Toadling has spent many lifetimes all on her own, guarding a sleeping princess in a tower. When a gallant knight turns up to break the curse, she’ll do her best to send him on his way. As it turns out, some curses are better left intact.

Fairy tale retellings are very common these days, but leave it to T. Kingfisher to turn Sleeping Beauty upside down. In barely 100 pages, she’ll make you reassess the classic tale, break your heart, and leave you rooting for the fairy godmother.