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"The Never King" by  Nikki St. Crowe   is an incredibly absurd book. I mean, while reading it, I found myself perplexed, cringing, and wondering what on earth I was actually reading. These rollercoaster emotions I experienced throughout the book. The story revolves around Peter Pan and the Lost Boys, with Winnie, a member of the Darling family line, whose mother is clearly mentally unstable. Her mother's bizarre and neglectful behavior towards her is maddening. When Winnie turns 18, her mother's insanity escalates as she believes Peter Pan is coming to kidnap Winnie, and indeed, he does just that. He takes her to Neverland, where he inexplicably chains her to a bed and watches over her while she's unconscious. The frequent mention of Winnie being different from other Darlings without a clear explanation becomes rather tiresome. Meanwhile, Peter's shadow is lost, causing Neverland to wither slowly. So his main goal is to find his shadow and secure his power o

"Straw into Gold" is a beautiful retelling written by Carol Beth Anderson that weaves a captivating twist on the classic Rumpelstiltskin tale, with a gender swap. Rumpelstiltskin is a girl from a small village. I heard the audiobooks and fell in love with the story. this book is a short story so I heard it in one sitting. The story follows Pel, a young woman deceived into servitude by a cunning Fae who promised her eternal love and happiness. After their escape and a passionate night together, Pel regrets her impulsive decision. She thought of going back to her village and saying goodbye to her family but when she goes back, she's met with a world that has changed beyond recognition. People, places, everything is different. The Fae reveals that two centuries have slipped by in her spending one night in Fae's realm, leaving Pel in tears and seething with anger. She's now bound to him for all eternity. In the present day, she hears of a young man gifted with the a