It took a while for this book and I to finally have our true love’s kiss. That was my fault; that was on me.

Once I let go of the chip on my shoulder and enjoyed this book for what it was, it was great. I was more than impressed by the time I finished reading it. For a F/F [YA?] retelling of Sleeping Beauty, I think this could be enjoyed by almost any reader of fantasy.

I found the focus on emotions in the book to be a little bit too heavy and it initially took me quite a bit of time to just let go of what I considered silly fairy tale things, but I came to actually appreciate both aspects of the novel after deciding to roll with it.

Speaking of emotions, this book will have you go from angry to sad to happy to relieved to just about everything the main character feels, with a fantastic climax that had me on the edge of my seat. The latter half of Malice was great and the last 1/10th of it was both true love’s kiss AND a chef’s kiss. No ambiguity in the way I felt about the ending- incredibly satisfying. All of the worldbuilding, character development, and the twists and the turns as the story progressed were perfectly punctuated by the cherry-on-top ending.

I hope this novel gets the recognition it deserves once it is released; I will certainly be looking out for the sequel. I think lesbian/queer femme fantasy might be my thing this year. It’s 2021; no more men in my books please.

Fantastically developed characters. Superb dialogue and slow building excitement to a spectacular finale. Couldn’t believe how well done this was! Highly recommended

4.5 stars, would've been 5 stars if the ending was a little different.
I was really surprised by how much I enjoyed this book, but I never felt bored, it was entertaining, the main character was really interesting, and I loved the romance. The pace was pretty good, it didn't drag but for the most part it wasn't rushed either. It was definitely more character heavy than plot heavy and there wasn't a ton of action for most of the book, but that's not something I particularly dislike in books, and I thought there was a good balance between plot, worldbuilding, characters, and romance. Alyce is a really cool character and it's super interesting to watch her battle between the different people she thinks she's supposed to be based on her upbringing, her ancestry, and how other people expect her to act. Aurora is also great, they have great chemistry, and I absolutely loved her. Alyce's relationships with her sisters, her house mistress, and the various other royals and citizens of Briar are really well done (her kestrel, Callow, is also amazing).
The world is well explained, thought out without being too complicated, and unique enough that it still feels like a fairy tale world but isn't a complete copy of one. On that note, this book puts a really cool twist on Sleeping Beauty, you can tell what it's a retelling of, but is different enough to be it's own story as well. I didn't love the end just because it's not where I saw the story going since I was looking forward to that fairy tale happy ending and not a massive cliff hanger (although since I've learned this is probably going to be a duology, I'm willing to forgive that for the most part). That's the one part that did feel a bit abrupt and rushed to me, but it wasn't awful.
My last thing is that besides Aurora, Alyce, and Endlewild, the rest of the characters don't get good, thorough physical descriptions beyond maybe their hair and eyes, since those are part of the magic system. This created two white main characters and about a dozen side characters that were racially ambiguous at best.
Overall, I had a great time, I loved the romance, and I'll definitely be picking up the sequel.

I received a pre-pub copy of this book from the publisher for an honest review. Sleeping Beauty is supposed to kiss the handsome prince. True love, happy ever after, blah blah blah. But what if her true love was the "bad guy"? Well, bad gal. Alyce is the sole Dark Grace in Briar, a kingdom who loves their Graces (the magical ladies who give them special elixirs for beauty, wisdom, etc). But Briar has a problem with their princesses: they die at 21 unless they kiss their one true love - a curse that was placed by power like Alyce's. Princess Aurora is the last heir. And she doesn't seem to be interested in any of the princes.

This LGBTQ re-telling of Sleeping Beauty is creative, fun, and I ate it up. The ending was unexpected yet perfect - a wonderful set up for a possible sequel? A great read for older teens and adults who want a fairy tale that's a little different from the norm.

To quote ACOMAF
"If you stare long enough into the darkness, you find that the darkness begins to stare back"
This is a new retelling of sleeping beauty.but told from what is her version of Malificent.
Alyce is a dark grace who instead of making people pretty her blood curses people. She begins a journey of finding who she is, who she loves and can trust and finds out her powers.
I dont think the ending is resolved so I hope its not a standalone

Thank you for sharing this title with me! I included it in a roundup of must-read LGBTQ+ books coming out in 2021 for Cosmopolitan.com https://www.cosmopolitan.com/entertainment/books/g35283160/lgbtq-books-2021/

A new take on Sleeping Beauty. If you like variations on light and dark Fae, this is for you. The Graces who are blessed with golden blood, but chained to serve the nobles. The Dark Grace who suffers the insults and degradations of a society who doesn't understand. The Princess who loves her.

What if the evil fairy wasn't evil? What if True Love isn't what it is expected to be?

Neither Alice or Aurora expect what happens in this retelling of Sleeping Beauty. They are both locked into the roles expected of them by society, but as the story progresses they are able to break free from society's expectations and chart their own paths.

this was a very interesting take on a classic tale. It took a while to get going, but after a couple of chapters, I was hooked

Wow was this the sapphic villain story I've been waiting for. I loved Alyce, I loved Aurora, I loved the plot and the world building. All in all, I am super excited for this book to come out and for the sequel.

This was so great! The sapphic villain sleeping beauty retelling i've been hoping for. I can't wait for the sequel.

An amazing retelling of Sleeping Beauty with an emphasis on the “making” of the villain. An extremely misunderstood girl. She’s very much a square peg. She finds true love only to slam into a wall of interference

The first half of this book was very slow for me. I think the story was great overall, but this just wasn’t the book for me.

Dragon’s teeth said every other page was very annoying. Great writing otherwise though.

The majority of people loved this book so don’t let my opinion make you not read it!

This was such a rich retelling of Sleeping beauty. So much love was giving to the world and I honestly hope one day to revisit the world.
I loved all the characters, expect Aurora. I didn't feel attached to her and wish we spent more time with her.
I love that ending was dark and ominous because this how Villian origin stories should be.

Malice
By: Heather Walter

A princess isn’t supposed to fall for an evil sorceress. But in this darkly magical retelling of “Sleeping Beauty,” true love is more than a simple fairy tale.

Once upon a time, there was a wicked fairy who, in an act of vengeance, cursed a line of princesses to die. A curse that could only be broken by true love’s kiss.
You’ve heard this before, haven’t you? The handsome prince. The happily ever after.
Utter nonsense.
Let me tell you, no one in Briar actually cares about what happens to its princesses. Not the way they care about their jewels and elaborate parties and charm-granting elixirs. I thought I didn’t care, either.
Until I met her.
Princess Aurora. The last heir to Briar’s throne. Kind. Gracious. The future queen her realm needs. One who isn’t bothered that I am Alyce, the Dark Grace, abhorred and feared for the mysterious dark magic that runs in my veins. Humiliated and shamed by the same nobles who pay me to bottle hexes and then brand me a monster. Aurora says I should be proud of my gifts. That she . . . cares for me. Even though a power like mine was responsible for her curse.
But with less than a year until that curse will kill her, any future I might see with Aurora is swiftly disintegrating—and she can’t stand to kiss yet another insipid prince. I want to help her. If my power began her curse, perhaps it’s what can lift it. Perhaps together we could forge a new world.
Nonsense again. Because we all know how this story ends, don’t we? Aurora is the beautiful princess. And I—
I am the villain.

WOW!!!! I did not expect this book to pull me in like it did. This is an awesome retelling of Sleeping Beauty. It is a game changer. I have read a few retellings and watched a movie or two but this one must be at the top of the list. This book spans the spectrum from darkness and loneliness to love and happiness and back again. I felt so many different emotions reading this book. I did not expect that it would end the way it did. I am crossing my fingers that there is a sequel in the works.

**Thanks to NetGalley and Heather Walter for providing me with a complimentary copy of Malice in exchange for my honest review. **

This was an absolutely fantastic book. It does a great job of humanizing a traditionally known villain. The characters were all very well written, especially the main character Alyce. She stays true to her developed character throughout the entire book. I felt genuinely conflicted with my emotions by the end of the book.

This book is an interesting adaptation of the classic tale of Sleeping Beauty. I liked the characters. I loved the political intrigue! I was drawn in by the fictional history and magical beings of this world.

I tend to avoid romance books. I don't personally enjoy reading sex scenes. I expected some kissing, and was happy to be right. I however was surprised by the more NC17 details.

This book is an amazing retelling of Sleeping Beauty. Except you get to watch the life of the villain unfold, only to fall in love with her. This story follows a misunderstood girl who just wants to be seen. She different and doesn’t fit in anywhere until she finds her true love. However, her loves’ family comes between them and then all hell breaks loose. This book left me reeling afterwards due to wanting more!

Malice is an inventive and entertaining fairytale remix, using elements from Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella as well as older folktales to craft a unique story all its own. Heather Walter creates a rich and beautiful fantasy kingdom that anyone would want to visit - anyone who isn't the protagonist, Alyce, that is. Alyce, an orphan from a much-maligned species of Fae creatures, is raised without knowing anything about her people, or herself for that matter. As she struggles to figure out who she is and what she can do, she also struggles to help her only true friend, the lovely but cursed Crown Princess. The book was an engaging read from beginning to end, but I found the ending disappointing as Alyce grows immensely in power but very little in understanding. While the ending left plenty of plot to be resolved in the sequel, it unfortunately left something to be desired as to why we should continue to care about the ambivalent Alyce or the deeply flawed kingdom of Briar. Ultimately, I enjoyed Malice, but I can't help but wish for a stronger ending to entice me to pick up the next book.

In the Kingdom of Briar, a select group of girls/women, known as the Graces, share the golden blood of the light Fae of Etheria. This was a gift from the King of the Fae in exchange for the assistance of humans in the War of the Fae. The blood of the Graces, when mixed in an elixir, can provide temporary enchantments -- make a person more attractive or youthful, more graceful, etc. -- or can alter the environment temporarily, provide pleasure, make beautiful music, provide wise advice, heal, etc. However, this power is temporary, fading with time. And the power can only be used for positive things.

Yet, there is one Grace who is different from all the rest. Alyce (or Malyce as some of her housemates call her) is "The Dark Grace." She is half-Vila, a race that has been all but exterminated and a race that is considered almost evil incarnate. Instead of golden blood, her blood is green and can be used to caused harm. Patrons come to her with requests for elixirs to make others temporarily ugly, ill, clumsy, etc. -- whatever the patron believes will help him or her upstage a rival. Alyce is despised and feared by essentially the entire kingdom and many people, including Endlewild, the Ambassador of the Fae Courts to Briar, believe she should have been killed as a baby. One of the main reasons why the people of Briar hate the Vila is that a Vila cursed the royal family. The princesses must receive "true love's kiss" before their twenty-first birthday or they will die. The current princess, Aurora, has already lost her two older sisters to the curse, and if she cannot break her own curse, there will be no heir.

Alyce, in disguise, attends the masque ball to celebrate Aurora's twentieth birthday, but Rose, a Grace who despises her, "unmasks" and humiliates Alyce. Alyce flees into the royal garden, only to be followed by Princess Aurora, who is intrigued by Alyce/The Dark Grace. They strike up a friendship of sorts, as both are trapped in lives/situations they do not want and both want different lives for themselves and the citizens of the kingdom. The Kingdom of Briar is wealthy and powerful, but it is also very unequal and the nobility rather vain and self-absorbed. Aurora, if she lives to be Queen, wants to change things.

Alyce has never known the true extent of her powers, as there are no other Vila to learn from. However, a chance encounter results in her meeting someone who is not supposed to exist, but who knows that there is more to Alyce than she realizes and begins to teach her, in their infrequent meetings, how her powers actually work and how to harness them. Unfortunately for Alyce, accidental and intentional (but unsuccessful) examples of her power have come to the attention of the Briar King, who realizes that he can use Alyce as a weapon to achieve his goals, which are not benevolent in the least. Events occur that cause Alyce to doubt that Aurora's friendship is real, causing a rift in the friendship; a rift that could prove fatal when Alyce is forced to embrace her full powers.

Through Alyce, the author explores the notion of whether a person can escape their essential nature. Can Alyce, ultimately, be anything but a villain? The author also explores the potentially devastating consequences of making someone feel so helpless, worthless, and enraged, with no outlet for those feelings, that the person casts back that rage in the most harmful manner possible.

In the story, the friendship between Aurora and Alyce evolves into a romantic relationship (albeit temporary). While this casts the main characters as lesbian or possibly bisexual, the story does not portray Alyce as having a romantic or sexual interest in men or women and it involves Aurora being repeatedly paired with potential male suitors/curse-breakers, in large part because if the curse is broken, future heirs will be needed. This was not a story where one or both main characters had a hidden or known attraction to other women and was trying to find the "right" woman. Rather, it was an unexpected attraction that bloomed and just happened to involve two women. The author, in her acknowledgements, discusses the lack of LGBTQ representation in fiction historically and how a story like Malice, with LGBTQ characters and an "evil" main female character, would not have been published not that long ago. However, to me, the LGBTQ aspect of the story is less the relationship between Aurora and Alyce, and more the portrayal of Alyce as an "other" and therefore a lesser person, an attitude that has long been directed towards the LGBTQ community.

I received a copy of the e-book from NetGalley in exchange for a review.