(originally posted 12/2/2024

So many tropes in so few pages. Bailuchien cultivates a combined aura of The Monkey's Paw, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, and Baba Yaga, beautifully interwoven in a tale of two sisters forced to make a deal with what may be an untrustworthy savior to avoid horrible fates. As the story progresses, one is ill at ease, awaiting the twist, and a twist does come, but it's not what one might expect. Crunden manages to preserve the character of a classic children's moral, while, in such a short read, confronting a more mature range of societal ills that are as modern as they are ancient. Well worth the read.