Review of Cursed Shards
Cursed Shards: Tales of Dark Folklore, edited by Leanbh Pearson (IFWG Publishing International, 2024), is an anthology with ten stories that each contain a shard of a broken mirror at the core of their premise. Some stories touch on well-known folklore, while others use more obscure myths and legends as their core. The stories are all solidly fantasy, though they touch upon many different subgenres of fantasy.
All of the stories in this anthology were thoroughly enjoyable, though some of them really shone for me. My favorite was “The Lady of Strangenesse” by Leife Shallcross, which put a slightly Gothic spin on the fantasy element, along with an unusual twist for that genre. I also really enjoyed a couple of stories where I recognized the source material–Clare Rhoden’s “Lady Marian’s Gambit” and McKenzie Richardson’s “The Strength of Bones.” The former is a retelling of some of the events of the Robin Hood stories, but centering Marian as the hero of the tale, as she outwits a pair of fae twins. The latter is an urban fantasy retelling of Pinocchio, with a delightful cat character. Finally, K.B. Elijah’s “The Phantom Queen,” involving the Morrigan in all her guises, had a dark and creepy vibe that I enjoyed!
As is the case with many anthologies, readers may find they enjoy these stories as well, or they might prefer other stories. The overall tone of the anthology is dark, so there are some stories involving human enslavement, abuse of several varieties, and pregnancy, among other possible elements that are difficult for some readers.
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