Today marks the end of Carl’s Once Upon a Time VII event, which takes place every spring and which asks participants to read books from the genres of fantasy, fairy tales, mythology, and folklore.

As always, there were many challenge levels to choose from, and I picked Quest the First: Read 5 books that fit into any of the requested genres.

I achieved my goal by reading the following:

1. Mary Stewart, The Crystal Cave — The first book in a series retelling the Arthurian legend from Merlin’s point of view.
2. Diana Wynne Jones, Fire and Hemlock — A contemporary (in the 1980s) interpretation of the folk ballads “Thomas the Rhymer” and “Tam Lin.”
3. Robin LaFevers, Grave Mercy — A YA historical fantasy featuring romance and convent-trained assassins.
   
4. Marie Brennan, A Natural History of Dragons– — A fantasy novel set in a world similar to 19th-century England, but with dragons.
5. Robin LaFevers, Dark Triumph — Book 2 of the killer nuns!

I wasn’t a big fan of The Crystal Cave, but I liked all the other books I read for this challenge! Spring is the perfect time for a little magic, in my opinion. Looking forward to Carl’s R.I.P. challenge this fall!