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I was pretty strict on this one so I didn’t get ten. Most of the lists of fairy tale retellings I looked at to jog my memories had a lot of books that retell famous stories like The Wizard of Oz or Alice in Wonderland but I didn’t count those.
“On her sixteenth birthday Beauty is seemingly able to sidestep her aunt’s curse. Instead she is transported to the future. Here begin her adventures as she travels magically back and forth in time to visit places both imaginary and real. Finally she comes to understand what has been her special gift to humanity all along.
For in Beauty, there is beauty. And in beauty, magic. Without our enchanted places, humanity is no more than an upstart ape. And this, we realize, is why Beauty must be saved, both in the fantastical world of Tepper’s novel and in the actual world in which we live.”
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
“John Charming isn’t your average Prince…
He comes from a line of Charmings — an illustrious family of dragon slayers, witch-finders and killers dating back to before the fall of Rome. Trained by a modern day version of the Knights Templar, monster hunters who have updated their methods from chainmail and crossbows to kevlar and shotguns, he was one of the best. That is — until he became the abomination the Knights were sworn to hunt.
That was a lifetime ago. Now, he tends bar under an assumed name in rural Virginia and leads a peaceful, quiet life. One that shouldn’t change just because a vampire and a blonde walked into his bar… Right?”
Princeless #1 by Jeremy Whitley
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
There are no good reasons why all Princesses end up in towers guarded by dragons so this Princess is going to change the fate of herself and her sisters.
The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly by Stephanie Oakes
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Based on the fairytale The Handless Maiden.
The School for Good and Evil by Soman Chainani
“This year, best friends Sophie and Agatha are about to discover where all the lost children go: the fabled School for Good & Evil, where ordinary boys and girls are trained to be fairy tale heroes and villains. As the most beautiful girl in Gavaldon, Sophie has dreamed of being kidnapped into an enchanted world her whole life. With her pink dresses, glass slippers, and devotion to good deeds, she knows she’ll earn top marks at the School for Good and graduate a storybook princess. Meanwhile Agatha, with her shapeless black frocks, wicked pet cat, and dislike of nearly everyone, seems a natural fit for the School for Evil.
But when the two girls are swept into the Endless Woods, they find their fortunes reversed—Sophie’s dumped in the School for Evil to take Uglification, Death Curses, and Henchmen Training, while Agatha finds herself in the School For Good, thrust amongst handsome princes and fair maidens for classes in Princess Etiquette and Animal Communication.. But what if the mistake is actually the first clue to discovering who Sophie and Agatha really are…?”
Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier
“Lovely Sorcha is the seventh child and only daughter of Lord Colum of Sevenwaters. Bereft of a mother, she is comforted by her six brothers who love and protect her. Sorcha is the light in their lives, they are determined that she know only contentment.
But Sorcha’s joy is shattered when her father is bewitched by his new wife, an evil enchantress who binds her brothers with a terrible spell, a spell which only Sorcha can lift-by staying silent. If she speaks before she completes the quest set to her by the Fair Folk and their queen, the Lady of the Forest, she will lose her brothers forever.”
“Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.”
What other fairytale retellings do you like?
Quotes from Goodreads
Linking up with Top Ten Tuesday
[…] really enjoyed this post from Heather about books based on fairy tales! I’m always a sucker for a story set in a fairy tale world. There are so many good ones out […]
I just finished Cinder and loved it! Haven’t heard of any of the others though,I’m adding to my wish list! Thanks for linking up with fairytale Fridays 🙂
You’re the only other person I’ve seen with Beauty on their list! I read that book so many times in highschool!
My TTT
I love Sherri Tepper’s books and I don’t find many people who have also heard of her.
Beauty is the only one I’ve read but I read it multiple times in highschool, circa 1995. I’m due for a re-read. 🙂
Charming certainly caught my attention. And not just because of the cover. 😉 The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly is a new one to me as of today, but it does sound good. From your rating, it seems like you liked it–which is a plus! Cinder made my list too, as one I want to read at some point.
I haven’t heard of Charming but I am definitely going to check it out. It sounds interesting. I have Cinder on my TBR. I can’t wait to read it.
Great List thanks for the recommendations!
Tina @ Tina, The Bookworm