Daughters of the Blue Moon

by Millie Abecassis

"A dark and twisted fairy tale with betrayal and family secrets as sharp as the knives the strong and defiant heroine uses on the wolves haunting the heart of the woods."
— Yolanda Sfetsos, author of Only Darkness

"An alluring tale about the freedom to chase your fate and own your truth. If this story doesn’t inspire you to live life on your own terms, I don’t know what will."
— Chris Campeau, author of Resisters

Everybody knows the Big Bad Wolf didn’t want to eat Carmine. Except her.

Carmine, a seasoned huntress, has been protected from wolves by a powerful spell tattooed on her back for years. But one day, the magic fails, and she narrowly escapes a violent encounter with a furious she-wolf that was determined to kill her.

As she recovers from her injuries, she experiences eerie dreams of a singing wolf. Though the dreams could be harmless, the singing wolf looks exactly like the she-wolf that almost took her life. Scarier, the dreams remind Carmine of those she had when she was younger, before a talking wolf tricked and almost devoured her in the waking world.

Soon Carmine realizes the spell her grandmother put on her back isn't what it seems to be, and her family knows more about herself than she does.

A sapphic and dark retelling of Little Red Riding Hood, Daughters of the Blue Moon is a tale about retaking ownership of your own body and destiny.

A novella for anyone who loves horror, folk tales, and fantasy elements.

Genres: Fantasy, Horror, Lesbian, LGBT, Adult, Paranormal, Dark Fantasy

88 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 25, 2025

About the author

Millie Abecassis is a French-American author of adult speculative fiction born and raised in France. She is the founder and host of #SmallPitch, a pitch event centered on independent presses, and the co-founder of the Small Spec Book Awards. Besides writing, Millie works in the biotech industry, has two cats, and loves playing video games whenever she has the time between two manuscripts.

Reviews

[Lapys · Rating 5 out of 5]

Daughters of the Blue Moon is an interesting retelling of a classical fairytale. Building upon the well-known story of Little Red Riding Hood, Millie Abecassis brings us into a world where humans can take wolf form, walk amongst dreams, and witches draw magical tattoos.
After she is attacked by a wolf as a child, Carmine’s grandmother, a witch, grants her protection against the wolves. Carmine will put that ability to use by becoming a huntress. But the day she meets an unusual wolf who almost kills her, her world is sent into disarray. Her own family was hiding dark secrets, and her childhood nightmares resurfaced.

This story takes us on a self-discovery journey for Carmine, who will learn about herself, the lies she’s been told to appear normal, and how those who wanted to help her were shunned. Through an interesting build-up and flashbacks to Carmine’s past, Millie weaves together a fine tapestry to depict a modern version of the fairytale. Where the original was about teaching children to stay safe from monsters disguised as loved ones, this one goes a step further and reminds us that loved ones aren’t always better than monsters. A tale of reclaiming one’s body and agency, of navigating the adult world through the lens of a difference that is considered bad, and of love through self-love.

Do I recommend it? Wholeheartedly. Of course, it would speak to me, neurodivergent, part of multiple minorities, who had to fight to find herself and her place in this world. It’s also a short read, which is a breath of fresh air in the mountain of hundreds-pages books I’m drowning in. The pace is good, with the sequence in the past giving us a welcome respite, seeping into the present as Carmine’s dreams come back to her.
My only regret would be that the best scene is kept for the epilogue, but it’s my biased opinion speaking.

Disclaimer: advanced reader copy received for free

[Jill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nice little twist on little red riding hood!

[Yolanda Sfetsos · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'd like to thank the author for sending me a copy of this lovely novella with such a beautiful cover.

Just like her husband, Carmine is one of the village hunters. The day she goes searching for a wolf, that's been attacking the local sheep, by herself, she ends up getting badly hurt. As Carmine heals, she starts to remember long forgotten fragments that will change her life forever...

I started reading this book the other day to get a taste for it, and then picked it up again today and couldn't put it down. It's such a fantastical story that takes the reader into the heart of the woods, where the lives of wolves and humans collide in violence.

Carmine is such a great main character. She's strong, stubborn, caring, and determined. I really enjoyed getting to know her as she uncovers several long-buried family secrets that resurface after the trauma she suffers from her injuries. How she deals with everything intrigued me at every step.

I also think that the sense of location was lush, and I could feel the cold climate the characters found themselves in, and got lost in the dark woods with them, too.

Little Red Riding Hood is one of my favourite fairy tales, so I always love reading retellings... and this one didn't disappoint!

[Fydhelio · Rating 5 out of 5]

We all know that old classics retelling is a tricky stunt to pull, for all the right (and wrong) reasons.
But for me, this one is a complete success !

The author manages to take what suits her narrative from the OG story (without fully using all the well-known tropes everybody has in mind) to write something else, something that feels personal, with a more modern eye on themes that reflects our society as it is today.

The writing style is easy to read, and is absolutely not devoid of beautiful moments and great rhythmicality.
When the main character is questioning herself, you do too and that’s not an easy feat to achieve.

Subtext is well used and makes you think, makes you reflect, and every aspect of this novella serves the story as a whole. Nothing feels force-fed, every theme organically blends in with the others.

It was a really nice read and I will keep a close eye on Millie other and future works !

[El Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is how you write a short story!! Oh my gods, I'm obsessed.
This was a wonderful debut novella. A very unique sapphic re-imagining of Little Red Riding Hood that had me devouring it in just a couple of hours.
I was able to connect immediately with the FMC in such a raw and powerful way. This was an incredible story of claiming ones own identity, coming out, and self-acceptance. There was a fabulous feminist theme that explored a woman's right to choose and to reclaim what's been taken.
I am so happy I read this book, and I can't wait to see what else this author has in store for future books.

[Helyna Clove]

I read this novella for the indie novella competition, SFINCS. The following review is my own personal opinion as a judge and does not reflect the views of the team as a whole.

Daughters of the Blue Moon by Millie Abecassis is a dark fantasy retelling of Little Red Riding Hood, centering on womanhood and queerness, depicting wolves in a unique light and weaving a story of secrets, magic, and stolen agency.

Carmine is a huntress, working for the good people of her hometown alongside her husband. She is skilled and strong but also has a secret weapon: the tattoo on her back, given to her by her witch grandmother to protect her after a wolf attack that had nearly killed her in her childhood. Now, another wolf prowls the forests, taking sheep and terrifying people. Carmine hunts the beast down, but after the victory, encounters a curious she-wolf who seriously wounds her. As Carmine recovers, she experiences a strange dream about singing wolves—a dream she remembers from her childhood as well. And her husband is strangely guarded about that tattoo on her back that this time didn’t shield her from the she-wolf…

From then on, the novella tells the story of Carmine in a dual timeline, showing us what happened to her in the lead-up to the wolf attack in her childhood when she’d gone to visit her sick grandmother, and also the present, as she tries to figure out her mysterious bond with the animals. The central theme is definitely agency here: there are a lot of people keeping a lot of things in secret from Carmine. To find them out, to get control over her life, she needs to grapple with the fact that she doesn’t know the people closest to her as well as she’d thought, and this truly can be life-rending experience. It’s a rude betrayal, when other people decide about one’s own fate, as if they knew better what was good for her, as if she was weak or too dumb to decide herself. Abecassis isn’t afraid to quickly make the connection to the errors of a patriarchal society either: women, at default, are often perceived to be weaker and more vulnerable, and everyone seems to be much more ready to take away the choice of someone like that. Carmine is an accomplished huntress, but still, still isn’t regarded high enough to be able to make her own decisions. Apart from this, consent is another key word as well, as we get to know more about the mystery of these wolves.

Another aspect, namely Carmine’s relation to the she-wolf, veers into a sort of allegory regarding queerness. The ‘otherness’ of the wolves, their outcast nature, how their way of life is abhorred and not understood, is clearly a reference to how many queer people experience their positions in our society. There is also a sniff (pun intended!) of a sapphic story here, but due to the constraints of the length, I felt like it didn’t have time to breathe and remained not much more than an indication and a tool of the plot. It would have been interesting to see more of Carmine’s feelings as she discovers paths and experiences so far hidden from her. I really liked, however, the presentation of how at the end, she couldn’t curse either her husband nor her grandmother for the way her life had turned out, not entirely. Getting free of the traps and lies is a long process, and very complicated, when it involves people, loved ones, we define ourselves around.

A well-thought out plotline and these interesting allusions are certainly very strong points of the work. The writing is capable, and as we get a glimpse into the world (especially the sorts of magic that can be found in it), it felt lived-in as well. My intellectual reading-brain was certainly tickled by all this, but I wish I could have felt with the main character a bit more, and seen her personality shine through more often, however the prose kept me distant from her, even though the emotional layer was clearly very much emphasized in Carmine’s journey. I also felt like the dual timeline storytelling unfortunately did not help to keep up the tension as we reached the ending. In any case, fairy tale retelling fans will delight in the themes and dark twisting of secrets and truths in the novella, and I recommend Daughters of the Blue Moon to them wholeheartedly.

[Alan]

Original review at Before We Go Blog: https://beforewegoblog.com/sfincs-rev...

What big teeth you have!

In Daughters of the Blue Moon, author Millie Abecassis tackles the story of Little Red Riding Hood, employing key motifs associated with the fairytale while engaging with interpretations of the same. In this Sapphic fantasy retelling of the traditional story, Abecassis combines a tight focus on the protagonist’s empowerment with an exploration of the ways in which women are often subtly coerced into their own subjugation. Fans of New Adult retellings, werewolf stories, and witchy vibes will find a lot to enjoy here, and I recommend the novella to fans of Ava Reed who are looking for a similar feel in a smaller package.

In terms of its story, Daughters is focused mainly on the aftermath of Little Red Riding Hood. Protagonist Carmine is the granddaughter of a local village witch, a wife and hunting-partner to the husband who originally rescued her from the big bad wolf who disguised himself in her grandmother’s clothes, and is struggling under the weight of spousal (and gendered) expectations. While Carmine once loved her husband, she’s beginning to feel the wear and tear of their marriage. The couple’s efforts to conceive have met with failure, and while her husband appears patient, Carmine privately dreads the prospect of motherhood. One of Carmine’s greatest joys–hunting in the woods–is now also something her husband is pressuring her to retreat from. While Carmine’s husband isn’t obviously abusive in a typical sense, he exerts a great deal of subtle pressure on her to conform, citing her gender as the reason she is a “weaker” hunter than he is, despite proof to the contrary. As a hunter, Carmine is protected by an elaborate back tattoo inked into her skin by her late grandmother in order to protect her. Carmine depends on this tattoo to shield her from the wolves she battles, and so when her back is torn up during a wolf attack, both she and her husband worry for her ability to protect herself. After the attack, however, Carmine is visited by talking wolves in her dreams–wolves who suggest that Carmine’s tattoo did far more than protect her, and that she may share a deeper kinship with the wild than she ever believed. As her husband pressures her to have the tattoo fixed, Carmine begins to suspect he knows far more than he’s letting on.

Many of the set pieces and elements common to different retellings (and readings) of Red Riding Hood make an appearance in Daughters of the Blue Moon. Menstruation, coming-of-age, and (perhaps somewhat obviously) the symbolic relationship between womanhood and the moon, each play a role in Carmine’s story. Where Abecassis plays with the fairytale is through her characterization of the hunter and Red Riding Hood. As previously mentioned, the seeming heroics of Carmine’s hunter husband disguise a potentially darker motivation, while Carmine herself is anything but a retreating adolescent. The grandmother character is, here, a force to be reckoned with even beyond the grave, and Abecassis does a lot to contextualize how the supernatural (including witchcraft) is perceived and treated within Carmine’s village and surrounding communities. Despite its modest length (at 22k words it’s on the shorter side for a novella), Abecassis paints a solid picture of Carmine’s environment. For the most part, Abecassis’s reimagining of the story does a lot to add texture and detail, without overburdening the story with too rigid and detailed an explanation of the supernatural elements. Where the work does falter slightly in this is in its use of some of the more comical aspects of the Riding Hood story (a wolf disguising himself as Carmine’s grandmother, feigning illness, and coaxing her into bed while dressed in a nightgown and cap). In a work in which the motivations and approaches of the characters otherwise feel very down-to-earth or are played straight, the absurdity of the tactic is slightly jarring and unintentionally funny. If more had been done to lampshade the humour, or if Abecassis had leaned into the absurd creepiness more, it might have been more effective, but as is it feels disruptive to the careful tone the author constructs elsewhere.

That said, there are some beautifully horrific images, simply and elegantly delivered over of the course of the story: a corpse’s foot uncovered beneath a mound of snow, buried bones under a weeping willow, the elaborate yet constraining tattoo that resembles forks of splintered lightning. The opening pages are evocative and full of tension, creating a powerful hook for readers with their depiction of a series of animal deaths on a farm bordering the woodland. Apart from a few stumbles in tense, the writing is clear, concise, and effective. Where a less skilled writer might make the mistake of peppering the story with florid description, Abecassis holds back enough to let the more important images and lines stand out. Daughters is thus largely a very smooth and quick read. With its short length and tight focus, it’s a book I can easily foresee readers picking up and spending time with.

Character is a huge piece in Daughters of the Blue Moon and the reading experience is propelled chiefly by Carmine’s internal conflict and growth. As a story of empowerment, it bears resemblance to a lot of New Adult (and some Young Adult) stories in which the focus is on the differentiation of the main character from their family or mentor figures. That said, one of the aspects of Daughters that I found the most compelling was its very adult, nuanced depiction of a certain kind of coercive relationship in which one partner isn’t dramatically abusive, but in which there is nonetheless a kind of socially-informed inequality that dominates and determines interpersonal interactions. Abecassis’s treatment of this, through the relationship between Carmine and her husband, is well done, and I imagine will be relatable to many contemporary readers who’ve unfortunately found themselves in these kinds of relationships. An unfortunate side effect of the emphasis on Carmine’s marriage, however, iss that the burgeoning Sapphic romance between Carmine and another character is less developed. While there’s a satisfying tension to the conflicts between Carmine and her husband, and Carmine and the heteronormative and misogynistic society that surrounds her, there’s a comparative lack of tension or excitement when it come to exploring her romance. I couldn’t help but want the novella to last a little longer, in order for Abecassis to give both this element, as well as an exploration of Carmine’s developing self, more room to shine. As a protagonist, Carmine’s motivations and reasoning is always clear, but due to the constraints she’s been placed under all her life, it’s as though her personality isn’t fully developed. This, to me, felt intentional and realistic, but I would have liked to have spent more time with Carmine and her love interest to see how her true self was emerging.

Overall, Daughters is an effective, tightly-plotted story that should tickle the itch of Sapphic readers eager for a fairytale that doesn’t shirk when it comes to addressing adult themes. Abecassis is clearly a skilled writer, and I’m particularly eager to read something longer by the author.

[Melody · Rating 4 out of 5]

Daughters of the Blue Moon by Millie Abecassis is a unique spin on the classic Little Red Riding Hood tale. Carmine, our Little Red, is a seasoned huntress of wolves, protected by magical tattoos painted on her skin by her loving grandmother after a close call with the Big Bad Wolf. Under the tutelage of her husband, our Woodcutter, she has learned to track and kill wolves with the best of them, but one night she has an even closer call with a she-wolf that disrupts her grandmother’s magic and Carmine’s entire life. Damaging the spell reveals that there is more to the magic, and herself, than Carmine was led to believe, and she embarks on a dangerous journey of self-discovery.

Little Red Riding Hood has many themes, including growing up and learning who to trust. Little Red foolishly trusts the wolf, and misses all the red flags when he is disguised as her grandmother. Similarly, Carmine has been too trusting of the wrong people and needs to sort out the truth. In doing so, she learns who she really is and who she wants to be, which is an important part of growing up. Abecassis takes these core ideas of the fairy tale and plays with them in interesting ways.

The novella, coming in at a quick 92 pages, is short enough to be read in one sitting. Even in such a short span, Abecassis gives us developed characters, dual timelines, and a mystery without it feeling crammed in or rushed.

I enjoyed this short novella and I think that anyone who enjoys a new, clever, sapphic spin on classic fairy tales will enjoy this one.

Thanks to the author for an advanced reading copy in exchange for an honest review.

Review also posted here: https://www.blog.melodyemcintyre.com/...

[Lara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sort of a post-Little Red Riding Hood tale. Carmine is all grown up and a hunter now with a powerful tattoo protection spell on her back given by her grandmother. Then it seems nothing is as she was told it to be when the wolves attack AND talk to her. She sets out to figure what is the truth.

This is very short, like the beginning of a novel instead of a whole story by itself.

[Seraph I. · Rating 5 out of 5]

A dark, atmospheric,, and tightly paced retelling of Little Red Riding Hood. Daughters of the Blue Moon is about what happens in the years after the big bad wolf, and explores themes of trauma and the reclaiming of agency. In a very short space Abecassis paints a vivid world spanning past and present, where an adult Red Riding Hood grapples with the truth of herself and her past, and the betrayal of those closest to her.

[Celina · Rating 3 out of 5]

All wolf stories be creepy nowadays.

[alex · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unfortunately, I was very underwhelmed by this novella. I felt that all the promised parts of the story were there, but they were rather surface-level. The sapphic relationship and queerness in general were barely explored, even though they seemed to be in direct conflict with the traditions of the world and therefore fitting to factor in Carmine’s journey of retaking her agency. Also I didn’t think the novella was going to follow the original "Little Red Riding Hood" so closely in Carmine’s backstory. In this retelling, the wolf disguising himself as the grandmother made no sense and was so ridiculous that it honestly took me out of the story. 😄 I suppose my enjoyment started to dwindle from there.

[On the (Book) Case · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really interesting and unique take on the classic “Little Red Riding Hood” story that goes beyond the typical spin!

The characters in this story are very well fleshed out and experienced quite a lot of action for a novella. The author uses a very interesting “then” and “now” flashback method of storytelling that simply just works for this story. For a novella this short, the author also brilliantly manages to pack in quite a lot of background and world building.

(SPOILER IN THIS SENTENCE ONLY!) On the other hand, the relationship between the main characters did develop quite quickly in my opinion but for a novella length story that should be expected.

The story does also feel a bit rushed near the end and I feel the author could have expanded the ending with a few more pages just to ensure the ending is a bit more satisfying.

Overall, an enjoyable story that is easily read and can be finished in an afternoon!

(eARC copy was provided by the author)

[Dan Lasco · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

for a novella with fewer than 90 pages, daughters of the blue moon manages to deliver a well-paced, atmospheric take on little red riding hood. the story unfolds organically, allowing events to build tension without feeling rushed. carmine, the seasoned huntress at its center, is given depth and room for growth as she unravels the truth about her past and the magic that has shaped her life.

the blend of horror, folklore, and fantasy elements works beautifully, making the novella an engaging read. while the sapphic aspect is subtle, the idea behind the connection between the characters is intriguing and adds an extra layer to the story.

overall, daughters of the blue moon is a gripping, eerie retelling that excels in its storytelling and atmosphere.

thank you to the author for an e-arc in exchange of an honest review!

[AndrewJL · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adapting a fairy tale as iconic as Little Red Riding Hood is a truly daunting task. With all the versions and retellings out there, it's difficult to find a new angle. Yet, somehow, the author has managed to shed new light on the well-known and well-loved tale, focusing on events long after the story we all know of grandma's house, the big bad wolf, and the hunter, while still managing to weave those elements into the narrative. The characters are realistic and complex, and the story is unpredictable, keeping you on your toes. I especially enjoyed the way the book explores werewolves, an often neglected aspect of the original presentation of the "big bad wolf" in European folklore.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys classic fairy tales with a modern, darker twist.

Note, I received an ARC of this novella and am leaving an honest review.

[Melody · Rating 4 out of 5]

Daughters of the Blue Moon by Millie Abecassis is a unique spin on the classic Little Red Riding Hood tale. The novella, coming in at a quick 92 pages, is short enough to be read in one sitting. Even in such a short span, Abecassis gives us developed characters, dual timelines, and a mystery without it feeling crammed in or rushed. I enjoyed this short novella and I think that anyone who enjoys a new, clever, sapphic spin on classic fairy tales will enjoy this one.

Read my full review here: https://www.blog.melodyemcintyre.com/...

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

*ARC review* The following is my own honest opinion:

Daughters of the Blue Moon is a fun, short, queer-normative Red Riding Hood retelling. The story is different enough from the original Red Riding Hood to be unique and interesting to read. Although the story is only 88 pages long it still manages to touch on some heavy women's rights topics and does it well. Overall fun, well done, short read.

[Leah Hedrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun & quick read! This is a fresh take on the werewolf myth, and a cool retelling of little red riding hood! I enjoyed it all the way through. Carmine is a loveable protagonist in a fully realized fantasy world, and her story unfolds with compelling ease.

Personally, I don't think the "horror" tag fits, but that's not a dig on this novella! That's just to say that, while there's some dark themes and bloody action scenes, it isn't scary or haunting.

[Chris Campeau · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a darkly imaginative spin on a classic fairy tale. Millie Abecassis expands on the red riding hood and big bad wolf mythos with a sharp commentary on women's rights and body autonomy. The story itself is cohesive and well paced, blending elements of fantasy, mystery, horror, and romance. A must-read.

[Luminea · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love fairytale retellings, and this one was fantastic! Not only was it a dark and magical take on the original Little Red Riding Hood story, but also it touched on powerful themes such as having agency in one's life and sovereignty over one's own body. It was a touching and empowering story, to be read by moonlight!

[Jamie (TheRebelliousReader) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars. The sapphic element was underwhelming not gonna lie. I wanted more but the writing was really good and so was the plot so I’m not that annoyed I guess. This was atmospheric and had such an eerie tone to it that I really liked. This was fun. Quick and a bit spooky.

[Georgia · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great novella.
It combined many wonderful elements (LGBTQ+, paranormal, romance, deceit/betrayal, fantasy). It's everything I want in a novella that could be adapted to a longer novel or series if the author chose.

[Cassandre · Rating 4 out of 5]

Was a quick but enjoyable read. I felt like the ending was a bit rushed but I enjoyed the book as a whole. I would enjoy reading more about these characters.

I did receive an eArc from the author.

[Courtney Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a joy to read! Abecassis weaves a haunting, lush story with some of my favorite themes: bodily autonomy and consent. Her writing is a prime example of making every sentence count, where so much description and emotion is packed into every line. I will definitely be on the lookout for more from this author.