The fairy tale of Snow White seems to be super trendy/popular right now. I feel like I see her everywhere: books, movies, TV. I probably don’t actually see her as much as I think I do, but she’s just on my mind. Also, Snow White’s voice, from the original Disney movie, creeps me out. Just can’t do it. (Love Snow in Once Upon a Time though, aw yeah).
Without further ado, here is my compilation of some Snow White Retellings…but which is the fairest of them all? (Eh eh, see what I did there?)
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Fairest by Gail Carson Levine
Aza’s singing is the fairest in all the land, and the most unusual. She can “throw” her voice so it seems to come from anywhere. But singing is only one of the two qualities prized in the Kingdom of Ayortha. Aza doesn’t possess the other: beauty. Not even close. She’s hidden in the shadows in her parents’ inn, but when she becomes lady-in-waiting to the new queen, she has to step into the light—especially when the queen demands a dangerous favor. A magic mirror, a charming prince, a jealous queen, palace intrigue, and an injured king twine into a maze that Aza must penetrate to save herself and her beloved kingdom.
As always, Gail Carson Levine has a really unique twist on the classic tales that will appear to readers of all ages. This middle-grade book should definitely make it on your list of to-read Snow Whites!
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The Fairest Beauty (Fairy Tales #3) by Melanie Dickerson
Sophie desperately wants to get away from her stepmother’s jealousy, and believes escape is her only chance to be happy. Then a young man named Gabe arrives from Hagenheim Castle, claiming she is betrothed to his older brother, and everything twists upside down. This could be Sophie’s one chance at freedom—but can she trust another person to keep her safe? Gabe defied his parents Rose and Wilhelm by going to find Sophie, and now he believes they had a right to worry: the girl’s inner and outer beauty has enchanted him. Though romance is impossible—she is his brother’s future wife, and Gabe himself is betrothed to someone else—he promises himself he will see the mission through, no matter what.
A medieval retelling of Snow White with a dash of starcrossed lovers. Definitely an interesting read and no supernatural elements in this version!
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Fairest of All: a Tale of the Wicked Queen by Serena Valentino
The tale of the young princess and her evil stepmother, the Wicked Queen, is widely known. Despite a few variations from telling to telling, the story remains the same–the Queen was jealous of the girl’s beauty, and this jealousy culminated in the Queen’s attempt on the sweet, naive girl’s life. Another tale far less often spoken of is the one that explains what caused the Queen to become so contemptuously vile. Still, some have attempted to guess at the reason. Perhaps the Queen’s true nature was that of a wicked hag and her beautiful, regal appearance a disguise used to fool the King. Others claim that the Queen might have hated the girl for her resemblance to the King’s first wife. Mostly, the Queen is painted as a morally abhorrent woman who never loved another being during the course of her miserable life. It is a tale of the Wicked Queen…
This sounds fantastic! Haven’t had a chance to pick it up personally, but it sounds SO good! A tale of the Wicked Queen…I’ve got chills.
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Fairest (The Lunar Chronicles #3.5) by Marissa Meyer
Mirror, mirror on the wall,
Who is the fairest of them all?
Fans of the Lunar Chronicles know Queen Levana as a ruler who uses her “glamour” to gain power. But long before she crossed paths with Cinder, Scarlet, and Cress, Levana lived a very different story – a story that has never been told… until now.
In this stunning bridge book between Cress and Winter in the bestselling Lunar Chronicles, Queen Levana’s story is finally told.
Can I go a post without mentioning The Lunar Chronicles? Probably not, but especially not now with the release of Winter coming soon(ish) but never soon enough! Fairest tells Queen Levana’s backstory and is definitely not something to miss.
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Snow by Tracy Lynn
In a tiny Welsh estate, a duke and duchess lived happily, lacking only a child—or, more importantly, a son and heir to the estate. Childbirth ultimately proved fatal for the young duchess. After she died, the duke was dismayed to discover that he was not only a widower, but also father to a tiny baby girl. He vowed to begin afresh with a new wife, abandoning his daughter in search of elusive contentment.
Independent—virtually ignored—and finding only little animals and a lonely servant boy as her companions, Jessica is pale, lonely and headstrong…and quick to learn that she has an enemy in her stepmother. “Snow,” as she comes to be known, flees the estate to London and finds herself embraced by a band of urban outcasts. But her stepmother isn’t finished with her, and if Jessica doesn’t take control of her destiny, the wicked witch will certainly harness her youth—and threaten her very life…
Interestingly, in this version, Snow’s dad is just as much of the problem as the evil stepmother. Tag along with Snow as she discovers her own group of seven…
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If those 5 Snow White Retellings weren’t enough for you, or you’ve read them all already, or you’re just curious to see truly how many there are, check out these Goodreads lists for more versions of Snow White & the Seven Dwarves:
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(featured image source)
Spinning Starlight by RC Lewis
“Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.”
“Etienne de Brabant is brokenhearted. His wife has died in childbirth, leaving him alone with an infant daughter he cannot bear to name. But before he abandons her for king and court, he brings a second child to be raised alongside her, a boy whose identity he does not reveal.”
“When Lucinda Chapdelaine was a small child, her parents left for the royal ball and never returned. Ever since, Lucinda has been stuck in perpetual servitude at her evil aunt’s jewelry store. Then, on the very same day, a mysterious visitor and an even more bizarre piece of jewelry both enter the shop, setting in motion a string of twists and turns that will forever alter Lucinda’s path. In this magical story filled with delightful surprises, Lucinda will dance at the royal ball, fall under the Amaranth Witch’s spell, avenge her parents’ death, and maybe—just maybe—capture the heart of a prince.“
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