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A review by queer_bookwyrm
Snow Roses by Taryn Tyler
dark
emotional
mysterious
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? No
3.5
3.5 ⭐ CW: torture, death of a parent, death of a child mention, grief, sexual assault, animal death
Snow Roses by Taryn Tyler is book one in the Snow and Rose series. This was a YA sapphic retelling of three fairytales: Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, and Red Riding Hood. I enjoyed this story, but I did think the pacing was a bit off. The first part and last part of the book were pretty good, but the middle dragged a bit.
We start off by following Snow, a princess shut up in her room overcome with grief over the death of her father. She starts sneaking out and learns to hunt and chop wood from the Hunter Hans. Finally, Snow realizes that she is being kept in her room by her step-mother Lucille, who wants her dead. She eventually runs away and finds a cottage in the woods.
Then we follow Rose, a village girl who spins thread. When her grandmother doesn't show up like she usually does, Rose sets off into the wood in her red cloak to find her. She encounters ghosts in the wood along with creepy guy Boris (Lucille's son), and finds her grandmother's mutilated body at her cottage. Rose is about to be attacked by a werewolf when Snow steps in and saves her. We get to see their relationship blossom.
I liked the way Tyler blended these fairytales together. She even included the seven dwarves as ill tempered hobgoblins. It was a pretty short read, under 200 pages. I will be reading the next book, Night Briars.
Snow Roses by Taryn Tyler is book one in the Snow and Rose series. This was a YA sapphic retelling of three fairytales: Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, and Red Riding Hood. I enjoyed this story, but I did think the pacing was a bit off. The first part and last part of the book were pretty good, but the middle dragged a bit.
We start off by following Snow, a princess shut up in her room overcome with grief over the death of her father. She starts sneaking out and learns to hunt and chop wood from the Hunter Hans. Finally, Snow realizes that she is being kept in her room by her step-mother Lucille, who wants her dead. She eventually runs away and finds a cottage in the woods.
Then we follow Rose, a village girl who spins thread. When her grandmother doesn't show up like she usually does, Rose sets off into the wood in her red cloak to find her. She encounters ghosts in the wood along with creepy guy Boris (Lucille's son), and finds her grandmother's mutilated body at her cottage. Rose is about to be attacked by a werewolf when Snow steps in and saves her. We get to see their relationship blossom.
I liked the way Tyler blended these fairytales together. She even included the seven dwarves as ill tempered hobgoblins. It was a pretty short read, under 200 pages. I will be reading the next book, Night Briars.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Sexual assault, Grief, and Death of parent
Moderate: Torture
Minor: Child death