We Never Talk about My Brother

Hugo and Nebula Award–winner Beagle showcases his narrative breadth in this eclectic new collection with nine powerful fantasy tales and a short set of poems based on the famous Unicorn Tapestries. In the title story, one benevolent sibling must somehow stop another from becoming the Angel of Death. “The Last and Only, or, Mr. Moscowitz Becomes French” explores the significance of identity as a mild-mannered American librarian irrevocably transforms into the last true Frenchman, while the profoundly moving “King Pelles the Sure” denounces the insanity of war. The most memorable selection is “The Stickball Witch,” in which a group of Bronx boys playing stickball come face to face with the suspected witch of their neighborhood. Impressively diverse themes, styles and subject matter make this collection addictive. (Apr.)