I highly recommend this book, there are six folktales in all (placed throughout the Grishaverse/map although, if she does another set, I hope it will include a tale from Shu Han). Bardugo is very fond of turning monsters into martyrs and tropes into trivialities. These tales will stick with the reader, scrape away the flesh and dig down into the bone ("current caught on some dark thing in hearts"). I enjoyed that in many of the stories the supposed "villain" turns out to be your favourite character, and often times the true hero. We are also reacquainted with a well-loved villain from the Shadow and Bone Trilogy (but only briefly, and not by name). I love the nods to The Nutcracker, The Velveteen Rabbit, Nibble, Nibble Mousekin (which we own), The Little Mermaid and a few others. These are tragic, no holds barred, filled with darkness, pain, loss and sometimes a change in character that means no going back, no redemption (yet the reader understands and is empathetic to the outcome). From abuse to torture and finally murder. The lessons to be learned, the harsh realities we as readers must now bear.
To be honest, I loved the fresh take each tale took on old stories dried up from telling. It was hard to select a favourite although, I had read The Witch of Duva previously and loved the ominous gloom surrounding the story.
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