Fairy Music: An Anthology of English Fairy Poetry Book

A reprint of a classic 1879 translation of legends, myths, folktales and fairy tales from ancient Ireland. I found this book super interesting, as I'd not heard/read any of these tales before. Many of them are based on actual historical figures - kings, warriors, etc. - but mixed with magic, fantastical creatures, bloody battles and incredible feats of strength, and passed down over thousands of years. I do wish there was a bit more flow and emotion to the tales, however. I know the author translated these from old gaelic texts, but since he "modernized" them somewhat by using common English and rewording phrases that wouldn't have made much sense in literal translation, perhaps he could've smoothed out the rough edges a bit (re-worded some of the abrupt scene change/endings, etc.). It also would've been helpful to have the dictionary at the front of the book so we readers could've gotten a glance at some of the unfamiliar terms first, rather than at the end (especially for us e-book readers, where navigation isn't always easy).

*Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC, provided by the author and/or the publisher in exchange for an honest review.