Red as Blood and White as Bone by Theodora Goss
Rating: ★★★★☆
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.
I love fairy tales with teeth. This one, despite being a quick read, definitely has some.
Klara, the MC, is an orphan. She’s sent to a convent as a child and then to serve in a noble household when she’s a young girl. A passing poet gifts her a book of fairy tales, and from that moment onward they become her way to escape the drudgery of her life.
She reads them so often that they become real to her. So, when one day a beautiful young woman in need of help comes quite literally crashing into her, Klara becomes convinced that she’s a princess in disguise and is there to meet and fall in love with the prince.
Well, she’s something in disguise. And she does want to “meet” the prince.
Anyone in need of a quick fairy tale fix should pick this one up. It’s well written, free (at tor.com), and comes with a bite.
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