Once Upon a Time Books in Order
Part ofDebbie Viguie Books in OrderExplore the Once Upon a Time books by Debbie Viguie in order, with summaries, series background, and tips for where to begin.
Last updated: June 8, 2026
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Publication Order
3 books
Midnight Pearls
by Debbie Viguie
2003
Pearl, a silver-haired outcast rescued from the sea, grows up near the castle and the prince she loves. This romantic fantasy retells *The Little Mermaid* with jealousy, magic, and a sea witch stirring the storm.
Scarlet Moon
by Debbie Viguie
2004
In this retelling of Little Red Riding Hood, Ruth's trips through the forest and her bond with her grandmother pull her toward a dangerous family curse. A mysterious nobleman only makes the path ahead more perilous.
Violet Eyes
by Debbie Viguie
2010
This romantic retelling of *The Princess and the Pea* follows Violet, a farm girl who falls for Prince Richard. To win a future with him, she has to outthink courtly expectations and prove her worth.
Series background & context
These books are Debbie Viguie's fairy-tale retellings, and they are some of her most inviting standalone stories. Instead of building one long connected plot, the series revisits familiar tales and reshapes them into romantic fantasy novels with a slightly darker edge. The mood is dreamy, but the danger is real.
Scarlet Moon reworks Little Red Riding Hood. Midnight Pearls draws on The Little Mermaid. Violet Eyes plays with The Princess and the Pea. What connects them is Viguie's interest in taking a story readers think they know and asking what happens if the heroine has a little more agency, the world is a little more complicated, and magic has sharper consequences.
These are not grim retellings for the sake of it. They still care about wonder, longing, and romance. But they are less interested in tidy moral lessons than in the emotions inside the old stories, isolation, desire, family expectation, transformation, and the fear of being seen as different.
Because each book stands mostly on its own, this is one of the easiest places to sample her work. You can pick the fairy tale that interests you most and start there.
If you enjoy retellings that keep the charm of classic stories while giving them more momentum and a little more shadow, this series is a good fit.
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