I’ve got a delightful story I must gush about today, my friends!

If you’ve known me for any length of time, you’ve probably heard me fangirling over the Tales of Ambia series by Allison Tebo. This series of fairy tale retellings follow a grumpy fairy godfather Burndee and his acquaintances in the light steampunk world of Ambia where hilarious fairy tale mishaps happen, shenanigans ensue, and a lot of heart is found along the way.

These family-friendly stories bring me joy every single time, so imagine my delight when Tebo announced she was compiling an anthology of Ambia short stories and novellas!

And it proved to be just as delightful and magical as the title suggests.

SYNOPSIS

A Flash Of Magic is a magical and rambunctious compilation featuring eight stories with eight characters as you have never seen them before.

The Tales of Ambia series returns with this charming collection of short stories and novelettes offering a deeper look into a fairytale land like no other.

Whether it’s an intimate look at Ella’s wedding day, a hilarious glimpse of Burndee’s holiday baking, or an explosive first meeting between a prince and his godfather, there is adventure for everyone in A Flash Of Magic.

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REVIEW

From prequel stories that take place before the events of the main series, to glimpses right within familiar moments, and then a couple of sequel stories, this anthology is truly a gift for all of us Ambia fans.

Though I do suggest reading the three Ambia books of the main series first, this collection is an utter treat for those of us who have. It gives a peek into the events and characters of Ambia we otherwise wouldn’t have had a chance to explore. As an extra treat, before each story, the author puts a note sharing why she wrote that particular story, and I found these little behind-the-scenes looks just as fun as the stories themselves! Most of the stories themselves also come in epistolary form, adding an extra bit of uniqueness and enjoyment to the collection.

THE STORIES

A Letter from Ella Rosedale

The collection starts off with a darling letter from Ella herself as she recalls the events leading up to her wedding and how her life changed afterward, all written in Ella’s sweet, if not a bit scatterbrained, style. And I was grinning through every word. I loved exploring the world through Ella’s eyes and seeing how she puts such an adorable spin on things. It was precious all the way around.

A Letter from Cynthia de Ghent

This had to be one of my favorites! This time we’re treated with a prequel story of how Cynthia and Prince Colin met, which is a story I’ve wanted ever since meeting them in the first book years ago! Tebo truly catered to her fans with this one. The meeting between fiery Cynthia and far-too-charming-and-mischievous for his own good Colin was every bit as disastrous and hilarious as one expected it to be. The last two lines had me grinning so hard. Pure gold.

An Excerpt from the Journal of Files the Fairy

Ooooh man, this story. Files is a courier who—ah—is a bit too uppity for his own good, to put it lightly. This impudent fairy messenger gets what’s coming to him when he’s assigned to take a note to a fairy who is not one to put up with anyone’s nonsense, especially one as pompous as Files. Only Allison Tebo can write an entire story from the point-of-view of such an unlikable fellow and make it hilariously delightful from beginning to end. I was giggling myself silly all the way through.

An Excerpt From the Journal of Prince Colin

Another absolute favorite of mine! We finally get the story of how Burndee and Colin meet and OOOH MY. If you think grumpy Burndee and impish Colin are a disaster as adults, just imagine the sheer chaos that ensues when they’re young. This story had me in absolute stitches. But, true to Tebo’s characteristic style, it was also so full of heart and I legitimately got teary-eyed near the end. Only to burst into laughter instantly again with the final line. Such is Tebo’s way!

An Interview with Burndee Rosedale

We get a fun peek at some deeper worldbuilding in this little tale that takes on a courtroom-style interview. And, as it features Burndee against a woman who may be a little too much like him, you can imagine there is much blustering about and mayhem. It was great.

A Letter from Magistrate Valyns

THIS STORY. This may have genuinely been my top favorite of the entire collection, which is surprising as it doesn’t feature anyone from the main cast. But even Tebo’s tiny side characters are utterly loveable, and Valyns is no exception. This is a retelling of The Wild Swans, one of my favorite fairy tales in the world, and one that does not have nearly enough retellings, so I was thrilled to find one in this collection. And IT. WAS. BRILLIANT. We get the whole story from an outside point-of-view, and Valyns’ mild-mannered way as he tries to discover the strange events regarding a seemingly mute girl obsessed with sewing with nettles was just a treat. It was such a unique point-of-view for this fairy tale, and I was soaking up every single bit of it. Just…BRILLIANCE.

A Letter from Princess Poppy

It was a joy getting a little story from dear Poppy’s point-of-view, made even more enjoyable by the wintry festive setting. Poppy finds herself partaking in a wild race involving sleighs and reindeer…and Burndee, and whew boy. It was a wildly fun ride! (Pun totally intended.) Tebo ingeniously captured the danger and excitement within the narrative, and I felt like I was right there with Poppy during her thrilling adventure.

A Tale of New Year’s Eve

The collection ends with a full novella featuring Burndee as he is overcome with far too many holiday orders from his bakery. Poor stressed Burndee has to take drastic measures…measures that may involve Prince Colin and Duke Horace. And if you know these three, I’m sure you can picture the commotion to follow. This chaotic tale was the perfect (and hilarious) end to a wonderfully delightful collection.

CONTENT CAUTIONS

The Tales of Ambia books are refreshingly clean and perfect for young and older readers alike. They do feature magic, but all in a very fairy tale style. The magic is treated as gifts that are to be used as good and there are consequences when used otherwise.

The stories in general can easily be enjoyed by children and adults. Squeaky clean, fun, and wholesome all around.

CONCLUSION

Allison Tebo has done it again, gifting us stories filled to the brim with her witty style, hilarious shenanigans, and wholesome messages. This collection both put me in giggling fits and filled me up. It was such a treat getting a deeper look at the world of Ambia and the dynamic characters who live within. I adored every single word.

(Also, the cover is PINK. There are not enough pink book covers in the world!)

If you’re a fan of the Ambia tales, I cannot recommend this one enough. Delightful, charming, and hilarious—it is not to be missed!

Where are my Ambia fans? Have you read this one? Do these stories appeal to you? Clearly, I cannot recommend the Tales of Ambia series enough!