Theodora Goss

Red as Blood and White as Bone by Theodora Goss is a dark fantasy about a kitchen girl obsessed with fairy tales, who upon discovering a ragged woman outside the castle during a storm, takes her in--certain she’s a princess in disguise. At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

A Tor.Com Original

Red as Blood and White as Bone

aleksandra

3/5

I love bad bitches who kill men in revenge.

Amina Madadi (ⴰⵎⵉⵏⴰ)

"I am a daughter of these mountains, and of the tales. Once, I wanted to be in the tales themselves. When I was young, I had my part in one—a small part, but important. When I grew older, I had my part in another kind of story. But now I want to become a teller of tales. So I will sit here, in your hut on goose legs, which sways a bit like a boat on the water. Tell me your stories, Grandmother. I am listening . . ."

Brilliant!
This is the story of Klara, the daughter of a woodcutter who was sent to a convent after her mother died and then to a wealthy baron's house to train as a servent, while she was in the convent, she met a guest who gave her a fairy tales book that soon became another kind of bible and an infallible guide to life..
On a rainy day, a young woman covered only with her long hair knocked kitche's door and collapsed as soon as it was opened. Klara, who thought the young lady was a princess in disguise and came for the bal, took care of her, not knowing what's to come...

Lia Yuliana

Update 03/12/2021

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    “Stories are everywhere, and everyone tells them. But our stories may be different from yours.”
  



Red as Blood and White as Bone is a short dark fantasy story following the perspective of a young girl that loves fairy tales and especially stories about princess'. One day a woman knocked on the kitchen door of the manor she works in. She took the woman in believing she is a runaway princess. I will not go into detail about the story to avoid spoilers. This story is nice and short that I presume to be set around the 1900s. What I liked about the story that it takes legends and myths telling them in a more modern way shaping them into a fantasy within a fantasy. Goss' writing is accessible and immersive, the way Goss gradually picks up the plot is also well done. But does it offer anything new? No. It's pretty formulaic that has the same elements of a fairy tale retelling. I still enjoyed the experience of reading it though. Highly recommend for readers that need something short, slightly dark, and has medieval dark European forest vibes.


  
    I am a daughter of these mountains, and of the tales.

Maggie Gordon

This is a beautifully written short that blends fairy tales and revolution. However, it stumbles when it splits the narrative into two pieces. While both were important to the plot and message of the piece, the latter half about the protagonist's adult life in the resistance felt too rushed and disconnected from the original story until the ending. The theme of ensuring one doesn't forget one's culture should also have been more stressed throughout the piece. However, Red as Blood and White as Bone was an utter delight to read!

i really enjoyed the tense atmosphere the writing created and kept throughout the story. however, i found the elements relaying real-life events a bit less exciting and not so well interwoven into the fabulist element of the story - but this is perhaps due to the limitations of the genre.

Анастасия Розова

I love short stories such as this one. They're not the greatest, but always interesting and fun and grim. This one was expected in some ways and totally unexpected in others.

What a rare thing: a fairy-tale set in an invented Eastern European country during the Second World War, and a work of pure creative fabulism and literary beauty. Just a short novelette, but it moved me so much. It's a little dark and melancholy, but so gorgeous.

Red as Blood and White as Bone A Tor.Com Original

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