The Clockwork Fairytales Series by A.B. Keuser

A twist on the English classic, Keuser bends the tale of jack and his giants with a heavy infusion of fantasy, magic, and romance. Hints of Frankenstein and babel add depth and dimension to Jack’s tale. Jack has better things to do than jump at the beck and call of his new king. But when a knight descends on his mother’s farm determined to collect him, there’s no refusing... moreA twist on the English classic, Keuser bends the tale of jack and his giants with a heavy infusion of fantasy, magic, and romance. Hints of Frankenstein and babel add depth and dimension to Jack’s tale. Jack has better things to do than jump at the beck and call of his new king. But when a knight descends on his mother’s farm determined to collect him, there’s no refusing. A trip to the palace and a declination of his king’s offer leaves him with a single choice: cross the channel, brave the dark of the jungle, and deal with the threat to their kingdom… or die. Mixing metal magic with that of nature, Orla makes a fairy’s bargain to avenge the death of her father. With her titanium cages, a witch’s enchanted beans, and the potential to open a portal into the Other, she’ll stop at nothing to destroy her brother and his new fairy queen. A man with an axe, a princess with a grudge, and a heat that flows between them could set the jungle on fire… assuming they don’t discover the other’s agenda. less

The most divergent of Keuser’s retellings, Snow on the Sea explores a version of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves that subverts the traditional tale. This retelling explores the story from a completely different angle and features characters from book one of the series. Heather Marchant is dying. Not fast enough, it would seem, for her aunt. When she wakes up to find an undertaker measuring her for her coffin, she knows she must flee or lose what little time she has left... moreThe most divergent of Keuser’s retellings, Snow on the Sea explores a version of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves that subverts the traditional tale. This retelling explores the story from a completely different angle and features characters from book one of the series. Heather Marchant is dying. Not fast enough, it would seem, for her aunt. When she wakes up to find an undertaker measuring her for her coffin, she knows she must flee or lose what little time she has left. Finding passage to another land is easy. Getting the powders she needs to treat the lung ailment that killed her mother is less so. But when her ship sails without her, and a huntsman haunts the shadows, she’ll make a bargain with the chemist that could change her life—however little she has left. A prince running from a kingdom of ice and snow, Xinjuan Sendi has nurtured a reputation in the foreign land she now calls home. Some think she’s a witch, others a closer relation to her fairy grandmother than she truly is. When she is introduced to Heather by a coughing fit strong enough it should have broken windows, she wishes she had the magic whispers claimed. Heather needs more help than the white powder she’d come to collect. An offer for a cure is the least Xin can provide, but the sacrifices it will incur may be both of their undoing. Hiding Heather, spelling her storefront, and employing distractions when necessary will only hold Heather’s aunt at bay for so long. If Xin cannot find a cure—and soon—the blood staining Heather’s lips might be the least of their worries. Falling in love wasn’t part of their bargain. less