How Does Kissing The Witch Portray Power And Desire In Its Retellings?
Explored the queer subtext in these fairy tale revisions, but I'm still thinking about their feminist angle on magic, control, and sexuality. Thoughts?
2026-07-26 13:28:22
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SawyerSun
Novel Fan
Consultant
Kuis Kepribadian ABO
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Aroma
Kepribadian
Pola Cinta Ideal
Keinginan Rahasia
Sisi Gelap Anda
Mulai Tes
4 Jawaban
TaraHicks
Active Reader
Photographer
The most striking thing is how desire is often linked to escape. Not escape to a prince, but escape from the entire script. In 'The Tale of the Cottage,' Gretel’s desire isn’t for riches or safety; it’s for the witch’s life of solitary independence, which she sees as power. The witch’s desire, conversely, might be for companionship, but on her own terms. The power negotiation is so delicate. It’s about reading the unspoken contract between them. The happy ending is redefined as finding the arrangement that suits your true self, however unconventional.
2026-07-27 00:18:37
6
BrynWade
Sharp Observer
Doctor
I saw it as a series of lessons. Each protagonist is, in a way, a student. The witch (or witch-figure) is the teacher. The power dynamic is pedagogical. The teacher holds knowledge (power), and the student desires it. But it’s not a simple transfer. The student must be ready, must ask the right questions, must sometimes challenge the teacher. The ‘happy ending’ is graduation—moving into a state of self-possessed knowledge where you no longer need the teacher in the same way.
2026-07-28 11:44:47
2
CatoDunn
Bibliophile
Nurse
It's a masterclass in subtext. Power and desire aren't always loud declarations. In 'The Tale of the Rose,' Beauty’s power lies in her perception and her choice to stay. Her desire isn't for a handsome prince but for the authentic, ugly-beautiful reality of the Beast. She holds power because she sees him truly and stays by choice, not because of a broken spell. Donoghue strips away the magical transformation to ask: what if the power was in loving the beast as a beast? That’s a radical desire.
2026-07-29 06:06:54
6
DaxVibe
Responder
Student
It’s a peaceful book. Despite dealing with heavy themes, it doesn’t feel angry or violent. The power transfer is through conversation, understanding, and choice. The revolution is quiet. The desire is for a peaceful, self-determined life, not for dominance. In a world saturated with violent rebellions in fantasy, this was a serene and powerful alternative. Sometimes the strongest power is the power to walk away and tend your own garden.
2026-07-31 14:01:55
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The Dragon King's Seduction
Moonlight Muse
9.8
348.3K
In a world where the werewolf kingdom is on the brink of war, the Alpha King is forced to offer one of his daughters hands in marriage in exchange for peace.
When Princess Xendaya finds out that her younger sister has agreed to wed the Dragon King - a beast who is known for his callous, ruthless and deadly nature - she decides to take her place, making the ultimate sacrifice and signing away her freedom.
Far from home and her people, will the head-strong werewolf princess survive in the kingdom of beasts? A place that is far worse than she thought. Her new husband is not only dangerous but has the sexual appetite of a hundred men. How will Xendaya cope knowing that her king has a harem and has no shortage of women?
Agnarr, the Ruthless, is a merciless leader who has his eyes on a throne that he feels is his birthright, thrusting his people into the claws of full-out war and carnage. Will he continue to bottle his pain, rage, and hatred within him or allow his new queen to help guide him?
How will Xendaya cope when her so-called husband turns his gaze upon her, his newest possession?
How will Agnarr react when he realises he wants a taste of his new wife?
And how will she remain strong and not succumb to her Dragon King's seduction?
In a clash of wills, passion and desire, will the threat that hangs above them allow them to give in? Or will it simply drive them apart?
~~~
The sequel to The Alpha King's Possession
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Steamy Fairytales Collection: An 18+ Dark Fairytales Series
Joy Apens
10
101.2K
A retelling of several of the most famous fairy tales with a kinky, dirty twist. Each story is about 30,000 words so sit back, grab some holy water and relax! It's time to sink in 10 deliciously dark and twisted fairytales! Highly erotic and brimming with dark desires, don't say I didn't warn ya!
18+ Dark Fairytale Series
Rumpled (Retelling of Rumplestiltskin)
Sinderella (Retelling of Cinderella)
Allissa in Wankerland (Retelling of Alice In Wonderland)
Friends With Sexy Benefits (Retelling of Hansel and Gretel)
Snow White and the Seven Hunks (Retelling of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs)
Red (Retelling of Little Red Riding Hood)
Tangled (Retelling of Rapunzel)
Bella and the Beast (Beauty and The Beast)
Maid For Pleasure (The Ugly Duckling)
Goldilocks and the 3 Were-bears (Goldilocks)
Her entire life, Seraphina thought she was human. It wasn't until after her parents were killed that she learned her family's secret. She came from a long and powerful line of witches. While going through her parents' belongings, she stumbles upon a spell book. Not only does she accidentally summon a demon king while going through it, but she binds him to her as well.
Demetri is the king of the second circle, lust. When he is forcefully pulled from his throne and brought to Earth, the last thing he expected was for a woman to bewitch him. Yet, it only took one look at the beautiful creature for him to decide that she would be his.
While Seraphina is trying to find a way to free him, Demetri is trying to seduce her and convince her to be his mate. When her parents' killer turns their attention to Seraphina, they must work together to locate and eliminate the threat.
Enjoy the steamy romance between Seraphina and Demetri as they fight for their lives and fall in love in the process.
18+ There will be several graphic sex scenes, violence, and strong language is used.
Seven Classic Faery Tales are given a very adult makeover.
You are entering a world of myth, magic, and Immortals.
Throw in the humans for the added spice of erotica and violence.
Mix together and you have dark adult faery tales ........
Do not read if easily offended!
When Anastasia, a lower level green witch, finally flees from a vengeful wolf pack, she finds herself soul-bond to the very thing she hates, a Lycan. Not only is he a Lycan, but he’s none other than Dominiko, the Lycan King himself! She thought struggling to accept him was the worst of her worries until she is faced with a catch 22. She must overcome her prejudice, embrace her power, and choose between the witches and Lycans, all while a war threatens to tear both worlds apart. Could she really go against her own people? Or will the Lycan kings hope for peace work?
Because I saved my husband during a car accident, I lost my eyesight.
He wept, promising to treat me well for the rest of our lives to repay my sacrifice.
I cooperated with the treatment wholeheartedly, hoping for a full recovery. But on the day I finally regained my sight, I stumbled upon something that shattered my world.
In our marital home, his first love lay beneath him, her flushed face betraying the passion of the moment. Their bodies intertwined, and the air around them thick with stifled moans—a vivid tableau of infidelity.
"She's just a blind woman. Why haven't you divorced her yet?" the woman murmured impatiently, her voice laced with disdain as she moved against him.
My husband, immersed in pleasure, still mumbled an excuse. "My love, just a little longer. Soon, we'll be together openly…"
I turned and left without a word, pretending I had seen nothing.
As I walked away, I remembered the witch's sacrificial ritual in the misty forest—only a few days away.
My husband's betrayal cut deep, carving wounds I couldn't ignore. I made up my mind to return to the forest, to embrace my identity as a witch once more, and to sever all ties with him.
Yet, after I disappeared, word reached me that he was searching for me everywhere like a madman. Rumor had it he had completely lost his mind.
The narrative structure itself is a reinterpretation. The frame story of the witch and the maiden sets up a dialogue that challenges the very nature of storytelling. Who gets to tell the story? Who gets to define the happy ending? By weaving the tales together, Donoghue suggests a sisterhood of experience that transcends individual plots. It's a masterclass in how form can reinforce theme. You can't just read one story in isolation; the power is in the cumulative effect.
I think people sometimes miss the metafictional layer. The book is about the act of storytelling as transformation. Each character literally passes the narrative to the next, shedding their old story like a skin and stepping into a new one. The 'new skins' are the tales themselves, constantly being retold and reinterpreted. The kiss is the moment of connection between teller and listener, author and reader, that allows that transformation to happen. It argues that no story is ever finished or fixed; its meaning changes with every telling. So the old tale of 'Cinderella' is reshaped simply by being told from a new angle within this specific chain. The book’s structure is its most brilliant argument—the form itself demonstrates the continuous reshaping of narrative.
Emma Donoghue's 'Kissing the Witch: Old Tales in New Skins' is such a fascinating reimagining of classic fairy tales because it twists them into something deeply personal and subversive. The book doesn’t just retell stories—it peels back the layers of familiar narratives to reveal hidden desires, queer perspectives, and feminist critiques. Take Cinderella, for example. Instead of a passive girl waiting for a prince, she’s given agency, questioning the very structure of her 'happily ever after.'
What I love is how Donoghue weaves these tales together, creating a tapestry where one story bleeds into the next. It feels like a conversation between characters across time, challenging the idea that these myths are fixed or one-dimensional. The title itself, 'Kissing the Witch,' hints at reclaiming the monstrous, the taboo—the women traditionally vilified in folklore. It’s not just revision for the sake of novelty; it’s about asking, 'Whose voices were erased?' and 'What happens if we center them instead?' The result is a collection that’s lush, provocative, and deeply satisfying for anyone tired of the same old tropes.
The prince is a recurring joke, and that’s thematic. He’s often hapless, shallow, or just a symbol of a boring destiny. The queer energy is in the collective eye-roll the characters (and the reader) share about him. Rejecting him isn’t just about choosing a woman; it’s about rejecting an entire system of value—looks, status, empty charm—in favor of something substantive, even if it’s mysterious and feared.
It creates a fascinating dissonance. You know the original tales, so you have an expectation of how they should end. Donoghue's ending disrupts that, leaving you in a state of creative unease. That unease is precisely the energy that propels you into the next story, which promises another disruption. The connection is the shared rhythm of disruption. Once you get into that rhythm, you start reading the endings not for closure, but for the next delicious, subversive jolt.