I love sharing lists of fairy tale retellings with readers like you! When I picked Snow White I assumed it was a more popular and well known retelling (thanks Disney!) but it wasn’t until I asked my Facebook followers for help that I came up with a sizable list.
I'll start this list with some of my favorites (or really interesting takes on the well known story that I enjoyed):
Fairest by Gail Carson Levine – I’m a big fan of Gail Carson Levine, so it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that I love this retelling in particular. Levine is a master at pulling the heart of a fairy tale through really different circumstances, and creating worlds that are so different and yet so real. This is a great story for readers of any age, and the main character is the biggest sweetheart ever!
Snow White by K.M. Shea – Yes this is my book! 🙂 For my retelling I decided to redeem the stepmother which gives the whole story a different feel (because I figure step-parents get way too much abuse in fairy tales). But Snow White still has to flee and seeks out the Seven Warriors to help her take back her country and free her stepmother.
Stitching Snow by R.C. Lewis – Snow White reimagined in a sci fi setting, what more could you ask for? The sci fi aspect might sound similar to Winter (see next entry) but it’s stand alone, and has more of a true sci fi feel to it than the fantasy/sci fi blend Mariss Meyer captured in her Lunar Chronicles books.
Winter by Marissa Meyer – Winter is also a sci fi retelling of Snow White–though it does have more of a fantasy flavor to it as well. Unlike Stitching Snow, it is the fourth book in a series, Lunar Chronicles, and I would highly recommend you read books 1-3 first! (Particularly because Winter is the final book, ahah.) Lunar Chronicles as a series is really interesting and fun, not just because of the futuristic twist to it, but because each book as a different fairy tale focus, but you still see the girls from the previous books!
Pretear by Junichi Sato and Kaori Naruse – This entry is probably going to surprise some of you since I know many of you don’t read Japanese manga. 🙂 But it is a retelling of Snow White, and it’s actually a more faithful adaptation then many of the other books in this list. It follows the story of Himeno, a high school student who finds out she has special powers when seven “knights” show up to help her defeat the darkness attacking her town. There is also an anime series but the manga is MUCH better!
As I mentioned at the start, I asked the readers who follow me on Facebook for more suggestions and here is what they came up with! (I asked for no spice and low language recommendations but check reviews if that is a concern for you.)
The Shadow Queen by CJ Redwine
The Fairest Beauty by Melanie Dickerson
Mira, Mirror by Mette Ivie Harrison
Snow White by Jenni James
Snow: A Retelling of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs by Tracy Lynn
Fairest of All by Serena Valentino
A Dream of Ebony and White by Melanie Cellier
Mirrored by Alex Flinn
Blood in the Snow by Sarah Pennington
Fairest Son by HSJ Williams
Vanity by Sonya Writes
The Fairest Poison by Lauren Skidmore
Shadows on Snow by Starla Huchton
Daughter of Lies by Kenley Davidson
Mirror, Mirror by Jen Calonita
Hunted: Alba's Story by Kaylin Lee
The Fairest Heart by Heather Chapman
Song of Ebony by Deborah Grace White
The Poisoned Prince by Kristin J Dawson
Poisoned: Snow White's Story by Mary Mecham
Once Upon an Apple by Gabrielle Landi
The Huntsman's Heart by Brittany Fichter
Poisoned Heart by Abigail Manning
Frost Gate by Hanna Sandvig
Mirrors and Pearls by Lea Doue
Winter Cursed by Nicki Chapelway
Mirrors and Magic by Laura Greenwood
Closed Doors and Broken Mirrors by S. R. Nulton
Tear You Apart by Sarah Cross
Reflection by Camille Peters
Fiona: An Oregon Ever After Fairytale by Morgan Dawson
Fairest One by Kayla Eshbaugh
Pure as Snow by Laura Burton and Jessie Cal
Snow & the Seven Billionaire Dates by Catelyn Meadows
The Mirror and the Curse by J. M. Stengl
The Snow Queen's Shattered Mirror by Kendra E. Ardnek
To Rival a Reflection by Selina De Luca
Poisoned at Dawn by Leialoha Humphreys
The Fairest and the Crystal Coffin by Kendra E. Ardnek
A Fairest Hope by S. Lee Poole
Capturing the Heart by Faith Brown
No One Fairer by Alice Rosegold
So what is your favorite Snow White retelling, and why? (And what retellings did we miss in our list?)
If you'd like to read fairy tale retellings focused on the other Disney Princesses (and more!) I have a whole series of blog posts you can check. Click here to start reading or use the Book Lists category to filter them.
