"Covered in Cinders" by Kotogawa Aya

Covered in Cinders

( Hai Kaburi )
by Kotogawa Aya
A beautifully drawn, but chilling account of the the classic story of Cinderella. (Shoujo Magic)

This comic has been out for a few years (since 2002) but, in case it hasn't crossed your radar I thought I'd add a post so you can check it out if you're interested.

Hailed as a 'dark version of Cinderella' this is really just the Grimm version, but it's interesting to see people's reactions on various forums and reviews from "way cool and gory" to "gross and unnecessary!"

And yes, the Grimm's version does have gore -as in, 'if the shoe doesn't fit, cut off a toe!'- so it's not surprising this comic is also getting tagged with 'horror'.Here's the synopsis from anime-planet:

A young girl's mother dies, leaving her with a kind sentiment: if she plants a hazel tree where her grave is, the girl can shake it when deeply worried and her mother will help her. Afterwards, a new woman arrives as her mother, along with two new daughters who will serve as sisters. However, the only one ‘serving' is the young girl, as her new family forces her to perform slave labor while covered in cinders. Soon her luck will change, for a grand ball is approaching, and the prince is rumored to be looking for a wife...

You can read the whole story online HERE for free (click the NEXT button underneath the image to go to the next page).