Content levels
Heroine archetypes
Protagonist archetypes
Tropes
Themes
Synopsis
Monsters. They are not always easily spotted, and often easily misunderstood. Sometimes, the monsters must be slain—and sometimes, they must be saved . . . In this collection of nine folkloric fantasy and science fiction stories, you will find a motley crew of characters facing off against monsters or accepting the monstrous within themselves, including: ~a ruthless mermaid who must make a deadly choice to free her little sister from a dangerous mistake; ~a galactic gravedigger branded a traitor for burying a rebel—and forced to decide between her beliefs and the future she’s fought to build; ~a once-wicked queen who must face her darkest self in order to help another young woman avoid an unhappy fate; ~a ghostly creature trapped in a spaceship full of secrets—secrets that may destroy the young man set to inherit the ship’s dark legacy; ~and a desperate thief on the run, who must decide whether the wolf shifter tracking her down is a foe . . . or her best chance at survival. Full of beauty and brokenness, romance and revenge, madness and mercy, these stories may just have you rooting for the monsters . . .
Is The Edge of a Knife and Other Stories appropriate for my child?
Suitable for most readers 13 and up.
This short story collection features characters confronting moral dilemmas and accepting monstrous natures, with moderate fantasy violence including deadly choices and confrontations. The stories blend folklore fantasy and science fiction with themes of redemption, revenge, and mercy.
What to know going in
This book has moderate violence, mild sexual content, and mild language. Content notes include captivity, death, and grief (see the full list above).
Who'll love this
Teens will love rooting for morally complex characters who aren't clearly heroes or villains, from ruthless mermaids to ghostly creatures to wolf shifters.