"Strip the fairytale princesses of their petticoats and tiaras, and what you have left are the Black Apples. These are stories of trials and survival, strength and defeat, exploring the bones of fairytales. Carolyn has stolen from the temple and is on the run, the mistress of the Gingerbread house is out of control, Bluebeard's child collects hearts on her wall and a horse is not a horse... This collection offers eighteen new dark and delicious fairytales, some exploring the classic tales, others presenting brand new ones." --Publisher description.