4 Spellbinding Retellings of “Beauty and the Beast”

cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge

Seventeen years ago, Nyx’s father made a bargain with the demon lord who rules their land.  Now Nyx must become his wife, but she is not going willingly.  She has a plan that will end his reign once and for all.  But what happens when she falls in love with the person she wants to destroy?

A dark romance focused largely on Nyx’s feelings for the demon lord and his shadow.  Readers who enjoy steamy reads will likely find this to their taste, but fans of fantasy may also enjoy the unique worldbuilding.

A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer

Prince Rhen is cursed to relive his eighteenth year over and over again until a girl falls in love with him.  Unfortunately, they never do–not when they see the beast he becomes.  Then Harper, a girl from D.C. enters his world and, suddenly, Rhen thinks he might have a chance.  But war approaches his borders and Harper fears for the family she left behind.  Can Rhen save both his kingdom and his heart?

A gripping retelling that goes beyond the romance to tell a story about political machinations and impending war.  Readers who enjoy high fantasy and war stories will delight in this expanded version of an old story. There’s even a sequel!

Ogre Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine

Evie enjoys working on her healing remedies along with her best friend Wormy.  But then Wormy has to ruin everything by proposing.  Even worse, the fairy Lucinda does not agree with Evie that she is too young to think of marrying anyone.  As punishment for rejecting Wormy, Lucinda transforms Evie into an ogre.  Now, she only has a few weeks to accept a proposal–or she will be an ogre forever.  A prequel to Ella Enchanted that can be read as a standalone.

Readers expecting a second Ella Enchanted may find themselves disappointed by this prequel.  Readers who judge the book on its own, however, will likely be delighted at the opportunity to return to Ella’s world, learn more about ogres, and immerse themselves in the lives of characters who played pivotal roles in Ella Enchanted.  Evie is a spunky heroine whose kindness will cause readers to sympathize with her and cheer her on her journey.

Echo North by Joanna Ruth Meyer

Scarred by a wolf when she is seven years old, Echo Alkaev leads a lonely existence, shunned by the villagers who think she is cursed. Years later, she meets the wolf again and he strikes a bargain: he will save her father’s life is she agrees to live with him for one year. In his house under the mountain, Echo finds an enchanted library and begins to fall in love with Hal, who seems trapped in the books. But an evil force is growing and the wolf, Echo, and Hal will all be lost at the end of the year, unless Echo can find a way to break the curse.

This enchanting fantasy blends elements from “East of the Sun, West of the Moon,” “Beauty and the Beast,” and “Tam Lin.”  Readers who love retellings with a classic feel will fall in love with Echo North, which captures the elusive spirit of Faerie.

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