Off Topic Bargain Book: The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year by Ally Carter is $2.99

 

The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year by Ally Carter is on sale for $2.99. I wanted to share this one because I read it a few months ago and really enjoyed it. No, no fairy tale tropes in this one per se, but it's an entertaining Christmas adventure. I have read over 215 books this year and this one stands out as a personal favorite for the fun expertise of the story. It can be taken as light and fluffy but it has depths if you want to plumb them. The plotting and the skill Carter uses are admirable, too. I would pause every so often and applaud her mentally at the deft storytelling which I wasn't noticing because I was entertained until I would notice because I'm a writer at heart. She also uses flashbacks really well and I have an aversion to flashbacks. I paid full price at over $10 so $2.99 is about the cheapest treat you will get this holiday season.

Book description from the publisher:

"Full of tongue-in-cheek humor, excellent dialogue, and fantastic characters, this expertly crafted story from Carter (The Blonde Identity) is a heart-melting rivals-to-lovers romance combined with a delightful locked-room mystery." — Library Journal (starred review)

Knives Out gets a holiday rom-com twist in this rivals-to-lovers romance-mystery from New York Times bestselling author Ally Carter.

The bridge is out. The phones are down. And the most famous mystery writer in the world just disappeared out of a locked room two days before Christmas.

Meet Maggie Chase and Ethan Wyatt:

She’s the new Queen of the Cozy Mystery.

He’s Mr. Big-time Thriller Guy.

She hates his guts.

He thinks her name is Marcie (no matter how many times she’s told him otherwise.)

But when they both accept a cryptic invitation to attend a Christmas house party at the English estate of a reclusive fan, neither is expecting their host to be the most powerful author in the world: Eleanor Ashley, the Duchess of Death herself.

That night, the weather turns, and the next morning Eleanor is gone.

She vanished from a locked room, and Maggie has to wonder: Is Eleanor in danger? Or is it all some kind of test? Is Ethan the competition? Or is he the only person in that snowbound mansion she can trust?

As the snow gets deeper and the stakes get higher, every clue will bring Maggie and Ethan closer to the truth—and each other. Because, this Christmas, these two rivals are going to have to become allies (and maybe more) if they have any hope of saving Eleanor.

Assuming they don’t kill each other first.

The laugh out loud holiday "romystery" that you've been waiting for!

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3D Wood Carved Little Red Riding Hood and Frog Prince LED Lights

 

Jimeva 3D Wood Carved Frog Prince Rainbow LED Night Light and Jimeva 3D Wood Carved Little Red Riding Hood USB LED are $5.99 each at Amazon. They light up! Where do I have room for these? I love the details in these, like the prince and princess in the center of the frog and Granny Wolf to the right in Red Riding's hood. 

Here's some images of them illuminated.

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Bargain Ebook: Ask Baba Yaga: Otherworldly Advice for Everyday Troubles by Taisia Kitaiskaia for $1.99

 

Ask Baba Yaga: Otherworldly Advice for Everyday Troubles by Taisia Kitaiskaia is on sale for $1.99 in ebook format.

Book description from the publisher:

Dear Baba Yaga,

I think I must crave male attention too much. I fear that, without it, I would feel invisible.

BABA YAGA:

When you seek others this way, you are invisible nonetheless. Yr shawl is covered in mirrors in which others admire themselves; this is why they greet you so passionately. It is good to be seen, but it is better to see. Find a being to look hard into, & you will see yrself and what is more than you.

In age-old Slavic fairy tales, the witch Baba Yaga is sought out by those with a burning need for guidance. In contemporary life, Baba Yaga—a dangerous, slippery oracle—answered earnest questions on The Hairpin for years. These pages collect her most poignant, surreal, and humorous exchanges along with all-new questions and answers for those seeking her mystical advice.

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Bargain Ebook: Breaking the Magic Spell: Radical Theories of Folk & Fairy Tales by Jack Zipes

 

Breaking the Magic Spell: Radical Theories of Folk & Fairy Tales by Jack Zipes is on sale for $2.99. This could end at any time since it was a deal for yesterday but it still active as I post this. 

Book description from the publisher:

“Zipes ably demonstrates that moral, political, religious, and other ideologies have shaped these apparently innocent narratives.” —Lore and Language

This revised, expanded, and updated edition of the 1979 landmark Breaking the Magic Spell examines the enduring power of fairy tales and the ways they invade our subjective world. In seven provocative essays, Zipes discusses the importance of investigating oral folk tales in their socio-political context and traces their evolution into literary fairy tales, a metamorphosis that often diminished the ideology of the original narrative. Zipes also looks at how folk tales influence our popular beliefs and the ways they have been exploited by a corporate media network intent on regulating the mystical elements of the stories. He examines a range of authors, including the Brothers Grimm, Hans Christian Anderson, Ernst Bloch, Tolkien, Bettelheim, and J.K. Rowling to demonstrate the continuing symbiotic relationship between folklore and literature.

“The name Jack Zipes is synonymous with highly regarded and widely read anthologies and critiques of fairy tales.” —Choice

“Fairy Tales are a highly fashionable study today for literary scholars as well as folklorists, and another new book shows what a range of interest can be evoked by them. This time in Jack Zipes’ interesting and vigorous study.” —Encounter

“Places traditional tales in their socio-political, economic and cultural contexts.” —Teacher Librarian

“Zipes reveals the extraordinary breadth of his acquaintance with both recent and classic literature in the field of folk and fairytale research.” —Fabula

“Zipes manages the impressive trick of communicating both detail and overview without simplifying either . . . the serious folklorist should definitely have this on his bookshelf.” —Fortean Times

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Bargain Ebook: So This is Love: A Twisted Tale by Elizabeth Lim for $1.99

 

So This is Love: A Twisted Tale by Elizabeth Lim is on sale today only for $1.99. It's a retelling of Disney's version of Cinderella, part of the Twisted Tale series.

Book description from the publisher:

What if Cinderella never tried on the glass slipper? Unable to prove that she's the missing princess, and unable to bear life under Lady Tremaine any longer, Cinderella attempts a fresh start, looking for work at the palace as a seamstress. But when the Grand Duke appoints her to serve under the king's visiting sister, Cinderella becomes witness to a grand conspiracy to take the king—and the prince—out of power, as well as a longstanding prejudice against fairies, including Cinderella's own Fairy Godmother. Faced with questions of love and loyalty to the kingdom, Cinderella must find a way to stop the villains of past and present . . . before it's too late.

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New Book Release: The Brothers Grimm: A Biography by Ann Schmiesing

 

The Brothers Grimm: A Biography by Ann Schmiesing was released this fall. I haven't had a chance to read it yet. However, I did get to visit the GRIMMWELT Kassel this past October and feel an even greater affection for the Grimms than I ever have--and that's saying a lot. The museum in Kassel focuses more on the Grimms' German dictionary with the fairy tale work relegated more to exhibits for children. I fangirled throughout the museum.

I plan to write more about my recent experiences on Germany's Fairy Tale Road next year. But for now, this book sounds like a great way to learn more about the Brothers Grimm without having to travel. And to learn in smaller bites because the museum was like trying to feast on a year's worth of food in a single afternoon.

Book description from the publisher:

The first English-language biography in over fifty years to tell the full, vibrant story of Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, known to history as the Brothers Grimm

 A New Yorker “Best Book of 2024” Selection

 “Ann Schmiesing . . . has brought the brothers to life in their fullness.”—Dominic Green, Wall Street Journal

 “Magisterial.”—Kirkus Reviews

 More than two hundred years ago, the German brothers Jacob Grimm (1785–1863) and Wilhelm Grimm (1786–1859) published a collection of fairy tales that remains famous the world over. It has been translated into some 170 languages—more than any other German book—and the Brothers Grimm are among the top dozen most translated authors in the world. In addition to collecting tales, the Grimms were mythographers, linguists, librarians, civil servants, and above all the closest of brothers, but until now, the full story of their lifelong endeavor to preserve and articulate a German cultural identity has not been well known.

 Drawing on deep archival research and decades of scholarship, Ann Schmiesing tells the affecting story of how the Grimms’ ambitious projects gave the brothers a sense of self-preservation through the atrocities of the Napoleonic Wars and a series of personal losses. They produced a vast corpus of work on mythology and medieval literature, embarked on a monumental German dictionary project, and broke scholarly ground with Jacob’s linguistic discovery known as Grimm’s Law. Setting their story against a rich historical backdrop, Schmiesing offers a fresh consideration of the profound and yet complicated legacy of the Brothers Grimm.

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Bargain Ebook: Two Peas in a Pod by Sarah Mlynowski for $1.99

 

Two Peas in a Pod (Whatever After Book 11) by Sarah Mlynowski is on sale for $1.99 in ebook format. A Princess and the Pea retelling, of course.

Book description from the publisher:

This hilarious novel in the New York Times–bestselling series fractures the beloved fairy-tale of The Princess and the Pea . . .

I’ve landed—along with my brother, Jonah, and our dog, Prince—on the other side of the portal . . . and in the fairy tale of The Princess and the Pea! When I can’t fall asleep on top of a hundred mattresses, the kingdom decides I must be the princess they’re looking for. Talk about royal treatment—I’m suddenly being waited on hand and foot. Plus, I get unlimited ball gowns, sparkly jewelry, and ice cream. But can we find a REAL princess to run the kingdom? Now we have to:

Hold a princess contest

Defeat an obnoxious prince

Escape hungry alligators

Make it back home

There’s no time to snooze—may the best princess win!

Praise for the series

“Uproariously funny . . . non-stop action . . . will enchant readers from the first page.” —Kirkus Reviews

“A wonderful reading adventure.” —Meg Cabot, #1 New York Times–bestselling author of The Princess Diaries

“Hilarious . . . unexpected plot twists and plenty of girl power.” —Booklist

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Bargain Ebook: Frogkisser! by Garth Nix for $2.99

Frogkisser! by Garth Nix is on sale for $2.99 in ebook format.

Book description from the publisher:

The last thing she needs is a prince. The first thing she needs is some magic. . . . “An uproarious adventure” from the New York Times–bestselling author! (Publishers Weekly)

Poor Princess Anya. Stuck living with her evil stepmother’s new husband, her evil step-stepfather. Plagued with an unfortunate ability to break curses with a magic-assisted kiss. And forced to go on the run when her step-stepfather decides to make the kingdom entirely his own.

Aided by a loyal talking dog, a boy thief trapped in the body of a newt, and some extraordinarily mischievous wizards, Anya sets off on a Quest that, if she plays it right, will ultimately free her land—and teach her a thing or two about the use of power, the effectiveness of a well-placed pucker, and the finding of friends in places both high and low.

With Frogkisser!, acclaimed author Garth Nix has conjured a fantastical tale for all ages, full of laughs and danger, surprises and delights, and an immense population of frogs. It’s 50% fairy tale, 50% fantasy, and 100% pure enjoyment from start to finish.

“Delightful . . . wonderfully inventive creatures . . . a captivating story.” —School Library Journal (starred review)

“The characters are so enjoyable readers are sure to miss them when the quest (and book) ends . . . Great fun with heart.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“A delightful adventure stuffed with absurdity, magic, and a spirited young heroine. Beneath these entertaining trappings lies a heartfelt message of justice.” —Booklist

“A rollicking comic fantasy . . . Well-developed characters, an unfailing sense of humor, and polished prose . . . a pleasure to read.” —Publishers Weekly

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Bargain Ebook: The Book of Gothel by Mary McMyne for $2.99

The Book of Gothel by Mary McMyne is on sale for $2.99 in ebook format. This one is Rapunzel inspired, of course. It is also well-reviewed by both critics and readers.

Book description from the publisher:

Everyone knows the story of Rapunzel in her tower, but do you know the story of the witch who put her there? Mary McMyne's spellbinding debut, rich with historical detail and forbidden magic, reveals the truth behind the fairy tales—the truth only a witch could tell.

"Smart, swift, sure-footed and fleet-winged, The Book of Gothel launches its magic from a most reliable source: the troubled heart. Mary McMyne is a magician."—Gregory Maguire, NYT bestselling author of Wicked

Germany, 1156. With her strange black eyes and even stranger fainting spells, young Haelewise has never quite fit in. Shunned by her village, her only solace lies in the stories her mother tells of child-stealing witches, of princes in wolf-skins, and of an ancient tower cloaked in mist, where women will find shelter if they are brave enough to seek it.

When her mother dies, Haelewise is left unmoored. With nothing left for her in her village, she sets out to find the legendary tower her mother spoke of—a place called Gothel, where she meets a wise woman willing to take Haelewise under her wing. There, she discovers that magic is found not only in the realm of fairy tales.

But Haelewise is not the only woman to seek refuge at Gothel. It's also a haven for a girl named Rika, who carries with her a secret the church strives to keep hidden. A secret that reveals a dark world of ancient spells and murderous nobles, behind the world Haelewise has always known.

Praise for The Book of Gothel:

"A sprawling epic, full of magic, love, and heartbreak." —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"A luscious origin story." —Booklist (starred review)

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Bargain Ebook: A Curse Dark as Gold by Elizabeth C. Bunce

A Curse Dark as Gold by Elizabeth C. Bunce is on sale for $1.99 in ebook format. Yes, it's inspired by Rumpelstiltskin.

Book description from the publisher:

The gold thread promises Charlotte Miller a chance to save her family’s beloved woolen mill. It promises a future for her sister, jobs for her townsfolk, security against her grasping uncle—maybe even true love. To get the thread, Charlotte must strike a bargain with its maker, the mysterious Jack Spinner. But the gleam of gold conjures a shadowy past—secrets ensnaring generations of Millers. And Charlotte’s mill, her family, her love—what do those matter to a stranger who can spin straw into gold? This is an award-winning and wholly original retelling of “Rumplestiltskin.”

“Set in a rural valley in the late 1700s, this reworking of the ‘Rumplestiltskin’ story includes ghosts, witchcraft, elements of Georgian society, and much earlier folk magic in the guise of a novel of manners.” —School Library Journal

“A Curse Dark as Gold beats the hell out of any fantasy novel I’ve read this year. Her heroine/narrator is immensely appealing; the atmosphere of a world on the cusp of the Industrial Revolution is completely believable; and the suspense of the story builds so craftily that I started taking notes on just how she does it.” —Peter S. Beagle, World Fantasy Award-winning author

“An intelligent, original, and interesting new take on an old fairy tale, and a marvelous debut novel.” —Teen Book Review

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Bargain Ebook: The Wild Girl by Kate Forsyth

 

The Wild Girl: A Novel by Kate Forsyth is on sale for $2.99. This is a novel inspired by one of the women, Dortchen Wild, who was the source for several of the Grimms' fairy tales. 

Book description from the publisher:

One of six sisters, Dortchen Wild lives in the small German kingdom of Hesse-Cassel in the early 19th century. She finds herself irresistibly drawn to the boy next door, the handsome but very poor fairy tale scholar Wilhelm Grimm. It is a time of tyranny and terror. Napoleon Bonaparte wants to conquer all of Europe, and Hesse-Cassel is one of the first kingdoms to fall. Forced to live under oppressive French rule, Wilhelm and his brothers quietly rebel by preserving old half-forgotten tales that had once been told by the firesides of houses grand and small over the land.

As Dortchen tells Wilhelm some of the most powerful and compelling stories in what will one day become his and Jacob's famous fairy tale collection, their love blossoms. But Dortchen's father will not give his consent for them to marry and war, death, and poverty also conspire to keep the lovers apart. Yet Dortchen is determined to find a way.

Evocative and richly-detailed, Kate Forsyth's The Wild Girl masterfully captures one young woman's enduring faith in love and the power of storytelling.

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Bargain Ebook: Thorn (Dauntless Path Book 1) by Intisar Khanani for $1.99

 

Thorn (Dauntless Path Book 1) by Intisar Khanani in ebook format is on sale for $1.99. It's a Goose Girl retelling.

Book description from the publisher:

Princess Alyrra has always longed to escape the confines of her royal life, but when her mother betroths her to a powerful prince in a distant kingdom, she has little hope for a better future.

Until Alyrra arrives at her new kingdom, where a mysterious sorceress robs her of both her identity and her role as princess—and Alyrra seizes on the opportunity to start a new life for herself as a goose girl.

But as Alyrra uncovers dangerous secrets about her new world, including a threat to the prince himself, she knows she can’t remain silent forever. With the fate of the kingdom at stake, Alyrra is caught between two worlds, and ultimately must decide who she is and what she stands for.

This edition features an additional short story set in-world, The Bone Knife.

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Bargain Ebook: Sister Emily's Lightship: And Other Stories by Jane Yolen for $1.99

 

Sister Emily's Lightship: And Other Stories by Jane Yolen is on sale for $1.99 in ebook format and includes some fairy tale inspired short stories.

Book description from the publisher:

In these twenty-eight magnificent tales, which include two Nebula Award winners, Jane Yolen puts a provocative spin on familiar storybook worlds and beloved fairy tale characters

One of the most acclaimed and honored authors in science fiction and fantasy, Jane Yolen has been called “the Hans Christian Andersen of America” for her brilliant reimagining of classic fairy tales. In her first collection of short stories written for an adult audience (after Tales of Wonder and Dragonfield), Yolen explores themes of freedom and justice, truth and consequence, and brings new life to our most cherished fables and myths. Here are storybook realms rendered more contemporary, and cautionary tales made grimmer than Grimm: Snow White is transported to Appalachia to match wits with a snake-handling evil stepmother and Beauty’s meeting with the Beast takes a twisty, O. Henry–esque turn; in Yolen’s Nebula Award–winning “Lost Girls,” a feminist revolt rocks Peter Pan’s Neverland and in the collection’s glorious title story—also a Nebula winner—the poet Emily Dickinson receives some unexpected and otherworldly inspiration. Sometimes dark, sometimes funny, and always enthralling, Sister Emily’s Lightship is proof positive that Yolen is truly a folklorist of our times.  This ebook features a personal history by Jane Yolen including rare images from the author’s personal collection, as well as a note from the author about the making of the book.

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In Memoriam: Shelley Duvall--Thanks for the Faerie Tale Theatre and More!

  

Shelley Duvall died yesterday. I wanted to honor her with a call out to her contribution to keeping fairy tales relevant with her Faerie Tale Theatre series she produced in the 1980s. She later followed it up with two other series, Tall Tales & Legends and Bedtime Stories. She had a love for folk and fairy tales and consequently brought about interesting adaptations made with famous actors of the time working for scale--Robin Williams, Christopher Reeve, Susan Sarandon, Billy Crystal, just to name a few. Thanks, Shelley, for that contribution to retelling the tales for another few generations in fresh and often unexpected ways.

The 26 tales produced included:

Aladdin and His Wonderful Lamp

Beauty and the Beast

The Boy Who Left Home to Find Out About the Shivers

Cinderella

The Dancing Princesses

The Emperor's New Clothes

Goldilocks and the Three Bears

Hansel and Gretel

Jack and the Beanstalk

The Little Mermaid

Little Red Riding Hood

The Nightingale

The Pied Piper of Hamelin

Pinocchio

The Princess and the Pea

The Princess Who Had Never Laughed

Puss in Boots

Rapunzel

Rip Van Winkle

Rumpelstiltskin

Sleeping Beauty

The Snow Queen

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

The Tale of the Frog Prince

The Three Little Pigs

Thumbelina

Bargain Ebook: The Folk Tales of Scotland

 

The Folk Tales of Scotland: The Well at the World's End and Other Stories by Norah Montgomerie (Author, Illustrator), William Montgomerie (Author) is on sale today for $3.99 in ebook format.

Book description from the publisher:

The classic folk tales of Scotland were passed down from storyteller to storyteller, and from the first sentence, they held the attention of listeners and readers as though a spell had been cast over them, transporting them to a magical realm where mermaids and men, selkies and sailors, ogres and princesses all mingle and are miraculously transformed. First published in 1956, the Montgomeries, distinguished folklorists, gathered these captivating stories from all parts of Scotland. This collection became a classic of the storytelling tradition, retold in a simple, dramatic style and appealing to adult and child alike. Now illustrated with Norah Montgomerie’s own original drawings, it is a book to be treasured for years as the key to an enchanted, timeless world.

 “Buy it for all the children in your life—and the adults too! Well done Birlinn for making it available again.” —Facts & Fiction Storytelling Magazine

 “With charming illustrations by Norah Montgomerie, this book makes a welcome change from the Brothers Grimm.” —Dumfries & Galloway Standard

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Around the Web: The Brothers Grimm Did Much More Than Tell Fairy Tales

One of the lost works discovered in AMU's University Library with annotations from the Brothers Grimm
Adam Mickiewicz University

The Brothers Grimm Did Much More Than Tell Fairy Tales by Aaron Boorstein at Smithsonian Magazine (May 31, 2024)

"A recent discovery in a Polish library of 27 books that were thought to have been lost sheds light on the breadth of the German scholars’ work."

It's not a lengthy article, but here's a bit to whet your interest:

To aid their research on folklore and linguistics, the brothers looked to their private library of 8,000 books. Today, most of these books reside in a library in Berlin after Wilhelm’s son, Hermann, transferred them there, according to Adam Mickiewicz University's (AMU) Ewa Konarzewska-Michalak. Others were scattered and lost over the decades.

Last year, however 27 works from the Brothers Grimm's private collection were found in AMU’s library in Poznań, Poland. The works, dating from the 1400s through the second half of the 1800s, fit into three categories: incunables, prints and books, Artnet's Vittoria Benzine reports. According to AMU curator Renata Wilgosiewicz-Skutecka, the librarians were able to identify them thanks to handwritten notes by the Grimms. These inscriptions also gave insight into the Grimms’ working method and choices of themes and motifs in their work.

The best news, after the actual discovery, is that the books are being digitized. Yay for librarians and researchers! And, yes, I do have a degree in Information (Library) Science so I greatly appreciate their work.

Recent Release: The Midnight Washerwoman and Other Tales of Lower Brittany by Francois-Marie Luzel

 

The Midnight Washerwoman and Other Tales of Lower Brittany by Francois-Marie Luzel (Author), Michael Wilson (Translator) is part of the Oddly Modern Fairy Tales series--volume 28! 

Edited by Jack Zipes, the series is an important contribution to folklore studies by Princeton University Press:

Oddly Modern Fairy Tales is a series dedicated to publishing unusual literary fairy tales produced mainly during the first half of the twentieth century. International in scope, the series includes new translations, surprising and unexpected tales by well-known writers and artists, and uncanny stories by gifted yet neglected authors. Postmodern before their time, the tales in Oddly Modern Fairy Tales transformed the genre and still strike a chord.

Book description from the publisher:

Twenty-nine Breton tales, as told over a series of long winter nights, featuring an ingenious miller, a Jerusalem-bound ant, a mad dash at midnight, and more

In the late nineteenth century, the folklorist François-Marie Luzel spent countless winter evenings listening to stories told by his neighbors, local Breton farmers and villagers. At these social gatherings, known as veillées, Luzel recorded the tales in unusual detail, capturing a storytelling tradition that is now almost forgotten. The Midnight Washerwoman and Other Tales of Lower Brittany collects twenty-nine stories gathered by Luzel, many translated into English for the first time. The tales are presented in a series of five imaginary veillées, giving readers a unique opportunity to listen in on a long-ago winter’s night of storytelling.

Some of the stories mix the apparently supernatural with the everyday—as in the title tale, when a mysteriously nocturnal washerwoman causes three handsome lads to flee so quickly they lose their clogs in the process. Others invite listeners to root for the underdog, as when a simple miller outwits a powerful seigneur. Another tale must have been greeted with raucous laughter as it recounts an ascending ladder of obstacles—from a mouse to a cat to a man to God (or the Devil) himself—confronted by a traveling ant. Michael Wilson, the volume’s editor and translator, provides a substantive introduction that discusses Luzel’s work and the significance of Breton storytelling. 

In other words, this addition to the Oddly Modern library offers up some tales that were gathered by Luzel and are not original fiction creations like some of the other collections in the series. While my own tastes are pretty democratic in folklore studies, I lean towards the collected tales--and we won't get into discussions of oral vs recorded and edited here today. Luzel has long been on my own list for further study so I am thrilled that this title has been translated and with many tales offered in English for the first time.

The book is academically sound with great endnotes and a bibilography. The end notes include ATU classifications for the tales when applicable. No Cinderellas here, but there are a couple of ATU 425: The Search for the Lost Husband (Cupid and Psyche) which is related to Beauty and the Beast. (Beauty and the Beast is ATU-425C, after all.) There's some other secondary favorites like ATU 403: The Black and White Bride and ATU 1640: The Brave Little Tailor and several others.

Full disclosure: I received a free copy of this book for evaluation purposes.

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Around the Web: How to Fight a Fairy Tale by Jenny Hamilton

How to Fight a Fairy Tale: Retellings in the Age of Romantasy by Jenny Hamilton (PUBLISHED ON MAY 15, 2024) on Reactor.

The trouble with structuring a book around a fairy tale is that fairy tales make no sense—but books have to.

Excerpts to whet your interest--lots of authors and titles are included in the article, too:

Fairy tales haunt us. If I had a dollar for every time I’ve seen an author speak about the fairy tale that kept them up at night, I’d have enough dollars to buy enough fairy tale collections that I would never sleep again. Fantasy with its magics and monarchies, and romance with its mandatory happily-ever-afters are particularly unable to let sleeping fairy tales lie, so it’s perhaps not surprising that smushing the two genres together has produced a truly awe-inspiring level of fairy tale poisoning.

... What if books can also just depend on the imagery, rules, and structures of fairy tales to avoid the challenge of worldbuilding? What if a fairy tale world, but completely different characters and situations? (I say this without judgment. Worldbuilding is famously hard, and fairy tale worlds are rad. Slash terrifying.)

... Then you have the books that are asking what for? What’s everyone acting like this for? How should we be understanding it? I grew up on these.

Bargain Ebook: Bitter Greens by Kate Forsyth for $2.99

 

Bitter Greens by Kate Forsyth is on sale in ebook format for $2.99. It may be a today only deal, but I am not sure. This is a novel inspired by Rapunzel.

Book description from the publisher:

A Library Journal Best Book of 2014: Historical Fiction

The amazing power and truth of the Rapunzel fairy tale comes alive for the first time in this breathtaking tale of desire, black magic and the redemptive power of love

French novelist Charlotte-Rose de la Force has been banished from the court of Versailles by the Sun King, Louis XIV, after a series of scandalous love affairs. At the convent, she is comforted by an old nun, Sœur Seraphina, who tells her the tale of a young girl who, a hundred years earlier, is sold by her parents for a handful of bitter greens...

After Margherita's father steals parsley from the walled garden of the courtesan Selena Leonelli, he is threatened with having both hands cut off, unless he and his wife relinquish their precious little girl. Selena is the famous red-haired muse of the artist Tiziano, first painted by him in 1512 and still inspiring him at the time of his death. She is at the center of Renaissance life in Venice, a world of beauty and danger, seduction and betrayal, love and superstition.

Locked away in a tower, Margherita sings in the hope that someone will hear her. One day, a young man does.

Award-winning author Kate Forsyth braids together the stories of Margherita, Selena, and Charlotte-Rose, the woman who penned Rapunzel as we now know it, to create what is a sumptuous historical novel, an enchanting fairy tale retelling, and a loving tribute to the imagination of one remarkable woman.

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Bargain Ebook: Don't Call the Wolf by Aleksandra Ross

 

Don't Call the Wolf by Aleksandra Ross is on sale in ebook format for $2.99 in the United States--check the link to see about other countries. This one is a retelling of The Glass Mountain, also known as Aarne–Thompson-Uther or ATU 530: The Princess on the Glass Mountain.

Book description from the publisher:

A fierce young queen, neither human nor lynx, who fights to protect a forest humans have long abandoned.

An exhausted young soldier, last of his name, who searches for the brother who disappeared beneath those trees without a trace.

A Golden Dragon, fearsome and vengeful, whose wingbeats haunt their nightmares and their steps.

When these three paths cross at the fringes of a war between monsters and men, the shapeshifter queen and the reluctant hero strike a deal that may finally turn the tide against the rising hordes of darkness. Ren will help Lukasz find his brother . . . if Lukasz promises to slay the Dragon.

But promises are all too easily broken.

This Eastern European fantasy debut, inspired by the Polish fairy tale “The Glass Mountain,” will take you on a twisting journey full of creeping tension, simmering romance, and haunting folklore.

“Rich and meticulously developed. An immersive world rooted in Polish culture.” —Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

“Ross delivers a fierce, fully fleshed heroine and a richly textured fantasy with a kind heart.” —Publishers Weekly

“Immediately hooks the reader with its dark and twisted scenery. In a genre full of retellings, this book sets itself apart.” —School Library Journal

“Teeming with mystical creatures and lurking dangers. . . . A page-turner.” —Kirkus Reviews

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New Book: One Cursed Rose (Grimm Bargains Book 1) by Rebecca Zanetti

 

One Cursed Rose (Grimm Bargains Book 1) by Rebecca Zanetti is released today. This one is the start of a new dark fantasy romance inspired by Beauty and the Beast.

Book description from the publisher:

They christened me Alana—and while the name means beauty, beneath that surface is a depth I allow very few to see. I’m sole heir to Aquarius Social, a media giant about to succumb to an unseen enemy. My father’s solution is to marry me off to the son of a competing family. My reaction? Not a chance. Now I have just a week before the wedding to change my fate.

Who knew the unforeseen twist would be an assassination attempt on me and an unwanted rescue by Thorn Beathach, the head of the rival social media empire driving Aquarius under? The richest, most ruthless of them all, the Beast protects his realm with an iron rule: no one sees his face. When he shows himself to me, I know he’ll never let me go.

Thorn may think he can lock me in his enchanted castle forever, but I’m not the docile Beauty he expects. If the Beast wants to tie me up, I’m going to take pleasure from every minute of it . . .and we’ll just see who ends up shackled.

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New Book: Tangled Up In You (Meant to Be Series 4) by Christina Lauren

Tangled Up In You (Meant To Be Book 4) by Christina Lauren is released today. The book is fourth in a series of romance novels inspired by Disney versions of fairy tales by different authors. As one does. And I hope that sentence made sense, too. This one is inspired by Tangled and thus Rapunzel, of course.

Book description from the publisher:

A witty and deeply romantic modern reimagining of Disney’s Tangled, by the New York Times bestselling author duo Christina Lauren, part of the acclaimed and bestselling Meant to Be collection.

She has a dream. He has a plan. Together they’ll take a leap of faith.

Ren has never held an iPhone, googled the answer to a question, or followed a crush on social media. What she has done: Read a book or two, or three (okay, hundreds). Taught herself to paint. Built a working wind power system from scratch. But for all the books she’s read, Ren has never found one that’s taught a woman raised on a homestead and off the grid for most of her twenty-two years how to live in the real world. So when she finally achieves her lifelong dream of attending Corona College, it feels like her life is finally beginning.

Fitz has the rest of his life mapped out: Graduate from Corona at the top of his class, get his criminal record wiped clean, and pass himself off as the rich, handsome player everyone thinks he is. He’s a few short months from checking off step one of his plans when Ren Gylden, with her cascading blonde hair and encyclopedic brain, crashes into his life, and for the first time Fitz’s plan is in jeopardy.

But a simple assignment in their immunology seminar changes the course of both their lives, and suddenly they’re thrown out of the frying pan and into the fireon a road trip that will lead them in the most unexpected directions. Out on the open road, the world somehow shifts, and the unlikely pair realize that, maybe, the key to the dreams they've both been chasing have been sitting next to them the whole time.

Previous books in the series include:

1: If the Shoe Fits: A Meant to Be Novel by Julie Murphy (Cinderella inspired)

2: By the Book: A Meant to Be Novel by Jasmine Guillory (Beauty and the Beast inspired)

3: Kiss the Girl A Meant to Be Novel by Zoraida Córdova (Little Mermaid inspired)

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New Book: A Feather So Black (Fair Folk Book 1) by Lyra Selene

A Feather So Black (Fair Folk Book 1) by Lyra Selene is new this month. That cover is beautiful, isn't it? This is a Swan Maidens inspired retelling.

Book description from the publisher:

Set in a world of perilous magic and moonlit forests, this seductive romantic fantasy tells the story of a defiant changeling, her cursed sister, and the dangerous fae lord she must defeat to save her family.

In a kingdom where magic has been lost, Fia is a rare changeling, left behind by the wicked Fair Folk when they stole the High Queen's daughter and retreated behind the locked gates of Tír na nÓg.

Most despise Fia's fae blood. But the queen raises her as a daughter and trains her to be a spy. Meanwhile, the real princess Eala is bound to Tír na nÓg, cursed to become a swan by day and only returning to her true form at night.

When a hidden gate to the realm is discovered, Fia is tasked by the queen to retrieve the princess and break her curse. But she doesn’t go alone: with her is prince Rogan, Fia's dearest childhood friend—and Eala’s betrothed.

As they journey through the forests of the Folk, where magic winds through the roots of the trees and beauty can be a deadly illusion, Fia’s mission is complicated by her feelings for the prince…and her unexpected attraction to the dark-hearted fae lord holding Eala captive. Irian might be more monster than man, but he seems to understand Fia in a way no one ever has.

Soon, Fia begins to question the truth of her mission. But time is running out to break her sister's curse. And unraveling the secrets of the past might destroy everything she has come to love.

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