At some time in your life you will have heard of, if not read, a fairy tale or two. Most of us hear about them in childhood. Princes and princesses, witches, mermaids, knights, magic and fairy dust make for enchanting stories that you remember with a sense of wonder even as you get older.
Luckily as adults the magic doesn’t have to end. Fairy tales also provide authors with a rich tapestry to twist and weave anew. Below we have listed a selection of our favourite books based on fairy tales to add some sparkle to your library.
The Lunar Chronicles series by Marissa Meyer: There’s not much we can say about this series without letting loose a heap of spoilers but with titles like Scarlet, Cress, Cinder and Fairest you know these are going to be good. Each title is based on a familiar fairytale and eventually they all cross over into each other! (which I personally think is the best part)
Cold Spell by Jackson Pearce: Ginny and Kai are in love. But Kai is being enchanted by a mysterious girl, beautiful and flawless as ice. When he’s swept away by this snow maiden, Ginny knows she has to cast aside her fears and pursue him. In the face of mortal danger, will Ginny and Kai’s love hold strong?
Beastly by Alex Flinn: A modern retelling of “Beauty and the Beast” from the point of view of the Beast, a vain Manhattan private school student who is turned into a monster and must find true love before he can return to his human form.
Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister by Gregory Maguire: We have all heard the story of Cinderella, the beautiful child cast out to slave amongst the ashes. But what of her stepsisters, the homely pair exiled into ignominy by the fame of their lovely sibling? Far more than a mere fairy tale, this is a novel of beauty and betrayal, illusion and understanding, reminding us that deception can be unearthed – and love unveiled – in the most unexpected of places.
Everneath by Brodi Ashton: Last spring, Nikki Beckett vanished, sucked into an underworld known as the Everneath, where immortals feed on the emotions of despairing humans. Now she’s returned- to her old life, her family, her friends- before being banished back to the underworld… this time forever. She has six months before the Everneath comes to claim her, six months for good-byes she can’t find the words for, six months to find redemption, if it exists. (Okay, so technically Greek myths aren’t fairy tales, but this is SO good it had to be included)
Briar Rose by Jana Oliver: For Briar Rose, life is anything but a fairy tale. On her sixteenth birthday, when her parents tell her that she is cursed and will go to sleep for a hundred years when the clock strikes midnight, she’s actually kind of glad to leave it all behind. She says her goodbyes, lies down, and closes her eyes…… And then she wakes up. Cold, alone and in the middle of the darkest, most twisted fairy tale she could ever have dreamed of.
Rags & Bones by various authors: A magical and unique collection of re-imagined timeless tales. Read ‘Sleeping Beauty’ as only Neil Gaiman can tell it. See ‘Rumpelstiltskin’ through the eyes of Kami Garcia. Rediscover Rudyard Kipling’s ‘The Man Who Would Be King’ through the inimitable imagination of Garth Nix. This is a unique and inventive collection that will delight readers.
