Emerald Magic : Great Tales of Irish Fantasy

Rating:
Summary: Very Irish & Very Fanciful
Review: I suggest pausing between stories to clear the mind. All the writers bring their own style, but also that Irish lyrical writing. To really savor each one, you need to avoid rushing straight through.
Not being well-grounded in all the creatures of Irish folklore, some of the scarier stories surprised me. These are not your Lucky Charm leprechauns.
I'd also recommend Norah Roberts'A Little Magic which embraces Irish fantasies with a romantic flair.

Rating:
Summary: Very Irish & Very Fanciful
Review: I suggest pausing between stories to clear the mind. All the writers bring their own style, but also that Irish lyrical writing. To really savor each one, you need to avoid rushing straight through.
Not being well-grounded in all the creatures of Irish folklore, some of the scarier stories surprised me. These are not your Lucky Charm leprechauns.
I'd also recommend Norah Roberts'A Little Magic which embraces Irish fantasies with a romantic flair.

Rating:
Summary: A great group of stories
Review: This wonderful book is a collection of some fifteen stories of Irish magic. The authors of the stories are all masters of the writing profession - Tanith Lee, Ray Bradbury, Fred Saberhagen, Morgan Llywelyn, and others. The book is arranged into two groups: The Little People, and Literary Fantastics, but don't imagine that it is quite that clear. The stories all range in setting from the ancient past to the very modern, and each is a masterpiece, ranging from the sad to the heartwarming to the hilarious.

As you might expect with an anthology, I found some of the stories to be better than others. I loved Cecilia Dart-Thornton and Jacqueline Carey's stories of ancient times (I always loved the old Irish heroic stories), and also Fred Saberhagen horror story. Those are my three favorites, but my hat is off to Peter Tremayne's story, which juxtaposes the horrors of yesterday with those of today. (I wish I could tell you about it, but that would be spoiling things!)

Yep, this is a great group of stories. If you like Irish stories, then you absolutely most get this book. And even if it's just that you like good modern stories of the fantastic, you will love this book. I highly recommend it!

Rating:
Summary: Ah, Irish Magic!
Review: What a lovely book! I gave it as a gift to myself, because Father Greeley is one of my guilty pleasures. I have always been a huge fan of the work of Charles De Lint, and the Butter Spirit's tithe was a great read, very fun. Likewise Elizabeth Haydon, whose prose has always reminded me a little bit of William Butler Yeats, infuses her charming take with the poetry only found in Irish blood. Judith Tarr, an author I had not read before, also impressed me favorably.

There is not a truly bad story in here, though I thought the Carey and Yolen tales could have been a bit better told. But all in all, this is a wonderful collection for anyone who enjoys great storytelling, a great variety of interpretation, and magic.