Here are some of our favourite books combining twisted fairy tales.

The Child Thief

Goodreads rating: 4.10

When his home is taken over by drug dealers, fourteen-year-old Nick runs away. He is rescued by a mischievous and charming boy, Peter, who takes him to the “promised land” which is, by no means, Neverland. This is the story of the Child Thief who will do anything to save the last remnants of magic on his island. Even if it means kidnapping children to train them for an inevitable battle.

When you think of Peter Pan, this is probably what comes to mind:

Or maybe even:

The Child Thief is much darker than either of the films. If you’ve read the original by J.M. Barrie, there are actually a lot of creepy bits. Take a look at this quote:

The boys on the island vary, of course, in numbers, according as they get killed and so on; and when they seem to be growing up, which is against the rules, Peter thins them out; but at this time there were six of them, counting the twins as two.

What does “thins out” allude to? Perhaps Peter Pan isn’t as innocent as we like to think.

Once Upon A Marigold

Goodreads rating: 3.98

Christian has fallen head-over-heels for Princess Marigold. The problem? He’s just an ordinary commoner. But that’s not all: he lives in a cave with a troll. Christian decides that it’s time to leave the forest and embrace the real world. He gets a job at the castle only to discover that the princess’ mother, Queen Olympia has an evil plan to take over the kingdom.

This book is very cute. The characters are hilarious and the story is heart-warming. In fact, like the cover says, it’s truly “part comedy, part love story, part everything-but-the-kitchen-sink”. Even better, it’s in the KIS library!

Spindle’s End

Goodreads rating: 3.79

Everyone in the kingdom has looked forward to the birth of the princess. However, the wicked fairy Pernicia curses the princess on her name-day. When the child turns twenty-one, she will prick her finger on a spindle and fall into a death-like sleep. The cursed princess is spirited away to a small village by another young fairy. But sooner or later, everyone must meet their fate.

Warning: This book is a bit slow as a lot of books by McKinley are. If you don’t like long descriptive paragraphs or going off on a tangent, this book is not for you. In all other respects, this is a splendid story with strong female leads and a much more interesting plot than the original.