Tor.com, December 2021

“The Tinder Box” by Kate Elliott

Reviewed by Kevin P Hallett

There is one first publication story at Tor.com for December.

“The Tinder Box” by Kate Elliott

The old fairy tale of the tinder box continues in this short fantasy. The new despotic king and queen bring great hardship for three decades while the witch schemes to bring about a revolution.

She wheedles her way into the palace to seduce the prince in a repeat of the original plot but in reverse. However, the prince is too flamboyant to meet her purposes. So, she seeks out a new accomplice to steal back the tinder box the king never lets out of his sight.

Hans Anderson’s fairy tale was re-imagined into a fast-paced fairy tale without wandering too far from the original.

You can follow Kevin P Hallett’s writing on www.kevinphallett.com