We all know the stories. A girl in a red cloak walks through the woods. A princess falls into an enchanted sleep. A mermaid falls in love with a prince, and a young woman finds herself trapped in a castle with a beast.

But what happens when the stories don’t go quite the way we remember?

Maybe the villain isn’t really the villain. Maybe the prince isn’t worth rescuing. Or maybe that happily-ever-after ending wasn’t the end of the story at all.

I’ve rounded up 16 fairy tale retellings that take familiar stories in some unexpected directions. There are cursed castles, dangerous forests, witches, mermaids, romance, and a few characters who might make you reconsider everything you thought you knew about the original tales.

Some are darker than others, but that’s part of the fun.

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Dark Forests and Dangerous Bargains

Fairy-tale forests have never been particularly safe. These stories are filled with forbidden magic, dangerous journeys, and bargains that don’t always work out the way anyone planned.

For the Wolf by Hannah Whitten

Inspired by Little Red Riding Hood and Beauty and the Beast

The first daughter belongs to the throne. The second daughter belongs to the Wolf.

Red has known her fate her entire life. As the kingdom’s Second Daughter, she’s destined to enter the Wilderwood as an offering to the mysterious Wolf who lives there.

But the Wolf isn’t what everyone believes him to be.

He’s a man named Eammon, and the forest is hiding something far more dangerous than either of them imagined. Red also carries a strange power she can’t control, one that might be the key to saving the Wilderwood.

I like the way this one turns the familiar girl-and-wolf story around. Suddenly, the Wolf might be the least frightening thing in the woods.

The Witch and the Vampire by Francesca Flores

Inspired by Rapunzel

Ava is a witch who was turned into a vampire during an attack on her town. Since then, her mother has kept her locked away, using Ava’s remaining witch magic for her own purposes.

Her former best friend, Kaye, has spent the intervening years training to kill vampires.

When Ava finally escapes, the two girls find themselves traveling together through a dangerous forest. Neither is being completely honest about what she wants, and the feelings they once shared haven’t entirely disappeared.

It’s a Rapunzel story with vampires, witches, a complicated friendship, and a forest full of things that would happily kill them both.

The Stolen Kingdom by Bethany Atazadeh

Inspired by Aladdin

Princess Arie has a problem. She’s developed a forbidden magical ability that allows her to hear other people’s thoughts.

If anyone discovers her secret, she could lose her kingdom and possibly her life.

When a neighboring king threatens to force her into marriage, Arie sets out to find a way to remove her magic. Her journey leads her to a Jinni hunter, a crew of thieves, and a dangerous heist.

This is Aladdin told from a princess’s perspective, with plenty of magical trouble along the way.

It’s also the first book in The Stolen Kingdom series.

A Taste of Poison by Tessonja Odette

Inspired by Snow White

Astrid Snow is a half-fae princess whose magic has made her more enemies than friends.

When she’s accused of poisoning her father, her stepmother wants her captured. Astrid flees and finds refuge at the Seven Sins Hotel, hoping to stay one step ahead of those hunting her.

Unfortunately, the queen has hired Torben Davenport, a bear-shifting huntsman with debts of his own, to track Astrid down.

And he has every intention of collecting his reward.

With a runaway princess, a deadly huntsman, and an unexpected romance, this Snow White retelling gives the familiar story a much more grown-up twist.

Castles, Curses, and Sleeping Beauties

Enchanted castles are lovely until you discover what’s waiting inside. These retellings give us cursed princes, sleeping princesses, and characters who aren’t always interested in following the story they’re supposed to be living.

Beauty by Robin McKinley

Inspired by Beauty and the Beast

Beauty has never felt particularly beautiful. Her sisters are the pretty ones, while she’s always considered herself plain and awkward.

But when her father returns home with a terrible story about an enchanted castle and the Beast who lives there, Beauty volunteers to take his place.

At the castle, she discovers that the Beast isn’t quite the monster she expected.

This is a more traditional retelling than some of the others on the list, but that’s part of its charm. It takes the familiar story and gives Beauty a little more personality, courage, and independence.

A Spindle Splintered by Alix E. Harrow

Inspired by Sleeping Beauty

Zinnia Gray has spent her life knowing she probably won’t live past her twenty-first birthday.

So when that birthday arrives, her best friend throws her a Sleeping Beauty-themed celebration, complete with a spinning wheel.

Then Zinnia pricks her finger.

Instead of falling asleep, she finds herself in another world, face-to-face with a princess who’s just as desperate to escape her fate.

I love the premise here. Two women who have been told how their stories will end decide they might have something to say about it.

A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer

Inspired by Beauty and the Beast

Prince Rhen is trapped in a terrible curse. He’s forced to relive the same season over and over, and his attempts to break the spell have ended badly.

Harper, meanwhile, is an ordinary girl from Washington, D.C., who suddenly finds herself in his enchanted kingdom.

She’s not particularly impressed by the prince or his castle, and she certainly isn’t interested in being told what to do.

But Rhen’s kingdom is in danger, and breaking the curse may be the only way to save it.

This one has a modern heroine dropped into a traditional fairy-tale situation, and she isn’t about to play the helpless damsel.

Thornhedge by T. Kingfisher

Inspired by Sleeping Beauty

There’s a princess sleeping behind a wall of thorns, and a knight has arrived to rescue her.

Sounds familiar, doesn’t it?

Except this time, the story belongs to Toadling, a small, rather anxious fairy who has spent centuries keeping people away from the tower.

And she has a very good reason for doing so.

When a curious knight named Halim arrives, Toadling must decide whether to let him discover what’s really hidden behind the thorns.

This is a short, unusual Sleeping Beauty retelling that asks a rather interesting question: what if the princess is better off staying asleep?

When the Villains Get Their Own Stories

The wicked witch, the sea witch, the Queen of Hearts, and the murderous nobleman don’t usually get much sympathy in the original stories.

These books give us a different perspective.

The Sea Witch by Rebecca F. Kenney

Inspired by The Little Mermaid

Averil is a mermaid who believes she’s found her destined mate after rescuing a young human prince from a shipwreck.

There’s just one problem. He’s human, and she’s not.

The Sea Witch offers to help her win the prince’s heart, but his bargain comes with complications Averil doesn’t fully understand.

And the Sea Witch himself may be far more tempting than she expected.

This is a darker, adult-oriented Little Mermaid retelling with romance, dangerous bargains, and a very different interpretation of the infamous sea witch.

Sea Witch by Sarah Henning

Inspired by The Little Mermaid

Before the sea witch became the villain of the story, she was a girl named Evie.

After her best friend Anna drowned, Evie became an outcast in her small fishing town. The villagers whisper that she’s cursed, or perhaps even a witch.

Then a girl appears who looks remarkably like Anna.

Evie becomes convinced that her friend has somehow returned, and she’s willing to use her mysterious magic to keep from losing her again.

But magic and bargains rarely come without a price.

This one explores how an ordinary girl might become the feared sea witch of the familiar fairy tale.

Heartless by Marissa Meyer

Inspired by Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland

Before she became the terrifying Queen of Hearts, Catherine was a young woman with a very different dream.

She wanted to open a bakery.

Unfortunately, the King of Hearts has decided she’d make an excellent queen, and her mother is thrilled by the possibility.

Cath has other ideas, especially after meeting Jest, the charming court joker who captures her attention.

But Wonderland isn’t a particularly forgiving place, and love doesn’t always lead to a happy ending.

If you’ve ever wondered how the Queen of Hearts became so angry, this story offers one possible explanation.

The House Saphir by Marissa Meyer

Inspired by Bluebeard

Mallory Fontaine comes from a family of witches, but her own magical abilities are rather limited. She can see ghosts, though, which comes in handy when she’s giving tours of a mansion connected to a notorious murderer.

Then a wealthy young man offers her a job. He wants Mallory to rid his ancestral estate of the ghost of Count Bastien Saphir, a man infamous for murdering his wives.

Mallory isn’t exactly qualified for an exorcism, but the money is awfully tempting. Naturally, things get complicated when another murder occurs.

This Bluebeard retelling mixes a haunted mansion, family secrets, romance, and a murder mystery.

Familiar Fairy Tales, Unexpected New Stories

Some authors take familiar characters into the future, while others transport them into entirely different worlds or give their stories a completely new direction.

From a dangerous Peter Pan to a steampunk Wonderland and a grown-up Hansel and Gretel, these retellings prove there’s still plenty left to explore in the stories we thought we knew.

Darling Girl by Liz Michalski

Inspired by Peter Pan

Holly Darling is Wendy Darling’s granddaughter, and she knows something most people don’t.

Peter Pan is real.

Unfortunately, he’s nothing like the charming boy from the stories.

When Holly’s daughter Eden disappears from the estate where she’s been living, Holly suspects Peter is responsible.

Now she must confront the secrets her family has kept for generations while trying to protect both of her children.

It’s a much darker Peter Pan story, one where growing up might actually be the least frightening possibility.

Curiouser and Curiouser by Melanie Karsak

Inspired by Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland

Alice is trying to leave her old life behind.

No more criminal schemes. No more dangerous bargains with Wonderland’s familiar characters. And definitely no more trouble involving the Queen of Hearts.

But when the Hatter gets himself into trouble, Alice is dragged back into a world of thieves, secrets, and complicated relationships.

Soon she’s involved in a daring jewel heist with the one man she’d rather avoid.

This steampunk version of Alice’s adventures takes the familiar characters into a darker, gaslamp-era world of crime and romance.

Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik

Inspired by Rumpelstiltskin

Miryem is the daughter of a moneylender who’s far too kindhearted to collect the money people owe him.

With her family struggling, Miryem takes matters into her own hands.

She’s so successful that people begin saying she can turn silver into gold.

Unfortunately, those rumors reach the wrong ears.

The king of the Staryk, a mysterious and dangerous winter people, sets Miryem an impossible task that could cost her everything.

This retelling takes the familiar bargain from Rumpelstiltskin and builds a much larger story around magic, survival, and the consequences of careless words.

After the Forest by Kell Woods

Inspired by Hansel and Gretel, with other Grimm fairy-tale influences

Remember Hansel and Gretel, the children who escaped from a witch’s gingerbread house?

Well, they’re grown up now, and life hasn’t exactly been easy.

Greta is trying to survive in a German village recovering from war. Her brother Hans has accumulated gambling debts, and Greta is keeping them afloat by baking gingerbread using a recipe from the witch’s old spellbook.

The trouble is, people are beginning to suspect her baking involves something more than ordinary ingredients.

And strange magic is returning to the forest.

I especially like the idea of revisiting Hansel and Gretel years after their childhood adventure. Escaping the witch was apparently only the beginning of their problems.

A Few Fairy-Tale Extras for Book Lovers

If you love fairy tales beyond the books themselves, here are a few storybook-inspired extras for your reading nook or a fellow book lover.

Alice in Wonderland Tea Gift Set

A tea party seems particularly appropriate after spending time in Wonderland.

This Alice-inspired tea set brings a little of that familiar storybook atmosphere to an ordinary afternoon, whether you’re entertaining friends or settling in with a good book.

Beauty and the Beast Rose Bookmark

There’s something lovely about a bookmark inspired by Beauty and the Beast, especially one featuring that famous enchanted rose.

This silver-tone bookmark has a red rose charm, a little castle, and a miniature book that reads “Once Upon a Time.” It’s a pretty accessory for anyone who loves fairy tales, and it would make a nice little gift for a book lover, too.

Storybook Cottage Reading Counter

If you like keeping track of how many books you’ve finished, this storybook-style reading counter adds a decorative touch to a bookshelf.

The little cottage design fits the fairy-tale theme nicely, and it’s a fun way to watch your reading total grow throughout the year.

More Magical Books and Games

If you enjoy stories involving witches, enchanted places, and magical bargains, you might also like my Witchy Board Games: Dark Magic & Strategic Schemes.

And if the darker side of fairy tales appeals to you, take a look at Terrifying Haunted House Books to Keep You Up All Night for more unsettling stories.

Which Fairy Tale Would You Rewrite?

I think one of the most interesting things about fairy-tale retellings is how differently two authors can approach the same story.

The same princess might become a heroine in one book and a villain in another. A supposedly wicked witch might turn out to have a perfectly reasonable explanation for her behavior.

And sometimes the story gets considerably more interesting once the happy ending is out of the way.

So, which fairy tale would you like to see retold?

I’d be especially curious to read more stories told from the villains’ perspectives. After all, we’ve heard the princesses’ side of things for centuries. Maybe it’s time to let the witches have their say.

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