I am really sorry to say that I was not a huge fan of this book. The characters felt really flat in their development, and the text felt a bit dry and repetitive.

I'm sure it will be enjoyed by those who like their spicy romance, but I didnt get far enough in to be able to comment further.

While I enjoyed the idea of this story, everything felt too rushed. It had a lot of potential to be a great story, but the middle section felt too long and then when you got to the ending, I got confused and things happened too quickly. I wanted to like this story more than I did, but the characters needed more depth and the story needed some more editing.

'The Evil Queen's Vessel' is an enthralling journey into a realm of dark ambitions and intertwined destinies. Azura's unwavering pursuit of dominance, fueled by her longing to harness power, creates a compelling narrative arc. Her evolution from a character consumed by darkness to one embracing it evokes both fascination and apprehension.

In contrast, Snow White's portrayal as the Ice Elemental Vessel, yearning for warmth and connection amid isolation, brings forth a poignant element. The dichotomy between Azura's ominous aura and Snow's innocence generates an alluring tension, made more complex by their magnetic attraction.

The lurking menace within the forest adds an intriguing layer of suspense, contributing to the narrative's unrelenting allure. However, I found myself craving a deeper exploration of the secondary characters and a more intricate portrayal of the story's world-building.

Yet, the intricate dance between Azura's sinister intentions and Snow's tender desires crafts an enticing dynamic. The book's twisted fairy tale essence and complex character interplay create a narrative that magnetizes readers into a realm of dark enchantment.

Overall, 'The Evil Queen's Vessel' is a tantalizing concoction of darkness, desire, and an entwined fate, offering an absorbing read for enthusiasts of intricately woven fairy tale retellings.

This book reminded me a bit of The Selection series by Kiera Cass. A bunch of princesses including some well-known fairytale characters compete to marry a king but one is more interested in his daughter, Snow White.
It was a nice enough read with an interesting twist or two on the classic story. But I wanted more detail, character development and world building. Among other things: how exactly does this magic system work? What were the villain's motivations? And why was she easily distracted by lust from carrying out her evil plan?

Sapphic Snow White retelling? Say less. I wish I enjoyed it more than I ended up, but the spirit was there!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an e-ARC copy of this book, in exchange for this honest review.

I love fairy tale retellings, and I was drawn in by what seemed to be an intriguing twist on a well known story.

Snow White is a princess and the Vessel for elemental ice magic which she can't control. As her father seeks a new wife, she meets Azura, a practitioner of dark magic and eager for power. Maybe they each have something the other needs, and maybe a mysterious force in the woods will bring everything crashing down.

I wanted to like this, but I honestly am unsure if I would have requested it if it had been tagged with erotica, which it really should have been. There is more sex and lust in this book than world building, character development, and plot.

Which is really frustrating. There are some fascinating bones here to this story that just were left unexplored. The differences between elemental magics and what Azura does. And then more than halfway into the book, suddenly there are fae enemies to be dealt with. We also get random bits of other fairy tales dropped in, but not in an organic way, more like a *wink wink nudge nudge aren't we clever* kind of way.

I was also unsatisfied with how the story's resolution, and that's not even taking into account how much I dislike cliffhanger endings. The power of love is just trope that I've never been happy with it, and I was really disappointed with how it was used here.

If you're just looking for some sapphic sex with a window dressing of a fairy tale, then this might be for you.

Thanks to NetGalley and Rose and Star Publishing for this advance reader's copy.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me access to the free advanced digital copy of this book.

I will not finishing this. Nothing in the synopsis indicated this would be smut. I was not prepared for the objectifying sexualisation on almost the first page. I don't like that type of explicit content.

Arc provided by publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Snow White by Jeanette Rose, Alice Callisto.

Thank you Netgalley for a copy for an unbiased review.
Fantasy book. Check.
wlw main characters. Check.
Fairytale retelling. Check.
All aspects in books I love.

Overall I enjoyed the book and would have happily given this 4 stars. Possibly even 5 stars. However, the lack of world building was so acute, that for any fantasy, that was why I couldn't enjoy the book as much as I wanted to. So 3 stars is what I will plump for here. Yes there has to be a balance, and sometimes an author can make the world building overcomplicated and it detracts. However here it just so devoid of it, that it really frustrated me.
I also felt as if initially the romance aspect was rushed. Perhaps this is more a personal preference, but I'd much rather a slower burn.

So what did I like about the book? Azure, Snow, Belle and Lady Lock all were great characters that wove together well. Different POV between Snow and Azure allowed us to see how each was thinking or emotions at any set point in the story. While the story itself had no major surprises, it was as expected. While it followed more the Disney versions of the Fairytale, I don't always think that's a bad thing. After all, it will be what the majority of people know. We even got names for the dwarfs added in a pretty unique way that once I realised brought a smile to my face.

To summarise. Overall a solid book that I enjoyed. It wasn't remarkable but it was lovely. Lack of World building aside, it isn't a stand alone, so I would read the next book to see how it expands on what we already know.
If a quick, easy fantasy read with a wlw romance, and are not looking for world building to be at the forefront, but character driven, then this book will undoubtedly be for you.

I love any fairytale retelling! Especially those that have a sapphic twist! This was a very spicy retelling of Snow White that was a quick and easy read. If you're a spice scene lover, and don't care too much for slow burn, then this is the book for you! There was nothing slow burn about this short book. I'd recommend this for someone who wants a little spice in their life but doesn't have the time to wait for a full slow burn story to develop!

I wish I had enjoyed this one more because I love dark fairytale retellings. However, I think that this one fell flat. The whole thing felt rushed and the characters and plot didn't feel as developed as they could have been.

The first book in a dark, magical, and sapphic retelling of the Snow White story. Yes I was going to read it as it was grumpy and sunshine characters. The two FMC great friends to lover stories which I love, the banter is on point and the spicy level was just perfect for me. The character ARC is great and the book pace is quick but works with the plot and so no worries there.

Review: What I loved about this book: 1.) It feels good to have “traditional” fairy tales retold from a LGBTQIA+ lens 2.) The pull between the two MCs isn’t without its hurdles, which keeps the story from being overly predictable 3.) The ‘evil’ MC questioning their evilness because of her feelings for the ‘good’ MC is DELICIOUS..
Opportunity for improvement: The pace of the story was great most of the time but a few parts felt rushed, especially the ending.

I wish the magic system was more developed in this book. What we did learn was interesting, but it was hard to connect with certain characters because we weren't able to fully understand their issues. I also think the pacing was rushed at times.

I loved the romance though, which was the most important part of the book.

Overall, it was an enjoyable read and I'll definitely keep an eye out for future books

This book had me hooked from the beginning- the characterisations were incredible. It’s an interesting twist on the typical fairytale and definitely worth a read!

I really struggled to get into this book but I can't really figure out why.

I wasn't connected to any of the characters and felt there was a lot of 'over acting' and exaggerated issues with the other characters that I just didn't enjoy

This was a very middle-of-the-road book for me. But I do know people I can recommend this book to that will love and enjoy it.

Supposed to be a new take on snow white but really it didn't have much in common. The dwarves are here but they aren't dwarves. I don't even know why the villain was against her. For power? Also I didn't realize that this was a dirty book lol. While things weren't that clear I did like it and it's a quick read.
Not sure if she's working on a second book but it'll be a beauty and beast stpry

Another fairy tale retelling. I must admit, I don't think I'll remember much about it. It's not supposed to be a young adult book, but it did kind of feel like that at parts. I can think of a lot of comparable stories that have come out recently, but I cannot remember any of their titles, but you probably know what I mean just due to the vibe.

NetGalley AEC Educator 550974

I loved this retelling of Snow White with a LGBTQIA twist. Also Azura's badness intermingled with Snow's goodness and we have a match made in the forest. I loved this and wished this was a series.