This is a collection of three novellas with a few common themes: female protagonists, fairy tale creatures and a twist that turns on a kiss.

I read Taylor’s Daughter of Smoke & Bone all the way back in 2012, and I’d forgotten how evocative her writing is. Everything feels lush and dangerous and full of import, even if the stakes seem to be nothing more than a teenage crush.

It is long past time for me to finish the DoS&B trilogy, but this collection was an excellent appetizer.