Those looking for books like A Touch of Darkness are likely on the hunt for another escapist fantasy novel.
Based on the myth of Hades and Persephone, mythology and fairytale retellings are a popular concept in the fantasy genre. Giving an already interesting story a more modern or magical twist can make a story ten times better which authors like Scarlett St. Clair succeed in.
Persephone, the Goddess of Spring, is posing as a mortal journalist when she meets Hades, God of the Underworld. Now, she is tangled up in a contract which she can’t get out of and in which the terms are impossible. Persephone must make a life for herself in the Underworld or lose the freedom she has gained for herself forever.
Despite her title as Goddess of Spring, petals and wildlife shrivel under her touch. This, her entrapment and her growing feelings for Hades cause Persephone to make a hard choice.
If you have already read A Touch of Darkness, then do not fret! I have put together a list of ten other fantasy retelling-based books that you will love!
Table of Contents
10 Books like A Touch of Darkness
Gild, by Raven Kennedy
Gild is based on a Greek mythological figure and focuses on a girl named Auren who is saved from the desolate streets by King Midas who promises her infinite love, riches and safety.
When Auren agrees to love the King forever in return, she is turned to gold and locked away where only Midas himself can reach her.
Unaware of the world outside and those who reside in it, Auren is told everything is for her own good and her safety. But when war reaches the steps of the palace, Midas must strike a deal – one that Auren is at the centre of – and she realizes she may only be a pawn in the games the men around her play.
This feminist twist on the story of King Midas and his golden touch is perfect for fans of A Touch of Darkness.
Lore, by Alexandra Bracken
Much like A Touch of Darkness, Lore is also based on Greek mythology.
Lore Perseous’ family was killed in Agon. Agon is a punishment for a past rebellion where nine Gods are made mortal, every seven years.
Now mortal, they are hunted by descendants of ancient bloodlines who seek divine power and to watch eternity play out before them.
Lore’s family was killed by a rival bloodline and since has stayed away from Agon. But when Athena seeks out her help, she is drawn back into the world of Gods and monsters.
Cinder, by Marissa Meyer
This book is the first in a series of sci-fi fantasy retelling of various fairytales.
Cinder is a cyborg living in New Beijing – a city that is full of androids and humans alike. She is a mechanic whose stepmother criticizes her every move but when she meets Prince Kai, her life is upended.
Somehow, she finds herself in the middle of an intergalactic struggle whilst she battles with her own feelings for the prince.
Luna, a colony on the moon, is threatening the world below and deadly plague ravages the cities. Cinder must fight for her family and the world she knows.
If you think you’ll like a sci-fi twist on the classic Cinderella fairytale, then pick up Cinder.
Already read this novel? Check out our list of similar books to Cinder!
Circe, by Madeline Miller
Greek mythology has inspired art of all kinds throughout the years and still today, in the form of television shows, films and books.
Circe is the story of the girl herself, born to the house of Helios, God of the sun. But Circe’s powers are like nothing seen before, she possesses the power of witchcraft.
Separating herself from the world of the gods, she hones her craft and her powers rival that of men and the Gods themselves. Threatened by a woman who can stand alone and powerful, Circe must fight for the life she wants to live.
Perfect for fans of A Touch of Darkness, this Greek myth retelling has appearances from the Minotaur, Daedalus, Icarus and more!
Have you already read this novel? Check out our list of books similar to Circe!
To Kill a Kingdom, by Alexandra Christo
A Disney favourite, The Little Mermaid, is a wonderful story of love and sacrifice. If you want a dark, enemies-to-lovers retelling of Ariel and Eric, then try To Kill a Kingdom!
Princess Lira is a vicious and brutal mermaid if her reputation is to be believed. With seventeen Princes’ hearts to prove her deadliness, she is almost as merciless as her mother, the Sea Queen.
But when Lira kills one of her own in a spur-of-the-moment fight, her mother transforms her into the one thing sirens hate more than anything: a human.
Tasked with delivering the Sea Queen Prince Elian’s heart, it seems Lira will appease her mother with ease. That is until she meets the siren-hunting prince and all she wants is to have his heart in an entirely different way than she intended.
Have you already read this novel? Check out our list of books like To Kill a Kingdom!
A Curse So Dark and Lonely, by Brigid Kemmerer
A tale as old as time, this Beauty and the Beast retelling will have you swooning! A perfect novel for lovers of books similar to A Touch of Darkness, A Curse so Dark and Lonely is an enemies-to-lovers story with a heroine who resides from our own, real world is a unique and stunning fantasy!
Harper finds herself transferred via portal into a magical realm from the streets of Washington DC, held as a prisoner in Prince Rhen’s castle.
Rhen is cursed to relive the autumn of his eighteenth birthday until he finds a girl to truly love him. It doesn’t seem so bad until he turns into a bloodthirsty beast who doesn’t know friend from foe.
Cursed with this and the knowledge he has killed his friends, family and many innocents, it is Rhen’s last chance to find love. Despite her initial hatred of Rhen, Harper warms to the prince and as they get to know one another, there seems to be hope after all.
A Court of Thorns and Roses, by Sarah J Mass
A popular fantasy novel based on Beauty and the Beast, A Court of Thorns and Roses has everything a reader should want in a good book.
Feyre and her family are struggling to survive, with winter well under way and game sparse, it is up to Feyre to put food on her family’s table. So when she follows a deer in the woods, a wolf on its tail, she can’t help but take both lives.
But when a monster comes knocking on her door, she realises the wolf but a faerie and now, Feyre must pay with her life. Imprisoned in a manor in the faerie kingdom, her captor hides behind a mask.
But the more she gets to know the person behind the mask, the less her hatred burns and the more she wants to fight for the faeries who struggle under an ancient curse.
A book similar to A Touch of Darkness but with more magic and wonder, this is a great read for anyone wanting something exciting and new!
Have you already read this novel? Check out our list of books like A Court of Thorns and Roses!
These Violent Delights, by Chloe Gong
These Violent Delights is a retelling based on Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet which is perfect for fans of A Touch of Darkness.
Set in 1920s Shanghai, the story follows two opposing gangs. Juliette has returned to the city to take on her role as heir to the Scarlet Gang. Roma is the rival leader of the White Flowers. He is also Juliette’s first love and first betrayal.
Her heartbreak ever present, the pair must overlook their differences and the past to fight together when the survival of the city and their gangs is put at risk.
Have you already read this novel? Check out our list of books similar to These Violent Delights!
Gilded, by Marissa Meyer
In Gilded – a haunting retelling of Rumpelstiltskin – we meet Serilda, a girl who has made a name for herself with her elaborate and spellbinding stories that are entirely untrue.
When her stories are heard by the Erlking and his undead hunters, she is told she must spin straw into gold or be killed for telling lies; an impossible task.
Somehow in her desperation, she calls for help from a strange boy who promises to help her, but for a price. There is more to be discovered about this boy as well as an ancient curse that could stop the king and his hunt forever.
Six Crimson Cranes, by Elizabeth Lin
Princess Shiori has forbidden magic running through her veins and when her powers get out of control at her betrothal ceremony, the wedding she never wanted is stopped. But her stepmother isn’t happy and with a dark magic of her own, banishes Shiori and turns her brothers into cranes.
Unable to speak a word without one of her brothers dying, Shiori searches for her crane brothers and discovers a conspiracy against the throne along the way.
Putting her trust in the man she was to marry whilst embracing the powers she was told to always hide goes against everything Shiori has ever known. But to save her brothers and her kingdom, she must do whatever it takes.
This retelling of the Grimm brothers’ Six Crimson Cranes is perfect for fans of A Touch of Darkness.
If you’ve heard of the original stories or not, I hope these fantasy retellings delight you and you find your perfect replacement for a book like A Touch of Darkness.
Are you looking for more books to read after A Touch of Darkness? Have any recommendations that didn’t make the list? Let us know in the comments!
