Stories have a life of their own, and as they are retold, they take on the personality of the storyteller. The tale of The Red Riding Hood is no exception, and indie author Gemma Lawrence does a fantastic job of breathing life into a fairy tale that we all know and love.

The life of this story is infused through the narrator, a wise (cracking) entity who never fails to pass on their pearls of wisdom. The reader is introduced to the reality that this particular story has been simplified over the generations, distilled and distorted until it became a perversion of the truth.

This variant is more of an epic fantasy, filled with mythical creatures, battles, revenge, wolves, grandmothers, and chosen ones. Despite the grand scale, the narrator never loses that fairy tale voice.

Effectively, this story reminds me of a bunch of drunken fishermen challenged to come up with the best fishing story. In truth, this works beautifully for this story.

If you are looking for yet another rendition of the tried and true Little Red Riding Hood, then steer away. If you seek a new creation that borrows from elements but marches to the beat of its own drum, then seek and ye shall find.

Well worth the price of admission!