Instead of Three Wishes: Magical Short Stories
By: Megan Whalen Turner
My Rating: Four out of Five Stars
Best for: 14 and up

How does an author show off? They write short stories.

There’s just something about a short story that warms my book-loving heart. Novels are an amazing feat, to be sure. But when an author fits an entire novel’s worth of ideas, character development, and world building into 20 pages I can’t help but feel a sense of awe. An author who can write amazing short stories is an author who can write anything.

Megan Whalen Turner is one of those. We already know that because The Queen’s Thief is among the greatest stories of all time. But reading this collection of magical short stories solidified her place on my awesome shelf.

Each story in this collection includes the lovely pull-the-rug-out-from-under-you reveal at the end you might expect from the author of The Thief, and the subtle sprinkle of magic throughout is icing on the cake. Each one is perfectly charming and wonderfully readable. I enjoyed them all, but feel like giving a special call out to Aunt Charlotte and the NGA Portraits, Instead of Three Wishes, and The Baker King.

No content concerns at all, but I don’t picture the 14 and under crowd really getting into them. I’ll say best for 14 and up.

Get your copy here!

Happy Reading!