Description
Dark tales inspired by J. M. Barrie's classic stories of Neverland, Captain Hook, Tinkerbell, and of course Peter Pan, from some the masters of science-fiction, horror and fantasy including A. C. Wise, Claire North, Lavie Tidhar and more. The award-winning Marie O'Regan & Paul Kane bring together the masters of fantasy, science-fiction and horror, to spin stories inspired by J. M. Barrie's classic tale. A murder investigation leads a detective to a strange place called Neverland; pupils attend a school for Peters; a young boy loses his shadow and goes to desperate lengths to retrieve it. These stories take the original tales of Peter & Wendy, the Lost Boys and Tinkerbell, twisting and turning them. From dystopias to the gritty streets of London, these stories will keep you reading all night and straight on 'til morning. Featuring stories from: Lavie Tidhar Claire North Premee Mohamed Kirsty Logan Edward Cox Anna Smith Spark Alison Littlewood A. C. Wise Rio Youers Gama Ray Martinez Juliet Marillier Robert Shearman A. K. Benedict Laura Mauro Cavan Scott Guy Adams Paul Finch Muriel Gray
About the Author
Laura Purcell is a former bookseller living in Colchester, Essex. She began her career with two historical novels about the Hanoverian monarchs, Queen of Bedlam and Mistress of the Court, before her break-out Gothic ghost story The Silent Companions. Laura won the WHSmith Thumping Good Read Award in 2018 and has also been shortlisted for the Goldsboro Glass Bell and an Edgar Award in the Best Original Paperback category. Laura's short stories have been published in a number of collections including the Sunday Times best-selling The Haunting Season. Adrian Tchaikovsky is a sci-fi and fantasy author best known for his bestselling novel, Children of Time. He was born in Lincolnshire before heading off to Reading to study psychology and zoology. For reasons unclear even to himself he ended up as a legal executive in both Reading and Leeds, where he now lives. Married, he is a keen live role-player and occasional amateur actor, and keeps no exotic or dangerous pets of any kind, possibly excepting his son. He tweets @aptshadow. Catriona Ward was born in Washington DC and grew up in the US, Kenya, Madagascar, Yemen and Morocco. She studied English at St Edmund Hall, Oxford followed by the UEA Masters in Creative Writing. After living in New York for 4 years where she trained as an actor, she now works for a human rights foundation and lives in London. A.C. Wise is the author of Hooked and the bestselling Wendy, Darling. She also has two short story collections published by Lethe Press, Catfish Lullaby, a novella published by Broken Eye Books (2019), and The Ghost Sequences, a short story collection published by Undertow Books (2021), which was shortlisted for a 2021 Bram Stoker Award. Her work has won the Sunburst Award for Excellence in Canadian Literature of the Fantastic, as well as twice being a finalist for the Nebula Award, twice being a finalist for the Sunburst Award, and being a finalist for the Lambda Literary Awards. In addition to her fiction, she contributes semi-regular review columns to The Book Smugglers and Apex Magazine. Originally from Canada, she now lives in Pennsylvania, US. She tweets at @ac_wise. Genevieve Gornichec earned her degree in history from The Ohio State University, but she got as close to majoring in Vikings as she possibly could, and her study of the Norse myths and Icelandic sagas became her writing inspiration. She lives in Cleveland, Ohio. The Witch's Heart is her debut novel, and she tweets @gengornichec.
Reviews
Marie O'Regan and Paul Kane have mustered an enviable crew of lost boys and girls to explore the shadowy side of Neverland, creating a new set of fables for a lost generation. Like a fistful of fairy dust, these stories transform Peter Pan into something thrillingly contemporary - take the second star to the right and read on 'til morning. - British Fantasy Award winner Dan Coxon
"O'Regan and Kane have pulled the anthology together as only editors with consummate skill and experience can, and in terms of style and delivery, there really is something for everyone. It will be good to see The Other Side of Never take flight in the real world. There is certainly enough here to get anyone 'hooked'."-The British Fantasy Society
"Prepare for family secrets, crime scenes and many other tales to ponder what never growing up and Never Land really mean. I loved the collection's ability to play with the concept and the tales all manage to run the emotions from happy to grief to fear with ease."-Runalong the Shelves
"A deftly-crafted, and hugely enjoyable anthology. Probably not suitable for kids, but perfect for those adults who "never grew up"."-California Reading
PRAISE FOR CURSED: AN ANTHOLOGY, FROM THE EDITORS
A magical, mythical, mystical collection that should appeal to fans of dark fables and traditional folk horror. - Den of Geek
This anthology should satisfy most fantasy readers and is well worth a look. - Booklist
These stories are by turns eerie, grotesque, and delightful... Readers won't have to be Brothers Grimm fans to appreciate this dark melange. - Publishers Weekly Review
The editors have assembled a fantastic collection here, one that offers an array of talent and is packed with stories that are all worthy of a return visit... Certainly lives up to and surpasses expectations. - Starburst Magazine Revew
Puts new spins on old favorite stories and tropes, as well as offers a few completely new takes on the concept. - Book Riot
Skin-crawling, tooth-grinding scary and sensuous... an excellent collection whose unforgettable, spooky images invoke the magic of daily life. - Foreword Magazine Review
A strongly put together compilation, with very solid qualities... Really does achieve exactly what it set out to do. - The Bookbag Review
Every story selected for inclusion here is of incredibly high quality, delicious and moreish, provoking in the reader a compulsion to keep turning the pages until the book is complete. A compulsion strong enough to be a curse Perhaps. You'll need to buy a copy and find out for yourself. - A Set the Tape Review
Enchanting, spellbinding, gruesome and funny but seldom dull we give Cursed a 666/666. - Horror Hot House
A masterpiece in its editorial storytelling. - Her Campus
I enjoyed the twists and darkness in the stories and I will happily reread a few of them in the future. - A Novel Purpose Review
A really interesting mix of fairy tale, horror, and urban fantasy... A really well put together collection! - A Cat, A Book, and a Cup of Tea
A wonderful collection of stories. - Lucy's Novel Purpose
A solid collection... The overall vibe of this book is really dark & creepy, and in addition to the stories by authors I love, it was a great introduction to some new-to-me authors! - Grimdark Dad Review
The book is packed with great tales, and some amazing authors. Whatever style that you enjoy, or writers that you like, is sure to be met here. The book has something for everyone, and continues the tradition of Titan producing some of the best anthology books around. - Trans-scribe Review
No matter what your reading preference there will be something here for you... Each author really did fulfil the brief though and I very much enjoyed how diverse the ideas were, be it taken from existing mythology or through an entirely fresh approach. - Paperbacks & Pinot Review
I really enjoyed this story collection... This anthology is defiantly for fans of fairy tales. It reaches out like a voice in the woods tempting your childhood self to step off the path and roam in the darkness for a little while. - Istoria Lit Review
I enjoyed reading this book so much! It was so interesting... I would definitely recommend this book. It was such a quick read with you able to read a tale here and there. - Pythia Reads Review
Beautiful, twisted, and refreshing takes on classic stories (with a few brand new fairytales thrown in the mix, too). - Howling Libraries blog tour review
A great collection. - SciFi Movie Page review
Like watching a amazing story teller tell a story...so much to love about this anthology. - The Misadventures of a Reader blog tour review
A great collection of work from some great authors... has something for everyone. - Where There's Ink There's Paper Review
What impressed me was the depth and range of stories... There's something to delight every fantasy / fairytale / horror fan. - The Book Lover's Boudoir Review
Definitely worth checking out if you enjoy the darker side of fairy tales and the curses within. - Fantastic Books & Where to Find Them Review
An incredible collection. A must have for any fantasy fan. - An Average Life Review
This book is packed with great tales, and some amazing authors. Whatever style that you enjoy, or writers that you like, you will find something to read in this book. - Reader's Enjoy Author's Dreams Review
I really enjoyed reading Cursed it was perfect as I like fantasy with a dark twist... I would definitely recommend Cursed and I am sure there is something in their for everyone. - Odd Socks and Lollipops Review
Perfect for the current state of the world. You'll get sucked into these wonderful stories and want so much more! - mall3tg1rl blog tour review
CURSED is a masterfully edited book from a list of highly talented authors that delivers on its promise of evil curses, dark fairy tale retellings, and twists that are sure to give you goosebumps. - The Writerly Way blog tour review
The cadence of the book is spot on... O'Regan and Kane have a fantastic knack for knowing how to put stories in the right order. - Novel Lives blog tour review
[These] stories read quickly, but pack a real punch, landing in that sweet spot of short fiction that is often strived for but can be hard to land. - Looking Glass Reads blog tour review
A worthy addition to the twisted fairy tales genre. - The Frumious Consortium blog tour review
A fine collection of tales by some of the best names in fantasy... A high level of quality and some really interesting spins on the theme. - Runalong the Shelves Review
I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to fans of dark fairytales. - The Paperback Piano Review
Book Information
ISBN 9781803361789
Author A.C. Wise
Format Paperback
Page Count 384
Imprint Titan Books Ltd
Publisher Titan Books Ltd
About the Author
Laura Purcell is a former bookseller living in Colchester, Essex. She began her career with two historical novels about the Hanoverian monarchs, Queen of Bedlam and Mistress of the Court, before her break-out Gothic ghost story The Silent Companions. Laura won the WHSmith Thumping Good Read Award in 2018 and has also been shortlisted for the Goldsboro Glass Bell and an Edgar Award in the Best Original Paperback category. Laura's short stories have been published in a number of collections including the Sunday Times best-selling The Haunting Season. Adrian Tchaikovsky is a sci-fi and fantasy author best known for his bestselling novel, Children of Time. He was born in Lincolnshire before heading off to Reading to study psychology and zoology. For reasons unclear even to himself he ended up as a legal executive in both Reading and Leeds, where he now lives. Married, he is a keen live role-player and occasional amateur actor, and keeps no exotic or dangerous pets of any kind, possibly excepting his son. He tweets @aptshadow. Catriona Ward was born in Washington DC and grew up in the US, Kenya, Madagascar, Yemen and Morocco. She studied English at St Edmund Hall, Oxford followed by the UEA Masters in Creative Writing. After living in New York for 4 years where she trained as an actor, she now works for a human rights foundation and lives in London. A.C. Wise is the author of Hooked and the bestselling Wendy, Darling. She also has two short story collections published by Lethe Press, Catfish Lullaby, a novella published by Broken Eye Books (2019), and The Ghost Sequences, a short story collection published by Undertow Books (2021), which was shortlisted for a 2021 Bram Stoker Award. Her work has won the Sunburst Award for Excellence in Canadian Literature of the Fantastic, as well as twice being a finalist for the Nebula Award, twice being a finalist for the Sunburst Award, and being a finalist for the Lambda Literary Awards. In addition to her fiction, she contributes semi-regular review columns to The Book Smugglers and Apex Magazine. Originally from Canada, she now lives in Pennsylvania, US. She tweets at @ac_wise. Genevieve Gornichec earned her degree in history from The Ohio State University, but she got as close to majoring in Vikings as she possibly could, and her study of the Norse myths and Icelandic sagas became her writing inspiration. She lives in Cleveland, Ohio. The Witch's Heart is her debut novel, and she tweets @gengornichec.
Reviews
Marie O'Regan and Paul Kane have mustered an enviable crew of lost boys and girls to explore the shadowy side of Neverland, creating a new set of fables for a lost generation. Like a fistful of fairy dust, these stories transform Peter Pan into something thrillingly contemporary - take the second star to the right and read on 'til morning. - British Fantasy Award winner Dan Coxon
"O'Regan and Kane have pulled the anthology together as only editors with consummate skill and experience can, and in terms of style and delivery, there really is something for everyone. It will be good to see The Other Side of Never take flight in the real world. There is certainly enough here to get anyone 'hooked'."-The British Fantasy Society
"Prepare for family secrets, crime scenes and many other tales to ponder what never growing up and Never Land really mean. I loved the collection's ability to play with the concept and the tales all manage to run the emotions from happy to grief to fear with ease."-Runalong the Shelves
"A deftly-crafted, and hugely enjoyable anthology. Probably not suitable for kids, but perfect for those adults who "never grew up"."-California Reading
PRAISE FOR CURSED: AN ANTHOLOGY, FROM THE EDITORS
A magical, mythical, mystical collection that should appeal to fans of dark fables and traditional folk horror. - Den of Geek
This anthology should satisfy most fantasy readers and is well worth a look. - Booklist
These stories are by turns eerie, grotesque, and delightful... Readers won't have to be Brothers Grimm fans to appreciate this dark melange. - Publishers Weekly Review
The editors have assembled a fantastic collection here, one that offers an array of talent and is packed with stories that are all worthy of a return visit... Certainly lives up to and surpasses expectations. - Starburst Magazine Revew
Puts new spins on old favorite stories and tropes, as well as offers a few completely new takes on the concept. - Book Riot
Skin-crawling, tooth-grinding scary and sensuous... an excellent collection whose unforgettable, spooky images invoke the magic of daily life. - Foreword Magazine Review
A strongly put together compilation, with very solid qualities... Really does achieve exactly what it set out to do. - The Bookbag Review
Every story selected for inclusion here is of incredibly high quality, delicious and moreish, provoking in the reader a compulsion to keep turning the pages until the book is complete. A compulsion strong enough to be a curse Perhaps. You'll need to buy a copy and find out for yourself. - A Set the Tape Review
Enchanting, spellbinding, gruesome and funny but seldom dull we give Cursed a 666/666. - Horror Hot House
A masterpiece in its editorial storytelling. - Her Campus
I enjoyed the twists and darkness in the stories and I will happily reread a few of them in the future. - A Novel Purpose Review
A really interesting mix of fairy tale, horror, and urban fantasy... A really well put together collection! - A Cat, A Book, and a Cup of Tea
A wonderful collection of stories. - Lucy's Novel Purpose
A solid collection... The overall vibe of this book is really dark & creepy, and in addition to the stories by authors I love, it was a great introduction to some new-to-me authors! - Grimdark Dad Review
The book is packed with great tales, and some amazing authors. Whatever style that you enjoy, or writers that you like, is sure to be met here. The book has something for everyone, and continues the tradition of Titan producing some of the best anthology books around. - Trans-scribe Review
No matter what your reading preference there will be something here for you... Each author really did fulfil the brief though and I very much enjoyed how diverse the ideas were, be it taken from existing mythology or through an entirely fresh approach. - Paperbacks & Pinot Review
I really enjoyed this story collection... This anthology is defiantly for fans of fairy tales. It reaches out like a voice in the woods tempting your childhood self to step off the path and roam in the darkness for a little while. - Istoria Lit Review
I enjoyed reading this book so much! It was so interesting... I would definitely recommend this book. It was such a quick read with you able to read a tale here and there. - Pythia Reads Review
Beautiful, twisted, and refreshing takes on classic stories (with a few brand new fairytales thrown in the mix, too). - Howling Libraries blog tour review
A great collection. - SciFi Movie Page review
Like watching a amazing story teller tell a story...so much to love about this anthology. - The Misadventures of a Reader blog tour review
A great collection of work from some great authors... has something for everyone. - Where There's Ink There's Paper Review
What impressed me was the depth and range of stories... There's something to delight every fantasy / fairytale / horror fan. - The Book Lover's Boudoir Review
Definitely worth checking out if you enjoy the darker side of fairy tales and the curses within. - Fantastic Books & Where to Find Them Review
An incredible collection. A must have for any fantasy fan. - An Average Life Review
This book is packed with great tales, and some amazing authors. Whatever style that you enjoy, or writers that you like, you will find something to read in this book. - Reader's Enjoy Author's Dreams Review
I really enjoyed reading Cursed it was perfect as I like fantasy with a dark twist... I would definitely recommend Cursed and I am sure there is something in their for everyone. - Odd Socks and Lollipops Review
Perfect for the current state of the world. You'll get sucked into these wonderful stories and want so much more! - mall3tg1rl blog tour review
CURSED is a masterfully edited book from a list of highly talented authors that delivers on its promise of evil curses, dark fairy tale retellings, and twists that are sure to give you goosebumps. - The Writerly Way blog tour review
The cadence of the book is spot on... O'Regan and Kane have a fantastic knack for knowing how to put stories in the right order. - Novel Lives blog tour review
[These] stories read quickly, but pack a real punch, landing in that sweet spot of short fiction that is often strived for but can be hard to land. - Looking Glass Reads blog tour review
A worthy addition to the twisted fairy tales genre. - The Frumious Consortium blog tour review
A fine collection of tales by some of the best names in fantasy... A high level of quality and some really interesting spins on the theme. - Runalong the Shelves Review
I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to fans of dark fairytales. - The Paperback Piano Review
Book Information
ISBN 9781803361789
Author A.C. Wise
Format Paperback
Page Count 384
Imprint Titan Books Ltd
Publisher Titan Books Ltd
