11 Magical Cinderella Retellings

Oct 21, 2024By Maren Sommer
Maren Sommer

Halloween, baby! You know what that makes me think of?

Pumpkins.

Which naturally makes me think of Cinderella! (A little bit because fall and pumpkins, duh. But also… I wanted to dress up as Cinderella every Halloween since I could walk. Still do.)

So in honor of the spooky-season-that-is-really-not-spooky-in-Maren’s-house, here are 11 Magical Retellings of Cinderella.

1. The Captive Maiden by Melanie Dickerson

I’m a sucker for a clean and classic Cinderella story, but Melanie Dickerson adds her own twist by making it slightly more historically accurate. There may not be any fairy godmother, but there are plenty of bad guys, ruined plans, and a swoon-worthy prince who’s just trying to find his princess.

I read this at least once a year.

At least.

2. Have Courage, Be Kind: The Tale of Cinderella by Brittany Rubiano

I’ve never met someone who hated the live-action version of Disney’s Cinderella. Kit’s eyes, Ella’s dress, the music! It was more beautiful than I ever could have imagined.

And now it’s in a beautifully illustrated novel form. It’s marketed as a middle-grade read… but I’ve never let my age stop me from doing anything!

3. Cinderellis and the Glass Hill by Gail Carson Levine

Cinderella isn’t the only one with a hard life; sometimes men have it hard too!

Ellis is an inventor—but his methods are rather unorthodox, so nobody gives him credit for the wacky solutions he comes up with. Well, one day the king announces that whatever knight can reach his daughter at the top of the hill can marry her. The catch? The hill is made of super-smooth glass. You can’t even rest your hand on it! Ellis doesn’t really want to get married, but he’s always wanted to try out his sticky inventions… 

An entertaining middle-grade read that adults will probably enjoy more than their children.

4. One iridescent Night by Brianne Wik

I haven’t finished this one yet, but an accidental love triangle in a Cinderella story isn’t usually part of the story.

Evelyn wants to go to the Prince’s ball—not to meet the Prince, but to see her first love, the Captain of the Guard.

But the Prince sees her at the ball and believes he’s in love. But his Captain seems to be resisting that notion.

Honestly, I’m not sure which man I should be rooting for more. Guess I’ll have to forgo laundry to finish this book today!

5. Callie and the Pumpkin Seed by Sarah Beran

Pumpkin pie. Need I say more?

Even better, this Cinderella makes pumpkin pie. (My theory: that’s why the prince fell in love.)

Even better: the prince has to find his Cinderella using a glass slipper… and a pumpkin seed?

I’m not sure I can read this book without the proper accessories. To the store!

6. Glass Midnight by Kayla Eshbaugh

This Cinderella is no peasant; she’s actually the Crown Princess of her kingdom. 

Prince Charming is still a prince; he’s also not expected to live past his 20th birthday. Apparently, when your kingdom sides with the wrong evil sorcerer, your grandfather’s bloodline will all be born with unique curses. Small details and whatnot.

And if Cinderella wasn’t high stakes enough for you, how about adding a little bit of a Romeo and Juliet flavor to it? Because while Cinderella is trespassing on enemy land, her enemy falls in love with her... while his Uncle the king is busy invading Cinderella’s kingdom.

But small details, you know?

7. Geekerella by Ashley Poston

I’m not big into cosplay unless you count dressing up in Regency clothes for a retreat—then maybe.

Geekerella’s heroine is all about the sci-fi series Starfield, just like her dearly departed dad, and she’s going to use his old Starfield costume to win the reboot’s Federation Prince Carmindor meet-and-greet.

But the actor playing the Prince has lost his enthusiasm for cosplay since becoming famous. I mean, how fun is it to be surrounded by awkward fakes when he has to pretend he’s also not an awkward nerd?

Good thing fate has a plan.

8. Before Midnight by Cameron Dokey

Sometimes magic is more fun when you can’t quite tell it’s there. 

Cendrillon was born the night her mother died, and her father has never forgiven her for that. His grief was so great that nothing has grown as it should on their land ever since. He only stayed long enough to see his new daughter and refused to name her. But he left behind something unusual… a newborn boy, Raoul. These two strange children—one unloved and one unclaimed—grew up for 16 years together. And then one day a stepmother and two sisters arrive.

If you love the movie Ever After, you’ll most likely love Before Midnight.

9. Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine

I’m going to say it once, and only once: Ella Enchanted the movie was good as a standalone, but it was an abysmal showing of the book.

So read the book.

Ella was given a gift at birth by a very generous but selfish fairy: she will always do what she’s told, even if it’s dangerous or treasonous. Ella and her housekeeper have kept it a secret her whole life, but when Ella’s father remarries, her new family members are a little too observant and malicious.

10. Cinders of Glass by Celeste Baxendell

Yes, this is a Cinderella retelling, but I bet you’ve never read a retelling of The Little Match Girl.

Cinders of Glass ends much better, I promise.

Liora used to know the royal family-- was close to them even-- but ever since her father died, she’s had to distance herself. Without her father’s income, she and her step-family are struggling to make ends meet. And some of the ways they make the little money they have would not be considered legal under the eyes of the law. So if Prince Cynrik could just stop visiting the market where she sells enchanted matches, life would be just fine.

Maybe.

11. Princess of Glass by Jessica Day George

If you enjoyed Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica, you’ll love the second book in the series.

Princess Poppy may be free from the endless nights of dancing in a dark otherworldly kingdom, but that doesn’t mean she can escape it entirely. Apparently, dancing is the thing that people do to entertain themselves at kingdom functions. 

Luckily, she’s made a friend with a neighboring kingdom’s prince, but their relationship is short-lived. A mysterious girl keeps showing up at all the masked balls. Even stranger, her carriage, horses, footman-- even her shoes-- seem to be made of glass. And when she runs away at midnight, all the followers can find are cinders and soot where the carriage was last seen.

And the men who cross her path don’t seem quite themselves after she leaves.

Poppy hates dancing, but she might have to swallow that fear to follow this glass princess.


I hope you have a wonderful Halloween-- scary or otherwise!

If you need a book recommendation for Halloween night, check out Maren's List.

Happy Reading!


*All links are simply links, I don't get any money if you click them. I just want to make finding great stories as easy as possible for you!*



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