Ell has spent years toiling away for her cruel stepfamily. So when Prince Bayard—who seems to have difficulty recognizing faces—shows up at her door with a glass slipper, Ell allows him to believe she danced with him at the ball, though she didn’t attend the ball and she’s never met the prince before in her life.
However, Ell finds that her new life at the royal palace comes with its own problems: a missing princess, a looming war with the fae, and Bayard’s treacherous (and handsome) best friend, who seems to know Ell is lying.
If Ell wants to keep her stolen life, she’ll have to rescue herself.
We know the stories. We’ve seen the happily ever afters. But there’s something about fairy tales that makes them worth hearing again and again and again. Especially when the author is offering a new twist on an old classic. These young adult novels offer new and fresh takes on the fairy tales you already know and love. Best of all, they were all released within the past few years. So while these books are definitely new in the world of fairy tales, they will probably also be new to you!
Prince of Glass and Midnight by Linsey Miller
This is the latest in Linsey Miller’s Princes series, in which she focuses on the stories of the princes from some of our favorite fairy tales. As you might have guessed, Prince of Glass and Midnight is the story of the prince from “Cinderella.” The clock is ticking for Prince August of Charmant. He only has a few months before he inherits the throne. But before he thinks about finding a queen, he has a curse to investigate. The village where he used to spend summers with his mother is plagued with a memory curse. What happened to the villagers there—especially Ella, his childhood friend he hasn’t spoken to in years?
Nocturne by Alyssa Wees
Nocturne is a retelling of “Beauty and the Beast” and Phantom of the Opera set in 1930s Chicago. Grace has always dreamed of dancing for the Near North Ballet company. Now, she’s on track to become the company’s new prima ballerina. But how did she make it to the top? Part of it was pure talent, but another huge part of it was due to the help of a mysterious patron, Master La Rosa. But who is Master La Rosa? And what does he want from her?
Skin of the Sea by Natasha Bowen
In this West African retelling of “The Little Mermaid,” we follow Simi, a mermaid who collects the souls of those who die at sea. It is her job to help them on their journey home. It is not her job to save their lives. But when a living boy falls into the sea, that’s exactly what she does, even though it means angering the Gods. Now she must meet with the Supreme Creator to make things right, but she isn’t alone. Someone is tailing her. Someone who would rather Simi fail her quest.
The Grimrose Girls by Laura Pohl
Why retell one fairy tale when you can retell many all at once? And in a dark academia setting? Ariane, Ella, Yuki, and Rory are best friends who attend Grimrose Académie together. Then Ariane dies. The police rule it a suicide, but the girls know it was murder. As they begin to unpack the events leading up to Ariane’s death, they uncover a shocking secret—this wasn’t the first murder at Grimrose. All of the past murders are tied to fairy tale curses, and they might be next.
Of Curses and Kisses by Sandhya Menon
Here’s another retelling set at a boarding school, but this one is all about the romance. When Princess Jaya Rao discovers she will be attending the same boarding school as Grey Emerson, she sees this as an excellent opportunity. The Raos have been feuding with the Emersons for centuries, and this is Jaya’s chance to exact revenge. The plan? Make Grey fall madly in love with her. Then break his heart. But Grey has already been cursed by the Rao family—a curse that will mean the end of life as he knows it on his eighteenth birthday. But then he meets Jaya at St. Rosetta’s International Academy. Everything about her intrigues him, especially the rose-shaped necklace she wears. You guessed it. This is a “Beauty and the Beast” retelling.
What Monstrous Gods by Rosamund Hodge
This one’s a dark retelling of “Sleeping Beauty.” The royal family has been asleep for centuries, trapped in a fortress of briars and cursed by the heretic sorcerer Ruven. After killing Ruven, Lia thinks this will be enough to break the curse and set the royals free. But that is not the end of her destiny. Now she must marry into the royal family and forge a pact with God. Failing to do so would mean her death. And what’s worse, the spirit of Ruven still haunts her.
Cinderella Is Dead by Kalynn Bayron
From the title, you might have already guessed what fairy tale this YA novel is riffing on. You guessed it. “Cinderella.” Set 200 years after Cinderella found her prince, this story imagines a dystopian world where teen girls attend a ball in order to find a husband. If none of the eligible bachelors choose them, the girls are never heard from again. Sixteen-year-old Sophia knows the ball is a requirement, not a choice. But she’s not interested in finding a husband. She’d rather be with her best friend Erin. Since same-sex relationships are prohibited, Sophia makes a desperate decision to run away before her fate can be decided for her.
Her Radiant Curse by Elizabeth Lim
Her Radiant Curses melds together “Beauty and the Beast,” the story of Helen of Troy, and Asian folklore to tell a unique tale of two sisters. After her father sacrifices her to the Demon Witch, Channi is cursed with the face of a serpent. Meanwhile, her sister Vanna is stunningly beautiful and the only person in their whole village who treats Channi like a human being. Now Vanna is set to be married off in a competition, and Channi is the only one who can protect her from her own suitors.
Looking for even more fairy tale retellings? Here are 100 must-read fairy tale retellings for both adult and YA readers.