FOLKLORE

Folklore retellings are undeniably spellbinding, often blending whimsy with magical beings and a twisty bargain or two… 

A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer

With a captivating cast of characters, addictive romance, and an action-packed plot, A Curse So Dark and Lonely delivers a delightful YA retelling of “Beauty and the Beast.”

A Sorceress Comes to Call by T. Kingfisher

A Sorceress Comes to Call enchants as it reimagines the Brothers Grimm’s “Goose Girl,” blending forbidden magic, secrets, and murder in an irresistible Gothic atmosphere.

Call Forth a Fox by Markelle Grabo

Cozy with a tinge of darkness and filled with fae, curses, and sapphic love, Call Forth a Fox reimagines the story of “Snow-White and Rose-Red.”

Cinder House by Freya Marske

Cinder House is a “Cinderella” retelling brimming with haunting, magical world-building; an addictive queer romance; and a creative, propulsive plot that presents a fresh interpretation of Cinderella’s story while delivering delightful familiarity.

Gilded by Marissa Meyer

Gilded is a YA “Rumpelstiltskin” retelling filled with a tender romance, a haunted castle, wonderfully creepy beasts, and a dark yet welcoming atmosphere that captures the feeling of curling up in a blanket, a fire crackling beside you as a storm thunders outside. 

Hemlock & Silver by T. Kingfisher

In Hemlock & Silver, Kingfisher’s darkly enchanting prosepresents Snow White’s story through the gaze of a healer named Anja, adding even more adventure, poison, magic, love, and wit to the tale.

House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig

Ghosts, mystery, sisterhood, secrets, and horror fill the captivating Gothic atmosphere of House of Salt and Sorrows, presenting a new take on “The Twelve Dancing Princesses.”

Lady Tremaine by Rachel Hochhauser

Lady Tremaine explores Cinderella’s story from the “evil” stepmother’s point of view, revealing a whole new side of the story—one of motherhood, survival, glamor, decay, and love.

No Better Than Beasts by Z.R. Ellor

No Better Than Beasts reimagines the Nutcracker story with whimsical world-building and a twisty, addictive plot.

The Bone Spindle by Leslie Vedder

The Bone Spindle reimagines “Sleeping Beauty”with an Indiana Jones twist, delivering a cinematic YA fantasy of love, adventure, and found family.

The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea by Axie Oh

The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea is a whimsical YA retelling of “The Tale of Shim Cheong” filled with mythical creatures and vivid world-building perfect for fans of Studio Ghibli.

The House Saphir by Marissa Meyer

Murder, mystery, magic, mythology, and monsters unite to retell the tale of Bluebeard in The House Saphir.

Upon a Starlit Tide by Kell Woods

Combining “Cinderella” and “The Little Mermaid,” Woods creates a thoroughly spellbinding story of love, magic, seduction, secrets, and history in Upon a Starlit Tide, set in Saint-Malo, Brittany, in 1758.

CLASSICS

Retellings of classics delight as they explore old, beloved stories through modern lenses. Whether you’re new to classics or an avid reader of them, these retellings are the perfect way to introduce yourself to these timeless tales or revisit an old favorite.

For She Is Wrath by Emily Varga

For She Is Wrath is a fierce and addictive Pakistani YA retelling of The Count of Monte Cristowith action, romance, and female friendship.

Hungerstone by Kat Dunn

With a haunting, Gothic atmosphere; sapphic love story; and captivating horror and history, Hungerstone delivers a thrilling retelling of Carmilla.

Local Heavens by K.M. Fajardo

The Great Gatsby emerges with a cyberpunk twist in Local Heavens, featuring queer dystopian romances, tech-modified bodies, and a Filipino American Nick Carraway.

One for All by Lillie Lainoff

Sword fighting, sisterhood, secrets, and self-love abound in One for All, a gender-bent YA retelling of The Three Musketeers following a fierce heroine with a chronic illness. 

Sing the Night by Megan Jauregui Eccles

Sing the Night is a sweeping retelling of The Phantom of the Operathat brims with vivid imagery, magic, and music. 

Strike the Zither by Joan He

Strike the Zither is a cinematic YA reimagining of the Chinese novel The Three Kingdoms,filled with political intrigue, found family, and a gripping love story.

Within These Wicked Walls by Lauren Blackwood

Haunting and romantic, Within These Wicked Walls is an unputdownable Ethiopian-inspired YA retelling of Jane Eyre. 

Greek Mythology

Greek mythology retellings often feel nostalgic as I’m transported back to the plotlines, drama, magic, and chaos of the Greek mythology tales I adored as a child. If you haven’t yet dove into the treasure trove that is Greek mythology, never fear—these retellings are perfect for new and old fans alike:

Daughter of Sparta by Claire M. Andrews

Daughter of Sparta is an action-packed, fierce, and empowering YA reimagining of the story of Apollo and Daphne. 

Girl, Goddess, Queen by Bea Fitzgerald

Girl, Goddess, Queen is a fierce and addictive YA retelling of Hades and Persephone’s story, brimming with banter, fake dating, and a compelling cast of characters. 

I, Medusa by Ayana Gray

Exploring sisterhood, love, power, and feminine rage, I, Medusa is a lush retelling of the story of Medusa featuring a Black protagonist.

The Witch of Colchis by Rosie Hewlett

The Witch of Colchis retells the story of Medea with feminine rage, magic, and action.

Arthurian Legend

While I adore Arthurian legend, its portrayal of women is frequently less than favorable. Morgan le Fay often appears as a villainous crone, and Queen Guinevere’s character is usually passive and underdeveloped. Thus, I was beyond delighted when I discovered these retellings of Arthurian legend that shine a light on the power of women:

Legendborn by Tracy Deonn

Legendborn powerfully reimagines King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, presenting a YA dark academia novel with magic that powerfully explores racism and grief.

Morgan is My Name by Sophie Keetch

Morgan is My Name reimagines the early life of Morgan le Fay, highlighting her strength and presenting her tale with atmospheric world-building, lyrical prose, and political intrigue.

The Once and Future Queen by Paula Lafferty

The Once and Future Queen reimagines Queen Guinevere’s story with a cozy, adventurous, darkly magical atmosphere and a captivating cast of characters, including the spunky and fierce new Guinevere, Vera.

Shakespeare

William Shakespeare’s works brim with wit, drama, and even magic. His tragedies and his comedies are equally sweeping, and these retellings beautifully capture the exhilaration of reading (or watching) a Shakespearean play:

Lady Macbeth by Ava Reid

Lady Macbeth retells the story of Lady Macbeth, presenting a Gothic atmosphere; Scottish folklore; themes of power, patriarchy, and revenge; and a compelling main character who redefines what it means to be a witch.

Salt & Sugar by Rebecca Carvalho

Heart-warming, mouth-watering, and swoon-worthy, Salt & Sugar reimagines Romeo & Juliet in present-day Brazil. 

The Hundred Loves of Juliet by Evelyn Skye

Romantic, bingeable, and emotional, The Hundred Loves of Juliet retells Romeo & Juliet with a modern, magical twist. 

The post 30 Must-Read Retellings To Add To Your TBR appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

About Sing the Night: Discover a fantastical story inspired by The Phantom of the Opera, as musical magicians compete for the once-in-a-lifetime role as the King’s Mage, but only if their magic—or fellow contestants—don’t destroy them first—perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo and Erin Morgenstern. Out March 10th 2026.

We mark the success of a work of literature by its lasting impact through history, something that can’t be measured by lists or sales. Only the passage of time can solidify a work as a classic, something that transcends tropes and trends and cultural zeitgeist. Once deemed classic, these works tend to garner obsessive love of loathing, often pushed for deeper study in high school homerooms and college literature classes.

Which means, inevitably, these seminal works become the foundation for future art.

Of course, we are influenced but the literature that made us readers. There will always be a little bit of Peter S. Beagle’s dark whimsy in my writing, a slice of LM Montgomery’s lush hope, a sliver of Dianna Wynn Jones’ wry, magical wit. But to take on a beloved behemoth and retell it is something else entirely. It’s taking another author’s work and reforging it, reshaping it to make it our own, often to repaint or repair a wish or a wound for the new author. This can be a dangerous walk, a treacherous path we willingly tread to take a story we love and make it our own.

There is a degree of deference that we allow classic literature, taking into account the context in which they were written. While we can and should be critical of the literary offering, we don’t apply the same moral and ethical judgments we do modern literature. The classics serve as historical capstones that give us insight to a world we no longer inhabit, a world we were made from but can never truly go back to. That does not mean those stories can’t be respectfully improved upon or retold in a way that touches upon our modern sensibilities.

The way in which Jay Rivera-Herrans approaches sex and fidelity in Epic, his retelling of Homer’s The Odyssey is defined by a modern understanding of faithfulness, rather than what we understand of Ancient Greece. Percival Everett’s James gives voice to the enslaved character that was previously only seen through a white child’s eyes and offers the new perspective as a companion—with full voice and agency—to the original. For She Is Wrath by Emily Varga borrows the shape and feeling of The Count of Monte Cristo in the context of a gender-swapped Pakistani narrative, with magic and moral ambiguity in a fast-paced, deliciously voicey new context that makes the classic feel fresh and accessible to a modern audience in a way that adds to the conversation, instead of taking away from the original.

For me, The Phantom of the Opera has always been a story that I’ve wanted to retell. I wrapped myself in the work and adaptations of Gaston Leroux’s 1910 novel, deliciously obsessed and already conceiving ways that the story could be adapted and retold in a way that centered Christine and gave her a voice. In both the novel and the Andrew Lloyd Weber adaptation, Christine is experienced through the lens of men, and while she does have more agency in the original novel, I wanted her to, pun intended, sing. Not just for Erik or Raoul, but for herself.

Enter Selene, the heroine of Sing the Night, who is more than just an ingenue and a motivator for the men in the story. She is all wanting, all ruthless ambition, all hunger. This is an intentional deviation from the source material, a modern approach to add richness and complexity to a character who comes off unfairly simple. As a result, Selene is not always likeable, that word that we toss around when talking about women and rarely seem to apply to men. She is driven to the point of selfishness, her relentlessness bleeds into recklessness. And the men around her—while carrying their own character arcs—serve her story by design.

I am not attempting to scold Gaston Leroux for not writing his book in the way that I would write it. This is in no way a teardown of the original, merely an examination of the themes, plot points, and aspects of the original that drew me in stitched with my interests, experiences, and magical inclinations. There are so many stories that spark a series of wild what-ifs in me, that make pull me in and make me want to stay. Retelling is a way of lending my voice to something that I already love and pulling new readers in for the ride, hoping that they will follow me into the past and experience the original with the same zeal.

Perhaps there is some degree of audacity that comes from retelling a classic. This may be a great feat of hubris, to take someone else’s work and forge it through our own narrative fires. And while that may be the case, I will read almost any classic retelling you offer me, eager for the comfort the of the familiar narrative beats and hungry for the way in which the author makes it their own. It’s not the shape of a story that makes it special, not the set characters or setting, but the storyteller’s voice, perspective, and unique experiences that give a story meaning. The narrator and narrative if inexorably intertwined. You cannot separate the art from the artist, because we are one in the same.

Even Shakespeare retold his version of the Trojan War in The Tragedy of Troilius and Cressida, offering what was a new perspective then and may be retold again in our modern world. And while I may never know if Sing the Night becomes a classic, I am proud to connect it to a long history of classic retellings. Indeed, it is our duty to recontextualize great stories into the modern understanding to keep those works alive and use the adapted works as an arrow pointing to the original, a link in a long chain connecting stories across time. And while I may never know if Sing the Night becomes a classic, I am proud to connect it to a long history of classic retellings.

The post Retelling Classics: Applying A Modern Lens To Beloved Work appeared first on The Nerd Daily.