Mermaid's Kiss by Joey W. Hill

Genre: Paranormal Romance; Angels, Mermaids, Magic, Sea Witches, Daughters of Arianne, Witches, Retelling, Fairy Tale

Sub Genre: Urban Fantasy

Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

Back Cover: Some destinies are made to be denied… As the Prime Legion Commander for the Goddess, Jonah has been battling the Dark Ones for centuries. He has led countless angels into battle, and has seen too many of them slaughtered. Now, his noble spirit has begun to tire with the weight of endless war—which allows a Dark One to strike a blow that severs his wing and knocks him into the sea. Anna is a Daughter of Arianne — a direct descendant of the mermaid whose poignant legend and lore is much darker and more complex than the human-made fairytale. For tragedy and isolation are the fate of all the Daughters of Arianne. Anna’s longing for love compels her to risk her very life to protect and hide the fallen Jonah. And the longer Jonah delays his return to the heavens, the more Anna’s secret passions are tempted.  Anna knows that Jonah’s destiny lies beyond her desire—and that if she repeats her ancestor’s mistakes, heartache will be her only reward. But as she falls more in love with him, Anna wonders if she’s destined to lose her heart and her dreams to save Jonah’s soul…

This is the first book in the Daughters of Arianne series. This is a whole new take on the Little Mermaid fairy tale. It is much darker than you originally thought. We begin with a descendent of the little mermaid, Anna. Who has only a short time left before she dies due to the curse from her ancestor, Arianne. She just happens to save an angel Jonah. Who is tired of losing those that he loves in battle. He has lost his way and it is going to take Anna to be able to try and save him and the world. I really enjoyed this story as it took one of my favorite fairy tales and added depth as well as new dimensions to it. I could see how these women had lived both part of the sea and yet apart from it as well. I found that the story is endearing and can’t wait to read the next one in the series, A Witch’s Beauty.

Publisher: Berkley Sensation

ISBN: 0425223809

Pages: 384

Series: Mermaid

Volume: 1

Briar Rose by Jane Yolen

Genre: Young Adult

Sub Genre: Urban Fantasy; Retelling Sleeping Beauty

Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars

Back Cover: Ever since she was a child, Rebecca has been enchanted by her grandmother Gemma’s stories about Briar Rose. But a promise Rebecca makes to her dying grandmother will lead her on a remarkable journey to uncover the truth of Gemma’s astonishing claim: I am Briar Rose. A journey that will lead her to unspeakable brutality and horror. But also to redemption and hope.

This story has been reprinted. It originally was part of Windling's Fairy Tale series. This is a great retelling if not a very dark one. The story is about a granddaughter searching out her family’s origins after the death of her grandmother. It takes her to Poland. There isn’t really a happily ever after. But there is survival. I found this to be a story that captivated me. I have always liked to learn about the past and where people come from. In this story the character is learning about her roots. It is a little sad but sometimes even though we want everything to end well it doesn’t always work out that way. But then that is the way life is.

Publisher: TOR Teen

ISBN: 0765342308

Pages: 224

Series:

Volume:

The Princess and the Hound by Mette Ivie Harrison

Genre: Young Adult

Sub Genre: Fantasy; Magic, Animal Magic, Beauty and the Beast, Retelling, Fairy Tale

Rating: 3 out of 5 Stars

Back Cover: Beauty and the Beast retold – but the Beast is a woman. He is a prince and heir to a kingdom threatened on all sides, possessor of the forbidden animal magic. She is a princess from a rival kingdom, the daughter her father never wanted, isolated from all except her hound. In this lush and beautifully written fairy-tale romance, a prince, a princess, and two kingdoms are joined in the aftermath of a war. Proud, stubborn, and bound to marry for duty, George and Beatrice will steal your heart – but will they fall in love?

This retelling puts the story of Beauty and the Beast on its head. It is deeply set with magic from the beginning. The story is mostly told from George’s point of view. He is first scared of his own magic and of anyone finding out. Then he meets Beatrice whom he finds to be intriguing with her hound, Marit. There are a few twists to this story that make for good reading. I found that it was a very magical story. I liked it and will be reading the sequel, The Princess and the Bear.

Publisher: EOS

ISBN: 006113189X

Pages: 432

Series: Princess Series

Volume: 1

The Thirteenth Princess by Diane Zahler

Genre: Young Adult

Sub Genre: Fantasy; Retelling, Fairy Tale, Twelve Dancing Princesses, Magic

Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars

Back Cover: Zita is not an ordinary servant girl – she’s the thirteenth daughter of a king who wanted only sons. When she was born, Zita’s father banished her to the servants’ quarters to work in the kitchens, where she can only communicate with her royal sisters in secret. Then, after Zita’s twelfth birthday the princesses all fall mysteriously ill. The only clue is their strangely worn and tattered shoes. With the help of her friends – Breckin the stable boy, Babette the witch, and Milek the soldier – Zita follers her bewitched sisters into a magical world of endless dancing and dreams. But something more sinister is afoot – and unless Zita and her friends can break the curse, the twelve princesses will surely dance to their deaths. A classic fairy tale with a bold twist, The Thirteenth Princess tells the unforgettable story of a magical castle, true love, spellbound princesses – and the young girl determined to save them all.

This is a retelling of the Twelve Dancing Princesses. In it there is actually a thirteenth princess who was raised as a servant. Zita gets to know her sisters in secret. As time goes on she notices that things are not right with them so she tries to get them some help. But it must come down to her and her friends to save the day. I thought that the twist on this story was very invented. Adding in the new characters to the story only made for a richer story that you can’t help but love. I really liked this book. It is quite sweet and show love in both the family kind of way and the romantic kind as well. A book I highly recommend to read.

Publisher: Harper Collins

ISBN: 0061824984

Pages: 256

Series:

Volume:

Barbie & The Beast by Linda Thomas-Sundstrom

Genre: Paranormal Romance; Werewolves, Retelling, Beauty and the Beast

Sub Genre: Urban Fantasy

Rating: 2 out of 5 Stars

Back Cover: A hairy situation. Barbie Bradley was swept off her feet – literally. One moment the twenty-something was traversing Forest Lawn Cemetery in the dead of night with her best friend, the next she was thrown like a sack of potatoes over a man’s shoulder. True, she and Angie had come to this odd locale for a singles party, but this wasn’t quite how she’d planned to get picked up. Hello, Dolly! Darin Russell found “Ms. Right” at work, which was surprising because girls in the cemetery were usually a tad, in a word, stiff. Not that this one couldn’t stand to loosen up. She seemed particularly sensitive about being named after the Mattel toy, and before he popped the question he had to know how she’d react to his furry little secret. You see, though he had a tuxedo and a Porsche, he had more in common with the residents of the Miami Zoo than Ken. And if things went according to plan, Barbie was going to see his animal side.

This is a new take on the Beauty and the Beast. Barbie is looking to meet a man at a singles party with her best friend but is taken away from it by Darin. Darin just wants to find someone for his own. The book is one that is a bit on the fluffy side. I have to say it was  a story that didn’t have much to it. I think that it could have been better.

Publisher: Love Spell

ISBN: 0505528134

Pages: 307

Series:

Volume: 

The Stepsister Scheme by Jim C. Hines

Genre: Fantasy; Fairy Tales, Retelling, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, Princess Novels

Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars

Back Cover: Cinderella–whose real name is Danielle Whiteshore (nee Danielle de Glas)–does marry Prince Armand.  And if you can ignore the pigeon incident, their wedding is a dream come true. But not long after the “happily ever after,” Danielle is attacked by her stepsister Charlotte, who suddenly has all sorts of magic to call upon.  And though Talia–otherwise known as Sleeping Beauty–comes to the rescue (she’s a martial arts master, and all those fairy blessings make her almost unbeatable), Charlotte gets away. That’s when Danielle discovers a number of disturbing facts: Armand has been kidnapped and taken to the realm of the Fairies; Danielle is pregnant with his child; and the Queen has her own very secret service that consists of Talia and Snow (White, of course).  Snow is an expert at mirror magic and heavy duty flirting. Can the three princesses track down Armand and extract both the prince and themselves from the clutches of some of fantasyland’s most nefarious villains?

This story starts off after Cinderella and her prince have been married for some time. The bad part is her stepsisters are still after her to ruin her happily ever after. The good part is that she has two other princesses to helper her, Snow White and Sleeping Beauty. This is a beautiful mix of the classic fairy tales. It lets you see their lives after and what really happened, well as far as this story goes any way. I found that it was a very inventive take and brought about some great storytelling. I really liked this story and can’t wait to read the next one in the series, The Mermaid's Madness.

Publisher: DAW Books

ISBN: 0756405327

Pages: 352

Series: Princess Novels

Volume: 1

A Kiss in Time by Alex Flinn

Genre: Young Adult

Sub Genre: Fantasy; Fairy Tale, Retelling, Sleeping Beauty, Fairies, Magic, Magical Sleep

Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

Back Cover: Talia fell under a spell… Jack broke the curse. I was told to beware the accursed spindle, but it was so enchanting, so hypnotic…I was looking for a little adventure the day I ditched my tour group. But finding a comatose town, with a hot-looking chick asleep in it, was so not what I had in mind. I awakened in the same place but in another time – to a stranger’s soft kiss. I couldn’t help kissing her. Sometimes you just have to kiss someone. I didn’t know this would happen. Now I am in dire trouble because my father, the king, says I have brought ruin upon our country. I have no choice but to run away with this commoner! Now I’m stuck with a bratty princess and a trunk full of her jewels…The good news: My parents will freak! Think you have dating issues? Try locking lips with a snoozing stunner who turns out to be 316 years old. Can a kiss transcend all – even time?

I had to read this retelling after reading Alex Flinn’s Beastly. This is the story of Sleeping Beauty. And it is beautifully written. It has all the magic of the original tale with the added brilliance of a modern twist. Our hero Jack is from Miami, FL and doesn’t think that his parents care about his opinion. Talia our princess has been so sheltered that she truly believes that her father hates her. The two together learn about themselves and each other in this tale. I loved reading it. It made me want to go explore Europe to find a magically asleep country. If you love Sleeping Beauty or even just a good love story you have to read this book.

Publisher: Harper Teen

ISBN: 006087421X

Pages: 400

Series:

Volume:

The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor

Genre: Young Adult

Sub Genre: Historical Fantasy; Magic, Wonderland, Retelling, Fairy Tale

Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

Back Cover: Alyss of Wonderland? When Alyss Heart, heir to the Wonderland throne, must flee through the Pool of Tears to escape her murderous aunt Redd, she finds herself lost and alone in Victorian London. Befriended by an aspiring author named Lewis Carroll, Alyss tells the violent, heartbreaking story of her young life. Alyss trusts this author to tell the truth so that someone, somewhere will find her and bring her home. But he gets the story all wrong. He even spells her name incorrectly! Fortunately, Royal Bodyguard Hatter Madigan knows all too well the awful truth of Alyss’ story and he is searching every corner of our world to find the lost princess and return her to Wonderland so she may eventually battle Redd for her rightful place as the Queen of Hearts. The Looking Glass Wars unabashedly challenges our Wonderland assumptions surrounding mad tea parties, grinning Cheshire cats, and a curious little blond girl to reveal an epic battle in the endless war for Imagination.

This is the first book in the trilogy of the Looking Glass Wars. It isn’t the Alice and Wonderland that you read as a child. This is a dark story that is what really happened to Alyss Heart. The tale takes from Wonderland to Victorian London and back. There is much adventure and treachery. I found this story to keep me on my toes and I enjoyed it’s every twist and turn. The story sucks you right in and transports you back in time and to Wonderland as well. The writing is brilliantly done. This is one of those books that you won’t be able to put down. I can’t wait to read the next book in the trilogy, Seeing Redd.

Publisher: Dial

ISBN: 0142409413

Pages: 400

Series: Looking Glass Wars

Volume: 1

Red Riding Hood by Sarah Blakley-Cartwright

Genre: Young Adult

Sub Genre: Paranormal Romance; Werewolf, Retelling, Little Red Riding Hood, Witch Hunters, Witches

Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

Back Cover: The blacksmith would marry her. The woodcutter would run away with her. The werewolf would turn her into one of its own. Valerie’s sister was beautiful, kind, and sweet. Now she is dead. Henry, the handsome son of the blacksmith, tries to console Valerie, but her wild heart beats fast for another: the outcast woodcutter, Peter, who offers Valerie another life far from home. After her sister’s violent death, Valerie’s world begins to spiral out of control. For generations, the Wolf has been kept at bay with a monthly sacrifice. But now no one is safe. When an expert Wolf hunter arrives, the villagers learn that the creature lives among them – it could be anyone in town. It soon becomes clear that Valerie is the only one who can hear the voice of the creature. The Wolf says she must surrender herself before the blood moon wanes… or everyone she loves will die.

Valerie has always been a bit different then everyone else. She only feels connected to her sister and Peter. Her village gives monthly animal sacrifices to protect everyone. But things are about to change, and when a wolf hunter comes to help things go from being bad to worse. This is a retelling of Little Red Riding Hood and actually is based off the screen play of a movie by the same name. And at the printing of this book there is a bonus chapter that will be posted on the webpage http://www.redridinghoodbook.com/. The take on this retelling is brilliant. Valerie is a 17 years old girl who is fearless. I found the tale captivating, with its great characters. After comparing it to the movie I found that I liked them both. The book did  seem to have more meat to add to the movie but you could read one without seeing the other.

Publisher: Poppy

ISBN: 9780316176040

Pages: 329

Series:

Volume: