Books for Grownups Who Love Fantasy, Fairytales and Folklore
It feels too simplistic to say that storytelling is an ancient art, but as long as people have been around, stories have been told—stories of good and evil, creation and destruction, and human struggles, passed down from generation to generation, existing for decades but often re-creating themselves over time to span eras and cultures. Below is a list of the five fairytale or folklore books that grownups are sure to love.
Contract (Masters of the Savoy #4) by Delta James
He is the Head Concierge at the Savoy; she’s an Irish witch haunted by a little girl in Victorian-era dress. Saoirse Madigan, an Irish witch has seen the little girl in her visions since she was a child. Her investigation into who the child was and how she died has led her to the Savoy to seek out the answers to the mystery. Felix Spenser, the Head Concierge at The Savoy, knows she is his soul mate from the first time he met Saoirse. He is convinced that her obsession with one of the Savoy’s famous ghostly residents could be dangerous. When Saoirse begins to question those who have kept the secret for more than a century, she unknowingly sets off a course of events that will prove Felix right.
Mazarine by Cece Louise
She's cursed. He's dead. How far will they go to change their fates? Princess Marilee is cursed. A mermaid by day and a human by night, she made a fateful decision that has left her trapped between two worlds. Disgraced Prince Darius is dead. At least, that’s what he wants everyone to think when he’s thrown overboard from a prison ship. When Marilee and Darius meet, they reluctantly make a deal—Darius will help Marilee return to her family in exchange for enough money so he can disappear forever. A doomed woman and a condemned man. Can they find redemption, or will they be lost to an unforgiving sea?
Courageous Heroine Fairy Tales by Lisa Shea
Cinderella made a vow to her mother, before her mother tragically passed away on midwinter's day. Ella swore to watch over her father and care for him. But then her father married anew. Her stepmother and two stepsisters took sharp delight in causing Ella grief from morn to eve. They bullied her, called her Cinderella, and treated her as little more than a slave in her own home. It took all of Ella's courage to swallow the insults and to honor her word. Now the crown prince has returned home from the battlefront; a ball is announced to celebrate his arrival. All eligible young women from the entire kingdom are invited to attend. Ella has but one desire left. She wishes to see the king's gardens one last time before she leaves home. It will be a final way to commemorate her beloved mother before counting her vow's terms as complete. She has no idea what awaits her on that arched stone bridge ...
In a Dark, Dark Wood by Cece Louise
In a dark, dark wood, there was a dark, dark man . . . Calia believes in ghosts. How could she not when she is haunted by a past encounter that sent her into hiding? She concocts a plan so crazy, it just might save her— if it doesn’t lead to her downfall. All she has to do is impersonate a missing princess and fulfill that princess’s betrothal to the Prince of Ebonwood. Prince Brone believes in nothing—certainly not the curse rumored to plague the royal wives of Ebonwood. After the untimely death of his first wife, all he wishes is to be left alone. Once more facing a marriage not of his choosing, he vows not to make the same mistakes that cost him so dearly last time. Calia soon discovers that fooling the prince will be much harder than she thought. As her complicated feelings for him begin to grow, so does her fear of Ebonwood—a kingdom shrouded in darkness, secrets, and even murder. Will a warning from beyond the grave save Calia from the fate of the previous Ebonwood wives, or will it spell her ultimate ruin?
Princess of Thorns by Amberlyn Holland
At the moment tyrannical King Aegron the Cruel was assassinated, each of his children was struck by a different dark curse. Five years later, the Dark Kingdom is struggling to survive. Princess Islyne's body sleeps undisturbed behind a wall of thorns. But her mind is awake and able to explore the kingdom unseen. And, within the bramble forest that's become her home, her spirit takes on a form that is almost real. For the first time in her sheltered, restricted life, Izzy knows what it's like to feel free. Duke Conall will do whatever is necessary to protect his kingdom from the damage and chaos left in the curse's wake. Even if it means rescuing the bride he never wanted. But Islyne's not the meek princess he remembers, and she has no intention of living her life as nothing more than a political pawn. So when Conall mistakes her for a servant, Izzy hatches a plan to keep him far from the Palace where her body sleeps. As the danger grows, however, she realizes maybe there's more to Conall too. She's just not sure if the gentle kindness lurking beneath the arrogant mask is enough to risk spending the her life as nothing more than a political pawn. It's going to take more than a simple kiss for Islyne and Conall to find their Happily-Ever-After.