I’m super excited to be part of the book tour for Once Upon A Summer Anthology by various authors. Thanks to Asha for sending me the copy of the book in exchange for this honest review.

A village abandons all they knew in search of water.
A man covets the last roses of summer and pays the price in blood.
Two young monsters seek a peaceful life by the seaside.
A scorching prophecy threatens to destroy all that a princess holds dear.

Once upon a time stories travelled from place to place on the tongues of merchants and thieves and kings alike. Around a crackling bonfire beneath a sky that never grew dark they were shared, and traded, and altered, until every corner of the globe had their own collection of tales.

In the spirit of these age-old stories comes Once Upon a Summer , a seasonal anthology of folk and fairy tales from 15 authors across the globe. It covers everything from summer romances to eco-terror to seaside ghost stories, and features both intriguing twists on classic tales and exciting original stories.

The second of four planned seasonal anthologies from Macfarlane Lantern Publishing, Once Upon a Summer is sure to have a story for just about everyone. Grab your copy in time for the solstice today!

Inside this anthology:
The I Scream Van by Caroline Logan
What Big Geese You Have by Adie Hart
The Forest at the End of the World by Josie Jaffrey
It Is Written by S. Markem
These Burning Bones by Laila Amado
Vespertine by Elanna Bellows
The Last Roses of Summer by Kate Longstone
Love, Pride, Virtue and Fate by Bharat Krishnan
Juniper and the Upside Down Well by Ella Holmes
Love in the Time of Volcanoes by Jake Curran-Pipe
Bluebeard’s Beach House by Jenna Smithwick
The Knucker of Lyminster by Katherine Shaw
Summer Dreams by R. A. Gerritse
The Witches of Dogtown by A. J. Van Belle
Contract with a Mermaid by M. J. Weatherall

An anthology of folk and fairytales from various authors. I was so excited when I answered a call for help from Josie Jaffrey. She is one of the authors who has contributed to the book and an author who I know is so talented, too. I didn’t think twice about helping get the word out about this gorgeous looking book.

I was unaware this book was part of a series of four books called Once Upon a Season. Even worse than that… I have missed the first anthology, Once Upon a Winter!! This is the second book. I will have to get them all!

A diverse collection of short stories that are all unique and include mythology and magic, too. There are some darker tales as well as some with a splash of humour, too. With LGBTQ+ representation within the anthology too, there is something for everyone within these pages.

I used to avoid short stories as I preferred longer books. These days, I have discovered that short stories can be amazing if the author writing them, does it right. This particular collection may still be short stories, but the detailing, the vivid characters, and the complexity within them had me so invested. I surprisingly wanted the majority of the stories to be longer.

I flew through this in no time at all. I was in my element with folk and fairytales. I didn’t want it to end and am planning to get the winter one, too. With amazingly skilled authors such as Josie Jaffrey, Adie Hart, and everyone who has penned a tale. This is an unmissable read of you as a reader who enjoys this type of book.