This is a reprint of an anthology originally published in 1998. There are four stories--one by each of the authors.
In "The Lord of Elphindale" by Jo Beverley, the heroine is deliberately conceived to be matched to a lord whose fairy/human bloodline is diluted. The fairies needed to strengthen their bond with him. Jo Beverley is one of my auto-buys, but I did not enjoy this work as much as I usually enjoy her stories.
"The Faery Braid" by Karen Harbaugh is about a changling who is almost all faery but who falls in love with a mortal. It is an "explanation" for the Rapunzel fairy tale. I have not ever read Karen Harbaugh before, and I would have to say that I did not really enjoy this piece by her.
Barbara Samuel's "The Love Talker" is fairy who has been cursed because of his callous treatment of women. To break the curse, he must find true love. There were a couple of historical inaccuracies in the story that bothered me, but they did not detract from the tale, and I enjoyed to read.
In Mary Jo Putney's "Dangerous Gifts", a fairy wants a young woman as his consort, so he gives her beauty with the understanding that he will require payment. There are a couple of little unexpected twists with the story. I generally enjoy Mary Jo Putney's stories, and this one is no different.
