Fiction

New Takes on Fairy Tales: A Reading List

scarlet marissa meyerThis round of Riot Recommendation is sponsored by Scarlet by Marissa Meyer. Cinder is trying to break out of prison—even though she’ll be the Commonwealth’s most wanted fugitive if she does. Halfway around the world, Scarlet Benoit’s grandmother is missing. It turns out there are many things Scarlet doesn’t know about her grandmother, or the grave danger she has lived in her whole life. When Scarlet encounters Wolf, a street fighter who may have information as to her grandmother’s whereabouts, she is loath to trust this stranger, but is inexplicably drawn to him, and he to her. As Scarlet and Wolf unravel one mystery, they encounter another when they meet Cinder. Now, all of them must stay one step ahead of the vicious Lunar Queen Levana. _________________________ Inspired by Marissa Meyer’s new twists on Cinderella and Little Red Riding Hood, we asked you to share your favorite new takes on fairy tales. Here’s a collection of your recommendations from Facebook, Twitter, and the comments. The Looking Glass Wars trilogy by Frank Beddor Beauty: A Retelling of the Story of Beauty and the Beast by Robin McKinley Bill Willingham’s Fables series The fairy retelling anthologies edited by Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling (including Snow White, Red Blood; Ruby Slippers, Golden Tears; and Silver Birch, Blood Moon) Spindle’s End by Robin McKinley Gregory Maguire’s Wicked series The Elemental Masters series by Mercedes Lackey The Sisters Grimm series by Michael Buckley Eloisa James’ Regency romance adaptations Jasper Fforde’s Thursday Next and Nursery Crime series The Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter Red as Blood, or Tales from the Sisters Grimmer by Tanith Lee Alice in Zombieland by Gena Showalter “Hansel and Gretel” by Lauren Williams McCaffrey Beastly by Alex Flinn Entwined by Heather Dixon Sunshine by Robin McKinley Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister by Gregory Maguire Splintered by A.G. Howard Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce Tiger Lily by Jodi Lynn Anderson Lament by Maggie Stiefvater My Name is Rapunzel by K.C. Hilton Before Midnight: A Retelling of “Cinderella” by Cameron Dokey Ash by Malinda Lo Fairest by Gail Carson Levine   Dish it, readers: what did we miss?