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Rebecca Ross and Mythmaking: The mythology and folklore of Wild Reverence
Born in the firelit domain of the under realm, Matilda is the youngest goddess of her clan, blessed with humble messenger magic. But in a land where gods often kill each other to steal power and alliances break as quickly as they are forged, Matilda must come of age sooner than most. She may be known to carry words and letters through the realms, but she holds a secret she must hide from even her dearest of allies to ensure her survival. And to complicate matters . . . there is a mortal boy who dreams of her, despite the…
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Graceless Heart, Florence and Sculpture Myths
In 15th-century Volterra, sculptress Ravenna Maffei enters a competition hosted by a secretive, immortal family who offer an invaluable boon to the victor. Desperate to win so she can save her brother, Ravenna reveals a rare magical talent—a dangerous act in a city where magic is forbidden. Her revelation makes her a target, and she is kidnapped by the Luni family and taken to Florence, a city of breathtaking beauty and cutthroat ambition. There, Ravenna is forced into an impossible task where failure means certain death at the hands of Saturnino dei Luni, the family’s enigmatic and merciless heir. Some…
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Food Folklore and Children’s Books
Recently, I have been reading more children’s books and one trend I have noticed is the rise in books about food! Now, this may be because as a Canadian immigrant (and something most immigrants can attest to) food has always been a constant source of embarrassment, history and comfort. I know it’s hard to believe nowadays because food is no longer such a big deal and multiculturalism (at least when it comes to food in some places) is ‘cool.’ The number of fusion restaurants opening at any given time or trending recipes circulating social media can attest to it. However,…
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The Mythology and Monsters of K-Pop Demon Hunters
The Mythology and Monsters of K-Pop Demon Hunters Welcome to Tales from the Box Office where Fox and Sparrow moonlight as TV and Movie reviewers who focus on the myths and monsters behind the fictional folklore fanfare! In this part, we will focus on the various monsters and their myths. Sony Picture Animation’s K-Pop Demon Hunters has taken the world by storm! The movie was co-directed by Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans and features a fictional K-Pop girl group called Huntr/x who sing to reinforce the Honmoon, a magical barrier protecting the world from demons. In our last post we…
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The Shamans and Swords of K-Pop Demon Hunters
The Shamans and Swords of K-Pop Demon Hunters Welcome to Tales from the Box Office where Fox and Sparrow moonlight as TV and Movie reviewers who focus on the myths and monsters behind the fictional folklore fanfare! In this part, we will focus on Shamanism and Huntr/x. K-Pop Demon Hunters is the blockbuster of the summer and it was only just released in June! The movie which was produced by Sony Pictures Animation and co-directed by Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans features a fictional K-Pop girl group called Huntr/x who just so happen to also be demon hunters. This post…
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Storyteller Series: Jack Finn
An exclusive interview with storyteller and author, Jack Finn! Read all about his inspirations, writing advice and his unique take on weaving a story based on folklore.
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The Story Bag: Korean Folklore
The Story Bag. In the spirit of the Lunar New Year, our story will be from Korea! Lunar New Year has many different names and countries like China, Korea, Vietnam, and Malaysia all celebrated January 22nd, 2023! We do cover the story of the Moon Goddess from the Mid-Autumn festival so if you want more festive stories then do check out that story here. This tale comes from So-un Kim’s “The Story Bag; a collection of Korean folk tales.” He was a prominent storyteller and essayist who wrote many books detailing Korean folktales and fairy tales! His politics, however, were…
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LGBTQ+ Retellings
June is Pride Month, and as we all gear up to celebrate ourselves and our loved ones, it’s also time to celebrate the strides we have taken in the literary world of retellings! From all corners of the world, we have seen a rise in the representation of BIPOC and LGBTQ+ protagonists! While the days of sassy “token” characters are not over, we still have a lot to celebrate. The current rise of fairy tale retellings has taken us by storm, and I have endeavoured to read and review some of the best-rated LGBTQ+ fiction! Please keep in mind that…
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Six Crimson Cranes
Six Crimson Cranes is book one of Elizabeth Lim’s duology. Princess Shiori of Kiata is the youngest sister of six brothers. As their last summer together approaches before adulthood, Shiori discovers a part of herself that she had inadvertently locked away. She conceals her forbidden powers, but when she uncovers a greater secret, she is confronted by her stepmother, the Empress Consort Raikama. Raikama banishes the princess and turns her brothers into six cranes with crimson crowns. With a bowl fused to her head and a warning that every word she speaks will be a death sentence for her brothers,…
Tales from the Enchanted Forest 