A forty-ish page Tor.com original, this is the story of how a girl called Mallow became Queen of Fairyland.  Mallow, for those who have not yet read the first of the full-length books in the Fairyland series, was a much loved queen until her death at the hands of the Marquess.  This then is an origin story, telling of her journey from reclusive devotee of "dry magic" to being the heroine of her own story, defeating Fairyland's evil king Goldmouth.  

 

As whimsical, referential, and imaginative as one expects from a Fairyland tale and from Catherynne M. Valente.   A must read if you enjoyed the first Fairyland tale. 

A thirty-page prequel that tells the story of how Mallow became Queen of Fairyland. I found it to be a bit wordy. All the good stuff about characters you will recognize from Book 1 happens in the last 5 pages or so.

This is a pretty, pretty little prologue of a tale, set in the Days Long Past, many a year before a girl called September came along and became The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making.

If you've never read the series before, this could be a good place to start, to see if you like C.M. Valente's style. I personally think it is a hit-or-miss, as she sometimes waxes lyrical for paragraphs on end, and while it is very pretty indeed, sometimes it lacks substance. Take for instance this novelette, it began with 4 paragraphs and 3 lines that tells you nothing at all, before the story properly starts.

For those with knowledge of Mallow's eventual fate , this is heart-breaking. Not a spoiler, by the way - you can surmise that much, I'm sure, from the title.

I've decided to read The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making by Catherynne M. Valente (that is one long-ass title) because I've been hearing only good things about it. However, upon further research, I've realized Valente has written a prequel to the novel. I like to read things in chronological order so before reading the actual book, I decided to read The Girl Who Ruled Fairyland - For a Little While. I will go into more details about how I stumbled upon the actual book when I review it. For now, I shall talk a little bit about this prequel.

 

It's about a girl named Mallow who considers herself a practical girl. She likes books, learning magic, and being alone. She lives her life the way she wants to. That is, until she meets a Jack-In-The-Green, a kind of magical being, who travels with her to the central part of Fairyland. Long story short, she need to stop Fairyland's current king, Goldmouth, who wants to bring back the Tithe, a ritual that involves the sacrifice of other worlds in order for the inhabitants of Fairyland to drink their blood to become, essentially, immortal. There's history of the world and lore and a bit of dark mystery in this short story that will leave the reader wanting more.

 

I won't talk too much more about the prequel because it is really short and I don't want to give anything away. I will say that the writing is incredible! Valente is a fantastic author! She has a control over words that I can only dream about having! Her vocabulary is superb and only enhances her ability to create such an unique world with many different creatures and magical elements. Her writing makes it so that you, as the reader, can vividly picture her whimsical creations! And, boy, are they whimsical! It was such a bizarre place to be in yet you can't help but love being there. I will talk more about the world once I review [insert long-ass title here]. I was just left in awe of her writing, and the interactions with her characters were quite charming.

 

Speaking of characters, I really liked Mallow. Her introversion and love of books is something I can relate to. When reading this, I really loved the way I was able to understand her on a personal level because I felt that she and I were so similar. I also love how, even though she likes keeping to herself, when the time came for her to stand up for her beliefs, she did so without any hesitation. She doesn't like that the burden has fallen to her but that doesn't mean she is not going to fight for what she believes to be right (LAWL I rhymed). I enjoyed her character a lot. I also loved the Jack-In-The Green, Mabry Muscat. Mabry was a bit on the eccentric side (actually, a lot of the characters were) but he was so charming. I loved the way he talked about the going-ons in this world with such care and heart. I don't know what it was exactly that made me like him but I think it has something to do with the way he flirted his way through anything. I do like a man that can be shamelessly flirtatious yet still remain loyal to the one he loves. It's kind of like he said, "Oh, yes~ I know I am pretty~ But I have this girl who I am madly in love with so don't expect much from me." So... I may have fallen for him a bit. X3 Goldmouth was... crazy... but he made for an interesting antagonist! In fact, all the characters that appeared in this prequel were pretty fantastic!

 

All things considered, I really do think you guys are going to like this read. It's short and not a lot of action happens but I can tell that it is a vital piece of literature that ties-in with the book very well. If you read [insert long-ass title here] and loved it, then I KNOW you're going to enjoy this. It's quirky, magical, engaging, with great characters and fantastic writing! I really do think this is worth the read.

Originally 3 for being too short to develop things more but 3.5 Stars for its whimsicalness.

Quirky and descriptive, this story weaves a story of magic as we meet Mellow who only wishes to read her books and learn various kinds of magic--Dry, Wet, etcetera. Although its short and its explanations to its world building, it is strange. A strange tale, bizarre even. Mixed with a fairytale type of storytelling feeling to its wording.

I enjoyed it, but I think it would have better if it had been a bit longer and not quite so clomped together as it was--I only state this because lots is happening when you get involved in Politicks, as Mellow states!