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My Lady of Plagues and Other Gothic Fairy Tales
A haunting collection of dark fairy tales, “My Lady of Plagues and Other Gothic Fairy Tales” contains stories set in monster-infested woods and in elf-plowed lava fields; in modern-day Jerusalem and in medieval Venice; among deadly flowers and inside the body of a giant. Wildly imaginative and ranging in tone from gruesome to lyrical, these stories include new and surprising takes on traditional fairy tales (“Jack the Giant Killer” and “My Lady of Plagues”); bold feminist revisions of classic Greek myths (“Wings” and “Rattlesnake”); and contemporary political horror (“Death in Jerusalem” and “Alexei’s Godmother”). Award-winning author and academic Elana Gomel brings her unique vision and her knowledge of fairy tales to create a kaleidoscopic collection of old and new stories that take you on a dark journey into magical realms you will never forget.
- GenresHorror
337 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 1, 2022
About the author
Elana Gomel
106 books67 followersBorn in Ukraine and currently residing in California, Elana Gomel is an academic with a long list of books and articles, an award-winning writer, and a professional nomad. She has taught and researched in Israel, Italy, and the US, and is known in the academy for her (purely theoretical) interest in serial killers, alien invasions, and rebellious AIs. She is the author of more than a hundred stories, several novellas, and six novels of dark fantasy and science fiction. Her latest fiction publications are the dark fairy tale Nightwood (Silver Award in the Bookfest 2023 competition) and Girl of Light, a historical fantasy.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
July 1, 2023
I was thoroughly entertained by this collection of horror-flavored fairy tales. There was a good amount of variety in the types of stories, so each one feels different from the others. The endings are dark or bittersweet, so if you are in the mood for that, this collection of stories is a great choice.
January 26, 2023
Sixteen beautifully told dark fantasy and gothic fairy tales. While I liked some stories more than others I enjoyed the writing in all of them. I also loved the illustrations.
Both the writing and the kinds of stories reminded me a little of Angela Carter, Tanith Lee, and Neil Gaiman, as well as the original versions of the folk and fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm.
My favorite stories:
“My Lady of Plagues”
A former tailor tells the story of how a new queen began healing the sick in a town riddled with plagues. A dark retelling of the legend of Lady Godiva.
“In the Lava Fields”
A woman takes a trip to Iceland to try and recover from an event from her past. While there she learns something about Icelandic elves and folklore. Harrowing ending.
“Green Bird”
In a world where ghost birds appear after people die, a demoted detective investigates a cold case. A noir gothic fairy tale.
“The Bone Forest”
Nekane, a shy girl who spends her days working on a spinning wheel, goes into the monster infested Bone Forest in search of her lost sister.
“Alexie’s Godmother”
After a poor farmer’s wife dies giving birth to his son, the farmer seeks someone to be the child’s godparent. A mysterious woman in black agrees.
“Little Mother”
After some children go missing in a forest, Mark’s girlfriend goes missing as well. He’s then contacted by a strange figure who guides him deep into the forest.
“Sun, Moon, and Talia”
With the plague devastating her town and facing starvation, Talia does something terrible. When offered the chance to redeem herself she takes it.
This was a very enjoyable read. I’m looking forward to reading more of Elana Gomel’s work.
My ratings for each story:
My Lady of Plagues (5/5)
Death in Jerusalem (3/5)
Jack the Giant Killer (3/5)
Turandot (4/5)
Rattlesnake (4/5)
Dancer From the Dance (4/5)
In the Lava Fields (5/5)
The Two Courts (3/5)
Angelo (4/5)
Green Bird (5/5)
The Bone Forest (5/5)
Wings (3.5/5)
Melissa and the Stone Troll (3/5)
Alexei’s Godmother (5/5)
Little Mother (5/5)
Sun, Moon, and Talia (5/5)
Both the writing and the kinds of stories reminded me a little of Angela Carter, Tanith Lee, and Neil Gaiman, as well as the original versions of the folk and fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm.
My favorite stories:
“My Lady of Plagues”
A former tailor tells the story of how a new queen began healing the sick in a town riddled with plagues. A dark retelling of the legend of Lady Godiva.
“In the Lava Fields”
A woman takes a trip to Iceland to try and recover from an event from her past. While there she learns something about Icelandic elves and folklore. Harrowing ending.
“Green Bird”
In a world where ghost birds appear after people die, a demoted detective investigates a cold case. A noir gothic fairy tale.
“The Bone Forest”
Nekane, a shy girl who spends her days working on a spinning wheel, goes into the monster infested Bone Forest in search of her lost sister.
“Alexie’s Godmother”
After a poor farmer’s wife dies giving birth to his son, the farmer seeks someone to be the child’s godparent. A mysterious woman in black agrees.
“Little Mother”
After some children go missing in a forest, Mark’s girlfriend goes missing as well. He’s then contacted by a strange figure who guides him deep into the forest.
“Sun, Moon, and Talia”
With the plague devastating her town and facing starvation, Talia does something terrible. When offered the chance to redeem herself she takes it.
This was a very enjoyable read. I’m looking forward to reading more of Elana Gomel’s work.
My ratings for each story:
My Lady of Plagues (5/5)
Death in Jerusalem (3/5)
Jack the Giant Killer (3/5)
Turandot (4/5)
Rattlesnake (4/5)
Dancer From the Dance (4/5)
In the Lava Fields (5/5)
The Two Courts (3/5)
Angelo (4/5)
Green Bird (5/5)
The Bone Forest (5/5)
Wings (3.5/5)
Melissa and the Stone Troll (3/5)
Alexei’s Godmother (5/5)
Little Mother (5/5)
Sun, Moon, and Talia (5/5)
October 3, 2022
Elana Gomel explores dark fantasy and fairy tale concepts with a dark eye, as they were originally intended. Her beautiful writing brings the fantastic to life in a brilliant, timeless manner.
Furthermore, this book features absolutely beautiful illustrations!
Furthermore, this book features absolutely beautiful illustrations!
November 13, 2022
An absolutely fantastic collection of stories that will have you binge reading late into the night. Superbly written by a new author that I will make sure to read more of.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews