Ebony, Blood, and Snow: New Stories from Old Tales

by Tish Black

How did Snow White’s mother become so vain? What if Cinderella didn’t go to the ball? When does the Beauty become the Beast?

Inspired by familiar fairy tales, author Tish Black’s debut short story collection takes the tales in new directions and rewrites Little Red hunts wolves, Gretel helps the witch, and Bluebeard’s wife gets revenge. These transgressive stories challenge readers’ ideas of what the tales could mean to them. There’s more to learn from fairy tale heroines than how to be eaten, rescued, or married.

These unconventional heroines fight the patriarchy with no time for romance; instead, readers will find tales of revenge, sisterhood, political revolt, and independence. In the lead story, a beautiful woman with hair as black as ebony is given to a king with blood-red lips, but it’s with her chambermaid that she finds true love. When tragedy strikes, her values change. Exploring why Snow White’s mother chose beauty over her daughter, “Ebony” leads to her decision to send the huntsman. In “Thistle,” a princess cursed to sleep lives a lonely life until the witch who cursed her reveals the true story of what her parents have done to them both. Rapunzel escapes the tower on her own in “Plum” and then joins a radical group trying to take down a misogynist monarchy.

Conveying the radical feminism of Angela Carter’s The Bloody Chamber and the defiance of Emma Donoghue’s Kissing the Witch, Black’s collection of thirteen tales redefines the fairy tale heroine.

158 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 8, 2025

Reviews

[Jennifer Deehan · Rating 4 out of 5]

#10 Ebony Blood and Snow (ARC review) @bookwormbookspr @taleswithtish

🐺🌹✨🧙🏼‍♀️🌲🌙🐆

“Dedicated to the angry feminist”

Drawing inspiration from well-known fairy tales, this short story collection offers a fresh twist on familiar narratives, reimagining their history: Little Red becomes a wolf hunter, Gretel teams up with the witch, and the beauty transforms into the beast. These stories show that fairy tale heroines have more to offer than simply being damsels in distress.

In these tales, the women challenge the patriarchy, focusing on revenge, sisterhood, political change, and independence rather than romance. There’s a nice introduction at the start which gives some background to the process of writing the book!

I really enjoyed the variety of short stories, with Ebony and Red standing out as two of my favorites. Some of the stories felt unfamiliar, as I couldn’t quite pinpoint their fairy tale origins. Overall, I’d rate this a solid 3.5/4 out of 5⭐️. If you’re an angry feminist who’s tired of traditional gender roles, these stories are definitely for you.

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[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

'Ebony, Blood, and Snow' puts a feminist twist on some of the world's favourite fairytales.

The book consists of a series of short stories, which I really enjoyed. The writing flowed beautifully, and it made me feel reminiscent of when I read fairytales as a child. I found it very easy to read and was able to read most of the book in one sitting. The book also removes the heteronormative narrative fairytales typically follow, which I found to be really refreshing.

One of my favourite things about the book is that there are no damsels in distress here! Each of the female protagonists doesn't rely on a "Prince Charming" to save her. They find their own solutions and are supported by other female characters.

I would recommend 'Ebony, Blood, and Snow' to anyone who loves a twist of a classic, especially if that involves turning princesses into a strong FMC.

I would like to thank Bookworm Books PR and Tish Black for the complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

[Kelly Jarvis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ebony, Blood, and Snow is a stunning collection of short stories inspired by traditional fairy tales. Writing in the tradition of artists like Angela Carter, Emma Donohue, and Anne Sexton, Tish Black presents readers with feminist retellings designed to empower women and smash the patriarchy. Black grounds her retellings in a keen understanding of the female writers and scholars who have studied and worked with the fairy tales, effectively penning a new group of intriguing stories from folkloric material.

The stories in Ebony, Blood, and Snow are told from both third person and first person perspectives, but each narrative is a clear and concise exploration of a character or tale. “Ebony” provides the back story of Snow White’s mother, “Amethyst” reworks “The Goose Girl,” and “Pine” presents a group of sisters who sneak out of their father’s house to earn their own money. Readers will find a Little Red Riding Hood who hunts wolves and a Rapunzel who escapes her tower on her own. While the men in Black’s tales rarely act as saviors, women and witches are rewritten as powerful entities who navigate difficult circumstances with a combination of intelligence, cunning, and female rage. Black’s treatment of Swan Maiden stories opens with the fabulous phrase “Once upon a time, a king pissed off a witch,” and her nod to the frame tale of 1001 Nights showcases the incredible power of storytelling.

The thirteen tales in Black’s collection are enticing enough to be read in one sitting, or they can be savored slowly by those looking to contemplate how fairy tale narratives have shaped and can continue to shape our cultural understanding of gendered expectations. Although many of the narratives contain alarming adult themes, the stories beautifully explore the roles of mothers, daughters, sisters, and wives, and the text offer new ideas for empowering women in both domestic and social spaces. If you enjoyed The Bloody Chamber or Kissing the Witch, you will find much to love in Ebony, Blood, and Snow.

[Emilee · Rating 3 out of 5]

This collection of short stories puts a new spin on some classic fairytales. I really liked that you could tell with absolute certainty which stories they were based on as some key elements (themes, symbolism, characters, personality or physical attributes, etc.) remained unchanged. Many stories were empowering. However, Samm gave the feeling of the “and then everyone clapped” when you got to the ending. My favorites included “Ebony” which was based on the backstory of the vain queen in Snow White; however, the story felt unfinished as I wanted to hear Snow’s story as well. Another favorite was “Lapis,” based on Arabian Nights/One Thousand and One Nights, with a thoroughly satisfying ending. I enjoyed trying to predict the fairytale when reading each title, with some being expected (“Red” was based on Little Red Riding Hood, which happened to be another favorite of mine) and others being more ambiguous.

Overall, this was a quick, fun read of familiar stories with a feminist twist.

[Amy Trent · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a lifelong fan of fairy tales/folklore, I love that Tish Black has claimed these stories to explore the queer experience. Tish writes in her final tale ("Lapis") that stories hold much power...

"The stories told the other women so much more than just the adventures of their protagonists. They told the story of their people. They revealed the storyteller's hopes and fears."

So true. There is pain and trauma and an unmistakable portion of misandry (which the author fully owns) in these stories. There is also courage and strength and empowerment. While there is no spice, there is more than a little violence in these tales. Read with caution.

[Meghen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book Review!

"Ebony, Blood & Snow: New Stories from the Old Tales," by Tish Black

One of my favorite genres is fairy tale retellings. So I was very excited to read a feminist fairy tale retelling. This is a short story collection of 13 revised fairy tales.

This book begins, "Dedicated to the angry feminists."

What I especially liked about this book was that there were no damsels in destress, waiting to be rescued by a prince. Here, the women were the heroines and were not focused on romance. They saved themselves, they sought independence, and they even hunted wolves.

Included were retellings of Snow White, Little Red Riding Hood, and Rapunzel. Also included were many stories for which I had not read the original version. They still made for good short stories, but I think an Index at the end of the book, identifying each fairy tale, would have been a help addition to this new release.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys feminist writing, fairy tale retellings, or short stories. 4/5

I received a gifted copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Char ღ Denae · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fairytale Retellings with a Feminist Twist

No damsels in distress here, just strong females who “save” themselves without help from Prince Charming.
This collection of fairytales are dedicated to the “angry feminist”, the woman who’s had it with men getting the credit for her hard work. Looking back through history, there are so many stories about women who invented amazing things that made life easier or discovered important breakthroughs that saved lives, only to have their work credited to a man… their boss, their colleague, even their husbands.
Ebony, Blood, and Snow, retells familiar tales but where the female characters don’t just wait around for their prince to ride up on a white stallion. They get busy and find their own way, escaping from the evil queen or overcoming hardship. Women are survivors and, when the going gets tough, the women get going!
Enjoyable anthology of thirteen short fairytale retellings by Tish Black that’ll have you cheering for the women, even if not all of them are exactly virtuous.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Little Red · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my first time reading a book of short stories and I’m definitely not put off reading more like this. The theme was fairy tale retellings but twisted and very feminine driven. Showing that we don’t need a prince to be happy or to save us. Some were more twisted than others but I’d have to say that ‘Thistle’ was my favourite. I read these within a day and enjoyed the authors take on known fairy tales. I give this a 4 out of 5 stars.

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Dedicated to the angry feminist” I needed more anger. I needed more rage. I just needed more from these stories. I love the idea of what these are meant to be and meant to represent: Feminism, women not being saved by men, women fighting against a world run by men, women saving themselves and each other, and in a very basic way they accomplished all of that. I know they’re short stories but I just felt unfulfilled when they were done.

Thanks BookwormBook for the ARC.

[Kat M · Rating 5 out of 5]

This had everything that I was hoping for from the description. It uses the Fairy tale elements in a way that was different and still had the charm from the original tale. I enjoyed the twist of these stories and how everything was used to tell that story. Tish Black has a strong writing style and hope to read more.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Penny Thibodeaux · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, the author’s stories provide a unique perspective. I really appreciated seeing what choices each character makes and how those choices brought them to where they stood at the end of their story. I am so glad to have had the chance to read this book. If you love fairytale retellings with a fierce heroine who doesn’t mind shedding someone else’s blood, check out this book.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Jonathan Lahue · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading Ebony Blood and Snow, and especially liked the fact that there’s a fairytale in here for every type of reader. My personal favourites were Bone, for how *deliciously* dark it is, Roan for its levity and wit, and Ash for its story of new perspectives and house becoming home. I'm looking forward to Tish's next book!

[Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was not expected. I went in blind so I was surprised when the stories took the turns they did. That said, they were all fun reads. Just go in with the understanding that it turns fairytales we’re used to on their side.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[TheCoffeeGridReads · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was beautiful! I enjoyed the twists on commonly told fairytales, but I also loved the twists for the lesser known tales (or at least not as well known to me). One could call them feminist fables. My favorite was the story of Little Red.

It was refreshing and well written. It doesn’t contain with the typical happily ever after which is excellent. This collection has dark humor and not your typical bedtime story. Perfect for those who preferred the original fairytales and not the Disneyfied versions.

5 out of 5 stars for me!

[Linda Breitenstein · Rating 5 out of 5]

Modern retelling, moody folklore, feminist edge on classic tales. I finished reading the book and immediately wanted to talk about it! Thought provoking, beautifully written and full of depth.

[Stephanie Sommerlad Bello · Rating 5 out of 5]

Immaculate collection of reframed tales. Thank you, Tish - for giving us more substance to chew on.