Review: The Poison Eaters by Holly Black

This is a Young Adult anthology of a dozen short stories, some previously published in other anthologies or magazines.  But don't let the 'teen' label steer you away from the read.  This collection will entice even adults.

The first story, "The Coldest Girl in Coldtown" is the only vampire story, and it's excellent.  Black puts a new twist on the vampires-rule-the-world plot and you won't expect the surprise ending.

In "A Reversal of Fortune" a clever girl goes up against the devil in an eating contest.  "The Night Market" pits a young girl against a wicked elf.  "The Dog King" is a true faery tale.  "Paper Cuts Scissors" is one of my favorites, which finds a young man on a quest to rescue his girlfriend from a book.  Most of the stories feature a strong young woman defying the odds, and cleverly winning against a supernatural rival.  All the tales are filled with a dark wonder that'll either make you grimace or smile wickedly.  For fans of Holly Black, this anthology is a must-buy.

THE POISON EATERS is available February 1st from Small Beer Press.

Holly begins a new series in May with WHITE CAT.

Other books by Holly Black you may enjoy: