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A review by readerpills
Malice by Heather Walter
5.0
4.5/5 I would read again.
Malice is so far one of the best books I have read in 2023, The world-building is amazing and the romance between Alyce and Aurora is written at a slow pace (Which I prefer).
At first, before i even read the book all i knew about it was that it was an LGBT retelling of sleeping beauty but it is so much more than that. Malice does have the undertones of sleeping beauty but the story is so much more interesting. We learn about the history of briar and the background of the magical creatures in this world. The world-building really shows how much the author was committed to this story. The story leaves you in suspense I was not expecting half of the betrayals towards the end of the book.
Malice was honestly such a great read personally, for me, because of the Sapphic representation. Alyce and Aurora's love story was drawn out and wasn't immediately forced upon them like most WLW stories I have read. They actually became friends and got to know each other through the story and when they finally indulged in their feelings for each other it was more exciting than if they instantly clicked and by the next chapter they're already making out.
Things i did like about the book were the world-building, the romance and the characters. My favorite character is Alyce I love her story and how she finally accepts her powers and fights for HER happy ending. I liked that the author didn't give redemption arcs to characters even if they were given the chance multiple times an example was Rose she was given multiple chances for redemption like when Alyce cleaned up her blood and hid the fact she was basically using magic-enhancing steroids.
Things i didn't like about the book was the ending felt a little rushed, I know there is a second book but it feels like the author wanted everything to be done and told to pave the way for the sequel as quickly as possible. I also didn't like that Alyce was a little overpowered character towards the ending and even throughout the story her magic started working almost after she found out her true abilities.
TLDR: BOOK IS AWESOME I LOVE LESBIAN FANTASY STORIES READ BOOK NOW!!!
Malice is so far one of the best books I have read in 2023, The world-building is amazing and the romance between Alyce and Aurora is written at a slow pace (Which I prefer).
At first, before i even read the book all i knew about it was that it was an LGBT retelling of sleeping beauty but it is so much more than that. Malice does have the undertones of sleeping beauty but the story is so much more interesting. We learn about the history of briar and the background of the magical creatures in this world. The world-building really shows how much the author was committed to this story. The story leaves you in suspense I was not expecting half of the betrayals towards the end of the book.
Malice was honestly such a great read personally, for me, because of the Sapphic representation. Alyce and Aurora's love story was drawn out and wasn't immediately forced upon them like most WLW stories I have read. They actually became friends and got to know each other through the story and when they finally indulged in their feelings for each other it was more exciting than if they instantly clicked and by the next chapter they're already making out.
Things i did like about the book were the world-building, the romance and the characters. My favorite character is Alyce I love her story and how she finally accepts her powers and fights for HER happy ending. I liked that the author didn't give redemption arcs to characters even if they were given the chance multiple times an example was Rose she was given multiple chances for redemption like when Alyce cleaned up her blood and hid the fact she was basically using magic-enhancing steroids.
Things i didn't like about the book was the ending felt a little rushed, I know there is a second book but it feels like the author wanted everything to be done and told to pave the way for the sequel as quickly as possible. I also didn't like that Alyce was a little overpowered character towards the ending and even throughout the story her magic started working almost after she found out her true abilities.
TLDR: BOOK IS AWESOME I LOVE LESBIAN FANTASY STORIES READ BOOK NOW!!!