Heather Walter

“I know how to lock my heart inside a cage.”

“The Crimson Crown,” by Heather Walter

Snow White’s dark queen origin story. Ayleth is a witch who lives with her coven, but the Royal Huntsmen are intensifying their search for witches and putting their lives in danger. Ayleth whose magic has not shown yet decides to go on a quest to the White Palace to save her family. On the way she runs into Jacquetta, a witch who broke her heart and trust.

This book is a good retelling of the evil queen. I liked the political intrigue and world building. The romance in the book was minor though but I liked the characters especially FMC. I enjoyed reading it, 3 out of 5 stars.

-F/F
-Magic
-Retelling
-Political Intrigue

Thank you for the ARC, Netgalley.… (more)

Alyce is a grace – a woman born with certain fae abilites – who lives in a house with other graces, where they offer their services to the nobility for a fee. But unlike all the other graces in the kingdom, Alice is a dark grace, whose abilities lean more toward curses than beauty enhancements. She’s never fit in with the other graces, or with anyone, until she meets a man imprisoned in a tower, who tells her about her true origins and begins to train her to use her abilities as they were intended. Meanwhile at the royal castle, the princess Aurora is counting down the days to her 21st birthday, when she will die unless her true love finds her and kisses her first. Many men have tried and all have failed to lift the curse. When the princess and the dark grace meet, both of their lives begin to change.

I love the idea of a queer retelling of Sleeping Beauty, but this one didn’t work for me. Too much angst, very little action, and the Big Plot Twist is visible from miles away.… (more)