A fantastic and a refreshing take on Snow White! A very dark tale, but it also fairytale like too and I loved that , so well-written too. I loved the message of hope and love throughout the story too

This was my first book by this author, It was pretty enjoyable. I would give this book a 3.5 star rating! It was a pretty Quick and easy read!

This was a refreshing spin on Snow White! It was a very dark tale! It also had the feeling of a fairytale! The story was very well-written! I love this for fans of fairytales! This story cannot be missed!

I enjoyed this retelling of the classic fairytale “Snow White”. I loved the characters- the dwarves, demons, witches, fae hunter, and more. There were some quotes by the author that I highlighted as they stuck out to me as well.

Great idea, but overall fell short for me. Heart of Snow centers around a retelling of Snow White who is hiding away from the evil queen in a small village with a guard who used to work for her father at the palace. Every year, girls are selected from random towns, cities and villages and taken to the Queen and are never heard from again. Snow White has a feeling the Queen is up to something sinister and comes to the rescue of a village girl where her life of safety comes to an end. While I did enjoy it, fairytale retellings are not my favorite. Overall, three stars out of five.

I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. The thoughts expressed are my own.

Thank you NetGalley for giving me a copy of this book to review. Once again, I'm late to reviewing it and it has been out for MONTHS at this point.

I am super disappointed by this story. I feel like the description is so promising-Snow White with fae and a Hunger Games selection process? Sounds like it could be super interesting, right? Instead, it's just kind of a mess.

For starters, the romance in the story just seems kind of, I don't know rushed maybe. I don't know how else to describe it really. I mean, we all know how Snow White ends, so we know there has be a a sort of "Prince Charming" and I feel like this one could have been super lovely, I just feel like it was kind of forced down our throats and didn't have nearly enough details to make it feel genuine or real. I WANTED this couple to be perfect for one another and have their happily ever after, I just wish it felt more natural and less like one minute its just THERE out of nowhere.

I also think that the first half of this book started out a lot stronger than the ending. By the time part two started, I just didn't feel as invested in the story anymore. It just seemed better paced and more well thought out. Everything that comes after that first break just seems a bit jumbled and rushed. I think that perhaps there's too much going on in this book that maybe it should have been a duopoly so we could have gotten more in depth in each part. Like Snow's past and the "selection" process. That could have been way more interesting. And her time with Lyric and maybe flashbacks could have better set the scene and made me feel invested in what was going on with Snow.

I can't say much more about what I didn't like without spoilers, but I can sum it up by saying that I just wanted MORE details to help me feel more invested in this world and this story.

I appreciate the opportunity to get to read this book.

Good book, easy to read, not exactly a new idea but well thought out and written. Did have some areas where it felt a little drawn out and I lost interest however thankfully they were few and far between.

I'm in two minds about this book. It was written beautifully, the detail in the descriptions was incredible and the way the author put across the atmosphere was so good. It had everything you could want in fairytale retelling, It's a retelling of Snow White but it’s so different to that story that it kept me engaged and wanting to know how it would all turn out.
The pace however for me was a bit slow and that meant I got bored easily and would put the book down. I kept reading because I loved the fairytale setting and also the characters were written well. All in all, it was still a decent read and I would pick up other books by this author.

Five girls are chosen each year, supposedly for great things, but they are never seen again. Snow knows that's not good because her aunt Lyric, murderer and usurper, is the Witch Queen of Cresilea. Snow lives with the ex guard who rescued her and ruined her face to make her unrecognisable. She knows she should keep her head down, but when the choosing comes around she catches the eye of the Hunter and the story begins. She's taken to the castle where Lyric begins to train the chosen girls in the use of magic, but things are not what they seem. There are lots of intersections with different fairytales, Snow White and Rose Red being the obvious one, but also expect dwarves, fae, a magic mirror etc. There's also a romance. I enjoyed this while I was reading it, but found it didn't stay with me beyond the last page.

Thank you to the publishers, author and NetGalley for the free copy of this book.

I love retellings, and this was a good one because it wasn't just a retelling of Snow White but also had a few other tales sprinkled in. I would have loved a little more depth in some of the characters but I did enjoy this!

I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book is adorable but you have to read it all the way through to actually enjoy it. I think that it was overall well done and entertaining but was very slow to start and I had a hard time initially getting into it.

There is SO much going on in this book character reference wise. There is snow white and rose red, the fairy king, swan maiden, the dwarves, and demons. Its a fun mash of a ton of different stories and fairy tales all rolled into one.

my only two complaints are A. it was very slow to start and B. it was very simply written. I would have liked more complexity to the story and characters.

I’ve read quite a few retellings this year but I think this one is by far my favorite. This dark and brooding remix of Snow White is absolutely brilliant. Katherine Buel has a beautiful writing style that sucked me in right out of the gate. The world building was lovely, just the right amount of detail to transport you without over bearing you. I found the magic system to be unique and fun. I loved the characters, especially our MC. I found myself emotionally invested in this storyline. I cringed, I laughed, I got mad, and I even cried. The underlining message of hope and love was tastefully done and honestly well received for me in the world we are living today. I would absolutely recommend this to anyone who enjoys a darker retelling of the classics. Or to anyone looking for a badass MC and a deep resonating message of love and justice conquering all.

Elyse (ElyseReadsandSpeaks)
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Elyse (ElyseReadsandSpeaks) rated a book it was ok
9 minutes ago
Heart of Snow by Katherine Buel
Heart of Snow
by Katherine Buel (Goodreads Author)
Want to Read
Read in August 2021
This started off well enough, but it eventually dragged on and lost any special spark it had in the beginning.

I liked the backstory of the Queen (Lyric) and how her family was broken by the King. It added some layers that her sister married him regardless and it actually reminded me of a similar storyline in The Originals (the CW show). I also liked that Lyric handpicked 5 girls for their magic to "mentor" them at the castle.

So here is where I got disappointed.

I thought the story would focus more on the girls brought to the castle and what the Queen was actually doing with them. This had the potential to be a really interesting take on the classic tale of Snow White, but it took a turn and veered away from the plot point that could have made it interesting.

The timeline started getting jumpy and big chunks of time would pass without any warning. The Blood Red, Bregas, and dwarf storylines were predictable and boring to me. Unfortunately, when I got to around 75% of the way through, I was just waiting for it to be over.

Not a winner for me, it did have some potential in the beginning.

I enjoyed this new retelling of the Snow White fairy tale. It’s somewhat darker than the versions most of us are familiar with, though probably not darker than the original version!

Snow has been raised by a former member of her father’s guard, who rescued her and disfigured her face to make her unrecognizable by anyone the Queen might send to search for her. It is not a thing either of them discusses. There is a moment near the end when Snow realizes just how much care he took to protect her—and not just out of duty to his former king. It’s a bittersweet realization when it comes.

Snow also discovers a very unexpected ally, and their relationship is quite uneasy at first, for good reasons. But they work together for their common goal, and make peace with each other as they do.
There are dwarves. There is a huntsman. But they are done in a way that adds new interest to the old expected tale.

If you’ve been following my reviews at all, you know I love retold fairytales—then they’re done well. This one is done well!

Possible Objectionable Material:
Violence. People are killed in various ways. Snow describes how her face was disfigured, and it’s not nice. Very mild cursing. Magic.

Who Might Like This Book:
I think it’s appropriate for age 12 on up. It leans a little more to female characters, but isn’t “girly”. If you like retold tales, give this a try.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Also reviewed at http://biblioquacious.blogspot.com/2021/08/july-releases-for-summer-downtime.html

Being a fantasy lover, I loved the fact that this book encompasses everything magical. It contained romance, revenge, action, and a great fairy-tale retelling. It is a bit lacking for me plot-wise but a great easy read.

Heart of Snow was very similar to many books I’ve read, such as The Selection by Kiera Cass and The Pageant by Leigh Walker. Maybe I didn’t vibe with this because of that. I mean, it’s literally called The Selection in this book!

This wasn’t bad, so to say, it just really felt like I was reading something I’ve already read. I did like the main character Snow, and I did like the fairytale retelling elements.

Ab*so*lute*ly love, love, love this book. Buel’s adaptation of Snow White is imaginative and exciting. So new and different than an other remake I've read. I love Fae and fairy tales, witches and gnomes... this book has it all. She takes the essentials of the story we all know and love and creates a masterpiece for each character. Plus, there are other tales woven into the story. Special thanks to NetGalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for this eARC in exchange for my honest review. #HeartofSnow #NetGalley

I rather enjoyed this fantastical retelling of Snow White and Rose Red from Katherine Buel.

Although the novel was mostly centred around Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, the subtle references to other fairy tales like “Hansel and Gretel” and “The Twelve Dancing Princesses” were great fun.

The plot itself was simple but engaging, and the descriptions of magic were exceptionally beautiful.

If anything, I wanted more. At times, the narrative seemed rushed, especially the courtship between Snow White and The Hunter, and the whirlwind conclusion wasn’t as satisfying as it could have been.

Coming into the novel with no expectations, however, I was pleasantly surprised, and would definitely pick up another work from Katherine Buel if given the opportunity.

A beautiful fairytale retelling of Snow White, this one was just awesome. Really loved the world building, all the twist and turns. With a heartfelt plot this book was fast paced and kept me on edge at all times. A really great book, although a retelling but actually very different from the original story. A must read for everyone who loves fairytales with a little twist.

Heart of Snow is Katherine Buel’s latest book. This story is a retelling of Snow White but also has elements from Little Red Riding Hood, The Ugly Duckling and Frozen. In addition, the story also contains references to various mythological stories, like The swan maiden. How did Katherine Buel manage to bring all these stories together?

“Once upon a time, a queen gave birth to two daughters, one as rosy and fair as dawn and the other with skin as pale as snow and hair as dark as ebony. Or perhaps, once upon a time, a man walked into a village holding the hand of a girl with skin as pale as snow and hair as dark as ebony, a child who might have been beautiful-if not for her ruined face.“

Every year, five girls are chosen to live a life of luxury, but nobody knows that this selection is a lie. Snow White is the only one who knows this because the Queen is her aunt Lyric. When Snow was little, Lyric killed her parents and sister Rose Red. To protect herself from her aunt, Snow has fled to a remote village and has taken the name Gala. But what if the selection comes to the village this year and Snow is chosen? How will Snow experience her return to the castle?

Meanwhile, Snow is learning more and more about her own magic. But when demons threaten to take over Earth, Snow must put her revenge plans aside and learn more about both her magic and Lyric’s. Can Snow stop the demons? Who will be able to help her on this mission?

Heart of Snow has all the elements for a perfect fantasy. The story features elves, fae, witches, dwarves, demons and of course the hunter from Snow White. Many elements emerged from the different stories and fairy tales in this story, but Katherine Buel managed to make it her own thing. All these stories form a new fairy tale and this combination has really surprised me.

Justice and love are perhaps the two keywords for this story. Snow is out for revenge to justify the murder of her family, but in the meantime she also learns that love is very important. Partly because the story mainly revolves around revenge on Lyric, the story has something exciting. This made me want to keep reading again and again.

Katherine Buel has a great writing style and really knows how to make the story her own. Despite the fact that the story has many strong characters, they each also have their scars from the past. This means that in addition to tension and magic, the story also has enough depth.

I am very surprised by this book and secretly hope that Katherine Buel will write more books like this. Because one thing is certain: I really enjoyed this mix of fairy tales