15 Best Fairy Tale Retellings for Adults and Young Adults

The best fairy tale retellings take a story you think you know and make it surprising again. Our top picks include Naomi Novik's Uprooted and Spinning Silver, Angela Carter's The Bloody Chamber, Gail Carson Levine's Ella Enchanted, Marissa Meyer's Cinder, Katherine Arden's The Bear and the Nightingale and Robin McKinley's Beauty. Below are fifteen standout retellings, with the original tale each one reimagines and who will love it.

Quick List

1. Uprooted by Naomi Novik (2015)

Every ten years, a wizard called the Dragon takes a young woman from the valley to serve in his tower. When he chooses Agnieszka, she discovers magic of her own and must face the corrupted Wood. It draws on Polish folklore and won the Nebula Award for Best Novel. Atmospheric, dark and funny.

2. Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik (2018)

A moneylender's daughter boasts that she can turn silver into gold, catching the attention of the cold, frightening Staryk king. A clever reworking of Rumpelstiltskin woven with Eastern European Jewish history and Russian folklore, told through multiple voices.

3. The Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter (1979)

A classic collection of dark, sensual short stories reworking tales like Bluebeard, Beauty and the Beast, Puss in Boots and Little Red Riding Hood. Lush, gothic and influential. If you love the darker originals, start here.

4. Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine (1997)

Ella is cursed at birth with the "gift" of obedience. Why else would Cinderella put up with her stepfamily? This witty, warm novel was a Newbery Honor book and remains a favorite for readers of all ages. Read about the original Cinderella.

5. Cinder by Marissa Meyer (2012)

Cinder is a cyborg mechanic in a futuristic New Beijing, during a plague and an interplanetary crisis. The first book of The Lunar Chronicles, which also reimagines Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel and Snow White.

6. The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden (2017)

Vasya grows up in medieval Russia, able to see the household spirits her village has long honored. When a new priest forbids the old ways, danger rises from the forest. Wintry, magical and steeped in Russian folklore.

7. Beauty by Robin McKinley (1978)

A beloved, gentle retelling of Beauty and the Beast in which Beauty is a bookish, plain young woman. McKinley later wrote a second, very different version, Rose Daughter. See the original Beauty and the Beast.

8. Deathless by Catherynne M. Valente (2011)

The Russian tale of Koschei the Deathless, set in 20th-century Soviet Russia. A lyrical, strange and powerful novel about love, war and the cost of immortality.

9. The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey (2012)

A childless couple in 1920s Alaska build a child out of snow, and the next morning, a wild girl appears in the woods. Based on the Russian tale of Snegurochka, it was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. Quiet, haunting and beautiful.

10. Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier (1999)

Sorcha must remain silent while weaving shirts from painful starwort to save her six brothers, who've been turned into swans. A deeply emotional retelling of "The Six Swans," set in early medieval Ireland.

11. Girls Made of Snow and Glass by Melissa Bashardoust (2017)

A Snow White retelling that focuses on the relationship between a stepmother and stepdaughter, with echoes of The Snow Queen. A thoughtful take on the evil stepmother trope.

12. The Wrath and the Dawn by Renée Ahdieh (2015)

A reimagining of Scheherazade's story in which Shahrzad volunteers to marry a murderous young caliph to avenge her friend. Romantic and lush. See our guide to One Thousand and One Nights.

13. Ash by Malinda Lo (2009)

A quiet, atmospheric Cinderella retelling in which grieving Ash is drawn both to a dangerous fairy and to the King's Huntress. A landmark in queer YA fantasy.

14. Briar Rose by Jane Yolen (1992)

A young woman investigates her grandmother's obsession with Sleeping Beauty and uncovers her experience of the Holocaust. A moving novel that uses a fairy tale to approach history. See the original Sleeping Beauty.

15. Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister by Gregory Maguire (1999)

From the author of Wicked, a Cinderella story set in 17th-century Holland and told from the perspective of the "ugly" stepsister.

How to Choose a Retelling

• Love dark, gothic stories? The Bloody Chamber, Deathless
• Want cozy and witty? Ella Enchanted, Beauty
• Prefer science fiction? Cinder
• Love folklore and atmosphere? Uprooted, The Bear and the Nightingale, The Snow Child
• Want romance? The Wrath and the Dawn

If you're inspired to write your own, see our guide on how to write a fairy tale retelling.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a fairy tale retelling?

A new story that reimagines a traditional fairy tale, often changing the setting, perspective, genre or meaning.

What is the best fairy tale retelling for adults?

Uprooted, Spinning Silver, The Bloody Chamber and Deathless are frequent favorites for adult readers.

What's a good fairy tale retelling for teens?

Ella Enchanted, Cinder, Beauty and The Wrath and the Dawn are popular with young adult readers.

Which fairy tale is retold the most?

Cinderella is one of the most frequently retold fairy tales.

Are there retellings of non-European tales?

Yes. The Wrath and the Dawn retells One Thousand and One Nights, and many authors are retelling tales from Asian, African and Middle Eastern traditions.