No One Is Too Old For Fairytales

Quote: C.S. Lewis - Graphic: Arielle Bailey

I love fairytales.  A lot.  I didn't really grow up on them, though I did know the basic stories of several.  I was first introduced to them through mild exposure to the Disney versions (i.e. I snuck looks at the books at the library when I was 4-5 and then at thrift stores when we no longer went to a library).  One of those stories always fascinated me and has stuck with me as I grew up.  As I began reading the fairytales, I was delighted to learn more about it and it is still my favorite.  That tale, is Beauty and the Beast.  

I can't exactly tell why that story speaks to me (it's one of those things I can't put into words), but it is just so right.  Beauty is willing to sacrifice herself for love of her father and she learns to love a Beast.  Okay, she really learns to love the person he really is, but it's a excellent example of 'true beauty comes from within'.  I love it.   I also happen to be a lot like her.

I recently read a Rumplestiltskin retelling and it became my new favorite version of that story.  I began thinking of all the different fairytale retellings I've read, and decided to make a post listing my top three favorite retellings of various fairytales.  I planned to post it today, and then discovered that today is 'Tell A Fairytale Day' or 'National Fairytale Day' as some call it.  So here goes folks!

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Beauty and the Beast

via Public Domain Pictures

Beauty and the Beast by K.M. Shea

Once upon a time Elle made a mistake. A small miscalculation sends her through the roof of an enchanted chateau. Stranded until her broken leg mends, Elle is forced to rely on the good will of the sour chateau owner —the cursed Prince Severin.

Prince Severin—the commanding general and staunch supporter of his brother the crown prince—is cursed to look like a beast until a maiden falls in love with him. However, he has given up all hope of shattering the curse after several painful and failed attempts to break it. As such he has only disdain for Elle, leaving her to the devices of his bossy servants. This suits Elle perfectly as she dislikes the entire royal family, Severin included.

Unfortunately for the unsuspecting pair, the chateau servants are determined to break the curse and spend the majority of their time pushing Elle and Severin together. After bonding over gardens, animals, and terrifying squirrels Elle and Severin show signs of friendship, and perhaps something more…

But not all love stories can end that easily. After all, Elle is not what she seems, and Severin’s life is placed in danger when hostilities flare between his brother and the monarchs of a neighboring country.

If they really want the love of a lifetime Elle, a loyal liar, and Severin, an indifferent beast, will have to use every trick they know to survive.

I absolutely adore K.M. Shea's work.  It's incredible.  Unique, but holding true to the theme and basic outline of the original fairytale, and full of humor and heart.  And they are clean.  Lots of points for that!  Before I read this version, my favorite BatB was the story that is now in third place.

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Queen Beauty and the Beasts by Arielle Bailey

Though too poor to afford a teacher, Belleza still dreams of becoming a singing star under gleaming lights. When the masked lead singer of a popular band offers to tutor her, she eagerly accepts, too caught in the spell of his voice and her dream to heed the warnings of those who tell her he's dangerous.

A rash choice of her father's shatters her budding happiness, and she sacrifices herself for him, becoming an inmate of the Mansion of the Beasts. Amid the turmoil of preparing for her first concert, a web of brooding secrets from every corner of her new home threatens to choke her as a bizarre curse takes shape before her eyes, terrifying her with its reality in a world where it shouldn't be possible. 

Torn between brilliant, passionate light and fiery, alluring darkness, impelled to find the truth in a sea of masks, held captive by her own code of duty... if Belleza does not make a choice, she'll doom not only her life, but her soul.

Beauty and the Beast meets Phantom of the Opera under the stage lights of modern music in this tale of love, sacrifice, lust, and selfishness.

This, is an - as yet- unpublished work written by none other then my darling older sister.  It's fantastic and I really can't wait 'til it's published you all can read it for yourselves!  However, it is NA (New Adult, a category I didn't know existed until I was writing this), and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone under 18.

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The Enchanted Rose by R.M. ArceJaeger

~THE PRINCESS WHO CANNOT DIE~

First cursed, then kidnapped, Princess Aurea is not your average heir to the throne. But how is she to prevent the destruction of her kingdom if she doesn't even know who she is?


~THE PRINCE WHO CANNOT LIVE~
Twisted by enchantment and abandoned by his friends, Prince Ari doubts he will ever get to go home again. When a chance arises for companionship, he seizes it, not realizing the girl he has imprisoned is the one person who can set him free.


~THE CURSE THAT BINDS THEIR FATES TOGETHER~
Rose will do anything to save her father's life, even offer herself up as captive to a Beast whose true intentions she fears to discover. Yet the Beast is nothing compared to the terrible creature that haunts her dreams. Can Rose break the spell on the Beast before the creature can find her, or will she—and the kingdom—fall victim to a plan so cunning and horrific, it will change the fate of the land forever?

This is actually a Beauty and the Beast/Sleeping Beauty retelling and is very interesting!  It also has some mature elements, but it was fascinating how she wove the two stories together.
 

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Cinderella

via Public Domain Pictures

Cinderella and the Colonel by K.M. Shea

Scratching out a living in a land recovering from war and a hostile takeover, Cinderella—an orphaned, destitute duchess—is desperate to save her lands and servants in spite of the terrible taxes placed upon her by the Erlauf queen, even if it means she must don servants’ clothes and work like a commoner.

Her sacrifices aren’t enough, and when a mountain of debt is levied against her, she is given one season to produce the funds. Cinderella realizes it is only a matter of time before she loses everything she has struggled to protect, and it seems that all is lost until she is befriended by the debonair Colonel Friedrich—a member of the Erlauf military and a citizen of the oppressing country that rules her homeland.

From helping her break into the royal library to saving her from a rogue mage, Friedrich draws her closer and challenges her mindset of the queen and the war.

Cinderella knows Friedrich is not all he appears to be, but can she trust him with her country and her heart?

Yes, K.M. Shea once again!  It's sooooooo good!!  Totally hilarious, and very different!  The hero is a complete crack up and not a namby-pamby prince.  Arrogant, but a total sweetheart.  And Cinderella is a fiery little thing!

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A Cinder's Tale by Stephanie Ricker

It’s a dangerous life, yet Elsa wouldn’t trade this opportunity to work at Tremaine Station, mining cendrillon from the seething surface of planet Aschen. Nevertheless, when a famous deep space explorer and his handsome son dock their starcraft at the space station, Elsa finds herself dreaming of far galaxies beyond Aschen's blistering heat. There is no time for dreaming, however, when danger threatens the space station, and Elsa and her fellow miners are tested to the limits of their courage.

This is a story from Rooglewood Press's Five Glass Slippers collection.  It's short, but sweet and totally fantastic.  I don't normally like sci-fi retellings (I don't like Marissa Meyer's) but I really liked this one!

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Ella Enchanted Gail Carson Levine

At birth, Ella is inadvertently cursed by an imprudent young fairy named Lucinda, who bestows on her the "gift" of obedience. Anything anyone tells her to do, Ella must obey. Another girl might have been cowed by this affliction, but not feisty Ella: "Instead of making me docile, Lucinda's curse made a rebel of me. Or perhaps I was that way naturally." When her beloved mother dies, leaving her in the care of a mostly absent and avaricious father, and later, a loathsome stepmother and two treacherous stepsisters, Ella's life and well-being seem to be in grave peril. But her intelligence and saucy nature keep her in good stead as she sets out on a quest for freedom and self-discovery as she tries to track down Lucinda to undo the curse, fending off ogres, befriending elves, and falling in love with a prince along the way. Yes, there is a pumpkin coach, a glass slipper, and a happily ever after, but this is the most remarkable, delightful, and profound version of Cinderella you'll ever read.

Okay, who doesn't love this one?  Like seriously?  I'm still annoyed that they don't have Char and Ella sliding down the banisters in the movie.

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Sleeping Beauty

via Public Domain Pictures

Do You Take This Quest? by Kendra E. Ardnek

When Arthur's parents were lost at sea, his Uncle Mordreth became the regent for the young boy. Yet now that he's of age, Mordreth seems to have no intentions of relinquishing the throne. It looks as though Arthur will have to fight for his throne. If only he had more than just his two servants and the old man he met in the woods for friends. So the old man takes things into his own hands and whisks Arthur off to the wedding of a fellow prince, with the intention of finding him some allies.

All is not right at the wedding, however. The groom is missing and the bride had called quits. Where's the groom? Well, he's found a new bride. Now if he can just get her home ...

Okay, I know it doesn't sound like a Sleeping Beauty, but trust me, it is.  Partly.  It's also partly an Arthurian Legend retelling.  It's complicated.  But it's good!

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Guardian of Our Beauty by Kathryn McConaughy

Palli, the prophesied daughter of a king, is fated to rescue her people from the destruction called forth by a vengeful priest.

Rather a short synopsis, but the only one I could find.  This is the second story in Rooglewood Press's Five Magic Spindles collection.  Very unique.  You'll have to read it for yourself, 'cause I don't have the words to describe it.

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The Healer's Apprentice by Melanie Dickerson

Two Hearts. One Hope.

Rose has been appointed as a healer's apprentice at Hagenheim Castle, a rare opportunity for a woodcutter's daughter like her. While she often feels uneasy at the sight of blood, Rose is determined to prove herself capable. Failure will mean returning home to marry the aging bachelor her mother has chosen for her—a bloated, disgusting merchant who makes Rose feel ill.

When Lord Hamlin, the future duke, is injured, it is Rose who must tend to him. As she works to heal his wound, she begins to understand emotions she's never felt before and wonders if he feels the same. But falling in love is forbidden, as Lord Hamlin is betrothed to a mysterious young woman in hiding. As Rose's life spins toward confusion, she must take the first steps on a journey to discover her own destiny.

This was interesting.  (I know, I'm using that word a lot.)  It's actually a historical fiction retelling (most of the ones I read are fantasy), but I liked it.  It's actually my favorite in the series.

And an honourable mention to Beauty Sleep by Cameron Dokey

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Snow White

via Pixabay

Death Be Not Proud by Suzannah Rowntree

Moonshine liquor, jazz-fuelled dancing, and the risk of a police raid—these are all in a night's work for cabaret singer Ruby Black. But when a rugby star mistakes her for a dead girl, Ruby's life threatens to become briefer and more exciting than she bargained for.

Two years ago, schoolgirl Wu Xue Bai was brutally murdered. Now, Ruby herself is in danger. Who killed Xue Bai? What lies behind Max Moran's obsession with the dead girl? And will Ruby learn the truth before secrets from her own past catch up with her?

A fairytale retelling set in Jazz Age New Zealand, inspired by the thrillers of Mary Stewart and Alfred Hitchcock.

Now this book is not in any way at all my normal cup of tea...but I liked it.  But yeah, don't read it unless you like murder mysteries.  (I don't, this was an exception).

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The Fairest Beauty by Melanie Dickerson

Sophie desperately wants to get away from her stepmother's jealousy, and believes escape is her only chance to be happy. Then a young man named Gabe arrives from Hagenheim Castle, claiming she is betrothed to his older brother, and everything twists upside down. This could be Sophie's one chance at freedom—but can she trust another person to keep her safe?

Gabe defied his parents Rose and Wilhelm by going to find Sophie, and now he believes they had a right to worry: the girl's inner and outer beauty has enchanted him. Though romance is impossible—she is his brother's future wife, and Gabe himself is betrothed to someone else—he promises himself he will see the mission through, no matter what.

When the pair flee to the Cottage of the Seven, they find help—but also find their feelings for each other have grown. Now both must not only protect each other from the dangers around them—they must also protect their hearts.

This is I think the third book in Melanie's Hagenheim Castle series.  It's an okay retelling, definitely not my favorite of hers.  I actually haven't read very many Snow White retellings.  5 all told.  I really need to find more!

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Seven Drawers by Kendra E. Ardnek

Jennifer's life has been absolute misery for the last two months. Her father died, she was written out of the will, her stepmother kicked her out of the house, and, in that time, she's not heard a word from her boyfriend of five years.
And she might be suffering from insanity. A chest of drawers just appeared at the foot of her bed, and as she opens each drawer, she's spirited away to another realm where she finds herself in increasingly bizarre prisons, each the fault of her stepmother.
Can she win back her life - and kingdoms? - from her stepmother? Or will Editha win?

This is another unpublished work.  And a submission for the last Rooglewood Press Fairytale Contest, Five Poisoned Apples.  I was privileged to beta read this and it's quirky and fun, like all of Kendra's retellings.

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Rapunzel

via Pixabay

With Blossoms Gold by Hayden Wand

Nella has lived quietly in her tower in the woods for over a decade. After dangerous accusations drove her and her grandmother away from their village, they escaped deep into the forest where no one would try to harm them. Now, after her grandmother's death, Nella is alone, and she is determined to stay that way. She has no patience for a world she deems judgmental and ignorant.

Or so she tells herself. In reality, her paralyzing fear prevents her from stepping foot outside of the tower.

Prince Benedict Allesandro is an adventurer- a rescuer who prides himself on saving the weak and unfortunate. When he hears rumors of a beautiful damsel trapped in a tower, he rushes to her rescue...only to find a woman who most definitely does not wish to be saved.

But when war breaks out, this reckless prince and reclusive maiden are faced with overcoming their deepest fears in order to determine not only their own fate, but that of their entire country.

Ah!  This is a swell story!  I've read one other story of Ms. Wand's, but I didn't really like it.  This is set in an Italy-ish country and plot was unlike any I've read before.

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Song of the Sword by Hope Ann

A glittering sword.

An ancient oath.

A blackened rose.

And a melody which ties it all together.

When Evrard and Roinette, twins separated at birth, are overtaken by events swirling from centuries past, they are forced into a battle beyond their own limited powers. With their ability to walk in the melody realm, catching glimpses of the light and darkness underlying Aslaria, comes even more danger.

Deadly mistbenders. Writhing walls of blankness. Hateful drumbeats. As a warrior in the Melody, Evrard has seen it all. But his own ability in the melody realm pales in comparison to the Prince’s melody, the legendary prowess of past Wingmasters, and even the depth of his sister’s song.

To rescue Roinette and evade the trap almost certainly set for him by those who want his power, Evrard knows he’ll have to be careful. But even if he can find the Wingmaster’s sword, there’s no assurance he’ll be able to defeat a mistbender on his own. And, in the end, will his and Roinette’s efforts matter if the Prince brings an ancient oath to fulfillment, shaking the very foundation of Aslaria?

I don't normally like allegorical stories.  Usually I find them to be preachy.  This series however I enjoy.

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Rescuing Rapunzel by Tarrah Montgomery

Two princess cousins, Rapunzel and Snow White, are raised as best friends in the magical kingdom of Fenmore Falls—until Rapunzel is kidnapped at the age of six. Ten years later, Snow is forced to flee the castle when her own safety is threatened. Meanwhile, Rapunzel, who has been secretly locked in a tower all this time, escapes with the help of two unlikely friends.

Both princesses find themselves in a mysterious place called Idaho, where they happily reunite. A woman called Aunt Em takes the two girls into her house, which is already filled to the brim with seven teenage brothers and their little sister Dorothy. Some of the brothers aren’t so sure about Rapunzel and Snow White, and the feeling is definitely mutual. But when villains—including a ship full of pirates—threaten the princesses’ lives, the seven brothers come to the rescue.

This is the third book in the series and though they are not my favorite fairytale retellings, they are a lot of fun.  They are set in two worlds, Fairytale world (Fenmore Falls) and this world, in Idaho.  So it's portal (which I love), plus it's Idaho, which is very special to me as well and she mixes and matches the fairytales in ways I never would have thought of.  You all totally need to read them.

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Rumplestiltskin   

via Pixabay

Rumplestiltskin by K.M. Shea

When 17-year-old Gemma, a seamstress, is ordered by the insane King Torgen to spin straw into gold or be put to death, she knows her life is forfeit. Unwilling to give up, Gemma tries to escape her prison, earning her the respect of the mysterious mage, Stil. Stil offers to complete the impossible task…for a price.

Greedy and unsatisfied, King Torgen demands more and more straw to be spun into gold, and decrees that he will “reward” Gemma by marrying her. With death or marriage to a crazed king clouding her future, Stil offers Gemma a bargain that seems too good to be true.

Will Gemma’s trust in Stil be her downfall, or will he defy the entire country to save her?

This is the story that prompted this post.  And this is Rumple told in a way I never imagined!  Ms. Shea is truly a wonder.  I laughed, smiled and growled (at the bad guy) my way through this and loved every word.

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The Crimson Thread by Suzanne Weyn

The year is 1880, and Bertie, having just arrived in New York with her family, is grateful to be given work as a seamstress in the home of textile tycoon J. P. Wellington. When the Wellington family fortune is threatened, Bertie's father boasts that Bertie will save the business, that she is so skillful she can "practically spin straw into gold."

Amazingly, in the course of one night, Bertie creates exquisite evening gowns--with the help of Ray Stalls, a man from her tenement who uses an old spinning wheel to create dresses that are woven with crimson thread and look as though they are spun with real gold. Indebted to Ray, Bertie asks how she can repay him. When Ray asks for her firstborn child, Bertie agrees, never dreaming that he is serious...

An Irish Lassie in New York City in the 1880's?  Yes please!!  This was my favorite retelling until I read Ms. Shea's.  Her stories tend to rise to the top every time!

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Spinner of Secrets by Annie Louise Twitchell

Where will the journey for love take you? Will it be worth the fight?

Letta is a peasant girl, whose father was outlawed and killed when she was small. Though her name means truthful one, she finds herself submitting to her step-father's will, and complying with his lies and trickery.

Prince Kyle is her reluctant husband. His mind is focused on one thing: avenging the murder of his childhood sweetheart.

They must learn to trust each other when a strange little man forces them to fight for what is important to them, in a desperate race to save their child's life.

In this retelling of Rumpelstiltskin, Annie Louise Twitchell weaves an enchanting tale of love, longing, and thread.
 
Another story written by a friend.  This one is closer to the original tale with Rumple being the villain instead of the hero as he is the other two stories I listed.

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So that wraps it up folks!  Happy National Fairytale Day!
But I do have one more thing.  For those of you interested in reading Cinderella and the Colonel for yourself, it is free on e-book for today only.  You can nab it HERE and trust me guys, you want to!
Have a good day and Happy Reading!