Mechanica by Betsy Cornwall
This steampunk retelling of “Cinderella” will delight readers with its depiction of a self-assured heroine just biding her time until she can improve her life. Audiences who enjoy self-aware rettellings that play with fairy tale tropes will likely enjoy this book. Read Briana’s review here.
Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine
Featuring a girl who has been “blessed” with the gift of obedience, this is the classic retelling of “Cinderella.” Readers will fall in love with the spunky Ella as she matches her wits against her stepsisters and the fairy who gave her her gift. Prince Char also makes this a great read for those who appreciate sweet romances. Read Krysta’s review here.
Just Ella by Margaret Peterson Haddix
A somewhat gritty retelling filled with action in addition to pretty gowns and romance. Ella wins Prince Charming’s marriage proposal, but then discovers becoming a princess might not be what she wants. She might prefer to be just Ella, but will the royals let her leave?
Princess of Glass by Jessica Day George
A companion book to Princess of the Midnight Ball, this reads as a mixture of fantasy, romance, and mystery. The protagonist Princess Poppy is not the Cinderella figure, but, rather, the one who takes it upon herself to discover where a serving girl has suddenly been acquiring fancy new clothes. Fun and original.
Before Midnight by Cameron Dokey
Part of the “Once Upon a Time” series published by Simon Pulse. It is not the most imaginative work in the series or even the best of Dokey’s own contributions, but it is nonetheless a delightfully fun read for anyone who loves retellings.
Cinder by Marissa Meyer
A science fiction/dystopian retelling in which Cinder is a cyborg in New Beijing. This promises to be a unique contribution to the line of retellings, and the fact that it is the first in a series suggests that the story will explore deeper into the lives of the characters than the original tale. Read Briana’s review here.
Disenchanted: The Trials of Cinderella by Megan Morrison
This retelling takes inspiration from the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire to depict Ella as a proponent of labor reform. Coming from “new money,” Ella struggles to find acceptance in her new social class, but also feels drawn to help the working class from which she rose. A modern take on a classic tale. Read Krysta’s review here.
Geekerella by Ashley Poston
In this modern retelling, Elle is a geek girl who meets her prince at a con. A cute read meant primarily to be fun, though the book also raises questions about geek culture and what it means to be a “real” fan. Read Briana’s review here.
Pages Unbound | Book Reviews & Discussions 
I love Ella Enchanted and Just Ella and I am SO excited for Cinder! (Another great Cinderella read is Cindy Ella by Robin Palmer. 🙂
Thanks for stopping by my blog! Inheritance is AMAZING (best book in the series, in my opinion) and even though I was in the same boat you are (not being able to remember much from the previous books), the summary in the beginning brought it all back. As for Murtagh, yes, he is in it and A LOT. The scenes with him are awesome, that’s all I’m gonna say. (: If you don’t want to buy it, there’s always the library. You may just have to wait a bit because of the hold list.
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I’ve never heard of Cindy Ella. I’ll have to check it out. I’m a huge fan of fairytale retellings! I also recently received Cinder and Ella by Melissa Lemon, but I haven’t read it yet so I can’t make much of a recommendation.
I was hoping there would be a recap. Or that Wikipedia would come to my rescue! I’m thinking of waiting until it’s free at the library, except I own the first three in hardcover and it seems so sad to leave the series incomplete. I definitely need to read it if Murtagh is back, though!
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I love this post! Ella Enchanted is one of my favorite childhood books. I will have to check out the other ones!
Thanks for stopping by my blog
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Ella Enchanted was probably the first fairytale retelling I read, and Gail Carson Levine is still one of my favorite authors writing them. I was so excited when she released A Tale of Two Castles; it’s closer to the spirit of Ella Enchanted than many of the books she’s written recently.
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