-
Snow, Glass, Apples
Also by this author: The Sleeper and the Spindle Warnings: Disturbing Sexual Content, Gore My Thoughts I really love when fairy tale retellings play with my expectations, mixing up the story to provide something fresh and new. Snow White is an icon of classic fairy tales, thanks in part to Walt Disney her appearance is unforgettable; raven black hair, deep red lips, skin pure and white as snow. The description alone makes me think of another legend, another creature, equally famous. “I think of her hair as black as coal—her lips, redder than blood—her skin snow-white.” Snow, Glass, Apples was a refreshing reimagining of the Snow White fairy tale. Keeping…
-
These Deathless Bones
Warnings: Animal Abuse, Animal Death, Child Death, Gore My Thoughts Straight to the point and packs a punch, These Deathless Bones is a strong short story that unravels the evil stepmother trope from fairytale fiction. The Witch Bride is a vengeful femme fatale, the second wife of a king, a fearsome witch that scares the common people. She finds herself at odds with her stepson, a petulant prince more capable of evil than the mythologized witch. Khaw is a talented wordsmith and her prose is tight and razor-sharp. The story and setting are gloriously grimdark, and the Witch Bride is an interesting character that I would love to read more…
-
The Ghost Tree
My Thoughts The Ghost Tree is such a wonderful witchy read perfect for the upcoming Halloween season. A small town is shaken by the gruesome deaths of two girls that nobody seems to know. Lauren is still dealing with the death of her father the year before, yet the people in the town seem disinterested in investigating these crimes. There’s something wrong in this small town and its dark woods. “Terrible things happen and we just pretend everything is fine. We forget about them.” The story is told from multiple perspectives which is effective in building the mystery and structuring character relationships. Many of the characters were one dimensional and…
-
In the House in the Dark of the Woods
My Thoughts Overwhelmingly atmospheric, In the House in the Dark of the Woods is a modern masterpiece that swept me up and stole my heart. The story is told with luscious prose and has a fairytale-like feel, but instead of centering on the hero’s journey, the story feels like the origins of a great hero. The story follows Goody, a good wife that finds herself lost in the woods after picking berries. The narrative feels like a fever dream, a fantasy-tinged with poison that steadily becomes more alarming as Goody finds herself tangled up in the mystery and the magic of the woods. Even when everything seems dandy there is…
