Tales From Beyond the Rainbow: Ten LGBTQ+ fairy tales proudly reclaimed

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You can retain only one of these tales in mind at a time, and rolling on the Spirit Tales table immediately ends the effect of the previous tale. Tale of the Beguiler. The target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or take psychic damage equal to two rolls of your Bardic Inspiration die, and the target is incapacitated until the end of its next turn.

Once you perform the ritual, you can’t do so again until you start a long rest, and you know the chosen spell until you start a long rest. Mystical Connection Importantly, rather than being reinventions of heteronormative or cisnormative fairytales, the stories in this collection all already feature gay, transgender or non-binary characters, thereby showing that ‘ traditional folk tales about LGBTQ+ people are not a contemporary invention. They exist in every corner of the globe’. As Wood explains in his introduction, he has made changes to some of the stories, for instance to remove offensive slurs or to change stories which involve a magical ‘Shift of Sex’ into stories which ‘ highlight the journey of the characters from gender dysphoria to gender euphoria ‘. The result of Wood’s skilful and sensitive editing is a treasure trove of stories in which characters are able to find acceptance and love. For example, the Brothers Grimm’s ‘The Soldier and the Peasant’ ends with two men living together happily ever after, while in ‘The Girl in the Market’ from Benin, King Dadase’s betrothed Dausi becomes ‘ the most beloved of queens‘ even though her enemies have misgendered her by labelling her a man. I do have my fave stories in this collection - The Girl In The Market (illustarted by Mario Hounkanrin), Double-Flower Temple (illustrated by Xin Tang) and The Soldier and the Peasant (illustarted by Nontira Kigle), but all the tales were lovely to read. Tales From Beyond the Rainbow is a fascinating and inspiring collection of ‘reclaimed’ fairy tales which celebrate LGBTQ+ characters and themes. The tales, which are collected and retold by writer, academic and illustrator Pete Jordi Wood, come from across Europe, Africa and Asia, and are chosen to demonstrate the proud tradition of LGBTQ+ stories in cultures and folklore from around the world. Ongoing Covid restrictions, reduced air and freight capacity, high volumes and winter weather conditions are all impacting transportation and local delivery across the globe.

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Many of the stories focus on themes of gender, and it’s so important in today’s environment to not just celebrate and uplift trans stories and trans joy, but also to remember (and I’ll say it again because it’s so important), that trans people have always existed. I hope that this book finds its way into the hands of those that need it the most, because I have a feeling it’s going to mean a lot to a lot of people. This is a wonderful collection of fairytales from around the world, drawing on themes of queerness. It’s not a book of retold stories. Instead, Pete Jordi Wood has chosen a selection of tales that feature same-sex love, or explore ideas of gender. These are the fairy tales that history forgot – or concealed. Tales in which gender is fluid and where queer stories can have a happy ending. As with all short story collections, there were some that I enjoyed more than others. I think the first story, The Girl in the Market, is the strongest and most enjoyable. A sweet story about a transgender girl spotted by a prince in the market. The prince falls in love with her instantly and wants to marry her. This is the story that supposedly inspired the whole collection so it makes sense that it's so memorable. As I said, all of the stories were good in their own way but I also really loved The Falcon in the Garden and The Soldier and the Peasant. They just felt different and stood out from the rest. For me, The Ivory City had similar vibes to The Song Of Achilles and I was here for it. I also really liked The Dog and the Sailor about a sailor who helps a prince save his kingdom from a witch.

The illustrations are amazing! I found them detailed and rich. The cover has a lot of little images from the stories that are fun to find when the stories are read. It’s so colourful and cheery.Pete Jordi Wood collected these stories, collected isn’t the word, he sought them out, travelled the world, it was his quest to find the stories hidden over time and intentionally by white western patriarchy, I am so grateful to him for this. I’m a heterosexual woman, I’m not the target audience of these stories, but I’m ecstatic that we can all have a happy ending, I don’t need to say representation is not only important, but essential and I hate that so many in the past and still are denied representation they are entitled to. I love that finally there are books like this that children will be able to turn to, see themselves in and relate to, when in the past this just wasn’t available. I loved each tale, there wasn’t one I didn’t love, although I do hold a special place in my heart for The Spinners and The Sorcerer, The Falcon in the Garden, The Girl In The Market and The Ivory City. This is a wonderful anthology for the middle grade reader , it’s target audience , but also for adults to read with their children, to read for themselves. This book is not just there for the LGBTQ children, it’s their for parents, friends, their whole community to help support them and give a connection. It’s truly a gift. I bought this book for my Year 4 classroom’s book corner to celebrate pride month and I found that it was very age appropriate for 8-9 year olds but I also feel it can be enjoyed by older audiences. This is a groundbreaking collection and will be a welcome addition to many bookshelves for years to come. At 3rd level, you reach out to spirits who tell their tales through you. While you are holding your Spiritual Focus, you can use a bonus action to expend one use of your Bardic Inspiration and roll on the Spirit Tales table using your Bardic Inspiration die to determine the tale the spirits direct you to tell. You retain the tale in mind until you bestow the tale’s effect or you finish a short or long rest.