Showing posts with label retelling. Show all posts
Showing posts with label retelling. Show all posts

Monday, 31 October 2022

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Review: Not Good For Maidens by Tori Bovalino (#Ad)

Not Good for Maidens by Tori Bovalino is on a deep blue scarf with metallic silver moons and stars, on a diagonal top left to bottom right. Around it are fake cobwebs. On the top right corner of the book is a dried rose, and rose Bryan’s are scattered around the book.

I was sent this finished copy for free by Titan Books for the purposes of providing an honest review.

Links with an asterisk (*) are Ad: Affiliate Links, which means if you make a purchase through them, I'll make a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Not Good For Maidens by Tori Bovalino


Published: 12th September 2022 | Publisher: Titan Books | Source: Publisher
Tori Bovalino’s Website

Salem's Lot meets The Darkest Part of the Forest in this horror-fantasy retelling of Christina Rossetti's Goblin Market.

They'll lure you in with fruit and gems and liquor and dancing, merriment to remember for the rest of your life. But that's an illusion. The market is death itself.

Beneath the streets of York, the goblin market calls to the Wickett women -- the family of witches that tends to its victims. For generations, they have defended the old cobblestone streets with their magic. Knowing the dangers, they never entered the market -- until May Wickett fell for a goblin girl, accepted her invitation, and became inextricably tied to the world her family tried to protect her from. The market learned her name, and even when she and her sister left York for Boston to escape it, the goblins remembered.

Seventeen years later, Lou, May's niece, knows nothing of her magical lineage or the twisted streets, sweet fruits, and incredible jewels of the goblin market. But just like her aunt, the market calls to her, an echo of a curse that won't release its hold on her family. And when her youngest aunt, Neela, is kidnapped by goblins, Lou discovers just how real and dangerous the market is.

To save her, both May and Lou will have to confront their family's past and what happened all those years ago. But everything -- from the food and wares, to the goblins themselves -- is a haunting temptation for any human who manages to find their way in. And if Lou isn't careful, she could end up losing herself to the market, too.
From The StoryGraph.

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The StoryGraph | Goodreads


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Monday, 8 August 2022

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Review: The Book of Gothel by Mary McMyne (#Ad)

The Book of Gothel by Mary McMyne held up by a white hand in front of rainbow shelves.

I was sent this proof for free by Orbit Books for the purposes of providing an honest review.

Links with an asterisk (*) are Ad: Affiliate Links, which means if you make a purchase through them, I'll make a small commission at no extra cost to you.

The Book of Gothel by Mary McMyne


Published: 28th July 2022 | Publisher: Orbit Books | Source: Publisher
Mary McMyne’s Website

Everyone knows the story of Rapunzel in the tower, but do you know the tale of the witch who put her there?

Enter a world of dark magic, mysterious woods and evil princes. This is the truth they never wanted you to know, as only a witch might tell it.

With her strange black eyes and even stranger fainting spells, Haelewise is shunned by her village, and her only solace lies in the stories her mother tells of child-stealing witches, of princes in wolf-skins, of an ancient tower cloaked in mist where women will find shelter if they are brave enough to seek it.

But when her mother dies, Haelewise is left unmoored. With nothing left for her in her village, she sets out to find the tower of legend-a place called Gothel, where Haelewise meets a wise woman willing to take her under her wing.

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.

The Book of Gothel is a lush, enchanting retelling of the tale of Rapunzel from the witch's perspective, perfect for fans of Circe and The Bear and the Nightingale.
From The StoryGraph.

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The StoryGraph | Goodreads


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Monday, 25 July 2022

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Review: The Society for Soulless Girls by Laura Steven

The Society for Soulless Girls by Laura Steven held up by a white hand in front of rainbow shelves.

Links with an asterisk (*) are Ad: Affiliate Links, which means if you make a purchase through them, I'll make a small commission at no extra cost to you.

The Society for Soulless Girls by Laura Steven


Published: 7th July 2022 | Publisher: Electric Monkey | Source: Bought
Laura Steven’s Website

A dark and funny YA thriller with a supernatural twist. From the winner of the Comedy Women in Print Prize.

Ten years ago, four students lost their lives in the infamous North Tower murders at the elite Carvell College of Arts, forcing Carvell to close its doors.

Now Carvell is reopening, and fearless student Lottie is determined to find out what really happened. But when her roommate, Alice, stumbles upon a sinister soul-splitting ritual hidden in Carvell’s haunted library, the North Tower claims another victim.

Can Lottie uncover the truth before the North Tower strikes again? Can Alice reverse the ritual before her monstrous alter ego consumes her? And can they stop flirting for literally fifteen seconds in order to do this?

Exploring possession and ambition, lust and bloodlust, femininity and violence, The Society of Soulless Girls is perfect for fans of Ace of Spaces, The Secret History and The Inheritance Games.
From The StoryGraph.

Purchase from Bookshop.org*
The StoryGraph | Goodreads


Continue reading Review: The Society for Soulless Girls by Laura Steven

Monday, 14 March 2022

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Review: The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

A photo of The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller, half on a gold, circular tray, and half on a fluffy, light grey duvet. The book is diagonal, with the top facing the top right corner of the photo, and the bottom facing the bottom left corner of the photo. Next to the book, on the right, is a small, white Venus de Milo staue.

Links with an asterisk (*) are Ad: Affiliate Links, which means if you make a purchase through them, I'll make a small commission at no extra cost to you.

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller


Published: 21st September 2017 | Publisher: Bloomsbury | Source: Bought
Madeline Miller’s Website

Greece in the age of Heroes. Patroclus, an awkward young prince, has been exiled to the kingdom of Phthia. Here he is nobody, just another unwanted boy living in the shadow of King Peleus and his golden son, Achilles.

Achilles, “best of all the Greeks,” is everything Patroclus is not—strong, beautiful, the child of a goddess—and by all rights their paths should never cross. Yet one day, Achilles takes the shamed prince under his wing and soon their tentative connection gives way to a steadfast friendship. As they grow into young men skilled in the arts of war and medicine, their bond blossoms into something far deeper—despite the displeasure of Achilles’ mother Thetis, a cruel sea goddess with a hatred of mortals.

Fate is never far from the heels of Achilles. When word comes that Helen of Sparta has been kidnapped, the men of Greece are called upon to lay siege to Troy in her name. Seduced by the promise of a glorious destiny, Achilles joins their cause. Torn between love and fear for his friend, Patroclus follows Achilles into war, little knowing that the years that follow will test everything they have learned, everything they hold dear. And that, before he is ready, he will be forced to surrender his friend to the hands of Fate.

Profoundly moving and breathtakingly original, this rendering of the epic Trojan War is a dazzling feat of the imagination, a devastating love story, and an almighty battle between gods and kings, peace and glory, immortal fame and the human heart.
From The StoryGraph.

Purchase from Bookshop.org*
The StoryGraph | Goodreads


Continue reading Review: The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

Wednesday, 21 April 2021

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Most Anticipated 2021 Retellings

Most Anticipated 2021 Retellings

Ad: Titles with an asterisk (*) were gifted to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Links with a circumflex (^) are 
Ad: Affiliate Links, which means if you make a purchase through them, I'll receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Most Anticipated 2021 Retellings


As regular readers will know, I'm a huge fan of retellings, and I've recently discovered a few coming out this year that I'm super excited about.

I know, I know; it's April, and we're over a quarter of the way into the year, so I'm quite late in writing this post. But hopefully there'll be a few titles to add to your TBR here, so you'll forgive my lateness. On with the list!
Continue reading Most Anticipated 2021 Retellings

Sunday, 11 April 2021

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Review: Thorn by Intisar Khanani (#Ad)

Thorn by Intisar Khanani

I received this eProof for free from Hot Key Books via NetGalley for the purposes of providing an honest review.

Thorn by Intisar Khanani


Published: 24th March 2020 | Publisher: Hot Key Books | Source: NetGalley
Intisar Khanani's Website

A princess with two futures. A destiny all her own.

Between her cruel family and the contempt she faces at court, Princess Alyrra has always longed to escape the confines of her royal life. But when she’s betrothed to the powerful prince Kestrin, Alyrra embarks on a journey to his land with little hope for a better future.

When a mysterious and terrifying sorceress robs Alyrra of both her identity and her role as princess, Alyrra seizes the opportunity to start a new life for herself as a goose girl.

But Alyrra soon finds that Kestrin is not what she expected. The more Alyrra learns of this new kingdom, the pain and suffering its people endure, as well as the danger facing Kestrin from the sorceress herself, the more she knows she can’t remain the goose girl 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.
The StoryGraph


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Monday, 5 October 2020

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Blog Tour: Deirdre Sullivan Introduces Savage Her Reply + Mini Interview

Savage Her Reply by Deirdre Sullivan on a black background with white and grey polka dots in circle patterns.

Deirdre Sullivan Introduces Savage Her Reply + Mini Interview


Titles marked with a (^) are ad: affiliate links, which means if you make a purchase through them, I'll receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Titles marked with an asterisk (*) were gifted to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Today is my stop on the blog tour for Savage Her Reply* by Deirdre Sullivan. It's a feminist retelling of the Irish legend The Children of Lir, from the persepctive of Aífe, the story's villain. For us bloggers, this blog tour was arranged a little differently, and we got something super special. We were invited to an exclusive private Zoom meeting with Deirdre and publicist Nina, where Deirdre told us about Savage Her Reply, and we also got to ask her a few questions each, for our own exclusive element of our posts. Unfortunately, I was on holiday when the meeting took place, but it was recorded and Nina was kind enough to ask Deirdre my questions on my behalf.
Continue reading Blog Tour: Deirdre Sullivan Introduces Savage Her Reply + Mini Interview

Friday, 2 October 2020

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Review: Savage Her Reply by Deirdre Sullivan (#Ad)

Savage Her Reply by Deirdre Sullivan on a black background with white and grey polka dots in circle patterns.

I was sent this review copy for free by Little Island Books / Nina Douglas PR for the purposes of providing an honest review.

Savage Her Reply by Deirdre Sullivan


Published: 1st October 2020 | Publisher: Little Island Books | Cover Designer and Illustrator: Karen Vaughan | Source: Review Copy
Deirdre Sullivan on Twitter

A dark, feminist retelling of the favourite Irish fairytale The Children of Lir told in Sullivan's hypnotic prose. Aife marries Lir, a king with four children by his previous wife. Jealous of his affection for his children, the witch Aife turns them into swans for 900 years. Retold through the voice of Aife, Savage Her Reply is unsettling and dark, feminist and fierce, yet nuanced in its exploration of the guilt of a complex character. Voiced in Sullivan's trademark rich, lyrical prose as developed in Tangleweed and Brine - the multiple award-winner which established Sullivan as the queen of witchy YA. Another dark & witchy feminist fairytale from the author of Tangleweed and Brine. From Goodreads.

Continue reading Review: Savage Her Reply by Deirdre Sullivan (#Ad)

Monday, 29 June 2020

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Review: The Mercies by Kiran Millwood Hargrave (#Ad)

The Mercies by Kiran Millwood Hargrave

I received this proof for free from Picador for the purposes of providing an honest review.

The Mercies by Kiran Millwood Hargrave

Published: 6th February 2020 | Publisher: Picador | Cover Designer: Katie Tooke | Source: Publisher
Kiran Millwood Hargrave's Website

Finnmark, Norway, 1617. Twenty-year-old Maren Magnusdatter stands on the craggy coast, watching the sea break into a sudden and reckless storm. Forty fishermen, including her brother and father, are drowned and left broken on the rocks below. With the menfolk wiped out, the women of the tiny Arctic town of Vardø must fend for themselves.

Three years later, a sinister figure arrives. Absalom Cornet comes from Scotland, where he burned witches in the northern isles. He brings with him his young Norwegian wife, Ursa, who is both heady with her husband's authority and terrified by it. In Vardø, and in Maren, Ursa sees something she has never seen before: independent women. But Absalom sees only a place untouched by God, and flooded with a mighty evil.

As Maren and Ursa are drawn to one another in ways that surprise them both, the island begins to close in on them, with Absalom's iron rule threatening Vardø's very existence.

Inspired by the real events of the Vardø storm and the 1621 witch trials, The Mercies is a story of love, evil, and obsession, set at the edge of civilization.
From Goodreads.

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Monday, 30 March 2020

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Review: Mythos by Stephen Fry

Mythos by Stephen Fry

This post contains Ad: Affiliate Links - marked with an asterisk (*) - which means if you make a purchase through them, I'll receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Mythos by Stephen Fry

Published: 26th July 2018 | Publisher: Penguin | Source: Bought
Stephen Fry's Website

No one loves and quarrels, desires and deceives as boldly or brilliantly as Greek gods and goddesses.

In Stephen Fry's vivid retelling we gaze in wonder as wise Athena is born from the cracking open of the great head of Zeus and follow doomed Persephone into the dark and lonely realm of the Underworld. We shiver when Pandora opens her jar of evil torments and watch with joy as the legendary love affair between Eros and Psyche unfolds.

Mythos captures these extraodinary myths for our modern age - in all their dazzling and deeply human relevance.
From Goodreads.

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Goodreads


Having had my interest in the Greek myths reignited by Great Goddesses by Nikita Gill, I dived right into Mythos by Stephen Fry straight after. However, while it was interesting, it wasn't what I expected, and I felt quite disappointed.
Continue reading Review: Mythos by Stephen Fry

Monday, 23 March 2020

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Review: Great Goddesses by Nikita Gill

Great Goddesses by Nikita Gill

This post contains Ad: Affiliate Links - marked with an asterisk (*) - which means if you make a purchase through them, I'll receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Great Goddesses by Nikita Gill

Published: 5th September 2019 | Publisher: Ebury Press | Source: Bought
Nikita Gill on Instagram

Empowering life lessons from myths and monsters.

Wonder at Medusa's potent venom, Circe's fierce sorcery and Athena rising up over Olympus, as Nikita Gill majestically explores the untold stories of the life bringers, warriors, creators, survivors and destroyers that shook the world - the great Greek Goddesses.

Vividly re-imagined and beautifully illustrated, step into an ancient world transformed by modern feminist magic.

'I watch Girl become Goddess
and the metamorphosis is more
magnificent than anything
I have ever known.'
From Goodreads.

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Monday, 9 March 2020

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Review: The Winter of the Witch by Katherine Arden

The Winter of the Witch by Katherine Arden

The Winter of the Witch by Katherine Arden

Published: Del Rey | Publisher: 3rd October 2019 | Cover Design: Head Design | Cover Illustrations: Aitch | Source: Bought
Katherine Arden's Website

Following their adventures in The Bear and the Nightingale and The Girl in the Tower, Vasya and Morozko return in this stunning conclusion to the bestselling Winternight Trilogy, battling enemies mortal and magical to save both Russias, the seen and the unseen.

The Winternight Trilogy introduced an unforgettable heroine, Vasilisa Petrovna, a girl determined to forge her own path in a world that would rather lock her away. Her gifts and her courage have drawn the attention of Morozko, the winter-king, but it is too soon to know if this connection will prove a blessing or a curse.

Now Moscow has been struck by disaster. Its people are searching for answers—and for someone to blame. Vasya finds herself alone, beset on all sides. The Grand Prince is in a rage, choosing allies that will lead him on a path to war and ruin. A wicked demon returns, stronger than ever and determined to spread chaos. Caught at the center of the conflict is Vasya, who finds the fate of two worlds resting on her shoulders. Her destiny uncertain, Vasya will uncover surprising truths about herself and her history as she desperately tries to save Russia, Morozko, and the magical world she treasures. But she may not be able to save them all.
From Goodreads

My other reviews of The Winternight Trilogy:
The Bear and the Nightingale (#Ad) | The Girl in the Tower (#Ad)

WARNING! I cannot review this book without spoiling the others in the series. Read no further if you're planning on reading this series and don't want it spoilt for you.

Continue reading Review: The Winter of the Witch by Katherine Arden

Monday, 24 February 2020

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Review: The Girl in the Tower by Katherine Arden (#Ad)

The Girl in the Tower by Katherine Arden

I received this eProof for free from Ebury Publishing via NetGalley for the purposes of providing an honest review.

The Girl in the Tower by Katherine Arden

Published: 25th January 2018 | Publisher: Ebury Publishing | Cover Design: Head Design | Cover Illustrations: Aitch | Source: NetGalley
Katherine Arden's Website

For a young woman in medieval Russia, the choices are stark: marriage or a life in a convent. Vasya will choose a third way: magic...

The court of the Grand Prince of Moscow is plagued by power struggles and rumours of unrest. Meanwhile bandits roam the countryside, burning the villages and kidnapping its daughters. Setting out to defeat the raiders, the Prince and his trusted companion come across a young man riding a magnificent horse.

Only Sasha, a priest with a warrior's training, recognises this 'boy' as his younger sister, thought to be dead or a witch by her village. But when Vasya proves herself in battle, riding with remarkable skill and inexplicable power, Sasha realises he must keep her secret as she may be the only way to save the city from threats both human and fantastical...
From Goodreads

My other reviews of the Winternight Trilogy:
The Bear and the Nightingale (#Ad)

WARNING! I cannot review this book without spoiling the others in the series. Read no further if you're planning on reading this series and don't want it spoilt for you.

Continue reading Review: The Girl in the Tower by Katherine Arden (#Ad)

Monday, 10 February 2020

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Review: Fierce Fairytales by Nikita Gill

Fierce Fairytales by Nikita Gill

This post contains Ad: Affiliate Links - marked with an asterisk (*) - which means if you make a purchase through them, I'll receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Fierce Fairytales by Nikita Gill

Published: Trapeze | Publisher: 11th September 2018 | Cover Designer: TomásAlmeifa | Source: Bought
Nikita Gill on Twitter and Instagram

Poet, writer, and Instagram sensation Nikita Gill returns with a collection of fairytales poetically retold for a new generation of women.

Traditional fairytales are rife with cliches and gender stereotypes: beautiful, silent princesses; ugly, jealous, and bitter villainesses; girls who need rescuing; and men who take all the glory.

But in this rousing new prose and poetry collection, Nikita Gill gives Once Upon a Time a much-needed modern makeover. Through her gorgeous reimagining of fairytale classics and spellbinding original tales, she dismantles the old-fashioned tropes that have been ingrained in our minds. In this book, gone are the docile women and male saviors. Instead, lines blur between heroes and villains. You will meet fearless princesses, a new kind of wolf lurking in the concrete jungle, and an independent Gretel who can bring down monsters on her own.

Complete with beautifully hand-drawn illustrations by Gill herself, Fierce Fairytales is an empowering collection of poems and stories for a new generation.
From Goodreads.

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Continue reading Review: Fierce Fairytales by Nikita Gill

Monday, 3 February 2020

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Review: The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden (#Ad)

The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden

I received this eProof for free from Del Rey via NetGalley for the purposes of providing an honest review.

The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden

Published: 5th October 2017 | Publisher: Del Rey | Cover Design: Head Design | Cover Illustrations: Aitch | Source: NetGalley
Katherine Arden's Website

At the edge of the Russian wilderness, winter lasts most of the year and the snowdrifts grow taller than houses. But Vasilisa doesn't mind—she spends the winter nights huddled around the embers of a fire with her beloved siblings, listening to her nurse's fairy tales. Above all, she loves the chilling story of Frost, the blue-eyed winter demon, who appears in the frigid night to claim unwary souls. Wise Russians fear him, her nurse says, and honor the spirits of house and yard and forest that protect their homes from evil.

After Vasilisa's mother dies, her father goes to Moscow and brings home a new wife. Fiercely devout, city-bred, Vasilisa's new stepmother forbids her family from honoring the household spirits. The family acquiesces, but Vasilisa is frightened, sensing that more hinges upon their rituals than anyone knows.

And indeed, crops begin to fail, evil creatures of the forest creep nearer, and misfortune stalks the village. All the while, Vasilisa's stepmother grows ever harsher in her determination to groom her rebellious stepdaughter for either marriage or confinement in a convent.

As danger circles, Vasilisa must defy even the people she loves and call on dangerous gifts she has long concealed—this, in order to protect her family from a threat that seems to have stepped from her nurse's most frightening tales.
From Goodreads

Continue reading Review: The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden (#Ad)

Monday, 28 October 2019

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Review: Wilder Girls by Rory Power

Wilder Girls by Rory Power

Wilder Girls by Rory Power

Published: 9th July 2019 | Publisher: Delecorte Press | Cover Designer: Regina Flath | Cover Art: Aykut AydoÄŸdu| Source: Won in a giveaway.
Rory Power's Website

It's been eighteen months since the Raxter School for Girls was put under quarantine. Since the Tox hit and pulled Hetty's life out from under her.

It started slow. First the teachers died one by one. Then it began to infect the students, turning their bodies strange and foreign. Now, cut off from the rest of the world and left to fend for themselves on their island home, the girls don't dare wander outside the school's fence, where the Tox has made the woods wild and dangerous. They wait for the cure they were promised as the Tox seeps into everything.

But when Byatt goes missing, Hetty will do anything to find her, even if it means breaking quarantine and braving the horrors that lie beyond the fence. And when she does, Hetty learns that there's more to their story, to their life at Raxter, than she could have ever thought true.
From Goodreads.

Book Depository | Wordery | Goodreads

Rep: Lesbian protagonist/narrator, lesbian main character, secondary black character.

Continue reading Review: Wilder Girls by Rory Power

Monday, 14 October 2019

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Review: House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig

House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig

House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig

Published: 6th August 2019 | Publisher: Delacorte Press | Cover Designer: Alison Impey | Source: Won in a giveaway
Erin A. Craig's Website

Four of Annaleigh Thaumas's eleven sisters have returned to the Salt, the brackish water that surrounds their lonely island home, their lives cut short, each more tragically than the last. Whispers throughout the Highmoor estate say the girls have been cursed by the gods.

When Annaleigh finds out that her sisters have been sneaking out to attend glittering midnight balls and dance until dawn, she's not sure whether to stop them--or join them. And when she begins to see a series of horrific, ghostly visions and more sisters die, she realizes she must solve the mystery--with the help of Cassius, a sea captain who knows much more about her than he should--and unravel the Thaumas curse before she descends into madness or... it claims her next.
From Goodreads.

Book Depository | Wordery | Goodreads

Continue reading Review: House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig

Monday, 26 August 2019

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Review: The Cold is in Her Bones by Peternelle van Arsdale (#Ad)

The Cold is in Her Bones by Peternelle van Arsdale

I received this eProof for free from Simon & Schuster Children's Books via NetGalley for the purposes of providing an honest review.

The Cold is in Her Bones by Peternelle van Arsdale

Published: 7th March 2019 | Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Books | Cover Designer: Sonia Chaghatzbanian | Cover Illustrator: | Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Peternelle van Arsdale's Website

One girl must uncover secrets of the past to save her friend from a terrible curse in this dark and mesmerizing story of love, revenge, and redemption inspired by the myth of Medusa.

Milla knows two things to be true: Demons are real, and fear will keep her safe.

Milla's whole world is her family's farm. She is never allowed to travel to the village and her only friend is her beloved older brother, Niklas. When a bright-eyed girl named Iris comes to stay, Milla hopes her loneliness might finally be coming to an end. But Iris has a secret she's forbidden to share: The village is cursed by a demon who possesses girls at random, and the townspeople live in terror of who it will come for next.

Now, it seems, the demon has come for Iris. When Iris is captured and imprisoned with other possessed girls, Milla leaves home to rescue her and break the curse forever. Her only company on the journey is a terrible new secret of her own: Milla is changing, too, and may soon be a demon herself.

The Cold Is in Her Bones is a novel about the dark, reverberating power of pain, the yearning to be seen and understood, and the fragile optimism of love.
From Goodreads

Trigger/Content Warnings: This book features abuse and neglect of children, possession, an exocism of a sort, and torture.
Continue reading Review: The Cold is in Her Bones by Peternelle van Arsdale (#Ad)

Tuesday, 21 May 2019

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Once Upon a Retelling: No Place Like Here by Christina June

Once Upon a Retelling

This post contains affiliate links.

Welcome to Once Upon a Retelling! I'm a huge fan of retellings, and I'm really interested in hearing about authors' own love of the original stories, and what inspired them to retell those stories. And so Once Upon a Retelling was born, a feature in which I interview authors about their versions of well-loved tales.

Today, I'm really excited to have Christina June stopping by the blog to discuss her Hansel & Gretel retelling, No Place Like Here.

Christina JuneCan you tell us a little about No Place Like Here? What kind of a retelling of Hansel & Gretel is it?

NO PLACE LIKE HERE is what I’d call a contemporary novel inspired by Hansel & Gretl. While it’s not a strict retelling, readers will be able to recognize many of the familiar elements of the story transformed in clever ways. My books are also companions, so while they can certainly be read as stand-alones, it’s also fun to read them all and see how favorites pop back up.
Continue reading Once Upon a Retelling: No Place Like Here by Christina June

Tuesday, 14 May 2019

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Once Upon a Retelling: Beauty Sleep by Kathryn Evans

Once Upon a Retelling

This post contains affiliate links.

Welcome to Once Upon a Retelling! I'm a huge fan of retellings, and I'm really interested in hearing about authors' own love of the original stories, and what inspired them to retell those stories. And so Once Upon a Retelling was born, a feature in which I interview authors about their versions of well-loved tales.

I'm really excited to have Kathryn Evans stopping by the blog today to discuss her YA retelling of Sleeping Beauty, Beauty Sleep, as part of her blog tour.

Kathryn EvansCan you tell us a little about Beauty Sleep? What kind of a retelling of Sleeping Beauty is it?

It’s ‘Inspired by’ I think. I was brought up on fairy tales and I think I just absorbed them. If you’re an author, the stories that are woven into your childhood all feed into the writer you become. I call it book soup.
Continue reading Once Upon a Retelling: Beauty Sleep by Kathryn Evans