Lips Touch: Three Times

At the end of this book Laini Taylor says: “...I am a scavenger of shiny things: fairy tales, dead languages, weird folk beliefs, fascinating religions, and more.” I am thankful she collects these things and then spins them into her own strange, captivating, magical and dark other-worldly tales and stories because her books are absolutely delicious to read. I was a bit skeptical at first because this was tagged as being a ‘fairytale romance' or ‘fantasy romance' genre, and there are so many ways that can go sideways. There is an odd occasion when I don't mind fantasy books with heavy romance leanings - basically romance in a fantasy setting, but on the whole I prefer the fantasy part to come first and foremost and the romance is secondary. Laini Taylor made this book of short stories part of the latter category and also managed to make it not cringe-worthy ‘teen romance' tropey either. Rather this reads like original Grimm's fairy tales with all the dark, dangerous and eerie atmosphere they were meant to have. Non-Disney-fied fairy tales where you are more likely to be thankful that kind of magic doesn't exist because it often exacts a price and isn't filled with butterflies and happy endings. Her signature lyrical writing is also present, pulling you into images of the world with words as wonderful as a fine wine. I'm a huge fan of her writing and this book was just another addition to many of her books and stories I love. Whether she is taking us on an adventure with little winged fairies, or on an expedition to a fabled city in the desert filled with mysteries and gods and magic or to the mountains and forests of dark fey, it is always a journey well worth taking!