Lentils in Black Rice

Myths and Fairy Tales

Fiction - Short Story/Novela
96 Pages
Reviewed on 10/28/2020
Buy on Amazon

This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Free Book Program, which is open to all readers and is completely free. The author will provide you with a free copy of their book in exchange for an honest review. You and the author will discuss what sites you will post your review to and what kind of copy of the book you would like to receive (eBook, PDF, Word, paperback, etc.). To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email.

This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Review Exchange Program, which is open to all authors and is completely free. Simply put, you agree to provide an honest review an author's book in exchange for the author doing the same for you. What sites your reviews are posted on (B&N, Amazon, etc.) and whether you send digital (eBook, PDF, Word, etc.) or hard copies of your books to each other for review is up to you. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email, and be sure to describe your book or include a link to your Readers' Favorite review page or Amazon page.

This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Donation Program, which was created to help nonprofit and charitable organizations (schools, libraries, convalescent homes, soldier donation programs, etc.) by providing them with free books and to help authors garner more exposure for their work. This author is willing to donate free copies of their book in exchange for reviews (if circumstances allow) and the knowledge that their book is being read and enjoyed. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email. Be sure to tell the author who you are, what organization you are with, how many books you need, how they will be used, and the number of reviews, if any, you would be able to provide.

    Book Review

Reviewed by Emily-Jane Hills Orford for Readers' Favorite

Who doesn’t love a good fairy tale? But one must be careful what they wish for. Classic tales and stories from the Bible have been, and continue to be, retold in various different genres, some pleasant and positive, others almost horrific. The classic Grimm story about Cinderella could have an evil twist if, after her marriage to the prince, she becomes obsessed with strange things, like pigeons and pear trees and even the gift from her husband, the golden slippers, that he insists she wears at his coronation. She endures this in spite of the fact that they make her feet bleed profusely. And Little Red Riding Hood’s grandmother is really a witch, one to fear, but the wolf doesn’t fear the grandmother witch. A retelling of Rapunzel, the Pied Piper, and several others might make you think twice about enjoying a good fairy tale.

Molly Lazer’s collection of short stories, Lentils in Black Rice: Myths and Fairy Tales, is a clever and at times almost horrific retelling of classic tales. Each story is well constructed with a good plot that transforms but doesn’t obliterate the original tale. The characters are well developed and the language and format of telling the story are very much in the manner of classic fairy tales. Each story takes the idea of the original classic, mostly Grimm fairy tales, and molds the story into a lesson of good versus evil, almost telling the reader to be careful what they wish for. Although somewhat disturbing, these stories are a fine example of fairy tales, if a little on the dark side.