Yuletide 2013 recs VII -- Magical
Magical, charming stories, including three of my favourites (*)
Discworld
The Physician of Miracles and Death, by Minutia R*
'It's traditional when introducing a new student to a class in the middle of the year to stand him up in front of the first row of desks, right in the center. This allows the other students to size up his weak spots at their leisure, while all the new student can make out is a sea of nameless, scrutinizing eyes, and also the taste of whatever he had for breakfast at the back of his throat.' A wonderful blend of humour & melancholy, like the best of canon, marks this loose retelling of Godfather Death in the Discworld
Irish mythology
The Three Sorrows of the Deer-Folk of Ireland, by Daegaer*
'Like a doe without her fawn she returned to the far off home she had made for herself. So much then for Muirne, who had no joy from her association with the clan of her son but rather only pains and sorrow. The deer of Ireland have no quarrel with her, but only pity.' A clever, unusual tale with the feel of The Silmarillion. Wonderful!
Omar Rayyan
Portrait of the Artist as a Young Woman, by Ghostie*
'"The tea today is lemon zest," he finally said. He had a deep, sonorous voice that swelled to fill the room as if it were an oven filled with rising bread. He kept his gaze trained on the windows and the forsythia beyond as he spoke; Rayyana wondered if he even knew she was there. "With infusions of clover-honey, grapefruit rind, and tentative optimism in the face of new opportunities."' Ghostie draws on several artworks by Omar Rayyan to create an entirely believable world peopled with fabulous characters. Charming & original
Puss in Boots
By Design, by Dreamiflame
'And Puss could think, as well. August considered him his masterpiece, the exquisitely rendered form and the marvelous whirring brain. Only a few artificers ever managed to give their creations thought. After Puss, August had never done it again, instead creating the fine, obedient servants which were what most people used.' A neat steampunk retelling that sticks close to the original, yet manages to give the princess character more of a say. Sweet & memorable
Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio
A Roll of the Dice, by Lnhammer
'The snow was deep enough, there was no sign which way the road lay, and the brothers disagreed which way to turn -- Liu pointing one way, Wang another. Liu grinned and, following their usual method for settling their disagreements, pulled out his dice cup.' A slow-burning tale that builds to a conclusion both surprising & inevitable. It works well for those, like me, who don't know the canon
Crossposted from Dreamwidth (with
replies). Reply wherever you prefer
Discworld
The Physician of Miracles and Death, by Minutia R*
'It's traditional when introducing a new student to a class in the middle of the year to stand him up in front of the first row of desks, right in the center. This allows the other students to size up his weak spots at their leisure, while all the new student can make out is a sea of nameless, scrutinizing eyes, and also the taste of whatever he had for breakfast at the back of his throat.' A wonderful blend of humour & melancholy, like the best of canon, marks this loose retelling of Godfather Death in the Discworld
Irish mythology
The Three Sorrows of the Deer-Folk of Ireland, by Daegaer*
'Like a doe without her fawn she returned to the far off home she had made for herself. So much then for Muirne, who had no joy from her association with the clan of her son but rather only pains and sorrow. The deer of Ireland have no quarrel with her, but only pity.' A clever, unusual tale with the feel of The Silmarillion. Wonderful!
Omar Rayyan
Portrait of the Artist as a Young Woman, by Ghostie*
'"The tea today is lemon zest," he finally said. He had a deep, sonorous voice that swelled to fill the room as if it were an oven filled with rising bread. He kept his gaze trained on the windows and the forsythia beyond as he spoke; Rayyana wondered if he even knew she was there. "With infusions of clover-honey, grapefruit rind, and tentative optimism in the face of new opportunities."' Ghostie draws on several artworks by Omar Rayyan to create an entirely believable world peopled with fabulous characters. Charming & original
Puss in Boots
By Design, by Dreamiflame
'And Puss could think, as well. August considered him his masterpiece, the exquisitely rendered form and the marvelous whirring brain. Only a few artificers ever managed to give their creations thought. After Puss, August had never done it again, instead creating the fine, obedient servants which were what most people used.' A neat steampunk retelling that sticks close to the original, yet manages to give the princess character more of a say. Sweet & memorable
Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio
A Roll of the Dice, by Lnhammer
'The snow was deep enough, there was no sign which way the road lay, and the brothers disagreed which way to turn -- Liu pointing one way, Wang another. Liu grinned and, following their usual method for settling their disagreements, pulled out his dice cup.' A slow-burning tale that builds to a conclusion both surprising & inevitable. It works well for those, like me, who don't know the canon
Crossposted from Dreamwidth (with
replies). Reply wherever you prefer