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3.93 AVERAGE
3.93 AVERAGE
DNF’d at the end of chapter 5
Both predictable and a generic MC. Also pretty lackluster prose.
I probably would have enjoyed it as a teenager, as it’s a YA Fairy Tale reimagining.
Both predictable and a generic MC. Also pretty lackluster prose.
I probably would have enjoyed it as a teenager, as it’s a YA Fairy Tale reimagining.
I am full of emotions right now, but one of the biggest is gratitude that I waited to read this book when the second and final came out. Because holy fuck me was that a fucking cliffhanger. I would have been absolutely enraged to have to wait after that.
This book took me on a whirlwind of emotions. I'm so upset and enraged by the way Alyce was treated throughout. I'm even more devastated What I expected to happen did not happen at all, and now I'm in a tizzy about what is going to be going on in the next book. Very little of what I expected to happen in Malice happened. Very little. This is rare because I guess things pretty well and accurately, but this blindsided me. I don't know how to feel about being so wrong and truly wanting something that did not happen at all.
I was sus of three characters
I really love this book. The romance between Aurora and Alyce was so touching. I wish I could have gotten more of it, and we'll see what comes in the second book, which I'm starting immediately after I finish this review. There was a part when I literally screamed into the book for them to kiss already, got part way through, and then it seemed like they were going to kiss, and then it went on, and I just started screaming and I couldn't stop.
I also may have screamed at other characters calling them fucking bastards and other names. What can I say? When a book is this good, I'm very interactive. I have so many emotions, even after writing out this review. But one of the greatest left over is hope. I really want Alyce to get what she deserves. She was dealt such a shitty hand; people underestimated her and mistreated her.
Everyone, but one person, treated Alyce as if she were a villain, and now they're about to get one.
This book took me on a whirlwind of emotions. I'm so upset and enraged by the way Alyce was treated throughout. I'm even more devastated
Spoiler
how it ended for her. She got one true night of bliss and love with Aurora, and everyone took it away. I was hoping for something that would happen to leave them together, and then the second book would open to something occurring to take over the Queendom, and then they would have to worry about getting it back together.I was sus of three characters
Spoiler
Laurel, Aurora, and Kal. We still don't know Kal's true name, but he was so sus and I did not trust him at all. I was right to not trust him, I didn't trust Laurel either, and I had a creeping suspicion that Aurora was up to something, but no! She was the only one truly okay with Alyce. I was shocked when Alyce murdered Laurel, and I have mixed feelings on it, but Kal absolutely deserved to die.I really love this book. The romance between Aurora and Alyce was so touching. I wish I could have gotten more of it, and we'll see what comes in the second book, which I'm starting immediately after I finish this review. There was a part when I literally screamed into the book for them to kiss already, got part way through, and then it seemed like they were going to kiss, and then it went on, and I just started screaming and I couldn't stop.
I also may have screamed at other characters calling them fucking bastards and other names. What can I say? When a book is this good, I'm very interactive. I have so many emotions, even after writing out this review. But one of the greatest left over is hope. I really want Alyce to get what she deserves. She was dealt such a shitty hand; people underestimated her and mistreated her.
Everyone, but one person, treated Alyce as if she were a villain, and now they're about to get one.
"Light and darkness. Monster and maiden."
Thank you to Del Rey publishing for gifting me this ARC, all thoughts are my own and any quotes are not representative of the final publication.
4-4.5*
This book immediately pulled me in going back last year when it was advertised as a sapphic YA retelling of Sleeping Beauty, told from the perspective of the villain, which sounded like something I absolutely needed. I was fully correct in this, and it's definitely up there with one of the most enjoyable YA books I've read in quite some time.
We follow Alyce, a young woman with dark powers feared across the land of Briar. Alyce is a half-breed of a feared creature called the Vila, and possesses dark magic able to place curses on people in exchange for a fee. She is constantly ostracised and mistreated for her powers, powers she doesn't even want to use to cause people harm. She longs for a world in which people can see her for who she is, and wishes only to escape Briar. Then we meet Aurora, crown princess of Briar. As princess, she is born with a curse placed on her: she will die when she reaches the age of 21, unless she finds true love's kiss. Aurora is everything Alyce thinks she is not, and she too longs for a new Briar. They form a relationship and work towards breaking her curse and making Briar into a place that accepts everyone. All the while, Alyce is discovering more and more about her powers, struggling to find who she truly is and wants to be.
This book really did take me by surprise with how much I enjoyed it. I am a fan of fairytale retellings, but have never read one about Sleeping Beauty, and I thought it was really well done. Despite us all knowing the fairytale very well, I think Malice manages to make it its own thing, and it didn't feel too predictable in the plot. It did have its predictable moments, something that I've come to somewhat expect in YA books of late, but the book overall took some different routes to what I expected, and I was so happy about that. The ending in particular definitely shocked me and went vastly differently to my expectations, and I was genuinely shocked with how the book left off, in the best way.
The romance between Alyce and Aurora in this book was truly something special. They had great chemistry from the moment they meet, and the contrast between the two of them, while also being so similar, was very well done. It was for sure one of my favourite YA romances I've read in quite a while, and it had very high stakes, particularly towards the end which I really liked. It is of course a sapphic romance, something I am so happy to see in what's sure to be a very popular YA book, the representation is much needed and appreciated.
I also just loved the characterisation in this book, particularly of Alyce. She is quite a complex character with a lot of internal struggles and moral dilemmas, and being in her head while she tries to find a balance between "good and evil" was so interesting to read. You're never quite sure which route she will take, and it makes for a very interesting time. It's a great story of loneliness and being an outsider, and I think it was very well done. Some of the side characters were less well characterised or developed, but honestly I didn't mind too much. The focus of the book was very much on Alyce, and so her development was the most important to me.
Overall, I think this is a really great story, and an excellent example of how to do a fairytale retelling well. It feels familiar, but also new, a balance that is quite difficult to find in my experience. I highly recommend checking this out on release, I don't think you'll regret it!
Thank you to Del Rey publishing for gifting me this ARC, all thoughts are my own and any quotes are not representative of the final publication.
4-4.5*
This book immediately pulled me in going back last year when it was advertised as a sapphic YA retelling of Sleeping Beauty, told from the perspective of the villain, which sounded like something I absolutely needed. I was fully correct in this, and it's definitely up there with one of the most enjoyable YA books I've read in quite some time.
We follow Alyce, a young woman with dark powers feared across the land of Briar. Alyce is a half-breed of a feared creature called the Vila, and possesses dark magic able to place curses on people in exchange for a fee. She is constantly ostracised and mistreated for her powers, powers she doesn't even want to use to cause people harm. She longs for a world in which people can see her for who she is, and wishes only to escape Briar. Then we meet Aurora, crown princess of Briar. As princess, she is born with a curse placed on her: she will die when she reaches the age of 21, unless she finds true love's kiss. Aurora is everything Alyce thinks she is not, and she too longs for a new Briar. They form a relationship and work towards breaking her curse and making Briar into a place that accepts everyone. All the while, Alyce is discovering more and more about her powers, struggling to find who she truly is and wants to be.
This book really did take me by surprise with how much I enjoyed it. I am a fan of fairytale retellings, but have never read one about Sleeping Beauty, and I thought it was really well done. Despite us all knowing the fairytale very well, I think Malice manages to make it its own thing, and it didn't feel too predictable in the plot. It did have its predictable moments, something that I've come to somewhat expect in YA books of late, but the book overall took some different routes to what I expected, and I was so happy about that. The ending in particular definitely shocked me and went vastly differently to my expectations, and I was genuinely shocked with how the book left off, in the best way.
The romance between Alyce and Aurora in this book was truly something special. They had great chemistry from the moment they meet, and the contrast between the two of them, while also being so similar, was very well done. It was for sure one of my favourite YA romances I've read in quite a while, and it had very high stakes, particularly towards the end which I really liked. It is of course a sapphic romance, something I am so happy to see in what's sure to be a very popular YA book, the representation is much needed and appreciated.
I also just loved the characterisation in this book, particularly of Alyce. She is quite a complex character with a lot of internal struggles and moral dilemmas, and being in her head while she tries to find a balance between "good and evil" was so interesting to read. You're never quite sure which route she will take, and it makes for a very interesting time. It's a great story of loneliness and being an outsider, and I think it was very well done. Some of the side characters were less well characterised or developed, but honestly I didn't mind too much. The focus of the book was very much on Alyce, and so her development was the most important to me.
Overall, I think this is a really great story, and an excellent example of how to do a fairytale retelling well. It feels familiar, but also new, a balance that is quite difficult to find in my experience. I highly recommend checking this out on release, I don't think you'll regret it!
I was very let down when I read this book. I had expected to adore it, because a sapphic retelling of Sleeping Beauty seems like it would be an instant favorite for me. Unfortunately, it was not. Maybe my expectations were too high, but this fell flat for me. While the magic system with the Graces was kind of interesting, I found the world and characters very flat. The synopsis promised an evil sorceress, but Alyce struck me more as a self-pitying teenager in an adult's body, and I had a hard time connecting with her because of that and also because of how one-dimensional she seemed to me—the same can be said for most of the other characters, including Aurora, sadly. The ending also caught me completely off-guard, and not in the good way. The entire book seemed like "nothing interesting... nothing... more nothing... BAM EVERYTHING HAPPENING ALL THIS CRAZY SHIT AT ONCE WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON." And... I can be on board with that, sometimes? Except that here, I feel like it wasn't really foreshadowed properly, and the reveals felt awkward and clunky in their execution. I could tell what Walter was going for, but it just didn't work for me, so I won't be continuing this duology.
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-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
A show of hands, who else instant click after reading that incredible blurb? I was immediately intrigued by the premise and though I expected this to be a bit darker since we are approaching the story from the 'villains' point of view, I was overall pleasantly surprised by how much I liked this.
Starting from the world-building―unexpected―, the unique and refreshing concept, noteworthy dynamic between the Dark Grace Alyce and Princess Aurora, and the writing style that brought to life the 'villains' thoughts and real feelings―what a debut! Despite my raves, there are a few notable plot holes that I wish the author flesh out which unfortunately I can’t bring them to light since they'll spoil the story, endless amount of miscommunication between the main characters that was continuous throughout the read that could of been cut or shorten, and lastly, the very very predictable plot twist towards the end. Ugh. I wish I could get into it but once again: spoilers!
Nonetheless, this queer retelling of "Sleeping Beauty" was magical and even with its rough edges, well worth the read.
This was so many of the things I love: Magic, a villain backstory, a retelling of a classic fairy tale, a story about the black sheep... All in a creative story that gives a whole new perspective on an old character. This was an easy read that flowed well, and I enjoyed all the twists and turns this story took!
Audiobook note: Loved! A soft British accent that was very pleasant to listen to!
Audiobook note: Loved! A soft British accent that was very pleasant to listen to!
Great premise — sapphic Sleeping Beauty where the main character Alyce, an outcast who possesses dark magic, falls for the princess, who's under a curse that she'll die on her 21st birthday unless she finds true love's kiss.
While so much of this world and magic systems was clever and intriguing, unfortunately, I found the world-building a bit too tedious — and got so bogged down in exposition that it distracted from the character growth and forward momentum of the plot.
And I didn't love Alyce's character arc at the end, she went from being misunderstood to becoming a full-on villain, so I won't be reading book 2 as that's not super appealing to me :/
3.5 stars that I'm rounding up to 4.
While so much of this world and magic systems was clever and intriguing, unfortunately, I found the world-building a bit too tedious — and got so bogged down in exposition that it distracted from the character growth and forward momentum of the plot.
And I didn't love Alyce's character arc at the end, she went from being misunderstood to becoming a full-on villain, so I won't be reading book 2 as that's not super appealing to me :/
3.5 stars that I'm rounding up to 4.