Book Recs: LGBT Retellings

There are already 3 posts about LGBT retellings on the blog: for fairy tales, for mythology and for classic books. They’re all a few years old, though, so it was a high time for an update. So I asked on twitter what kind of retellings y’all would want to see the most and the answer was “a little bit of everything”

And that’s exactly what I’m bringing you today. I divided my recs into four categories, for ease of browsing. There is, of course, some overlap, because books aren’t always clean cut & they might fit into more than one category, but there needs to be some kind of logic to the chaos. So let’s go! Choose what you’re interested in the most (or simply browse all the recs):

folklore • fairy tales • classic books • historical figures

FOLKLORE

The Midnight Girls

Alicia Jasinska
Goodreads
Rep: Polish-coded cast & setting, lesbian mc, bi female mc, lesbian character, gay character, bi male character
TW: child abuse, blood, body horror (brief), death, murder
Original Source: Polish folklore

Why Should I Read It?

I absolutely am taking any chance I can to rec this book, yes, but here me out! Sapphic monster girls who don’t want to go soft & instead enjoy having all the power they can! Actual enemies to lovers, to the point of trying to kill each other for most of the book! And surrounding all that is Polish folklore and history put lovingly into every page.

The Faerie Hounds of York

Arden Powell
Goodreads
Rep: gay mc, Romani gay li
Original Source: English folklore

Why Should I Read It?

So many words one could use to describe this little novella! Creepy, magical, spooky, atmospheric… It does justice to the fae in the most delicious of ways, portraying them as otherworldly creatures, awe-inspiring but at the same time terrifying. It also features a romance that will develop in ways you are absolutely not expecting.

These Feathered Flames

Alexandra Overy
Goodreads
Rep: lesbian mc & li
TW: blood, fire, torture, death
Original Source: Slavic folklore (Firebird)

Why Should I Read It?

It’s one of those books that take its inspiration (in this case, Slavic folklore and culture) very seriously & actually make it part of the plot. You can just tell this is an ownvoices story… But anyway, yes, I am absolutely recommending this for the lesbian romance, but really, this is a book about sisters.

Blackheart Knights

Laure Eve
Goodreads
Rep: sapphic mc, bi, gay & nonbinary side characters
TW: violence
Original Source: Arthuriana

Why Should I Read It?

I’m pretty sure Charlotte would end our working relationship if I didn’t include this book, but frankly let’s be real: she has exquisite taste in books. And this is just another proof. I mean, knights driving motorbikes & competing in reality shows? Name one idea that’s more sext than that!

The Wise and the Wicked

Rebecca Podos
Goodreads
Rep: trans li, lesbian side characters
Original Source: Russian folklore

Why Should I Read It?

Yes, this is yet another Slavic-inspired book on this list, but here me out: I’m Slavic and it’s a great book. You have a beautiful family of witches & all those familial relationships actually get explored. Even more interestingly, though, you have some moral grayness here; just like in real life no one is 100% good or bad.

FAIRY TALES

Malice

Heather Walter
Goodreads
Rep: lesbian mc & li
TW: past & present torture, lesbophobia, past suicides, blood, drugs
Original Source: Sleeping Beauty

Why Should I Read It?

More fitting than a “retelling” is to describe this book as an origin story of Malificent. It’s also only the first part of a duology, so we have a lot of the original fairy tale to still experience, but that’s not important here. What’s important is that our main character is allowed to be actually evil. What’s important are girls taking their destiny into their own hands and a lesbian love story that makes the very sky roar.

Girl, Serpent, Thorn

Melissa Bashardoust
Goodreads
Rep: Persian cast & settings, bi mc, sapphic li
Original Source: Sleeping Beauty

Why Should I Read It?

Despite being inspired by the same fairy tale, at least partly, those two books couldn’t be more different, and not just because they focus on different characters. This isn’t just a retelling of a fairy tale, anyway. It adds so much to the story, they’re more like cousins thrice removed. It offers the reader a diverse feminist story with a cast of strong yet flawed women, and an intense sapphic relationship at the heart of it.

Burning Roses

S.L. Huang
Goodreads
Rep: Latina lesbian mc, Chinese sapphic trans mc
TW: death, past abuse
Original Source: Little Red Riding Hood

Why Should I Read It?

You can actually find more fairy tales here, and they are blended together beautifully with Chinese mythology, to create a real feast. It’s interesting in the way the plot isn’t even the most important element of the story, rather it’s used to allow the characters talk about their pasts, including their mistakes.

Robbergirl

S.T. Gibson
Goodreads
Rep: bi mc, lesbian li
Original Source: The Snow Queen

Why Should I Read It?

If you want a book which atmosphere truly matches the story it tells, you no further. Robbergirl is full of snow and ice, and it will absolutely make you feel cold to the bone. And scared. It’s as if you went into the unknown in the middle of winter.

Briarley

Aster Glenn Gray
Goodreads
Rep: achillean relationship
Original Source: Beauty and the Beast

Why Should I Read It?

It’s one of those retellings that take everything a step further. Instead of asking what would happen if a character we know did things differently, it asks: what would happen if someone else did those things. It’s surprising, it’s funny, it’s refreshing, but above all it’s also simply lovely.

CLASSIC BOOKS

Last Bus to Everland

Sophie Cameron
Goodreads
Rep: gay mc, gay li, gay, pan & lesbian side characters
Original Source: Peter Pan

Why Should I Read It?

In a word, it’s wholesome. A lot of it is thanks to the focus on familial bonds, and how beautiful & warm they are. But on top of that there’s also a found family, built in a large part of LGBT characters & meeting in Everland, a magical place where anything is possible. What lonely gay teen doesn’t dream of just that?

A Clash of Steel

C.B. Lee
Goodreads
Rep: Chinese sapphic mc, Vietnamese sapphic mc, achillean side couple
Original Source: Treasure Island

Why Should I Read It?

If “Asian sapphic pirates” isn’t enough to make you want to read a book, I feel all hope might be lost. But if not, let’s go on: it’s also a book about finding yourself, about growing up and into a person you want to be, about first loves with all their tenderness, about outlandish adventures.

The King of Infinite Space

Lyndsay Faye
Goodreads
Rep: achillean relationship
Original Source: Hamlet

Why Should I Read It?

This is, dare I say, very much a character-driven novel. And it works perfectly, because those characters are interesting & well written, but also they are simply good people. It’s very clear they live their lives with nobel intentions, and frankly that kind of softness is amazing to witness in a book. It makes you feel some kind of way, both about the book itself & about life in general.

Carmilla and Laura

S.D. Simper
Goodreads
Rep: sapphic mc & li
Original Book: Carmilla

Why Should I Read It?

This is the retelling Carmilla has always deserved. It throws away all the homophobia of the original, leaving only the beautiful sapphic romance. And vampires, of course. Not a lot is changed, in terms of a plot, but even still, it feels like a totally new story, simply thanks to the celebration of the relationship between Carmilla and Laura.

The Last True Poets of the Sea

Julia Drake
Goodreads
Rep: bi mc, sapphic li, gay side character
Original Source: Twelfth Night

Why Should I Read It?

The vibes in this one! It’s the kind of book that makes you feel so much and so hard, it’s almost like you’re drowning in it all. But you’re also happy for it. (Despite all the ways in which this novel can get dark.) Still, I think the best word to describe this book is: comforting.

HISTORICAL FIGURES

A Curse of Roses

Diana Pinguicha
Goodreads
Rep: mostly Portuguese cast & setting, lesbian mc, lesbian Muslim li, lesbian side characters
TW: religion-based self harm, homophobia, internalised homophobia, blood, murder, body horror
Original Source: Saint Elizabeth of Portugal

Why Should I Read It?

A Curse of Roses is a beautiful tale of century long curses and people using any means available to them to ensure they experience some happiness in life. It has two main focuses: one being Yzabel learning to accept she’s a lesbian and the other her blossoming love for Fatyan. That romance is as much central to the story as Yzabel learning to control her curse/gift, and personally I find that beautiful.

She Who Became the Sun

Shelley Parker-Chan
Goodreads
Rep: Chinese & Mongolian cast, nonbinary lesbian mc, lesbian mc, gay mc, bi mc
TW: violence
Original Source: Zhu Yuanzhang

Why Should I Read It?

If you want to be absolutely destroyed by a book, in all the ways imaginable, this sure is one for you. It’s very much a book about ambitions and about people going to any lengths, no matter the consequence, to achieve their goals. It’s ruthless and intoxicating, and it won’t let you look away for even a second. It’s also epic, both in the literal size and in the scale of the story it tells.

Iron Widow

Xiran Jay Zhao
Goodreads
Rep: Chinese-coded cast & setting, bi mcs
TW: gore, murder, torture, mentions of rape, threats of rape, misogyny, femicide, suicide ideation, abuse, alcohol addiction
Original Source: Wu Zetian

Why Should I Read It?

This is the feminist agenda, actually. It’s also, to quote the classics, absolutely unhinged. Which is to say it’s one of the very few novels out there that allow their female (nonbinary?) protagonist to gain full ownership not only of her body, but of her destiny; to be merciless and vengeful, and cold-blooded; to kill people in order to achieve her goals.

Fire from Heaven

Mary Renault
Goodreads
Rep: achillean mc
Original Source: Alexander the Great

Why Should I Read It?

Meticulously researched, first of all. And I mean that both in the way of facts it retells, but also the societal norms, which is possibly even more important, as it allows us to understand how & why things are happening and people are treated. Renault paints the ancient world in colors so vibrant, every aspect of it, even most outlandish by modern standards, makes sense to the reader.

Sistersong

Lucy Holland
Goodreads
Rep: trans mc, genderfluid side character
Original Book: Constantine & Gildas

Why Should I Read It?

Once again I’m reccing you a book that Charlotte loves to pieces! It invokes the Dark Ages part of Britain’s history in almost groundbreaking ways, and what’s more it also offers the kind of writing that truly brings the setting to life. It’s the kind of book that wholly consumes you and frankly is a guaranteed reading slump cure.

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