Title: Black as Ink
Author: Tanith Lee
In: Red as Blood (Tanith Lee)
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Easy reading, Fairy tales
Dates read: 14th December 2019
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Publisher: Wildside
Year: 1983
5th sentence, 74th page: You hear me?
When Victor sees the woman of his dreams across the lake, he becomes infatuated. That is, until he meets the uncle. Years later, he runs across the same girl. And discovers that she has become black as ink.
Unlike the rest of the short stories in the Red as Blood collection, this is not a retelling of any fairy tale that I recognise. Yet, there was still that lilting, fairy tale feel to the tale that made me feel like almost, almost this could be a story which I’ve read before. If I could just remember it… that’s how it felt anyway.
As with many of the stories in this collection, the ending to this was a little tragic. Actually, something about the poetic sweetness of the ending made it all that much more unfortunate. Especially since at the beginning you kind of believe that this could be a love story… hint. It’s not. It’s something… darker about our hidden instincts and desires. The ones that are black as ink.
Like the rest of the short stories in this collection, Black as Ink is kind of dark. A little bit twisted. And a really, really enjoyable read. One that I will probably pick up again in the future when I don’t want / need all those happily ever afters that tend to fill my shelves.
Earth and Skye 
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