Step into a world where, enchanted forests whisper, ancient magic weaves your destiny and mythical creatures lurk in the shadows.
Most of us grew up on fairy tales, passed down through the generations, from the eerie fairy tales of the Brother’s Grimm to the timeless mythology of ancient worlds. But what if the stories you thought you knew had more to tell?
We’ve pulled together a must-read list of the most captivating fairy tale retellings, fiercely reimagined myths and legends, your favourite stories retold – get ready to discover magic in ways you could never have imagined.
The Palace Beneath the Sea by Lauren Wiesebron
As lush as it is lyrical, The Palace Beneath the Sea is an atmospheric retelling of the legendary lost city Ys, following two lovers and their connection between two different worlds – one on land and one beneath the waves.
Nolwenn is a lighthouse keeper, and her life's purpose is to defend her beloved city of Ys. But when a dangerous tide threatens Ys, the queen instead tasks Nolwenn with collecting rare seasilk – enough to shield the city from the deadly sea monsters that threaten it.
Determined to fulfil her task, Nolwenn searches for the seasilk, only to be attacked by the very sea monsters the queen warned her about. She's saved by Morvan, a sea-dwelling korrigez with the torso of a human and the tail of a fish, who drags her deep beneath the sea to the coral palace of Ys-below. Although terrified and homesick, Nolwenn can't deny that Ys-below is strange and beautiful - and so is Morvan. And the more time Nolwenn spends below the surface, the less she is sure she wants to leave . . .
As danger draws ever nearer and Ys remains precariously unprotected, Nolwenn must decide between her heart and her home.
A sweeping tale with gorgeous, lyrical prose, and a beautiful love story that will steal your heart. A doomed love story created the city of Ys, it's fitting that another one would end it . . .
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Shadows of Sparta by C.R. Jane
Enter the world of Sparta as you've never experienced it before with the much-anticipated dark romantasy based on the myth of Helen of Troy, from USA Today bestselling author C.R. Jane.
Gods once ruled the land, until King Menelaus cast them out and crowned himself in their place. Now drought scorches the earth, and a mysterious affliction steals the breath from the living, while defiance is answered with blood.
When the king resurrects the ancient trials meant to choose his queen, Helena becomes her dying village's only hope. Marked by a terrible beauty, she steps forward not for glory – but for survival.
Alone in a dangerous court, Helena must decide whom to trust: Achilles, a legendary warrior bound to the throne by blood and oath, or a mysterious prisoner bearing forbidden magics and long-buried. One guards her cage. The other whispers how to escape it. And one of them is lying. If Helena chooses wrong, Sparta will not simply fall. It will kneel.
Prepare to lose yourself in this completely immersive dark fantasy, full of forbidden longing and sizzling passion.
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Never Ever After by Sue Lynn Tan
Never Ever After, a powerful and fierce reimagining of Cinderella inspired by Chinese fairy tales, is the breathtaking YA fantasy romance from Sunday Times bestselling Sue Lynn Tan.
Life in the Iron Mountains is harsh and unforgiving. After the death of her beloved uncle, Yining has only survived as a skilled thief and an even better liar. But when she acquires an enchanted ring that holds the key to a brighter future, it is stolen by her step-aunt, and Yining must venture into the imperial heart of the kingdom to seize it back.
Amid the grandeur of the palace, Yining catches the eye of the ruthless and ambitious prince, who tempts her with a world she's never imagined. But nothing is as it seems, and soon she is trapped in a tangle of power, treachery, and greed - her only ally a cunning advisor from a rival court who keeps dangerous secrets of his own.
To break free, Yining must embark on a perilous quest to fight for a future that both frightens and calls to her, and choose who to trust when allies can be as deadly as enemies.
A truly beautiful story that will sweep you away but be warned, in this fairy tale, the monster wears the crown. A signed edition is available here and book two, For Ever More is coming this October.
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Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim
A beautiful and immersive YA fantasy retelling of the Brothers Grimm, The Six Swans fairytale.
Princess Shiori’anma has magic, but magic is forbidden in Kiata. When she accidentally loses control and ruins her wedding, she is secretly glad she doesn’t have to go through with it. Her stepmother Raikama – also magical – banishes Shiori and curses her: Shiori’s beloved brothers have been turned into cranes, and if Shiori ever speaks again, her brothers will die. As Shiori tries to undo the spell that traps her and her brothers, she uncovers a dark plot to seize the throne of Kiata. To defeat the evil in the land, she must trust the boy she didn’t want to marry and embrace the strength of her magic.
Set in an East-Asian inspired world, Six Crimson Cranes is a twisty tale of magic and romance.
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Little Thieves by Margaret Owen
Little Thieves thrilling reimagining of the Goose Girl with lashings of plotting and scamming.
Vanja Schmidt – adopted goddaughter of Death and Fortune – spent her life as the servant of Princess Gisele. When her adopted mothers demand repayment for their care, Vanja uses an enchanted set of pearls and plots a way to transform her life… and herself, into Gisele. As she pretends she is the Princess, she moonlights as a jewel thief, saving to finally escape. Trailed by enemies, including Gisele’s sinister fiancé, Vanja has only two weeks to commit her greatest heist, or lose everything.
Little Thieves is a swashbuckling and unputdownable fairytale retelling that you’ll race through, so thankfully book two, Painted Devils and Holy Terrors are ready and waiting for you.
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The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea by Axie Oh
A beautifully captivating story of love and family, and how much we are willing to sacrifice. The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea is a gorgeous feminist retelling of an ancient Korean legend.
Mina’s homeland is cursed by a Sea God who was once their protector. To appease him, someone is thrown in the ocean each year hoping that the Sea God will choose a bride and cease his violence. When Mina’s brother’s beloved is chosen, Mina goes in her place. Instead of certain death she finds the Spirit Realm where the Sea God is in an enchanted sleep. Working with a group of demons, gods, and spirits – and the mysterious and charming Shin – Mina attempts to free the Sea God from his slumber before it is too late, before those who are keeping the Sea God in his sleep find her.
Twisty and charming, and with a quirky cast of characters The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea is a must-read.
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These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong
These Violent Delights is a gripping Romeo and Juliet retelling that we have just reissued in a limited Vault Edition.
The Scarlets and the White Flowers are two rival gangs who run 1920s Shanghai. Juliette Cai is about to fulfil her role as the heir of the Scarlet Gang, opposing her counterpart Roma Montagov, the heir to the White Flowers – and her first love who broke her heart.
A fever-inducing contagion is sweeping the streets of Shanghai, disrupting both gangs. Rumours are rife of a monster in the shadows. The gangs, and Shanghai itself, are threatened, and Juliette must learn to trust Roma again in order to save everyone.
These Violent Delights an unputdownable, political yet beautiful retelling of an infamous story, and book two, Our Violent Ends, is also available now.
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The Last Tale of the Flower Bride by Roshani Chokshi
A haunting, atmospheric gothic page-turner, The Last Tale of the Flower Bride is a sumptuous story about an obsessive female friendship cursed to end in tragedy, a marriage unraveled by dark secrets, and the danger of believing in fairy tales.
A fairytale scholar named only the Bridegroom marries his unfathomably rich wife Indigo under her one condition – that he never enquire about her past. When a family matter brings Indigo and the Bridegroom to Indigo’s childhood home, he learns of Azure, Indigo’s childhood friend who disappeared in youth. As the magnificent house breathes, the truth – and their marriage – starts to unravel.
Taking great inspiration from fairytales, this twisting and intoxicating standalone fantasy feels like a fever dream.
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The Beast’s Heart by Leife Shallcross
A gorgeously rich and magical retelling of The Beauty and the Beast that finally lays bare the beast's heart.
We all know the story, an arrogant young prince and his castle's servants fall under the spell of a wicked enchantress, who turns him into the hideous Beast until he learns to love and be loved in return. But in this gorgeous re-telling we read the Beast's side of the story at long last.
I am neither monster nor man - yet I am both. I am the Beast.
Get ready to lose yourself in this truly beautiful new take on a tale as old as time.
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The House of Frost and Feathers by Lauren Wiesebron
The House of Frost and Feathers is an utterly enchanting standalone fantasy, reimaging the legend of Baba Yaga.
Marisha's time is running out. She's already lost her family to the sleeping plague, and she fears she'll be next. Penniless and desperate for protection, Marisha is forced to accept a job as apprentice to the notorious koldunya, Baba Zima. Thrust into looking for a cure to the plague, the search grows increasingly dangerous and seemingly impossible. Uncovering connections between her own family history, the plague and her dreams, if Marisha can find the cure, she will finally be free.
With achingly beautiful writing doors to other worlds, powerful folkloric magic, enchanted masked balls and magical bonfire gatherings, The House of Frost and Feathers is the perfect book to cosy up with.
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Reawakened by Coleen Houck
Book one in the Reawakened series, two star-crossed teens must battle mythical forces and ancient curses on a journey with more twists and turns than the Nile itself . . .
When seventeen-year-old Lilliana Young enters the Metropolitan Museum of Art one morning during spring break, the last thing she expects to find is a live Egyptian prince with godlike powers, who has been reawakened after a thousand years of mummification. Fate has taken hold of Lily, and she, along with her sun prince, Amon, must now travel to the Valley of the Kings, raise his brothers, and stop an evil, shape-shifting god named Seth from taking over the world.
Full to the brim with adventure, romance and Egyptian mythology, Reawakened is a roller-coaster of an adventure that will keep you guessing until the last page.
