Red as Blood and White as Bone by Theodora Goss

Red as Blood and White as Bone
by Theodora Goss
Fairy Tales, Retellings
ebook, 32 pages
Published: Available now
Source: Free online at Tor.Com
My Rating: 5 Stars

Red as Blood and White as Bone by Theodora Goss is a dark fantasy about a kitchen girl obsessed with fairy tales, who upon discovering a ragged woman outside the castle during a storm, takes her in--certain she’s a princess in disguise.

RED AS BLOOD AND WHITE AS BONE is a fairy tale inspired story drenched with rich prose.

It is a cautionary tale filled with dark deeds true to classic fairy tales, ones later bowdlerized. Lush and bold, it tells the story of a young kitchen maid, one formerly raised in a convent and naive to the outside world, whose innocent joy is found in the secreted fairy tale book she hides and escapes to. 

“Stories are everywhere, and everyone tells them. But our stories may be different from yours. About the Old Woman of the Forest, who grants your heart’s desire if you ask her right, and the Fair Ladies who live in trees, and the White Stag, who can lead you astray or lead you home . . .”

What makes this short story such a fantastic read is how much depth and richness Theodora Goss manages to incorporate into it. A mysterious lady found during a storm with only her luxurious hair to cover her nakedness.  A necklace of red beads, a dress as black as night, and an antique, jewel comb - surely she must be a lost princess? 

"Fairy tales are another kind of Bible, for those who know how to read them"

Through Klara's sweet voice, the reader is treated to a story that touches upon the magical. Surprisingly, Goss ties this beauty of a story also to events leading to WWII and later with her forming an alliance with the Resistance against the Nazi occupation. She becomes a storyteller, and how this transformation takes place is really the center of the story.

"I am a daughter of these mountains, and of the tales. Once, I wanted to be in the tales themselves. When I was young, I had my part in one—a small part, but important. When I grew older, I had my part in another kind of story. But now I want to become a teller of tales."

RED AS BLOOD AND WHITE AS BONE is one part fairy tale, one part magical realism, and one part mythic. Highly recommended for fairy tale and retelling lovers!