Twice Cursed edited by Marie O’Regan and Paul Kane

(Titan Books, 2023)

Reviewed by John Dodds

Ever wondered what happens to key characters in fairy tales after the main story has concluded or how they could be interpreted in other ways? Well, those stories form the main thrust (though not in every case) of the tales in this second volume of the Cursed series, Twice Cursed.

Given the available space, I won’t attempt to summarise and review all the stories herein, but I will try to capture some elements that I hope will engage your interest in reading what is an utterly compelling, disturbing, unusual, beautifully written anthology.

We kick off with short, sharp shock of a tale by Joanne Harris, “The Bell” about a woodcutter’s son with aspirations to change his life, but a rescue mission he undertakes has serious consequences: “Before you ring the bell…be sure to know what tune it plays”.

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Review from BSFA Review 22 - Download your copy here.