Scratch the surface of a fairy tale and, nearly always, you will find that it’s a story about sex. Sexual awakening, sexual control, sexual menace, sexual restraint, sexual choice. And therein lies a lot of their extraordinary staying power. Turns out people like stories about sex!

Of course, the moral lessons imparted by the original versions were often ugly and toxic. All the better to mess with, my dear! Here you’ll find dozens of Circlet authors turning those old stories about the importance of modesty, chastity, and knowing your place into tales that would set the original tellers’ hair on fire.

Our collection features Elizabeth Schechter’s novel Princes of Air; Lambda Literary Award finalist Charming, which collects gay fairy tales in a contemporary setting; plus short story collections focusing on gay, lesbian, and BDSM sexuality.

The following excerpt is from Princes Of Air, Part Two: Courtship of the Raven King:

It was a bright summer afternoon, and I was in my raven-form, sitting on my accustomed perch. We each of us had one; mine was a ledge high over Dun-Morrigan, from which I could see the entire baile, and the village below. From this vantage point, I could see Maelan and Niall practicing sword-play on the urla, to the delight of Cormac, who watched from a safe distance. The boy had a stick clutched in one hand and was mimicking his father’s movements. I heard his clear laughter as he saw his mother coming towards them, saw him run towards her and hug her enthusiastically. She knelt and said something to him, and he ran off towards the feast-hall. Maelan must have seen her, too, because he signaled for the bout to end. Niall fell back, picked up the feather cloak that was never far from his side, and walked off to claim a kiss from his wife. Their passion was clear even at this distance, and I felt as if I was intruding on something private. It was uncomfortable enough that I took wing and flew off to spend a few quiet hours alone with my thoughts. As usual, the thinking I did turned to marriage, and I wondered if there was a mate for me anywhere in the world. I wondered how I’d know, and resolved to ask Niall how he’d known Sorcha was the one.

By the time the sun was setting, I’d actually decided on one thing. My mate was out there, and since she wasn’t going to come to me, I’d have to go looking for her. I knew where my search would start.

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