Review: Paul Kane’s Snow
!Spoilers!
As a small boy I can vividly remember my loving grandmother putting me and my two older brothers to bed too such gruesome Brothers Grimm stories such as Little Red Riding Hood, Hansel and Gretel, and Snow White. Looking back, I believe if she would’ve known how disturbing they truly were I doubt she would‘ve read them to us. But I’m glad she did because this was another part of my youth where I first fell in love with the fantastic.
Which brings me to the latest incarnation of the Snow White tale by writer Paul Kane simply titled Snow. The story opens with a bang (literally) as our main character Angela is running from her perverted step uncle Robert who’s trying to kill her because his sister Ruth wants her out of the way so they can get Angela‘s trust fund that was left to her by her late father. When he finally has her cornered and is about to finish her off, Angela falls down a hole where she lands on a pile of human bones knocking herself unconscious. She wakes up to find she’s surrounded by a group of strange black creatures that feast upon human flesh. Do these creatures mean Angela any harm? You’ll have to read the book to find that out, but I promise you it’s worth it.
What I loved most about this retelling were the characters. Angela is a sympathetic heroine who you find yourself rooting for right from the start. And don’t expect prince charming to come in and save her at the last minute because Angela doesn’t need one. She’s a strong character by herself, but she does have some new “friends” that do lend her a helping hand.
I also enjoyed the wicked stepmother Ruth. I felt bad for Ruth and Robert. Paul gives them both a background that the reader can relate to. I found myself understanding why they would turn into such monsters. You should always love the villains as much as you love the heroes and that’s one of the reasons why I found Ruth so interesting.
Paul also creates wonderful visual imagery through the use of such colors as red and white. They play an important part in the story just as much as the characters. He uses them to provide some very interesting symbolism throughout the story.
Another aspect that I enjoyed was the little nods to the original Brothers Grimm that Paul would throw in from time to time. Like when Robert brought Angela’s bloody coat as proof that she was dead. And how Ruth would constantly keep Angela out of the public “eye”. And my personal favorite is when Angela makes Ruth drink a glass of apple juice laced with poison which makes the person seem dead but they’re really alive. Fun stuff!
Paul Kane has another winner on his hands with Snow. This is the third book of his I’ve read and every one of them has been a complete joy. He’s a writer that has the wonderful ability to put his own spin on previous stories and make them fresh and new. He’s definitely on my top ten favorite author’s list. I’m so stoked for Sherlock Holmes and Servants of Hell!
You can also order your own copy of Snow from Amazon by following the link below:
Also, don’t forget to checkout his dark take on the Little Red Riding Hood theme Red and it’s wonderful sequel Blood Red.
[…] addition to my review of Snow author Paul Kane was kind enough to answer some questions that I had concerning the book. Check it […]