If you have ever loved a story so much that you wished it would never end—or wished, perhaps, that someone might tell it to you again but differently, with new wonders tucked between the familiar words—then you understand the particular magic of fairy tale retellings. And if Ella Enchanted captured your heart with its clever heroine and its delightful reimagining of Cinderella, then you have come to precisely the right place.
What follows is a carefully curated collection of books that possess that same enchantment: stories that take the tales we know and love and transform them into something new, something surprising, something that makes us fall in love all over again.
1. The Wendy by Erin Michelle Sky and Steven Brown
Here is a Peter Pan retelling that shall quite steal your heart away, for it does something rather extraordinary—it places Wendy Darling at the centre of her own adventure and gives her a cutlass to wield while she’s there.
Set in the late 1700s, this is not merely a retelling but a reimagining of the grandest sort. Wendy is an orphan with dreams far too large for the world’s expectations: she wishes to captain her own ship, to sail the seas, to have adventures. Readers have called it “a Peter Pan retelling better than the original” and praised it as having “all the markings of a classic.”
The writing style is wonderfully reminiscent of Barrie himself—witty, charming, with a narrator who feels like an old friend sharing secrets. Reviewers note the “tongue in cheek references” and how Wendy’s expressive eyebrows become as memorable as any line of dialogue. The magic “smells green and tastes like pickles,” which is exactly the sort of delightful detail that distinguishes a merely good book from a truly enchanting one.
This is an adventure story for those who believe women can do anything, filled with sword fights and magic and mystery, yet remaining wonderfully light and whimsical throughout. The complete trilogy—The Wendy, The Navigator, and The Captain—is now available for those who cannot bear to leave this world once they’ve discovered it.
2. The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale
From the Brothers Grimm tale of a princess who became a goose girl before she could become queen, Shannon Hale has woven a coming-of-age story of remarkable depth. Princess Ani possesses the rare gift of communicating with animals, yet struggles to speak with people—until her lady-in-waiting betrays her and steals her identity.
The New York Times praised it beautifully: “In layer upon layer of detail a beautiful coming-of-age story emerges, a tale about learning to rescue yourself rather than falling accidentally into happily-ever-after.” This is the first of the Books of Bayern series, each one a treasure.
3. Beauty by Robin McKinley
Published in 1978, this Beauty and the Beast retelling set the standard by which all others are measured. Robin McKinley’s prose is exquisite, and the slow-building romance between Beauty and the Beast unfolds with such care that readers find themselves wholly enchanted.
The Beast’s castle comes alive with invisible servants, moving hallways, and a perpetual rose garden. Jo Walton called it “deeply enjoyable” and “a warm, open book where everyone is sympathetic.” Though the ending arrives rather quickly, the journey there is pure magic.
4. Spindle’s End by Robin McKinley
If Sleeping Beauty ever seemed to you a rather passive heroine, simply waiting to be awakened by a prince, then Spindle’s End shall remedy that entirely. McKinley’s Rosie grows into a strapping young woman who despises her golden hair, prefers breeches to ball gowns, and can communicate with animals.
The first chapter alone has been called “one of the most beautiful pieces of prose ever written.” Fantasy & Science Fiction noted that McKinley “works pure magic with this upside-down retelling.” On that fateful birthday, with no help from a prince, Rosie saves herself and her entire sleeping village.
5. East by Edith Pattou
For those who love the tale of “East of the Sun and West of the Moon”—which is rather like Beauty and the Beast, only with a polar bear instead of a beast and trolls instead of witches—East offers a cosy, atmospheric retelling perfect for curling up with on a winter’s day.
Rose agrees to live with a mysterious white bear to save her family, beginning an adventure that will take her across frozen landscapes to the castle east of the sun and west of the moon. The story unfolds through multiple perspectives, revealing the slow-growing friendship between Rose and the bear, leading to a quest that spans kingdoms.
6. Cinder by Marissa Meyer
What if Cinderella were a cyborg mechanic in the futuristic city of New Beijing? Marissa Meyer’s debut novel takes an audacious approach to the classic tale, and it works magnificently. Cinder is a gifted mechanic and a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, whose life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s.
Entertainment Weekly described it as “a mash up of fairy tales and science fiction… a cross between Cinderella, Terminator, and Star Wars.” This is the first book in The Lunar Chronicles, which reimagines multiple fairy tales in one thrilling series.
7. Wildwood Dancing by Juliet Marillier
Five sisters living in Transylvania secretly visit another realm every full moon, dancing all night with members of the magical court—until tragedy strikes and they must protect both their family and their enchanted secret. This is “The Twelve Dancing Princesses” blended with “The Frog Prince” and infused with Romanian folklore.
Juliet Marillier’s prose is elegant and lovely, weaving a tale that is both whimsical and dark, enchanting yet potentially dangerous. Readers have called it “the best version of ‘The Twelve Dancing Princesses'” they have encountered.
8. Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik
When Miryem, a moneylender’s daughter, gains a reputation for turning silver into gold, she draws the attention of the king of the Staryk—grim fey creatures more ice than flesh. The New York Times called it “a big and meaty novel, rich in both ideas and people, with the vastness of Tolkien and the empathy of Le Guin.”
This Rumpelstiltskin retelling draws upon Eastern European folklore and features explicitly Jewish characters, reclaiming a tale that has often been associated with harmful stereotypes. A Nebula and Hugo Award finalist that Paste named one of the best fantasy books of the decade.
9. The Princess Bride by William Goldman
Fencing. Fighting. Torture. Poison. True love. Hate. Revenge. Giants. This satirical fairy tale has everything, presented as the “good parts version” of a longer work by the fictional S. Morgenstern. It is a fairy tale full of action, romance, and revenge, with that timeless quality the best fairy tales possess.
Buttercup falls in love with Westley, who is presumed dead, only for a mysterious man in black to rescue her from kidnappers. The novel challenges fairy tale tropes while celebrating them, creating something that feels like it should be a thousand years old though it was published in the 1970s.
10. Fairest by Gail Carson Levine
From the author of Ella Enchanted comes this Snow White retelling featuring Aza, whose singing voice is so magnificent it might be magic—but whose appearance causes others to call her ugly. When she is thrust into the royal court of a kingdom obsessed with beauty and song, Aza must navigate treacherous politics and discover her own worth.
This is Gail Carson Levine at her finest, creating heroines who are spirited and kind, proving that true beauty comes from within.
11. A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
A Beauty and the Beast retelling woven together with the Scottish ballad of Tam Lin, this story follows Feyre, a huntress who kills a wolf in the woods—only to find herself dragged to a faerie realm as punishment. There, she discovers that her captor is not quite what he seems.
This darker, more mature retelling has passionate admirers who praise its blend of romance and political intrigue. Reviewers note that Sarah J. Maas takes the classic figure of Belle and transforms her completely—no damsel in distress here.
Finding Your Next Fairy Tale Adventure
Each of these books offers something unique: clever heroines who forge their own destinies, familiar tales told from unexpected angles, and that particular magic that makes us believe, if only for a few hundred pages, that enchantment is real.
Whether you prefer your fairy tales light and whimsical or dark and dangerous, there is something here for every reader who ever loved Ella Enchanted and longed for more stories just like it.
So choose your next adventure, dear reader. Second star to the right, and straight on till morning—or perhaps just to your favourite reading chair, which is nearly as magical a destination.
