Reviewed by Emily-Jane Hills Orford for Readers' Favorite

A princess wronged, an evil prince and his equally evil sister; wild creatures, both good and evil. And then there’s the unicorn, whose horn has been smashed and his magic is fading. All the makings of a fairy tale. The plot thickens as good and evil struggle to maintain control. There is always a lure to power. The idea of being royal - a king, a queen, a prince or a princess – and to have all the money and control over other people seems to attract the wrong kind of person. But, in a good fairy tale, good will always prevail and, if the story being told has a lesson, as it usually does, then the lesson will be one well learned.

Australian author, poet and storyteller, J.R. Poulter, writing under the pseudonym of J.R. McRae, has created a fairy tale for older children. Tatter Wings is a story that combines fantasy with a Gothic graphic novel/picture book presentation. The illustrations, by master illustrator Shahab Shashirsaz, are dark, luring, ominous, as one would expect given the theme of evil that permeates the story. The atmosphere is set in the illustrations as the evil plot thickens. The story is told in narrative form with very little dialogue. Whilst the author masterfully builds the growing fear of the evil forces surrounding the mythical kingdom, the illustrations complement the mood. And, as good appears to overcome evil, and the wronged princess takes vows to live a pure life, there is still a sense of evil lurking in the forest. A sinister story with a message: never trust what someone looks like, for true beauty is found within.