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Build Your 2026 TBR Pile!

  • Jan 7
  • 2 min read

Do you have a reading goal for 2026? Or maybe you picked out a book bingo card that requires you to read certain tropes?


To help you out I have pulled together this massive list of fantasy books and fairy tale retellings you are sure to love!



Whether you are looking for a book to fit a certain theme, a new-to-you-author, or a Cinderella retelling you haven't read yet, this list should have you covered!


My list of book list blog posts:


And if you are specifically looking for fairy tale retellings you MUST check out this master list of all the multi-author clean fairy tale series. It is maintained by author Kendra E. Ardnek and she even has each book organized by the fairy tale!




If you'd like more reader recommendations from my Champions you can take a look at one of these Goodreads lists. Although be warned that I don't police these so I can't guarantee that the content of the books matches the name of the list.


And finally, you can also check out my two different boards on Pinterest that have thousands of books between them. (I do my best to limit these to low spice titles but I haven't read all of these books so make sure you check the reviews!)




 

Little Mermaid Retellings

  • Nov 19, 2025
  • 3 min read

Ahh, the classic tale where girl falls in love with boy, girl gives up her entire life for the boy, boy falls in love with someone else, and the girl... turns into a daughter of the air?!?


The original story by Hans Christian Andersen had some weird stuff going on (click here to read my sarcastic summary of it if you aren't familiar with his version). But it is a classic story that has captured our hears for generations and there are plenty of beautiful adaptations of it for you to read!



I will first point out that I have written a retelling of this story, but because of my grievances with the original tale I changed the main heroine of my version from a mermaid to a selkie:


The Little Selkie - by K. M. Shea - In my version the heroine is a selkie and is forced to give up her voice for reasons not related to the hero, but most of the same elements of the story remain. This is also one of the most popular heroines I've ever written because even though she can't speak for most of the book she manages to take down the bullies in some inspiring ways. :)


Now for the full list of 70+ books all of which were suggested by my reader community (I asked for no spice and low language but check reviews if you have questions about the book's content). Since these are coming directly from readers you can think of them as a book rec from a friend.


List of The Little Mermaid Retellings:

The Little Selkie by K. M. Shea

The Silent Songbird by Melanie Dickerson

Silent Mermaid by Brittany Fichter

The Silent Prince by C. J. Brightley

A Princess of Wind and Wave by Melanie Cellier

A Cascading Hope by Yakira Goldsberry

Sea’s Secret by Kayla Eshbaugh

Filia and the Fall Festival by Leialoha Humpherys

Princess of Mermaids by A. G. Marshall

A Sea of Golden Chains by Callie Thomas

The Net That Holds Me by Scarlett Luna Strange

Maiden of the Sea by Sarah Beran

Song of the Sea by Deborah Grace White

Vazula Chronicles by Deborah Grace White

Beacon by Camille Peters

A Little Mermaid by Aya Ling

To Break A Silence by Lydia Mae

Part of Your World by Liz Braswell

Poor Unfortunate Soul by Serena Valentino

Prince of Song & Sea by Linsey Miller

The Mermaid’s Tale by L.E. Richmond

Selkie’s Song by Kimberly A. Rogers

Siren's Treasure by Suzanna Fowers

Lake Locked by S. R. Nulton

The Siren by Kiera Cass

Elodie of the Sea by Shari Tapscott

Finding Mera by Elizabeth D. Marie

The Little Mermaid by Jenni James

Mermaid Exile by Rebecca Fittery

The Wicked Prince by Rachel Rowlands

Song of Seas by Laura Greenwood

Hunting Sirens by Mary Mecham

Brine and Bone by Kate Stradling

Mermaid on Heels by Karen Daliath

Balanced Scales by Laura Greenwood

Of Tridents and Strife by Nicole Zoltack

Her Forgotten Sea by Eliza Prokopovits

Once Upon a Cake by Gabrielle Landi

The Stone Mermaid by Aisha Urooj

A Spark of Seas by Susannah Welch

Voice of a Siren by Kassidy Kameron

Pearl of Magic by Emily Deady

Song of the Sea by Meredith Leigh Burton

Song of the Selkies by Sarah Pennington

Of Sea and Song by Chanda Hahn

Forever by Chanda Hahn

Head Over Tails by Brianna Tibbetts

Mazarine by CeCe Louise

Golden Lotus by Meagan Myhren-Bennett

The Storm Dancer by Valia Lind

Sirens and Blades by Amanda Kaye

The Little Mermaid's Voice by Shonna Slayton

Shattered Resistance by Madisyn Carlin

A Mermaid's Secret by Amy Horikami

Sea of Sirens by Amberlyn Holland

Parting Worlds by Kaitlyn Davis

Mermaid's Loss by Dee J. Stone

The Tomb of the Sea Witch by Kyle Robert Shultz

The Little Cyborg by J.M. Page

A Little Persuaded by Kendra E. Ardnek

When on Land by Kendra E. Ardnek

Of Song and Darkness by Jessica Spruill

Skin of the Sea by Natasha Bowen

The Mermaid's Madness by Jim C. Hines

To Kill a Kingdom by Alexandra Christo


Did you know I have a whole series of these blog posts featuring book recommendations, popular retellings, and lists of books vetted by readers? Click here to start reading or use the Book Lists category to filter them.

 

King Arthur Retellings

  • Oct 15, 2025
  • 2 min read

King Arthur is one of the most famous mythical characters of all time. There is just something timeless and awesome about a king who unites a country, leads his people into a new future, and embarks on over the top quests!


The basic story has been adapted and retold countless times using different media so lets take a look at some of the must read book versions of this well know tale!



But first, a quick note about my version of this story, since I take a very different approach to most other stories:


King Arthur and Her Knights - by K. M. Shea - When Britt, a modern young woman, is pulled by a magical summons back through time she finds herself smack in the middle of the schemes of the surprisingly young and handsome wizard Merlin. Britt has no interest in pretending she is the legendary King Arthur, but Merlin has some bad news. The real Arthur has run off, and the legendary sword in the stone has chosen Britt to take his place.


Now for the full list! I asked my reader community for their top suggestions for King Arthur stories(I asked for no spice and low language but check reviews if you have questions about the content). Since these are coming directly from readers you can think of them as a book rec from a friend!


List of The King Arthur Retellings/Adaptations:

Le Morte d'Arthur by Sir Thomas Malory

The Sword in the Stone by T. H. White

Black Horses for the King by Anne McCaffrey

The Squire's Tales by Gerald Morris

Avalon High by Meg Cabot

Avalon High Manga series by Meg Cabot

The Crystal Cave series by Mary Stewart

Camulod Chronicles by Jack Whyte

Pendragon's Heir series by Suzannah Rowntree

Of Chivalry and Revenge by Celeste Baxendell

The Knights of Brethren series by Jodi Hedlund

Silver in the Bone by Alexandra Bracken

Legendborn by Tracy Deonn

Here Lies Arthur by Phillip Reeve

My Kingdom for a Quest by Kendra E. Ardnek

The Rightful King by Laura Greenwood

The Arrow and the Sword by Sara Farnsworth

The Pendragon Cycle series by Steven Lawhead

The Guinevere Deception by Kiersten White

I Am Morgan le Fay by Nancy Springer

The Lost Years of Merlin by T. A. Barron

The Eighth Day by Dianne K. Salerni

Under the Lake by Garth Nix

Space Lore series by Chris Dietzel

Star Legend series by J. J. Green



Did you know I have a whole series of these blog posts featuring book recommendations, popular retellings, and lists of books vetted by readers? Click here to start reading or use the Book Lists category to filter them.



 

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