When You’re Old Enough to Love Fairytales Again

By: Mallory Hudson 

There’s something intoxicating about being old enough to love fairytales again. One year ago, I opened up A Court of Thorns and Roses and fell in love with fantasy all over again—as a 22-year-old.

When you’re an adult reading fairytales, you understand the stakes differently. You notice the nuances of character, the moral dilemmas, the weight of choices, and the heartbreak that comes with them. You recognize the care in the world-building and the courage it takes for a protagonist to rise, fall, and rise again. It’s not just escapism, it’s a mirror, a lesson, a comfort, and a thrill all at once.

Reading the thirty books I’ve devoured in the past year has been like rediscovering a part of myself I thought had been lost to time. It’s taught me that fairytales aren’t just for kids, they’re for anyone willing to believe that even in a world filled with shadows, there’s still light, still beauty, and still the possibility of a story that stays with you long after that last page is turned.

So, if you haven’t picked up a fairytale, or a fantasy, or a story that makes your heart race, in years, maybe it’s time. Open a book, fall into the portal, and remember what it feels like to be completely, unashamedly, swept away.

Here are the 30 books I’ve read in the past year: 30 chances to fall in love, escape, fight evil, and save the world:

A Court of Thorns and Roses Series by Sarah J. Maas

  • A Court of Thorns and Roses
  • A Court of Wings and Ruin
  • A Court of Frost and Starlight
  • A Court of Silver Flames

Throne of Glass Series by Sarah J. Maas

  • Assassin’s Blade
  • Throne of Glass
  • Crown of Midnight
  • Heir of Fire
  • Queen of Shadows
  • Empire of Storms
  • Tower of Dawn
  • Kingdom of Ash

Crescent City Series by Sarah J. Maas

  • House of Earth and Blood
  • House of Sky and Breath
  • House of Flame and Shadow

The Empyrean Series by Rebecca Yarros

  • Fourth Wing
  • Iron Flame
  • Onyx Storm

Quicksilver by Callie Hart

Wicked Games Series by Kaylie Smith

  • Phantasma
  • Enchantra

Powerless Series by Lauren Roberts

  • Powerless
  • Powerful
  • Reckless
  • Fearless

Plated Prisoner Series by Raven Kennedy

  • Gild
  • Glint
  • Gleam
  • Glow – Currently Reading!
  • Gold
  • Goldfinch

Each book has been a reminder that some magic isn’t meant to fade—it’s just waiting for you to be old enough to appreciate it all over again.