Must-Read YA Retellings of Fairy Tales and Classics
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We love fairy tales! Give us a story with magic, peril, romance, and adventure—we’re here for it! And not just fairy tales—classics, too. These fairy tale retellings breathe new life into beloved stories that have stood the test of time. Pick up one of these books, and you’ll find yourself obsessing over a new version of an old tale.
Whether you love books with spooky vibes or heart-pounding romance, we’ve got you covered! Here is a list of modern retellings of your favorite fairy tales and classic novels to add to your reading stack.
A tale as old as time refreshed for modern readers. This Beauty and the Beast retelling captures the magic and romance of first-year university students Brielle and Bear and the fairytale they are destined to live.
Once upon a time, Brielle met Bear. And then they fell in love.
But that’s just the beginning. Fairytales have a way of twisting and swirling before you get to “happily ever after.” And though modern-day Once Upon a Time University first-year, Brielle, is a dreamer, always with her nose in a book, her imagination can’t help but run wild with potential romance.
To her, Bear is perfect. . . until Brielle discovers a secret he’s been hiding for a long time that just might shatter their fairytale love. . . .
If you find yourself drawn to spooky fairy tale retellings, this book is for you. It combines “The Twelve Dancing Princesses” with ghostly visions, a deadly curse, and horrifying monsters. The story is dark and moody, with enough chills to keep you reading past your bedtime.
Get swept away by the New York Times bestseller that’s sold over 100,000 copies. As one by one her beautiful sisters mysteriously die on their isolated island estate, Annaleigh must unravel the curse that haunts her family.
Weaving together elements of The Selection and Ember in the Ashes with classic tales like Beauty and the Beast, Helen of Troy, and Asian folklore, Elizabeth Lim is at the absolute top of her game in this thrilling yet heart-wrenching fantasy that explores the dark side of beauty and the deepest bonds of sisterhood.
From the critically acclaimed author of Six Crimson Cranes comes a fantasy tale of two sisters—one as beautiful as the other is monstrous—who must fight to save each other when a betrothal contest gone wrong unleashes an evil that could sever their bond forever!
From the critically acclaimed author of Lore comes a stunning contemporary fantasy inspired by Celtic lore—the tale of a teenage girl who seeks her destiny in the cursed ruins of Avalon, driven by love, revenge, and pure adrenaline!
“Simmering with magic, peril, romance, and heartbreak.” —Leigh Bardugo, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Shadow and Bone
Born without a trace of magic, Tamsin Lark is no match for the sorceresses and Hollowers who populate the magical underground of Boston. But when the only parent she’s ever known disappears without so much as a goodbye, she has no choice but to join in their cutthroat pursuit of enchanted relics to keep herself—and her brother, Cabell—alive.
Ten years later, rumors are swirling that her guardian found a powerful ring from Arthurian legend just before he vanished. A run-in with her rival Emrys ignites Tamsin’s hope that the ring could free Cabell from a curse that threatens both of them. But they aren’t the only ones who covet the ring. . . .
In a fallen kingdom, one girl carries the key to discovering the secrets of her nation’s past—and unleashing the demons that sleep at its heart. An epic fantasy series inspired by the mythology and folklore of ancient China.
Once, Lan had a different name. Now she goes by the one the Elantian colonizers gave her when they invaded her kingdom, killed her mother, and outlawed her people’s magic. She spends her nights as a songgirl in Haak’gong, a city transformed by the conquerors, and her days scavenging for what she can find of the past. Anything to understand the strange mark burned into her arm by her mother in her last act before she died.
When Zen comes across Lan, he recognizes what she is: a practitioner with a powerful ability hidden in the mark on her arm. He’s never seen anything like it—but he knows that if there are answers, they lie deep in the pine forests and misty mountains of the Last Kingdom, with an order of practitioning masters planning to overthrow the Elantian regime.
Fate has connected them, but their destiny remains unwritten. Both hold the power to liberate their land. And both hold the power to destroy the world. Now the battle for the Last Kingdom begins.
Experience The Little Mermaid like never before. Inspired by West African mythology and the classic fairy tale, this retelling will sweep you away on an unforgettable underwater adventure. Cursed to serve the gods as a collector of souls, Simi risks everything when she saves a boy from drowning. Monsters, mythology, and peril will keep you glued to the page.
The must-read Black mermaid fantasy series that #1 NYT bestselling author Nicola Yoon calls “epic and original,” in which one mermaid takes on the gods themselves. Perfect for fans of Children of Blood and Bone and anyone who can’t wait for the live-action The Little Mermaid.
