From Alice in Wonderland to all things relating to Greek Mythology, these stories have shaped a portion of the fictional world. These fantastic, original stories are timeless, but retellings offer something truly special. Pages filled with such nostalgic stories tend to bring us back to our childhoods, so in honor of being a kid again, here are modern retellings of the classical fairy tales we all know and love!
A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer
This young adult modern retelling of the classic Beauty and the Beast gives readers a piece of reality, as the FMC, Harper, learns to be tough enough for survival. When she attempts to save a stranger on the streets of Washington, DC, she is pulled into a world of magic, monsters, and massive secrets. Harper doesn’t know where she is or how she could possibly believe there are such things as curses, princes, and enchanted lands. As she ventures deeper into this wonder-striking world, she finds herself in the presence of a beast.
Cursed by an enchantress, Prince Rhen is in desperate need of a savior. As she spends time with the prince, Harper begins to understand the forces at stake in this magical realm, and things start to become utterly too real. A prince who needs saving, a girl who just wants to go home, and a kingdom on the brink of ruin is what you will find in these wonderful pages of the first novel of the Cursebreakers series. This modern version of one of the most classic fairy tale stories is one you will not want to skip out on.
Off With Their Heads by Zoe Hana Mikuta
Devour this Korean-inspired Alice in Wonderland, providing a unique retelling about Saints, better known as monsters, and two wicked girls who are bonded together by blood and the most heinous betrayal. This version of Wonderland is a dark forest where these Saints lurk. It has been five years since Caro Rabbit and Iccadora Alice Sickle were both sentenced to this mysterious forest for a crime they didn’t commit. It has only been four years since the two broke each other’s hearts in attempts to sacrifice one another for their own freedom.
In that time, Caro has become a royal Saint-harvester, living a grand life. The Red Queen, however, experiments with such devious monsters, hiding them deep within her palace. Icca’s memory of Caro’s betrayal has hardened her heart, transforming her from a shy girl into a relentless hunter. Find out what happens when the secret the Queen has been guarding about the Saints plays a dangerous role in the two women’s lives.
The South Wind by Alexandria Warwick
With just three months left before death comes for her, Princess Sarai of Ammara, who was cursed to die on her twenty-fifth birthday as a child, is determined to keep her realm safe. What that includes, of course, is an arranged marriage to a young noble from a nearby kingdom. Though another is pining for her attention, Sarai is determined to honor her father’s plan in marrying Prince Bailor. As Sarai learns more about her betrothed, she comes to find that a tie to him may not be the best course of action in securing safety for her people.
Remember that other attention seeker? He so happens to be the South Wind, god of the desert breeze, Notus, and Sarai’s ex. While she utterly despises him, she claims a fake engagement to escape the marriage to Bailor, and begins to unravel the truth about the Prince’s true desires in the labyrinth on the palace grounds. Dark forces, time, and second chances are what stand between Sarai and keeping her home safe. Find out what lies in this retelling inspired by Sleeping Beauty and the Greek myth of Daphne and Apollo. Make sure to read the rest of The Four Winds series!
The Charmed Wife by Olga Grushin
Who doesn’t love a good Cinderella retelling, especially when it takes place in the twenty-first century and is thirteen years after her marriage to the prince? It’s never told what comes after happily ever after, so here it is: the after. After thirteen and a half years and two children, it seems like the perfect ending, she so rightfully deserves, but things have gone wrong, making her life unsatisfying. Fed up, she finds herself asking for help from a witch who offers love potions to dissatisfied housewives, but Cinderella doesn’t want a love potion; she wants him dead.
This modern retelling weaves together a mystery, unheard-of events, and a combination of fantasy and reality that you will love. With twists and turns, magic, and romance, this novel brings together a compact story that seems like the perfect modern take. This is love, and it is brutal. I hope you find this novel as spellbinding and alluring as I did!
To Kill a Kingdom by Alexandra Christo
Honestly, The Little Mermaid is my favorite classical story. Whether it is the original story, the movies, or adaptations of the tale, I love it all, so of course I had to throw a retelling in. This young adult, enemies-to-lovers story brings Princess Lira, the princess of all sirens, who so happens to be the most deadly. She has secured the hearts of seventeen princes, making her one of the most feared creatures across the lands and the sea. When a twist of fate and time has her mother, the Sea Queen, transform Lira’s tail into legs, Lira only has under the winter solstice to deliver the strongest heart of all, Prince Elian’s heart. This journey must go as planned, otherwise Lira will remain human forever.
Prince Elian finds himself at home while on the harshest seas, hunting sirens and treading the deeps, he knows his calling. Things come to an unsettling pause when he rescues a woman from the unforgiving sea, unaware of just how unforgiving it is. Quickly, he realized that she is more than what she seems, especially when she promises to help him acquire the key to destroying all sirens for good. He wants to trust her, but can he? What if trust slowly turns into love? Find out in my very favorite novel, where magic, love, and sirens are written in this magnificent book!
I certainly hope you enjoyed these wonderful modern retellings of the most beloved fairy tale stories. While they may not fully relate to the origin, each author most definitely packs in their own elements of storytelling within their novel. From The Little Mermaid to Cinderella, these books provide a new way of looking at our most nostalgic stories!
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