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A review by gigglybookgeek
The Crimson Crown by Heather Walter
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
The Crimson Crown is a twist on the story of how the Evil Queen in Snow White came to be, with twisting in elements of the Tutors. To be completely honest, I had forgotten about all of that as I read the story, and was absolutely shooketh at the ending!! The main character, Ayleth, is a witch living under the judging eye of her mother. Life for the witches is much different after the White King and his court spun lies to make the witches the enemy. However, is that the only lie? Even amongst the witches, outliers are judged and seen as outcasts and wrong. Meanwhile, Ayleth doesn’t seem to have any real powers she can feel, yet she isn’t going to let that stop her to head out on a perilous journey to the White Palace.
Once arriving in the White Kindgom, Ayleth comes face to face with Jacquetta. A witch that once held her heart, but betrayed her. It’s difficult to forget that betrayal. It’s also difficult to remember their time together, how she smelled, and how it felt to be in her arms. It’s a battle she must fight. The focus has to be on not being discovered. Otherwise, she will burn.
Ayleth quickly discovers something is wrong in the White Palace. Things do not feel right, and honestly, neither does she. The darkness does not only seem to peek from around every corner, but what if it is coming from inside her? She digs for the truth, but it seems someone is always one step ahead of her to keep her from finding the truth. Things are not always as they seem, though.
Mirror, mirror, on the wall. Who’s the fairest of them all? You will find out at the end of the book that takes you on twists and turns. It is a reminder that you may not fully know your power, but it’s there. You also don’t have to follow the rules of how you were told was the only way to discover it. Sometimes you have to look within, and embrace what you find.
I truly enjoyed this book. I give it 4.5, as there are parts where it dragged a bit for me, but the ending blew me away. I also love seeing the LGBTQIA+/sapphic representation. There is a small level of spicy, but not much. If you love reading books that are reimagining of elements of fairy tales, witchy books, and/or the aspects reflecting the Tutors court, then you will enjoy reading The Crimson Crown. Publishing date will be August 27, 2024. Be sure to pre-order from your local indie bookstore, or from where you prefer to purchase books.
Thank you to Random House Publishing - Ballentine/Del Ray, NetGalley, and Heather Walter for the eARC to review in exchange for an honest opinion. I share on here on GoodReads, NetGalley, Instagram, various FB reader groups (especially bi and sapphic fiction groups), and TikTok.
#TheCrimsonCrown #NetGalley #eARCreviewer #sapphicfiction #darkfantasy #fairytalereimagined #witchy #findyourpower
Once arriving in the White Kindgom, Ayleth comes face to face with Jacquetta. A witch that once held her heart, but betrayed her. It’s difficult to forget that betrayal. It’s also difficult to remember their time together, how she smelled, and how it felt to be in her arms. It’s a battle she must fight. The focus has to be on not being discovered. Otherwise, she will burn.
Ayleth quickly discovers something is wrong in the White Palace. Things do not feel right, and honestly, neither does she. The darkness does not only seem to peek from around every corner, but what if it is coming from inside her? She digs for the truth, but it seems someone is always one step ahead of her to keep her from finding the truth. Things are not always as they seem, though.
Mirror, mirror, on the wall. Who’s the fairest of them all? You will find out at the end of the book that takes you on twists and turns. It is a reminder that you may not fully know your power, but it’s there. You also don’t have to follow the rules of how you were told was the only way to discover it. Sometimes you have to look within, and embrace what you find.
I truly enjoyed this book. I give it 4.5, as there are parts where it dragged a bit for me, but the ending blew me away. I also love seeing the LGBTQIA+/sapphic representation. There is a small level of spicy, but not much. If you love reading books that are reimagining of elements of fairy tales, witchy books, and/or the aspects reflecting the Tutors court, then you will enjoy reading The Crimson Crown. Publishing date will be August 27, 2024. Be sure to pre-order from your local indie bookstore, or from where you prefer to purchase books.
Thank you to Random House Publishing - Ballentine/Del Ray, NetGalley, and Heather Walter for the eARC to review in exchange for an honest opinion. I share on here on GoodReads, NetGalley, Instagram, various FB reader groups (especially bi and sapphic fiction groups), and TikTok.
#TheCrimsonCrown #NetGalley #eARCreviewer #sapphicfiction #darkfantasy #fairytalereimagined #witchy #findyourpower