Books To Read if You Love Wicked

Hansel and Gretel walk out of their own story and into eight other classic Grimm (and Grimm-inspired) fairy tales. An irreverent, witty narrator leads us through encounters with witches, warlocks, dragons, and the devil himself. As the siblings roam a forest brimming with menacing foes, they learn the true story behind the famous tales, as well as how to take charge of their destinies and create their own happily ever after. Because once upon a time, fairy tales were awesome.

A dark and mystical East Asian fantasy reimagining of The Evil Queen legend follows one peasant girl’s quest to become Empress. Set in a fantasy world filled with both breathtaking pain and beauty, Forest of a Thousand Lanterns possesses all the hallmarks of masterful fantasy: Dazzling magic, heartbreaking romance, and a world that hangs in the balance. Fans of Heartless, Stealing Snow, and Red Queen will devour this stunning debut.

From the land of fantastical castles, vast lakes, and deep forests, the Brothers Grimm collected a treasury of enchanting folk and fairy stories full of giants and dwarfs, witches and princesses, magical beasts and cunning children. From classics such as “The Frog-Prince” and “Hansel and Gretel” to the delights of “Ashputtel” or “Old Sultan,” all hold a timeless magic which has enthralled children for centuries.

Two star-crossed magicians engage in a deadly game of cunning in this spellbinding novel that captured the world’s imagination. “Part love story, part fable … defies both genres and expectations” (The Boston Globe).

Peter Pan and Tinkerbell lead the three Darling children over the rooftops of London and away to Neverland — the island where the lost boys play. Magic and mischief is in the air but if villainous Captain Hook has his way, before long someone will be swimming with the crocodiles …

Winter lasts most of the year at the edge of the Russian wilderness, and in the long nights, Vasilisa and her siblings love to gather by the fire to listen to their nurse’s fairy tales, honoring the spirits that protect their homes from evil. Then Vasya’s widowed father brings home a new wife from Moscow. Fiercely devout, Vasya’s stepmother forbids the family from honoring their household spirits, but Vasya fears what this may bring. And indeed, misfortune begins to stalk the village. As the village’s defenses weaken and evil from the forest creeps nearer, Vasya must call upon dangerous gifts she has long concealed — to protect her family from a threat sprung to life from her nurse’s most frightening tales.

In a funny and charming fantastical romp, overlooked Princess Marigold is nothing like her perfect, just-returned sister — so she runs away to an evil wizard’s tower to prove her wickedness. This endearing fantasy will have princess and anti-princess fans alike chuckling and cheering.

The true hero of The Wizard of Oz takes center stage in this brilliant, delightfully snarky reimagining from the author of The Library of the Unwritten.

Fans of the Netflix reboot of The Babysitters Club will delight as four new sisters band together in the heart of New York City. Discover this jubilant novel about the difficulties of change, the loyalty of sisters, and the love of family from a prolific award-winning author.

“One of the year’s strongest fantasy novels” (NPR), an imaginative retelling of the Rumpelstiltskin fairy tale from the bestselling author of Uprooted.

Alone in a new country, wealthy Sara Crewe tries to settle in and make friends at boarding school. But when she learns that she’ll never see her beloved father again, her life is turned upside down. Transformed from princess to pauper, she must swap dancing lessons and luxury for hard work and a room in the attic. Will she find that kindness and generosity are all the riches she truly needs?

A middle grade magic school fantasy perfect for fans of The School for Good and Evil and Witchlings, in which a girl with unparalleled power must work with her misfit classmates to save her new school.

In the third installment of the New York Times bestselling quartet that began with The Beautiful, Pippa journeys to the treacherous and beguiling world of the fey in search of answers but instead falls in love.

From the New York Times bestselling author of My Dearest Darkest comes a cozy fantasy romance about a teen witch who must complete her magical training by breaking a powerful family’s curse. But her own affliction — to never find true love — gets in the way when she falls for the girl she’s trying to save.

Not just another science book and not just another Discworld novella, The Science of Discworld is a creative, mind-bending mash-up of fiction and fact, that offers a wizard’s-eye view of our world that will forever change how you look at the universe.

Modern witches must save friends stolen by an ancient demon in this YA fantasy-thriller. Set in the atmospheric wilds of California’s northern coast, Sasha Laurens’s thrilling debut novel is about the complications of friendship, how to take back power, and how to embrace the darkness that lives within us all.