{Synopsis} – Death and Pixie Dust!
Once upon a time, a mysterious plague beset a quiet village in the woods—a plague of the walking dead. Suddenly, beloved fairy tale characters are thrown into a world of stark violence and horror: Cinderella is worked to death before the ball, Pinocchio is made from children’s corpses, and Little Red Riding Hood finds more than wolves in the forest.
Surreal and full of black humor, Zombie Fairy Tales is a genre-bending narrative of a world on the brink of apocalypse, a world with no happily ever afters.
Collected here are all 12 original Zombie Fairy Tales, plus a new 13th tale exclusive to this collection!
Zombie Fairy Tales:
– 1 The Zombie Pinocchio
– 2 Hansel and Gretal Are Dead
– 3 Blood Red Riding Hood
– 4 Beauty is a Beast
– 5 Zombie Cinderella
– 6 Zombie Cinderella II: The Ball
– 7 Revenge of the Little Match Girl
– 8 The Curse of Peter Pan
– 9 The Little Mermaid of Death
– 10 The Headless Horseman
– 11 Skull White
– 12 Sleeping Beauty Wakes in Hell
– 13 The Screams of Pocahontas
{My thoughts} – {date entire series completed} – {11.06.2018}
– {Story 1: The Zombie Pinocchio} – {07.03.2013} – This book is well written. It reminds me that even with the best of intentions some things can still go very wrong. The story of Pinocchio is well known, however this twisted version is not. Reading these fairytale remakes are making me think from another point of view. It helps to show that although we have been led to believe that everything is always happy ever after, in modern times that isn’t the case. One can believe one thing based on what they have been told, but it only takes the imagination of another to make you see things could have been differently.
– {Story 2: Hansel and Gretal Are Dead} – {07.02.2013} – This was an interesting take on the Hansel and Gretel story. I was rather intrigued and wasn’t able to stop reading it until I had completed it. I like how it followed some of the original story ideas but added them together in a twisted new version. I have come to love reading all things fairytale like, therefore it didn’t surprise me that this series had peeked my interest. If you like zombies and fairytales, you are bound to enjoy these books.
– {Story 3: Blood Red Riding Hood} – {07.04.2013} – These books keep getting better and better. This one was far more descriptive then the previous ones I had read. It kept my attention through to the end and fit in well with the zombie/ fairytale theme. This one is based on the Little Red Riding Hood tale. Some of the things that take place in this book had turned my stomach, but that’s what makes it so incredibly well written. I have come to love these twisted fairytale stories and they are well worth the read. I know this is a set that I will gladly return to and read again in the future.
– {Story 4: Beauty is a Beast} – {07.04.2013} – This book didn’t change my mind about how much I am falling in love with this series. It is well written, it shows that relationships can still be built, that love can still exist even though there is no hope for what is left of civilization. I thoroughly enjoy the graphic detail that is written. It pulls me right into the story as if I am there actually committing the act or merely observing it from a distance.
– {Story 5: Zombie Cinderella} – {05.23.2013} – This book has an interesting spin on the fairy tale world. I have to admit that I enjoy reading all things fairy tales no matter how disturbing it may become. This book is well written, it is engaging and it pulls the reader in to the very last second wanting more. I enjoyed reading this particular take on Cinderella because well to be honest I never found it fair that she was treated so awful and didn’t have the means of the ability to get even wit her step mother and step siblings for all the horrid things that they had done to her once her father had passed. If you enjoy fairy tales and want to read an interesting spin on them, I would have to recommend this book to you. I promise you won’t regret reading it.
– {Story 6: Zombie Cinderella II: The Ball} – {07.04.2013} – This book was an amazing conclusion to the very first Zombie Cinderella. I enjoyed how it had also tied together some of the other characters that we had already met throughout the first five books. I enjoyed the description and the fact that it wasn’t at all a happy ever after. This book helped to show that looks can be deceiving. It doesn’t matter how well respected a person is meant to be, everyone has secrets and once those secrets are out, everything changes.
– {Story 7: Revenge of the Little Match Girl} – {11.12.2013} – This book is marvelously written. I really enjoyed it a lot. Ada is such a sweet misdirected character. She lost her father when he decided to leave and her mother to an accident. She became nothing more then a street urchin that no one cared about and no one paid much attention to. She spent her time trying to sell matches in order to keep herself fed and warm. One day everything changes, eventually she does become noticed but not for the reasons she would have liked.
– {Story 8: The Curse of Peter Pan} – {05.22.2015} – This is an interesting take on the Wendy, Peter Pan and Hook story. I really enjoyed reading about what could have been, should have been or the way things can be twisted to be turned into something that is possible when you really put your mind to thinking about it.
Wendy is a girl that never wants to grow up and when she discovers Peter Pan he gives her that option. However, the option isn’t really made for her it’s made for her brothers, because as her father had simply stated earlier she is too old. Peter seemed to think she was too old to be turned into a live forever child like himself and the other children that he’d been taking each night and turning into one of his own.
Her parents leave in the night to go to a secret meeting where they discuss how to deal with all the change in their town. They decide the way to deal with it is to hire someone that was appointed through the now dead priest.
Wendy even though she was rejected wants to become one of Peter’s kind. She decides to follow him in order to stop the guy that her parents hire to kill him. She finds out too soon how impossible that is and the guy hired to kill him finds out that life and the way he’d always seen it isn’t the way it will remain.
If you want to find out what has happened throughout the series thus far, you will need to read the previous stories. If you want to know what happens to Wendy and if she ever gets to be a part of Peter’s kind or what comes of the guy her parents hire you will need to read this story. I promise if you enjoyed the others you’ll enjoy this one too.
– {Story 9: The Little Mermaid of Death} – {05.24.2015} – Ariel is brought to you in a different light. Ursela and Eric too are depicted as different characters that readers aren’t use to. Don’t get me wrong Ursela is still a bad character but in this story she is a different type of bad.
When Ariel and the hags go on there mission to the castle to finish off the king, Ariel is the one hag that finds his chambers and his nephew Eric and niece Ursela, but she doesn’t meet her on that encounter. Ariel sees a crab that Ursela had made look alive even though it was dead and that is all she wanted from the chamber and then she left all the people unharmed. When she goes back to the swamp and gets into a scuffle with one of the swamp hags she decides its time to move on!
Ariel is tired of living with the swamp hags that we had met in the previous story with Wendy and Peter Pan. She has this human treasures that she keeps in a special place in her nest in the swamp and one of the hags deliberately destroys her nest sending all her special treasures all over the swamp. Some of the other hags turn up with them and use them in the feeding frenzy.
Ursela decides that she will go visit Eric and see about living with him. While she is there she meets Ursela face to face and a lot of interesting things happen. What you ask? I can’t tell you but I am sure if you have enjoyed the previous stories you will enjoy this one just as much!
– {Story 10: The Headless Horseman} – {05.25.2015} – The Headless Horseman, we’d all heard many stories about this growing up. This story is a fascinating take on it, that’s for sure. I enjoyed reading this story just as I have the previous ones within this series. I look forward to see how it is going to be wrapped up with the last two stories.
Katina’s older sister has been left beheaded outside the local school. Outside the school where she taught and spent her life helping the children of their small town. The killings all began with her sister and then they continued on with many of the town’s people. It is hard for the town to escape death it seems.
The town Sleepy Hollow has managed to keep the undead out, but now they have dead townspeople among them. Katrina isn’t allowed out of her house without security of some sort and most certainly not during the night is the new law her dad has enforced. Her dad wants to protect her and will go to nothing in order to do so. He thinks keeping her locked up is the only conclusion at this point. She is in love with a guy named Brom and when he doesn’t show up to a party that Katrina throws her dad goes out looking for him.
It turns out however, that her love is meant to be with the new school teacher that took her sisters place, which leaves one asking what about Brom? I don’t know, I suppose you will need to read this story to find out what is going to happen. Does she stay with Brom? Does she hook up with the new school teacher? Or does she choose to move on with her life?
– {Story 11: Skull White} – {05.25.2015} – In this story we get to meet the King’s sister that had taken to bathing in the blood of young maidens in order to keep her appearance looking young. If you read the story of Ariel and all you should remember her being mentioned within it’s paragraphs.
The Queen has a gentleman caller coming to see her. He is interested in getting together with her in an attempt to try and save the kingdom, the kingdom that is ultimately falling to the dead. Snow White’s mother has kept her hidden from the Queen for as long as possible. In the end her mother gets sick and Snow White is forced to do her servant duties. One thing leads to another and Snow White’s face is revealed to the Queen.
As soon as Snow White’s mother knows what happens she urges her daughter to leave with her. Snow White ends up running from the castle without her mother, because the Queen holds her mother hostage, hoping the girl will come back. When the girl doesn’t come back the Queen kills her mother and then decides to take her own life shortly after.
As the Queen is about to jump she notices smoke from the woods. This renews her fixation on capturing Snow White. She climbs down and goes after her. Does she get to her before the dead kill her? What becomes of the King that came to see the Queen? Does Snow White live or die? What happens to the Queen? I know you must hate when I Say this but you will need to read the story. I am sure that you will enjoy it as much as I have.
– {Story 12: Sleeping Beauty Wakes in Hell} – {05.21.2015} – Kevin Richey did a brilliant job combining all twelve of the stories into one larger story. Each story can be read alone or they can be read together, but each story helps you to visualize a the bigger picture, the imagery he was trying to get across about Sleepy Hollow and what it would be like if Zombies would have taken over the fairytale world as opposed to the sweet fairytales we have all grown to enjoy and love.
Philip as we had met in a previous story wants to go out on an expedition outside the safe walls to find princess Aurora. She had been kidnapped by the Evil Queen many years previously right before Phillips very eyes. He has always held out hope that she would still be alive and that he would one day be her knight in shining armor and rescue her from her captivity with the the Evil Queen.
One day Phillips friend Jack tells him about the guy Rip Van Winkle that just work up and has no idea about what was going on because he’d been asleep for the past ten years. Rip says he will pay anyone handsomely that wants to go beyond the walls with him in search of his daughter. He is already aware that his wife had passed. So Phillip and Jack see and opportunity to try and rescue Aurora.
Does Rip find his daughter? Do Phillip and Jack live to rescue Aurora? Is Aurora even alive anymore after all these years? There are so many questions, but once you conclude this story many of them that you have had while reading the set of stories will be answered. I am aware that there is now a 13th bonus fairytale available if you buy the complete Zombie Fairytale series on Amazon, it is something to look into if you are interested in one more story.
– {Story 13: The Screams of Pocahontas} – {11.06.2018} – When I started this story it was so that I could complete the series, which in all honestly has been long over due. I started reading this series because well it’s based on {fairytales} and I am a lover of nearly all things {fairytales}.
Pocahontas is a curious character that hides behind her innocence. She tends to use it almost as a crutch as a means of ignoring rules and doing as she’d like with her curiosity. When a ship appears on their land she and the people of the village become curious and they want to explore it and see what there is to be found within it. When the Warriors of the village come back from the ship saying that there is no one to be found on the ship – it makes Pocahontas even more curious about the ship.
When night falls she goes to explore the ship and finds a white man chained up beneath it. She foolishly helps him get free and lets loose an evil that cannot be undone.
This story has some gory and impeccable imagery within it’s pages. I actually read it out loud to my husband and 14 and 13 year old. They seemed to enjoy it. My 13 year old has book napped my book so that he can read the previous stories. He is a true lover of the zombie type books. I love that my children are able to find books in which they are interested. My 14 year old decided that she wanted to book nap my Brother’s Grimm book and read all the original {fairytales}.
These stories are great for those that enjoy fairy tale re-tellings. They are great for those that like things about zombies and are just great all together in my opinion. I always seem to have a hard time setting one down until I am completely through with it, so if you have read one, I think you should read the rest. So far they were incredibly enjoyable in my opinion.
Final Conclusion: 5 Star Rating.
