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Welcome to Magic, Myth, & Mischief in celebration
of fairy tales, mythology, and fantastic beasts of lore such as dragons, fae, mermaids, and unicorns!
Join our celebration daily at A Backwards Story and That Artsy Reader Girl!
Stop back all week long for fun author interviews, exciting giveaways, reviews,
and more!
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Note: East o' the Sun, West o' the Moon is a favorite fairy tale of mine. When Sarah McGuire mentioned it in today's awesome guest post, I was excited to dig out my old review from 2014, brush off the dust, fancy it up a bit, and introduce it to a new fairy tale loving audience!
As you know, I love fairy tales. One of my favorite tales isn't well-known. It's a popular favorite amongst those of us who read all the tales we can get our hands on, but hasn't been picked up by a mainstream company like Disney, so isn't familiar to the general public.
Lucky for you, some incredible authors who love this tale have turned it into their own and published novels, so you're about to fall in love with a new tale if you can get your hands on these!
East o' the Sun, West o' the Moon shares similarities with the much more well-known Beauty and the Beast, so if you love that fairy tale, you'll adore this one as well!
The Original Story
Here's a look at a few versions of the tale that I love!
YA Retellings
Within the last decade, three YA authors have put their own spin on the story: EAST by Edith Pattou, SUN AND MOON, ICE AND SNOW by Jessica Day George, and ICE by Sarah Beth Durst (which was one of the first books I ever reviewed).
I enjoy all three renditions of the tale, and they all have something new to them. It's a close race, but I have to say that ICE is my favorite of the lot (Perhaps because I read it first?). I like that Durst put her own twist on the story and added an extra layer to it. Plus, her description is so good, you physically feel cold while reading the book because you're right there with Cassie. SUN AND MOON, ICE AND SNOW is a close second; it has the most Beauty and the Beast-like feel to it, as well as a beautiful amount of whimsy and spunk, and EAST is the most traditional, straight-forward retelling of the three.
New Adult Retellings
Recently, a New Adult version of the tale, MISTRESS OF THE WIND by Michelle Diener, released. Not only did I get to review it, but I was lucky enough to interview Michelle as well!
MISTRESS OF THE WIND is another very traditional version of the tale, though like the other versions, there are enough new elements to keep readers intrigued and on their toes!
Picture Book Retellings
Another beautiful version of the fairytale is the children's book illustrated by P.J. Lynch with the original English translation of East of the Sun, West of the Moon by Sir George Webbe Dasent:
The illustrations are absolutely gorgeous. I love P.J. Lynch. Apparently, so do Sarah Beth Durst and Jessica Day George. Both authors referred to this version of the fairytale as the one that inspired them to write their own retellings when they interviewed one another in 2009 (Durst's interview of George and George's interview of Durst).If you aren't convinced that this is a beautiful fairytale full of romance, sneak a peek at some of Lynch's illustrations:
Gorgeous, right? You can preview larger versions of these images as well as scans from his other illustrated books on his website. He also posts his work on his blog, but I'll warn you that he does post nude art there as well. Sadly, this picture book is out of print, but you might be lucky enough to find a used copy at a local store or through an online shop such as AbeBooks...or even Amazon.
If, however, you're looking for a completely DIFFERENT version of the tale, check out EAST OF THE SUN & WEST OF THE MOON by Mercer Mayer (Best known for the Little Critter series).
For example, the tale mixes in elements of The Frog Prince. Got your attention there, didn't I?
While the illustrations aren't as lush and dreamy as Lynch's, the tale is still intriguing. Granted, it's not much like the additional tale, and reminds me of the way Disney might twist a story into something new, but that newness is what keeps me on my toes. The story isn't stale and simply rehashed, but rather a mash-up of something new.
Are you a fan of East o' the Sun, West o' the Moon?
What's your favorite retelling?
a Rafflecopter giveawayWhat's your favorite retelling?
~*~
****Giveaway*****
During Magic, Myth, & Mischief,
Enter now!
During Magic, Myth, & Mischief,
we're giving away a book of YOUR CHOICE
from the event!
It could be any of these (in print) East o'the Sun, West o'the Moon retellings!
This giveaway is INTERNATIONAL to any country that Book Depository ships to. You can also claim an e-book as a prize; it doesn't have to be a physical copy!
You must be at least 13 years old to enter or have a parent's permission!
Enter now!
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