faery, seeking a mysterious place lying somewhere east of the sun and west of the moon..."
Helpful Score: 2
a bit of a love story with alot of adventure
Helpful Score: 2
"East of the Sun, West of the Moon" is one of my favorite fairy tales, so I was happy to find this book.
I was unhappy, however, when I read it. Camille and Alain are not married, so there's a whole lot of pre-marital sex going on, and it isn't handled in what I thought was a tasteful way.
The cover just doesn't make me think of a book that includes somewhat explicit sex scenes. :/ I was disappointed and did not finish it.
Also,going for a fairy-tale feel, the prose can be a bit heavy. He seems to like when scents "mingle with and enchance" each other.
I can't recommend it.
I was unhappy, however, when I read it. Camille and Alain are not married, so there's a whole lot of pre-marital sex going on, and it isn't handled in what I thought was a tasteful way.
The cover just doesn't make me think of a book that includes somewhat explicit sex scenes. :/ I was disappointed and did not finish it.
Also,going for a fairy-tale feel, the prose can be a bit heavy. He seems to like when scents "mingle with and enchance" each other.
I can't recommend it.
Helpful Score: 2
This book was very descriptive, lots of vivid imagery described in narrative and was a well written fairy tale.
There is not much of it in the book, but I wanted to read an adult fairy tale with no explicit scenes and there were some in this book. It lost a star for that, and I could have done with more discussion between characters rather than so much narrative.
There is not much of it in the book, but I wanted to read an adult fairy tale with no explicit scenes and there were some in this book. It lost a star for that, and I could have done with more discussion between characters rather than so much narrative.
Helpful Score: 1
I like fairy tale retellings so I liked this book quite a lot. It is a version of "Eros and Psyche" set in a French wood with some other old world faire tales mixed in.
Linda A. (Springfieldreader) reviewed Once Upon a Winter's Night (Faery, Bk 1) on + 458 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
Good sci-fi
This is an unexceptional retelling of a classic fairy-tale
