That really shouldn't come as a surprise, taking into account the name of this blog and the amount of retellings that I read. I love the sense of whimsy and magic, but also the passion and strength that some have. My geekiness extends to myths and legends too, so much so that the current project that I'm writing is a (loose) retelling of the Hades and Persephone myth.
Granted that many fairytales and legends aren't the best advocates for women's rights and the characters can be transparent, there are so many that I just love. Here are just a few of my favourites. Also, sorry for the really long post but it was SO HARD to narrow this down, especially when I can (and probably will) talk about this topic forever. So don't be surprised if you see a post like this in the future. I can't resist.
Okay, I know what you're thinking. It's a story about abduction. Well, yes. It's a story about rape? Uh, no. Abduction is completely wrong, although it's unknown if Persephone ate the pomegranate seeds willingly (if you have no idea what I'm talking about, click on the link)--I like to think that she did. I like to think that she grew to love Hades, and that he didn't rape her (despite that misleading Renaissance statue--there is no evidence to say that he did).
The main reason I love this story is because in Ancient Greece, women had little to no rights. Hades made Persephone his equal, and they ruled the Underworld together. That was practically unheard of. In my view Persephone is incredibly badass--she's a goddess of vegetation, but also the queen of the friggin Underworld. Homer basically described her as formidable and badass. I also love how it's a story about the parental love that Demeter feels for her daughter.
I'm grouping these two together because of their similarities, but EotSWotM is a Norwegan fairytale, whilst Psyche and Eros is part of Greek Mythology. The reason that I love these stories is that the heroine isn't passive, and actually makes her own way to get what she wants. It is a love story, but it's also one of the few fairytales/legends which has a female character going out and having an adventure to get back the man she loves, rather than the other way round. East of the Sun, West of the Moon is one of the most underrated fairytales and is an extension of Beauty and the Beast, but in my opinion is so much better. I really want to write a retelling of this some day.
I absolutely love this story, because yet again it's about an awesome heroine doing what she does best. Scheherazade (as well as being a bitch to spell) saves her own life night after night by doing my favourite thing--telling stories. The stories she tells are actually just as famous as her own, and although Shahryar is portrayed to be an ass, I'm a sucker for an antihero and I really like that he falls in love with her because of her stories. I haven't read any retellings of this but I really want to (I'm desperate to read The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh which came out recently).
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If you haven't heard of this book, please kindly leave thank you. It's a retelling of three different fairytales, though it was marketed as a Beauty and the Beast retelling. Sarah said that it actually pulls on East of the Sun, West of the Moon as well, and I think that it's closer to that fairytale than the former. I just love this book, and I really like the elements that it takes from different sources. It isn't a direct retelling either, and I love that it takes the sweet romance of fairytales and turns it into a story of passion and desire. *swoons*
I finished this at the weekend and I loved it. It's a loose retelling of Little Red Riding Hood and The Girl with No Hands, and I have honestly read nothing like it in my life. I had trouble choosing between Hodge's other book--Cruel Beauty--and this one, but I think that Crimson Bound pushes the boundaries even further and is exactly the kind of twisted, sexy, and creepy tale that I love best.
I don't think that this is a fairytale retelling, but I wouldn't be surprised if Novik took inspiration from fairytales when writing Uprooted. It felt like a fairytale when I read it, but one with antiheroes, sex, and many creepy elements. Everything about it from the writing to the setting was pure magic, and I can't recommend it highly enough.
The chance is that everyone in the book world has heard of Cinder, and there is a reason for that. It's a Cinderella retelling, but our protagonist is strong, wilful, and brave. She's also a cyborg, so that's that. The other books in this series are based off of Little Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel, and Snow White, and although they don't follow the originals exactly there are so many references and links to the stories. I love the originality of this series, and it's pretty amazing how a sci-fi lite novel can read like it is a fairytale. I'm so excited for Winter to be released. You have no idea.
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