Beyond the Briar — Shelley Chappell

Fall in love with four new versions of your favourite fairy tales in this magical collection of romantic novelettes for young adult readers. Stars on Dark Water: A Retelling of Rapunzel In a tower in the desert, a young man is imprisoned by the lengths of his enchanted hair His hair is as black as night, as sleek as silk, and as beautiful as the myriad stars shining on dark water. Many girls dream of sharing the marriage cup with him but Rudaab has always been certain that he will one day marry his beloved childhood playmate, Azar. He doesn't know that his father sold him to a witch for the price of a night at her oasis before he was born. When the witch's daughter arrives to collect her prize, Rudaab is imprisoned in her tower in the desert. Bound by the enchanted lengths of his hair, Rudaab longs for his beloved, Azar, but wishes her safely distant. For even Azar's training as a caravan guard and the magic of the Magi might not be enough to free him from the witch with no name and her army of enslaved jinn. Ranpasatusan: A Retelling of Rumpelstiltskin A travelling storyteller gains a peculiar ally when she is compelled to spin straw into gold Sunny loves her father. He plays the cittern, sings songs and tells tales with the voice of an angel. But, just as he cannot hold his liquor, he never seems to learn when it might be best to hold his tongue. He leaves a trail of offended patrons behind them as he and Sunny traipse across the length of Europe and further east. When he affronts the local daimyo on the island where the sun rises, there is no easy escape. To punish him, his hosts choose to take quite literally his boast that his daughter can spin tales so well she could spin straw into gold. Now it is up to the minstrel's daughter to save herself. As a virtuoso in her own right, what strange creature might she call forth to assist her in the night? The Sleeping Maid: A Retelling of Sleeping Beauty A village blacksmith will do anything to reach his sweetheart, trapped behind a wall of cursed briar Gorran is the village blacksmith. Every day at his forge he looks forward to greeting his sweetheart on her return from the castle, where she works as a maid. But the princess was cursed by a resentful fairy, and when she pricks her finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel and falls into a magical sleep, she is not alone. The castle and its lands are sealed off behind a wall of enchanted briar, and the villagers who work there are sealed off with it. Gorran would do anything, give anything, to get his beloved Caterina back. He labours at his forge for creative ways to breach the briar and walks the length of the kingdom to hunt fairies in the wild wood. But time is an enemy Gorran cannot fight, a problem he cannot solve. As each day passes, he grows older, while beyond the briar his sweetheart is eternally young. The Old Boot: A Retelling of Cinderella The boy who keeps house for his stepfamily must get to the ball to win the heart of the cobbler's daughter Beauty loves Miguel and Miguel loves Beauty. But Beauty is the cobbler's daughter, the figurative princess of their tiny rural village, and Miguel is nobody. He slaves to cook and clean and keep the house for his stepfather and his stepbrothers. When the Prince comes by on a great tour of his kingdom and claims Beauty as his bride, Miguel is too humble to protest. Beauty is swept away to the city, but the royal wedding is delayed so that she can be shaped into a proper princess, who is to be presented to the kingdom at three royal balls. The clock is ticking. Beauty will marry the Prince who is not so charming unless Miguel declares his love. He must find a way to get to the ball before it is too late.