Synopsis: Forget the dark, enchanted forest. Picture instead a
masterfully evoked Old West where you are more likely to find coyotes as the
seven dwarves. Insert into this scene a plain-spoken, appealing narrator who
relates the history of our heroine’s parents—a Nevada silver baron who forced
the Crow people to give up one of their most beautiful daughters, Gun That
Sings, in marriage to him. Although her mother’s life ended as hers began, so
begins a remarkable tale: equal parts heartbreak and strength. This girl has
been born into a world with no place for a half-native, half-white child. After
being hidden for years, a very wicked stepmother finally gifts her with the
name Snow White, referring to the pale skin she will never have. Filled with
fascinating glimpses through the fabled looking glass and a close-up look at
hard living in the gritty gun-slinging West, this is an utterly enchanting
story…at once familiar and entirely new. (from the online description)Review: A truly twisted take on a classic fairy tale, Valente takes the reader through a dark and gritty Western rendition of the tale of Snow White. This story is a mash up of Classics European Fairy Tale, Western Folktale, and First Nations mythology. It starts brilliantly, but doesn’t pan out in the end, sadly. The world-building and characters are enchanting, grim, scary, and bloody. But the end becomes so confusing and vague, with no clear resolution (either good or bad), and with too much left untied, that it’s disappointing.
Worth reading, even with the ending, if for no other reason than
the imagination, but be prepared to end the book on a WTF note.
Bookmarks: 3.5 of 5
Awards: Winner of the 2014 Locus Award for Best Novella, and Nominated for the 2013 Nebula Award for Best Novella, the 2014 Hugo Award for Best Novella, and the 2014 World Fantasy Award—Long Fiction.
ISBN: 978-1-59606-552-9
Year Published: 2013
Date Finished: 4-12-19
Pages: 167
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