I give Malice a solid 3. A wlw take on Sleeping Beauty and is told from Alyce's point of view. There are Fae and by their magic offer Graces, female children blessed with magic. It turns their blood gold then silver as they age or their magic Fades. Briar has an interesting history and the worldbuilding was nice. I appreciate the sapphic twist and the story was interesting. A solid 3 star.

3 Stars

STORY

Characters | 3 stars
We could have used more time building a relationship with Kal, and less info dumps. The characters of the Graces were well crafted and developed but deeper relationships we’re supposed to believe just happened in a blink were a bit of a stretch.
Alyce is doubtful of herself nearly the entire book and the end result is disastrous, but I do like when a character really snaps. And oh, did she snap.

Plot | 3 stars
While the plot did not lag, and had its share of surprises, I spotted the twists and betrayals early. I did not think the end would play out as it did, and I’m very curious to know if there would be another story coming after this one.

Setting | 3 stars
Interesting setting, I felt I understood the system of the world and our characters’ places both in the city of Briar and the outer world.

TECHNICAL

Writing | 3 stars

Editing | N/A
As an ARC, this is not a final version and editing will not be rated.

Execution | 3 stars
The ending was a surprise and probably saved my opinion, but the majority of the book was extremely long info dumps.

EMOTIONAL

Engagement | 4 stars
Definitely engaged, once I got a few chapters in I needed to know how things would play out.

Emotional Connection | 2 stars
Overall did not connect much with the characters and while I loved to see the ff romance I did not think it believable at all (I should clarify that I don’t see any romance at all as necessarily believable in this story). I don’t care how much you love the inner self; when the entire book describes a character as greasy, smelly, and with flaking, scaly skin I just do not believe for an instant that physical attraction exists. Anytime Aurora and Alyce bonded through conversation and shared ideas? Yes. But nothing else.

I like the imagine Heather Walter watching Maleficent and then saying, “F**k this, I’ll write it as it should have been—a villain-driven sapphic tale where the characters are awesomely flawed.” Then, she went and wrote Malice.

Trigger warnings—bullying, harassment, stalking, child abuse, violence, gore

Hated for her green Vila blood, Alyce—nicked named Malyce—lives among the graces, magical beings with golden blood who bestow blessings on the elite. Long ago, the graces were gifted to the Briar line as part of an alliance with the fae. Rather than use the power for good, the elite focused on increasing their wealth, beauty, and pleasure. Alyce, a Vila, cannot bestow such gifts; instead, she gives the elite curses to lash out at their enemies and rivals.


Alyce longs to use her magic for good, to cure people of ailments and help them die with little pain. She doesn’t think this is possible until she meets Aurora, the successor to the throne who’s under a Vila curse that will send her into a death-like sleep on her 21st birthday. After meeting the captivating princess, Alyce begins to believe she can break the curse and save the her. Of course, feelings develop, and complications arise.

If you’re looking for a book where the “villain” lead is actually a villain, this book will scratch that itch nicely. Alyce has a lot of redeeming characteristics, but she’s drawn into lie after lie and makes several selfish decisions that lead her down the path of ruin. I was pleasantly surprised by how far the author went with this storyline. Several books tout a female villain as the lead but only deliver some watered-down clumsy girl who maybe swears a little and has strong opinions on stuff. You know, basically a normal person. Heather Walter does not back away from the premise, and I’m so glad she didn’t.

I’d almost give this a five for the ending alone, but the middle dragged for me, especially the back and forth between Rose and Alyce. At a certain point, I was like, “I got it. These people are awful.” There were also two plot twists that didn’t work for me.

I hesitate to say what I wanted more of because I don’t want to include spoilers, but the author did a lot of interesting world building that I loved and she did change the tale of Sleeping Beauty enough where she truly made it her own.

Overall, I was really quite pleased with this book. I’ll certainly read the next in the series!

This was honestly really good! You could really feel Alice's trouble and feel real sympathy with her. She may be the "villain" eventually but every villain has an origin story. She did not just wake up one day and decide to be "evil".
Alice's part of the story not only reminded me of Maleficent but also Cinderella in the way that she was an outcast and everyone she lived with really did not like her.
The whole time reading I was really rooting for Alice and Aurora to eventually find a way, knowing that it probably would not happen, considering the story it is based on. I still wanted to believe it to happen, though.
I did feel that I could've used more backstory on the other species in the book, but knowing that it is written from Alice's point of view, and that she probably doesn't know that much either, it's fine. I really enjoyed this and will definitely be recommending this!

Holy Wickedness!!!!!!!

Alyce - Malyce - The Dark Grace - Part Vila ....... and other things.



This is the ya fantasy book that should be like all ya a fantasy books. Oh, and before I forget, let’s take a moment to admire that beautiful cover -CUE ELEVATOR MUSIC....

Now that’s done let me tell you how much I love Alyce. She’s wicked but not really wicked and she’s also something else entirely. BUT, when you beat someone down all of their life at some point shit’s going to hit the fan.

Oh and she had this beautiful Kestrel she saved from dying as a baby and her name is Callow. She had a frog too.



Anywayyyyy..... Alyce becomes friends with Princess Aurora and it’s just wonderful until some twats come along and mess it up. And some other friends turn on her and that gets messed up and people want to use her, kill her, etc and so on.

At some point your girl is gonna break! I’m not saying any more, you’ll have to read it for yourself and decide if you like it. I loved it!! 😘



I’m sooooo looking forward to these books and will be adding to my collection.

*I would like to thank Netgalley and Random House for a digital copy of this book!

Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾

From the exquisite cover to the stellar blurb, this book was an instant click request for me. I love fairy tale retellings, and Sleeping Beauty holds a soft spot in my heart. My daughter's favorite princess, there's not a week that goes by that we don't read the classic Disney version of Aurora and her curse, so I was thrilled to be approved for this title.

Alyce is the Dark Grace, an eponym she's not fond of and can't shirk. Different from her sisters, the Graces, Alyce can't charm beauty or wit, and no one lets her forget her outcast status. But as the fate of the princess Aurora becomes dire, Alyce finds herself in an interesting position. She's learning more about her history, about her powers, about herself, and these strands just may lead to the path of saving Briar from the centuries-long curse.

This is an excellent read.

First, I'm not a fan of long, drawn-out worldbuilding sequences. I want to know details as I need them, not be handed exposition on a fifty-page platter, and Walter structured this story well. I loved getting to know the nuances of Briar's history, the war and all its effects, and the law system controlling the Graces. This is where the story really shone for me. The Graces hold so much power, but aren't free to use this power at will. The court controls their lives, and because of this, we're given the perfect motivation for unrest.

The connection between the past and present, too, is necessary in highlighting the urgency of Alyce's turmoil. As a narrator, I found her voice to be strong and endearing. I got some Cinderella-esque dynamics between her and her sisters, and I quite enjoyed her interactions with the other Graces. It's difficult to create a character shunned for her differences who overcomes doubt in order to blossom without depicting a trope. This is even more so the case when you're focusing on a story that everyone knows and some consider cannon. However, Walter gave us a sapphic take on this tale that was fresh and ethereal. The romance between Alyce and Aurora has potential to launch a solid series.

I will say that this is a slow build to the action. That's not to say the first half of the book drags or lacks interesting details, but for me, the real magic started happening at about the halfway point. Character arcs started developing depth, and the conflict became more obvious yet layered. The final chapter is especially spectacular, and if you're looking for a book that goes out with a bang, this will definitely be the one for you.

Mysterious, charming, and engrossing, Malice is a wonderful take on a classic fairy tale that you won't want to miss. Out in April 2021, add it to your TBRs now.

Big thanks to Ballantine and NetGalley for providing an eARC in exchange for honest review consideration.

Malice by Heather Walter takes everything you thought you knew about one of the world's most famous fairytales and turns it on its head. Walter crafts a thorough and expansive world around the main character, Alyce, filled with troublesome class structures, prejudices, and power hungry royals. At the beginning of the novel, I believed it to be quite different from the typical Sleeping Beauty retelling, until twist after twist somehow brought me to the exact story I grew up with, but now with an entirely new outlook on the events unfolding. It was constantly clear that the author was ten steps ahead of me, and no matter how much I believed I knew who and what to trust.
As a sapphic reader, my heart swelled to see two women falling in love inside a classic tale. We've all consumed countless stories in which princes save the day and get the girl, and I don't believe I'm alone in craving more than that. I've heard that 2021 is supposed to be the year of Queer Reads, and this book does not disappoint.
I am a firm believer that the final chapter of a book is always its best, and I can confidently say that this ending had me completely reeling. Walter is incredible at offering tiny bits of hope, only to rip them away from you at the most painful moments. I believe our leading lady, Alyce, would agree with me.
Malice is a perfect read for fans of Heartless by Marissa Meyer.

Malice is a beautifully dark, sapphic retelling of Sleeping Beauty. Alyce has always been ostracized for her green skin and rare magical powers. Upon meeting Princess Aurora, doomed to die unless she can find her true love, Alyce assumes that Aurora will be like the rest of the intolerant court. When she realizes that Aurora would rather break her own curse than rely on a prince, Alyce teams up with the princess to help her escape her fate. As her magical powers grow, Alyce begins to draw attention and must choose whom to trust.

I love stories featuring morally gray characters! This is a lovely and imaginative retelling of Sleeping Beauty, filled with plenty of magic and interesting worldbuilding. I always love when a princess plans to save herself and this was no exception. The love story between Aurora and Alyce is a delightful slow-burn romance. As Alyce learns about the history behind her powers and heritage, the carefully crafted worldbuilding shines. If you enjoy retellings of tales we assume we know, LGBTQ rep, and morally gray characters then you will love Malice. Malice releases on April 13, 2021. Thank you to Heather Walter, Del Rey Books, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

For the publisher: My review will be posted on the publication date and I will publish it on Instagram, Goodreads, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble etc.

OMG this is going to be my next obsession! I enjoy fairytale retellings and all the possibilities and this one definitely blew my mind! I loved it soo much! While the beginning was a little slow, but the beginning definitely lays down everything that you need to know! The second half of this book is amazing, sitting on the edge of your seat good!
I was expecting something more villianish, something with more of an evil vibe but that's not how this story was going. Alyce is treated like a doormat from so many people, her customers and the others with powers because her powers have more of a sinnister application. While most of those who have powers are making beauty elixirs and things among that nature Alyce helps even the playing field with a "cat" who is getting too much attention her elixir will give that "cat" warts.
The romance was somthing that I didn't see coming. I would definitely ship Alyce and Aurora anyday, they do have their differences but I think it could be promising.One thing I loved about this retelling is that none of the characters are either all good or all evil, most stayed on that middle ground gray area like everyone else! The ending is something that I loathe lol cliffhangers but I do look forward to reading this one again!
This book would be perfect for anyone who loves the darker fantasy, fairytale retellings or even passionate novels! I definitely recommend it and I can't wait for the next installment!!!!!!

I was super excited to read this book! I loved the description and the idea that this was a really unique twist on the old Sleeping Beauty fairy tale. And this book absolutely lived up to my expectations.

Heather Walter created a world full of magic and darkness, love and deception. Everyone has their own motives and Alyce doesn't have anyone she can trust. And just when she does start to trust someone, that trust is broken.

There are a lot of characters in this book but they're all richly developed. This isn't one of those books where you see a character and think, "Wait, was she the one that...? No, wait, that was the other one. Wasn't it?" Each character is unique.

What I really loved is that even the evil characters (well, most of them) were still given that nuanced good side that we know most people have.

The only thing I can say without spoiling it is that I didn't see the end coming. I thought I knew what to expect. And yet I was blown away by something I absolutely never expected. But in a good way.

Best book I've read in a long time. I'll definitely be looking for more of Heather Walter's work.

I love retellings and reinterpretations of fairytales and Malice for the most part delivers. The worldbuilding is flawlessly executed, The story itself is a blend of Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella and Beauty and the Beast. Plus it's sapphic!

I expected Malice to be more about the romance but this is Alyce's story and while romance with Aurora is a part of her story, the main plot revolves around Alyce realizing her own worth and discovering the extent of her power. Alyce went through remarkable character development. I only wish Aurora's character was a bit more developed.
The book is divided into two parts:

Part 1 for me was slow moving and lifeless. The way Alyce was treated by everyone was frustrating and I found the romance underwhelming which was a great disappointment because the hero x villain romance was the reason I picked up Malice.

But then part 2 happened and the book soar higher and higher for me. The romance became angsty, the story picked up pace and pretty much everything worked. One of the villain was obvious from the start but the book did deliver some major shocks.

I would rate part one 2.5 and part two 4. The book ended on a huge cliffhanger. Alyce has only one tether to her humanity left and that person has forgotten her. I am excited to see what the author does with Alyce in book two.

An ARC was given to me for an honest review.

This doesn’t drop till April of next year, but holy hell what a retelling. I did not know I needed a f/f Sleeping Beauty retelling with the sorceress as the love interest, but this is done deftly, with amazing world building to boot. I didn’t perceive the slow start others are talking about, I saw it more as learning about the world prior to meeting Aurora, and it read naturally to me. Absolutely wonderful! Five stars.

MALICE is probably one of my all-time favorite Sleeping Beauty retellings. This time, the witch is the main character, not the princess. Alyce is the Dark Grace; people come to her for curses and potions that will turn their enemies ugly, while they come to the other Graces to become more beautiful. And when Alyce meets Aurora, the princess cursed to die on her 21st birthday if she isn't kissed by her true love, she realizes that she could be more than the hated and feared Dark Grace. Aurora is the first person who seems to enjoy her company, and they start to fall in love.
The world of MALICE is so intricate, and everything you need to know about the world is established early on, which I really liked. In particular, I liked the feminist undertones surrounding the culture of the Graces. Graces have Fae blood, and their blood allows them to cast minor spells such as making someone's wrinkles disappear, or changing the color of their hair and eyes. However, because of their power, the kingdom forces them to be registered and work as Graces, and they are not allowed to leave the kingdom. Towards the end of the book, it quickly becomes apparent how far the kingdom is willing to go to control their Graces.
Alyce herself is meant to be an unlikable narrator, but I honestly found her endearing. No one likes her because her magic is dark, and she is also half-Vila, the same type of Fae that cursed Aurora's family to die if they weren't kissed by their true love. She's very standoffish and just wants to be left alone since no one is nice to her. But once she meets Aurora, everything changes. She begins to develop some self-esteem and she seems much happier and more confident. I really loved reading Alyce's character development, especially alongside her very adorable relationship with Aurora.
The book ends on a cliffhanger, which I wasn't really expecting, and as of right now I can't find anything about a sequel, but I'm so excited to learn what happens next!

i loved this dark fairy tale retelling, the characters were great and it had the same magic as the original Sleeping Beauty tale. I did enjoy the way Ms. Walter writes and I look forward to more from her.

I have always enjoyed fairytale retellings and this one - Sleeping Beauty - is a good addition to the genre. Very interesting setting with Graces who create potions for beauty and charm and the Princess Aurora who is a dissatisfied royal.

I would recommend it to reader who like Dhonielle Clayton's The Belles.

Thanks to Netgalley for the arc to read and review.

Malice by Heather Walter is an excellent fantasy novel that has it all: fairy tale, fantasy, mystery, action, suspense, romance, and kept me enthralled from beginning to end.

I love that the author took the tale of Sleeping Beauty, Aurora, and Briar and created a whole different feel and story. Yes, this story somewhat describes a plot of how Aurora may have came to be under the sleeping spell, but it has so much more. Here we get the history of the Fae, the Graces, and how the realms/society and world of the Princess came to be. We see the dark undercurrent of what on the surface we thought was a clear cut good vs evil and find that everyone has their faults and blemishes. We also get to meet the Dark Grace, Alyce.

I have to be honest; I love Alyce. I love everything about her character: the fabulous descriptions of her being, her clothing, her mannerisms, inner thoughts, her imperfections, and her deep down heart of wanting to do what is right, wanting to be loved, and wanting to be accepted. However, none of this is as simple as that. What develops is a beyond amazing plot, a wonderful set of complex characters with their own hopes, dreams, fears, motives, and the twisted path that leads us to the end (or is it the beginning?) where we still hold out hope that all will be answered and (in my hope at least) a happily ever after of some sort is achieved.

I love the ending, and I truly hope there is a sequel so I can find out what happens next!

Amazing book!!!!

5/5 stars

Thank you NetGalley and Del Ray/Ballantine RH for this ARC and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR, Bookbub, Instagram accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication on 4/13/21.

MALICE was a solid 3.5 star read for me, because what's not to love about a dark fairy tale retelling with a fun, lushly described fantasy setting and a queer romance where the princess gets to kiss the witch instead of the prince? There were a few characterization and plot issues--some of which could have been easily fixed, which made them annoy me more--and the whole book could have been better edited, but on balance I still enjoyed it overall. I also don't think the editor's letter using Naomi Novik, Katherine Arden, or Silvia Moreno-Garcia (all incidentally in-house authors) as comps was a good call, because it created expectations of stronger worldbuilding and a more polished writing style than this book, which had a more solidly commercial YA feel to it, delivered. Not that the latter is in any way a bad thing, mind you! But comparing it to YA authors like Malinda Lo, Rosemary Hodge, Sarah J. Maas, Alexandra Christo, and Melissa Bashardoust, or even adult ones like S. Jae-Jones or Gregory Maguire, would have all been better and more accurate choices and less misleading to readers who actually pay attention to comps.

Narrated entirely by ‘the villain’ in the same lovely and flowing manner in which the book blurb was written, ‘Malice’ is a creative and original sapphic re-imagining of ‘Sleeping Beauty.’

For the most part, it was a refreshing page-turner, boasting female characters with depth, character development, and complexity. While I would have liked more time spent on Aurora, getting to know Alyce and the other girls in the Lavender House (their residence) made for easy attachment. I could picture the world Walter built with clarity and interest. The story was gripping.

The romance in this was also amazing. One of my pet peeves about fairy tale retelling is that insta love is so common. This book was as far from that as it could get. A slow burn, queer romance, that challenged the original story, what else can we ask for? Aurora and Alyce were a compelling couple, and I was rooting for them despite their differences.

I have voluntarily read and reviewed a copy of this title given to me through NetGalley. This book was just absolutely wonderful. It was just so easy to get lost in and I just couldn’t put it down. I just lost myself within this amazing story. I most definitely will read more by this author.

I really enjoyed the book, it kept me interested from beginning to end.
At first I though oh another spin on the Disney Maleficent (even the cover) but as soon as I started reading I was hooked!
The book kept me invested in the characters and hanging on the edge of my seat as I read more and more.
It was a updated dark spin in my opinion on the story of Briar Rose only better!

It’s a good read and I will suggest It to my bookclub!