I want a... reimagined fairytale
Women doing it for themselves
Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik
A masterful reworking the Rumpelstiltskin tale, blending Slavic and Jewish folklore into a rich, multi-perspective fantasy. Miryem, daughter of a moneylender, boasts she can "turn silver into gold," attracting the ice-cold King of the Staryk. Her forced marriage and cleverness intertwine the lives of Wanda, an abused peasant seeking refuge, and Irina, a Duke's daughter entangled with a demon-possessed Tsar. It's a lyrical and immersive story of resilience and found family, where seemingly powerless women assert their will against formidable magical forces.
Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier
Sorcha, the seventh child and only daughter of an Irish lord, lives a wild, harmonious life with her six beloved brothers in the ancient forest of Sevenwaters. Their peace is shattered when their father marries a malicious enchantress who curses the brothers, transforming them into swans. To break the curse, Sorcha must embark on a perilous quest: she must weave six shirts from painful starwort, remaining utterly silent until the task is complete. Her silent journey takes her to a foreign land, facing prejudice, hardship, and a burgeoning love that threatens her vow. A reworking of the six swans fairytale, this is a beautifully written, emotionally resonant tale of a young woman's unwavering determination to save her family.
The River Has Roots by Amal El-Mohtar
Sisters Esther and Ysabel are guardians of The Professors, a pair of ancient oaks that guard the watery entrance to Arcadia, or Fairyland. Esther falls in love with Rin, a shapeshifting inhabitant of Arcadia who sometimes comes as a storm system, sometimes as a lute player, but when evil strikes in the form of a jealous suitor Esther is stranded in fairyland. A poignant, dreamlike tale that resonates with the emotional depth of classic folklore.
We're not in Kansas anymore
Now made famous by stage and film adaptations, Wicked started life as a dark and gritty novel, re-imagining the story of the Wizard of Oz, from the perspective of Elphaba, the green-skinned girl who becomes the infamous Wicked Witch of the West. Maguire's Wicked is far from a simple fairy tale, exploring complex themes of prejudice, propaganda, totalitarianism, the nature of evil, and the struggle for agency in a corrupt world. It paints a bleak picture of Oz, where political tensions simmer, and characters are rarely what they seem.
The Moonlight Market by Joanne Harris
Tom Argent, a lonely photographer, finds his mundane life irrevocably changed when he encounters the enigmatic Vanessa. Through his camera lens, he begins to see a secret world hidden just beyond human perception, inhabited by two warring fae factions – the nocturnal Moth-folk and the daylight Butterfly-folk. Drawn into an ancient conflict fueled by a long-lost love, Tom discovers a mysterious market where memories are traded for enchantments. It's a dreamy, Romeo & Juliet story, blending everyday London with a richly imagined fantastical realm.
When things get dark(er)
The Land of Lost Things by John Connolly
Ceres is a desperate mother whose eight-year-old daughter, Phoebe, lies comatose after a car accident. As Ceres reads fairy tales to Phoebe, clinging to hope, she is drawn to an old house on the hospital grounds, connected to a mysterious vanished author. This house becomes a portal to a dark, fantastical realm steeped in folklore and her father's beloved stories—a land populated by witches, dryads, giants, and old enemies and Ceres embarks on a perilous journey through this dreamlike, dangerous world, grappling with grief, loss, and the nature of stories themselves, all in a desperate bid to find a way to bring Phoebe back.
T. Kingfisher reimagines Sleeping Beauty from the perspective of Toadling, a fairy girl sent to prevent the changeling child from waking. She guards the lonely tower where the child sleeps for eons until an errant knight with dreams of sleeping princesses arrives. Rich with beautiful imagery and found family, this is a wonderful take on the classic. Kingfisher won the Hugo Award for best novella, having previously won for best novel for the equally excellent Nettle & Bone.
11-year-old Margot and her mother Ruth live in a secluded cottage in the Cumbrian woods, where Ruth routinely lures "strays" to their home, to drug, butcher, and consume. Margot is raised within this horrifying lifestyle, seeing cannibalism as a bonding ritual with her emotionally distant mother. As Margot begins to form connections outside the cottage however, she grapples with her growing empathy and the realisation of her mother's abusive nature. The Lamb is a dark coming-of-age story, blending folk horror with a psychological examination of abuse, love, and the search for freedom.
