The Girl Who Ruled Fairyland - For a Little While by Catherynne M. Valente

This original short story tells the tale of how a girl named Mallow defeated King Goldmouth with the help of the Red Wind, Mr. Map, and many fairyland friends new and old--from Catherynne M. Valente, author of the children's fantasy sensation The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making. At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

I maybe read this too hot on the heels of [b:The Girl Who Fell Beneath Fairyland and Led the Revels There 13538708 The Girl Who Fell Beneath Fairyland and Led the Revels There (Fairyland, #2) Catherynne M. Valente https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1334547766s/13538708.jpg 14556391]. I was desperate for my Valente, and it turns out that this book is available as a free ebook (from Tor), so of course, I moved straight into it. But it lacked the delight of the full length books of the series. Maybe more deprivation in between would have helped me appreciate it more.Yes, it is quite inventive: with carriageless horses and many types of magic. Yes, there is some interesting central plot about Fairyland stealing tithes from other worlds. There is a simply lovely introduction about the concept of history.But I was hoping for more backstory on Mallow, maybe even dating back to the Maud days, and overall, I just don't think that the short story format is well-suited for fairyland, which I enjoy because of the perception of a vast, rich world.

A short story set before [b:The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making 9591398 The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making (Fairyland, #1) Catherynne M. Valente https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1388179691s/9591398.jpg 6749837]. I liked the story, though I felt it lacked some of the panache of the first full length story, but it provided some interesting background to the life of Mallow.