• Age: 10 to 18
• Grade: 5 to 12

You think you know these stories, don’t you?

You are wrong.

You don’t know them at all.

Twelve tales, twelve dangerous tales of mystery, magic, and rebellious hearts. Each twists like a spindle to reveal truths full of warning and triumph, truths that free hearts long kept tame, truths that explore life . . . and death.

A prince has a surprising awakening . . .

A beauty fights like a beast . . .

A boy refuses to become prey . . .

A path to happiness is lost. . . . then found again.

New York Times bestselling author Soman Chainani respins old stories into fresh fairy tales for a new era and creates a world like no other. These stories know you. They understand you. They reflect you. They are tales for our times. So read on, if you dare.

THE SCHOOL FOR GOOD AND EVIL is the #1 movie now streaming on Netflix—starring Academy Award winner Charlize Theron, Kerry Washington, Laurence Fishburne, Michelle Yeoh, Sofia Wylie, Sophie Anne Caruso, Jamie Flatters, Earl Cave, Kit Young, and many others!

Soman Chainani is the New York Times bestselling author of the School for Good and Evil series. The fairy-tale saga has sold over 3 million copies, been translated into 31 languages, and will soon be a major motion picture from Netflix, which Soman will executive produce. His most recent book, Beasts and Beauty: Dangerous Tales, was also an instant New York Times bestseller and is in development to be a television series from Sony 3000.

Soman is a graduate of Harvard University and received his MFA in film from Columbia University. Every year, he visits schools around the world to speak to kids and share his secret: that reading is the path to a better life.

You can visit Soman at www.somanchainani.com.

Soman Chainani's profile page

Julia Iredale is an artist from Victoria, British Columbia. She earned a bachelor's degree in illustration from Emily Carr University in 2015 and now works as a freelance illustrator for clients around the world. Her work is informed by her love of mythology, dark fantasy, and human psychology, weaving these together to create beautiful, mysterious characters and worlds.

Julia Iredale's profile page

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“Haunting, funny, suspenseful, sweet. Fresh and modern with plenty of plot twists. . . All readers will have something with which to identify. Iredale’s illustrations are gorgeous, bloody, and magical.” — Horn Book (starred review)

“A brilliant, bloodthirsty fairy-tale collection. Twelve well-known tales are retold through a racially, ethnically, and sexually diverse lens for a modern audience.” — School Library Journal

"A volume that transports readers to a place where the lines between beastly natures and beautiful appearances can be difficult to discern. Expertly crafted . . . Chainani’s writing is raw in what it lays bare on the page, perfectly appropriate to revisiting these beloved, ubiquitous stories that may have left readers with naïve expectations or dissatisfied conclusions. For any lover of fairy tales who seeks alternative endings." — Kirkus Reviews

“Chainani takes 12 time-honored tales and overhauls their traditional tellings, adding an astonishing amount of depth and beauty in the process. Lush, transporting, and occasionally eerie, easily conjuring fantastical worlds. . . An intriguing and inclusive update for modern audiences.” — Booklist

“Terrifying, chilling, unexpected, and glorious. A must-read for any fairy tale devotee who wants to view classic stories through a new lens.” — Medium

Beasts and Beauty puts a fresh spin on everyone’s favorite fairytales. — Culturess

“Vigorous, chilling. Chainani is a terrific storyteller." — Wall Street Journal?