"A dreamy treat. . . . It is not merely strange, it is wondrous." --Boston Globe

"Alternatingly erudite and earthy, direct and playful. . . . If Scheherazade ever needs a break, Byatt can step in, indefinitely." --Chicago Tribune

"Byatt's writing is crystalline and splendidly imaginative. . . . These [are] perfectly formed tales." --Washington Post Book World

"Those new to the world of Byatt might well begin here, with these tales-within-tales, which one can read as anything from contemporary allegories--such as the superb Dragon's Breath, evoking every idyll that ever fell foul of war or famine--to sheer celebrations of storytelling itself." --Vogue

"The familiar elements of fairy story come to life under A.S. Byatt's touch . . . with lightness, precision, grace." --Observer

"A cerebral extravaganza, bristling with ideas." --Spectator

"The fairy story is obviously a form that fascinates A.S. Byatt, it suits her spare, cool prose and this collection enables her to create very different effects . . . a beautifully produced book." --Financial Times

"As with all of Byatt's work, there is a fierce intelligence at play, and beautifully nuanced prose." --Publisher's Weekly