Beyond the Elven Gate by Jason Savin:

5 Stars

To pull off something simple or familiar—especially when working within a classical pattern—requires precision and restraint. Jason Savin succeeds. These two short stories, The Adoptling and Beyond the Elven Gate, along with the essay A Treatise on the Evolution of the Fairy, are not merely entertainment; they carry literary warning.

The Adoptling is, to put it simply, heartbreaking. Life is delicate, and a single moment can destroy everything. The narration is genuine, kind, and devastating. The ending feels inevitable.

Beyond the Elven Gate addresses one of my greatest fears: temporal dislocation. The pattern here is utterly classic; I saw what was coming, and that only made it worse. Even the fairies themselves carry a sense of sorrow, aware that they have broken something that cannot be repaired.

A Treatise on the Evolution of the Fairy may be the most intriguing inclusion in the collection. It provides an abridged account of the Good People and serves as a gateway for readers interested in folklore but without the time for an in-depth study. It is sharp, relevant, and compact.

Taken as a whole, Beyond the Elven Gate makes Irish folklore feel relevant to modern life. It is also a striking reminder that some horrors bypass violence entirely—and that some blessings are only fully understood once they are lost.

Do not approach this book expecting a happily ever after. This is real folklore, intended to communicate real consequences and satisfy a scholarly curiosity. A tale does not need complexity to be profound, and Beyond the Elven Gate is quietly—but unmistakably—profound.