Snow White and the Seven Cannibals

Princess Snow White has horrible nightmares of seven small men torturing a lion which she sets free but then comes after her. These nightmares make it difficult to sleep. Snow’s father, the king, makes her a stuffed lion, and Snow’s nightmares are no more. When Snow gets older, she still sleeps with the lion but wonders about the forbidden forest surrounding the palace. The king has warned her never to venture into the forest but doesn’t give a reason why. When the king betroths Snow to an unknown suitor, she figures it’s her chance to find out what the forest hides. Snow, along with her faithful companion, finds scary things and cannibals in the forest. The king calls for anyone to save Snow, and Prince Donnigan answers the call. Can Donnigan save Snow and her companion?

This dark, twisted story of the fairytale manages to enchant readers. The individual dwarves’ appearances aren’t really clear, and they have some bizarre names. The heroine visually doesn’t change from her Disney counterpart, making her seem superficial, but the hero looks quite different giving him much more depth. Snow is a curious, impetuous heroine that, despite her lack of caution, still manages to be likable. Donnigan, a strong, imposing, caustic hero, disgusted with shallow women but hoping for something better, will make readers swoon. Though not a Disney fairytale of a beautiful princess, a handsome prince, apples, evil stepmothers and happy go lucky dwarves, still this tale manages to have a certain mystique, putting a unique spin on a classic story.

Roslynn Ernst