Status
Available
Call number
Series
Genres
Collection
Publication
Tor Book (2011), Kindle Edition
Description
This original short story tells the tale of how a girl named Mallow defeated King Goldmouth with the help of the Red Wind, Mr. Map, and many fairyland friends new and old.
User reviews
LibraryThing member paradoxosalpha
I read this novella (with my daughter) after all four of Valente's fairyland novels. I think it would have been good to read it after the first, which seems to have been the publication sequence. It doesn't really spoiler anything in the other three books, it precedes all four in narrative
Show More
chronology, and it sets up some of the important events of the third and fourth. Reading it this way worked all right, though. It made it possible to guess where things were going in the plot, although there was still a surprise or two. The imaginative intensity is certainly of a piece with the other stories. Show Less
LibraryThing member pocketmermaid
Prequel short story to Valente's "The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making." (Sidenote: is every author doing these now? They seem so common.)
I adored the novel. This short story seemed to lose some of the specialness that the novel had.
I adored the novel. This short story seemed to lose some of the specialness that the novel had.
LibraryThing member Kaethe
Again with the melancholy. Valente's Fairyland is a really cool place, with lots of truly unexpected denizens and it is utterly enchanting. But the mood is mournful.
LibraryThing member aethercowboy
I must admit, I really don’t see the point of Valente’s “The Girl Who...” stories. Her writing style seems to be an blend of off-the-cuff writing with large chunks of purple prose. While this may be akin to making cough syrup grape-flavored to mask the otherwise unpleasant taste of
While I suppose the slapdash nature of the writing is meant to invoke the attitude of a fairy kingdom, a place of inherent chaos, and the florid writing is meant to invoke the “glamours” so prevalent in fairy magic (or, as you may read in this tale: “magick”), it amounted to a tough bolus to swallow.
In The Girl Who Ruled Fairyland -- For a Little While, set as a prequel to The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland, we meet Mallow, and discover how she eventually came to power. While some of the things that happened in the last few paragraphs were quite interesting, it felt like a chore to get there, wading through a murky swamp bedecked with colorful, cultivated flowers being as pretty as they can.
Ultimately, the story was lost to the voyage there, much like pretty scenery may be completely forgotten by simultaneously driving down a bumpy, hilly, curvy road. From what pieces I could salvage I did find an intriguing story, but I was so sick of of the writing that my memories of the story will forever be tarnished by the path I took to get there.
If you did enjoy Valente’s first book in this series (and perhaps, the second book), you may enjoy this story. I did not. However, curiously, I am wondering if the new book is any good. I don’t know if this is hope that the gem of the story will be less covered by gaudy cloths and potent perfumes in the next volume, or if I’m just sadistic. I find her writing to be too pretentious for its own good, but again, I do want to finish the series.
If you’re like me, it may be one of the prettiest literary car wrecks you’ve ever seen.
Show More
something that will eventually impair your motor skills, each of these unique and incongruous flavors leaked through one another, resulting in something that was neither bitter nor sweet.While I suppose the slapdash nature of the writing is meant to invoke the attitude of a fairy kingdom, a place of inherent chaos, and the florid writing is meant to invoke the “glamours” so prevalent in fairy magic (or, as you may read in this tale: “magick”), it amounted to a tough bolus to swallow.
In The Girl Who Ruled Fairyland -- For a Little While, set as a prequel to The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland, we meet Mallow, and discover how she eventually came to power. While some of the things that happened in the last few paragraphs were quite interesting, it felt like a chore to get there, wading through a murky swamp bedecked with colorful, cultivated flowers being as pretty as they can.
Ultimately, the story was lost to the voyage there, much like pretty scenery may be completely forgotten by simultaneously driving down a bumpy, hilly, curvy road. From what pieces I could salvage I did find an intriguing story, but I was so sick of of the writing that my memories of the story will forever be tarnished by the path I took to get there.
If you did enjoy Valente’s first book in this series (and perhaps, the second book), you may enjoy this story. I did not. However, curiously, I am wondering if the new book is any good. I don’t know if this is hope that the gem of the story will be less covered by gaudy cloths and potent perfumes in the next volume, or if I’m just sadistic. I find her writing to be too pretentious for its own good, but again, I do want to finish the series.
If you’re like me, it may be one of the prettiest literary car wrecks you’ve ever seen.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Kaethe
Again with the melancholy. Valente's Fairyland is a really cool place, with lots of truly unexpected denizens and it is utterly enchanting. But the mood is mournful.
LibraryThing member StaceyHH
The more I read from Cat Valente, the more I love the way she writes. Lovely little story.
LibraryThing member drachenbraut23
This was the prequel to the Girl Who series by Catherynne M. Valente. Although, the book had only 33 pages I felt that it was a delightful written story, which excelled especially through language. Well, even so that it is soo short it is an absolute magical and action packed story. Definately
"I have all the books I could need, and what more could I need than books?"
“History is a funny little creature. Do you remember visiting your old Aunt that autumn when the trees shone so very yellow, and how she owned a striped and unsocial cat, quite old and fat and wounded about the ears and whiskers, with a crooked, broken tail? That cat would not come to you no matter how you coaxed and called; it had its own business, thank you, and no time for you. But as the evening wore on, it would come and show some affection or favor to your Aunt, or your Father, or the old end-table with the stack of green coasters on it. You couldn’t predict who that cat might decide to love, or who it might decide to bite. You couldn’t tell what it thought or felt, or how old it might really be, or whether it would one day, miraculously, decide to let you put one hand, very briefly, on its dusty head.
History is like that.
Of course, unlike your Aunt’s cat, history is going on all around you, all the time, and is often quite lively. Sometimes it rests in a sunbeam for a peaceful century or two, but on the whole, history is always plotting, and it bites very hard. It stalks around the world, fickle and dissatisfied and often angry. It demands to be fed just a little earlier each day, until you find yourself carving meat from the bone as fast as you can, faster than you thought possible, just to satisfy it. Some people have a kind of marvelous talent for calming it and enticing it onto their laps. To some it will never even spare a glance.”
Show More
recommended to anyone who enjoyed the other books in this series. "I have all the books I could need, and what more could I need than books?"
“History is a funny little creature. Do you remember visiting your old Aunt that autumn when the trees shone so very yellow, and how she owned a striped and unsocial cat, quite old and fat and wounded about the ears and whiskers, with a crooked, broken tail? That cat would not come to you no matter how you coaxed and called; it had its own business, thank you, and no time for you. But as the evening wore on, it would come and show some affection or favor to your Aunt, or your Father, or the old end-table with the stack of green coasters on it. You couldn’t predict who that cat might decide to love, or who it might decide to bite. You couldn’t tell what it thought or felt, or how old it might really be, or whether it would one day, miraculously, decide to let you put one hand, very briefly, on its dusty head.
History is like that.
Of course, unlike your Aunt’s cat, history is going on all around you, all the time, and is often quite lively. Sometimes it rests in a sunbeam for a peaceful century or two, but on the whole, history is always plotting, and it bites very hard. It stalks around the world, fickle and dissatisfied and often angry. It demands to be fed just a little earlier each day, until you find yourself carving meat from the bone as fast as you can, faster than you thought possible, just to satisfy it. Some people have a kind of marvelous talent for calming it and enticing it onto their laps. To some it will never even spare a glance.”
Show Less
LibraryThing member CurrerBell
I really don't care for Valente's two A Girl Who... novels. The elaborate prose doesn't make up for the flatness of the characters. Still, this short novella wasn't at all bad, and it was interesting to see characters like Iago, the Green Wind, and Mallow in a "prequel" version.
Note, though, that
Note, though, that
Show More
this is very definitely a prequel and requires having read the first book, Circumnavigated, though it doesn't require a prior reading of the second, Led the Revels. Show Less
LibraryThing member pussreboots
The Girl Who Ruled Fairyland - For a Little While by Catherynne M Valente is a short story prequel to the Fairyland books. It was originally published online at Tor.com and later as part of This Year's Best Science Fiction (2012 edition), edited by Rich Horton.
In The Girl Who Circumnavigated
In the sequel, The Girl Who Fell Beneath Fairyland and Led the Revels There, Mallow's fate is known by September. She continues to remain ever present, but now as a tragic character and a warning to September. Throughout her (almost) return to Fairyland, September begins to worry that she may have unintentionally followed the same path that Mallow does.
This short story takes a small part of Mallow's life in Fairyland. Valente shows how a small girl who wants some peace and quiet can be swept up by Fairyland and be recruited into leadership. Questions asked (mostly in the second book) are answered.
In The Girl Who Circumnavigated
Show More
Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making, September quests in the shadow of good Queen Mallow. She is expected by those she meets to usurp the Marquess and return Fairyland to its former glory. At every stop she makes she hears more and more of Queen Mallow. Whether or not September's decisions are influenced by Mallow's reputation is never fully stated but she is ever present.In the sequel, The Girl Who Fell Beneath Fairyland and Led the Revels There, Mallow's fate is known by September. She continues to remain ever present, but now as a tragic character and a warning to September. Throughout her (almost) return to Fairyland, September begins to worry that she may have unintentionally followed the same path that Mallow does.
This short story takes a small part of Mallow's life in Fairyland. Valente shows how a small girl who wants some peace and quiet can be swept up by Fairyland and be recruited into leadership. Questions asked (mostly in the second book) are answered.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Awfki
2016-04-06: I don't always enjoy what Catherynne Valente writes but her writing is always fantastic. She has a such a great use of the language. I don't have words to say what I want but he would and it would be flowery and pretty and make fireworks go off in your brain.
This was an entertaining
This was an entertaining
Show More
novelette that was quite pleasant. Show Less
LibraryThing member chavala
A nice addition to the Fairyland series. It was great to learn about Mallow "before." She has much of the pluck that September (from the rest of the series) has, and that pluck, plus the wonderful crazy Fairyland world is part of why I enjoy the series so much.
LibraryThing member humouress
While investigating The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making, I discovered that this prequel was available free on-line, at Tor books. This is the story of how Mallow - though she wanted nothing to do with politics, and had worked hard to make sure that her life in
Though it is a short story, I found it stronger than the novel. Though I'm sure Valente had great fun copying the styles of children's authors of yore while writing The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland ..., this time, she sticks to her own style, and I found this story the better for it.
It's worth reading this prequel (after ...Circumnavigated...) to get a different perspective on several familiar characters.
Show More
Fairyland was as undisturbed as possible to leave her time to study different forms of magic - ended up defeating King Goldmouth and becoming Queen of Fairyland.Though it is a short story, I found it stronger than the novel. Though I'm sure Valente had great fun copying the styles of children's authors of yore while writing The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland ..., this time, she sticks to her own style, and I found this story the better for it.
It's worth reading this prequel (after ...Circumnavigated...) to get a different perspective on several familiar characters.
Show Less
LibraryThing member wanderlustlover
I loved this one. I'm so glad to get a prelude novella to this universe. I loved hearing about all the old Queens and winds and how the city came together. Catherynne has such a marvelous way to go about telling stories in this universe.
Original publication date
2011-07-27