Fantasy - Fairy Tale Retellings - Christchurch City Libraries
Once upon a time, there lived a beautiful princess. She was practically perfect in every way. She had everything she could possibly desire and lived happily ever after... just kidding! She rejected the boring Prince and took up witchcraft instead. If you like fairy tales and folklore you might like these tales re-imagined in a truly unique way. A great variety can be found here, from more comical retellings, to the dark and/or frightening and everything in-between. A Christchurch City Libraries list.
'The Starless Sea' blends fable and fairytale elements in this imaginative, epic quest that's rife with symbolism. After discovering a mysterious book as a young boy, Zachary, now a graduate student, recognises a story from his own life…
This is a modern[ish] retelling of Snow White, showcased with Oyeyemi's lyrical prose. Set in Massachusetts in the 50's, it features some complex and memorable characters, deals with racial issues, proffers a wealth of family drama and…
Inspired by the Celtic legends of changelings (fairy babies swapped with human ones), this is a complex tale with beautiful prose, melding horror, fantasy and magical realism, all in a contemporary setting (New York City). It deals with…
A weird mash-up of a Spaghetti Western and Sleeping Beauty that sounds like it won't work, but somehow just does. Carol has a condition causing her to fall into deep death-like comas. Only two people know her odd secret: her husband, who…
A mix of thirteen old tales reimagined by Emma Donoghue - gender norms are cast away, roles are flipped and Cinderella runs away with the fairy godmother instead of Prince Charming. A wonderful mix of happily ever afters and some strange…
The Wicked Witch of the West's backstory explores how she came to be so wicked. Or was she? A truly wonderful read that ponders the subjectivity of good and evil, while also touches on politics, romance, humour, magic, and religion. A…
Here, you will find a darker, subversive and more sensual version of some well-known fairy tales. Carter has re-written classics such as Beauty and the Beast, Bluebeard and Puss in Boots. Expect feminism, sensual words, some violence, and…
This Nebula Book Award nominee is an interesting and captivating tale very loosely inspired by the fairy tale ‘Rumpelstiltskin’. The story unfolds naturally and has enough twists, turns, and magic to keep you guessing throughout the…
The first book in NZ-born Juliet Marillier's Sevenwaters series is inspired by 'The Six Swans'/'Wild Swans' fairytale and the Irish legend of the Children of Lir. Set in medieval Ireland, Sorcha, the only daughter of the Lord of…
A contemporary fairytale about coming of age as a woman, but all set in a delightfully magical setting. Four sister's lived in a dreamworld as children, where magic was possible and they each cultivated it. Yet, the girls' lives and…
While quite different from his other fiction works, you'll still find Neil Gaiman's stamp all over this love letter to fairy tales. In an English countryside town, Tristan Thorn and his beloved Victoria watch a star fall from the sky into…
A haunting retelling of the Māori legend of Hatupatu, who is captured and pursued by the bird-woman Kurangaituku. Told from the perspective of the monster - Kurangaituku, Whiti Hereka weaves a mesmerising journey of change, love, and…
A teacher at an international school in France was writing a novel about the brothers Grimm. When she goes missing her boyfriend must figure out how the Grimm’s Fairy tales connect their lives to figure out what happened to her.…
