'A (Sort of) Fairytale' by Briecheesie, illustrated by Daunt
A (Sort of) Fairytale by Briecheesie
Official Summary: The summer after senior year starts normally enough, with the gang spending their final months before college together at the Martin family's lake house. Then Jackson stumbles onto the burial ground of a witch's ex-husband, Stiles is magically turned into a fox, and things somehow manage to get worse from there. The gratuitous Princess Bride references are only of moderate help. (25,799 words)
My Take: Excellent - a beautifully written story that's already one of my new favorites.
What I liked:
Good writing. The author has a great way with words which, when combined with a good instinct for pacing and narrative flow, makes the story truly engaging and immersive
The influence of The Princess Bride. Indeed, it's woven seamlessly throughout the story. For example, the author uses quotes that are more than just appropriate, they actually fit into the narrative. The last scene in particular! Altogether, just super.
The freshness and occasional unexpectedness. No one behaves quite like I would have expected, given the circumstances, and yet it was all completely believable. And sometimes the story would just defy convention altogether -- wait until you meet the witch! -- but it did so with such skill that I found myself asking, "Well, of course, why doesn't it work out this way sometimes?"
The humor. I found myself chuckling aloud repeatedly. Actually, maybe I should say I really like the balance of this story, because the humor balances so well against the light pathos in those moments when Stiles must seriously face his predicament.
The characterization. This is a fairly plot-driven story, but the characters really shine, especially Stiles and Derek. They felt so vibrant and alive. Even the secondary characters had distinct, unique and entirely believable voices. And not only do they feel like true three-dimensional beings, rather than reductionist caricatures of their single most prominent trait, the author also lets us see a little deeper.
The plot. Once things get set into motion, the plot moves along swiftly (pacing is perfect) and unfolds organically. The key drama (is Stiles going to lose his humanity?) is compelling and makes perfect sense.
The portrayal of Stiles falling in love with Derek. It was superb and so believable. And through Stiles, we come to know Derek's hidden depths and textures. Take this excerpt as an example:
But now Stiles knows that Derek’s trust is earned just by being quiet, by being a companion that doesn’t judge him, that can sit with him when there’s no need for words. He knows how brutally serious Derek is about taking care of people who rely on him, an exhausting amount of emotion put into it, and Stiles isn’t sure how Derek has any of it left for himself. He knows how to tell when Derek is honestly annoyed and when it’s just for show, just by the angle of his mouth. He knows that even though Derek has a laptop, he prefers using an external mouse for some reason, and that he can touch type unless he has to write out numbers. He knows the lines of Derek’s hands, the scars on them that Derek doesn’t talk about, because the only reason for them not to have healed is if they had been laced with wolfsbane. He knows that Derek’s lashes touch his cheek when his eyes are closed and that he doesn’t snore, but that sometimes he mumbles.
The art by Daunt. And the art! The more than half a dozen gorgeous pieces by the talented Daunt also help bring the story to life. Indeed, the illustrations are sufficiently well-chosen and executed that they form a coherent narrative just on their own.
Room for improvement?
This is definitely a minor quibble, but I wish we had seen a little more / understood a little better Derek's attraction to Stiles. It's a Stiles POV story, of course, but it was a little harder than usual to see where Derek was coming from, given that Stiles was a fox. Did Derek's attraction pre-date the fox thing? I think so ... but maybe Stiles spending more time with Derek as a fox deepened the appeal. Derek had a unique perspective on the situation, given his own history, and maybe that sensitivity helped open the connection between the two of them? I just wish I had a clearer understanding of where Derek was coming from.
More art from Daunt is available here and here
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