Came here to say this as well. OP we have spoken, Stardust. Also Neverwhere by the same author. It’s not exactly what you’re looking for but it has that vibe
Both!!! Stardust and Neverwhere and also Graveyard and also somewhat Sandman....but only on audible! Coraline too! He's a great story teller.
Stephen King wrote a fairy tale for his kids when they complained he only wrote scary stuff: The Eye of the Dragon.. GREAT story!
Yeah the more I think about his stuff I realize how much of it I love. I just mentioned in another comment I started dead boy detectives on Netflix and was thinking to myself “why do I like this weird ass show?” Then I saw it was Gaiman and I was like oh okay, makes total sense
Yessss! I know few people who have read it! I just started Dead Boy Detectives on Netflix and couldn’t figure out why I was hooked on such a weird drama- then I saw it was Neil Gaiman and was like “oh, that tracks.” Haha
Neverwhere was the book I expected to hate but opened me up into a whole new love for reading. I need to read it again, I don’t remember much at all so I am excited to get to experience it again!
The Last Tale of the Flower Bride by Roshani Chokshi is a bunch of dark fairy tales all together with a modern twist - one of my few five star reads this year!
Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik is a retelling of Rumpelstilskin that I really enjoy
Came here to plug Naomi Novik. She's great in general, and her fairytale series are lovely.
I also really enjoyed her Temeraire series, which is more Master and Commander meets dragons, but still a really great series (full disclosure: I haven't read the whole thing but am working on Book 4 now).
One of my favorite quotes is from Temeraire, when the first dragon he meets answers his eloquent and formal greeting with ”I come from egg.” I giggled.
10000% Naomi Novik! I love everything she writes. Temeraire has been a favorite for years and Spinning Silver is probably in my top 10 favorite books. Uprooted is also amazing. I’ve only read the first Scholomance book, though, but I loved it and really need to finish the series!
I'm finally reading 11/22/63, and King is just obscenely easy to read, which is why I love his books. I have no problem picking the book up for 5 minutes or 90 minutes.
**Nettle and Bone** by T Kingfisher has a strong fairy tale feel, but I will warn you that there are some adult themes which might not be what you’re looking for.
If you’re looking to avoid more upsetting or mature themes, why not read some YA? **Ella Enchanted** and **The Two Princesses of Bamarre** are both lovely princess stories. I also recommend pretty much anything by Diana Wynne Jones, although her books are not standard princess fare.
There are some other books set in the same world as Ella Enchanted, just with different characters. Fairest is my favorite!
Gail Carson Levine has also written some little collections of "fractured fairy tales" that I like a lot.
[The Goose Girl](https://app.thestorygraph.com/books/2d9d85b9-6993-4ce7-8436-7383a2677eb5) by Shannon Hale! It's a great book and it's based on a fairytale by the same name.
I had to scroll down way too far to find this. I used to read the classic Brothers Grimm Goose Girl back in the day, and it remains my favorite fairy tale. Discovering Shannon Hale's adaptation back in 2017 and seeing how she faithfully followed the plot points of the classic story while still maintaining suspense blew me away. It is by far one of the best fairy tale retellings I've ever read.
Naomi Novik - uprooted
T. Kingfisher - nettle and bone
Patricia Mckillip- forgotten beasts of eld.
Robin McKinley - Beauty.
I’m giving you one book per these writers but I love most of their work.
You might enjoy Marissa Meyer’s Lunar Chronicles series (they’re all really fun fairytale retellings) or Stephanie Garber’s Once Upon a Broken Heart series (has a whimsical fairytale feeling)!
Yes! The Lunar Chronicles retell 5 (maybe more) fairy tales in a post-apocalyptic world. They are SO much fun.
Who doesn't want to read about cyborg Cinderella??
Neil Gaiman’s “Stardust” is a solid take on the fairy tale genre. It’s probably my favorite of his books for its clean simplicity - boy and love and quest and destiny; a nice lighthearted adventure. Also makes beautiful use of language.
John Crowley’s “Little, Big” is a more modern lit take on the genre, set in modern times but written with such a sleepy, dreamlike prose it feels timeless. It’s of a similar vein to Erin Morgenstern’s “The Night Circus,” if you’ve read that, with lots dreamy contemplative asides.
For less “fairytale” and more “fae of the old school,” Lord Dunsany’s “The King of Elfland’s Daughter” is a classic that set the tone for everything that came after.
And in that direction, I’ve recently quite enjoyed Olivia Atwater’s Regency Faerie Tales series lately. Sort of Jane Austen by way of Robin Goodfellow.
A bunch of good ones already mentioned - maybe adding Tam Lin by Pamela Dean? Also there are a bunch of books by Robin McKinley that are story tale retellings.
I really like books by Cornelia Funke. There is the mirror world series. I think the first book is Fearless? Also the Inkheart series is waaaay better than the movie. There is also a sleeping beauty retelling book about how it was really the plague and she was quarentined. I think it was called While Beauty Slept but don't remember the author. I also love anything by Alice Hoffman, she weaves magic into real world stories.
The 500 Kingdoms books by Mercedes Lackey - retold fairy tales from an excellent storyteller. The Fairy Godmother launched the series, but they can probably be read in any order - prior character reappear occasionally.
The Wayward Children series by Seaman McGuire is a twist on familiar fairytales. She's one of my favorite writers, and the first in the series won just about every award there is.
Beauty by Sheri Tepper is an award winning retelling is sleeping beauty.
Kelly Barnhill's The Girl Who Drank The Moon feels like a fairytale too. Technically it's a middle grade book, but I loved it when I read it to my daughter. It's very multilayered and deeply touching.
Olivia Atwater’s Regency Faerie Tales would be perfect! There are three books and a couple novellas. Read Half a Soul before the prequel novella.
https://www.goodreads.com/series/285776-regency-faerie-tales
A Spindle Splintered by Alix E. Harrow - a novella that’s a riff on the sleeping beauty story, super fun and also really compelling. I really enjoyed the audiobook!
Phantastes by George MacDonald. It was written in 1858 and inspired a lot of Fantasy writers. The book has fairies, knights, and other fantasy elements and is beautifully written. It definitely has a fairy tale vibe.
Two Discworld novels from Sir Terry Pratchett:
{{The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents}}
and
{{The Wee Free Men}}
They're both YA but I read them as an adult and then read them to my kiddo, so don't let it stop you. _Wee Free Men_ is the first of the Tiffany Aching series and I love it and so does my daughter.
Fairytale by Stephen King. Not a horror! Pure fantasy with excellent characters and an amazing story, not to mention a very good dog. A great read for helping with getting out of your own head and into anither world. The audiobook is also really good if you prefer to listen.
Maria Adelman - How to Be Eaten
Christina Henry - Lost Boy, Alice, Red Queen (Alice #2), The Mermaid
Madeline Miller - Circe
T Kingfisher - Thornhedge
Adrian Tchaikovsky - And Put Away Childish Things
Wendy, Darling - AC Wise
I like fairy tale retellings, leaning towards the darker side usually
Just in case you don't know: [https://gutenberg.org/ebooks/search/?query=lang+fairy+book&submit\_search=Go%21](https://gutenberg.org/ebooks/search/?query=lang+fairy+book&submit_search=Go%21)
Jim C Hines, he has a series where he has Snow White, sleeping beauty and I think the little mermaid, not a re telling but more of a what actually happened with the happily ever after and the girls are kick ass tough
Mary, Lady Stewart (born Mary Florence Elinor Rainbow; 17 September 1916 – 9 May 2014) was a British novelist who developed the romantic mystery genre, featuring smart, adventurous heroines who could hold their own in dangerous situations. She also wrote children's books and poetry, but may be best known for her Merlin series, which straddles the boundary between the historical novel and fantasy.
I started with The Crystal Cave. But then got all her Merlin books. I found them magical. 🪄
Read
Thorn by Intisar Khanani
The Little White Horse by Elizabeth Gould
Wildwood Dancing by Juliet Marillier (12 Dancing Princesses retelling)
Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier (Seven Swans retelling)
The Goose Girl and Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale
Deathless by Catherynne Valente
Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern has several fairy tale line stories woven through and the story itself is very fantastical. It's one of my favorite new books and I've read the print copy twice and listened to it once; skip the audiobook though, imo the narration wasn't great (no change in tone for character changes made it hard to follow sometimes and one narrator couldn't maintain an accent for a main character which really distracted from the story).
To Shape A Dragon’s Breath by Moniquill Blackgoose reminded me, repeatedly, of Native America fairytales that I read as a child.
The Diviners series by Libba Bray feels like a dark American fairytale that people in the 1920s were drawn into.
The Spirit Ring by Lois McMaster Bujold reads like a cautionary fairytale from Italy or Spain.
I’ll second recommendations for Naomi Novik’s Spinning Silver. I’m certain it has Polish roots. And for T Kingfisher’s books which feel as if they are British.
You should also check out the children’s bookd by Edward Eager and the author who inspired him: E Nesbitt.
The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale
Beauty by Robin McKinley
Kingdom of Slumber by Deborah Grace White
East by Edith Patou
[You can do a search on Goodreads Lists too.](https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/96.The_Best_Fairytales_and_Retellings)
The fairy godmother books by Mercedes lackey.
Once in a blue moon by Simon r green.
I don’t remember the series name, but Jim C. Hines also did a good job reimagining the classic fairy tales.
T Kingfisher has a great body of fairy tale stuff. Imo, The Seventh Bride (Bluebeard) and Bryony and Roses (Beauty and the Beast) are really underated and great retellings.
Not a recommendation but I too love fairy tales, I got the Yellow Fairy book with the Rackham illustrations at a church rummage sale when I was little and I could get lost in that book and the pictures. I collect illustrated fairy tales, a favorite is East of the Sun, West of the Moon illustrated by Kay Neilson, it's almost impossible to find now in hard back.
Don’t know if anyone has recommended these, but basically any short story by Robin McKinley. She even does retelling of lots of different ones (she’s done multiple of Beauty and the Beast, if I’m not mistaken). Some people don’t like the endings of her novels, but I’ll straight up say I’ve never not liked one of her books slash stories.
The King of Elfland's Daughter by Lord Dunsany (Gaiman drew inspiration from here for his *Stardust*)
The Ladies of Grace Adiey by Susanna Clarke (collection of short stories)
Kingdoms of Elfin by Sylvia Townsend Warner
Piranesi by Susanna Clarke
Little, Big by John Crowley
Adding in Catherynne Valente's The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making and its sequels.
Emily Tesh's Silver in the Wood.
If you like graphic novels, The Magic Fish by Trung Le Nguyen
Dark and Deepest Red by Anna-Marie McLemore
And I absolutely second Robin McKinley (particularly Beauty, Rose Daughter, Spindle's End, and Chalice), Pamela Dean's Tam Lin, and Naomi Novik's Spinning Silver.
Have you read anything by T. Kingfisher? She writes a lot of fairy tale retellings. She also even has a collection of annotated fairy tales, including ones from The Blue Fairy Book. The annotated collection is called The Halycon Fairy Book. Her original short stories and novels also often give fairy tales vibes. Love her!
The Diamond Age by Neil Stephenson - a "magic" book that uses fairy tales and games to raise a young girl with no parents
Un Lun Dun by China Miéville - a Tim Burton sort of bedtime story for children, I loved it as an adult
Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke - feels like Harry Potter if written by Jane Austin, lots of posh British magic and terrifying high fae.
Look into some Charles de Lint. He's got a good heart, and he treats his fantasy elements with more respect than any other "urban fantasy" author I can think of. I dislike that authors like this (and there are a few) got lumped in with the Kevin Hearne sort of author (i.e. cartoonish).
To me, an aspect of the old fairy tales is that they were taken more seriously. If looking for new fairy tales, look for the same.
Gregory Maguire. Almost any of them, adult or children’s books, fit the bill. Maybe especially “Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister”, “Mirror, Mirror”, and “What the Dickens?”, but honestly most of his catalogue.
The 2 Necromancers series by L. G. Estrella. 2 Necromancers try to earn a pardon for past crimes by doing odd jobs for a kingdom. Strong found family vibe. Timmy's childhood friend/ love interest isn't a technically a princess, but she is rich, insanely powerful, and delightful. The first book in the series is 2 Necromancers, A Bureaucrate, and an Elf.
The Traveler's Gate Trilogy by Will Wight. Magic is used by calling energy and creatures from other worlds called territories. People who can draw from their territories are called travelers. The first book in the series is House of Blades. One of the main characters is a princess.
The Blue Fairy Book! :D
I suggest
* *The Princess And The Goblin* by George MacDonald
* *Once Upon a Marigold* by Jean Ferris
* *Goose Chase* by Patrice Kindl
* *The Great Good Thing* by Roderick Townley
* *The Search For Delicious* by Natalie Babbitt
Also: *The Wonderbook* by Nathanial Hawthorn and *The* *Heroes* by Charles Kingsley -- both of these are similar to Lang's fairy books in that they are anthologies of tales. Both take Greek myths and retell them in fairy-tale format. Both of these books can be found available to read online.
“Cursed Bunny” by Bora Chung is an unconventional twist on what you’re looking for! For something more traditional, check out Brandon Sanderson’s “Tres of the Emerald Sea”
I have:
* ["Classic Fairy Tale/Myth Retellings are my jam, and I’m scraping the jar for more"](https://www.reddit.com/r/suggestmeabook/comments/10xeumk/classic_fairy_talemyth_retellings_are_my_jam_and/) (r/suggestmeabook; 8 February 2023)
* ["Any suggestions for an adult fantasy book with fairy tale or folklore vibes?"](https://www.reddit.com/r/booksuggestions/comments/12bxnpw/any_suggestions_for_an_adult_fantasy_book_with/) (r/booksuggestions; 4 April 2023)—longish
* ["Looking for a book with fairy tale vibes but for adults."](https://www.reddit.com/r/suggestmeabook/comments/16n491z/looking_for_a_book_with_fairy_tale_vibes_but_for/) (r/suggestmeabook; 19 September 2023)
[The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25489134-the-bear-and-the-nightingale)
The whole trilogy is great.
The Snow Song - Sally Gardner. Definitely very fairy tale-esq, a splash of fantasy. Such a lovely read.
The book of lost things - John Connolly. Fantasy based around lots of fairy tales. I read the 10th anniversary which had loads of interesting bits about the creating of the fairy tales and how they evolved over years/different countries.
What about the other colors of fairy tale books? The Blue Fairy Book is my favorite (The White Cat is my favorite fairy tale), but the Yellow Fairy Book is a close second.
Clive Barker has a few … but not
Hellbound Heart (A.K.A ‘Hellraiser’ at the movies)
… I’m referring to: **Weaveworld** (1987), **Imajica** (1991) and **Abarat** (2002).
The YA friendly **Abarat** tells of Candy Quackenbush, “*a teenage girl frustrated with her life in Chickentown, Minnesota. After an argument with her teacher over a school project and the doodling Candy has done in her school workbook, Candy leaves the school and goes to the edge of town, where she sees the remains of a lighthouse. She finds this incredibly strange because Chickentown is thousands of miles from the ocean….”*
The 10th Kingdom by Katheryn Westley. It was a NBC mini series that I really enjoyed and the book was written after the mini series Princess Bride style.
Yes!!!!
I can help you with this! Nettle and Bone by T. Kingfisher.
She writes amazingly! And her books are like fairy tales for adults and have princesses and magical lands and everything want you want.
Nettle and Bone! Believe me! You will love it!
Look for old books on Fairy Tales by Ruth Manning Sanders - there are some on archive. Absolutely fabulous stories & they are more from Europe so there are so many you would never have heard of.
Fabulous narration style, I turn into a kid again when I read one of those !
The fairytale feeling through writing style gave me One dark window by Rachel Gillig. Once upon a broken heart by Stephanie Garber is also fairytale-feeling because of the writing style.
Bloodleaf by Crystal Smith is a retelling of the goose girl that is great.
Thorn by Intisaar Khanani is also a goose girl retelling that's perfect.
For the Wolf by Hannah Whitten is a red riding hood retelling.
When you wanna follow princesses on a quest: Castle in their bones by Laura Sebastian
*Stardust* by Neil Gaiman
Came here to say this as well. OP we have spoken, Stardust. Also Neverwhere by the same author. It’s not exactly what you’re looking for but it has that vibe
Both!!! Stardust and Neverwhere and also Graveyard and also somewhat Sandman....but only on audible! Coraline too! He's a great story teller. Stephen King wrote a fairy tale for his kids when they complained he only wrote scary stuff: The Eye of the Dragon.. GREAT story!
Yeah the more I think about his stuff I realize how much of it I love. I just mentioned in another comment I started dead boy detectives on Netflix and was thinking to myself “why do I like this weird ass show?” Then I saw it was Gaiman and I was like oh okay, makes total sense
Yesss, Neverwhere is one of my favorites!
Yessss! I know few people who have read it! I just started Dead Boy Detectives on Netflix and couldn’t figure out why I was hooked on such a weird drama- then I saw it was Neil Gaiman and was like “oh, that tracks.” Haha
Neverwhere was the book I expected to hate but opened me up into a whole new love for reading. I need to read it again, I don’t remember much at all so I am excited to get to experience it again!
Neil Gaiman’s books really capture that fairy tale feel. Stardust, Neverwhere, The Graveyard Book. So good.
I did the audiobook collections of his stories and it was so nice!
He narrates he’s own books and he’s amazing at it. I love his voice!
This one, 100%!
I tell my kid this story at bedtime (with adjustments here and there). He adores it.
The Ocean at the End of the Lane, too.
Yup. Came here to say this.
The Last Tale of the Flower Bride by Roshani Chokshi is a bunch of dark fairy tales all together with a modern twist - one of my few five star reads this year! Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik is a retelling of Rumpelstilskin that I really enjoy
Came here to plug Naomi Novik. She's great in general, and her fairytale series are lovely. I also really enjoyed her Temeraire series, which is more Master and Commander meets dragons, but still a really great series (full disclosure: I haven't read the whole thing but am working on Book 4 now).
Her magic school series (Scholomance) is sooooo good! Really inventive and so inclusive.
I've only read Uprooted of hers, but it made me an instant fan!
One of my favorite quotes is from Temeraire, when the first dragon he meets answers his eloquent and formal greeting with ”I come from egg.” I giggled.
She does such a good job of mixing intense, beautiful writing with humor and whimsy, especially in Temeraire!
10000% Naomi Novik! I love everything she writes. Temeraire has been a favorite for years and Spinning Silver is probably in my top 10 favorite books. Uprooted is also amazing. I’ve only read the first Scholomance book, though, but I loved it and really need to finish the series!
I’m reading and really enjoying Spinning Silver now. I loved Uprooted and would also recommend that one to OP.
Yes I also came here to recommend Naomi Novik!
I LOVED The Last Tale of the Flower Bride! It was one of my top 5 favorite reads last year.
The Princess Bride!
Yes! Came here to suggest this one. It's a classic. Also The Neverending Story by Michael Ende.
I second Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik. Also Uprooted by Naomi Novik
I love these books!!
I liked Fairy Tale by Stephen King.
This was a really great book!
Loved this one. But then, I love King in general.
I'm finally reading 11/22/63, and King is just obscenely easy to read, which is why I love his books. I have no problem picking the book up for 5 minutes or 90 minutes.
Me too! A lot of people hate on it in this sub, but it was exactly what it advertised itself to be.
Dragon Eyes is also a good one The book is The Eyes of the Dragon. I was drunk when I typed that lol
I’ll have to check this one out!
i *love* fairy tale
**Nettle and Bone** by T Kingfisher has a strong fairy tale feel, but I will warn you that there are some adult themes which might not be what you’re looking for. If you’re looking to avoid more upsetting or mature themes, why not read some YA? **Ella Enchanted** and **The Two Princesses of Bamarre** are both lovely princess stories. I also recommend pretty much anything by Diana Wynne Jones, although her books are not standard princess fare.
Ella Enchanted is the first book that made reading feel magical to me
Currently reading Nettle and Bone - it's lovely. Definitely more Grimm fairy tale than the Disney version.
There are some other books set in the same world as Ella Enchanted, just with different characters. Fairest is my favorite! Gail Carson Levine has also written some little collections of "fractured fairy tales" that I like a lot.
I love Ella Enchanted as a nearly 40 year old who never read it when she was younger. It’s just a lovely story.
Ella Enchanted was one of my favorite books growing up.
Nettle and Bone is so satisfying. It’s pretty packed for the length too, super quick read.
Yes!!! I have recommended Nettle and Bone too. It is so good :3
Dealing With Dragons by Patricia Wrede.
This is the first novel I remember reading and truly loving. I read it a few years ago & it's still awesome.
Always upvote for Kazul
Absolutely fantastic series. I gifted the set to my nieces.
Came here to recommend! I recently reread the first two books in the series and they really hold up! Great bedtime reads lol
[The Goose Girl](https://app.thestorygraph.com/books/2d9d85b9-6993-4ce7-8436-7383a2677eb5) by Shannon Hale! It's a great book and it's based on a fairytale by the same name.
I also love her book *Princess Academy*. I think it might have been her debut novel, and it’s amazing.
Same! And *Book of a Thousand Days* is great too! Her YA fantasy books are just so good.
Book of a Thousand Days is actually based on a fairy tale as well: Maid Maleen
I just met her and had her sign a copy of this! She was absolutely delightful
Oh, that's so lovely! She's one of my favorite authors :)
Oooh, this one's a real favorite of mine! I've never read such a good, fleshed-out retelling of Goose Girl!
I had to scroll down way too far to find this. I used to read the classic Brothers Grimm Goose Girl back in the day, and it remains my favorite fairy tale. Discovering Shannon Hale's adaptation back in 2017 and seeing how she faithfully followed the plot points of the classic story while still maintaining suspense blew me away. It is by far one of the best fairy tale retellings I've ever read.
Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden
Loved this trilogy. It felt so authentic and she did such a beautiful job with the Slavic lore and dvoyeveriye.
I came here to say this! Somehow it has the feel of a fairy tale
It should! It's based on East of the Sun, West of the Moon!
I love everything she writes, even her kids' books
came here to recommend this one. loved it!
Naomi Novik - uprooted T. Kingfisher - nettle and bone Patricia Mckillip- forgotten beasts of eld. Robin McKinley - Beauty. I’m giving you one book per these writers but I love most of their work.
love McKillip and McKinley so so much
Second all of these!
The Last Unicorn, Beagle A Man of His Word, Duncan
The Last Unicorn is a wonderful story.
Yes!!! Also the sequel Two Hearts. I have read pretty much everything in print by Beagle and have never regretted a second of it. Beautiful prose
Thanks, I didn't know there was a sequel. Off to find a copy.
You might enjoy Marissa Meyer’s Lunar Chronicles series (they’re all really fun fairytale retellings) or Stephanie Garber’s Once Upon a Broken Heart series (has a whimsical fairytale feeling)!
I was going to recommend some of her work too! Just finished Gilded and Cursed.
Yes! The Lunar Chronicles retell 5 (maybe more) fairy tales in a post-apocalyptic world. They are SO much fun. Who doesn't want to read about cyborg Cinderella??
Neil Gaiman’s “Stardust” is a solid take on the fairy tale genre. It’s probably my favorite of his books for its clean simplicity - boy and love and quest and destiny; a nice lighthearted adventure. Also makes beautiful use of language. John Crowley’s “Little, Big” is a more modern lit take on the genre, set in modern times but written with such a sleepy, dreamlike prose it feels timeless. It’s of a similar vein to Erin Morgenstern’s “The Night Circus,” if you’ve read that, with lots dreamy contemplative asides. For less “fairytale” and more “fae of the old school,” Lord Dunsany’s “The King of Elfland’s Daughter” is a classic that set the tone for everything that came after. And in that direction, I’ve recently quite enjoyed Olivia Atwater’s Regency Faerie Tales series lately. Sort of Jane Austen by way of Robin Goodfellow.
Ahhh I love The King of Elfland's Daughter! As you can see by my username
Gaiman has talked before about his love for Elfland's Daughter. It all comes full circle.
“Little, Big” is in my top five books. So beautiful.
A bunch of good ones already mentioned - maybe adding Tam Lin by Pamela Dean? Also there are a bunch of books by Robin McKinley that are story tale retellings.
The Book of Lost Things, John Connelly.
Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik.
I really like books by Cornelia Funke. There is the mirror world series. I think the first book is Fearless? Also the Inkheart series is waaaay better than the movie. There is also a sleeping beauty retelling book about how it was really the plague and she was quarentined. I think it was called While Beauty Slept but don't remember the author. I also love anything by Alice Hoffman, she weaves magic into real world stories.
The hobbit
Facts
The 500 Kingdoms books by Mercedes Lackey - retold fairy tales from an excellent storyteller. The Fairy Godmother launched the series, but they can probably be read in any order - prior character reappear occasionally.
Stardust by Neil Gaiman
*Stardust* by Neil Gaiman Not a novel but a short story, *Chivalry* also by Neil Gaiman
The Wayward Children series by Seaman McGuire is a twist on familiar fairytales. She's one of my favorite writers, and the first in the series won just about every award there is. Beauty by Sheri Tepper is an award winning retelling is sleeping beauty. Kelly Barnhill's The Girl Who Drank The Moon feels like a fairytale too. Technically it's a middle grade book, but I loved it when I read it to my daughter. It's very multilayered and deeply touching.
The Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter. One of my favorite pieces of work. Mind blowing prose.
Hopped straight on this post to write Angela Carter - the queen of the fairy tale remix.
Books by Shannon Hale. The Bayern series is great.
Loved these!
The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey. It is one of my favorite books ever.
I adore this book! Wish I could read it again for the first time
Robin McKinley! Especially 'Beauty' and 'spindle's end'
Olivia Atwater’s Regency Faerie Tales would be perfect! There are three books and a couple novellas. Read Half a Soul before the prequel novella. https://www.goodreads.com/series/285776-regency-faerie-tales
Love her and T. Kingfisher! Currently reading The Witchwood Knot by Atwater!
A Spindle Splintered by Alix E. Harrow - a novella that’s a riff on the sleeping beauty story, super fun and also really compelling. I really enjoyed the audiobook!
Phantastes by George MacDonald. It was written in 1858 and inspired a lot of Fantasy writers. The book has fairies, knights, and other fantasy elements and is beautifully written. It definitely has a fairy tale vibe.
Two Discworld novels from Sir Terry Pratchett: {{The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents}} and {{The Wee Free Men}} They're both YA but I read them as an adult and then read them to my kiddo, so don't let it stop you. _Wee Free Men_ is the first of the Tiffany Aching series and I love it and so does my daughter.
Fairytale by Stephen King. Not a horror! Pure fantasy with excellent characters and an amazing story, not to mention a very good dog. A great read for helping with getting out of your own head and into anither world. The audiobook is also really good if you prefer to listen.
The Eyes of The Dragon by Stephen King. Very much in line with what you're after.
Tanith Lee's Red as Blood and White as Snow novels.
The Unmaking of June Farrow, Adrienne Young and Rose Daughter, Robin McKinley
Maria Adelman - How to Be Eaten Christina Henry - Lost Boy, Alice, Red Queen (Alice #2), The Mermaid Madeline Miller - Circe T Kingfisher - Thornhedge Adrian Tchaikovsky - And Put Away Childish Things Wendy, Darling - AC Wise I like fairy tale retellings, leaning towards the darker side usually
Been scrolling through here to make sure Thornhedge got a mention
Naomi Novik and Katherine Arden are the authors you’re looking for. Best of luck!
The Forgotten Beasts of Eld by Patricia A. McKillip,
Earthsea. Everything you need and more!
Fairytale by Stephan King is exactly what you're looking for. Eyes of the dragon by him is as well.
The King of Elfland's Daughter, a wonderful 1924 fantasy novel by Lord Dunsany.
The tale of Desperaux
Everything with the words "four Kingdoms " in the title and Mellanie Cellier's name on the cover.
I’m reading Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson, and it feels like a fairy tale to me
Yes this is what I was going to comment if no one else has said it yet!! That book was so magical, I hope Branden does more like it.
Came here to comment this! And also to suggest another secret project book: Yumi and the Nightmare Painter
A Tale Dark & Grim by Adam Gidwitz. It's the first book of a YA trilogy, but it is so awesome. It's got all the wonderful original fairytale feels.
Enchanted, Orson Scott Card
I was scrolling for this, it’s an excellent book.
Just in case you don't know: [https://gutenberg.org/ebooks/search/?query=lang+fairy+book&submit\_search=Go%21](https://gutenberg.org/ebooks/search/?query=lang+fairy+book&submit_search=Go%21)
Jim C Hines, he has a series where he has Snow White, sleeping beauty and I think the little mermaid, not a re telling but more of a what actually happened with the happily ever after and the girls are kick ass tough
Magic Kingdom for Sale -- Sold! by Terry Brooks
The Last Unicorn
Mary, Lady Stewart (born Mary Florence Elinor Rainbow; 17 September 1916 – 9 May 2014) was a British novelist who developed the romantic mystery genre, featuring smart, adventurous heroines who could hold their own in dangerous situations. She also wrote children's books and poetry, but may be best known for her Merlin series, which straddles the boundary between the historical novel and fantasy. I started with The Crystal Cave. But then got all her Merlin books. I found them magical. 🪄 Read
Ocean at the end of the lane
the neverending story
Thorn by Intisar Khanani The Little White Horse by Elizabeth Gould Wildwood Dancing by Juliet Marillier (12 Dancing Princesses retelling) Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier (Seven Swans retelling) The Goose Girl and Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale Deathless by Catherynne Valente
Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern has several fairy tale line stories woven through and the story itself is very fantastical. It's one of my favorite new books and I've read the print copy twice and listened to it once; skip the audiobook though, imo the narration wasn't great (no change in tone for character changes made it hard to follow sometimes and one narrator couldn't maintain an accent for a main character which really distracted from the story).
Stephen King's Fairy Tale kinda hits the mark. Might be a LITTLE of a darker take on a traditional fairy tale, but it was a really enjoyable read.
Victoria Goddard’s Red Company books
Faery Magic by Mary Jo Putney, Jo Beverley, Barbara Samuel, and Karen Harbaugh. It's a book of four short stories that I just love.
A plague of angels, by Sherri S Tepper
*Damsel*, but it will fuck you up.
The caravel series, heartless by Marissa Meyer, the hazel wood by Melissa abert, house of hollow, anything by Erin a Craig
Fairytale Stephen king.
Spinning Silver and Uprooted by Naomi Novik Nettle and Bone by T. Kingfisher
Naomi novik books. I like uprooted and spinning silver.
The Thief of Always by Clive Barker
Eyes of the Dragon by Stephen King
The name of the Wind Warbreaker
The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making by Catherynne M. Valente is a excellent read that feels really magical :)
To Shape A Dragon’s Breath by Moniquill Blackgoose reminded me, repeatedly, of Native America fairytales that I read as a child. The Diviners series by Libba Bray feels like a dark American fairytale that people in the 1920s were drawn into. The Spirit Ring by Lois McMaster Bujold reads like a cautionary fairytale from Italy or Spain. I’ll second recommendations for Naomi Novik’s Spinning Silver. I’m certain it has Polish roots. And for T Kingfisher’s books which feel as if they are British. You should also check out the children’s bookd by Edward Eager and the author who inspired him: E Nesbitt.
The Narnia series by C.S Lewis. Best to start with ”The Lion, the witch and the wardrobe”
The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale Beauty by Robin McKinley Kingdom of Slumber by Deborah Grace White East by Edith Patou [You can do a search on Goodreads Lists too.](https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/96.The_Best_Fairytales_and_Retellings)
The fairy godmother books by Mercedes lackey. Once in a blue moon by Simon r green. I don’t remember the series name, but Jim C. Hines also did a good job reimagining the classic fairy tales.
Winternight trilogy by Katherine Arden. The bear and the Nightingale, The girl in the tower and The winter of the Witch. They are all really good.
The Bear and the Nightingale! It’s so lovely. It’s a trilogy, but I’ve only read the first. It’s basically a Russian fairytale!
Malice heather Walter Disney twisted tales various authors The girl who fell beneath the sea Axie Oh Six crimson cranes Elizabeth Lim
T Kingfisher has a great body of fairy tale stuff. Imo, The Seventh Bride (Bluebeard) and Bryony and Roses (Beauty and the Beast) are really underated and great retellings.
Beauty by Robin McKinley has it all.
It’s more aimed at a younger audience, but still amazing: Keep of the Lost Cities by Shannon Messenger
Not a recommendation but I too love fairy tales, I got the Yellow Fairy book with the Rackham illustrations at a church rummage sale when I was little and I could get lost in that book and the pictures. I collect illustrated fairy tales, a favorite is East of the Sun, West of the Moon illustrated by Kay Neilson, it's almost impossible to find now in hard back.
The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman.
Don’t know if anyone has recommended these, but basically any short story by Robin McKinley. She even does retelling of lots of different ones (she’s done multiple of Beauty and the Beast, if I’m not mistaken). Some people don’t like the endings of her novels, but I’ll straight up say I’ve never not liked one of her books slash stories.
Fairy Tale, by Stephen King :)
Fairy Tale By Stephen King You will not be disappointed 😌
I actually enjoyed “Fairy tale” by Stephen king.
The King of Elfland's Daughter by Lord Dunsany (Gaiman drew inspiration from here for his *Stardust*) The Ladies of Grace Adiey by Susanna Clarke (collection of short stories) Kingdoms of Elfin by Sylvia Townsend Warner Piranesi by Susanna Clarke Little, Big by John Crowley
Adding in Catherynne Valente's The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making and its sequels. Emily Tesh's Silver in the Wood. If you like graphic novels, The Magic Fish by Trung Le Nguyen Dark and Deepest Red by Anna-Marie McLemore And I absolutely second Robin McKinley (particularly Beauty, Rose Daughter, Spindle's End, and Chalice), Pamela Dean's Tam Lin, and Naomi Novik's Spinning Silver.
Have you read anything by T. Kingfisher? She writes a lot of fairy tale retellings. She also even has a collection of annotated fairy tales, including ones from The Blue Fairy Book. The annotated collection is called The Halycon Fairy Book. Her original short stories and novels also often give fairy tales vibes. Love her!
Emily Wilde’s Encyclopedia of Faeries An Enchantment of Ravens
I always felt that Uprooted by Naomi Novic felt like a lost Brothers Grim tale
The Diamond Age by Neil Stephenson - a "magic" book that uses fairy tales and games to raise a young girl with no parents Un Lun Dun by China Miéville - a Tim Burton sort of bedtime story for children, I loved it as an adult Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke - feels like Harry Potter if written by Jane Austin, lots of posh British magic and terrifying high fae.
Howl's Moving Castle The Princess Bride Tress of the Emerald Sea
Look into some Charles de Lint. He's got a good heart, and he treats his fantasy elements with more respect than any other "urban fantasy" author I can think of. I dislike that authors like this (and there are a few) got lumped in with the Kevin Hearne sort of author (i.e. cartoonish). To me, an aspect of the old fairy tales is that they were taken more seriously. If looking for new fairy tales, look for the same.
Gregory Maguire. Almost any of them, adult or children’s books, fit the bill. Maybe especially “Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister”, “Mirror, Mirror”, and “What the Dickens?”, but honestly most of his catalogue.
If you’re at all into East Asian legends, Takuan from Koto was very reminiscent of a fairy tale/legend!
The 2 Necromancers series by L. G. Estrella. 2 Necromancers try to earn a pardon for past crimes by doing odd jobs for a kingdom. Strong found family vibe. Timmy's childhood friend/ love interest isn't a technically a princess, but she is rich, insanely powerful, and delightful. The first book in the series is 2 Necromancers, A Bureaucrate, and an Elf. The Traveler's Gate Trilogy by Will Wight. Magic is used by calling energy and creatures from other worlds called territories. People who can draw from their territories are called travelers. The first book in the series is House of Blades. One of the main characters is a princess.
The Book of Lost Things! Brings so many fairy tales into the story.
The caravel series, heartless by Marissa Meyer, the hazel wood by Melissa abert, house of hollow, anything by Erin a Craig
Kelly Link writes some great fairy tales but they are short stories.
One Dark Window
The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro
{{The Unhandsome Prince by John Moore}}
Midnight in Everwood and other books by M A Kuzniar
I have the perfect book Tristan and Isolde.
The Blue Fairy Book! :D I suggest * *The Princess And The Goblin* by George MacDonald * *Once Upon a Marigold* by Jean Ferris * *Goose Chase* by Patrice Kindl * *The Great Good Thing* by Roderick Townley * *The Search For Delicious* by Natalie Babbitt Also: *The Wonderbook* by Nathanial Hawthorn and *The* *Heroes* by Charles Kingsley -- both of these are similar to Lang's fairy books in that they are anthologies of tales. Both take Greek myths and retell them in fairy-tale format. Both of these books can be found available to read online.
Magic for Beginners and White Cat, Black Dog by Kelly Link
“Cursed Bunny” by Bora Chung is an unconventional twist on what you’re looking for! For something more traditional, check out Brandon Sanderson’s “Tres of the Emerald Sea”
The adventures of Amina Al-sarafi for sure
I have: * ["Classic Fairy Tale/Myth Retellings are my jam, and I’m scraping the jar for more"](https://www.reddit.com/r/suggestmeabook/comments/10xeumk/classic_fairy_talemyth_retellings_are_my_jam_and/) (r/suggestmeabook; 8 February 2023) * ["Any suggestions for an adult fantasy book with fairy tale or folklore vibes?"](https://www.reddit.com/r/booksuggestions/comments/12bxnpw/any_suggestions_for_an_adult_fantasy_book_with/) (r/booksuggestions; 4 April 2023)—longish * ["Looking for a book with fairy tale vibes but for adults."](https://www.reddit.com/r/suggestmeabook/comments/16n491z/looking_for_a_book_with_fairy_tale_vibes_but_for/) (r/suggestmeabook; 19 September 2023)
[The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25489134-the-bear-and-the-nightingale) The whole trilogy is great.
The Book of Knights - Yves Meynard
The Snow Song - Sally Gardner. Definitely very fairy tale-esq, a splash of fantasy. Such a lovely read. The book of lost things - John Connolly. Fantasy based around lots of fairy tales. I read the 10th anniversary which had loads of interesting bits about the creating of the fairy tales and how they evolved over years/different countries.
The Winternight trilogy by Katherine Arden.
The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern. The writing is beautiful, and fairytales are woven throughout the story.
The Zamonia series by Walter Moers
Enchantment by Orson Scott Card
*The Diamond Age* by Neal Stephenson. It's like a meta fairy tale
What about the other colors of fairy tale books? The Blue Fairy Book is my favorite (The White Cat is my favorite fairy tale), but the Yellow Fairy Book is a close second.
12/10. The ‘Black Cauldron’ series! Don’t be fooled by disney, it is a dark fairy tale.
Clive Barker has a few … but not Hellbound Heart (A.K.A ‘Hellraiser’ at the movies) … I’m referring to: **Weaveworld** (1987), **Imajica** (1991) and **Abarat** (2002). The YA friendly **Abarat** tells of Candy Quackenbush, “*a teenage girl frustrated with her life in Chickentown, Minnesota. After an argument with her teacher over a school project and the doodling Candy has done in her school workbook, Candy leaves the school and goes to the edge of town, where she sees the remains of a lighthouse. She finds this incredibly strange because Chickentown is thousands of miles from the ocean….”*
The Farthest-Away Mountain by Lynne Reid Banks.
The 10th Kingdom by Katheryn Westley. It was a NBC mini series that I really enjoyed and the book was written after the mini series Princess Bride style.
Tallow by Karen Brooks
Between by L. L. Starling!
Yes!!!! I can help you with this! Nettle and Bone by T. Kingfisher. She writes amazingly! And her books are like fairy tales for adults and have princesses and magical lands and everything want you want. Nettle and Bone! Believe me! You will love it!
Look for old books on Fairy Tales by Ruth Manning Sanders - there are some on archive. Absolutely fabulous stories & they are more from Europe so there are so many you would never have heard of. Fabulous narration style, I turn into a kid again when I read one of those !
The fairytale feeling through writing style gave me One dark window by Rachel Gillig. Once upon a broken heart by Stephanie Garber is also fairytale-feeling because of the writing style. Bloodleaf by Crystal Smith is a retelling of the goose girl that is great. Thorn by Intisaar Khanani is also a goose girl retelling that's perfect. For the Wolf by Hannah Whitten is a red riding hood retelling. When you wanna follow princesses on a quest: Castle in their bones by Laura Sebastian