There’s something about the Fae that has always called to me. Maybe it’s the mystery. Maybe it’s the danger, the beauty, the bargains. Maybe it’s the fact that nothing is ever fair, and nothing is ever free- and yet, somehow, they still make you dream. (Somehow, it seems fitting, especially if you’ve read some of my more serious, chronic illness posts.)
This week’s Folklore Wednesdays is dedicated to the feral-hearted readers and writers who grew up on whispered warnings, changeling stories, and the intoxicating pull of the woods at dusk. Today, I’m sharing my favorite Fae-feeling reads- books that enchanted, scarred, and inspired me in all the best ways.
Let’s be honest: reading is a huge part of being a writer. And I read anything I can get my hands on. But fairytales and faerie-laced fantasies? They’re my lifeblood.
Quick disclaimer: some of these books don’t explicitly label themselves as Faerie fiction. Still, they carry the vibe- otherworldly rules, uncanny magic, trickster creatures, emotional teeth- and in my opinion, that counts.
✨ Laurell K. Hamilton
(The Merry Gentry and Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter series)
No surprises here- Laurell K. Hamilton is one of my all-time favorite authors. She’s best known for Anita Blake and Merry Gentry, the latter following a Faerie princess turned private investigator. It remains one of my biggest inspirations to date.
Hamilton’s work explores identity, trauma, sexuality, and self-acceptance with bold honesty. Anita Blake captures the pain of navigating generational expectations when they clash with who you really are, and Merry Gentry flips the coin: she embraces her sexuality with confidence and power. Both series feature vivid worlds and sharp, complicated characters. If you’re ready for mature, layered stories steeped in sex, blood, and magic- this one’s for you.
✨ Holly Black
(Modern Faerie Tales, The Folk of the Air, The Darkest Part of the Forest)
(If you’ve followed me for even five minutes, you saw this coming.)
Holly Black shaped my childhood and my inner world. I grew up reading The Spiderwick Chronicles with my mom, but my love only deepened with Tithe- one of the first books that made me fall in love with reading. And The Folk of the Air series? Absolutely obsessed.
Black builds worlds that feel like you could stumble into them on the side of the road. She writes characters who bleed. Her standalone, The Darkest Part of the Forest, ties beautifully into her other work and remains a top-tier favorite. And though I haven’t read it yet, her first adult novel Book of Night is high on my TBR. If past trends hold, I’m going to love it and suffer for it.
✨ Wintersong & Shadowsong by S. Jae-Jones
This duology is everything I’ve ever wanted in a fairytale: dark, lyrical, emotionally devastating.
If Labyrinth lives rent-free in your head (it does in mine), these books will absolutely wreck you. Wintersong is a haunting, gorgeous story about sacrifice, love, and the shadows we live with. Liesl is flawed and selfless and brave in ways that hit home as a chronically ill caregiver, and even now as someone who is chronically ill myself- who knows a thing or two about giving too much.
And the Goblin King? Let’s just say you will cry on your floor at 2AM. These books are pain and poetry in equal measures. If you’ve read them and need to emotionally spiral with someone- message me. I’m always down.
More Faerie-Feeling Favorites
- Here’s a quick list of other books that give off Fae energy- whether or not they ever say the F-word:
- Shadows of the Dark Crystal by J.M. Lee- Especially for Dark Crystal and Labyrinth fans.
- Strange Grace by Tessa Gratton- No explicit Fae, but all the vibes. Bleak, beautiful, immersive.
- An Enchantment of Ravens by Margaret Rogerson- Fast-paced and atmospheric; left me wanting a little more, but still worth reading.
- Never-Contented Things by Sarah Porter- If you love dark fantasy and chaos? Just read it.
- Pan’s Labyrinth: The Labyrinth of the Faun by Guillermo del Toro & Cornelia Funke- Gorgeous, grim, and made to haunt you.
- White Stag by Kara Barbieri- A Wattpad-to-published triumph. Devoured in one sitting.
- Tales from the Hinterland by Melissa Albert- Fairytales for feral readers; ties into The Hazel Wood series. You know what? Just the entire Hazel Wood series, I’ll say it.
- Der Struwwelpeter by Dr. Heinrich Hoffmann- German childhood nightmares in rhyme. A personal favorite from my Oma and Opa’s house. Yes, I still have their copy sitting on my bookshelf, in German, and I can read it.
Honorable Mentions
- A Court of Thorns and Roses & Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas- Heavy Fae elements and fandoms to match.
Got a Fae-ish favorite I missed? Drop it in the comments or message me- I’m always on the lookout for new reads to devour. And someday, hopefully, you’ll see my own fae-inspired WIP, Something Wicked, on someone else’s favorite list.
Until then, keep your wits sharp, your offerings ready, and your name to yourself. The Fae are always listening.
-Sky, The Crippled Cryptid.
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