The Essential Peter S. Beagle, Volume 1: Lila the Werewolf and Other Stories

If you’re anything like me Peter S. Beagle might ring a distant bell in your childhood memory vault regarding beautiful, lonely unicorns. That’s all well and good, because who doesn’t love a gorgeous tale of mythical beasts that tug on the heartstrings of young and old alike? What I didn’t know, and what you might not be aware of either, is that Beagle is an absolute master of the short story. This first volume of short stories has everything from ghosts with grudges, angels turned muses, dysfunctional werewolves, self-made cats, time-traveling brujos, to even Lady Death herself. If you loved the timelessness of “The Last Unicorn” when you were a child you’re going to adore these more mature, but every bit as whimsical, tales as an adult. Like with most short story collections, if you don’t care for one particular story, the next one might better capture your attention. However, this wasn’t even remotely an issue for me since every story has a surprising depth of character and plot development considering the length of each narrative. Beagle is a master weaver of words, and this is a collection you’ll want to get cozy with.