Books That Will Make You Want to Go to the Ren Faire
I have a confession: I’ve never been to a Renaissance Faire.
I HAVE, however, been to Medieval Times. It was Thanksgiving break in college, and two of my cousins and I drove there through traffic so bad, we were thirty minutes late. The only CD we had available (yes, CD) was One Direction’s undisputable masterpiece Midnight Memories. We played the CD on repeat while we were held hostage in our car, slowly descending into madness. By the time we got to Medieval Times, we were feeling insane. It was as if the traffic and One Direction opened a portal through time, and we had emerged in a different era, an era of knights, horses, and turkey legs. I was feeling CRAZY gnawing on that turkey leg! I was SCREAMING as they ran wildly at each other with lances! It was giving SHREK! We may have been late, but it was so worth it.
Why do I tell you this? Because it was MAGICAL! What other event can capture an imagination like that?! A Renn Faire is the next natural step to emulating the feeling. In the meantime, I’ve rounded up books for inspiration.
So put on your brocade dresses, breeches, vests, and capes! Lace up your boots! Throw on that flower crown! Follow the sound of the harp music and the thuds of the axe throwing. Time to dance with the fairies and the goblins and elves, because people, we’re going to RENN FAIRE! *clinks tankard of mead*
The Forest King’s Daughter
by Elly Blake
I mean, just look at this cover. I need the full-length tapestry to hang on my wall! Run through the bloodred trees of Thirstwood with me, before the second book comes out! IT’S MAGICAL!!
For fans of Sarah J. Maas and Holly Black, The Forest King’s Daughter is an enemies-to-forbidden-lovers romance from the New York Times bestselling author of Frostblood.
Once upon a time, among the bloodred trees of Thirstwood, a young forest princess became friends with a lonely boy from underground. He gifted her an amber ring, a worthless trinket—or so he thought—because no sooner did he slide it onto her finger than the queen of the underground and the forest king declared war.
Years later, Cassia is a crucial force in her father’s army, wielding her ring of light that can blind and disorient hundreds of enemies at a time. Then battle-hardened Zeru abducts her, planning to steal the ring back to fix his costly childhood mistake. Exhausted, terrified, and more than a little mistrusting, Cassia is forced to travel with Zeru to a place they both believed only existed in storybooks, one where their childhood friendship slowly rekindles into something much more. But it’s only a matter of time before the war they escaped comes for them, and a hidden threat to forest and underground folk alike grows in the shadows.
From the author of the Frostblood Saga comes the first book in an enchanting, adventure-filled fantasy series about the daughters of the powerful forest king, sure to leave readers breathless and desperate for more.
The Cruel Prince
by Holly Black
I could read the party scenes of this book again and again. The twirling dresses, sparkling drinks, glittering daggers, mythical creatures. Oh, Miss Holly. Some kids want to be wizards, but I just want to be a fae. THE OG RENN FAIRE SERIES, Y’ALL.
By #1 New York Times bestselling author Holly Black, the first book in a stunning new series about a mortal girl who finds herself caught in a web of royal faerie intrigue.
Of course I want to be like them. They’re beautiful as blades forged in some divine fire. They will live forever.
And Cardan is even more beautiful than the rest. I hate him more than all the others. I hate him so much that sometimes when I look at him, I can hardly breathe.
Jude was seven years old when her parents were murdered and she and her two sisters were stolen away to live in the treacherous High Court of Faerie. Ten years later, Jude wants nothing more than to belong there, despite her mortality. But many of the fey despise humans. Especially Prince Cardan, the youngest and wickedest son of the High King.
To win a place at the Court, she must defy him–and face the consequences.
In doing so, she becomes embroiled in palace intrigues and deceptions, discovering her own capacity for bloodshed. But as civil war threatens to drown the Courts of Faerie in violence, Jude will need to risk her life in a dangerous alliance to save her sisters, and Faerie itself.
Briarheart
Magic. Combat. Queens and kings. As an eldest sibling, this Sleeping Beauty retelling had me on the edge of my seat, darlings!!
From beloved fantasy author Mercedes Lackey comes a fresh and feminist reinterpretation of Sleeping Beauty.
Miriam may be the daughter of Queen Alethia of Tirendell, but she’s not a princess. She’s the child of Alethia and her previous husband, the King’s Champion, who died fighting for the king, and she has no ambitions to rule. When her new baby sister Aurora, heir to the throne, is born, she’s ecstatic. She adores the baby, who seems perfect in every way. But on the day of Aurora’s christening, an uninvited Dark Fae arrives, prepared to curse her, and Miriam discovers she possesses impossible power.
Soon, Miriam is charged with being trained in both magic and combat to act as chief protector to her sister. But shadowy threats are moving closer and closer to their kingdom, and Miriam’s dark power may not be enough to save everyone she loves, let alone herself.
The Wicked Lies of Habren Faire
by Anna Fiteni
*Cues up Taylor’s FOLKLORE album* OK, this one doesn’t come out until October, so mark your calendars! I’M JUST OBSESSED WITH THIS COVER!! And the title even has Faire in it… I mean. Say less.
For Sabrina Parry, the world of her small, nameless mining town is cruel and practical. Her main aims in life are to hold onto her job, hold her tongue, and marry her pretty, but sickly sister Ceridwen to a man rich enough to look after her.
When Ceridwen vanishes into the woods leaving only an iron ring behind, it’s up to Sabrina to find her by venturing into fairyland.
Sabrina quickly realizes fairyland is far more dangerous than she ever expected. So when a fae prince who considers himself a scholar of all things human offers her a dangerous deal, Sabrina is forced to accept. The prince is charming, and more interested in Sabrina than she is willing to believe. But as always with fairy bargains, there is a cost.
And if this bargain doesn’t cost Sabrina her life, it will certainly cost her heart.
The Princess and the Grilled Cheese Sandwich
by Deya Muniz
Feel like you’re lacking outfit inspo for your next Renn Faire? Fear not, NOVLers! This lush graphic novel’s fashion should be the theme of the next Met Gala. Queer, gorgeous, and oh-so-cheesy, you can’t help but be swept away!
A nobleman with a secret and a princess on a mission find love—and lots of grilled cheese sandwiches—when they least expect it, in this funny, heartfelt graphic novel rom-com.
Lady Camembert wants to live life on her own terms, without marriage. Well, without marrying a man, that is. But the law of the land is that women cannot inherit. So when her father passes away, she does the only thing she can: She disguises herself as a man and moves to the capital city of the Kingdom of Fromage to start over as Count Camembert.
But it’s hard to keep a low profile when the beautiful Princess Brie, with her fierce activism and great sense of fashion, catches her attention. Camembert can’t resist getting to know the princess, but as the two grow closer, will she able to keep her secret?
A romantic comedy about mistaken identity, true love, and lots of grilled cheese.
This Ends in Embers
by Kamilah Cole
It ain’t a Renn Faire without dragons, IMO. In this sequel (and finale!) to the masterpiece SO LET THEM BURN, we’re back with the Vincent sisters for some flame filled fun and adventure! AND with a STUNNING brand-new cover!
Perfect for fans of Raybearer and Fourth Wing, this astonishing sequel to the bestselling novel So Let Them Burn doesn’t hold back. After all, there are no easy endings in war—especially when sisters are forced to fight on opposite sides.
Faron Vincent was once the saint of San Irie. Now, she’s done the unthinkable: betrayed her country. Alone, disgraced, and kidnapped, Faron is forced to help Iya grow his bloody empire. With her soul bonded to a ruthless killer, Faron has become an enemy to her people… and she fears they might be right.
Elara Vincent—the new Empyrean—must undo the damage her sister has caused. San Irie has been brought back to the brink of war as Iya proclaims that no nation will be safe from his brutal invasion. But how can Elara save her sister, her best friend, her country, and her world when she’s already cracking under the pressure?
This heart-pounding conclusion to the Divine Traitors duology pushes these unforgettable heroines to their breaking point and beyond. Because when the lines between hero and villain are blurred, deadly sacrifices must be made.
“Both a brilliant sequel and an epic finale, This Ends in Embers is a gut punch of a novel that will stay with you long after its ending. Cole balances breathtakingly high stakes with poignant character moments to craft a narrative so passionate it will burn a path straight to your heart.” —Chelsea Abdullah, award-winning author of The Stardust Thief
The Third Daughter
Ahhh, this book has one of my favorite elements of magic… a glittering, dangerous potion. If you’re most likely to be found at the Renn Faire apothecary section, this one is for you! And don’t miss the sequel!
A sweeping, immersive and intense fantasy is about legacy, betrayal, sisterhood, and politicizing emotion in the quest for power—all while a slow-burn LGBTQ romance simmers.
For centuries, the citizens of Velle have waited for their New Maiden to return. The prophecy states she will appear as the third daughter of a third daughter. When the fabled child is finally born to Velle’s reigning queen all rejoice except for Elodie, the queen’s eldest child, who has lost her claim to the crown. The only way for Elodie to protect Velle is to retake the throne. To do so, she must debilitate the Third Daughter—her youngest sister, Brianne.
Desperate, Elodie purchases a sleeping potion from Sabine, who sells sadness. But the apothecary mistakenly sends the princess away with a vial of tears instead of a harmless sleeping brew. Sabine’s sadness is dangerously powerful, and Brianne slips into a slumber from which she will not wake. With the fates of their families and country hanging in the balance, Sabine and Elodie hurry to revive the Third Daughter while a slow-burning attraction between the two girls erupts in full force.
A must-read for fans of the BookTok sensations Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard, Dance of Thieves by Mary E. Pearson, and These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong.
Season of Fear
by Emily Cooper
Leaving you with one more for your TBR! Pubbing in September, Season of Fear has monsters and quests, and it all takes place in a lush Bavarian village. There’s only one thing I love more than fairy tales… fairy tales with a dark twist!
In the Bavarian village of Heulensee, women feed their terror to an ancient Saint of Fear. In return, it protects them from the monsters of the Hexenwald, the haunted forest on their doorstep. Born unfearing, Ilse Odenwald has felt like an outsider all her life. When the Saint discovers Ilse’s divergence, it levels a threat: she must find her fear, or the Saint will devour her sister, Dorothea—the only person who loves Ilse unconditionally.
Unwilling to lose Thea, Ilse enters the Hexenwald. She hopes that its horrors will finally unleash her fear and, in turn, save her sister. But during her quest Ilse inadvertently uncovers something more sinister than the monsters that hunt her: a darkness within herself. As the forest closes in, Ilse’s hopes for a normal future begin to slip away, as well as the chance to save not just Thea, but all women in Heulensee.
Bewitching and timely, this gripping debut novel is a dark fairy tale about the fate of girls and women in a world grown accustomed to sacrificing them.