Fabulous book. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a free advanced copy of this book to read and review.

2.5 stars
I just couldn't take to these stories. They were fine and I'm sure the intended age range loves them but they were very base level. Also, why did so many of the stories have someone called Sarah? I noticed at least three I think?

I love this new short story collection from Catherine Fisher.
Each of the short stories in this collection sets up something mysterious, creepy and magical. Some are based on her previous writing, some draw on classic fairy stories with a distinctive twist. They're all clever and perfectly sketched in a short space. And then they generally do something that I absolutely adore in short stories, they leave it all deliciously unresolved.
Magic doesn't have to be explained. We don't need to know how we got onto this path, or even what lies at the end of it, when the journey is so thrilling and exciting. There's something to be preferred about this approach to having everything neatly tied up. It leaves so much to the imagination. And that's what The Red Gloves and Other Stories does so well, it sets off all of these sparks in the imagination and then leaves them to fizzle and burn.
A wonderful collection.

Good collection of horror short stories, they are creepy and gripping. I liked the style of writing and think it can be appreciated by people of all the ages.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

An enjoyable collection of creepy short stories for middle grade readers. I loved the Welsh settings and Catherine Fisher's writing is both evocative and engaging. While I didn't completely enjoy all the stories, there were definitely several here that I found particularly good. Those with a strong supernatural element I thought worked best and my absolute favourite was The Hare, working with old legends from the Mabinogion very effectively. Overall I thought this had good, interesting characters and a varied mix of story so that while readers might not like them all, there should be some they will really enjoy.

Thank you to Netgalley for a copy of this arc. Although I am not the intended audience for this collection of short stories, I found them all compelling and creepy in there own ways. Personally, I found that the best stories in this collection for 9-12 year olds were The Hare and The Changing Room as they made shivers crawl up my spine.

I also loved that these stories were set in Wales and also obviously drew in inspiration from Welsh folklore and myth. Highly enjoyable and would definitely recommend for the upcoming spooky season!

The Red Gloves and Other Stories is a fantastic set of spooky tales that will be a must-read for any young reader this Halloween. Catherine Fisher's fast-paced storytelling flows from the pages like a dream, and children will have no problem devouring this in one sitting.

The Red Gloves and Other Stories is a fantastic collection for those who like a short story or two. I’m delighted that these stories don’t answer all your questions, Catherine Fisher gives you enough of a conclusion while leaving you with a wee mystery to ponder over. The stories feel like watching an episode of the twilight zone, they are slightly mysterious and creepy but there is nothing too shocking in them, so they are perfect for curious 10-12 year olds. If you are a fan of darker fairy tales, you will recognise a lot of the concepts here; powerful beasties granting wishes, ghosts and creatures that can steal your identity… it will leave you hoping for a second volume.

Sometimes you read a book that absorbs you so completely that you hold your breath for fear of being discovered - this is one such book. The Red Gloves and other stories comprises of nine tantalising short but spooky tales so expertly written by Catherine Fisher. They are a perfect blend of Welsh legends and English folklore.
Perfect for sharing as the evenings draw in and the curtains are drawn, these stories won't be easy to forget once heard. Within the pages there is a tale of two brothers caught in the same dream, a tale that really does make you consider carefully the phrase 'be careful what you wish for' and a classic ghost story. Each  will be much discussed and will become very much part of the world of folklore. I'm a huge fan of The Clockwork Crow triology and this is just as perfect.
Thank you to Firefly Press for access to an early read via NetGalley.

Firstly I must confess I’m not the target age range for this book but I still enjoyed this collection of spooky short stories.
Catherine Fishers writing is heavily influenced by welsh folk stories & legends, and as a welsh reader I’ve always enjoyed seeing my culture reflected on the page. This collection is no different, with many tales featuring welsh names & places. I didn’t enjoy every story in the collection, as Is often the case, I found some stories tedious whilst others I engaged with much more easily. Whilst I never found any of the stories scary, I can see someone much younger finding the atmosphere in some of the stories very eerie.
Stories of particular note were the titular “The red gloves” about a bargain find which comes with strings attached, “The hare” about the otherworldliness of a seemingly innocent white hare & finally my personal favourite “Sgilti lightfoot” which focused on a daring quest to breach a mysterious castles walls. I loved this story in particular because I adored Fishers description of The spider and honestly could of happily read more of their quest.
As a whole I can imagine this being a nice little collection for a confident young adolescent reader, not too scary but jammed pack with atmosphere

This book kept making me want more. Filled with some glorious short stories that are perfect for the spooky season, Catherine Fisher has spoilt us. My only criticism is that I didn’t want each story to end. My favourite was The Silver Road - eerie, creepy but delicious too. I didn’t want to start dreaming after that one. Thank you for the ARC. I loved this one.

A nice easy middle grade read. I’m not sure any of them could be described as spooky, but there’s a nice range of story topics and themes addressed.

This collection of short stories by Catherine Fisher presents a delightful mix of strange and spooky tales, aimed at middle-grade reader. Overall I really enjoyed the variety in the stories, and how different myths & legends have been explored.

My favourite stories were The Silver Road, Sgilti Lightfoot and Ghost in the Rain. Especially in Sgilti, I found myself really drawn to the characters and the situation you're plunged into due to the short format, and felt sorry to see the end of that tale. Many of the stories draw you in instantly and really leave you with a feeling of curiosity and wonder - some tales are fairly resolved, while others feel like just a snippet of what might unfold for the characters.

A couple of the stories didn't grab me as much. The titular Red Gloves felt a bit torn between the paranormal and the friendship elements of the story, so I didn't feel as taken in by that tale. Not Such a Bad Thing felt kind of out of place in its normalcy amongst all the stranger tales (unless I really missed something in the story) so again I didn't enjoy it as much.

As someone from South Wales, I really loved the tone of the stories and the use of traditional Welsh names & places. It felt completely natural and so familiar - I feel the author wove her heritage into the writing so wonderfully, and I feel it's very difficult to find Welsh themes or settings, so this was a joy to read.

The cover and illustrated elements are beautiful (though on the NetGalley ARC do not work on kindle) and add to the fantasy feel of the book.

Overall, I would recommend this to middle-grade readers who enjoy short stories and unusual themes.

I feel I need to start my review with a confession: I have never read any of author Catherine Fisher’s books. I don’t have a good reason for not doing so – the incredibly popular The Clockwork Crow has been sitting in my TBR pile for several months – but having now got that off my chest I can state that having no preconceived ideas as to what to expect from this collection of short stories has allowed me to read it with fresh eyes.

With so few books of short stories for children in KS2 being available, I am always keen to add to my small collection because, as well as being enjoyable in their own right, it is always good to have a selection of tales that can be read aloud in a single session or over a couple of days in school, or – as I did with my own children when they were young enough – to be read at bedtime. While a few of the stories here have been published elsewhere, they were all new to me and I very much enjoyed them – reading many of them in a single evening and then finishing them the next day.

Unlike some books, where the stories are linked by the appearance of the same protagonist, these are all separate – meaning that the reader can dip in and out to cherry-pick their favourites once all have been initially enjoyed – but there is an underlying spooky or creepy feeling to most of what has been included. If anyone is looking for something truly scary, then they will not be disappointed as several of the tales included manage to ramp up the fear factor quite satisfactorily – no mean feat in such short reads.

The Red Gloves of the title and The Hare in particular will appeal to those who favour something a bit more spine-chilling and would be fabulous shared at Hallowe’en, although I thoroughly enjoyed reading them in the summer sun. To avoid scaring younger or more sensitive readers, I would suggest that most of the stories are more suitable for Year 5 upwards, although some such as Not Such a Bad Thing would also appeal to a younger audience.

Enormous thanks, as always, go to Firefly Press and Net Galley for my early read, ahead of publication of the hardback on September 16th. 5 out of 5 stars.

This was a quick and easy book to read. The illustrations were really good however sadly it didn’t always format properly on my iPad which was a little annoying. The stories are indeed short and easy to follow, definitely tell it’s aimed at middle schoolers however that’s fine with me as it was a nice quick read between quite thick books. The stories themselves aren’t particularly scary, and even for middle schoolers I think they could definitely go a little darker and maybe have some odd stories which leave the story open.

First of I have to say I quickly realised I'm not part of the target audience and wouldn't get much out the collection. I think for a middle grade novel it's appropriately creepy without being graphic.
The stories are simply written and I like the illustrations, but the content itself wasn't interesting to me. Sometimes the writing felt a bit rushed or unfinished. I don't think it's due to the format, I've read plenty of novellas/short stories, where this wasn't a problem.
Most of the stories end with a sense of anticipation. They don't have open endings, but leave you to imagine what could come next for the characters.
This is not a bad anthology, but very much wasn't what I expected. I don't want to rate this low, but I still want to it to reflect my enjoyment of this novel.

Gripping stories of myth, magic and folklore…

This a super collection of the strange, spooky and supernatural in nine short stories that will send a shiver down your spine and stay lingering in your thoughts long after closing the book.

I feverishly devoured one story after another in one greedy sitting. Deliciously dark, headline story ‘The Red Gloves’ is the type of tale I would’ve enjoyed scaring myself silly with as a child. It’s one of the stories that children will retell to one another again and again until it becomes an urban legend.

When Sarah buys a pair of elegant red velvet gloves from a charity shop, she gets more than she bargained for. In the middle of the night, she begins to hear scratching and knocking from the drawer she put the gloves in. Things start moving around in the bedroom with no explanation and then the messages start appearing… the suspense builds to a terrifying crescendo which will literally have you reaching for your throat!

‘The Hare’ is equally as tense and will make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. When Owen’s father finds a snow white hare in the road on a stormy night, the family take it in to care for it. Owen’s sister Becca is instantly smitten but the creature makes Owen uneasy, staring blankly at him with it’s black eyes. When the hare refuses to leave the cottage and strange things start to happen in the night, Owen starts to question what or who the creature really is…

I don’t want to reveal too much about the remaining stories in the book and spoil the suspense but just to whet your appetite, you can look forward to step-brothers who get stuck in the same nightmare, a dark and dingy changing room where a mysterious stranger asks you to swap lives and a Victorian ghost story featuring a boy, a girl and a deep well…

Due for release in September, The Red Gloves is the perfect Autumn read for when the nights are drawing in. It’s no surprise that many of the stories have connections with Catherine Fisher’s Welsh homeland and the lonely village settings, remote countryside locations and threatening weather make for an atmospheric experience. This would be an excellent collection to read aloud that will have children begging for one more chapter.

I’m a huge fan of The Clockwork Crow trilogy and Catherine Fisher has crafted nine spells that cleverly combine just the right amount of fear, fantasy, a pinch of wit and a sprinkle of magic.

A lovely little book of short and scary stories. All the stories left me wanting more and thinking about what might happen next. Perfect for middle grade readers who like suspense and scary stories.