Headlines:
Twisty plot
Retelling heaven, so fresh
Exponential explosion

Welp, what am I supposed to do with myself now? Malice consumed my down time in a work week, going to bed reading it, waking up thinking about it, finishing and now staring into the distance...

So cleverly written, Malice delivered a plot of intricacy that was carefully built and easily followed. Inspired by Sleeping Beauty but really, so far removed, Alyce was a wonderful, morally grey protagonist. She was oppressed but slowly rising above that difficult life, inspired by the cursed crowned princess Aurora. The contrast of the graces' powers and the dark grace's power was such an interesting aspect to the story. Rose was a complex, love to hate character.

Aylce and Aurora's friendship to more was so well written and credible but also, it was peppered with problems, roadblocks and ultimately a lot of difficulties. While I got to know Aurora less than I hoped (I'm such a greedy reader), there was enough connection there. As an Alyce fan, I needed some better times for her, people to trust (like who?), and frienship.

I am beyond glad there's another book because I'm in freefall. I need some resolution, some more Alyce, some revenge, some regret. I think you can see that I have all the feelings.

This was a stunning read, a page-turner and the kind of book that makes you wish away the months till you can get hold of the next. I highly advise taking a dive into this book.

Thank you to DelRey UK for the early review copy.

A really interesting retelling of Maleficient, I really enjoyed this book especially a wholesome gay romance!

Not what I expected at all but a really unique take on a well-told story. I would recommend pick up this book.

*4.5

This is a Sleeping Beauty retelling with a twist and boy is it a twist. We follow Alyce who is the 'villain' in this story and she ends up falling in love with Aurora, the princess who is cursed and destined to die at 21 if, she does not find her true love. I found the world, politics, and the magic system to be absolutely fascinating and nothing like I've ever really read. The world and the magic had easter eggs from the Sleeping Beauty tale we all know and love. I felt so smart figuring them out. I sympathised with Alyce throughout the story and really grew to like her. I expected a whole different vibe going into this book, I'll admit I was a tad disappointed when it was not what I expected because when you hear we're following the villain, I'm expecting Maleficent. However, I totally got that during the last 20% of the book and I was here for it! I loved the ending so much. I really do hope we get a second book however, the way the book ended it can be left as a standalone. The whole book kept a steady pace which was where my disappointment came in because I was expecting more and then the ending happened. This is marketed as an adult fantasy and I totally see adult elements in this book but the writing and a lot of the themes of this book read very YA which is not a bad thing. I just went through this book very quick when I picked it up which is great! I really recommend reading this as it is very quick to read, the magic is fascinating, you get a really good retelling and a very cute queer romance.

I initially thought this was young adult but apparently this is actually an adult. I’m not sure why it’s adult. Other than maybe the “steamy” (if you want to call it that) scene nothing else really screamed adult to me.

The book read very much like young adult. Not in a bad way. It was enjoyable and easy to read. Minus the info dumps at times. Which is why this is more 3.5 stars but since I don’t do half stars I rounded up as 3 was too low.

Even though this is a sleeping beauty retelling at times, mainly the beginning, it felt a little like Walter used other fairy tales as inspiration as well. Cinderella for example. But I liked that. It worked for this story.

The romance in this was a slow burn. But I do wish we got more scenes of them together to really see the chemistry and potential love between them. Instead it felt more tell then show.

I did like Alyce. Even more so by the end. She is badass and I can’t wait to see what happens next with her character.

A couple of side characters got the side eye from me. I just felt I couldn’t trust them. Not necessarily because they did something, if they did I missed it, but because I just felt someone had to be untrustworthy. I ended up being correct with both characters.

A big message throughout this was knowing your worth and don’t let others hold you down/back. Also that being different doesn’t make you the villain/bad. I think these messages are important to be shown. Having characters learn this about themselves.

The book did feel slower paced at times. Not in a bad way. But very much that this book was setting up the sequel. We learnt so much in this which I was thankful for but I could have learnt without all the info dumps.

The story picked up in the last 30% where I couldn’t put it down. The ending left me intrigued to find out where the story goes. There’s so many different directions it could go. I definitely will be picking it up.

What an amazing tale; dark and full of magic it was impossible to put down!
This story will transport the reader to a magic world, the Grace’s have gold in their blood and they are “used” to make magic, I am saying “used” because it seems more enslaved by it. They have to live in special houses, have a schedule full of clients until they will run out of gold in their blood. Then they are useless, left alone until they die… This is how the Briar world rules, even the monarchy has their own strict rules and curses… This is not a world I would love to live or being part; it remind me the “Handmade’s Tale” world, where women are used and feel powerless and trapped; without any way to stop it.
This is the story of Alyce, the Dark Grace, a lost girl in a world where she feels different and everyone seems to use or hate her. Alyce, is a wicked fairy, she works in one of the Grace’s house, her magic is not used for good but for the wicked things, not like her other house mates, they have the golden blood, but her is green and dark… She will meet Princess Aurora, the future queen of the Briar’s throne, they friendship will change their paths forever, will it be for good or bad? This is yet to be known…
I loved this book, the story and all the deep currents behind it, I hope this will not be the only story with Alyce. I have so many questions after ending this book, the story has an open ending and I really hope we will meet all of them soon.
Are you ready to enter the “Malice” world?

I absolutely loved reading Malice, which is a dark twisty retelling of Sleeping Beauty. I really liked Alyce the Dark Grace, she might have been a little naive but she was a great character and even though she was the villain, was she really? I think she was misunderstood and took on that role because that was expected of her, there were many villains, worse than her in this story, ones that I really didn’t expect so maybe I was a little naive while reading it but they did shock me.
The Royal family women have a curse upon them; they will die on their twenty-first birthday if they have not found true love. How hard can it be to find true love? Princess Aurora is the last heir, if she doesn’t find her true love that’s the end of the line as everyone knew it.
Alyce and Princess Aurora bump into each other and their friendship grows from that moment on, a forbidden friendship that blooms into more. But there was so much more to this story than just their relationship.
Now I would say the story was loosely based on the fairytale, there were similarities, Briar being the kingdom and the spinning wheel being mentioned but it was so much better in every way than the fairytale.
Heather Walter wrote something remarkable here, it was fast-paced and written beautifully, and capturing so much detail I felt I was in Briar too, standing alongside Alyce. I cannot praise it enough, it was fantastic.

Thanks to Del Rey UK for providing me with an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Heather Walter's debut novel offers the reader a sapphic, dark, and meaningful story. Alyce, also known as the Dark Grace, is half Vila, which means that her blood is green and not golden like the other Graces. For all her life, people made her feel like an outsider, a monster, someone that couldn’t belong anywhere. But things change when Alyce meets Princess Aurora.
In this retelling, Aurora is a fierce and strong-minded young woman, but like the other princess, she is cursed, and she’ll die if she won’t receive her true love’s kiss before turning twenty-one. Despite their differences, Alyce and Aurora understand each other and build a friendship that starts to become something else.
I really loved how Alyce was developed and characterized throughout the entire course of the novel. Here, Walter deconstructs the idea of what is truly evil and what is not. The distinction between good and evil is not a strict and easy one, but there are many nuances in between. At the end of the book, it will come naturally to ask yourself: "Who's the true villain of this story?". And I'm really curious about everyone's answers to this question; it could be a fascinating debate. Malice truly offers a lot of food for thought.

Well what can I say about this book?! It's a 5⭐️
First of all Alyce is a great character, I love how we go so in-depth with her personality. We always get "oh she/he' s the villain they're evil full stop", but with Alyce we get so much more! The ins and out of why she is the villain.
The world building and history for the magic system is easy to understand but also really interesting, how the world revolves around this and how it affects everyone's lives in different ways.
Also the plot twist are things you will never see coming and you will be blown away!
This is a great debut novel and I cannot wait for the second book!

The word ‘retelling’ is sure to get me interested in a book, and when I saw Malice was a Sapphic reimagining of Sleeping Beauty from the perspective of the villain, I just knew I had to read it. Malice includes many key elements of Sleeping Beauty (as well as a dash of other fairy tales, like Cinderalla), but weaves these into a new world and story in a refreshing way.

From the start, I really enjoyed the world building, and how the society of Briar is depicted. The upper classes are selfish and vain, obsessed with beauty and luxury, and how they can use the Graces to obtain those things. In return for their services, Graces receive payment and invitations to parties, but then when their magic Fades, they also fade out of the spotlight. Graces have little control over their lives due to the Grace Laws, and although their lives seem glamorous on the outside, there is an insidious undercurrent to the way this society functions. Good and evil isn’t so simple here, as almost every character falls somewhere in between.

Heather Walter did an amazing job of showing Alyce’s perspective and making me sympathise with her character. The book really focuses on her journey, and seeing how her character evolved during the book is what really kept me hooked. Alyce is known as the Dark Grace and has been mistreated her whole life because her magical blood runs green instead of gold. People avoid her in the street and the other Graces she lives with call her names. Little things, like the way people react to her, how she is given a silver plate instead of a gold one at a dinner party, all these details show how Alyce is shunned by Briar’s society. And yet they come to her Lair for her dark elixirs, happy to use her magic for their own purposes, while despising and villainising her at the same time.

In some ways, the focus is more on Alyce’s personal development than on the romance, but I did enjoy seeing Alyce and Aurora’s feelings slowly grow for each other. Despite seemingly being opposites, Alyce and Aurora have a lot in common, both feeling trapped by their situations. Aurora, as the future queen (if she can survive the curse placed on her family), wants to make Briar a better place, and I admired her determination and passion for her vision.

Overall, Malice is an excellent retelling. I love a good villain origin story, and this one delivers. Although there were some twists, I found most of the events a little predictable. I am, however, intrigued to see what turn the story takes in the sequel, as there is a lot of potential for some unexpected twists. I would thoroughly recommend this book to anyone who loves hero/villain romance, morally grey characters and intriguing magic systems.

This book is a slow burn, so not the right type for me at this moment in time, however I loved the retelling of Sleeping beauty - really, the story is happening before the whole spindle situation. I loved the characters, I think they were really well done, the writing was good, but I think some of the stuff could've been cut off and made it shorter, would've carried more punch.
I loved the sapphic romance between Alyce and Aurora and how it all played out in the end. The magic system was well fleshed out. The villains were quite surprising, but the pay-off wasn't exactly what I was expecting. However, Alyce grew a lot in the story and loved how she was getting more confident in herself.

Malice is a deliciously twisty, sapphic retelling of Sleeping Beauty. An original retelling filled with fae lore, magic, politics, and a curse.

I was immediately in love with the cover then I read the synopsis, I just need to read it! I'm so pumped that I was approved for an e-ARC!

Alyce is an amazing protagonist. She's an outsider and unwanted by everyone because her magic is different. Then there's Aurora, who gives her something she craves, acceptance, friendship, and love. I enjoyed the slow burn relationship between Alyce and Aurora. It's well-written, beautiful, and heartbreaking.

The world that Heather Walter created is incredible and complex. It's well-developed and filled with vivid descriptions, and amazing lore and history. The Grace's magic system was intriguing and well-crafted. The writing was lush, from the Grace's looks and clothing, the festivities, and to the beautiful places in Briar.

I devoured Malice in one sitting despite its slow pacing. It's filled with strong female characters and surprises which makes it hard to put down. And the ending is crazy! It's one of the best endings I've read so far. I cannot wait to read the sequel!

Thank you Netgalley, Heather Walter, and Del Rey for the opportunity to read Malice.

A fantastic dark & wonderfully different retelling centering on Alyce, our soft hearted 'villain', where the lines of good & evil are blurred to perfection. Alyce appears different from everyone else, but her feelings are the same. She wants to be liked, to have friends & feel love, but her Vila blood makes people afraid of her.

Malice draws you in slowly, gradually revealing its stories and gaining your trust in Alyce. With feisty princess Aurora, mysterious Kal & mean Rose the story has plenty of great characters driving the drama. The history behind Briar & the wars is a wonderful element & brings depth to the tale.

I really loved the characters & enjoyed trying to work out who was going to prove to be a hero. The first 2/3 of the book were steady, enjoyable scene setting with some excitement thrown in. The last third was all action with twists and turns, I really hope there is more to come as I need to know what happens next.

BOOK REVIEW: Malice by Heather Walter

3 Stars

I was really excited for this book and although I did like it, I sadly didn't love it.

Based around a retelling of Sleeping Beauty is a world where humans use half fae girls/women called "Graces" as their own magical servants to do all kinds of things from making then beautiful to gifting them knowledge. This was an interesting idea especially to have our lead character Alyce as a half "Vila" that works beside them and is constantly bullied and called a monster. Vila are another magical breed that are known to be evil but Alyce is the last surviving one.

The characters were decent. Alyce was my favourite and I liked how she grew through the book, although I found a few changes to be rather rushed and without enough to back up the changes. The side characters were all unique but I found them to be lacking in any real personality and I struggled to connect with any of them.
I was really looking forward to the sapphic love story but I found it *rather flat and lacking in passion or any real chemistry. For me, there wasn't enough time spent building the relationship.
The storyline was good at the beginning and at the end but I got bored during the middle. I think this was due to a slow pace, lack of real personality and little world building. The writing was again good but not great. I found some aspects to be very juvenile, even for a YA book, which put me off.

Overall for me, it was a good book but I think given it's potential, it could have been much better. I don't think I will be continuing this series.

TW: Bullying and torture

This is a brilliant dark fairytale and one which absorbed me from the very beginning. Alyce is wonderfully wicked but also flawed and compassionate - unloved by all she is shunned everywhere. We follow her on her eventful journey as she discovers the strength of her power. I loved her as the main character- she’s complex and emotional- she turns everything you are supposed to know upside down. Just marvellous.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-arc of this book! My opinions are my own.

I really wanted to like this book. I love fairytale retellings, especially when there's an interesting twist like Aurora falling in love with the evil sorceress. This could have been a great story, but unfortunately, it didn't do it for me.

This book is about Alyce, the Dark Grace. She is part Vila, and since it was the Vila who cursed the Briar queen and all her descendants into dying after their 21st birthday unless they were kissed by their true love, Alyce is feared and bullied by everyone. Except for the crown princess, Aurora, who doesn't care about this and wants to be her friend.

The book started off well enough. I liked the writing style and wanted to know more about Briar, about the Graces and about Alyce and her Vila heritage. It took quite some time for this book to pick up some steam. In the meantime, we got a bit of an info dump. I don't usually mind them all that much, if the information you get as a reader helps with the worldbuilding. In this case however, the worldbuilding was flimsy to say the least.

There was no logical explanation for characters (or nations) to behave the way they did. The characters were rather flat to me. I could not understand why everyone hated Alyce. I get that she's half Vila, but... seriously? The entire realm is still angry about a curse that was cast literal ages ago, and not by Alyce? Alyce, who has done nothing wrong and has complied with all the rules that come with being a Grace?
That wasn't the only thing that irked me though. Every single one of the characters in this book jumped to conclusions. They don't listen to each other and there is a whole lot of judgement. I couldn't feel for either Alyce or Aurora.

I really wished I could give more than 2 stars. I loved the cover (it's stunning!) and I loved the idea of the evil sorceress and the innocent princess. Unfortunately it didn't work for me. I hope it will do so for others!

I was granted an eArc of Malice by Heather Walter (thank you to the publishers) and I have got to tell you, I really, really, enjoyed it. I had a peak at the first chapter while I was still reading my previous book and it was so hard to not put the other down and start it immediately, instead, I waited patiently and when I got to it - well, let me see what I can say without giving too much away, a retelling it might be - but you've not read this story before!

I simply adored Alyce, and Aurora, in this.
It's not as simple as a retelling of Sleeping Beauty. The timelines are different, the world is richly built and the magic wonderfully thought out (which is so often what lets a good story down) and our main character is so incredibly relatable. Sure, we don't have dark magic running through our veins, and not everyone wars with themselves over being a good person, worthy of more than their legacy has left them, but with every sleight and vicious name thrown her way she wants to do better. In fact, she is better, certainly better than her fellow graces who constantly belittle, demean, and sabotage her. That being said, her story sees her descent into the monster she is practically destined to become, but it absolutely comes about because of people using her, taking advantage of her, and taking from her the one person she truly loves. Also, she has a falcon, Callow, who is just the best and I would like one too, please :)
And Aurora, she is sassy, determined, smart and true. She know what she wants and she will do what she must to get it. She is the first person that Alyce has ever met who just sees her. Not her scaly pale skin and green veins, not her heritage as a monster. I also have to add that I loved the way the 'Sleeping Beauty' element was wonderfully woven into the story - just perfect!

This book has a good pace, though it definitely explodes into action in the last 15-20%, and it was about this point I realised that I should have waited a little longer to read it so that the next one would be closer to out - alas, I will have to wait!

This gets a solid 4.5 stars from me, 5 for the purposes of not being able to give a half on some sites - I docked a half star because it did feel a little info-dumpy in places. It was necessary information for this world and history that we needed, but there are other ways to impart that info without it feeling boggy - still an absolute gem of a book!

“‘Because’ – my cheeks burn with the admission – ‘I wanted… I wanted to be different. I don’t want to be a monster.’”

CW: Blood, death

One of my most anticipated reads of 2021 was Malice by Heather Walter. A dark, queer fairytale retelling with a feminist twist? Sign me up. I was so glad this lived up to my expectations.

At the heart of the story is the opportunity to give women a voice. The Sleeping Beauty fairytale has been, historically, mightily patriarchal. Women have only been there to be the bad guy or to be rescued. What’s that Disney fact – Princess Aurora only has 16 lines in her film or something? The original story is much worse. The Aurora in this is much better, she plays an active role and wants to make the world around her better.

Likewise with Alyce. I’m not really sure why I didn’t start with the main character, but apparently my brain doesn’t work in a sensible order. Alyce was such an interesting villain and such an interesting narrator. She’s a villain because that’s what society has decided she is. Because we hear her thoughts, we hear her having to weight up her decisions, whilst wishing she wasn’t evil. It’s fascinating but also heartbreaking. She’s been brought up in a world where no one likes her and she’s just used to their gain, so no wonder she struggles to trust anyone.

The other characters are fantastic too. Rose, your proper mean girl, who has her own insecurities. Kal, a mysterious prisoner who hides in the dark and refuses to give away his secrets. Callow, the best bird. And a whole cast of other scheming political(/magical) characters.

I liked how the romance in this was handled. Given its impact on the story, I think it was handled really cautiously, but also genuinely. The two were allowed time to like each other and be friends before anything else. When romance did happen, I found myself rooting for it because they both deserved some happiness.

The world building in this was really well done. There were layers to the history and the different parts of the world. I loved the queendom – and the fact that it had become a kingdom in all but name made for such an interesting narrative. It gave Aurora the opportunity to become an active character.

I loved the magic system in this too, how there were different strands to it. I enjoyed seeing Alyce’s magic grow and develop as she learnt more about it and more of how to control it.

In the final 15-20% of the book, it really took a turn I didn’t expect. Until I started hearing early reviews, I didn’t start fretting about the end, and then I did. The original fairytale really came into play and I didn’t expect it to conclude how it did, but I’m excited that it has allowed for the opportunity for a sequel.

And, of course, cake. I love me some cake.

We've all heard how the stories go - the beautiful princess falls in love with the prince and lives happily ever after. But true love is more complicated than a fairy tale, and in this story the villain might get the girl.

In this YA fantasy we follow for the story of Alyce, a girl with unusual and undesirable magic in a world bound by Faes and warrior queens of old. To me, it read quite similar to The Belles by Donielle Clayton in that it's a world where beauty and wit are bestowed upon the weathly via the means of elixirs created by girls called Graces.

This is a very female driven story, that professes to show that not all heroines are perfect and beautiful. Alyce had grown up on this world that seems to be disgusted by her? She's constantly rejected by society, who look upon her as a monster, leaving her very lonely and exposed. She's full of self doubt and hatred for herself and her position in life. She's essentially a slave for the wealthy population who use her gifts to cause pain and humiliation in others. Her magic is one that destroys and it's one that few people understand. However, because of this Alyce is often able to reflect on her behaviours and their consequences, showing empathy and compassion even for those who torment her the most (such as Rose). This made her endearing and likeable.

I also liked her relationship with Aurora, which felt very sweet and genuine. Aurora is just as much a prisoner as Alyce, and this shared connection makes their relationship feel realistic. However, I did find the tension that is somehow created between them to be very plot driven and nonsensical at best. It hinges on miscommunication, which is a trope I hate, and felt a bit heavy handed. I also found Alyce's relationship with Kal to be very dubious at best. She falls too easily into a relaxed and intense friendship with him, even when she knows nothing about him and it really highlighted how naive she is.

I also found the writing to be quite clunky and overwrought in places. There are large sections of exposition and info dumping to try and set up the world building and magical system that feels very disjointed when added to the storyline. For example, we have Alyce near the beginning of the story riding in a carriage and this ends up going off on a tangent about the first queen and what she did to establish her rule. It just felt a bit our of place, and I felt it could have been woven into the narrative a bit better. I also found the backstory overly complicated just for the sake of it. We don't need to know about every land in the world and who rules it if they are never going to appear in the story, and the Fae subplot and historical wars just served as a distraction to the main plot without really adding much to the story.

I also think the plot was a bit messy and predictable YA. It's almost as thought the author knew exactly how she wanted to end this but struggled to realise just how to get there. There are loose ends that are never tied up, revelations that go unanswered and to top it off I just thought Alyce was too nice at times. Yes, that made her endearing, but I really wanted her to go full on mean and villainous. She holds back too much. Although the ending, I admit, is rather spectacular.

Also, if I have to read the phrase 'dragon's teeth' one more time I might scream.

I love that this is sapphic, and highlights the fact that you don't need to be picture perfect beautiful to be a hero. It was a quick, enjoyable and easy read that gave me exactly what I was looking for at the time I read it. However, it was by no means mind-blowing.

DNF at 53%

It's not that this book is bad. I didn't encounter anything particularly offensive or annoying, there were no weird turns of phrase, no poor plot choices that I could see. Something just didn't click. I tried for 2 months to get through the same way I would with any book I wasn't immediately into, but I just can't bring myself to go on. I don't feel comfortable giving it a rating as I didn't read enough to get an accurate idea of the plot, so my rating will be only for the first 50%.

I know why it didn't click with me, and it's all down to the writing itself. Something about it felt oddly juvenile while the subject matter was not. To me, the writing was trying to be YA while also middle grade and it didn't work. I'm sure that a young teen wouldn't notice anything out of place, but as someone who has read a lot of middle grade and YA, and a decent amount of adult literature, I couldn't help but notice the oddness. I wish I could've read far enough to see the relationship between Alice and Aurora develop, but I'm afraid this one just wasn't for me.

Malice combines the wonderful warm feeling of a fairytale with the gruesome reality of a world where magic is exploited. There is true love, a wonderful animal companion and a forgotten library. There is slavery, racism and the darkness of greed, jealousy and envy. Heather Walter created an atmosphere that just sucked me into this world. I especially loved the style in which nature and weather was described.
For the most part I was just in love with this book. It was everything I hoped it would be and much more. Just the ending fell a little bit flat for me. I really liked how it ended, but the execution of the ending lacked in my opinion. Especially in comparison to the quality of the rest of the book. The bar was raised so high in the beginning and middle part, that it felt like the writing at the end was all over the place. Also I would have loved for the story to go a step further and get a lot darker than it did (thats all I can say without getting into spoilers). But that is just personal preference. Nevertheless I can really recommend this book. Especially if you love fantasy retellings and morally gray characters.