Ebony, Blood, and Snow

Ebony, Blood, and Snow

New Stories from Old Tales

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 history: 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.

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The Author

Tish Black is a writer, content creator, and film programmer. She creates fairy tale content as Tales with Tish, including her series of video essays exploring fairy tale films, tiny tales on Instagram, and that one TikTok video with 1.6M views. Her fairy tale fiction has been published in The Fairy Tale Magazine. With Coraline’s hair and Morticia’s wardrobe, her goal in life is to live in a spooky old house in the woods where people think she’s a witch and leave her alone. You may find Tish online at TishBlack.com, physically in Ottawa, and spiritually in the local cemetery. Ebony, Blood, and Snow is her first book.

Published in paperback and ebook on April 8, 2025 by Sharpest Tooth Publishing.

This book contains adult themes and descriptions that may be discomforting to some readers. Not recommended for under 16 years of age. Click here for content notes.

Are you a reviewer? The Review Copy Request Form is open!

Are you a bookseller? You can order Ebony, Blood, and Snow paperbacks for your stock through Ingram or contact Tish about consignment.

Meet your heroines as you rarely get to see them - centered in these storylines as the fearless, flawed, and unstoppable forces of their own destinies.

- Sarah Jane Timmons, Artist

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Reviews

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ “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 offers new ideas for empowering women in both domestic and social spaces.”
- Kelly Jarvis, Author of Selkie Moon

“These tales, like the heroines they contain, are by turns alluring and alarming. Not only do they explore the strange paths women walk as they navigate the contours of subjugation, but they also ask what would you do? How far would you go?”
- Marisa Celeste Montany, Writer

“In a world where fairy tales have always followed the same path, these familiar stories take a daring turn in Ebony, Blood, and Snow. Princesses no longer seek princes, witches demand justice, and women embrace their untamed selves. Sisters stand together against cruel forces, survivors fight back with unrelenting courage, and heroines, outlaws, and villains alike defy the expectations society has placed upon them. These tales weave together rebellion, desire, and power, centering women as the fearless, flawed, and unstoppable forces of their own destinies.”
- Sarah Jane Timmons, Artist

Press

Kelly Jarvis & Tish Black Author Talk, The Fairy Tale Magazine

Media Requests

Want to write or talk about Ebony, Blood, and Snow? Find all the essential information in the Media Kit.

Want to talk to Tish Black about her book, independent publishing, or fairy tales for your podcast, newsletter, or show? Contact Tish.

“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.”

- Kelly Jarvis, Author