Blood by Sarah Pinborough

I would like to thank Gollancz for an advance copy of this novella in exchange for a fair and honest review

Publisher - Gollancz

Published - Out Now

Price - £9.99 paperback £4.99 Kindle eBook

Imagine a promise broken long ago, a vengeful father, a vicious curse and a mountain ruled by dragons . . .
And then imagine them all again . . .
This is the tale of Rumpelstiltskin, retold as it always should have been.

NB - this is the final novella in a quintet of linked tales that began in https://www.runalongtheshelves.net/blog/2024/10/31/magic-by-sarah-pinborough

What makes a happy ending? In the old days it’s our hero or heroine settling down, getting married and of course that was it. Fairy tales saying that was the ending all girls should have tells us a lot about how society saw women. For me a happy ending is one that takes characters to where they need to be and stays true to who they are. Ideally all the key plotlines are wrapped up (even if some characters don’t have a happy ending) but I want to go away feeling the journey and the destination worked. In Sarah Pinborough’s final novella in the Tales From The Kingdom series we have Blood which neatly brings a conclusion to the four previous new takes on classic tales and manages to both offer a new take on Rumplestiltskin and impressively brings four different plots into a final adventure and a very satisfying ending.

Lilith formally known as The Wicked Stepmother is now happily married to Snow White. Cinderella is happily married to a Huntsman and Rose is settled down with a charming prince and now having a child. In an enchanted forest there is a kingdom where all are asleep and only Tony who becomes a wolf and the smart Petra are awake. All seems calms until Rumplestiltskin appears at the palace and reminds the Prince that he has promised to give way his first child to him. Everyone needs to work together to stop this but perhaps only a sociopathic genie named Aladdin has the key?

So fans old and new of this revised series with now a new starting point in Magic and this to conclude the series (for now?) brings all four plotlines and groups of key characters back and it’s again really impressive how well Pinborough finds a plot strand and use for all of them. No scene feels like a little winking nostalgia but everyone we meet has a key part to play. The interplay and crossovers work beautifully at novella pace and keeps the story changing tone and direction with ease. This is storytelling to sit back and savour the craft being used.

Character wise fans of the series show reflect how everyone has moved on. Lessons have been learnt and people are in better places. Here the couple are less together because of plot but because they actually work together - couples who communicate, trust and enjoy their lovemaking (yes again these are not YA tales) and importantly treat each other as adults. One theme here is he’s you may have been cruel and selfish but have you now learned from that and grown up? If you have then perhaps you do actually deserve happiness. This time our more dangerous characters Aladdin who loves to murder for the fun of it and the Beast (a Princess cursed with a truly wicked side) return and have major parts to play and even though they’re quite deadly we may find ourselves thinking even they deserve a little forgiveness….a little. Again the story makes these points subtly but adult readers may find some lessons are still here to be learnt.

Lastly, I do have to say there is some gorgeous fantastical magic and scenes to enjoy here. An exchanged palace frozen in time and a powerful scene with a dragon all shone with power that keeps you appreciating the world and that sometimes the magic is real and needed. It’s not simply set dressing it’s part of the story itself.

Blood wraps up stories and characters with joy and a little deviousness that should make fans of the series enjoy their return immensely. A better kind of happy ending awaits us. Perfect for a cold evening when you want warmth and perhaps a wicked smile on your face as you turn the pages. Strongly recommended!