You are now the lead writer of the EAH books, what concepts would you be itching to execute on? - @a-big-bad-bitch
So, I have a clear idea of all the story arcs I'd like to give the characters if I were in charge of a remake of the series, which characters to cut, which subjects to renew.
If you want me to talk about that in detail, just ask (both you and the others)!!
However, you're talking about the classic framework of the EAH books, so let's work with that.
-> General rule: Each book has a dual Royal/Rebel POV.
Apple/Raven have a big space in books, but I would have liked a real "book three" where the two really confront their mothers, Grimm, and truly resolve the issue of Destiny. A sort of big block with Thronecoming/Spring Unsprout/Dragon Game. For me, it would be essential to have at least one section where the White Queen family story is addressed in an intellectually honest way, with Raven actually having the chance to speak to Snow White as her sister.
I'd also keep Cedar/Lizzie with the same POV, but FINALLY give them the resolution they deserve, with a proper "Book 2" for them too. Ideally, it would be a remake of Book 2, but on paper, where the girls harness the Jabberwocky's magic used in the previous book to heal Wonderland, which in my vision has been tainted in a much more horror-filled way. The plot would parallel that of Apple/Raven, with Cedar as the definitive human and Lizzie's coronation as queen.
Blondie/Cerise Oh, now let's get to the interesting stuff. It's my established headcanon that Cerise and Blondie were childhood friends, having grown up, along with Sparrow and Hunter, in the English countryside. Their friendship ended when Blondie abandoned them to become a royal. The book would certainly play on the most obvious gimmick, that is, Cerise hiding a secret and Blondie being nosy, but the parallels would be more subtle because both girls have a "mysterious father" for different reasons. The plot would therefore see Blondie as an investigator who reveals Cerise's secret, only to have a reversal and have to help her. The book would end with the media exposure of the girls as illegitimate by Badwolf/Charming and the bittersweet consequences that follow.
Maddie/Kitty, okay, I know, in theory the marketing positions them both as Rebels, BUT: I think Kitty and Maddie are two sides of the same trauma and bearers of the same theme: loyalty. Loyalty to one's friends, to one's home, to one's ideas. Kitty is someone who repeatedly chooses to be true to herself at the expense of her friends, while Maddie is faithful to her friends at the expense of her role. Their story therefore parallels that of Cedar/Lizzie (since they're on a mission) and will see Kitty learning loyalty to people and Maddie completely rejecting her role in Wonderland, for in the end her true home is with Raven.
Ashlynn/Hunter: Very basic, I know, but we'd finally have the resolution to their love story. Think of a THD, but much longer and more complex, where the social aspects of their relationship are analyzed; the particular social position in which BOTH of them find themselves; as well as an exploration of their family lives. With the confirmation of their wedding, the "classic" Cinderella fairy tale dies, and the Ellas can finally live peacefully.
Sparrow/Duchess I'll never stop saying it: Next Top Villain should have had Sparrow's point of view! Here too - so much social commentary on how similar people have grown up differently in their environment. Both are abandoned by their parents, but they become cynical in different ways. Duchess, who doesn't want to give up her status, doesn't rebel and romanticizes her pain by hurting people, versus Sparrow, who knows true poverty, both his own and that of his people, and wants to redeem himself even at the cost of disregarding others. The plot picks up immediately after NTV with them teaming up, but of course there's Sparrow's POV as well as Duchess's, and essentially we see them form the code we know. In particular, Duchess learns black magic to break her curse, so she must ask Sparrow for help. I'm a romantic in that sense, so I like the idea of Sparrow finally doing his first good deed on screen here, and in the finale, Duchess is confirmed that there's "something deep" between them, and the subcontinent shifts between Daring and him in her heart.
Faybelle/Ginger: GingerBelle is Sparchess Yuri, and with the added complication of being childhood friends! They MUST have a book together. The plot is a 50/50 Kiss & Spell, but with the two essentially locked in a black magic contest. Ginger starts out as Faybelle's lackey but learns to detach herself, and Faybelle has to deal with the fact that the only person who truly loved her is abandoning her because he's tired of her. Candy and Dark Fairy are obviously here too, and in fact, there's a change of setting here because it all takes place in the witches' town.
Dexter/Darling is banal ASCKOL retelling, but from Dexter's point of view, as he reflects on the complicated relationship back home. Unlike Darling, he also manages to solve a mission, BUT thanks to his ingenuity.
Briar/Rosabella THIS IS WHAT YOU WERE EXPECTING! The Briar/Rosabella book would be It would be particularly long because it would deal with a lot of the historical family drama at EAH. The plot is pre-W2W, so Briar still has the book thing, but in this scenario, throwing the book away has led to magical constructions that the two cousins must uncover since ROSABELLA has been accused of the crime and must prove her innocence. So obviously Briar is conflicted about this. Also because Briar is still a nominal royal, but Rosabella is a rebel. The Beauty family's past would be addressed, with its problematic implications and, in reality, even their affiliation with the Dark Fairy to prevent Beauty from sleeping for a hundred years, but with major repercussions.
Daring/Hopper: We need an all-male book, because we need a perspective that's so "alienated" compared to the usual. Very simple plot - the boys are sent on a mission to fight a dragon, but along the way they end up on daring adventures. The idea is that both experience a sense of detachment: Hopper from Daring's masculinity, and Daring from the real world. If Hopper becomes more of a man during this adventure, Daring must become more humble.
Holly/Poppy: A good remake of True or Hair, where Poppy is Mother Gothel and causes trouble at school.
Alistair/Courtly: I talked about it here!
