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Zombie Fairy Tales #1-13
Zombie Fairy Tales: The Complete Collection
Death and Pixie Dust!
Once upon a time, a mysterious plague beset a quiet village in the woods—a plague of the walking dead. Suddenly, beloved fairy tale characters are thrown into a world of stark violence and horror: Cinderella is worked to death before the ball, Pinocchio is made from children's corpses, and Little Red Riding Hood finds more than wolves in the forest.
Surreal and full of black humor, Zombie Fairy Tales is a genre-bending narrative of a world on the brink of apocalypse, a world with no happily ever afters.
Collected here are all 12 original Zombie Fairy Tales, plus a new 13th tale exclusive to this collection!
Once upon a time, a mysterious plague beset a quiet village in the woods—a plague of the walking dead. Suddenly, beloved fairy tale characters are thrown into a world of stark violence and horror: Cinderella is worked to death before the ball, Pinocchio is made from children's corpses, and Little Red Riding Hood finds more than wolves in the forest.
Surreal and full of black humor, Zombie Fairy Tales is a genre-bending narrative of a world on the brink of apocalypse, a world with no happily ever afters.
Collected here are all 12 original Zombie Fairy Tales, plus a new 13th tale exclusive to this collection!
580 pages, Paperback
First published December 13, 2013
38 people are currently reading
1624 people want to read
About the author
Kevin Richey
17 books111 followersKevin Richey lives and writes in the Pacific Northwest. He is the author of Zombie Fairy Tales, a series of short stories set in a dark fairy tale universe plagued by zombies.
He kindly welcomes readers to become a GoodReads friend or fan. Feel free to comment with questions or requests on blog entries as well.
If you are a blogger and would like a review copy, please write to info@thekevinrichey.com. All reviews are appreciated.
He kindly welcomes readers to become a GoodReads friend or fan. Feel free to comment with questions or requests on blog entries as well.
If you are a blogger and would like a review copy, please write to info@thekevinrichey.com. All reviews are appreciated.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews
October 5, 2019
Once upon a time there was a beautiful princess and this princess lived amongst the dead and harvested the souls of the innocent one by one by one.
Dark fairy tale retellings are nothing new. Much love to ya The Brothers Grimm. And this book, Zombie Fairy Tales, is definitely true to its word.
A plague has spread throughout the kingdom and madness and corpses lie in its aftermath.
The pages turn and stories unfold and hello, let's meet the characters shall we?
Gepetto the toy maker longs for company after losing his wife and son ten years ago. He roams the catacombs in search for the perfect bits and pieces to make his own pristine child.
Cinderella has just buried her beloved father and a ball is the furthest thing from her mind. Arriving home, her wicked stepmother and step sisters immediately put her to work going as far to even brand her. Overcome with grief and sick as a dog will Cinderella get her revenge? Will the Prince save her in the nick of time?
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow isn’t a fairy tale it’s a gothic story but this is one made of a much more macabre making if that’s even possible. Heads will roll. The dead will have the last say.
As the title of the book states this is about zombies and it means it. It really really means it. If you think you’re getting one bit of a happy ending between these pages than you’re going to be really disappointed. What Kevin Richey provides instead is a grim setting, gore detailed murders, and vengeance delivered in black humor. This is dark and I mean really dark. The first story is Pinocchio’s and it involves the deaths of several children. Pinocchio himself is an undead child, er children, he is a sewn together Frankenstein, and he’s hungry for blood.
The book is repetitious in the way that shocking horror can be. I mean there’s only so many ways that one can gruesomely die before you are completely desensitized, The charm lies in the way that Kevin Richey spins these fairy tales. For instance I really loved how he wrote The Little Mermaid. It was different how he set up Ursula as Prince Eric’s sister and made her into this undertaker witch who transformed Ariel from an undead siren to a somewhat alive bride.
So there are flaws but the book is written beautifully and creatively and if you’re looking for a morbid fairy tale retelling especially in this creepy season this is absolutely perfect for you.
I just hope you don’t mind the nightmares 🙂
3.5/5
Dark fairy tale retellings are nothing new. Much love to ya The Brothers Grimm. And this book, Zombie Fairy Tales, is definitely true to its word.
A plague has spread throughout the kingdom and madness and corpses lie in its aftermath.
The pages turn and stories unfold and hello, let's meet the characters shall we?
Gepetto the toy maker longs for company after losing his wife and son ten years ago. He roams the catacombs in search for the perfect bits and pieces to make his own pristine child.
Cinderella has just buried her beloved father and a ball is the furthest thing from her mind. Arriving home, her wicked stepmother and step sisters immediately put her to work going as far to even brand her. Overcome with grief and sick as a dog will Cinderella get her revenge? Will the Prince save her in the nick of time?
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow isn’t a fairy tale it’s a gothic story but this is one made of a much more macabre making if that’s even possible. Heads will roll. The dead will have the last say.
As the title of the book states this is about zombies and it means it. It really really means it. If you think you’re getting one bit of a happy ending between these pages than you’re going to be really disappointed. What Kevin Richey provides instead is a grim setting, gore detailed murders, and vengeance delivered in black humor. This is dark and I mean really dark. The first story is Pinocchio’s and it involves the deaths of several children. Pinocchio himself is an undead child, er children, he is a sewn together Frankenstein, and he’s hungry for blood.
The book is repetitious in the way that shocking horror can be. I mean there’s only so many ways that one can gruesomely die before you are completely desensitized, The charm lies in the way that Kevin Richey spins these fairy tales. For instance I really loved how he wrote The Little Mermaid. It was different how he set up Ursula as Prince Eric’s sister and made her into this undertaker witch who transformed Ariel from an undead siren to a somewhat alive bride.
So there are flaws but the book is written beautifully and creatively and if you’re looking for a morbid fairy tale retelling especially in this creepy season this is absolutely perfect for you.
I just hope you don’t mind the nightmares 🙂
3.5/5
December 31, 2013
Where do I start to review my favourite book?
I have loved Zombie Fairy Tales by Kevin Richey since I read Zombie Cinderella almost 2 years ago. And since then the 13th of every month was my favourite date as it meant a new fairy tale was twisted. When all 12 stories where told I was left not only wanting more but a paperback copy I could hold in my hands (and love and cuddle forever!)
Well in the style of Fairy Tales Kevin Richey made my dream come true, not only was the book finally put into print but there was a 13th tale exclusively to the complete collection!
In this book all of the iconic Fairy Tale characters we know and love from our childhood are here. But they have been twisted and darkened and then twisted again. Belle is prepared to be Beast Dinner guest, only she is the dinner, Snow White finds more than little animal friends in the forest and Peter Pan’s lost boys are more stolen from their beds than lost!
This book is full of black humour and gore, it will make you grin, then cringe and then start giggling! Each story sits perfectly with the last making this a complete world that is slowly being taken over by the zombie plague. I really enjoyed this element of the book that each story worked together, only here would Hansel and Gretel meet the ugly stepsisters at a hanging. Or Sleeping Beauty be at the mercy of Snow Whites Evil Queen.
If you’re a big fan of Fairy Tales you will enjoy spotting little references to less well known charters that pop up, for example the boy who cried wolf may well have wished that he never went on a play date with Pinocchio!
If you’re a fan of Fairy Tales you’ll love this, if you’re a fan of horror/zombies you’ll love this. If you like both you’re going to have this massive book (that you could probably bash a zombies brains in with) glued to your hands as you devour your new favourite book.
If you’re even thinking of buying this book you need to stop thinking about it and do it. You won’t be disappointed. I really mean it when I say each and every story was brilliant, wonderfully imaged and a delight to read.
Truly one of my favourite books of all time.
I have loved Zombie Fairy Tales by Kevin Richey since I read Zombie Cinderella almost 2 years ago. And since then the 13th of every month was my favourite date as it meant a new fairy tale was twisted. When all 12 stories where told I was left not only wanting more but a paperback copy I could hold in my hands (and love and cuddle forever!)
Well in the style of Fairy Tales Kevin Richey made my dream come true, not only was the book finally put into print but there was a 13th tale exclusively to the complete collection!
In this book all of the iconic Fairy Tale characters we know and love from our childhood are here. But they have been twisted and darkened and then twisted again. Belle is prepared to be Beast Dinner guest, only she is the dinner, Snow White finds more than little animal friends in the forest and Peter Pan’s lost boys are more stolen from their beds than lost!
This book is full of black humour and gore, it will make you grin, then cringe and then start giggling! Each story sits perfectly with the last making this a complete world that is slowly being taken over by the zombie plague. I really enjoyed this element of the book that each story worked together, only here would Hansel and Gretel meet the ugly stepsisters at a hanging. Or Sleeping Beauty be at the mercy of Snow Whites Evil Queen.
If you’re a big fan of Fairy Tales you will enjoy spotting little references to less well known charters that pop up, for example the boy who cried wolf may well have wished that he never went on a play date with Pinocchio!
If you’re a fan of Fairy Tales you’ll love this, if you’re a fan of horror/zombies you’ll love this. If you like both you’re going to have this massive book (that you could probably bash a zombies brains in with) glued to your hands as you devour your new favourite book.
If you’re even thinking of buying this book you need to stop thinking about it and do it. You won’t be disappointed. I really mean it when I say each and every story was brilliant, wonderfully imaged and a delight to read.
Truly one of my favourite books of all time.
February 5, 2017
I received a free copy of Zombie Cinderella and enjoyed it so much I bought a copy of the complete collection and read them all. Individually, these stories were entertaining. They were bloody and gruesome, and there was a true sense of dark humor in parts. The problem was when the collection is taken all together, the stories get to be monotonous. Every story ended the same way. By the third tale, I started to get a bit bored by the entire book.
Get this book, but stretch out the stories over a couple weeks or months, I wish I had.
Get this book, but stretch out the stories over a couple weeks or months, I wish I had.
April 3, 2015
This looked like a pretty good collection, but unfortunately, I didn't enjoy it that much.
I found most of the stories dull, and the further I got into the collection, the harder I found it to get the motivation to read them. I was really relieved when I seen that I only had one left to read!
I found most of the stories dull, and the further I got into the collection, the harder I found it to get the motivation to read them. I was really relieved when I seen that I only had one left to read!
November 6, 2018
{My thoughts} – {date entire series completed} – {11.06.2018}
– {Story 1: The Zombie Pinocchio} – {07.03.2013} – This book is well written. It reminds me that even with the best of intentions some things can still go very wrong. The story of Pinocchio is well known, however this twisted version is not. Reading these fairytale remakes are making me think from another point of view. It helps to show that although we have been led to believe that everything is always happy ever after, in modern times that isn’t the case. One can believe one thing based on what they have been told, but it only takes the imagination of another to make you see things could have been differently.
– {Story 2: Hansel and Gretal Are Dead} – {07.02.2013} – This was an interesting take on the Hansel and Gretel story. I was rather intrigued and wasn’t able to stop reading it until I had completed it. I like how it followed some of the original story ideas but added them together in a twisted new version. I have come to love reading all things fairytale like, therefore it didn’t surprise me that this series had peeked my interest. If you like zombies and fairytales, you are bound to enjoy these books.
– {Story 3: Blood Red Riding Hood} – {07.04.2013} – These books keep getting better and better. This one was far more descriptive then the previous ones I had read. It kept my attention through to the end and fit in well with the zombie/ fairytale theme. This one is based on the Little Red Riding Hood tale. Some of the things that take place in this book had turned my stomach, but that’s what makes it so incredibly well written. I have come to love these twisted fairytale stories and they are well worth the read. I know this is a set that I will gladly return to and read again in the future.
– {Story 4: Beauty is a Beast} – {07.04.2013} – This book didn’t change my mind about how much I am falling in love with this series. It is well written, it shows that relationships can still be built, that love can still exist even though there is no hope for what is left of civilization. I thoroughly enjoy the graphic detail that is written. It pulls me right into the story as if I am there actually committing the act or merely observing it from a distance.
– {Story 5: Zombie Cinderella} – {05.23.2013} – This book has an interesting spin on the fairy tale world. I have to admit that I enjoy reading all things fairy tales no matter how disturbing it may become. This book is well written, it is engaging and it pulls the reader in to the very last second wanting more. I enjoyed reading this particular take on Cinderella because well to be honest I never found it fair that she was treated so awful and didn’t have the means of the ability to get even wit her step mother and step siblings for all the horrid things that they had done to her once her father had passed. If you enjoy fairy tales and want to read an interesting spin on them, I would have to recommend this book to you. I promise you won’t regret reading it.
– {Story 6: Zombie Cinderella II: The Ball} – {07.04.2013} – This book was an amazing conclusion to the very first Zombie Cinderella. I enjoyed how it had also tied together some of the other characters that we had already met throughout the first five books. I enjoyed the description and the fact that it wasn’t at all a happy ever after. This book helped to show that looks can be deceiving. It doesn’t matter how well respected a person is meant to be, everyone has secrets and once those secrets are out, everything changes.
– {Story 7: Revenge of the Little Match Girl} – {11.12.2013} – This book is marvelously written. I really enjoyed it a lot. Ada is such a sweet misdirected character. She lost her father when he decided to leave and her mother to an accident. She became nothing more then a street urchin that no one cared about and no one paid much attention to. She spent her time trying to sell matches in order to keep herself fed and warm. One day everything changes, eventually she does become noticed but not for the reasons she would have liked.
– {Story 8: The Curse of Peter Pan} – {05.22.2015} – This is an interesting take on the Wendy, Peter Pan and Hook story. I really enjoyed reading about what could have been, should have been or the way things can be twisted to be turned into something that is possible when you really put your mind to thinking about it.
Wendy is a girl that never wants to grow up and when she discovers Peter Pan he gives her that option. However, the option isn’t really made for her it’s made for her brothers, because as her father had simply stated earlier she is too old. Peter seemed to think she was too old to be turned into a live forever child like himself and the other children that he’d been taking each night and turning into one of his own.
Her parents leave in the night to go to a secret meeting where they discuss how to deal with all the change in their town. They decide the way to deal with it is to hire someone that was appointed through the now dead priest.
Wendy even though she was rejected wants to become one of Peter’s kind. She decides to follow him in order to stop the guy that her parents hire to kill him. She finds out too soon how impossible that is and the guy hired to kill him finds out that life and the way he’d always seen it isn’t the way it will remain.
If you want to find out what has happened throughout the series thus far, you will need to read the previous stories. If you want to know what happens to Wendy and if she ever gets to be a part of Peter’s kind or what comes of the guy her parents hire you will need to read this story. I promise if you enjoyed the others you’ll enjoy this one too.
– {Story 9: The Little Mermaid of Death} – {05.24.2015} – Ariel is brought to you in a different light. Ursela and Eric too are depicted as different characters that readers aren’t use to. Don’t get me wrong Ursela is still a bad character but in this story she is a different type of bad.
When Ariel and the hags go on there mission to the castle to finish off the king, Ariel is the one hag that finds his chambers and his nephew Eric and niece Ursela, but she doesn’t meet her on that encounter. Ariel sees a crab that Ursela had made look alive even though it was dead and that is all she wanted from the chamber and then she left all the people unharmed. When she goes back to the swamp and gets into a scuffle with one of the swamp hags she decides its time to move on!
Ariel is tired of living with the swamp hags that we had met in the previous story with Wendy and Peter Pan. She has this human treasures that she keeps in a special place in her nest in the swamp and one of the hags deliberately destroys her nest sending all her special treasures all over the swamp. Some of the other hags turn up with them and use them in the feeding frenzy.
Ursela decides that she will go visit Eric and see about living with him. While she is there she meets Ursela face to face and a lot of interesting things happen. What you ask? I can’t tell you but I am sure if you have enjoyed the previous stories you will enjoy this one just as much!
– {Story 10: The Headless Horseman} – {05.25.2015} – The Headless Horseman, we’d all heard many stories about this growing up. This story is a fascinating take on it, that’s for sure. I enjoyed reading this story just as I have the previous ones within this series. I look forward to see how it is going to be wrapped up with the last two stories.
Katina’s older sister has been left beheaded outside the local school. Outside the school where she taught and spent her life helping the children of their small town. The killings all began with her sister and then they continued on with many of the town’s people. It is hard for the town to escape death it seems.
The town Sleepy Hollow has managed to keep the undead out, but now they have dead townspeople among them. Katrina isn’t allowed out of her house without security of some sort and most certainly not during the night is the new law her dad has enforced. Her dad wants to protect her and will go to nothing in order to do so. He thinks keeping her locked up is the only conclusion at this point. She is in love with a guy named Brom and when he doesn’t show up to a party that Katrina throws her dad goes out looking for him.
It turns out however, that her love is meant to be with the new school teacher that took her sisters place, which leaves one asking what about Brom? I don’t know, I suppose you will need to read this story to find out what is going to happen. Does she stay with Brom? Does she hook up with the new school teacher? Or does she choose to move on with her life?
– {Story 11: Skull White} – {05.25.2015} – In this story we get to meet the King’s sister that had taken to bathing in the blood of young maidens in order to keep her appearance looking young. If you read the story of Ariel and all you should remember her being mentioned within it’s paragraphs.
The Queen has a gentleman caller coming to see her. He is interested in getting together with her in an attempt to try and save the kingdom, the kingdom that is ultimately falling to the dead. Snow White’s mother has kept her hidden from the Queen for as long as possible. In the end her mother gets sick and Snow White is forced to do her servant duties. One thing leads to another and Snow White’s face is revealed to the Queen.
As soon as Snow White’s mother knows what happens she urges her daughter to leave with her. Snow White ends up running from the castle without her mother, because the Queen holds her mother hostage, hoping the girl will come back. When the girl doesn’t come back the Queen kills her mother and then decides to take her own life shortly after.
As the Queen is about to jump she notices smoke from the woods. This renews her fixation on capturing Snow White. She climbs down and goes after her. Does she get to her before the dead kill her? What becomes of the King that came to see the Queen? Does Snow White live or die? What happens to the Queen? I know you must hate when I Say this but you will need to read the story. I am sure that you will enjoy it as much as I have.
– {Story 12: Sleeping Beauty Wakes in Hell} – {05.21.2015} – Kevin Richey did a brilliant job combining all twelve of the stories into one larger story. Each story can be read alone or they can be read together, but each story helps you to visualize a the bigger picture, the imagery he was trying to get across about Sleepy Hollow and what it would be like if Zombies would have taken over the fairytale world as opposed to the sweet fairytales we have all grown to enjoy and love.
Philip as we had met in a previous story wants to go out on an expedition outside the safe walls to find princess Aurora. She had been kidnapped by the Evil Queen many years previously right before Phillips very eyes. He has always held out hope that she would still be alive and that he would one day be her knight in shining armor and rescue her from her captivity with the the Evil Queen.
One day Phillips friend Jack tells him about the guy Rip Van Winkle that just work up and has no idea about what was going on because he’d been asleep for the past ten years. Rip says he will pay anyone handsomely that wants to go beyond the walls with him in search of his daughter. He is already aware that his wife had passed. So Phillip and Jack see and opportunity to try and rescue Aurora.
Does Rip find his daughter? Do Phillip and Jack live to rescue Aurora? Is Aurora even alive anymore after all these years? There are so many questions, but once you conclude this story many of them that you have had while reading the set of stories will be answered. I am aware that there is now a 13th bonus fairytale available if you buy the complete Zombie Fairytale series on Amazon, it is something to look into if you are interested in one more story.
– {Story 13: The Screams of Pocahontas} – {11.06.2018} – When I started this story it was so that I could complete the series, which in all honestly has been long over due. I started reading this series because well it’s based on {fairytales} and I am a lover of nearly all things {fairytales}.
Pocahontas is a curious character that hides behind her innocence. She tends to use it almost as a crutch as a means of ignoring rules and doing as she’d like with her curiosity. When a ship appears on their land she and the people of the village become curious and they want to explore it and see what there is to be found within it. When the Warriors of the village come back from the ship saying that there is no one to be found on the ship – it makes Pocahontas even more curious about the ship.
When night falls she goes to explore the ship and finds a white man chained up beneath it. She foolishly helps him get free and lets loose an evil that cannot be undone.
This story has some gory and impeccable imagery within it’s pages. I actually read it out loud to my husband and 14 and 13 year old. They seemed to enjoy it. My 13 year old has book napped my book so that he can read the previous stories. He is a true lover of the zombie type books. I love that my children are able to find books in which they are interested. My 14 year old decided that she wanted to book nap my Brother’s Grimm book and read all the original {fairytales}.
These stories are great for those that enjoy fairy tale re-tellings. They are great for those that like things about zombies and are just great all together in my opinion. I always seem to have a hard time setting one down until I am completely through with it, so if you have read one, I think you should read the rest. So far they were incredibly enjoyable in my opinion.
– {Story 1: The Zombie Pinocchio} – {07.03.2013} – This book is well written. It reminds me that even with the best of intentions some things can still go very wrong. The story of Pinocchio is well known, however this twisted version is not. Reading these fairytale remakes are making me think from another point of view. It helps to show that although we have been led to believe that everything is always happy ever after, in modern times that isn’t the case. One can believe one thing based on what they have been told, but it only takes the imagination of another to make you see things could have been differently.
– {Story 2: Hansel and Gretal Are Dead} – {07.02.2013} – This was an interesting take on the Hansel and Gretel story. I was rather intrigued and wasn’t able to stop reading it until I had completed it. I like how it followed some of the original story ideas but added them together in a twisted new version. I have come to love reading all things fairytale like, therefore it didn’t surprise me that this series had peeked my interest. If you like zombies and fairytales, you are bound to enjoy these books.
– {Story 3: Blood Red Riding Hood} – {07.04.2013} – These books keep getting better and better. This one was far more descriptive then the previous ones I had read. It kept my attention through to the end and fit in well with the zombie/ fairytale theme. This one is based on the Little Red Riding Hood tale. Some of the things that take place in this book had turned my stomach, but that’s what makes it so incredibly well written. I have come to love these twisted fairytale stories and they are well worth the read. I know this is a set that I will gladly return to and read again in the future.
– {Story 4: Beauty is a Beast} – {07.04.2013} – This book didn’t change my mind about how much I am falling in love with this series. It is well written, it shows that relationships can still be built, that love can still exist even though there is no hope for what is left of civilization. I thoroughly enjoy the graphic detail that is written. It pulls me right into the story as if I am there actually committing the act or merely observing it from a distance.
– {Story 5: Zombie Cinderella} – {05.23.2013} – This book has an interesting spin on the fairy tale world. I have to admit that I enjoy reading all things fairy tales no matter how disturbing it may become. This book is well written, it is engaging and it pulls the reader in to the very last second wanting more. I enjoyed reading this particular take on Cinderella because well to be honest I never found it fair that she was treated so awful and didn’t have the means of the ability to get even wit her step mother and step siblings for all the horrid things that they had done to her once her father had passed. If you enjoy fairy tales and want to read an interesting spin on them, I would have to recommend this book to you. I promise you won’t regret reading it.
– {Story 6: Zombie Cinderella II: The Ball} – {07.04.2013} – This book was an amazing conclusion to the very first Zombie Cinderella. I enjoyed how it had also tied together some of the other characters that we had already met throughout the first five books. I enjoyed the description and the fact that it wasn’t at all a happy ever after. This book helped to show that looks can be deceiving. It doesn’t matter how well respected a person is meant to be, everyone has secrets and once those secrets are out, everything changes.
– {Story 7: Revenge of the Little Match Girl} – {11.12.2013} – This book is marvelously written. I really enjoyed it a lot. Ada is such a sweet misdirected character. She lost her father when he decided to leave and her mother to an accident. She became nothing more then a street urchin that no one cared about and no one paid much attention to. She spent her time trying to sell matches in order to keep herself fed and warm. One day everything changes, eventually she does become noticed but not for the reasons she would have liked.
– {Story 8: The Curse of Peter Pan} – {05.22.2015} – This is an interesting take on the Wendy, Peter Pan and Hook story. I really enjoyed reading about what could have been, should have been or the way things can be twisted to be turned into something that is possible when you really put your mind to thinking about it.
Wendy is a girl that never wants to grow up and when she discovers Peter Pan he gives her that option. However, the option isn’t really made for her it’s made for her brothers, because as her father had simply stated earlier she is too old. Peter seemed to think she was too old to be turned into a live forever child like himself and the other children that he’d been taking each night and turning into one of his own.
Her parents leave in the night to go to a secret meeting where they discuss how to deal with all the change in their town. They decide the way to deal with it is to hire someone that was appointed through the now dead priest.
Wendy even though she was rejected wants to become one of Peter’s kind. She decides to follow him in order to stop the guy that her parents hire to kill him. She finds out too soon how impossible that is and the guy hired to kill him finds out that life and the way he’d always seen it isn’t the way it will remain.
If you want to find out what has happened throughout the series thus far, you will need to read the previous stories. If you want to know what happens to Wendy and if she ever gets to be a part of Peter’s kind or what comes of the guy her parents hire you will need to read this story. I promise if you enjoyed the others you’ll enjoy this one too.
– {Story 9: The Little Mermaid of Death} – {05.24.2015} – Ariel is brought to you in a different light. Ursela and Eric too are depicted as different characters that readers aren’t use to. Don’t get me wrong Ursela is still a bad character but in this story she is a different type of bad.
When Ariel and the hags go on there mission to the castle to finish off the king, Ariel is the one hag that finds his chambers and his nephew Eric and niece Ursela, but she doesn’t meet her on that encounter. Ariel sees a crab that Ursela had made look alive even though it was dead and that is all she wanted from the chamber and then she left all the people unharmed. When she goes back to the swamp and gets into a scuffle with one of the swamp hags she decides its time to move on!
Ariel is tired of living with the swamp hags that we had met in the previous story with Wendy and Peter Pan. She has this human treasures that she keeps in a special place in her nest in the swamp and one of the hags deliberately destroys her nest sending all her special treasures all over the swamp. Some of the other hags turn up with them and use them in the feeding frenzy.
Ursela decides that she will go visit Eric and see about living with him. While she is there she meets Ursela face to face and a lot of interesting things happen. What you ask? I can’t tell you but I am sure if you have enjoyed the previous stories you will enjoy this one just as much!
– {Story 10: The Headless Horseman} – {05.25.2015} – The Headless Horseman, we’d all heard many stories about this growing up. This story is a fascinating take on it, that’s for sure. I enjoyed reading this story just as I have the previous ones within this series. I look forward to see how it is going to be wrapped up with the last two stories.
Katina’s older sister has been left beheaded outside the local school. Outside the school where she taught and spent her life helping the children of their small town. The killings all began with her sister and then they continued on with many of the town’s people. It is hard for the town to escape death it seems.
The town Sleepy Hollow has managed to keep the undead out, but now they have dead townspeople among them. Katrina isn’t allowed out of her house without security of some sort and most certainly not during the night is the new law her dad has enforced. Her dad wants to protect her and will go to nothing in order to do so. He thinks keeping her locked up is the only conclusion at this point. She is in love with a guy named Brom and when he doesn’t show up to a party that Katrina throws her dad goes out looking for him.
It turns out however, that her love is meant to be with the new school teacher that took her sisters place, which leaves one asking what about Brom? I don’t know, I suppose you will need to read this story to find out what is going to happen. Does she stay with Brom? Does she hook up with the new school teacher? Or does she choose to move on with her life?
– {Story 11: Skull White} – {05.25.2015} – In this story we get to meet the King’s sister that had taken to bathing in the blood of young maidens in order to keep her appearance looking young. If you read the story of Ariel and all you should remember her being mentioned within it’s paragraphs.
The Queen has a gentleman caller coming to see her. He is interested in getting together with her in an attempt to try and save the kingdom, the kingdom that is ultimately falling to the dead. Snow White’s mother has kept her hidden from the Queen for as long as possible. In the end her mother gets sick and Snow White is forced to do her servant duties. One thing leads to another and Snow White’s face is revealed to the Queen.
As soon as Snow White’s mother knows what happens she urges her daughter to leave with her. Snow White ends up running from the castle without her mother, because the Queen holds her mother hostage, hoping the girl will come back. When the girl doesn’t come back the Queen kills her mother and then decides to take her own life shortly after.
As the Queen is about to jump she notices smoke from the woods. This renews her fixation on capturing Snow White. She climbs down and goes after her. Does she get to her before the dead kill her? What becomes of the King that came to see the Queen? Does Snow White live or die? What happens to the Queen? I know you must hate when I Say this but you will need to read the story. I am sure that you will enjoy it as much as I have.
– {Story 12: Sleeping Beauty Wakes in Hell} – {05.21.2015} – Kevin Richey did a brilliant job combining all twelve of the stories into one larger story. Each story can be read alone or they can be read together, but each story helps you to visualize a the bigger picture, the imagery he was trying to get across about Sleepy Hollow and what it would be like if Zombies would have taken over the fairytale world as opposed to the sweet fairytales we have all grown to enjoy and love.
Philip as we had met in a previous story wants to go out on an expedition outside the safe walls to find princess Aurora. She had been kidnapped by the Evil Queen many years previously right before Phillips very eyes. He has always held out hope that she would still be alive and that he would one day be her knight in shining armor and rescue her from her captivity with the the Evil Queen.
One day Phillips friend Jack tells him about the guy Rip Van Winkle that just work up and has no idea about what was going on because he’d been asleep for the past ten years. Rip says he will pay anyone handsomely that wants to go beyond the walls with him in search of his daughter. He is already aware that his wife had passed. So Phillip and Jack see and opportunity to try and rescue Aurora.
Does Rip find his daughter? Do Phillip and Jack live to rescue Aurora? Is Aurora even alive anymore after all these years? There are so many questions, but once you conclude this story many of them that you have had while reading the set of stories will be answered. I am aware that there is now a 13th bonus fairytale available if you buy the complete Zombie Fairytale series on Amazon, it is something to look into if you are interested in one more story.
– {Story 13: The Screams of Pocahontas} – {11.06.2018} – When I started this story it was so that I could complete the series, which in all honestly has been long over due. I started reading this series because well it’s based on {fairytales} and I am a lover of nearly all things {fairytales}.
Pocahontas is a curious character that hides behind her innocence. She tends to use it almost as a crutch as a means of ignoring rules and doing as she’d like with her curiosity. When a ship appears on their land she and the people of the village become curious and they want to explore it and see what there is to be found within it. When the Warriors of the village come back from the ship saying that there is no one to be found on the ship – it makes Pocahontas even more curious about the ship.
When night falls she goes to explore the ship and finds a white man chained up beneath it. She foolishly helps him get free and lets loose an evil that cannot be undone.
This story has some gory and impeccable imagery within it’s pages. I actually read it out loud to my husband and 14 and 13 year old. They seemed to enjoy it. My 13 year old has book napped my book so that he can read the previous stories. He is a true lover of the zombie type books. I love that my children are able to find books in which they are interested. My 14 year old decided that she wanted to book nap my Brother’s Grimm book and read all the original {fairytales}.
These stories are great for those that enjoy fairy tale re-tellings. They are great for those that like things about zombies and are just great all together in my opinion. I always seem to have a hard time setting one down until I am completely through with it, so if you have read one, I think you should read the rest. So far they were incredibly enjoyable in my opinion.
May 10, 2017
These stories were awesome! All the stories interconnected with each other and were set in the same areas. In the stories, characters from previous stories were seen in the later ones as minor characters. These stories were very gory with lots of blood and violence. I totally loved them. There were short, about 40-50 pages each which made each individual story a quick read.
My favorite stories were:
1. Zombie Cinderella
2. Hansel and Gretel are dead
3. Blood Red Riding Hood
4. Beauty is a Beast
5. Zombie Cinderella II: The Ball
6. Revenge of the Little Match Girl
7. The Little Mermaid of Death
I highly recommend these stories if you love zombies and blood.
This review is also posted on The Book Owl Extraordinaire
My favorite stories were:
1. Zombie Cinderella
2. Hansel and Gretel are dead
3. Blood Red Riding Hood
4. Beauty is a Beast
5. Zombie Cinderella II: The Ball
6. Revenge of the Little Match Girl
7. The Little Mermaid of Death
I highly recommend these stories if you love zombies and blood.
This review is also posted on The Book Owl Extraordinaire
March 10, 2015
This book was good but a bit gruesome for me in some areas. I had my favorite ones picked out but as I read more and more they got lost in the shuffle. I know the beauty and the beast version was really good. There were so many that were really good and others I felt were just ok.
I thought the whole idea was awesome on the authors part. They all were really well thought up in how they intertwined together.
I thought the whole idea was awesome on the authors part. They all were really well thought up in how they intertwined together.
July 15, 2022
It is an incredibly disturbing book. I can barely put it down. I love the twists and turns.
January 10, 2018
Bought this on a punt for some travel time reading and am really glad I did. The premise for this book is that fairy tales all get given a horror/gore twist as a zombie-style infection starts to spread in a fairy tale land and each chapter tells the story of one of the fairy tales, from their lead character's perspective.
The great thing about the complete collection is that each story is great on it's own but there is an over-arching story and progression which links them all together. Characters turn up, get killed or are referenced in other stories which is nice and there is a clear beginning of the virus with Pinocchio and ending with Pocahontas which is great to read. The stories are given a really nice spin to them (it isn't just a straight re-telling with some zombies added in) - what Richey does to 'The Little Mermaid' in particular is great. The level of writing is superb and really gory in places with some really creepy horror suspense added in the descriptions.
I think my only negative is that I read the book a little too fast in one go - it really is a book you can enjoy by dipping in and out of chapters a lot better than trying to read it all on a plane.
Really recommended - a great find!
The great thing about the complete collection is that each story is great on it's own but there is an over-arching story and progression which links them all together. Characters turn up, get killed or are referenced in other stories which is nice and there is a clear beginning of the virus with Pinocchio and ending with Pocahontas which is great to read. The stories are given a really nice spin to them (it isn't just a straight re-telling with some zombies added in) - what Richey does to 'The Little Mermaid' in particular is great. The level of writing is superb and really gory in places with some really creepy horror suspense added in the descriptions.
I think my only negative is that I read the book a little too fast in one go - it really is a book you can enjoy by dipping in and out of chapters a lot better than trying to read it all on a plane.
Really recommended - a great find!
February 18, 2020
If you're tired of "sanitized" fairy tales, this anthology is for you. Nobody gets a happy ending!
Richey manages to not only make the zombie element believable--at least in the context of fairy tales--he also engineers all the tales so that they fit into the same universe. Admittedly, I thought this left a few of the stories feeling a little forced, but I'll give the author credit for ingenuity and creativity--the more universes one incorporates into a single world, the harder it is to get the continuity to work. And while some of his writing mechanics felt a little rough, it's certainly no rougher than most translations of Grimm, Andersen, or de Villeneuve, even if the Disney influence is a little obvious. And despite the logic problems--which, again, are no worse than the "fairy tale logic" of the originals.
While I'm impressed by the author's ability to place all the tales into a single universe with a single zombie contagion, I wonder if this volume might have been better had he chosen a completely different zombie element for each story.
Richey manages to not only make the zombie element believable--at least in the context of fairy tales--he also engineers all the tales so that they fit into the same universe. Admittedly, I thought this left a few of the stories feeling a little forced, but I'll give the author credit for ingenuity and creativity--the more universes one incorporates into a single world, the harder it is to get the continuity to work. And while some of his writing mechanics felt a little rough, it's certainly no rougher than most translations of Grimm, Andersen, or de Villeneuve, even if the Disney influence is a little obvious. And despite the logic problems--which, again, are no worse than the "fairy tale logic" of the originals.
While I'm impressed by the author's ability to place all the tales into a single universe with a single zombie contagion, I wonder if this volume might have been better had he chosen a completely different zombie element for each story.
February 22, 2021
At first I thought it would just be individual remixes of the tales themselves. But it isn't, what you have here is a coherent, continual story. Many of the well known characters from fairytales (Hansel and Gretel, Red Riding Hood, Cinderella), fables (The Little Match Girl, Pied Piper), stories (Sleepy Hollow) and even characters from nursery rhymes make an appearance. They all live in and around the same town, where a deadly plague has taken hold. Not all the victims stay dead and many are not completely mindless.
This is horror. No happy endings (depending on perspective I suppose, Beauty and the Beast lol), bloody and gory in its telling.
What if Geppetto's Pinocchio was a little more macabre? What if Snow White did meet a brutal end at the hands of the queen? Cinderella tortured to death? Add in the zombie plague aspect and you have a wild, creepy ride. Even at the end, with a Pocahontas tie in, no happy endings to be had here. Just loved it!!
This is horror. No happy endings (depending on perspective I suppose, Beauty and the Beast lol), bloody and gory in its telling.
What if Geppetto's Pinocchio was a little more macabre? What if Snow White did meet a brutal end at the hands of the queen? Cinderella tortured to death? Add in the zombie plague aspect and you have a wild, creepy ride. Even at the end, with a Pocahontas tie in, no happy endings to be had here. Just loved it!!
June 20, 2024
I've read it twice!
I love this book! It's so deliciously gory and descriptive in a way that puts you in the room with the dead. I can feel the pain and panic of the victims and the devilish delight of the predators.
The book is eerie, creepy and downright scary. And I love the playful lines from Disney's very well-known versions of the fairy tales here and there throughout the stories. My only criticism is a handful of careless typos. I found about 10-12. I'm sure I'll read this book again. I'll have to look up more Kevin Richey books. I need more of this!
I love this book! It's so deliciously gory and descriptive in a way that puts you in the room with the dead. I can feel the pain and panic of the victims and the devilish delight of the predators.
The book is eerie, creepy and downright scary. And I love the playful lines from Disney's very well-known versions of the fairy tales here and there throughout the stories. My only criticism is a handful of careless typos. I found about 10-12. I'm sure I'll read this book again. I'll have to look up more Kevin Richey books. I need more of this!
June 10, 2017
What a dark and twisted but fun ride in an alternative fairy tale world. I like how the author wove one story into the next with subtle references or appearance of one character or two that would later show up in the next story or the story after that one. Sort of like tie ins to make each story somehow related to the previous or the next. The most enjoyable stories for me were that's of Beauty IS a Beast and parts 1 & 2 of Cinderella. The Mermaid of Death was appreciated as well.
January 4, 2018
This is one of my new favorite zombie books! It's a new take on zombies as they can make decisions and think, which sometimes we get a glance into. I love that they are all connected by the town(s) the beloved characters are a part of, too. I would recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of horror and fairytales.
August 17, 2020
Not your usual happily ever after.
Intertwining characters from several different nursery rhymes and fairy tales the author has changed their lives and given them a gory twist that even the Brothers Grimm had not considered.
Intertwining characters from several different nursery rhymes and fairy tales the author has changed their lives and given them a gory twist that even the Brothers Grimm had not considered.
August 28, 2017
Zombie fun!!!
This was a great retelling of the fairy tales we know and love infused with gore and zombie fueled madness.
This was a great retelling of the fairy tales we know and love infused with gore and zombie fueled madness.
June 16, 2019
These were okay. Much gore, which is good. And they tie together, which was unexpected and good.
November 23, 2019
Some of the stories were just not for me and some of them were a little bit boring at least that is what I found.
December 12, 2024
As someone who's not really into zombies, I wasn't sure I would enjoy them, but as a free boxset (it was on offer when I bought it), I thought it was worth a look as I do love fairytales, and I wasn't disappointed. These stories are both very different from, and yet contain very clear nods to the originals. All have zombie plague themes running through them, and you need to read through the boxset in order as there are references to the earlier stories in the later ones. These are definitely not for children, as they are very violent and often disturbing stories, but if you like fairytale retellings and/or zombies, this is definitely a boxset of short stories for you!
Individual Story Reviews
The Zombie Pinocchio
This story is both oddly touching and very creepy, combining Frankenstein, a zombie plague and elements of the original Pinocchio story. It's so well written that you really feel sorry for Gepetto, even while disliking his actions and their results.
Hansel and Gretel Are Dead
This story starts with the execution of Gepetto (from the previous story), and then proceeds into a seemingly ordinary Hansel and Gretel... Until it's not! I liked how much the original story elements had been preserved in this one, and how strong a bond we see between the siblings. The end's gross though!
Blood Red Riding Hood
This is definitely the bloodiest story so far, and with elements of the original, though more loosely than others. I did like the ending though.
Beauty Is a Beast
This is a very good twist on the story, and very romantic too (in a bloody, zombie way!). An enjoyable short story.
Zombie Cinderella
This first half of the Cinderella story is very similar to the original, albeit with Cinderella being unwell after encountering a zombie! I found the extent of the evilness of the stepmother and stepsisters quite shocking and sad, and loved the revenge of Cinderella on the stepmother for this reason. I'm looking forward to part two to see what she does to the sisters!
Zombie Cinderella II: The Ball
This second part of the story deals with the ball, and there are also appearances from Pinocchio, Hansel and Gretel and the other children (during which we learn it was the stepsisters who were in the siblings way at the hanging of Gepetto). Whilst extremely grizzly, I do like this story, as it's a real good-triumphing-over-evil story... I think?
Revenge of the Little Match Girl
This story is both heartbreakingly sad, and then sweet and victorious in revenge. Loved it.
The Curse of Peter Pan
It was good to finally read about the mysterious Peter Pan figure that's appeared in a couple of the other stories. But I felt very sorry for poor Wendy - too young to be a grown up, and too old to be accepted as a child.
The Little Mermaid of Death
This is a very twisted version of the Little Mermaid story, and I loved it!
The Headless Horseman
This Sleepy Hollow retelling is very good, and full of death, destruction, and action!
Skull White
This Snow White version is incredibly yucky. Loved it!
Sleeping Beauty Wakes in Hell
This is the final story set in the world we've known throughout the series so far, and it's certainly the biggest finale - we meet just about every character, there's fighting, zombie feasting, a battle to save the princess from the evil queen... Awesome!
The Screams of Pocahontas
This final story in the box set is both funny and sad, serious and scary. It starts almost like a normal Pocahontas story, though with a comedy twist, but then takes a sinister turn with the arrival of John Smith, alone on a ghost ship where he's locked in manacles below decks... It's definitely my favourite of the whole box set, and finishes it in style.
Individual Story Reviews
The Zombie Pinocchio
This story is both oddly touching and very creepy, combining Frankenstein, a zombie plague and elements of the original Pinocchio story. It's so well written that you really feel sorry for Gepetto, even while disliking his actions and their results.
Hansel and Gretel Are Dead
This story starts with the execution of Gepetto (from the previous story), and then proceeds into a seemingly ordinary Hansel and Gretel... Until it's not! I liked how much the original story elements had been preserved in this one, and how strong a bond we see between the siblings. The end's gross though!
Blood Red Riding Hood
This is definitely the bloodiest story so far, and with elements of the original, though more loosely than others. I did like the ending though.
Beauty Is a Beast
This is a very good twist on the story, and very romantic too (in a bloody, zombie way!). An enjoyable short story.
Zombie Cinderella
This first half of the Cinderella story is very similar to the original, albeit with Cinderella being unwell after encountering a zombie! I found the extent of the evilness of the stepmother and stepsisters quite shocking and sad, and loved the revenge of Cinderella on the stepmother for this reason. I'm looking forward to part two to see what she does to the sisters!
Zombie Cinderella II: The Ball
This second part of the story deals with the ball, and there are also appearances from Pinocchio, Hansel and Gretel and the other children (during which we learn it was the stepsisters who were in the siblings way at the hanging of Gepetto). Whilst extremely grizzly, I do like this story, as it's a real good-triumphing-over-evil story... I think?
Revenge of the Little Match Girl
This story is both heartbreakingly sad, and then sweet and victorious in revenge. Loved it.
The Curse of Peter Pan
It was good to finally read about the mysterious Peter Pan figure that's appeared in a couple of the other stories. But I felt very sorry for poor Wendy - too young to be a grown up, and too old to be accepted as a child.
The Little Mermaid of Death
This is a very twisted version of the Little Mermaid story, and I loved it!
The Headless Horseman
This Sleepy Hollow retelling is very good, and full of death, destruction, and action!
Skull White
This Snow White version is incredibly yucky. Loved it!
Sleeping Beauty Wakes in Hell
This is the final story set in the world we've known throughout the series so far, and it's certainly the biggest finale - we meet just about every character, there's fighting, zombie feasting, a battle to save the princess from the evil queen... Awesome!
The Screams of Pocahontas
This final story in the box set is both funny and sad, serious and scary. It starts almost like a normal Pocahontas story, though with a comedy twist, but then takes a sinister turn with the arrival of John Smith, alone on a ghost ship where he's locked in manacles below decks... It's definitely my favourite of the whole box set, and finishes it in style.
June 29, 2015
Overall review:
Read these in order! They all build off of one another. Was this awesome writing, not really but not was it cheesy like I was expecting it. It wa very gory...I don't recommend eating while you read this lol.
The zombie Pinocchio:
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Pretty dark, geppetto was missing a few screws lol! Pinocchio didn't want brains he wanted friends LMBO!
Hansel and Gretel are dead:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Wow this was all sorts of dark and morbid. The sibling relationship was sweet even in death lol!
Blood Red Riding Hood:
⭐️
This was my least favorite. Everyone's attitude sucked and I was happy to see them all die!
Beauty is a Beast:
⭐️⭐️⭐️
This was just like you'd imagine a beauty and the beast zombie retelling would be. It was entertaining and Beast's mom...well she was a beast lol!
Zombie Cinderella:
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Like the real Cinderella this one was sad and I always feel bad for Cinderella. I have to say she went the most zombie psycho!
Revenge of the Little Match Girl:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I'd never heard of this fairy tale so couldn't really compare it. It was sad like most of the kid's tales were in this book.
The Curse of Peter Pan:
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Wendy was such a spoiled moron! I wanted to strangle her reading this. Peter was just downright creepy too!
The Little Mermaid of Death:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I liked this one and it stayed true to the tale somewhat. Ariel had to have been the most restrained zombie of the entire bunch.
The Headless Horseman:
⭐️⭐️⭐️
This was kind of a senseless story to me and it tied in the least to all of the other tales. It could of had some real potential too!
Skull White:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This was my second favorite story. Truly morbid and twisted! The evil queen was quite the villain!
Sleeping Beauty Wakes in Hell:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
My favorite of the bunch! Out of all the stories it had me glued to the pages. Heartbreaking end :(
The Screams of Pocahontas:
⭐️⭐️
This was boring and I didn't see the point of it. It was really cheesy and didn't tie into the other tales.
Read these in order! They all build off of one another. Was this awesome writing, not really but not was it cheesy like I was expecting it. It wa very gory...I don't recommend eating while you read this lol.
The zombie Pinocchio:
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Pretty dark, geppetto was missing a few screws lol! Pinocchio didn't want brains he wanted friends LMBO!
Hansel and Gretel are dead:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Wow this was all sorts of dark and morbid. The sibling relationship was sweet even in death lol!
Blood Red Riding Hood:
⭐️
This was my least favorite. Everyone's attitude sucked and I was happy to see them all die!
Beauty is a Beast:
⭐️⭐️⭐️
This was just like you'd imagine a beauty and the beast zombie retelling would be. It was entertaining and Beast's mom...well she was a beast lol!
Zombie Cinderella:
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Like the real Cinderella this one was sad and I always feel bad for Cinderella. I have to say she went the most zombie psycho!
Revenge of the Little Match Girl:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I'd never heard of this fairy tale so couldn't really compare it. It was sad like most of the kid's tales were in this book.
The Curse of Peter Pan:
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Wendy was such a spoiled moron! I wanted to strangle her reading this. Peter was just downright creepy too!
The Little Mermaid of Death:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I liked this one and it stayed true to the tale somewhat. Ariel had to have been the most restrained zombie of the entire bunch.
The Headless Horseman:
⭐️⭐️⭐️
This was kind of a senseless story to me and it tied in the least to all of the other tales. It could of had some real potential too!
Skull White:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This was my second favorite story. Truly morbid and twisted! The evil queen was quite the villain!
Sleeping Beauty Wakes in Hell:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
My favorite of the bunch! Out of all the stories it had me glued to the pages. Heartbreaking end :(
The Screams of Pocahontas:
⭐️⭐️
This was boring and I didn't see the point of it. It was really cheesy and didn't tie into the other tales.
June 26, 2015
Retellings of classic stories and the additions of horror elements are actually quite common and no longer hold the same novelty factor that they once did, which is a shame as once you get past the novelty factor there's usually not much else going for them. I'm delighted to say that this was not the case for this fantastic collection of fairy tales!
The book is set in one kingdom and details the events of a zombie plague, but these events happen to revolve around fairy tale characters in a vaguely fairy tale way. For example the little mermaid is a zombie who lives in a swamp and preys on passers by until food runs low and they venture of on a raid where she meets Eric, the kings nephew. Since she remembers nothing of being human she becomes fascinated with him and one event leads to another and the next thing you know she's eating him. Of course she is, she's a zombie! There are no traditional happily ever afters in this book!
The stories are clearly recognizable as the original fairy tales and retain most of the elements that make them so endearing, but they've been completely re-worked with quite amusing results! Each tale flawlessly linking in with the rest. An idle comment in Pinocchio from a priest about how he knew a man who liked to wander off into the woods for a nap, a mention in the little match girl about a missing father who vanished without a trace and then in sleeping beauty you actually meet rip van winkle who is the little match girls father and the man the priest knew.
I absolutely loved these tales and will be reading them again and again. Even my husband, who normally doesn't sit down and read has listened to my gushing about these stories and is contemplating giving it a go. Fortunately each fairy tale is only about the length of an average chapter so slow readers will still enjoy the fast paced retellings.
The book is set in one kingdom and details the events of a zombie plague, but these events happen to revolve around fairy tale characters in a vaguely fairy tale way. For example the little mermaid is a zombie who lives in a swamp and preys on passers by until food runs low and they venture of on a raid where she meets Eric, the kings nephew. Since she remembers nothing of being human she becomes fascinated with him and one event leads to another and the next thing you know she's eating him. Of course she is, she's a zombie! There are no traditional happily ever afters in this book!
The stories are clearly recognizable as the original fairy tales and retain most of the elements that make them so endearing, but they've been completely re-worked with quite amusing results! Each tale flawlessly linking in with the rest. An idle comment in Pinocchio from a priest about how he knew a man who liked to wander off into the woods for a nap, a mention in the little match girl about a missing father who vanished without a trace and then in sleeping beauty you actually meet rip van winkle who is the little match girls father and the man the priest knew.
I absolutely loved these tales and will be reading them again and again. Even my husband, who normally doesn't sit down and read has listened to my gushing about these stories and is contemplating giving it a go. Fortunately each fairy tale is only about the length of an average chapter so slow readers will still enjoy the fast paced retellings.
November 29, 2014
OK this was a refreshingly different zombie story. Or should I say stories as it was a collection of short stories.
Kevin took classic fairy tales like Pinocchio or Hansel and Gretel and took them to a really dark place.
I think the Cinderella story was the most disturbing as he went into loving detail about the suffering of Cinderella at the hands of her step family. You really wanted those women to pay a horrible price. That was quite a tale of sadism and revenge.
Overall the stories are great. They all string together as his fairy-tale land all is in one spot and the zombie plague starts with Pinocchio and spreads outward through all the stories. There are no happy endings for humanity in this story, no stalwart survivors holding off the hordes while finding the meaning of their lives. They read like the old tales did, dark, nasty and not always with a happily ever after.
The only think I found jarring was a Sleepy Hollow story. Sleepy Hollow traditionally is placed in America and this collection happens in Europe and in the final tale Pocahontas spreads to the Americas. BUT really, who cares, it was a great story that fit with the rest perfectly in tone.
Go read this! This is actually a book that I'll keep on my device and probably randomly reread in the future.
Kevin took classic fairy tales like Pinocchio or Hansel and Gretel and took them to a really dark place.
I think the Cinderella story was the most disturbing as he went into loving detail about the suffering of Cinderella at the hands of her step family. You really wanted those women to pay a horrible price. That was quite a tale of sadism and revenge.
Overall the stories are great. They all string together as his fairy-tale land all is in one spot and the zombie plague starts with Pinocchio and spreads outward through all the stories. There are no happy endings for humanity in this story, no stalwart survivors holding off the hordes while finding the meaning of their lives. They read like the old tales did, dark, nasty and not always with a happily ever after.
The only think I found jarring was a Sleepy Hollow story. Sleepy Hollow traditionally is placed in America and this collection happens in Europe and in the final tale Pocahontas spreads to the Americas. BUT really, who cares, it was a great story that fit with the rest perfectly in tone.
Go read this! This is actually a book that I'll keep on my device and probably randomly reread in the future.
July 26, 2015
I was really looking forward to this book; I love fairy tales and I like zombies. This book was a disappointment. It was essentially a smoothing together of Disney fairy tales with "The Walking Dead". Part of the thing that is essential to fairy tales is a good guy, a villain, and some kind of moral to the story. "Zombie Fairy Tales" lacked all three of these essential elements. There were some villains, to be sure, but in the end they weren't really punished, as they are in your traditional fairy tale. Sure; some were turned into zombies, but in this book that didn't really seem to be a true punishment. And a moral? Forget it; there were none to be found in these stories.
What frustrated me most about these stories was the lack of originality. I truly felt as if I were reading hybrid fairy tale; Disney Princess meets "The Walking Dead". Even the method of killing the zombies by ruining their heads, was straight from "The Walking Dead". And so many elements of Disney fairy tale movies were taken; right down to names and costume descriptions. I had hoped for a Grimm's Fairy tale with zombies story; this was a big disappointment.
What frustrated me most about these stories was the lack of originality. I truly felt as if I were reading hybrid fairy tale; Disney Princess meets "The Walking Dead". Even the method of killing the zombies by ruining their heads, was straight from "The Walking Dead". And so many elements of Disney fairy tale movies were taken; right down to names and costume descriptions. I had hoped for a Grimm's Fairy tale with zombies story; this was a big disappointment.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 5, 2014
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Author Kevin Richey has done an excellent job of corrupting fairy tales that we have loved as children into something that will thrill us as adults. This is the entire collection of his Zombie Fairy Tales woven from tales such as Cinderella, Pinocchio, The Little Mermaid, and The Little Match Girl just to name a few.
All of the tales can be enjoyed separately or read in succession. Each one has something different to offer but all are well written and unique. They definitely keep your attention from start to finish.
If you love a good horror story, especially the zombie genre, then you should pick up this collection. All of the stories within are great reads, but due to the ick factor and violence of some of them I would say these are definitely not for kids.
Author Kevin Richey has done an excellent job of corrupting fairy tales that we have loved as children into something that will thrill us as adults. This is the entire collection of his Zombie Fairy Tales woven from tales such as Cinderella, Pinocchio, The Little Mermaid, and The Little Match Girl just to name a few.
All of the tales can be enjoyed separately or read in succession. Each one has something different to offer but all are well written and unique. They definitely keep your attention from start to finish.
If you love a good horror story, especially the zombie genre, then you should pick up this collection. All of the stories within are great reads, but due to the ick factor and violence of some of them I would say these are definitely not for kids.
February 26, 2016
It's kind of a tossup. Some of these stories are delightful and others were a bit of a slog to get through.
If you like fairy tales and zombies this book will probably appeal. If you just like zombies....this isn't really your typical zombie book. The descriptions of the gore can be pretty imaginative. Which was fun. And lots and lots of death.
I liked that even though these were short stories complied together they all connected. And it was fun when characters from other stories popped up and you had to infer what happen.
What frustrated me was the clulessness of some of the characters. I think those stories were the weakest. If the character is so stupid they aren't fun to read about because you don't care. And you know what the ending is going to be. But I really enjoyed some of the zombies perspective. These aren't you traditional undead. :)
If you like fairy tales and zombies this book will probably appeal. If you just like zombies....this isn't really your typical zombie book. The descriptions of the gore can be pretty imaginative. Which was fun. And lots and lots of death.
I liked that even though these were short stories complied together they all connected. And it was fun when characters from other stories popped up and you had to infer what happen.
What frustrated me was the clulessness of some of the characters. I think those stories were the weakest. If the character is so stupid they aren't fun to read about because you don't care. And you know what the ending is going to be. But I really enjoyed some of the zombies perspective. These aren't you traditional undead. :)
February 28, 2014
WOW!!! I love reading fairy tales that are being adapted, and I love seeing how creative the author can be, but man, this was exciting, thrilling, frightening and fun! With each story, Kevin Richey takes you further and further into a kingdom that becomes over run with the dead.
The creativity that he brings to each story is unique, spilling the original story with the undead. He brings references from popular retellings, such as the Disney ones, so we get a chance to chuckle at the familiar before he spins the story into a completely different direction. With each story, we dive deeper and deeper to the fate of this world, and we recognize previous main characters as they cameo the next story.
The creativity that he brings to each story is unique, spilling the original story with the undead. He brings references from popular retellings, such as the Disney ones, so we get a chance to chuckle at the familiar before he spins the story into a completely different direction. With each story, we dive deeper and deeper to the fate of this world, and we recognize previous main characters as they cameo the next story.
December 26, 2014
I actually read this collection during the release months they came out (Jan.-Dec. 2012) After the author introduced me to the first three tales. This collection puts the whole fairy tale zombies twist in one big book. I would treasure a copy of this book. I won't hold the author to it...(but my interview question)
Overall I'm a huge fan of Richey's work. His writing style is strong on all points. He has other series to check out as well.
As for "The Screams of Pocahontas" the extra that was only published in this collection was another zombie homerun. In this tale the white man brings a plague and poor Pocahontas can only watch her entire village parish before her eyes.
Read this collection, or pick the singles. Either way your in for a Zombie good time.
Overall I'm a huge fan of Richey's work. His writing style is strong on all points. He has other series to check out as well.
As for "The Screams of Pocahontas" the extra that was only published in this collection was another zombie homerun. In this tale the white man brings a plague and poor Pocahontas can only watch her entire village parish before her eyes.
Read this collection, or pick the singles. Either way your in for a Zombie good time.
January 24, 2015
This is a collection of your favorite fairy tales with a dark, gruesome twist. I love how the author takes each story and makes it their own but intertwines the other characters into the stories. The book flows together so you don't feel like you are reading thirteen short stories. He rewrites the classics like Hansel and Gretel and more modern day fairy tales like Sleeping Beauty and Snow White. My favorite was the Beauty and the Beast chapter. Overall this book makes you feel like you are actually there in the middle of the story. The details he put into this book makes it feel so realistic and you can picture everything that is happening. I would give this book 5 stars and I would recommend it to anyone that loves horror and zombie books.
November 1, 2015
At first I was not sure about this one, I like fairy tales and I like zombies so this seemed like a perfect combination for me. After reading the first story I couldn't help but feel a little disappointed , it just seemed like a pretty average retelling of Pinocchio with a couple of zombie elements thrown in , but as I read on what I really liked were the little moments and links that bound the disparate stories together, so that instead of just being a collection of short stories it also unified the book as a whole, with characters from one story making cameo appearances in another, sometimes without the reader even noticing until they get to a later story. Very cleverly put together and a great seasonal read.
September 10, 2023
I have read this book three times now (always during spooky season), and it honestly gets better during each re-read. The woven threads of the stories and characters is fantastically done. It also does not shy away from gore, which is to be expected in a zombie book. "Sleeping Beauty Wakes in Hell" is still by far my favorite story from the collection, but each story holds its own. The dread and helplessness you feel in this book--especially during the chase scenes--is so expertly done.
If you enjoy "Alice" by Christina Henry or "Winterset Hollow" by Jonathon Durham, you must read this story. I will continue to recommend this book to any fairytale/horror lovers and hope someday it will gain the popularity and traction is rightfully deserves.
If you enjoy "Alice" by Christina Henry or "Winterset Hollow" by Jonathon Durham, you must read this story. I will continue to recommend this book to any fairytale/horror lovers and hope someday it will gain the popularity and traction is rightfully deserves.
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