All things must come to an end. Today’s article is the final installment of my retelling series for September, and I’ve saved the best for last. Beauty and the Beast—you know it, you love it, but I’m willing to bet some of these you’ve never heard of. If you’re interested in writing your own retelling or picking out your next book, read on. The Popular One: Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge Cruel Beauty blends Beauty and the Beast with Greek mythology in this enemies-to-lovers plot. Readers be warned, it is heavy on the romance side. Since she was born, Nyx has been betrothed to the immortal ruler of her kingdom, Ignifex. And ever since that day, she has been planning to kill him. However, when she meets the Lord, she learns he is more charming than she expected. Can she fulfill her duty and kill the man to save her kingdom? Reviewers seem to be split on whether Cruel Beauty is “a bizarrely beautiful little addiction” (Emily May) or “a mixing pot of great ideas that didn't get mixed very well” (Steph Sinclair), but I’ll leave it up to you to decide. The Disney Remake: As Old as Time by Liz Braswell As Old as Time is a part of Disney’s Twisted Tales standalone series, and has the spirit of the classic movie. The story follows the movie plotline until Belle finds the rose in the forbidden wing of Beast’s castle. From there the story diverges, and the ending is…quite different. Hint: the front cover says “What If Belle’s Mother Cursed the Beast?” Âs Old as Time is written with a dual timeline, revealing what happened to Belle’s mother and where the magic of the kingdom went. Less Singy, More Stabby: Hunted by Meghan Spooner Sorry, this is as close as we’re going to get to a ninja B+B retelling (see Cinderella and Red Riding Hood articles for context). In Hunted by Meghan Spooner, our main character Yeva is a hunter like her father, and she is no damsel in distress. When her father goes missing in the forest, Yeva tracks the beast he was hunting and gets more than she bargained for. “A cursed valley, a ruined castle, and a world of creatures that Yeva’s only heard about in fairy tales”, Spooner blends Beauty and the Beast with Russian folklore reminiscent of The Bear and the Nightingale. For Jane Austen Stans: Beauty’s Rose by Rebecca J. Greenwood Have you ever wanted a little Regency in your fairy tale? Your search is over. A stolen red rose has consequences for Isabelle “Beauty” Reynolds and her family, for when her father steals it, he angers the powerful Duke of Rosden. Half-blinded by a childhood illness, the Duke hopes the lovely girl he met in town (spoiler: it’s Isabelle) will accept him for who he truly is. Released in 2019, Greenwood’s Beauty’s Rose is 4th in her Once Upon a Regency series and is relatively undiscovered (there is another Beauty’s Rose B+B retelling set in 1980s France, curiously also 4th in its series). The Misconception: Uprooted by Naomi Novik In my search for B+B retellings, I noticed that Uprooted was often listed as one. I’ve read Uprooted and enjoyed it, but I have to refute this and say it has very vague Beauty and the Beast vibes. Novik has infused her high fantasy book with fairytale tradition and Polish culture, but it does not feel like the classic story. Every ten years, a girl is taken by the wizard ‘Dragon’ to be his servant and learn the ways of magic, and ever since Agnieszka(Ag-nesh-ka) could think, she knew Kasia(ka-sha) would be taken as his. Bracing herself to lose her best friend, Agnieszka stands in line with the other girls, but the Dragon has other plans. The magic system is very unique, weaving storytelling with endurance and voice. Are We Sure This Is the Right Retelling?: For the Wolf by Hannah Witten The first daughter is for the throne, the second is for the wolf. While this may sound like a Red Riding Hood retelling, it reads much closer to Beauty and the Beast. In fact, it was even in my Red Riding Hood article before I realized what was up. Red, the main character of For the Wolf, is sent to the wolf in the Wilderwood forest. She also has a magical gift, and, according to Goodreads, the magic system is either interesting or convoluted. Readers call this book a slow-burn romance, and the author has posted content warnings on her website. Without a doubt, Beauty and the Beast is one of the most beloved retellings, and for good reason. The story is primed for enemies-to-lovers tension, magic, and mystery. Did I miss your favorite retelling? Share your favorites in the comments below! Who knows, retellings might get another visit from us at JUVEN Press. Thanks for reading, and happy writing! Grayson Yountis a writer based in North Carolina. She attends writing classes of all kinds at UNC Chapel Hill and has a particular fondness for sharp imagery. In her free time, she drafts her own novels.
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