Must-Read Retellings
Who doesn’t love retellings? They’re a new version of an older story. Sometimes they’re fairy tales or myths that are reimagined with a modernized twist. Here are some of our favorite retellings.
- To Kill a Kingdom by Alexandra Christo
Princess Lira is siren royalty and the most lethal of them all. With the hearts of seventeen princes in her collection, she is revered across the sea. Until a twist of fate forces her to kill one of her own. To punish her daughter, the Sea Queen transforms Lira into the one thing they loathe most―a human. Robbed of her song, Lira has until the winter solstice to deliver Prince Elian’s heart to the Sea Queen and or remain a human forever.
This novel is Alexandra Christo’s debut novel and it is a book all fantasy fans will need to read! A retelling of The Little Mermaid, this novel is a tale of sirens mixed with intrigue, a little romance, and brilliant character growth.
Buy this book and support local bookstores in doing so!
2. Geekerella by Ashley Poston
Geek girl Elle Wittimer lives and breathes Starfield, the classic sci-fi series she grew up watching with her late father. So when she sees a cosplay contest for a new Starfield movie, she has to enter. The prize? An invitation to the ExcelsiCon Cosplay Ball, and a meet-and-greet with the actor slated to play Federation Prince Carmindor in the reboot. With savings from her gig at the Magic Pumpkin food truck (and her dad’s old costume), Elle’s determined to win…unless her stepsisters get there first.
Cinderella goes to the con in this fandom-fueled twist on the classic fairy tale. It’s a feel-good novel for all the fangirls out there. It’s geeky humor and quirky characters make this novel a must-read.
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3. The Wrath and the Dawn by Renée Ahdieh
Every dawn brings horror to a different family in a land ruled by a killer. Khalid, the eighteen-year-old Caliph of Khorasan, takes a new bride each night only to have her executed at sunrise. So it is a suspicious surprise when sixteen-year-old Shahrzad volunteers to marry Khalid. But she does so with a clever plan to stay alive and exact revenge on the Caliph for the murder of her best friend and countless other girls.
A different type of retelling, The Wrath and the Dawn gives us the twist to Arabian Nights that we didn’t know we needed.
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4. Spin the Dawn by Elizabeth Lim
Maia Tamarin dreams of becoming the greatest tailor in the land, but as a girl, the best she can hope for is to marry well. When a royal messenger summons her ailing father, once a tailor of renown, to court, Maia poses as a boy and takes his place. She knows her life is forfeit if her secret is discovered, but she’ll take that risk to achieve her dream and save her family from ruin. There’s just one catch: Maia is one of twelve tailors vying for the job.
Project Runway meets Mulan in this sweeping fantasy. Spin the Dawn is a fresh story that feels unlike everything else on the shelves beside it.
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5. Heartless by Marissa Meyer
Catherine may be one of the most desired girls in Wonderland, and a favorite of the unmarried King of Hearts, but her interests lie elsewhere. A talented baker, all she wants is to open a shop with her best friend. But according to her mother, such a goal is unthinkable for the young woman who could be the next queen. Then Cath meets Jest, the handsome and mysterious court joker. For the first time, she feels the pull of true attraction. At the risk of offending the king and infuriating her parents, she and Jest enter into an intense, secret courtship.
Heartless is the stunning story of Wonderland’s most notorious villain: the Queen of Hearts.
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If any of these books caught your attention, or you’re looking for more, check out our Bookshop. We’ve made a list with various titles for you to shop and in doing so, you help local bookstores!
