Under My Hat: Tales from the Cauldron (Innkeeper's World #1.5)

Eighteen notable authors brew up some real magic in this enchanting collection of brief tales about the witchy ways of witches. Strahan’s introductory note explains that his inspiration to create such a collection came directly from his fascination with Terry Pratchett’s Discworld, and readers who found a friend in Tiffany Aching will find plenty of kindred spirits here. The tones range from smartly snarky, as in Frances Hardinge’s “Payment Due,” in which a teen witch uses her powers to harass the repo man, to sweetly romantic, as in Delia Sherman’s “The Witch in the Woods” in which a shape-shifting healer must fight for her love’s life. Neil Gaiman casts a spell with a possibly funny, possibly melancholy, but definitely odd poem, while Holly Black, Tanith Lee, and Charles de Lint play on themes of expectations and reality. A few stories are a little overtidily concluded, but several close on an enticingly open note: the final scene of Ellen Klages’ “The Education of a Witch,” involving a vindictive preschooler, is especially haunting. So grab your hat, your wart, and don’t forget the eye of newt—you’ll want to spend the witching hour and more with this coven.

Fantasia / Ficção / Jovem adulto