Sunday, April 19, 2026

Ten top modern fantasy novels that revitalize fairy tale tropes

Moorea Corrigan holds a bachelor’s degree with honors in English literature from the University of Edinburgh and a master of publishing degree from Simon Fraser University, Vancouver. She works at an academic press in Boulder, Colorado. When she is not writing, you can find her singing, spending time with her menagerie of pets, or attending Jane Austen conventions in full Regency regalia.

Thistlemarsh is her debut novel.

At The Nerd Daily she tagged ten books that twist fairy "tales in innovative ways that engage with both the original material and the modern day." One title on the list:
Thornhedge by T. Kingfisher

T. Kingfisher brings a folkloric touch to the story of Sleeping Beauty with this delightful novella. Switched at birth with a Faerie child, our main character a Toadling grows up amongst the Faeries and only returns to grant a gift to her own dangerous replacement. Focusing on finding strength in strangeness and acceptance, this is a stunning take on an old tale. Standalone.
Read about another entry on the list.

--Marshal Zeringue