My Lady of Plagues and Other Gothic Fairy Tales

by Elana Gomel, Joe Morey (Editor)

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.

Genres: Horror, Fantasy

314 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2022

About the author

Born 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.

Reviews

[Diz · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Jim Reddy · Rating 4 out of 5]

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)

[Curtis · Rating 5 out of 5]

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!

[Jackie · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Showcasing Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

My Review and Thoughts:

This is a wonderful storytelling adventure, a thrilling book that stands out. Fantastic and stunning imagination.

Elana Gomel created a beautiful, graceful experience of fantasy and her writing has an expertise that shines in the artform of written word. These tales are magical, vivid and utterly brilliant. Truly a dark, twisted exploration of pure haunting imagination.


This was brought out by the Publishing Company Weird House Press. Weird House Press gives stunning examples of creating amazing product of a high standard toward the art form of written word. I consider books a way of life. I consider books an art form of imagination, and the exploration of life in general, no matter the subject. When I see a company treat books and authors the way they should be treated, it makes me giddy, happy, and worthy to praise them for what they do for the world of books, and Weird House Press gives that reality of respecting written word. Something amazing about Weird House Press is they specialize in horror, dark fantasy, and poetry three of my favorite subjects.

A brilliant array of tales to experience in all there wonderfully dark gothic nature. I was super excited reading this book and experiencing a wonderful trip into so many magical and dark stories. The whole book is a perfect journey of imagination so deep, dark and brilliant that you the reader can't help but be amazed at the quality of the storytelling. Keep an eye out for the many wonderful characters throughout these stories, for each one has a purpose inside your mind. They linger with you and that is the beauty of the solid writing throughout this journey.

This is a wonderful thick, rich imaginative and thrilling book that stands out and begs to be read. Flawless example of how to treat stories and express the deep, dark recesses of the imginative mind on page.

Another highly recommended book. This is a highly intense stunning example of what storytelling is about. It honors and gives the written world amazing examples of just how to write perfected characters, worlds and happenings. Again, highly recommended.

Would I Return to it Again: Absolutely. Gomel is a goddess of written word, and her words demand to be read.

Would I Recommend: With out a doubt to any lover of fairy tales, fantasy, thrilling storytelling. This is one vibrant book of perfection.

My Rating: 5 out of 5

Four Final Words: Truly Alive, Intense. Conspicuous.

[Alex V · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very fun collection of stories with mostly dark endings. There are a handful that have happy(-ish) endings, though, so it's not all dark, grim, and despair, though.

It's hard to pick a favorite as there are some truly great stories, but I think Jack the Giant Slayer or Sun, Moon, and Talia may be my favorite of the bunch. But that could change as I continue to marinate on the rest of the stories.

[Alex Budris · Rating 3 out of 5]

A collection of bitter fairy tales - with a feminist bent - that are polished like a bauble made of ivory. Of bone. The protagonists are oftentimes cruel, and revenge is a common motive. There are hints - both subtle and overt - of another world Beyond, of a mysterious Outside. Those who chance upon it often regret it.

This is the Weird House Press limited edition of 150 numbered copies, signed by both the author and jacket artist.