7 Modern Fantasy Retellings Inspired By Classic Novels

The complex female characters and horror elements will make you fall in love with this haunting, atmospheric gothic historical fantasy. 

When Lenore’s husband of ten years takes her to a manor in the countryside, a carriage accident brings a peculiar woman called Carmilla into their lives. 

Plagued by her failing marriage and growing affections for this strange and beautiful woman, Lenore must uncover dark truths that put everything at risk.

Kat Dunn really tapped into the feral, angry, sapphic side of the original story and delivered it with so much care, while still keeping an air of mystery.

If Young Adult romantasy books full of female revenge are your go-to, you've got to read For She is Wrath!

When Dania escapes after being wrongfully imprisoned, she’s set on retribution against the man she once loved. As she confronts the ghosts of her past, she must put her trust in others to get the vengeance she craves.

I loved the action, the romance, and the absolutely unhinged rage from a woman scorned. Emily Varga crafted an intense tale with high personal stakes, but my absolute favorite thing about this South Asian inspired retelling was the strong focus on female allyship.

OwlCrate's Limited Edition was featured in the November 2024 'Dressed for Revenge' Young Adult Fantasy box. 

My Dear Henry is a creepy gothic historical fantasy retelling set in nineteenth-century London, in which a young law clerk, Gabriel, tries to repair his relationship with his dear friend, Henry Jekyll. 

After Henry’s letters stop, Gabriel meets a mysteriously familiar man named Hyde, who brings along new secrets.

Kalynn Bayron is a wonderfully skilled wordsmith, and I can always look to her work for poignant commentary on race and oppression. 

Her contemporary reimagining of the classic Jekyll and Hyde narrative reworks the idea of the ‘monster’ in a society that criminalizes certain identities. Beautifully cared for, intersectional identity and queer representation are a big part of this book, and I can’t recommend it enough!

Grace is a ballet dancer in 1930’s Chicago with hopes of becoming her company’s principal ballerina when she captures the attention of a mysterious patron. 

As his obsession grows, Grace finds herself caught between her dream as a professional dancer and being free of this patron and her company’s mistress once and for all.

Nocturne is a dark historical fantasy of only 230 pages, but it’s packed with tension, magic, action, and incredibly poetic storytelling. 

As a former dancer, I loved reading a ballet piece written by another dancer, especially one as emotional as this!

Chloe Gong’s modern Shakespearean retellings are equally masterful and gripping.

These Violent Delights is a historical fantasy with elements of science fiction set in 1920s Shanghai, following Juliette Cai as she teams up with her ex-lover and rival gang member, Roma Montagov, to solve a strange contagion ripping through their streets.

I loved exploring the seedy underbelly of a dazzling city, from the glitz and glamor to the crime that made these rival gangs rich. The author’s visuals easily transported me into the setting, and the balance of action, enemies-to-lovers second chance romance, and mystery had my heart racing throughout!

 OwlCrate's Limited Edition of this book was featured in the December 2020 'Love is a Battlefield' Young Adult Fantasy box.

I’m not usually a scary story kind of girlie, but House of Salts and Sorrow was my gateway into reading more dark fantasy with horror elements!

At the coastal Highmoor Manor, twelve sisters once lived, but as they begin dying one by one, Annaleigh suspects that the most recent death was a murder. As she follows more clues, Annaleigh and her sisters are swept into another realm of glittering ballrooms and mysterious masked characters, one of whom might have the answers she’s been looking for.

Also inspired by The Twelve Dancing Princesses, Craig’s lush writing is perfectly reminiscent of Poe’s haunting poem. The atmosphere and creepy vibes of this retelling had me marking it as a “Daytime Only” read.