Title: The Stillness of the Sky Author: Starla Huchton Rating: 7/10 Retelling of: Jack and the Beanstalk The Twist: Genderbending mainly, but also weaving in other fairy tales, and generating sympathy for the giants, rather than malice or violence Finally got around to reading the next in Starla Huchton’s Flipped …
We see a lot of spinning in fairy tales. Sleeping Beauty pricks her finger on a spindle or spinning wheel, Rumplestiltskin spins gold for helpless a girl, the girl in “East of the Sun, West of the Moon” uses a golden spinning wheel to win her husband’s freedom…you get the …
Title: Beauty and the Beast Author: Megan Kearney Rating: 9/10 Retelling of: Beauty and the Beast The Twist: Though the story is Classic Beauty and the Beast, we see other underlying fairy tales that connect to the plot. Megan Kearney’s Beauty and the Beast is an artfully told, fully drawn …
Today’s post is going to be a short one. I know, I know, you’re all surprised. By now you’ll know I’m pretty talkative. I’m making an effort to be a little shorter with my content. So today I thought we’d briefly define the difference between myths, legends, fables, and fairy …
It’s the first Tuesday of the month, which I think is a good time to do a fairy tale highlight. I’ve recently been reading multiple versions of Rumplestiltskin stories for a creative project I’m working on (Keep an eye out! You might see some exciting news soon!) and I’ve realized …
Title: Cursed – Enchanting TalesAuthor: Felicity HarperRating: 7/10Retelling of: The Frog PrincessThe Twist: Though still including fantasy elements, the book is set in a Regency world, giving it a distinctly Jane Austen feel, almost like a crossover. Also, the frog princess is prince cursed into an ogre, not a frog. …
One of the most important tools for anyone studying fairy tales or just looking to research them for creative purposes has to be the ATU system. Okay. Maybe it isn’t the most important. But it’s incredibly helpful. But what is it? Most people haven’t heard of it, and truthfully it …
I’m a couple days late, but Happy 233rd Birthday to Wilhelm Grimm, the younger of the Brothers Grimm brothers. In honor of his birthday, I thought we’d get to know a little bit about two of the most famous fairy tale storytellers in the world. During their lifetimes, they contributed …
Title: Shadows on SnowAuthor: Starla HuchtonRating: 10/10Retelling of: Snow WhiteThe Twist: Gender-Swap. “Snow White” is a prince named Leopold, and the story is told from the point of view of Raelynn, who is the youngest of seven sisters. They’re not dwarves, but they all possess magical abilities that aid the …
Tuesday I laid out the bare bones of what a fairy tale is, and even made a nifty recipe to follow. I also happened to mention that one of the biggest things that makes a fairy tale a fairy tale is that it’s often retold, again and again. Does that …
