The latest in the trilogy takes the Hansel and Gretel fairy tale, and mashes it together with Faithful Johannes, and other themes from fairy tales and fantasy – the Devil, curses, witches, spells, and dragons abound in this novel of what could be short stories or chapters – as each feel individual yet also, are cleverly linked through the characters of Hansel and Gretel and their search for a family who won’t hurt them or take advantage of them. And the latest fairy tale retelling that is a little darker than the usual retelling and just as dark, if not a little darker than the originals, is the Grimm Trilogy by Adam Gidwitz. Of course, there are the originals and the retellings that are not quite as sanitised, like Roald Dahl’s Revolting Rhymes, or historical fiction that has been influenced by fairy tales, usually for adults.

Many fairy tale retellings, and indeed the traditional fairy tales, are often sanitised for children, most notably, Disney’s interpretations, and many picture book and fairy tale collections.

Sales for across the series now exceed a quarter of a million copies.

The Grimm Trilogy has been on The New York Times Bestsellers list for a total of 16 weeks.

It may be frightening, it’s certainly bloody, and it’s definitely not for the faint of heart.

But if you dare, turn the page and learn the true story of Hansel and Gretel – the story behind (and beyond) the bread crumbs, edible houses and outwitted witches. Warlocks with dark spells, hunters with deadly aim, and bakers with ovens retrofitted for cooking children lurk within these pages. Synopsis: A gruesome but funny retelling of Grimm’s terrifying tales.

A tale dark and grimm book 2