GIVE ME ALL THE RETELLINGS!!!!

One of my favorite type of books to read is retellings, of any kind (though diverse ones are always better). Mythology, fairytales, classics, etc; I will literally consume it all. There have been a lot of new releases that are retellings, so I thought I’d make a post about my favorite ones I’ve read, and ones that I’m excited to read! I also wanted to make sure that I included adult SFF retellings. It seems that most of the popular ones out there are YA, but never fear, adult retelling fans! I am here to help you. And me. Mostly I made this list for me 😂.

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YOUNG ADULT RETELLINGS

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Released

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(Ones I’ve Read)

A Spark of White Fire by Sangu Mandanna is the first book in a trilogy that is a retelling of the great Indian epic poem, the Mahabarata. I have a review for it that you can read here, but basically this is a science ficiton / fantasy mashup and it is BRILLIANT. Sentient spaceships, vengeful gods, messy families, etc. Go get it!!

Forest of a Thousand Lanterns by Julie C. Dao is an East Asian retelling of the origin story of the Evil Queen from Snow White. I loved reading a villain origin story, and it was brutal and dark and twisted and great.

The Boneless Mercies by April Genvieve Tucholke is a retelling of the Beowulf epic, centering on a band of teenage girls who go on a quest to defeat the monster. I recently read this, and loved the strong found family aspect, and how all of the main female characters had different qualities and strengths to them.

The Wrath and the Dawn by Renée Ahdieh is a beauuutiful retelling of One Thousand and One Nights. Ahdieh’s writing is absolutely gorgeous, and really made this book stand out for me. I loved the Middle Eastern setting, and that all of the characters were POC.

House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig is a dark and creepy retelling of the Twelve Dancing Princesses folktale. I was really surprised how much I liked it! The retelling was super original, and I loved how spooky and twisty it was.

(Ones I’m Excited to Read)

These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong is a retelling of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, set in 1920’s Shanghai and featuring rival gangs. Ohhh man you guys. This one sounds so SO GOOD. Soooo many of my friends absolutely loved this one, and to say I’m stoked for it is an understatement.

Legendborn by Tracy Deonn is a retelling of the legend of King Arthur, featuring a Black girl as the main character. And MAGIC. There is lots of diversity, great worldbuilding, and so much more. I can’t wait to read it!

Girl, Serpent, Thorn by Melissa Bashardoust is a novel that is loosely based on both Persian mythology and Sleeping Beauty, and includes a f/f romance! A girl cursed to be poisonous to the touch?? Yes. I’m here for it. The author has also written Girls Made of Snow and Glass, a feminist and f/f Snow White retelling.

For Darkness Shows the Stars by Diana Peterfreund is a science fiction retelling based on Persuasion by Jane Austen. We all know how much I loved sci-fi, so I’m definitely gonna have to get to this one.

Romanov by Nadine Brandes is a retelling of the story of Anastasia. From reviews, it sounds like it’s a lot closer to the true story than the Disney version, i.e. it’s a lot darker. I’m all for more historical fantasy!

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Upcoming

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My Contrary Mary by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows releases on June 22nd and is a retelling of the story of Mary Queen of Scots. These three authors wrote a previous set of retellings about various famous “Janes” in history (Lady Jane Grey, Jane Eyre, and Calamity Jane). This one is the first in their set of “Mary” retellings.

A Clash of Steel by C.B. Lee releases on September 7th, and is a Treasure Island retelling!! But Asian and f/f!!! Oh my god I’m literally SO excited for this one. The cover is gorgeous, the synopsis is amazing, and like, PIRATES. I mean come on.

So Many Beginnings by Bethany C. Morrow also releases on September 7th, and is a Little Women retelling, featuring four Black sisters coming of age during the American Civil War. I haven’t actually read Little Women, but I’ll definitely be reading this book.

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ADULT RETELLINGS

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Released

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(Ones I’ve Read)

Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik is actually the only one of the adult retellings that I have read, oops. It is a very loose retelling of Rumplestiltskin. The writing is beautiful, there is a great cast of female characters, and the main character is Jewish. I loved it!

(Ones I’m Excited to Read)

Unconquerable Sun by Kate Elliot is a gender-swapped retelling of the story of Alexander the Great, and IN SPACE. AND!! It’s f/f – gimme all the queer sci-fi! My mom got this for me for Christmas and I’m literally vibrating with excitement for it. Maybe my next read??

Burning Roses by S.L. Huang is a novella featuring Red Riding Hood as the main character. It is a f/f fantasy novella about two queer women fighting magical beings together. I have it, and am so excited to get to it.

In the Vanisher’s Palace by Aliette de Bodard is a f/f retelling of Beauty and the Beast, featuring a DRAGON, lots of queer characters, and an all Vietnamese cast of characters. What more do you need?

How Rory Thorne Destroyed the Multiverse by K. Eason is a feminist Sleeping Beauty space opera retelling!! I already had this one on my list, but I didn’t know it had fairytale influences in it, so I’m WAY more excited now.

Lady Hotspur by Tessa Gratton is a retelling of Shakespeare’s Henry IV. I admit I haven’t actually read much Shakespeare, but I’ve heard GREAT things about this book. It is a f/f high fantasy novel about revolution, love, betrayal, and more.

Alice by Christina Henry is a very dark, fantasy-horror retelling of Alice in Wonderland. I might be too much a scaredy-cat myself for this one, but it does sound really good. The authors has written other retellings too, including one about Captain Hook from Peter Pan.

Pride, Prejudice, and Other Flavors by Sonali Dev is a romance retelling of, you guessed it, Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. The main family is family of Indian immigrants living in San Francisco, and the love interest is an up-and-coming chef. This sounds wonderful! The author has two other books following this family that are retellings of Persuasion, and Sense and Sensibility.

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Upcoming

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Malice by Heather Walter releases on April 13th. This is a “darkly magical retelling of Sleeping Beauty.” And it sounds like it will be a f/f romance!! Where the princess falls for the evil sorceress…..oh man. I am READY.

Sistersong by Lucy Hounsom releases on April 15th, and is a retelling of a folk ballad called The Twa Sisters (or The Two Sisters), which is apparently a murder ballad!! The Wikipedia tells me that it is about “the tale of a girl drowned by her jealous sister”, and then her dead body is made into a musical instrument, which plays itself and sings about murder. This will be a feminist retelling (according to Goodreads), and has a trans main character!

Ariadne by Jennifer Saint releases on May 4th and is a retelling of the myth of Theseus and the Minotaur from Greek mythology. I’m such a goddamn sucker for Greek mythology!! This book focuses on Ariadne, who is a princess of Crete who helps Theseus through the labyrinth to slay the Minotaur.

The Chosen and the Beautiful by Nghi Vo releases on June 1st, and is a retelling of The Great Gatsby with a queer Asian American female immigrant as the main character. AND!! The MC (Jordan Baker) is adopted! I HAVE A DESPERATE NEED!!!!!!! Please I need it NOW! This sounds so amazing. And I already LOVE Nghi Vo’s writing, having read two novellas she’s written (find reviews for those here and here).

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So uhhh there’s my TBR sorted for the forseeable future hahaha. I am so excited for all of these (that I haven’t read yet) and I hope you found some great things on this list!! If you need MORE retellings in your life (who doesn’t tbh), please check out Kat (bookstagramrepresent) on Instagram – they have an amazing list of diverse retellings!!! (And tons of other great lists and content, I highly recommend following them.)

Are there any retellings that you love that I didn’t manage to include?

Thank you Ellie, Crini, Joséphine, and Gagan for helping me with the adult retellings!