In the same vein as Windling and Datlow’s A Wolf At The Door, Swan Sister is another collection of fairy tales retold for young adults, with stories from some of the most talented authors in the field, including a number of those who’ve previously contributed to their series of novel-length retold fairy tales. As always with anything from Datlow and Windling, this is a high-quality anthology that sticks to theme quite nicely. Naturally, there are a lot of familiar elements in each story, but the authors all find something new to say about the material.

Jane Yolen tackles the Green Man myth, while Nina Kiriki Hoffman explores Bluebeard from a new angle, where the true horror lies not with Bluebeard, but with the secret of his strength and power. Will Shetterly retells Little Red Riding Hood with a modern-day urban flair to it, and Lois Metzger reinterprets the Rapunzel story with surprising sensitivity, giving it a new relevance in today’s world of extended and broken families. Bruce Coville’s look at Tom Thumb speaks volumes about the uses and misuses of genetic engineering, and Neil Gaiman turns in a poetic exploration of Scheharazade and The Arabian Nights that delves into necessity as the mother of inspiration. These are just half of the fairy tales that lurk within the pages of Swan Sister.

I’ve never been disappointed with the Datlow/Windling collections, whether they’re aimed at adults or young adults. They always prove that fairy tales are universal, always open to retelling, and always relevant in their own way. This is good stuff, and any fairy tale fan would do well to add this to their collection.