A big thank you to the author, Heather Walter, the publisher, and NetGalley for providing me an ARC in exchange for my candid review.

Hmmm......don't really know how to rate this book. On the one hand, it was an interesting remake of the Sleeping Beauty fairytale with the kiss that breaks a curse is from a female witch. Not a problem, I thought that was fine. I guess that the problem that I had was the very black, bleak ending to the book.

It was an interesting read, I liked the revamp of the classic fairy tale, but didn't like the very dark ending.

This is a fairytale retelling of Sleeping Beauty. It was not what I expected but I enjoyed the retelling with its unique spin. I would rate this a four of five for a YA book. Netgalley provided this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I love fairytale retellings, I love to love the villain, so when this book showed up, I pounced! Add in the LGBTQ+ aspect, and *chef's kiss* amazing!

I loved the spin that Walter put on this classic Sleeping Beauty retelling.

I loved the world building, the magic system and basically the book. The interactions with characters was enjoyable as well.

Malice // by Heather Walter

As it happens so often, by the time I get around to actually reading a book, I've already forgotten the description of it. I just know I really want to read it. And with multiple reader friends recommending it, I had no hesitation when I did finally pick this up. I dove right into it and let me tell you, I barely put it down once I started.

Looking back at it now, the description clearly says that the main character is a villain. Of course, I did not remember that though. So I went through the first half of the book learning about this young lady, enjoying her magic that is obviously quite different from everyone else's, learning about her take on society's rules, and cheering on her small victories -- all the while waiting for her big moment. And oh that moment came! This is truly a villain origin story and I am here for it! This is such a fun retelling of Sleeping Beauty with a unique take. While it isn't actually marked as YA, it does remind me of their usual writing style for fantasy - something I often don't really enjoy but that really worked for me here.

I do wish there was a little more description of the world and the magic system, maybe a little more intricate character work, but to be honest, the action swept me along so much that I didn't even think of those things until it was over. So clearly despite those short-comings regarding my personal preferences, it still was an excellent read that provided enough fun and action that look past those things. I definitely recommend this read and cannot wait for book 2 to come out!

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Malice by Heather Walter is a great retelling of Sleeping Beauty. Dark and lush and well written. Great story.

This was a wonderful retelling of Sleeping Beauty from the perspective of the villain! You could see the influence of the original story throughout, with it still being it's own original story.

I thought the romance was rather forced, but I'm hoping it's further developed in book 2. The world in this book was also very well fleshed out and I found the magic system to be intriguing. I liked this book a lot and am definitely planning on reading book 2.

I am mixed in how to rate this book. Personally it is not for me and one I did not finish, and that’s fine. Sometimes books just don’t click for me people and that has nothing to do with how well the story is written. I do think it is a well written book and I can see why people love it so much. Just not a book for me.

Many readers will love this book. I’m simply not the right reader.

The beginning hooked me. The magic system fascinated me, and I loved Alyce’s character.

But the story drags. The 469 pages could’ve easily been cut down to 350.

The plot meanders, never really committing to something specific. What we have is hints at lots of themes telling us we should feel outraged or enchanted or whatever else, while showing us none of it.

The romance doesn’t feel like a romance at all until we’re suddenly rushing into a sex scene. We don’t see the buildup leading into this proclamation of intense love. Instead, it feels almost like a business relationship turning to a cautious friendship, then bam, they’re burning for each other as if the fire had been there all along.

None of the characters are well developed. We’re told a lot about them, but we don’t see most of it in play.

The last 20% of the book explodes with action, some of which didn’t ring true to the characters for me. We have the major cliffhanger, as well, so if those bother you, then wait for the second book to be released before reading this one.

The way that I feel like such an idiot for putting off this book for as long as I have. I don’t think I’ll ever forgive myself for this.

From the first page I was pulled into the story, into the world and the magic. Alyce was the kind of main character that I love to read about. While I know that this was a reimagining of Sleepy Beauty, I thought that having a Cinderella-esque quality to Alyce that I hadn’t expected and yet was really intrigued by. I thought that the magic of the Graces was also something interesting, especially when I’ve read so many books that deal with using blood to do magic I thought that this still made it feel unique but uncomplicated. Though watching Alce test the bounds of her own abilities and seeing that grow and change was probably the part that I enjoyed the most.

The last third of the book was almost impossible for me to put down. I needed to see how this was going to end, just how tragic the story between Alyce and Aurora was going to be. For the most part the third act was a lot more solid than I expected. I definitely thought that some of the earlier threads were going to be what was going to propel the action in the second book in the duology and after that ending I have far more questions for how things are going to play out. I’m also just very happy with how Walter was able to maneuver all the pieces into place for that ending to not just feel earned. Seeing Alyce really embrace all the aspects of herself that she’d been trying to rationalize away was cathartic in a way.

I don’t know what’s in store for the sequel, but I’m definitely looking forward to it and I’ll be processing the events of this book for a while to come.

Fairytale retellings are my jam and I have always been intrigued by the alluring, dark, albeit misunderstood Maleficent. These are the reasons I was initially drawn to Malice, since Alyce is author Heather Walter’s version of one of my favorite villainesses.

Briar is a complex kingdom, like most places, and it comes with its own hierarchies and prejudices. This was a brilliant taste into the world and I cannot wait to read the next installment. There’s so much left to be explored, especially with that ending.

<i> I received this from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. </i>

This was so great. It had a mixture of epic feelings and fairy tale vibes. I was fancasting after only a couple chapters--I would love to see this made into a movie. The character arcs were all well-done and the plot left me with my jaw literally dropping at times.

I enjoyed this book, and it was not what I expected. When I started it, I didn't think I was going to finish it. I expected basically the same fairy tale story, and I just wasn't in the mood for the same story. I was wanting to read a book that felt new a different, but I chose to read this one next anyway. I needed to get a review up. Then, this book pleasantly surprised me because it is so much more than a fairy tale respun. The world was so rich and developed. I sort of forgot that I was supposed to be reading a retelling. I think that is what really set this book apart. It was, at times, a familiar story, but an all new story that can completely stand on its own. The world of the graces and the houses really added to the plot and kept me intrigued. I wanted to know Alyce's backstory. And Aurora's character was so likeable; you really wanted her to break her curse. I liked the way the curse story line played out, but the ending was not what I expected. Maybe I am not as familiar with the Sleeping Beauty fairytale as I thought? Or maybe that was a new spin. Either way, I am eagerly anticipating the next book.

I really enjoyed the romance and the worldbuilding in the book but i found the pacing difficult to follow, it was super slow paced at the beginning and the end felt super rushed as a consequence

An entertaining dark fantasy that didn't lead where I expected it to. I enjoyed the romantic elements, the world-building, and the characters. The political elements started to feel forced and some characters became very one-dimensional near the end. I love that there is LGBT representation in the book, though.

Content warnings: a bit of gruesome magical violence, mild sexual content, murder

A beautiful queer retelling of Sleeping Beauty. I expected to like it, but it blew me away. Definitely surpassed my expectations. I just wish I already had the sequel in my hands.

Okay but like, what can I even say?! I love retelling, and I love them 1000% more when they’re queer. And this is what we get and I’m obsessed.

Malice began a little slow to me, and at first I wasn’t sure I was going to get into it, but when it picked up, it really picked up and I was hooked. I have no idea what I can even say at this. I need a sequel immediately. I feel like if I knew this wasn’t going to be a stand alone from the very beginning, I may not have read it because now I have to WAIT for a sequel and I neeeed it.

Like, I’m not even into Sleeping Beauty usually. But this is everything I love that I normally wouldn’t. It’s not hard to see where the book might go early on, and I don’t always like the villain origin stories, but I loved it here. I can see how Alyce got to her breaking point and I could relate and I simply need more.

This started off pretty slow, but the build up was worth it. The last part of this story was very addicting, could not put it down. It's not hard to figure out the villain from the beginning, but that doesn't take away from the shock of it. This was an interesting retelling for sure.

Woah. What just happened to me? This novel has taken over my mind and stolen my heart and I just CAN'T handle it!

Malice is such a shining story of endurance, isolation, and what can happen when flickers of hope are repeatedly taken away. We all have a breaking point. I loved Alyce from the first page. Life hasn't just not been kind to her, it's been downright cruel. Nothing has worked out for the poor thing and any reader can recognize that feeling. So when she gets these little bursts of joy and allows herself to feel a tiny bit of happiness, it stings that much more when it doesn't last.

The pacing was great throughout the story, engaging but not so fast that you can't soak in the worldbuilding of Briar. Each character adds to the story (my second favorite is Rose) and Alyce's development is really fantastic. The love story is well-built and I absolutely adore them together, which only makes certain events that much more heartbreaking. I'm conflicted on the ending. Not because I didn't love it (I really did!) but because Alyce goes through so much, feels so much, that it's left me feeling like I could burst.

It is incredibly hard for me to write this review without any spoilers because I feel as though I could talk about this story for ages. But instead I will try my hardest to wait patiently for book 2, even though I know it'll be a challenge! I'd recommend this book to any reader but those who enjoy fantasy, romance, retellings, and LGBTQ representation are in for an extra treat.

Note: I received a free electronic edition of this book via NetGalley in exchange for the honest review above. I would like to thank them, the publisher, and the author for the opportunity to do so.

I absolutely adored this sleeping beauty dark retelling. Alyce (the dark grace) is a complex character who is fun to get to know and love as the book progresses. Story, character and world building was wonderfully done. Overall a great read.



I just reviewed Malice by Heather Walter. #Malice #NetGalley
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I read a little bit of this and ended up liking it so much that I purchased a print copy. I've recommended it to multiple people since. So great!