A story of grief, betrayal, and power, told through the eyes of Ayleth, a witch navigating a brutal world of magic and misogyny. Featuring a slow-burn sapphic romance and a haunting Gothic atmosphere
So yes—The Crimson Crown is good… depending on which crown you’re reaching for.

Thank you NetGalley and Del Rey for the Arc!

I honestly wasn't sure how this was going to end. Lagged a little bit at times - I wish the original story was a little more entwined early on. Almost feels like it was two books mashed together? However, I love how Heather Walters writes and the slow descent into darkness was so cool. Give me more tragic queers.

The Crimson Crown by Heather Walter is a lush, sapphic origin story that reimagines the Evil Queen from Snow White as a young witch named Ayleth. Set within a brutal, witch‐hunting kingdom and a decadent, intrigue‑filled court, the novel charts Ayleth’s transformation from a talented but insecure Second into the powerful, morally complex figure we recognize. Readers praise the immersive court politics, tense character dynamics especially Ayleth’s fraught connection with her betrayed love Jacquetta and the gradual descent into darkness that feels both compelling and tragic . While some find the middle pacing slow or repetitive, the final act delivers gripping revelations and emotional payoff that validate the build‐up . Overall, The Crimson Crown is a richly imagined queer fantasy blending political scheming, dark magic, and heartbreak, particularly rewarding to fans of villain‑origin tales and fairy‑tale retellings.

DNF: 53%

I tried, I really did.

It started off slow but I'm okay with that when it comes to fantasies. The world building and character introduction can take time (not always, but it can). However once Ayleth reached the White Palace, a series of convenient events occur to keep the action moving. And the few mysterious happenings I read before I quit were obvious, things I spotted a mile away.

For a villain origin story, there's a surprising lack of tension. It should be there, the backstory is set up to support it, but the execution misses the mark. And this should not have been marketed as a romantasy! The romance is weak and doesn't seem to drive much of the story. I have no idea why Ayleth and Jacquetta like/liked each other.

I skimmed a lot once I realized it wasn't going to hook me in. It shouldn't take getting 35% into a book to meet the first interesting character (Princess Blodwyn). As I think back on them to write this review, the characters kind of all blend together. It's a shame because this premise is intriguing and I think it could've been really good if it had been developed a bit more.

<i>Many thanks to NetGalley, Del Rey, and the author for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review.</i>

This was such an amazing villain origin story for the evil queen from Snow White. I was thoroughly engrossed in the story. Anyone who loves fairytale reimaginings will love this! Can’t wait to see where the author goes with this.

Heather has given me amazing sapphic book one after the other. And all are retelling which I love! So excited to see what she does next!

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an early copy of this book! As a huge Heather Walter fan I’m always elated to learn more books are coming my way! This book was everything I hoped it would be- high fantasy, lesbian romance, extensive world building, and always keeping me on my toes. I ate this book up so fast. I’m hoping there will be a sequel because I need more of this storyline. Walter takes classic story tales and puts a dark lesbian twist on them making them exponentially more enjoyable. Crimson Crown will be a book you can’t put down until then end and you’ll want to pick it right back up and start from the beginning. The pace of this book was pretty consistent throughout until the end which I did feel was a little smushed together. I didn’t know where this “retelling” was going until the end either but based off Walter’s previous works I should have guessed!

I really enjoyed this queer, witchy duology. Thank you so, so much to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for allowing me to read this title!

Blurb:
Legends tell of a witch who became a queen—the heartless villain in the story of Snow White.

But now the wicked queen is stepping out of Snow White’s shadow to become the heroine of her own legend.

Her real “once upon a time” begins when she is just Ayleth, a young witch who lives in the forest with her coven. The witches practice their magic in secret, hiding from the White King and his brutal war against witchcraft.

Ayleth, however, faces a war of her own. Her magical gifts have yet to reveal themselves, and as the threat of the Royal Huntsmen intensifies, Ayleth fears she will never become the witch her coven needs.

To prove herself, Ayleth sets out on a perilous quest that sends her to the White Palace, a decadent world of drama and deceit. There, Ayleth encounters an unlikely figure from her past: Jacquetta, a witch who once held Ayleth’s heart—and betrayed her.

As events at the palace escalate, Ayleth finds herself caught in the web of the White King, whose dark charisma is as dangerous as the sinister force that seems to be haunting the palace—and perhaps even Ayleth herself. With the threat of discovery looming, Ayleth and Jacquetta must set aside the wounds of their past and work together to survive.

As she uncovers the secrets of the White Court—and those of her own heart—Ayleth must find the strength to transform into someone she never imagined she could be.

A powerful witch, the very wickedest of them all.

A dark, beautiful twist on a classic fairy tale—The Crimson Crown is everything I wanted in a retelling. Heather Walter takes the familiar story of Snow White’s queen and gives it fresh, fierce life through the eyes of Ayleth, a witch whose journey from outcast to power player is both heartbreaking and empowering.

The writing is vivid, the characters are layered, and the world-building is as enchanting as it is dangerous. I was completely drawn into this queer, witchy reimagining from the start and never wanted to put it down. A perfect retelling for fans of dark fantasy, morally complex heroines, and stories that flip the script on good vs. evil.

Absolutely loved it.

I couldn't finish the book. Sorry, I didn't realize it wasn't my type of book. I just didn't like the story line where it was all going
Thank You

Stopped at 45%.

After really enjoying the Malice duology, I was looking forward to this one—a sapphic twist on the Evil Queen from Snow White sounded right up my alley. But this just didn’t deliver. It barely feels like a retelling, and I found myself completely disengaged less than halfway through.

The pacing is incredibly slow, and I couldn’t connect with the characters or the plot. From what I’ve seen in other reviews, things don’t really start moving until the final chapters, and I’m just not willing to slog through that long in hopes it gets better.

It’s disappointing, because the concept had so much potential. I received this copy through a Netgalley in exchange for an honest review—all thoughts are my own.

This has taken awhile for me to get back to reading. But now that I have I have to say I enjoyed this. Not my favorite of all time but I do love some good whimsy, even a darker whimsy. Thank you for the opportunity Netgalley for allowing me to read this early, helping me get back to my reading journey.

“The Crimson Crown” is a very creative imagining of the backstory of the Evil Queen in Snow White. Ayleth is a witch, but her power has not manifested. Her mother is one of the five Heirs, descendants of the Ancients who created the Veil, sealing Malum (darkness/evil) from the world. However, the king and kingdom has turned against the witches and sought to destroy the covens, replacing their influence with the Order and the goddess Meira. The Veil is weakening, and no one knows how to fix it, but the key is believed to be the missing bloodstones.

Ayleth is a disappointment to her mother, blames herself for her sister’s death, is viewed with suspicion and/or disdain by some of the other Heirs and their Seconds, and was betrayed by the one whom she loved (Jacquetta). Ayleth will make her way to the White Palace, where she will discover a vastly different reality than what she is used to. Yet, in some ways it is familiar, as once again she finds herself a pawn in other’s schemes. However, she will eventually discover how to manifest her power and tear down the shaky edifices of false power represented by the covens, the Order, and the White Palace.

I ended up DNF'ing this book around the 50% mark, but I think I read enough to leave a review. I really liked the premise of this book, and I loved the author's previous books, so I really wish that I could have enjoyed this more! I'm not quite sure what it is about this book that I'm not loving...I think it might just be a bit slow for me. I liked the main character well enough, but I just couldn't get into the story. I hope to maybe get back to this at some point in the future, though!

Another twisted fairytale reimagined from Walter, and you wont be disappointed. I am always here for a villain origin story, and just like in Malice Walter makes you pine and root for the anti-hero every step of the way. You're never remiss picking up a Walter retelling.

I love this book. Forgot to do my review. But heathers writing style is so unique and she makes you fall in love right after chapter one and that’s exactly what happened here. I was hooked. Can’t wait for book 2

The premise of this book sounded so interesting, and I enjoyed this author's previous duology of Maleficent's origin story so I had high hopes. Unfortunately, I was sorely disappointed.

This book was a slog, mostly because the FMC Ayelith was such an empty-headed pity party. The repetitive voice in her head constantly told her that when negative things happened it was because she wasn't good enough and/or because people liked her sister better than her. And instead of using any critical thinking skills at all, she would agree and just spiral and whine over and over, ad nauseum.

Speaking of nausea, she mentioned that her love interest smelled like juniper no less than 1,453 times. Like seriously, I should have made it a game to drink every time I read "juniper" I'd have been drunk in the first 25% of the book and it would have been more bearable to read.

So the whole story is just her bumbling around trying to prove she's not "nothing" the whole time, ignoring good advice and making stupid decisions and getting herself into situations where she needs to be rescued. And then she'd bemoan piteously that she's so stupid. Ugh.

What plot there was was pretty confusing until the very end when the comic book villain took the time to explain everything, so yay for that.

The last 2% of the book saved it, being action-packed and we finally see Ayelith grow a backbone. But the 500+ pages it took to get there had my eyeballs so sore from all the rolling. And even after all that, there's going to be a sequel. No thanks.

Oooh, that was a twist I didn't see coming! Author Heather Walter has managed to blow my mind yet again with her fairytale retelling. The Crimson Crown is a fabulous interpretation of the rise of Snow White's evil queen, with a dash of Anne Boleyn thrown in. Love this! I can't wait to see what she gives us next.

Thank you to DelRey and Netgalley for the arc.

This was painfully slow for me but I do think the subject matter (fairy tale retelling) would be compelling to other readers. Unfortunately this just didn't work for me.

"Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who’s the wickedest of them all?"
The Crimson Crown is the first book in this duology and I can not wait to read the second one. This is a witchy reimagining of Snow White and this time the dark queen tells her story. The book had me captivated from the beginning and I could not stop turning the pages. I devoured this book in one sitting. The author wrote this so well and instead of this classic tale she turned it into a darker but also more compelling read. All of the characters in this were amazing and the relationship between the two characters was so good. I will be eagerly awaiting the next book in this duology! I loved this book so very much and would recommend it to any reader especially if you love fantasy books. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine/Del Rey for this amazing read in exchange of my honest review of The Crimson Crown by Heather Walter.