The Scarecrow King

The Scarecrow King is based on the tale of King Thrushbeard. As punishment for her spoiled, selfish behavior, a princess is married off to the first person who walks into the palace. Unfortunately for the princess, it is a poor minstrel.

I was really looking forward to this story. It is frequently listed as a hidden gem on lists of fairytale retellings. Unfortunately, I was disappointed. I understand there wasn't much source material, but I felt it gave the author a missed opportunity to expand the story further. The characters and world were underdeveloped. The story itself felt rushed. I want to expand upon the story and add an extra 50-75 pages to it. As it stands, it's like getting a “skinny” sandwich, as opposed to a regular one. There's just enough to satisfy the hunger, but it's not quite enough to fill you up.