The Ladies of Grace Adieu

Susana Clarks The Ladies of Grace Adieu, is a collection of short stories written in what I would call an old fashioned 19th century style. If you've read her novel Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell then you already know what type of style this is, however if you (like me) have not read said novel then this style of writing may be a bit of a surprise for you. Since reading this book I have read other reviews that mention that it is better to read her novel before reading this collection of short stories and I have read that while it may be a great read for fans of Jonathan Strange it may be a bit difficult for others to enjoy and relate to because of the writing style.

I found that this was the case for me some of the time. I didn't enjoy the style of writing as much as I have read many others have, I am more of a modern fiction reader and never really could get into the old fashioned fairy tale style. I did see, though, that while I may not love it - it was very well done. I can see a fan of this type of writing really getting into it, for me though it was a bit of work to get myself to keep reading at first.

It was the very interesting and fun stories that kept me reading. While the writing style was a bit off putting for my modern sci-fi/horror tastes the stories were just right! The stories feature witches, Dukes, mischievous fairies and much more. It's a blend of historical fiction and the fairy tale where the real world and the fairy world sometimes blur together and influence each other.

The Ladies of Grace Adieu is a well writing, clever, and interesting collection of short stories. The writing style, while appealing to many, was not right for me. However, the unique world, fascinating and funny characters, and interesting plots made this a fun read in the end.