Some book reviews are really easy to complete. Perhaps it's the euphoria from finishing a book that's not like anything else you've read in a while. I found myself transported to a different time, a different place, and a different culture with this book. In the back of my mind, was a voice asking if this was a retelling of Cinderella, or Wicked, and then I re-read the synopsis which was what enticed me into reading the book in the first place. It has elements of those tales plus Sleeping Beauty which is why I found it so successful. Walter did a great job at making this a truly unique story.

The story has some bullying elements, but it also shows what can happen when women give up their power too easily. I was thoroughly captivated from beginning to end. Alyce is an "other" because she doesn't fit the mold of the other Graces in the land. The Graces use blood magic to create their temporary enchantments. Her blood is a different color and offers the opposite magic of theirs - instead of graceful dance moves, wonderous voices, and beautiful faces, her potions offer boils, itchy skin, clumsiness, and so on to be used against romantic competition. The magic that flows in the Graces blood only lasts for a limited amount of time. When the magic fades, they are placed into retirement and become matrons overseeing the care of Graces. Alyce's newfound friendship outside of the city walls reveals to her more uses for her magic.

Another twist is the expected heterosexual romance. There are rumors at least one princess found her true love with a woman but married a man because that was the expectation. The romance between Alyce and Aurora is a slow one, with some of the usual misunderstandings that come from miscommunications or withheld information to be found in romance novels.

This is a planned duology and I can't wait to read the sequel to find out if true love conquers all.

To be published 7/7/2021 at 10am at http://www.amberstults.com/?p=5147

I received a copy of this story from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I NEED MORE NOW.

This was so good! I love new takes on fairy tales. I also love "villains" and their origin stories so this was an obvious choice for me. It is so well-crafted that I want to shout about it from the rooftops.

I thought this was going to skew towards young-adult and it did, a little. But that only made the story more accessible to more people! I'm sure everyone can identify with Alyce or Aurora or Laurel or even Rose. There is such a humanity here, such a depth of character that I really appreciated. I feel like I got to know Alyce and Aurora and the Graces. The mythology of this world felt rich and intriguing; I most definitely want to read their history books.

At times it felt slow. At times it was repetitive in its description of things. But then there were times when the story actually made me laugh or gasp or exclaim "WHAT!" in the middle of a crowded room. I cannot wait to read more.

The LGBTQIA+ aspect was great, too. It makes sense and I appreciated it. Representation is important.

I'd happily recommend this to everyone (and I've already started doing so)!

I am a sucker for a fairy tale retelling. So a sapphic take on Sleeping Beauty was all I needed to know. And I was not disappointed.

A retelling from the villain’s POV is difficult to pull off, and Malice really succeeds here. The things that Alyce has to deal with from the microaggressions from her fellow Graces to the institutional constraints placed on her because of her magic, we see and sympathize as Alyce suffers. We watch as she tries so hard to not be the person that the entire realm believes her to be. One thing especially that I appreciated in this is that while we learn of the cruelties and abuse she endured as a child, we are never forced to witness that explicitly. It’s usually in vague remembrances and flashbacks.

The magic system is absolutely fascinating. And I love the world building, although we got a little info dump heavy in the first half of the book with a lot of backstory. Which, while interesting, wasn’t totally necessary. Each background story, while fleshing out the world, could have stood on their own, as little appendices or novellas. And nothing would have really been lost.

And the ending! Wow! Fast paced and intense! And while I managed to predict one thing, I actually was surprised by another. But the bits and pieces are all there for me to have picked up on.

I am thoroughly looking forward to the sequel.

Amazing book! Rich characters. Beautiful scenery. Complete reimagining of a once family tale. I loved trying to guess where the story would parallel the original and where it would diverge completely.

This was so good! I was hooked throughout the entire story. What a fantastic fairytale retelling. It felt like a retelling of Cinderella land Sleeping Beauty, but then also a villain origin story. I love Alyce! Both when she’s kind and honorable, but also when her claws came out. A truly morally gray character that I completely fell in love with and rooted for.

Also the slow burn romance was chef’s kiss. Aurora came off really privileged and selfish in the beginning. She kind of bulldozed over Alyce without considering how certain actions she wanted Alyce to do would be very dangerous for Alyce because she doesn’t have the same privileges as Aurora. But Aurora did grow on me and I’m excited to get to know her more.

Apparently this is a duology? I read it thinking it was a standalone. I’ll say it does end on kind of a cliffhanger where there’s a lot of action and with an open ending, but I also think it works as a standalone because of the strong fairytale vibes. I would have been fine without having a sequel. I will definitely continue though because I loved the story, characters, and the author’s writing!

A beautifully written, captivating book. It took me a long time to read it, but I figured June was the best time - looking forward to everything else the author puts forward, including the second book. I love stories that re-shape the villian for the reader, and this was CRAFTFULLY done. I will be reviewing on Goodreads.

Review: 4.5 Stars

I picked up a review copy of Malice because I knew it was a Sleeping Beauty retelling from the point of view of the villain. I didn’t really have any expectations, so I was blown away by how much I wound up loving Malice. This book was so well written and grabbed my attention right away. I really loved everything about this book. If you’re like I was and you’re on the fence trying to decide if this book is for you I recommend you do yourself a favor and give it a shot.

Alyce is hated by all of the other Graces because she is half Vila. She is painted as a villain because of her blood, she is lonely and she is bullied. I found it really easy to empathize with Alyce. She is a bit morally grey, but with how everyone treated her it was easy to see where her bitterness came from. The character development in this book is done incredibly well. I was able to connect with Alyce so well that I felt all of the emotions she was going through. I hated everyone who was cruel to her and loved any tiny bit of kindness that came her way. This was an incredible villain origin story because as a reader you were able to connect with Alyce and it wasnt until the very end that I started to disagree with some of her morally grey choices.

The world built in this story is fascinating. The history of the Vila and how the Graces came to be is given to the reader slowly and it was never overwhelming. I felt like it was really well done because you could see how the history and the world affected different people. You could see how prejudices against Vila shaped Alyce’s whole life and how Grace powers and limitations affected the Graces. The world felt so complete and vivid. The magic system was pretty cool and it was also clear and defined, so I never felt confused while reading.

The romance was absolutely amazing. I really loved Aurora and Alyce together. I was so emotionally invested in Alyce’s story and it was easy to see why she fell for Aurora. It was a great slow burn romance that built up over time and through friendship so it felt very authentic. There was a lot of chemistry between Aurora and Alyce and I was rooting for their forbidden romance throughout the entire story.

I loved this villain origin story. The characters are done so well and had me so emotionally invested in their journeys. I thought this was a really original take on Sleeping Beauty and I loved every minute of this book. The world building was fantastic, the characters were well developed and the plot was an emotional roller coaster. I’d recommend this book for fans of retellings, morally grey characters and forbidden romance. Do yourself a favor and get your hands on a copy of Malice ASAP.

Malice by Heather Walter

A princess isn’t supposed to fall for an evil sorceress, but in this book, true love is more than a simple fairy tale.

This book is about fairies and evil sorceress.
This is not the genre I usually read sov I wasn’t compltelybintovthecstory. Many characters - good and evil.

Thanks to Net Galley for sending me an advanced reader’s copy for my review.

Wow!! This book was simply amazing. Retellings are sometime hit or miss with me but this was was incredible. It was dark and evil but also sweet and romantic. I absolutely loved that Princess Aurora's true love wasn't the typical Prince Charming. I enjoyed Alyce immensely as a character. Her story is so sad that you just can't help but love her. Personally I like her way more than any of the other Graces. The ending has me dying to find out what happens next.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an eARC. All opinions are my own.

Dark fantasy. Fairytale retelling. Sapphic romance. Pretty much everything that I want in a book wrapped up into one package, and let me tell you... IT DID NOT DISAPPOINT.

Malice is an intricately woven high fantasy retelling of Sleeping Beauty. Alyce, the Dark Grace, is seen as a monster. She has the same sort of power that long ago cursed the royal family, so that all the princesses would die if they didn't kiss their true love by the age of 21. This happens to be only a year away for the last remaining heir, Princess Aurora.

The first book in a duology, Malice exceeded all my expectations. Walter delivers a main character who is not only strong, but intelligent, angry, and morally grey. The romance delivers both the forbidden love and soulmate tropes, and I absolutely adored every bit of it.

There is a fair amount of world building, so prepare for that if its not your thing, but the pacing is relatively fast, and I had a lot of trouble putting the book down after the first 100 or so pages.

Walter's writing is beautiful, and her storytelling ability is TOP TIER.

I LOVED THIS BOOK! The idea was fresh and intriguing. The characters were engaging and I was hooked from the very beginning.

I'm a glad that I read this book. This was my 1st villain origin story. Its A Sleeping Beauty sapphic retelling. Alyce is known as the Dark Grace. She uses her exilers to cause dark enhancements. After meeting Princess Aurora her life begins to spiral into something completely foreign to her. While part 1 of this novel was slower than I tend to care for part 2 made up for it. I loved the ending and hope their will be a book 2. Appropriate for high school classroom.

*I was gifted an ebook copy for an honest review.

Possibly the best Sleeping Beauty retelling I've ever read.

Malice is a Maleficent origin story of sorts that has been retold in a way that feels realistic. In Briar all Princesses are cursed to find their true love by their 21st birthday or die. Alyce could care less as she is forced to spend her life using her blood to basically curse and hex people. in her role as the Dark Grace at the whims of the court. Until one day when Alyce crosses paths with the last Briar Princess, Aurora, who is nothing like she seems. Aurora is tired of being forced upon every last man who enters Briar in an attempt to have true love's kiss break the curse. As Alyce and Aurora work together to try and find another way to break the curse things get a bit more complicated when Alyce starts developing feelings for Aurora.

I loved this book. There was just enough of the original Sleeping Beauty story to make you see what this retelling was based on. I also loved the bits of other fairytales subtly mixed in. Aurora felt very likeable being someone who hasn't ever really had control of her life but was determined to do what she could with the time she had. Alyce was so complex and giving her the backstory she has made the character make sense. I like most people, am more familiar with the less extreme and graphic Disney version of Maleficent (cartoon version) and having the small touches with the dragons, and green with the Maleficent character felt good to read. Even though I know the story I could not have predicated the ending. I can't wait to read the final book, and if Heather would like to rewrite any other fairytales in the same way she has done with Malice I won't hesitate to pick those up.

*Arc provide by Netgalley, Del Rey/Ballantine, and Heather Walter in exchange for an honest review.*

I wanted to enjoy this way more than I did!! I love retellings for the most part and it could just be me but I was getting bored of the same old retelling. So when this was introduced as a sapphic sleeping beauty retelling, I was immediately intrigued.
I did like the characters. Although the side characters lacked depth for me.
Alyce was great and had so much growth through the book and so I really enjoyed her story.
Unfortunately the romance was lacking for me. It fell kind of flat and I don’t think they had much chemistry.
Also the world building could have been better.
The writing however I did enjoy and I can see myself possibly picking up the sequel as this is only a duology.

This was such an unexpected treat. Based on the premise alone I knew I would like this one, but I was not prepared for the sheer badassery that was the last 15% of the story. At first I was like "Oh sh*t. They're going there. Poor Alyce." And THEN I was a little scared of Alyce. But at the end, I was cackling with malicious joy as she burned EVERYTHING to the ground. Very unlike my emotions when Daenerys did a 180 and leveled Kings Landing. I was never lead to believe that Alyce was a "hero" in hiding so it was incredibly satisfying to watch her embrace the rage and destroy Briar.

A hero would sacrifice their true love to save the world. A villain would sacrifice the world to save their true love. And I am *here* for it.

A re-telling of Sleeping Beauty. Alyce is known as "the Dark Grace" of Briar - sought out for her dark potions, but hated and abhorred by all. Aurora is the princess of the realm, cursed to die if she does not find her true love. When Alyce and Aurora meet, there is an immediate connection that begins to grow into something more .... what if the princess's true love is the Dark Grace. Will this fairy tale re-telling have a happily ever after?

This book takes a very unique take on the story of Sleeping Beauty and the creation of Maleficent. The author has build a fantastic world in Briar with interesting characters and a totally new take on the story of Aurora's true love.

The story of sleeping beauty is simple, a princess cursed to sleep eternally unless awoken by true love’s kiss. It’s earliest known iteration was published by Italian poet Giambattista Basile, which was adapted by Charles Perrault then the Brothers Grimm. Since then, the classic fairy tale as been retold countless times, from more traditional fantasy retellings to novels about girls awoke after a cryogenic “sleep”. But Malice reimagines sleeping beauty in an entirely new way, putting the evil fairy- now a Dark Grace- not only at the forefront of the narrative, but also casting her as Aurora’s love interest.

Admittedly it did take me a little while to get into the book; the beginning forced on the necessary world building and I was excited to get to the more character driven aspects. But the world building was fascinating, establishing the tensions between the mortals and the Vila, the Graces and the social hierarchy, and the curse that holds the royals hostage to fear. But as soon as Alyce and Aurora met, I was hooked.

Alyce is a Dark Grace and although she’s marked a monster by the society that depends on her for her unique brand of magic, the green blood that runs through her veins. She’s called Malyce by the other Graces who sell their light magic as sanctioned by the King. Aurora, likewise, is trapped in tradition. The women of her family are cursed to die on their twenty-first birthday unless they kiss their true love- and Aurora is tired of kissing man after man. Yet at Aurora’s twentieth birthday celebration, the pair meet, becoming unlikely friends.

Alyce and Aurora's romance builds slowly, as they work together in secret to try to break Aurora's curse. Their scenes are full of unspoken tension- their friendship defying tradition, social orders and all expectations- until it finally comes to a head. Aurora dares to imagine a brave new world, one where Alyce would no longer be a second class citizen, all while they both try to defy the hand they've been dealt. I enjoyed all their scenes immensely, their romance steeped with yearning.

Heather Walter reimagines this age old tale in an entirely new light, adding depth to the villain, putting her at the center of this rich tale. The world-building was fascinating, with the side characters adding depth. Malice is not to be missed and will leave you wanting more.

Thank you so much to Del Rey publishing for providing me with this e-arc to read and review! Malice by Heather Walter, the first book in the duology, comes out April 13th, 2021.

READ THIS BOOK! Such a wonderful reimagining of the Sleeping Beauty tale, it’s got everything: romance, magic, secrets, mystery, betrayal, and sleeping curses. Although fairly self-contained, I am most excited to read the second half of this duology.

Excellent retelling with many twists. The main plot revolves around Alyce realizing her own worth and I'd loved it. The magic system was unique and I can't wait for book 2!

I am woefully behind on my ARCs if that is not evident. I’ve slowly been going through the ARCs I have and reading the ones that have already been released. Next on the list was Malice; I really enjoyed this book and definitely recommend it.

Alyce is our main character. She’s a Vila and she’s despised by much of the kingdom even though they all still want to use the powers she has. I liked Alyce, especially at the end when everything came to light. She was a character that you could really sympathize with and that made everything that happened all the more fun to read about. The romance between her and the princess was so cute and made my heart warm.

The beginning of the book was kind of slow and there was a major amount of info dumping but once we got halfway through it got better and the action started to pick up. The plot twists were kind of predictable but still fun to read even if you had guessed them. The last quarter of the book was my favorite and really left me wanting more. I’m eagerly awaiting the sequel. The retelling aspect of the story was done well and I liked the little nods to Sleeping Beauty.

Overall this was a solid book and I think the biggest selling point is that there is a really well done corruption arc. If you’re looking for a book with likable characters that do questionable things then I really recommend this book.