Classic European fairy tales are firmly woven into the fabric of our society, but examining them through a modern lens can leave much to be desired. All the damsels in distress, rote romance, and homogenous casts of characters can be disappointing. But what if the girl in a red hood was pushed into the woods with a knife in her basket? If the sea witch had an opportunity to offer perspective to a little mermaid? If fair maidens were sometimes fair men? Chainani takes 12 time-honored tales and overhauls their traditional tellings, adding an astonishing amount of depth and beauty in the process. There are welcome gender swaps and queer representation, racial diversity, and strong female leads. Some of the stories stray further from the source material than others, but as is present in a number of the original narratives, welcome elements of real violence and terror are returned to many of the tales. The language is lush and transporting (and occasionally eerie), easily conjuring fantastical worlds. An intriguing and inclusive update for modern audiences.

The author of the popular middle-grade School for Good and Evil series proves his imaginative prowess for older readers with these twelve fairy-tale retellings. The volume begins with a town sacrificing its most beautiful girl to a pack of wolves in a thrilling and disturbing adaptation of "Little Red Riding Hood." The stories that follow are by turns haunting, funny, suspenseful, and sweet. Having chosen some of the most well-known tales, Chainani successfully breathes new life into "Snow White," "Rapunzel," "Bluebeard," and others. The stories are set in a timeless fairy-tale realm, but they feel fresh and modern with plenty of plot twists (and violence) to appeal to seasoned fantasy readers. The protagonists are strong in a variety of ways, displaying cleverness, determination, and grit but also, at times, tenderness and patience. Welcome diversity (for example, a South Asian-inspired "Hansel and Gretel") and several different kinds of love ensure that all readers will have something with which to identify. Iredale's (Amber and Clay, rev. 3/21) illustrations are gorgeous, bloody, and magical. Particularly striking is a portrait of Snow White as a triumphant Black queen seated on a throne with her daughter in her arms. It's a treat to watch villains get what they deserve and witness young heroes finding their way through a world that is as fraught with jealousy and suspicion as it is with wolves and evil queens. Sarah Berman

A volume that transports readers to a place where the lines between beastly natures and beautiful appearances can be difficult to discern.Here are 12 familiar European fairy tales, folktales, and classic stories retold in ways that evoke elements of the traditional versions, populated by slightly different casts, and focusing on particular aspects of their usual forms. The tales include, among others, an ironically named Snow White with dark skin, persecuted for the form her beauty takes; South Asian siblings who hopefully follow a trail of rosewater and saffron sweets after being left in the forest by their father and stepmother; and a beautiful brown-skinned prince cursed to appear as a beast and the Chinese girl who moves into his castle to spare her father's life (the two of them bond over books). The entries are expertly crafted with a deep understanding of the source material and are updated with feminist sensibilities, the addition of some queer relationships, and the inclusion of racial and ethnic diversity. Chainani's writing is raw in what it lays bare on the page, perfectly appropriate to revisiting these beloved, ubiquitous stories that may have left readers with naïve expectations or dissatisfied conclusions. Chainani infuses his retellings with practicality while still evoking the wonder, terror, and magic of the fantasy realms. Final illustrations not seen.For any lover of fairy tales who seeks alternative endings. (Fantasy. 11-adult)

Gr 6 Up An exhausted prince beset by a vampiric thief he comes to love; a merchant's "dutiful" daughter who secretly longs for freedom; a mermaid who begs a sea witch to make her human; a sea witch once rejected by the merking himselfthese are just a few of the characters, familiar and yet new, that readers will meet in Chainani's latest title. Here, 12 well-known European tales are retold through a racially, ethnically, and sexually diverse lens for a modern audience. Stories tackle such issues as consent, racism, abuse, and neglect, yet all harken back to a central theme: love. This is not the love readers have come to expect from fairy tales, however; Chainani's yarns question every aspect of the classic happily ever after. Still, older readers who enjoy a well-crafted reimaginingand don't mind an ambiguous, occasionally depressing endingare sure to devour this collection. Most characters present as BIPOC, and some are LGBTQ. VERDICT A brilliant, bloodthirsty fairy-tale collection that would better suit an older audience. Share with fans of compelling myth and folklore anthologies like A Thousand Beginnings and Endings or Daniel M. Lavery's The Merry Spinster . Recommended for YA and adult collections. Kaitlin Frick, Darien Lib., CT