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writingandwhimsy's review against another edition
4.0
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a free eARC in exchange for an honest review!
An entertaining retelling with a fascinating magic system and wonderfully written characters, this book will be on my mind for a long time. Can't wait to read more from this author!
An entertaining retelling with a fascinating magic system and wonderfully written characters, this book will be on my mind for a long time. Can't wait to read more from this author!
brunchatiffanys's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Thank you NetGalley and Victory Editing for this ARC Copy!!
I do not even know where to start with this book. The cover grabbed me and I was reading it completely blind with no idea what I was getting myself into. I am a big fan of retellings but this is my first Hamlet retelling and I loved it.
I have read Hamlet more than once but honestly I do not really remember it at all at this point so can not say it it is a true retelling or if it takes a lot of liberty's with the story, but what I can say is that I enjoyed every minute of it. It was dark and brutal at times and the world filled with magic, corruption, betrayal, and so much more kept me hooked right from the start.
There are some trigger warnings so definitely be aware of that going in, there is some body horror, animal death (not animal companion), and the brutality of the battle field, but it was all well done and there was no gratuitous violence, but instead everything that happened was really a part of moving the story forward and showing the true brutality of that time period.
I do not even know where to start with this book. The cover grabbed me and I was reading it completely blind with no idea what I was getting myself into. I am a big fan of retellings but this is my first Hamlet retelling and I loved it.
I have read Hamlet more than once but honestly I do not really remember it at all at this point so can not say it it is a true retelling or if it takes a lot of liberty's with the story, but what I can say is that I enjoyed every minute of it. It was dark and brutal at times and the world filled with magic, corruption, betrayal, and so much more kept me hooked right from the start.
There are some trigger warnings so definitely be aware of that going in, there is some body horror, animal death (not animal companion), and the brutality of the battle field, but it was all well done and there was no gratuitous violence, but instead everything that happened was really a part of moving the story forward and showing the true brutality of that time period.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Animal death, and War
beforeviolets's review against another edition
“My tables—meet it is I set it down
That one may smile, and smile, and be a villain—
At least I am sure it may be so in Denmark.”
-Hamlet
SMILE AND BE A VILLAIN is a self-published historical fantasy that reimagines the story of Hamlet, starting with the young prince’s departure to Wittenberg prior to the plot of Shakespeare’s play. Featuring rich fantastical lore, a diverse cast, and informed by a historical landscape of violence, religion, and politics, SABAV serves as a stunning debut from Yves Donlon.
Especially for an indie title, the prose is fairly tight and has a beautiful flow. The imagery is vivid, the characterization is clear, and it has an original style and rhythm without taking away from legibility. The world building is really well-informed. The political climate of Hamlet isn’t often heavily emphasized in adaptations or retellings, especially when it comes to complex religious dynamics, the treatment of marginalized communities, and (surprisingly) the trauma of war. So for Donlon to bring these factors–and their impressions on the world and the characters–to the forefront is wonderfully refreshing and adds a fascinating lens to a story I thought I already knew so well.
But the thing I really want to gush about here is the representation. Bisexual Hamlet, aspec Ophelia, trans Rosencrantz, Black Guildenstern, and even queer Jewish Horatio! (I absolutely did cry about queer Jewish Horatio.) I really appreciated not only the presence of these identities, but the way they shape the characters’ choices and alliances. I especially appreciate the queer-platonic relationship between Hamlet and Ophelia. The way this story utilizes the constraints and expectations of their genders in this society as a complication on their dynamic (for better or for worse) is so clever.
One of my favorite elements of the original story of Hamlet is its ambiguous perspective, and I felt like this is well represented in the use of magic in this world. Throughout the story, we–as the audience–witness characters’ different opinions on and relationships to magic and are left unsure what to believe in a way that is really intriguing. I’m really curious whether this intentional ambiguity will continue in book two or solidify into a clearer message.
I do think that the second half of this book is better than the first half, but mostly because that second half’s structure is INCREDIBLE. Donlon’s crafting genius really shines in their ability to end this book and prepare us for the next. SMILE AND BE A VILLAIN starts with the beginnings of Hamlet’s threads, and slowly but surely, they are pulled and strung this way and that, seemingly at random, until all of a sudden they snap into place. Suddenly, the stage is set, the actors are in the wings, and the curtain is rising.
I can’t wait to see how all of these pieces fit together in the next installment. Based on the way they handled this first book, I have no doubt Donlon will provide a masterful narrative payoff of the themes and discussions they’ve set up for the sequel.
So if you’re wanting to read a Hamlet retelling centering a queer and diverse cast, political intrigue, a mysterious magic system, and lovely writing, I highly recommend SMILE AND BE A VILLAIN.
Thank you to the author for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
CW: war, violence, illness, death by illness, blood & gore, alcohol, homophobia, misogyny, emesis infidelity, antisemitism (mention), death of mother (past), death of sibling (past), slavery (mention)
That one may smile, and smile, and be a villain—
At least I am sure it may be so in Denmark.”
-Hamlet
SMILE AND BE A VILLAIN is a self-published historical fantasy that reimagines the story of Hamlet, starting with the young prince’s departure to Wittenberg prior to the plot of Shakespeare’s play. Featuring rich fantastical lore, a diverse cast, and informed by a historical landscape of violence, religion, and politics, SABAV serves as a stunning debut from Yves Donlon.
Especially for an indie title, the prose is fairly tight and has a beautiful flow. The imagery is vivid, the characterization is clear, and it has an original style and rhythm without taking away from legibility. The world building is really well-informed. The political climate of Hamlet isn’t often heavily emphasized in adaptations or retellings, especially when it comes to complex religious dynamics, the treatment of marginalized communities, and (surprisingly) the trauma of war. So for Donlon to bring these factors–and their impressions on the world and the characters–to the forefront is wonderfully refreshing and adds a fascinating lens to a story I thought I already knew so well.
But the thing I really want to gush about here is the representation. Bisexual Hamlet, aspec Ophelia, trans Rosencrantz, Black Guildenstern, and even queer Jewish Horatio! (I absolutely did cry about queer Jewish Horatio.) I really appreciated not only the presence of these identities, but the way they shape the characters’ choices and alliances. I especially appreciate the queer-platonic relationship between Hamlet and Ophelia. The way this story utilizes the constraints and expectations of their genders in this society as a complication on their dynamic (for better or for worse) is so clever.
One of my favorite elements of the original story of Hamlet is its ambiguous perspective, and I felt like this is well represented in the use of magic in this world. Throughout the story, we–as the audience–witness characters’ different opinions on and relationships to magic and are left unsure what to believe in a way that is really intriguing. I’m really curious whether this intentional ambiguity will continue in book two or solidify into a clearer message.
I do think that the second half of this book is better than the first half, but mostly because that second half’s structure is INCREDIBLE. Donlon’s crafting genius really shines in their ability to end this book and prepare us for the next. SMILE AND BE A VILLAIN starts with the beginnings of Hamlet’s threads, and slowly but surely, they are pulled and strung this way and that, seemingly at random, until all of a sudden they snap into place. Suddenly, the stage is set, the actors are in the wings, and the curtain is rising.
I can’t wait to see how all of these pieces fit together in the next installment. Based on the way they handled this first book, I have no doubt Donlon will provide a masterful narrative payoff of the themes and discussions they’ve set up for the sequel.
So if you’re wanting to read a Hamlet retelling centering a queer and diverse cast, political intrigue, a mysterious magic system, and lovely writing, I highly recommend SMILE AND BE A VILLAIN.
Thank you to the author for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
CW: war, violence, illness, death by illness, blood & gore, alcohol, homophobia, misogyny, emesis infidelity, antisemitism (mention), death of mother (past), death of sibling (past), slavery (mention)
sarah_bell's review
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Smile and Be a Villian was an interesting prequel to Hamlet with a fantasy twist.
First things first, I must confess I have never watched/ read Hamlet all the way through, so I can't comment on it in relation to the original play/ characterisation, but I did still enjoy it as a historical fantasy in its own right. Whilst I imagine knowing the original play will add to the experience, it's still an enjoyable read even when knowing only the bare minimum.
I found the writing style very easy-to-read (the pages seemed to fly by), and enjoyed Hamlet and Ophelia as our main characters. I also found the magical concepts of Corruption and Sight Guides interesting, and Donlon did a great job of depicting this and showing Ophelia's horror / disgust at what she can see.
However, it felt like we were told a lot about how close Hamlet and Ophelia were, rather than shown. This might be largely because the two are not actually in the same place for the majority of the book.
And I never got a good understanding of a lot of the secondary characters (such as Rosencrantz and Guildenstern), with their depictions not feeling particularly fleshed out.
There was also issues with the dialogue at times, sometimes being overly modern and then other times Shakespearan. I'm assuming the latter were quotes from the orignal play, but because none of the rest of the dialogue was written in this style, they felt very out-of-place.
Overall though, this was still a fun read, even for a Shakespeare novice like myself.
First things first, I must confess I have never watched/ read Hamlet all the way through, so I can't comment on it in relation to the original play/ characterisation, but I did still enjoy it as a historical fantasy in its own right. Whilst I imagine knowing the original play will add to the experience, it's still an enjoyable read even when knowing only the bare minimum.
I found the writing style very easy-to-read (the pages seemed to fly by), and enjoyed Hamlet and Ophelia as our main characters. I also found the magical concepts of Corruption and Sight Guides interesting, and Donlon did a great job of depicting this and showing Ophelia's horror / disgust at what she can see.
However, it felt like we were told a lot about how close Hamlet and Ophelia were, rather than shown. This might be largely because the two are not actually in the same place for the majority of the book.
And I never got a good understanding of a lot of the secondary characters (such as Rosencrantz and Guildenstern), with their depictions not feeling particularly fleshed out.
There was also issues with the dialogue at times, sometimes being overly modern and then other times Shakespearan. I'm assuming the latter were quotes from the orignal play, but because none of the rest of the dialogue was written in this style, they felt very out-of-place.
Overall though, this was still a fun read, even for a Shakespeare novice like myself.
nilghias's review
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
eternallyicarian's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Minor: Murder, Homophobia, Misogyny, Blood, Religious bigotry, and Antisemitism
solarpqwer's review
3.0
Thanks to NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review! I was super excited going into this book. In doing a lot of scholarly work with Shakespeare and retellings/adaptations/insert your preferred term here, I've come across a lot of books that retell the plays in unique and interesting ways. With this one, I felt a little bit underwhelmed unfortunately. Despite the fast pacing, the first 60ish% of the book dragged for me and I was honestly getting a bit bored. It felt like there were several scenes of dialogue missing (perhaps cut for space/time?) and were instead narrated through in a very tell-y way. This also contributed as to how some of the supporting characters didn't feel as fleshed out as they could have been (especially Rosencrantz and Guildenstern). Some of this could just be Donlon's writing style, and if it is, then maybe it simply just isn't for me. Once I hit the 65% mark, the narrative picked up for me though and that is what carried me through to the end of the book. There were also Shakespeare lines and allusions weaved in but some of these line drops changed the style of language being used and they just ended up feeling out of place (and, this is definitely very picky, I kind of hated how there was a line from The Tempest in here...). Ophelia and Hamlet were the stars of this though, and I'm glad they were given the space to exist both beside and outside of each other, especially Ophelia. The dual split between them worked extremely well and Ophelia's backstory getting fleshed out the way Donlon did was an awesome choice on their part. This prequel retelling definitely has a place in the genre of adaptation, and I'm glad it's being written because the way Donlon is mixing historical fantasy with Hamlet is really intriguing. I'm interested to see what they do in the next book and I'm definitely still going to give it a read to see what they do with the canonical events of Hamlet. So if queer magical Hamlet prequel is your jam, I recommend checking this one out when it comes out next month.
a1ana_reads's review
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
alyssabookrecs's review
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Thank you to Netgalley, the author, and Victory Editing for an eARC in exchange for an honest review. Unfortunately, this book wasn’t for me despite me so believing it would be. :(
Everything about “queer magical Hamlet retelling” sold me, but once I was reading the story, I felt a little disappointed. I wanted even more magic and explanation to magic and the portal world: I felt we only a taste of it despite needing to follow the magic Ophelia and her portal-world family do.
The book’s language is quite accessible, but then there will randomly be a line from the play, which feels anachronistic compared to the language used otherwise. Committing to one or the other would have been a stronger choice.
I felt most connected to the characters of Ophelia and Hamlet (our two dual POVs), while many other characters didn’t feel fully fleshed out. I think as someone very familiar with Hamlet, I was aching for each character to truly show their personalities as they are in the play, though this book is set prior to the events of the play, so I should have kept that in mind. It is the yearning and bond between Hamlet and Ophelia that kept me reading—I felt the supporting and side characters were very one-note.
There is a lot of great marginalized rep in this. I’m glad a Shakespeare retelling has prominent LGBTQIA+ characters and speaks openly about queer desire and love and the different ways that can manifest.
Ultimately, it looks like this book found its intended audience, and I’m glad. I may read the sequel just to see how the author continues to adapt Hamlet.
Everything about “queer magical Hamlet retelling” sold me, but once I was reading the story, I felt a little disappointed. I wanted even more magic and explanation to magic and the portal world: I felt we only a taste of it despite needing to follow the magic Ophelia and her portal-world family do.
The book’s language is quite accessible, but then there will randomly be a line from the play, which feels anachronistic compared to the language used otherwise. Committing to one or the other would have been a stronger choice.
I felt most connected to the characters of Ophelia and Hamlet (our two dual POVs), while many other characters didn’t feel fully fleshed out. I think as someone very familiar with Hamlet, I was aching for each character to truly show their personalities as they are in the play, though this book is set prior to the events of the play, so I should have kept that in mind. It is the yearning and bond between Hamlet and Ophelia that kept me reading—I felt the supporting and side characters were very one-note.
There is a lot of great marginalized rep in this. I’m glad a Shakespeare retelling has prominent LGBTQIA+ characters and speaks openly about queer desire and love and the different ways that can manifest.
Ultimately, it looks like this book found its intended audience, and I’m glad. I may read the sequel just to see how the author continues to adapt Hamlet.
queerkidreads's review
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Thank you to Netgalley and the author for providing me with an E-ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Disclaimer: I have not read Hamlet, and therefor my experience with this book might be different than someone who has (E.G plot twists etc.)
Disclaimer: I have not read Hamlet, and therefor my experience with this book might be different than someone who has (E.G plot twists etc.)
I knew I would love this book the moment I heard the premise; "Hamlet but queer". I've been fascinated by Shakespear for a while now, and having previously only read 'If We Were Villains', I thought a Hamlet retelling would be perfect to further fuel this fascination, and boy oh boy was I correct.
This book was, with its beautiful writing style, fast pace and short chapters, addicting. I had to force myself to put it down, and had I not, I would've devoured this in only 2 or 3 sittings. Though, I'm glad I took my time, as this meant I had more time with these characters whom I absolutely adored. Magical, badass Ophelia who loves her father, her brother, her Otherworld family and who just wants to do whats best for Denmark, and the queer mess that is Prince Hamlet. They were filled with unique personality and I could do nothing but root for them the entire time. I loved reading about Ophelia and her struggles as a lady in a royal court, alongside her struggles of using her magic to try and keep Denmark free of the corruption, and the love she shared with Hamlet was so sweet. Oh and the fact that she's ACE, god she's just like me. Now, Hamlet. He was such a troubled boy, and reading about his yearning and internalised homophobia saddened me. Though, I really enjoyed the banter he shared with Guildenstern and Rosencrantz (and the rest of the characters, but especially these two). It was heartbreaking reading about the betrayals tragedies they both went through (though, I might've seen them coming, had I actually read the original source material, but whatever, it only added to my misery and enjoyment). The characters in general were so lovable (except for you, Claudius), unique and complex that I just wanted to learn more about them and never felt the "Urgh when does this character stop talking" feeling.
The magic system with the corruption and the Otherworlds and the seight guids and everything was so well done, and fascinated me a lot. The descriptions of the corruption and the corruption-creatures were gross, and I LOVED it. The whole thing felt so original, and I just wanted to read more.
I might not have read a lot of historical fiction, but Yves Donlon managed to capture the time period perfectly, which only made me enjoy this book even more. The writing style was, as previously mentioned, beautiful and only added to this. I know I will think about this book in the next forseeable future because Oh my god. I know this review probably made no sense, and was just me yapping without actually saying anything intelligent, but trust me, you will not want to miss out on this book once it releases.
I might be a bit biased as a Dane, but shh it only made the story feel more special to me.
The magic system with the corruption and the Otherworlds and the seight guids and everything was so well done, and fascinated me a lot. The descriptions of the corruption and the corruption-creatures were gross, and I LOVED it. The whole thing felt so original, and I just wanted to read more.
I might not have read a lot of historical fiction, but Yves Donlon managed to capture the time period perfectly, which only made me enjoy this book even more. The writing style was, as previously mentioned, beautiful and only added to this. I know I will think about this book in the next forseeable future because Oh my god. I know this review probably made no sense, and was just me yapping without actually saying anything intelligent, but trust me, you will not want to miss out on this book once it releases.
I might be a bit biased as a Dane, but shh it only made the story feel more special to me.