Radical Retellings

Gods of Jade and Shadow

“When she accidentally frees the Mayan god of death from imprisonment, Casiopea Tun, armed only with her wits and her dreams of the future, is forced to leave her tiny village in southern Mexico and join an otherworldly battle of life and death alongside treacherous gods, hungry ghosts, and quick-talking demons. Journeying from the southern jungles to the glitz and grime of Jazz Age Mexico City, and finally up to the gates of the Underworld itself, Gods of Jade and Shadow is a stunning adventure full of enchanting characters, magical locales, and clever surprises that you’ll never see coming. A must-read for any fantasy fan!”

Rebecca Speas, Just One More Page Books

The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea

“'She was not a creature of courage, but she was one of spite.' This book is exactly my niche- queer fairy-tales, trans pirates, bloodsucking mermaids, a sentient sea, and a delightfully mean witch. I can't shut up about it!!!”

Miriasha, Phoenix Books

Little Thieves

“Vanja wants just one thing. She wants enough money to escape the life of servitude her godmothers, Death and Fortune have promised her. She has stolen many things, jewelry, clothes, money, and the identity of her former lady, the Princess Giselle. Cursed by a low god, Vanja only has a fortnight to return what she’s stolen before the jewels growing on her body will take over and kill her...a lifetime of isolation, Vanja knows that she’s the only person she can count on. Perfect for fans of Six of Crows, this Bavarian-inspired fantasy is a delightful adventure with found family, thrilling mysteries, and is full of heart. Maybe Vanja wants more than one thing, after all.”

Cassie, Wellesley Books

Deadly storms have ravaged Mina’s homeland for generations. Floods sweep away entire villages, while bloody wars are waged over the few remaining resources. Her people believe the Sea God, once their protector, now curses them with death and despair. In an attempt to appease him, each year a beautiful maiden is thrown into the sea to serve as... Read more »

One of NPR's Best Books of the Year: This darkly funny and provocative novel reimagines classic fairy tale characters as modern women in a support group for trauma. In present-day New York City, five women meet in a basement support group to process their traumas. Bernice grapples with the fallout of dating a psychopathic, blue-bearded... Read more »

The forest is a dangerous place, where siren song lures men and women to their deaths.

Deep in the wood lives a witch queen and her eight tree siren daughters. For centuries, they have harvested souls to feed the heartless tree, using its power to grow their ever reaching kingdom of ash, birch, and oak.

Owen Merrick lives at the edge of the... Read more »

This program is read by the author and includes a bonus PDF of detailed notes.

A spellbinding and subversive queer recasting of Arthurian myth by the legendary author of Hild

The girl knows she has a destiny before she even knows her name. She grows up in the wild, in a cave with her mother, but visions of a faraway lake come to her on the spring... Read more »

In the vein of Naomi Novik’s New York Times bestseller Spinning Silver and Katherine Arden’s national bestseller The Bear and the Nightingale, this unforgettable debut— inspired by Hungarian history and Jewish mythology—follows a young pagan woman with hidden powers and a one-eyed captain of the Woodsmen as they form an unlikely alliance to... Read more »

If you enjoyed Circe, then you’ll love Norse Mythology.

“Just wow this audiobook! Neil Gaiman reading his special and slightly different versions of classic Norse stories is such a joy to listen to. His voice is mesmerizing and the stories are fantastic.”

Teri, UC San Diego Bookstore

You think you know these stories, don’t you?You are wrong. You don’t know them at all.Twelve tales, twelve dangerous tales of mystery, magic, and rebellious hearts. Each twists like a spindle to reveal truths full of warning and triumph, truths that free hearts long kept tame, truths that explore life . . . and death.A prince has a surprising... Read more »

From highly acclaimed, bestselling author Ava Reid comes a gothic horror retelling of The Juniper Tree, set in another time and place within the world of The Wolf and the Woodsman, where a young witch seeks to discover her identity and escape the domination of her abusive wizard father, perfect for fans of Shirley Jackson and Catherynne M.... Read more »

If you enjoyed Cinder, then you’ll love A Spindle Splintered.

“Get ready to push back your bedtime! You won’t want to get a wink of sleep until you’ve finished A Spindle Splintered. Alex E. Harrow breathes life into the sleepiest of fairytales in this sapphic retelling of sleeping beauty.”

Caroline, Phoenix Books

The first daughter is for the Throne.
The second daughter is for the Wolf.

For fans of Uprooted and The Bear and the Nightingale comes a dark, sweeping debut fantasy novel about a young woman who must be sacrificed to the legendary Wolf of the Wood to save her kingdom. But not all legends are true, and the Wolf isn't the only danger lurking in the... Read more »