Imagine a world where young maidens go missing in the dark of night, and never return. Where mermaids sing songs to build palaces and cause dangerous storms, and a select few carve legs from their tails to go undercover on land. A land where a magician’s creations come to life, and muddle the line between reality and fantasy.

Leigh Bardugo has expanded upon her Grishaverse, the world she’s created in her previous books, and written stories involving magic, myths, and fantastical worlds. Included in the book are beautiful, detailed illustrations that not only help to narrate the stories, but practically jump off the page, and bring the stories to life.

Consisting of six stories, Leigh Bardugo has created an updated take on the typical fairy tale, and reworked them to show the harsh realities of life: not everything has a happy ending.