Title: These Deathless BonesAuthor: Cassandra Khaw
First Published: July 26, 2017
Publisher: Tor Books
Pages: 19
Genre: Horror, Short Stories
Format: Web
Source: Tor.com
Rating:
Synopsis:
A horror tale about the Witch Bride, second wife of a King, and the discord between her and her young stepson.
This story is available to read for free here on Tor.com.
Buy the Book: Amazon, Free OnlineReview
Straight to the point and packs a punch, These Deathless Bones is a strong short story that unravels the evil stepmother trope from fairytale fiction. The Witch Bride is a vengeful femme fatale, the second wife of a king, a fearsome witch that scares the common people. She finds herself at odds with her stepson, a petulant prince more capable of evil than the mythologized witch.
Khaw is a talented wordsmith and her prose is tight and razor-sharp. The story and setting are gloriously grimdark, and the Witch Bride is an interesting character that I would love to read more stories about. An unabashedly satisfying read.
Quote
“Every child, after all, is guilty of some thoughtless savagery, even if this one was more vicious than most, more dangerous.”
Content Warnings
View Spoiler »About the Author
About Cassandra Khaw
Zoe Khaw Joo Ee, commonly known as Cassandra Khaw, is a Malaysian horror and science fiction writer. She also creates video games and tabletop games, and formerly wrote about them as a games and tech journalist.
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