top of page

Beauty and the Beast Retellings

  • Apr 5, 2019
  • 3 min read

Updated: Feb 25, 2025

Beauty and the Beast is one of the most well known fairy tales ever–and, let’s be real, the Disney animated movie is pretty much perfection!


If you're in the mood for a fairy tale read, don't worry! This epic list of Beauty and the Beast retellings is sure to have something you'll love.



My version of Beauty and the Beast is the first book in my series of fairy tale retellings, the Timeless Fairy Tales series, and one of my other books, Curse of Magic, will give you the Enchantress' side of the story!


To start things off here's a list of my favorite Beauty and the Beast retellings:

Beastly by Alex Flinn

Beauty by Robin McKinley

Rose Daughter by Robin McKinley

The Princess and the Hound by Mette Ivie Harrison

Beauty and the Beast by K.M. Shea (Haha, surprise! This is my version of the beloved story where "Beauty" breaks her leg falling through the "Beast's" skylight so she's stuck there until her leg heals. And then the meddling servants make the most of it!)


I asked my reader communities for a "couple" of suggestions and here's the long list they gave me. I did ask for no spice and low language but read the reviews first if that is a concern for you. Now brace yourself because they had a LOT of recommendations!


Ogre Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine

Isabelle and the Beast by Marie Soleil

Before Beauty by Brittany Fichter

Masque by W.R. Gingell

A Tale of Beauty and Beast by Melanie Cellier

Shadow and Thorn by Kenley Davidson

Of Beast and Beauty by Stacey Jay

Beauty and the Beast by Jenni James

Belle by Cameron Dokey

Falling for the Beast by Victorine E. Lieske

Bryony and Roses by T. Kingfisher

Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge

Dragon Rose by Christine Pope

Of Beast and Beauty by Chanda Hahn

The Rose Gate by Hanna Sandvig

The Unbreakable Curse by Jenna Thatcher

A Loyal Heart by Jody Hedlund

The Rose and the Mask by Victoria Leybourne

The Beauty’s Beast by E.D. Walker

The Enchanted Rose by R.M. ArceJaeger

Stolen Enchantress by Amber Argyle

The Cold King by A. Dorn 

Heart’s Blood by Juliet Marillier

The Curse Girl by Kate Avery Ellison

The Merchant’s Daughter by Melanie Dickerson

Twisted by Kaylin Lee

The Beast by Lindsay Mead

Beast by Donna Jo Napoli

Beauty and the Clockwork Beast by Nancy Campbell Allen

Beauty and the Baron by Joanna Barker

Finding Beauty in the Beast by Jessilyn Stewart Peaslee

Beauty and Beastly by Melanie Karsak

The Beast of Talesend by Kyle Robert Shultz

Enchanting Fate by Ashley Evercott

The Beast's Magician by Eliza Prokopovits

Beauty's Rose by Rebecca J. Greenwood

Atone by Jessica Grey

The Beast Within by Serena Valentino

Kill the Beast by Serena Valentino

As Old As Time by Liz Braswell

Thorn of Rose by Emily Deady

Once Upon a Rose by Gabrielle Landi

The Winter Prince by Constance Lopez

Enchantment by Camille Peters

Belle Lied by S.R. Nulton


I hope you (like me!) now have massive fairy tale To Be Read stack, haha! Go forth and happy reading!


And if you're looking for more Disney Princess inspired book recommendations I have a whole series of these blog posts featuring book recommendations for fairy tale retellings. Click here to start reading or use the Book Lists category to filter them.

 

Best Fantasy Worlds

  • Mar 13, 2019
  • 4 min read

Updated: Feb 25, 2025

I've been a fantasy reader for over two decades but no matter how many books I readd there are always those special worlds that stick with you and you wish you could visit again for the very first time!


(The books listed below have a mix of romance spice levels, language, and violence so check the reviews if you have any content concerns.)


Favorite Fantasy Book Series Based on Worldbuilding:


Middle Earth: By J R R Tolkien Of course, we start with the strongest, Middle Earth! Tolkien breathed life into his world, not only giving it individual races but complex languages, different cultures, and eons and eons of history. Middle Earth continues to inspire the entertainment industry today, and has forever changed the fantasy genre. If you’re looking for sprawling landscapes and endless adventures, this is your world.


Narnia: By C. S. Lewis It’s difficult to describe what makes Narnia so special. I think it’s because it perfectly captures the wonder of childhood with its talking animals, deep magic, and–of course–Aslan. Narnia is the fairy-tale world every child wants to live in. It has everything from adventure on the high seas to horse stories, fauns, and more. If you’re looking for a story of comfort and brightness, Narnia is yours for the taking.


Hogwarts: J. K. Rowling No best fantasy world list could be complete without a nod to J. K. Rowling’s wizarding world, but I specifically chose Hogwarts because to me that’s where much of the magic and incredible settings occur. But really, Rowling creates a spellbinding world with extraordinary attention to detail–from food and drinks to stores and cafes and beyond! If you want to laugh at the shenanigans of magic and get lost in a world, Hogwarts is the one for you.


Innkeeper World: Iona Andrews The Innkeeper world is a perfect blend of fantasy, paranormal, and a dash of sci fi. It possesses all the fun and fantastical elements of Hogwarts, with the vast universe of magic like Middle Earth, with a dash of Men In Black thrown in. The books in this series are fun, fast paced, and have all kinds of amazing plot twists, plus it has some of the most unique world lore/magic mash up I have ever seen. (Let’s just say werewolves and vampires are real…but they don’t usually live on earth.) The basic premise of the series is this: Innkeepers (as our heroine is) are responsible for running safehouses where magical, alien races can stay at, or meet in to discuss political talks, on neutral territory. If you want to see the modern day world through new eyes, or perhaps a more adult version of Rowling’s wizarding world, I cannot recommend the Innkeeper Chronicles enough to you!


Aileen Travers: by TA White If paranormal/urban fantasy is more your speed, than the Aileen Tavers series is all for you! Filled with all kinds of fantastical creatures and races, the Aileen Tavers series is essentially our world with the secret of vampires, fairies, pixies, and more hidden in the shadows. In this series TA White spins some of the most incredible plotlines using different kinds of magic and races, and she puts everything in a whole new spin. (The vampire politics in this series are honestly probably the most refreshing and unique I’ve seen in ages.) Aileen is the title character who was (unwillingly) turned into a vampire. The vampire who did so dropped her and ran, abandoning her to a new life in the fantastical world she previously didn’t know existed. The series has humor, amazing world building, and is loads of fun!


I would be remiss if I didn't mention my own paranormal/urban fantasy series especially because readers have loved that the books are based in the American Midwest, which is usually ignored as a possible book location. Featuring the classic vampires, werewolves, fae, and wizards each trilogy follows the story of a specific Female Lead and Male Lead who then make cameos in the other series. And each is full of humorous banter, epic fight scenes, and slow burn romances!


The Five Hundred Kingdoms: By Mercedes Lackey In the Tales of Five Hundred Kingdoms, Lackey takes common fairy tales stories and tropes, weaves them together, and then turns them on their head. The books are stand alone, but filled with hilarious and witty banter, lots of twists, and original takes on fairy tale elements. In the first book we meet Cinderella–whom tradition dictates would normally go to a ball and wed a prince. There’s just one problem, the prince of her country is a child. So instead she becomes a Fairy Godmother, and watches/protects multiple countries. If you love fairy tales and laughter, this is a series you need to dive into!


As a final featured fantasy world I want to mention my series which also weaves together common fairy tales via stand-alone books in a shared world. In this world the continent is under attack as a prince is cursed to take on the body of a beast, a selkie's pelt is stolen by a sea witch, and a princesses is cursed to sleep. You will find many of the Disney favorites represented as well as lesser known tales like Rumpelstiltskin!


Of course there are dozens more series that I would love to include on the list, so I’m going to add in a few honorable mentions here!


Other honorable mentions:

  1. The Land of Ingary Trilogy by Diana Wynne Jones (Howl's Moving Castle)

  2. Prydain Chronicles by Lloyd Alexander

  3. the Graceling Realm by Kristin Cashore

  4. Damar, which appears in two of Robin McKinley’s works

  5. Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy,

  6. Enchanted Forest Chronicles by Patricia C Wrede


What series do you think have the best fantasy world building in them?


If you are looking for more fun fantasy book recommendations I have a whole series of blog posts you should check out. Click here to start reading or use the Book Lists category to filter them.

 

Snow White: Fairy Tale Retellings

  • Jan 23, 2019
  • 4 min read

Updated: Feb 25, 2025


I love sharing lists of fairy tale retellings with readers like you! When I picked Snow White I assumed it was a more popular and well known retelling (thanks Disney!) but it wasn’t until I asked my Facebook followers for help that I came up with a sizable list.



I'll start this list with some of my favorites (or really interesting takes on the well known story that I enjoyed):


Fairest by Gail Carson Levine  – I’m a big fan of Gail Carson Levine, so it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that I love this retelling in particular. Levine is a master at pulling the heart of a fairy tale through really different circumstances, and creating worlds that are so different and yet so real. This is a great story for readers of any age, and the main character is the biggest sweetheart ever!


Snow White by K.M. Shea – Yes this is my book! 🙂 For my retelling I decided to redeem the stepmother which gives the whole story a different feel (because I figure step-parents get way too much abuse in fairy tales). But Snow White still has to flee and seeks out the Seven Warriors to help her take back her country and free her stepmother.


Stitching Snow by R.C. Lewis  – Snow White reimagined in a sci fi setting, what more could you ask for? The sci fi aspect might sound similar to Winter (see next entry) but it’s stand alone, and has more of a true sci fi feel to it than the fantasy/sci fi blend Mariss Meyer captured in her Lunar Chronicles books.


Winter by Marissa Meyer  – Winter is also a sci fi retelling of Snow White–though it does have more of a fantasy flavor to it as well. Unlike Stitching Snow, it is the fourth book in a series, Lunar Chronicles, and I would highly recommend you read books 1-3 first! (Particularly because Winter is the final book, ahah.) Lunar Chronicles as a series is really interesting and fun, not just because of the futuristic twist to it, but because each book as a different fairy tale focus, but you still see the girls from the previous books!


Pretear by Junichi Sato and Kaori Naruse – This entry is probably going to surprise some of you since I know many of you don’t read Japanese manga. 🙂 But it is a retelling of Snow White, and it’s actually a more faithful adaptation then many of the other books in this list. It follows the story of Himeno, a high school student who finds out she has special powers when seven “knights” show up to help her defeat the darkness attacking her town. There is also an anime series but the manga is MUCH better!

As I mentioned at the start, I asked the readers who follow me on Facebook for more suggestions and here is what they came up with! (I asked for no spice and low language recommendations but check reviews if that is a concern for you.)


The Shadow Queen by CJ Redwine

The Fairest Beauty by Melanie Dickerson

Mira, Mirror by Mette Ivie Harrison

Snow White by Jenni James

Fairest of All by Serena Valentino

A Dream of Ebony and White by Melanie Cellier

Mirrored by Alex Flinn

Blood in the Snow by Sarah Pennington

Fairest Son by HSJ Williams

Vanity by Sonya Writes

The Fairest Poison by Lauren Skidmore

Shadows on Snow by Starla Huchton

Daughter of Lies by Kenley Davidson

Mirror, Mirror by Jen Calonita

Hunted: Alba's Story by Kaylin Lee

The Fairest Heart by Heather Chapman

Song of Ebony by Deborah Grace White

The Poisoned Prince by Kristin J Dawson

Once Upon an Apple by Gabrielle Landi

The Huntsman's Heart by Brittany Fichter

Poisoned Heart by Abigail Manning

Frost Gate by Hanna Sandvig

Mirrors and Pearls by Lea Doue

Winter Cursed by Nicki Chapelway

Mirrors and Magic by Laura Greenwood

Tear You Apart by Sarah Cross

Reflection by Camille Peters

Fairest One by Kayla Eshbaugh

Pure as Snow by Laura Burton and Jessie Cal

The Mirror and the Curse by J. M. Stengl

To Rival a Reflection by Selina De Luca

Poisoned at Dawn by Leialoha Humphreys

A Fairest Hope by S. Lee Poole

Capturing the Heart by Faith Brown

No One Fairer by Alice Rosegold


So what is your favorite Snow White retelling, and why? (And what retellings did we miss in our list?)


If you'd like to read fairy tale retellings focused on the other Disney Princesses (and more!) I have a whole series of blog posts you can check. Click here to start reading or use the Book Lists category to filter them.

 

Recent Blog Posts:

bottom of page