If you love fairy-tale retellings as much as I do, here are a few recommendations I’ve read recently! All of these books were inspired by fairy-tales and folklore but have quite a twist.

Girls Made of Snow & Glass: 4.5 Stars

This is no ordinary fairy-tale retelling. This is pretty much the original Snow White story before it was mingled and mangled through the passage of time. This lovely gem is a touching and spellbinding story of betrayal, familial love and self discovery amid complex and deep relationships. Sadly the pace is rather slow, with more dialogue than action and there’s very little world building. But ultimately it’s about powerful women (who don’t need no prince) learning how to love and be loved in return.

Spinning Silver: 4.5 Stars

Recommended if you love brilliant retellings inspired by Rumpelstiltskin!
Naomi Novik is a phenomenal storyteller, able to weave bewitching tales full of twists & wonder. The atmospheric flow of her writing is charming & engaging but this is not a fast paced read; rather it’s something to be savored.With strong powerful heroines who are both flawed and relatable; layered and multidimensional they are sure to leave an emotional imprint. While compelling and fantastical, the many perspective changes (6 in total) can get very confusing!

Ever the Hunted: 3 Stars

Recommended if you like adventure and fantasy. The pace is a bit slow, the MC’s aren’t very bright and the plot is predictable. If you like relationship’s that waffle back and forth and a female with special snowflake syndrome, then you’ll love this. If not, this is a fun adventure, but it follows the same formula as most other YA novels In this genre.

The Darkest Part of The Forest by Holly Black:  3.5 Stars

An enchanting, enjoyable story with creepy creatures and unusual characters. Recommended for people who like fun fairy-tales, evil monsters, mischievous fairies and female Knights. Also recommended for very young people who like reading about high schoolers, fantasy and paranormal romances. With enough of a twist to make the over used plot seem kinda new and fun.

Stitching Snow: 3.5

Recommended for those who want to read a fairy-tale re-imagined with a scifi twist, (similar to the Lunar Chronicles). Featuring a tough, strong and vulnerable princess who refreshingly doesn’t need a man to save her. Although the story starts out slow, it does get more intriguing as it goes along. This clever Snow White retelling has just a hint of romance, and actually manages to makes Snow White a relatable, engaging, and complex princess worth admiring.

Entwined by Heather Dixon:  4 Stars

Recommended for those who like charming, re-imagined fairy-tales with a surprising twist. A Fun, lighthearted & magical fantasy with romance and princesses. Overall an entertaining read with a kick!

The Sun Is Also A Star: score 4

Recommend if you like cutesy contemporary love stories. It’s about a cynical teen who falls in love with a hopelessly romantic guy. The narration style is quirky, fun & charming. Perfect for Rom-Com lovers who don’t mind ridiculous cliches. It’s actually a heartwarming & adorable love story with a surprisingly realistic & relatable ending.

Caraval: score 3.5

Recommended if you like heavy romance, colorful prose & magical realism with a fast pace! This thrilling & enigmatic novel is full of suspense, deceptions & twist upon twists. However it sorely lacks world building & for a story centered in a carnival of magic, there really isn’t much exploration of its world.
So Ignore the hype & the Night Circus comparisons. Because it’s really about romance, treacherously deceitful characters & lots of dress descriptions. The heroine is ignorant, vain & frets the entire time… But she does eventually learn to stand up for herself! And the sequel from her sisters POV looks like it’ll be even more spellbinding than the first!

Nevernight: score 4

Recommended if you like dark fantasy, adventure, murderous revenge plots & a deadly (Hogwarts like) school of assassins! The heroine is a fierce, outspoken girl who’s a vicious killer but still tender-hearted.

Unfortunately the first few chaps are so heavy & the similes & metaphors are so overwhelming, that it’s hard to read! But if you make it through the beginning, it calms down. Also the world building is creative & in depth but includes too many wordy footnotes. But if you don’t mind that stuff, the story itself is epic, clever, brutal, thrilling & fully satisfying.

Blood of Wonderland
(Sequel to the Queen of Hearts): score 3 

Recommended if you love fantasy & Wonderland retellings. Unfortunately this book suffers from a slow pace & middle book syndrom. It’s not nearly as magical as the 1st book & is severely lacking in dialogue (lots of monologues.)
However Dinah finally stops being a spoiled brat & starts growing into a stronger heroine (or Villain) that readers can truly sympathize with. IMO the best thing about this sequel is that so many questions are finally answered!!

Traitor To The Throne (Rebel of the Sands Sequel): score 4

Recommended if you like dangerous rebellions, magical, gutsy & snarky heroines & an evil sultan (whom you may start to root for). This sequel is just as good as the 1st! But it depends on what you liked about it… If you liked Amani’s recklessness & gunslinging, this may disappoint you. She’s not the same impulsive, shoot 1st & ask questions later type. Also there isn’t as much action or romance or wandering of desserts. 

Instead it’s got a slow burn romance & is more about her as a spy in the Rebel Prince’s war. Also It’s longer, with more backstory & more dazzling myths. It’s really a thrilling & exciting adventure.

The Distance Between Us: score 4

Recommended if you like adorable RomCom’s and short & sweet contemporaries.
The heroine is a snarky, witty & sarcastic teen that will have you chuckling to yourself. The romance is sweet & endearing & doesn’t try too hard. This story is pretty much a wish fulfillment of dating a rich & handsome but totally sensitive guy. Even with its cliches, it still manages to be fresh, original & fun!

TruthWitch: score 4

Recommended if you like exciting adventure, high fantasy & fierce witches with intriguing elemental magic! The friendships & bromances are truly wonderful and loaded with banter 7 chemistry.  But the world building (while creative) is underdeveloped. Also the 1st half is slow, but the 2nd half is full of action!

Windwitch: score 3.5 

The world building in the sequel is so much more satisfying!! But once again there are way too many POV’s to keep straight. It’s got a slow pace & lacks the driving force that could have made this a page turner. (Although It gets better towards the end.) Also the chemistry between Safi, Merik & Isuelt aren’t in the sequel, because they’re all separated. However the books redeeming qualities are the marvelous chapters with Auden & Iseult!

HUNTED: score 4.5

Recommend if you like fantasy, Russian folktales & a Beauty & the Beast retelling.

Finally a Beauty and The Beast retelling without Stockholm syndrome! Captivating & magical this tale as old as time, is fresh & original!  With a subtle romance built on friendship & a complex Beast who’s kind, terrifying, lovable & mysterious.
Although the pacing is off, it’s  still an alluring & enchanting fairy tale. Even though the ending is rather anticlimactic.