A Gown of Spider Silk by A. G. Marshall

I had the pleasure of meeting Angela at a writer’s retreat in Scotland last year, and this is the first story of hers that I read. Bonus: It’s currently available for free on Amazon!

In this short story retelling of Cinderella, Marshall steps away from the traditional elements of a young girl being rescued by a powerful fairy. Instead, Cinderella’s kind actions towards the spiders in her house are rewarded when they use their web weaving skills to spin her a dress from shimmering silk. One spider in particular leads the charge to ensure Cinderella makes it to the ball on time, and dances with the prince.

I loved this retelling, especially as it showed spiders in a less threatening sense. I think the author had a lot of fun with this story, and it shows in the writing

Five roses