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17 Diverse Retellings

by - March 20, 2021

Humans have passed down the same myths and folk tales for millennia. But it would be boring if the stories stayed exactly the same, so we've been adding flair with retellings forever. Same themes, similar beats, a whole new book. Sometimes you can identify the original, but sometimes the retelling is so unique that it's unbelievable.

Despite that, with the Western-centricism and whiteness in publishing, you see the same retellings all the time: white authors, European myths, heteronormative romances. If you want more fairy tale retellings written by BIPOC and/or LGBT authors, this is the rec list for you!


17 Diverse Retellings

1. These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong [YA fantasy]


This retelling of Romeo and Juliet takes place in 1920s Shanghai, and it's the rare case where the setting is so magically described that it's a character in itself! Juliette Cai and Roma Montagov are ex-lovers and heirs to rival gangs who have to work together to stop a monster plaguing their city. 

Gong paints a vivid portrait of history and politics. It's not just the Scarlet Gang against the White Flowers; it's them versus themselves, and versus the rising Communist Party, and versus the European colonialists who have invaded Chinese shores. We've got a full cast of loveable side characters, a spooky monster haunting the city, and a lovers to enemies to lovers romance full of angst and bite!


2. Forest of a Thousand Lanterns by Julie C. Dao [YA fantasy]


Do you love villain protagonists as much as I do? This Evil Queen retelling is set in Ancient China. Xifeng is a beautiful peasant girl who will become Empress at all costs. She uses her wit, charms, and femininity to seduce and manipulate her enemies into their own demise. She'll sacrifice anything and everyone, and no matter how horrible she is, you'll love to root for her.


3. A Spark of White Fire by Sangu Mandanna [YA sci-fi]


This version of the Mahabharata is set in outer space, with interplanetary warfare and a sentient spaceship. But it maintains the juicy inter-family politics and backstabbing, and offers a fantastic heroine off to reclaim her throne! Most intriguing is the fact that this sci-fi world merges magic and technology; it's a universe where gods live among men, and cast both favors and mischief on our crew.


4. Silver in the Wood by Emily Tesh [Adult fantasy]

Silver in the Wood is lush, dreamy, and utterly romantic. Featuring a cute m/m romance and a historical feel, this re-imagining of The Green Man folk tale explores the divide between monster and man, human and nature, past and present. When our narrator Tobias, Green Man and protector of the woods, encounters a chirpy young man named Henry Silver, it isn't just his heart that awakens; it's a rotten darkness beneath the ground too. And it's hungry for humans.

[Add it on Goodreads]


5. Wintersong by S. Jae-Jones [YA fantasy]


Magic, music, monsters! This Goblin King-inspired retelling is a heart-wrenching romance for the ages. I swear I was swooning (and annotating my copy!) the whole time. Teenage protagonist Liesl is a talented musician, but she's a plain girl in a world that doesn't value women. When she saves her sister and is whisked away to become the Goblin King's bride in her stead, Liesl must learn to live and love for herself—even when it turns deadly.



6. Anna K by Jenny Lee [YA contemporary] 


Have you ever wanted the drama and romance of Anna Karenina without devouring the original tome? Well, Jenny Lee offers a hilarious, over-the-top, and contemporary alternative. Anna K is about the lives, loves, and losses of Manhattan rich kids. The eponymous Anna K is a half-Korean queen bee who is perfect, kind, elegant... but when she falls head over heels for bad boy Vronsky, all hell breaks loose. Lee manages to balance a huge cast of complex and loveable characters, and despite the Classic-inspired and dense writing style (I swear, this is not your usual YA contemporary), it was unputdownable. I just needed to know more. So much drama! Intrigue!

Oh, and if you hated the original ending to Anna Karenina, don't worry. In my opinion, this is way better.



7. Pride by Ibi Zoboi [YA contemporary]


Pride & Prejudice is a well-loved classic that's been re-imagined thousands of times, but Zoboi brings it to contemporary Brooklyn, New York. Pride is more than just its forbidden romance; it's about gentrification, familial love, Afro-Latine culture, and being yourself and taking pride in your identity no matter what.



8. Legendborn by Tracy Deonn [YA fantasy]



When someone says "King Arthur retelling" you might not expect a contemporary college setting with secret societies and a Black girl protagonist, but that's how Deonn upgrades her story to the modern day. With a PhD in Arthurian literature, this author hasn't just written a fun urban fantasy, she's also explored issues like racism, elitism, revenge, and grief. Wow.



9. The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh [YA fantasy]



This retelling of The Arabian Nights finds love in unexpected places. When Shahrzad's dearest friend is murdered by the cursed boy-king Khalid, she vows revenge and volunteers to be Khalid's bride. Each bride is murdered by morning, but Sharhzad delays her fate by telling the king a story each night. And while she must kill him or risk death herself, she can't help but fall in love.



10. Burning Roses by S.L. Huang [Adult fantasy]

Most fairy tale retellings focus on one myth, but Burning Roses combines them all into one action-packed novella. Rosa and Hou Yi are middle-aged women, new friends and old warriors, who have banded together to stop sunbirds from destroying the country. But along their quest, you learn about their pasts, who and what they're fleeing... and why these sunbirds have been unleashed in the first place. Two sapphic older women leads, one trans woman lead, and a mix of both Western and Eastern mythology, Burning Roses tackles them all.

[Add it on Goodreads]



11. Upon a Burning Throne by Ashok K. Banker [Adult fantasy]



This epic fantasy retelling of the Mahabharata is for an older audience: vast in scope, characters, and ambition. A story deeply immersed in Indian mythology and culture. While I'm sure it would be easier to appreciate this if you're familiar with the source material, I've heard that it's detailed enough for new readers.


12. A Thousand Beginnings and Endings [Short story collection]


A Thousand Beginnings and Endings is an anthology of short story retellings by Asian YA authors. Each writer puts a new spin on a myth or folk tale from their culture, and makes use of various genres. If you're not in the mood for a long novel, check this out!

[Add it on Goodreads]


Upcoming releases:

13. Malice by Heather Walter [Adult fantasy] - To be released 13 April 2021


A sapphic and villainous retelling of Sleeping Beauty? Say no more. Check this out if you loved the movie Maleficent. Our protagonist is an evil sorceress... but what happens when she falls for the princess whose entire family was cursed by magic?


14. The Chosen and the Beautiful by Nghi Vo [Adult historical] - To be released 1 June 2021

Now that the copyright for The Great Gatsby has expired, I sense we'll see more retellings. This one re-imagines Jordan Baker as a queer Asian adoptee in Jazz Age America. But she's got money, power, and ambition... and she'll do whatever it takes to succeed despite all odds.

[Add it on Goodreads]


15. Darling by K. Ancrum [YA contemporary] - To be released 22 June 2021

K. Ancrum brings her dark Peter Pan retelling to modern day Chicago. But this city has a seedy underbelly, and Wendy might be in over her head. These lost boys are not all good.

[Add it on Goodreads]


16. She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan [Adult historical] - To be released 20 July 2021

This queer Mulan retelling has had incredible hype, and I've got an eye on it. We're seeing 14th century China under Mongol rule. When orphan Zhu takes over her dead brother's identity to protect herself, she goes from monk to warrior destined for greatness.

[Add it on Goodreads]


17. Within These Wicked Walls by Lauren Blackwood [YA fantasy] - To be released 9 Nov 2021

I'm also super excited for this one! It's an Ethiopian-inspired fantasy retelling of Jane Eyre. Andromeda is an exorcist hired to clean Magnus Rochester's family home. But the evil in this house is deeper and darker than she expected, and while she falls for magnetic Rochester, he seems to be hiding something equally deadly...

[Add it on Goodreads]


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What story do you wish you could read more retellings of?

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1 comments

  1. Thank you for the suggestions! Will definitely give some of these a try.

    ReplyDelete