The Gates of Sleep by Mercedes Lackey

Lackey has crafted a series where the people are Elemental masters (can use magic basically) but the story lines fit into classic fairy tales.  She puts an interesting spin on them and does not use all the typical fairy tales you would assume she would.  I had read all of them I thought, but then I stumbled upon this book which is a retelling of Sleeping Beauty.  It is an interesting tale of a young woman cursed by her aunt who then goes to live with artist friends of her parents.  In this story, however, tragedy strikes the parents first and Marina becomes a ward of her evil aunt Arachne before she reaches her majority.  Now it wouldn’t be so bad, but no one ever told Marina why she could not live with her parents.  So she has thought there is something wrong wither her and is now in the clutches of the evil that threatens to destroy her.  It is a great retelling and the magic that is interwoven makes the story come alive.  SO though I have not gotten into any other of Lackey’s series, I really like the Elemental Masters books.