A Fairy's Tale
Douglas Thornton
language
(, June 13, 2015)
Douglas Thornton’s debut book, A Fairy’s Tale, takes readers on a magical ride through beloved, and unfamiliar fairy tales. Why do bad things happen in fairy tales? Are fairies really wicked if they do bad things? Is there a reason helpless humans endure arduous journeys before getting their happily ever after? If we call them fairy tales why do the fairies play such minor roles? Or do they? A Fairy’s Tale explores these ideas through Viola’s eyes.Viola is the firstborn fairy of the season and very different from her twin sister Chrysanthis. Where Chrysanthis is outgoing and popular, Viola is quiet and solitary. While Chrysanthis is given the role of a Fairy Godmother, Viola is made the Enchantress.It isn’t until Viola is sent out on her first assignment that everything becomes very clear; being the Enchantress is dreadful. Unlike Chrysanthis who makes dreams come true, Viola dispatches nightmares. Her jobs in the Human Realm involve curses, or terrible gifts meant to harm, or hardships to unsuspecting humans. Viola grows resentful of doing the Fairy Council’s dirty work. Thus, she decides to run away from the Fairy Kingdom, leaving behind her role, her responsibilities and her sister. But running away sets into motion a series of unexpected events that help Viola better understand that there is more to being the Enchantress than she originally thought.