“Consider, amigo mío, that all stories begin with some grain of truth.”
“They’re no ordinary horses. They’re kelpies.”
“A strong arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her over the rail of the deck.”
“Cleanse the house on Blaubart Street.”

Cinderella, Snow White, and Sleeping Beauty aren’t the only fairy tales in the world, but they tend to steal most of the glory. It’s time to let others shine for a change. Sixteen talented authors each put their own spin on different fairy tales that you won’t find in animated films.

Trade your pining fair-haired princesses for fire fairies, conquistadors, plucky young men named Jack, and a fisherman’s daughter. You won’t see too many castles, but you’ll visit a haunted house, a mill, and a Russian bathhouse. This book also features not-so-wicked stepmothers, a hungry jackal, a black cat with a mysterious secret, and a ship full of pirates.
Move over, Cinderella. Make room for Mercedes.
 
Includes Captain Thrushbeard, by Rachel Huffmire
 
This tale of a French corsair and an English naval officer's daughter is a retelling of the lesser-known Grimm's fairy tale "King Thrushbeard".
 
I decided to let fate choose my retelling. Closing my eyes, I picked up a book from one of my favotire fairy tale collections and opened it to a random page near the middle. I had never read "King Thrushbeard" by the Grimm Brothers, but I was instantly charmed by the mysterious minstrel and the princess' biting wit. I couldn't wait to work with these characters. The idea for adding pirates came from my nin-year-old. This excellent mashup, combined with research on French Corsairs and the Anglo-Frnech war of 1778, created the perfect setting for a historical retelling.