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.

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

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.

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.

Also available on most online bookselling retailers around the world. You can also request the book from your local bookshop or library.

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

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Reviews

“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

“Ebony, Blood, and Snow tugs at the nostalgia of classic tales while creating new personalities and plot lines unique to this series. It’ll take you down twists and turns as its characters explore girlhood, sisterhood, societal duties, and their own desires. 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

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.