This was the third collection of stories for me this holiday season. I was encouraged to do it not by the announcement, but by the beautiful, even magical cover (which in my opinion deserves a hard version). After reading it, I can definitely say that in this case an interesting and nice cover harmonizes with an interesting interior.
Shall we make a snowman today? No. I am reading!
The book consists of eleven texts written by various authors and authors with a rich literary output. You can also learn more about each of them thanks to the biographies at the end of the novel. I did not know any of these writers before, so Winter Magic became an interesting journey through new styles and workshops for me.
As is usually the case in anthologies, the texts in the book are quite diverse. The binder turned out to be the winter and magic mentioned in the title itself. These two elements were perfectly captured in each of the stories, so we got exactly what was announced to us. The stories told in the pages of this book are directed mainly at young people, so they are also characterized by a strong adventure and teenage characters. But don’t be afraid, adult readers will also feel a lot of satisfaction from reading it.
The ideas used by the writers are by far the strongest point of this book. Even now, some time after reading, I can think back to some of them and nod my head appreciatively. Of course, I have my “top” of the best.
Competition for the best angel in the snow
The Magic of the Winter Solstice is the second text in the collection, and in general a fragment from the Amy Alward series entitled The Potion Diaries . Initially, I was not convinced to include a piece of something larger in a collection of stories, and felt strongly that it was not a deliberately written short form. With the pages that followed, however, I became more and more involved in the story of Princess Evelyn and her friend Sam, who invited her to the town of Sventown – the home of elves making the best Christmas presents. Both protagonists are described in an interesting way, and the presented world is very fluid, so it’s impossible not to like this story.
Voice in the Snow , story number three, is fantastic fantasy. Here we have a witch, a gypsy, a curse and a prophecy that causes some terrible turmoil in the life of not only the main character, but also the god of spirit of the guilty mute girl. This story has a darker atmosphere than the rest and more drastic events. However, it is also very engaging and suspenseful.
The last text of my Top 3 is Cold Heart. The idea for the plot literally crushed me into an armchair. Outlining it in a framework, I will reveal that it is an avalanche that, on the one hand, cuts the young boy off from his family, and on the other, reveals it … or rather those whom she buried several hundred years earlier. The tragic location of the main character, who additionally has to struggle with the selfishness and insensitivity of the creatures around her, is partly outrageous and partly shocking. Delicious text.
Everyone wins the snowball fight!
Are there any less engaging stories in this collection? Yes. However, I believe that in this case it was a matter of my subjective perception and preferences. I rate the whole thing positively. I am sure that this publication will appeal to teenagers, especially if they are fans of adventure and magic, and they like winter.
