Published by Random House - Ballantine Genres: Fantasy, LGBT, Retelling, Romance, young adult
Format: ARC, eBook
First and foremost, THAT COVER! I mean, seriously, it is gorgeous!
But it is what’s underneath the cover that matters, isn’t it? So, without further ado, I am going to quote the Oprah Magazine:
“Walter’s spellbinding debut is for all the queer girls and women who have been told to keep their gifts hidden and for those yearning to defy gravity.” – O: The Oprah Magazine
Once upon a time there was a wicked fairy who cursed a line of princesses to die. A curse that can only be broken by true love’s kiss. Yes! A retelling of Sleeping Beauty with LGBTQ representation. It is dark, it’s magical and compelling!
“Take care you don’t become what they think you are.”
One would think that members of the kingdom would care about the Princess Aurora and the fate which might befall her, but it is hard to care when you are busy collecting jewels, purchasing elixirs to harm others or to make themselves beautiful and trying to impress others. But there is one who cares – The Dark Grace, a Vila known as Alyce. She is feared, she is mistreated, but she is … (read the book)
“If there is someone, I hope they deserve you.”
There are a lot of characters in this book – unique characters from a Kestrel, graces, Fae, and Alyce! I did not have a hard time keeping track of them so that was a plus. Another plus was the unique world that was created.
This is a retelling of Sleeping Beauty, but it also had the feel of other fairy tales as well and it also has a Maleficent vibe. A scene at the end also gave me a minor Game of Thrones vibe as well. Fans of retellings and fantasy will enjoy this book. I am not a big fantasy fan, but I do enjoy a good retelling. This is book one in the Malice Duology.
One thing that I felt shined in this book was the emphasis on identity, relationships, knowing who you are, and coming into your own. This book is marketed as a romance and it is – but for me it was more about self-realization and knowing your worth. That being unique is a gift and not a curse. Terrific themes.
A solid debut. I believe the next book will be even better than this one. Like Alyce, I believe that Heather Walter is just coming into her own.
Captivating. Dark. Magical.
3.5 stars
Thank you to Random House Publishing – Ballantine and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.