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With a prick of a finger on a spindle, anyone can fall into a death-like, sinister sleeping curse created from an evil fae. That is the tale of Sleeping Beauty that we know and love. And in these different retellings, princes and princesses will fall into their own sleeping slumbers that only the bravest of all can break.
Here are 10 must-read Snow White retellings>>
Sleeping Beauty’s Spindle by Shonna Slayton
Briar Rose will do anything to keep her orphaned siblings together. Her initial plans are to marry an ambitious young man that would take them out of the cotton mill, but that idea flops when he no longer cares for her. She then finds a peddler who gives her a spindle made from fairy wood with the promise of it having magical qualities. Desperate to try anything that will save her family, she inadvertently causes the mill girls to fall into a deadly sleeping curse, one that Briar will have to fight the evil fairy if she’s to break.
The Bone Spindle by Leslie Vedder
Fi, Shane, and Briar Rose are three very different individuals with one major problem in common: they’re looking to break a century-old curse. Briar is the first to fall under the sleeping curse, and he’s been waiting a hundred years for someone to share a kiss with him that will release him from his slumber. What he gets instead is Fi, who pricks her finger on a bone spindle in the middle of exploring a lost ruin. Now Fi and Briar are connected through his spirit, and between Fi and Shane, they’ll race to release the curse before it succumbs Fi for good.
Briarheart by Mercedes Lackey
Miriam, the daughter of Queen Alethia and King’s Champion, has no ambition or desire to rule. In fact, she’s not even a princess—her new baby sister Aurora is the real princess and heir to the throne. On the day of Aurora’s christening, an evil Dark Fae shows up uninvited, and casts a curse upon them. Seeing the impossible power inside of the Fae, Miriam begins training in both dark magic and combat to protect Aurora from the shadowy threats that loom over their heads.
Girl, Serpent, Thorn by Melissa Bashardoust
Soraya is a cursed princess who lives alone in her gardens. Her touch is poisonous to others, keeping her from interacting with the outside world. The day her twin brother is set to be married, she’ll have to decide if stepping outside is the right thing. She’s torn between the demon below in the dungeons who holds her freedom, the boy who isn’t afraid of her, or the lingering poison beneath her skin.
The Enchanted Crown by Bethany Atazadeh
The final installment and loose retelling of Sleeping Beauty finds Arie, Rena, and Nesrin preparing for the upcoming Jinni Crowning Ceremony. The Queen of Jinn is ready to attack, and Arie is struggling to manage the pain from her Severance. At the same time, Rena’s newfound selflessness meets a new trial as the kingdom needs aid now more than ever.
Rose & Thorn by Sarah Prineas
Rose is in trouble when the spell to protect her gets destroyed, leaving her to seek safety in a world that isn’t her own. With the aid of a handsome yet mysterious Watcher, Griff, and his partner Quirk, she’ll try to escape the curses that have bonded her life for as long as she could remember. Rose was born with three curses that have the power to put her into a century-long unwanted slumber. As the three journey together, they’ll try everything to prevent Rose from meeting her nightly demise.
Lava Red Feather Blue by Molly Ringle
They thought waking the handsome Prince Larkin from his slumber would end their fairy tale—but that was just the beginning. He’s been in a magical sleep since 1799 on the north Pacific island of Eidolonia, a consequence of the truce between the fae and humans. His centuries-long slumber is coming to an end, after a modern witch, Merrick Highvalle,y finds a cryptic note inside a garden statue. But accidentally releasing Larkin awakens the dark faery Ula Kana who’s set on bringing the world to ruin and removing any human found on their island.
Forest of Dreams and Whispers by Katherine Macdonald
Juliana Ardencourt, a mortal who grew up in Faerie, has only ever heard rumors about a curse being cast on the land; those who’ve lived long know it exists. When Prince Hawthorn turns eighteen and he spills his first drop of blood, every being in the kingdom will fall into a sleeping curse as the Unseelie King rules. Juliana’s role is to serve the King, and on his birthday, she might be the only one who can save him and the entire land of Faerie.
Kingdom of Slumber by Deborah Grace White
Princess Azalea isn’t as bothered as everyone around her about the curse placed on her life. As her sixteenth birthday approaches, even Prince Bentleigh, her trusted protector, begins to grow weary. It doesn’t help that Ben is her promised betrothal, but before they can make it down the aisle, they’ll have to first wake the entire kingdom that has fallen under the sleeping curse. The most surprising part? Azalea isn’t asleep like she’s meant to be, and she’s the only one left to destroy the deadly magic, if anyone is to have a future.
Throne of Fury by J.A. Armitage
Azis is tired of sitting around, waiting for the doctors to find a cure for Sleeping Beauty, her mother. She’s going out to search for one herself, to help take the burden from her father’s soldiers. She’ll have to first deal with the whim of a competition she put on for her hand in marriage, a magic necklace, and an elusive God. The only thing to give her bits of hope is the unexpected arrival of a Urbis girl named Charlotte.
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