I have been plowing through fairy tale compilations during the past couple of weeks, and I am enjoying the ride immensely! These collections are all edited by Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling, a pair of extremely talented women that I’ve only begun to learn about, and they all feature retellings of classic fairytales with incredible twists. Some are dark and disturbing; others are romantic and gorgeous. All are incredibly magical and imaginative, perfect dips into another realm for a few minutes or a whole afternoon—whatever you have time for.

One of my favorite collections is a thin one intended more for the young adult crowed called Troll’s Eye View: A Book of Villainous Tales. What I love about this collection is that each story re-imagines the villains we all know, providing them with either alternative tales or reasoning behind their villainous nature. After all, most people aren’t born bad; something had to happen along the way to make them choose their path.

There is a hilarious take on Rapunzel in which the titular character is really an unwelcome guest who crashes a witch’s tower. A different take on The Sorcerer’s Apprentice shows that the man isn’t a villainous wizard at all—but only selective in who his successor will be. A spin on both Bluebeard and Othello treats readers with a more beautiful story rather than a harem of headless wives, and we get a peek into why the troll who lives under the bridge is the way he is, which turns out to be a bit of a sad story. The background of the titular character in Rumplestiltskin, according to Michael Cadnum, is also very illuminating.

My absolute favorite story in the book spins the tale of the witch from Hansel and Gretel, explaining how a beautiful girl, inside and out, was so horribly wronged and abused that she became a witch who craved the bones of children in her old age. That story alone would make the entire book worth the read—I think it’s worthy of an award by itself—but all of them are actually very good. They’re the kind of stories that really stick with you—the kind of thing that, well, only fairy tales can really do.

Troll’s Eye View is the perfect compilation to satisfy your fairy tale craving. I would encourage any fantasy lover to pick up a copy and devour it immediately.