Books Like Hunted

Fairy tales have been around for thousands of years and continue to entertain, enthrall, and inspire readers. There have also been numerous television shows and blockbuster movies that were adapted from fairy tales. In addition, many authors have written their unique takes on classic fairy tales to make them more appealing to modern audiences. For example, in Hunted Meagan Spooner reimagines the classic French tale of Beauty and the Beast by setting it in medieval Russia. Her story also gives the Beast his own point of view to make the tale more compelling. For more novels that put their own unique spin on classic fairy tales have a look at these books like Hunted.

The Girl in Red

By Christina Henry

The Girl in Red by Christina Henry is a dark retelling of the fairy tale classic, Red Riding Hood. This new version takes place in a post-apocalyptic setting and the protagonist, Red, is a fierce young woman instead of a damsel in distress. While Red is an amputee with a prosthetic leg she is still determined to make the journey across the country to her Grandma's house and more than capable of taking care of any threats she encounters along the way. It's not an easy journey as there are plenty of desperate strangers as well as militia to deal with while the cause of the apocalypse is also still a threat.

Gingerbread

by Helen Oyeyemi

Helen Oyeyemi is no stranger to writing contemporary versions of classic fairy tales and already tackled Mr. Fox in 2011 as well as Snow White in 2014 with her novel Boy, Snow, Bird. For her 2019 novel, Gingerbread, she drew inspiration from the classic German fairy tale, Hansel and Gretel. However, it's far from a simple retelling and instead uses elements of the original story to create something interesting and unique. This makes it a great book for readers who enjoyed the original fairy tale but want to read something much more than just a retread of the familiar story. However, this also means that Gingerbread is a love it or hate it novel for many readers.

The Warrior Maiden

by Melanie Dickerson

Melanie Dickerson reimagines the classic tale of Mulan by setting it in medieval Europe for her novel, The Warrior Maiden. Mulan is the illegitimate daughter of very poor parents and disguises herself as a young man to take her father's place in battle against Teutonic Knights. She does this to avoid having to marry the local butcher and to ensure that her mother isn't turned out of their home. It is in this disguise that she makes a rival of Wolfgang, the German duke's son. However, despite their rivalry, the two soon become reluctant friends and Mulan is able to embrace her warrior spirit even after her secret is revealed.

Red Rider

by Kate Avery Ellison

Red Rider by Kate Avery Ellison is another take on the Red Riding Hood fairy tale, but this time with some post-apocalyptic elements of The Handmaid's Tale mixed in. The protagonist, Red, is one of the "Chosen" who are young women with DNA that is compatible with that of werewolves, called Sworn. These werewolves have conquered the human race, but require the Chosen as their own females are rare and barren. When Red's secret is discovered she ends up in the clutches of a Sworn called Vixor Rae, who is a prince among the werewolves. Red and Vixor are the only survivors when their group is attacked by monsters in the wilderness, which forces them to rely on each other for survival.

A Curse So Dark and Lonely

by Brigid Kemmerer

A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer is essentially a retelling of Beauty and the Beast, but with a more contemporary fantasy setting. Harper, a young woman with cerebral palsy, is the stand-in for Beauty in this novel, while Beast is a prince named Rhen who has been cursed to spend his eighteenth year over and over. At the end of each autumn, Rhen turns into a vicious beast and after destroying his castle his hopes of finding a girl to fall in love with him and break the curse have dwindled. A twist of fate causes Harper to be sucked into Rhen's world, but breaking the curse is not as easy as in the fairy tales.

A Touch of Gold

by Annie Sullivan

All fairytale fans should be familiar with King Midas and the blessing turned curse that allowed him to turn everything into gold. A Touch of Gold by Annie Sullivan explores what happens after Midas relinquished this power forever after nearly killing his daughter with it. The protagonist is Princess Kora, who still has a skin that shines golden and spends most of her days concealing it with gloves and veils. She also has the ability to sense gold, which she has to rely on when a thief steals treasures that are keeping her father alive. Kora sets out on an adventure to retrieve these treasures which takes her beyond the castle grounds and away from the sheltered life that she has lived.

The Shadow Queen

by CJ Redwine

CJ Redwine takes an action-packed approach to retelling Snow White with her novel, The Shadow Queen. In her tale Princess Lorelei flees from Ravenspire castle after her stepmother, Irina, kills her father and enslaves the court with dark magic. Nine years later the 17-year old princess and her younger brother is still living in hiding, but have hopes of toppling the queen. However, the queen has tasked the teenage king of a neighboring country to hunt down Lorelei if he wants aid in protecting his kingdom from invading ogres. Fortunately, Lorelei is not just a skilled fighter, but also a powerful magic user and is not going to back down from reclaiming what is rightfully hers.