“Even in the Future the Story Begins with Once Upon a Time.”
For many of us, fairy tales are the first stories we were introduced to. Tales of magic, fantasy, mythical beings, enchantments and adventure, the characters and worlds we are introduced to have been passed down through generations for centuries, and they have left a lasting and recognisable impression on cultures right across the world. After all, everyone knows why they shouldn’t eat an old woman’s red apple or follow a trail of breadcrumbs in the deep, dark wood. And these classic fairy tales continue to inspire writers in their work even today. Fairy tale retellings have become a popular genre in the fantasy genre, playing with the formula enough to put a fresh spin on the stories we all know so well. So, join us today at What We Reading as we run you through some of our favourite classic fairytales retold!
Cinder (The Lunar Chronicles #1) – Marissa Meyer
First up on our list of fairytale retellings is Marissa Meyer’s iconic The Lunar Chronicles series. In Cinder, readers are introduced to our titular girl, a gifted mechanic who is also a cyborg. Humans and androids are filling the raucous streets of New Beijing as a deadly plague ravages the population. In space, the ruthless Lunar people watch on, waiting to make their move. What no one realises is that the fate of all of them hinges on this one cyborg.
Cinder is a second-class citizen with a mysterious past; loathed by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But, when he life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself caught in the midst of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden romance. At a crossroads between duty and freedom, betrayal and loyalty, she must uncover secrets about her past to protect the future of her world.
The Girl In Red – Christina Henry
It isn’t safe for anyone to go into the woods. Critters, coyotes, wolves and snakes all come out at night. But, for the girl in red, there are no other options. Since the Crisis came, the population has been wiped out and, those that are left, have been forced to flee to survival camps that double up as breeding grounds for disease and death. The girl in red is just an ordinary woman trying to survive in a world totally unrecognisable compared to the one she knew so well until three months ago.
But there are plenty of worse things in the woods in Christina Henry’s dark fantasy retelling of Red Riding Hood. Sometimes, there are men with twisted desires and evil intentions. And, sometimes, there is something lurking in the shadows that is far worse than any man or animal could ever be.
The Goose Girl (The Books Of Bayern #1) – Shannon Hale
Anidori-Kiladra Talianna Isilee was born with her eyes closed and a word on her tongue, a word she could not taste. Crown Princess of Kildenree, Anidori-Kiladra grew up listening to her aunt’s stories and learning the languages of the birds, especially the swans. And, when she was older, she watched on as a colt was born. She listened and heard the first word on his tongue, his name, Falada.
Based on the Grimm’s fairy tale of a princess who became a goose girl before she could become queen, Shannon Hale’s first entry in her The Books of Bayern series introduces a fresh-feeling original tale of a girl who must find her own talents, however unusual, before she can lead the people she has made her own.
Splintered (Splintered #1) – A.G. Howard
Alyssa Garner has always heard the whispers of bugs and flowers. It’s the reason her mother was put in a mental hospital and is an affliction that has plagued her family since her ancestor Alice Liddel, the real-life inspiration behind Lewis Carroll’s famous fairytale, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. She might be crazy, but Alyssa manages to keep things together.
That is until her mother’s condition worsens and Alyssa learns that everything she believed was fictional is actually true. Wonderland is a place far darker than Carroll ever let on. To save her family, Alyssa is forced to pass a series of tests that include everything from waking the tea party and subduing a Bandersnatch to draining an ocean made up of Alice’s tears. She must also choose whether she puts her trust with Jeb, her best friend and secret crush, or Morpheus, her sexy and secretive tour guide through Wonderland.
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Ella Enchanted (Ella Enchanted #1) – Gail Carson Levine
At birth, Ella is accidentally cursed by a careless young fairy named Lucinda. She is given the ‘gift’ of obedience. Anything anyone tells her to do, she has to obey. When her mother dies, leaving her mostly in the care of an uncaring father, a cruel stepmother and two treacherous stepsisters, Ella’s whole life seems to be in great peril. But, Ella’s intelligence and feisty nature see her set out on a quest for freedom and self-discovery. As she tracks down Lucinda to undo her curse, she fends off ogres, befriends elves and falls in love with a price.
Whilst the pumpkin coach, glass slipper and happily ever after is still present, Gail Carson Levine’s retelling of Cinderella is one of the most unique and profound versions of the fairytale you are likely to find. Acclaimed since its first publishing, it is one of the best fairytale retellings for any reader looking for a reassessment of traditional female roles in these classic stories.
The Frog Princess (The Tales Of The Frog Princess #1) – E.D. Baker
Princess Emeralda aka. Emma is a traditional sort of princess. She stumbles over her own feet, her laugh is more like a donkey’s bray than tinkling bells and she doesn’t care much for Prince Jorge, whom her mother hopes she will marry. But, however much she might have wanted to escape her troubles, turning into a frog was not Emma’s plan.
When she is convinced to kiss a frog so that he might turn back into a prince, the spell is somehow reversed and Emma finds herself as the amphibian. From there, E.D. Baker offers one of the most fascinating and hilarious fairytale retellings as Emma embarks on an adventure featuring loyal snakes and green witches to return to human form.
Beastly Beauty – Jennifer Donnelly
From the New York Times bestselling, award-winning author Jennifer Donnelly, Beastly Beauty is a 2024 fairy tale retelling that swaps the genders on the classic Beauty and the Beast story that will completely flip how you think about beauty, power, and what it means to follow your heart.
Arabella’s parents want her to be sweet and compliant, but she can’t extinguish the fire within her. When an attempt to keep her true emotions buried backfires, a mysterious figure curses her, dooming her and everyone she cares about to be trapped within the walls of a castle. When a handsome thief named Beau makes his way into the castle years later, the trapped servants are convinced he is the one to break the curse. But, if the pair are to stand any chance of doing so, they must learn to true their equally wounded hearts and realise the cruellest prisons of all are the ones we build for ourselves.
Princess Of The Midnight Ball (The Princess Of Westfalin Trilogy #1) – Jessica Day George
Galen is a young soldier returning from war. Rose is one of a dozen princesses condemned to dance each night for the King Under Stone. Jessica Day George’s Princess of the Midnight Ball is a fresh take on the Grimms’ tale, The Twelve Dancing Princesses.
Together, Galen and Rose will search for a way of breaking the curse that forces the princesses to dance at the midnight balls. All they need to do is find an invisibility cloak, a black wool chain knit with silver needles and, most important of all, the ingredient of true love to overcome the evil foes in the dark halls below. But, the pair have enemies above them too. And, for as cruel as King Under Stone is, the evil that awaits them in the bright world above is unlike anything they could have expected.
Part-time reader, part-time rambler, and full-time Horror enthusiast, James has been writing for What We Reading since 2022. His earliest reading memories involved Historical Fiction, Fantasy and Horror tales, which he has continued to take with him to this day. James’ favourite books include The Last (Hanna Jameson), The Troop (Nick Cutter) and Chasing The Boogeyman (Richard Chizmar).
