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Reviewed by Tina Stanciu for Readers' Favorite
Just when you thought all the great stories have been already written, A Floating World comes along and sweeps you off your feet. It only takes one glance at the cover and the outstanding titles and you know that this is not your ordinary short story book. Karen D. Best has given birth to thirteen modern fairy tales featuring contemporary princesses, twisted love stories, dark sea serpents, and magic dresses that will excite your imagination and make you feel you are reading your own thoughts. The words start to dance in front of your eyes and you find yourself in the heart of each story, feeling what the protagonists are feeling, and thinking about alternative endings for days after you have finished reading it. You empathize with Gwen from Eternity on Ice, as she watches her love skate away with the mysterious blue-haired girl, you share Maryska’s curiosity in Our Lady of Wormwood, and you enchant your mind with visions of the Snow Girls from Blizzard Season.
Each story leaves you wanting more, turning each one into your own personal saga, putting all those “what if” questions to work. The stories surprise you, combining elements of fairy tales with pieces from modern day life and a touch of dark mystery. A Floating World is a perfect example that fairy tales still have a lot to offer us, whether they are stories about sleeping beauties or trance-inducing blue-haired women. Karen D. Best has done a stunning job portraying her thoughts, imagination, and personal style into these stories and, by adding elements such as musical, literature or film references, she has managed to get readers even more involved in the storyline of her fairy tales. Sisters of Mercy, Anais Nin, and Fritz Lang or Marlene Dietrich references enrich each story and give it an amazing power in the eyes of its readers. And what is more beautiful than reading a book that only after one page the words leave the paper and start creating images in your mind?
