Books Like Heart of the Fae

Books Like Heart of the Fae

Beauty and the Beast, the “tale as old as time,” was written by Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve and first published in 1740. Since then, it has been the inspiration for numerous retellings and variants. However, in most cases, the core aspects of the story remain the same, as a beautiful young woman is forced to live in a castle with a hideous beast to save her father. The woman eventually grows to love the beast and frees him from the curse so that they can live happily ever after. However, some authors also added some interesting twists of their own to the story. For example, Heart of the Fae by Emma Hamm is a Beauty and the Beast retelling where a woman makes a deal with a dangerous Fae to save her people from a devastating plague. In this story, “Beauty” is a brave young woman named Sorcha, and the “beast” is a Fae who was banished to a cursed island after being disfigured by his twin brother. For more unique retellings of Beauty and the Beast, check out the following books like Heart of the Fae.

A Curse of Shadow and Ice

by C.A. Maura

A Curse of Shadow and Ice by C.A. Maura

A Curse of Shadow and Ice by C.A. Maura is a Beauty and the Beast retelling featuring a princess who possesses forbidden magic and a cursed emperor. The “beast” in this tale is Felix Osiris, the Shadow Emperor, who threatens to overthrow Princess Arabella of Althea’s country unless she agrees to marry him. Arabella has no choice but then learns that Felix’s empire is cursed, and she is the one destined to set them free. Felix agrees to let her go if she can help him minimize the curse’s effect on his people, but as he teaches her to control her gift, her feelings for him change.

The Scarlet Rose

by Valia Lind

The Scarlet Rose by Valia Lind

The Scarlet Rose by Valia Lind turns the story of Beauty and the Beast into a tale of a mafia heiress and a cursed wolf prince. The heroine is Nikita, who aspires to take her father’s place in the Bratva syndicate. However, her life takes a different turn after her father is tricked into a bargain with Gavriil, the prince of Skazka. Nikita ends up trapped in Gavriil’s castle, a place filled with strange statues and magic. Nikita thinks Gavriil is a spoiled royal, but her feelings for her broody enemy change after getting to know him better. However, every day Gavriil turns more and more into a wolf, and it is up to Nikita to save the prince and his people from the curse that could destroy them.

The Rose and the Thorn

by Katherine Macdonald

The Rose and the Thorn by Katherine Macdonald

The Rose and the Thorn by Katherine Macdonald doesn’t stray too far from the original Beauty and the Beast but does offer some unique twists. In this tale, the protagonist, Rose, accidentally stumbles through a portal that leaves her stranded in a deserted fairy realm. Here she discovers a mysterious talking beast who she names Thorn. Unfortunately, Rose also learns that it will be a few months before the portal opens again and she can return home. As Rose spends time in the magical castle where Thorn lives, she discovers that he has been trapped there for a long time and that she is not the first woman who has ended up sharing it with him. However, none of the others could break his curse as they couldn’t see past Thorn’s monstrous appearance. Rose is determined to lift the curse, but to do so will require her to face her fears and confront a terrifying creature that stalks the shadows in the night.

Beasts of Beauty

by Celeste Baxendell

Beasts of Beauty by Celeste Baxendell

Beats of Beauty by Celeste Baxendell reimagines Beauty and the Beast and some Little Red Riding Hood elements. In this story, the beast is Aerona, whose sole purpose is to protect the only fairies left. However, when a hunter tries to take her down, he discovers the fairies in the process, which forces Aerona to take him captive in an effort to protect the secret. The hunter, Chasen, only agrees to capture the Beast because he owes a debt to a dangerous wizard, and his family will pay the price if he doesn’t deliver. However, when he discovers her human-like form and the faeries, it complicates matters considerably. Chase will do anything to protect his family, but even if he succeeds in capturing the Beast, he doesn’t know if he can live with himself afterward.

Of Beast and Beauty

by Stacey Jay

Of Beast and Beauty by Stacey Jay

Of Beast and Beauty by Stacey Jay is the story of the blind Princess Isra and a mutant beast named Gem. Isra is from the domed city of Yuan, where she is raised to be a human sacrifice whose death will ensure her city’s vitality. Gem is from the desert outside the city, fighting to save his people, the Monstrous, from starvation. Gem is captured while trying to steal Yuan’s enchanted roses, and Isra enlists his aid while trying to help the city’s Banished people. However, in the process, she beings to care for Gem, and she regains her sight, which vanished during her childhood. As Isra comes to love the beast, she finds herself having to choose between him and her duty to her people.

Bellamy and the Brute

by Alicia Michaels

Bellamy and the Brute by Alicia Michaels

Bellamy and the Brute by Alicia Michaels is a contemporary take on the tale of Beauty and the Beast. The protagonist, Bellamy McGuire, is reluctant to accept a summer job babysitting for the wealthy Baldwin family due to the mysterious things rumored to happen at their mansion on the hill. There is also the mystery of Tate Baldwin, the family’s oldest son, and former football star, who suddenly vanished and became a hermit at the age of sixteen. Nobody in town has seen or heard from him ever since, but there have been plenty of rumors, including one that he has a strange illness that causes deformities and has changed him into a real-life monster. When Bellamy accepts the job, she has to agree to never, ever visit the mansion’s third floor, but her curiosity and mysterious rose petals leading up the staircase entice her to do just that.