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3.93 AVERAGE
3.93 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
tense
fast-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:
No
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Well this was one incredibly fun retelling !!!
I especially enjoyed that even though u could see the outline of the sleeping beauty story (one of my absolute childhood faves) but add so much more context, character and SENSE to it (seriously my whole love of this fairytale is based on childhood because in the original the characters are SO stale .. especially Aurora). But here they are fun, the faes or fairys aka the graces make sense, there are more than just an odd number and the magic is so well explained. AND ITS GAY
Talking already about the romance not just is it a lovely lesbian romance, but also its so well structured, build up and executed. Better than most YA romances I read. Its neither Insta love nor lovers to hater but a simple get to know, build up and than love intention to oh I realise I have feelings. The whole spindle now is a curse (without a spindle but more generational) and I love the spin (haha) it gives the whole plot. The parents frantikly searching for the true lovers ...
AND THE ENDING... Don't get me started or better to say GET ME THAT SECOND BOOK IN MY HANDS NOW thanks..
I especially enjoyed that even though u could see the outline of the sleeping beauty story (one of my absolute childhood faves) but add so much more context, character and SENSE to it (seriously my whole love of this fairytale is based on childhood because in the original the characters are SO stale .. especially Aurora). But here they are fun, the faes or fairys aka the graces make sense, there are more than just an odd number and the magic is so well explained. AND ITS GAY
Talking already about the romance not just is it a lovely lesbian romance, but also its so well structured, build up and executed. Better than most YA romances I read. Its neither Insta love nor lovers to hater but a simple get to know, build up and than love intention to oh I realise I have feelings. The whole spindle now is a curse (without a spindle but more generational) and I love the spin (haha) it gives the whole plot. The parents frantikly searching for the true lovers ...
AND THE ENDING... Don't get me started or better to say GET ME THAT SECOND BOOK IN MY HANDS NOW thanks..
Malice is everything I wanted in a Sleeping Beauty retelling. It's from the villain's point of view; the culture and society give you that fairytale vibe while also being new and interesting; the magic system is layered with rules and history and lies/misunderstandings at every turn; the princess doesn't fall for the prince. It's FANTASTIC!
Yes, I read this because of magic and lesbians.
This is probably more of a 3.5 stars than a 3, but some world-building issues have lowered it for me.
Generally, this is a pretty easy and light read. Malice doesn't aim too high with its themes, so there's not a lot for it to fall flat on. It's one of those books that wanders somewhere in-between young adult and adult, but because of its sexual content (though not graphic), it falls more into adult/new adult. The world-building isn't too complex, nor are the characters' struggles very convoluted or graphic.
I really enjoyed how magic worked in this world. The systems put into place to guard magic were well thought out, mirroring the way that systems in real life are often there to benefit the wealthy and powerful rather than protect the poor and weak. It's always satisfying to read fantasy where magic is a political tool as well as a physical tool. The Graces get a lot of depth from this handling of magic, as a lot of their actions stem from having to live within this system.
I also really enjoyed the history of Briar that allows for the main conflict of the story to be put into place. The curse put on the royal family of Briar makes the stakes high and forms a coherent foundation for why the royal family acts the way it does. Though the history of Briar is well-explained, I was disappointed by how the patriarchy was put into place, especially since Briar was founded and is ruled through a matriarchal line. The fact that the matriarchal line lost power because doesn't make a lot of sense, and it honestly would've been better off if there was unexplained patriarchy in place from the very beginning. All this history really accomplishes is that it gives Aurora an I'm Not Like the Other Girls vibe.
Speaking of Aurora, I did enjoy her and Alyce's relationship, as well as Alyce's relationships with the Garces. Every character is given enough depth for me to view them as human, and the relationships they have with each other are grounded in reality. Unfortunately, these characters didn't leave a super strong impression on me after reading, but they were good to read about in the moment. I was happy for Alyce as she was able to build more positive relationships with people, which made the ending all that more painful as these relationships deteriorated. The ending itself left a bit to be desired, and I'm honestly not sure how things can be resolved in the sequel. However, I look forward to reading the sequel once I get my hands on it.
tldr: I found this book an easy and enjoyable read. It doesn't stand out from a lot of things I've read, both negatively and positively, but I think it's at least worth giving a chance.
This is probably more of a 3.5 stars than a 3, but some world-building issues have lowered it for me.
Generally, this is a pretty easy and light read. Malice doesn't aim too high with its themes, so there's not a lot for it to fall flat on. It's one of those books that wanders somewhere in-between young adult and adult, but because of its sexual content (though not graphic), it falls more into adult/new adult. The world-building isn't too complex, nor are the characters' struggles very convoluted or graphic.
I really enjoyed how magic worked in this world. The systems put into place to guard magic were well thought out, mirroring the way that systems in real life are often there to benefit the wealthy and powerful rather than protect the poor and weak. It's always satisfying to read fantasy where magic is a political tool as well as a physical tool. The Graces get a lot of depth from this handling of magic, as a lot of their actions stem from having to live within this system.
I also really enjoyed the history of Briar that allows for the main conflict of the story to be put into place. The curse put on the royal family of Briar makes the stakes high and forms a coherent foundation for why the royal family acts the way it does. Though the history of Briar is well-explained, I was disappointed by how the patriarchy was put into place, especially since Briar was founded and is ruled through a matriarchal line. The fact that the matriarchal line lost power because
Spoiler
they kept literally giving away ruling power to their husbands as wedding giftsSpeaking of Aurora, I did enjoy her and Alyce's relationship, as well as Alyce's relationships with the Garces. Every character is given enough depth for me to view them as human, and the relationships they have with each other are grounded in reality. Unfortunately, these characters didn't leave a super strong impression on me after reading, but they were good to read about in the moment. I was happy for Alyce as she was able to build more positive relationships with people, which made the ending all that more painful as these relationships deteriorated. The ending itself left a bit to be desired, and I'm honestly not sure how things can be resolved in the sequel. However, I look forward to reading the sequel once I get my hands on it.
tldr: I found this book an easy and enjoyable read. It doesn't stand out from a lot of things I've read, both negatively and positively, but I think it's at least worth giving a chance.
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
I liked the retelling of this classic fairytale. I did feel like the second half of the book was a bit rushed, so many things and plot twists happened in the last few chapters it was kind of hard to keep up. That being said the fast pace of the end of book 1 in this duology is probably a build up to the second book, I’m excited to keep reading about these characters.
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes