Set during the reign of the Sun King, Louis XIV, Modern Fairies centers on a group of storytellers whose fairy tales are now well-known classics. I loved learning about the origins and writers of these fairy tales, especially how these salons were spaces for women to gather and be creative.

The writing at times felt academic but also was written in a way that we the reader are being told the story of these people in the tone of a fairy tale. There is an attempt to make these historical figures more modern/likable in the way they are presented and adding mystery & forbidden romance to make the story more interesting.

While I was interested in the history and the original fairy tales, I didn’t find the story engaging and didn’t care much for the personal lives of the characters. They felt too superficial and at times made stupid decisions that were almost comical.

This was a really interesting premise! I enjoyed the mix of fantasy and history though it did make it seem episodic as it went on. Despite that i enjoyed this! The tone was great and so was the writing style. It fit the time period but was also very readable. I'd definitely try something else from this author!

I thought this was a very interesting novel. It's set in 18th-century Paris and Versailles, and the prose both evokes modern literary writing as well as a dreamy fairytale-esque style. It is quite unique and I enjoyed it a lot.
However, I failed to really get a feel for all of the characters because there were so many, and that made it a little disjointed sometimes.

Charming and mysterious - The Modern Fairies follows a group of storytellers in 1600/1700s France with a grim mystery on their hands.

Set in the salon of Madame Marie d'Aulnoy, the friends gather to share old wives tales, later termed contes de fées (fairy tales) and to share salicious gossip about themselves and the royal court at Versailles. Tensions rise when the court is subject to a series of poisionings - later to be known as the Affair of the Poisons. The group suspects a spy among their ranks.

I loved seeing the characters express theirselves and their lives through the fairy tales that they told. The added mystery as to who the "fly" was, was an additional bonus I didn't expect.

A great read for lovers of historical fiction and mystery!

Thank you to author and publisher for the arc!

I absolutely loved the author’s book Delphi, but this book felt like it wasn’t even written by the same author. It lacked depth, i didn’t resonate with the characters whatsoever and the writing felt super flat:

I wish I had liked it more, but it just wasn’t for me.

This is based on real events involving Perrault and the women around him, and how they crafted his famous fairy tales around the reign of Louis XIV. It’s an interesting take, and a shorter novel that doesn’t overstay its welcome. Pollard is definitely a writer I’ll be reading from again!

This is a novel of the goings on at the salon of Marie where fairy tales are told, but they are set against a wider background involving the Sun King's Court as well as Paris, where the salon is held.
I was pleasantly surprised to find that this novel contained so much colourful description and little known facts, such as the fact that nostalgia is a Greek word meaning the ache from an old wound. The author tells the stories current at Versailles with equal enthusiasm and I felt as if I was actually there, in Versailles, which is what a novel is meant to do, transport one to a place of their imagination as if it is real. Needless to say that I enjoyed the book and would highly recommend it.

Sadly I did not find this book engaging or enjoyable. The characters lacked the depth and complexity they would need for me to care about them. The bawdiness seemed to be there for no good reason, without the seduction any writing of this nature needs to engage the reader. It was too baldly stated and left me unmoved. I found myself skimming some of this in the hope it might get more appealing but that didn’t happen. Such a shame, because the description was what made me want to read and review it.

Very very enjoyable.
The magic of fairytale, and the darkness of fairytale of old, non of your Disney stuff here!
Great to pick out bits of stories now do familiar to us.
The goings on at court were also dark, and lust filled and more than a touch saucy!!
This book has a lot going for it.
It's quite a short book, and I could have happily read more.

4 star reading from me. Loved this book so much. So so so good! I recommend everyone this book. Lovely reading.