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.

I love a retold fairy tale … I really do. This one — a queer retelling of Snow White — through the eyes of the evil queen should have been a slam dunk. This is part one of two; I find myself wishing this book instead was an extended prologue because Ayleth only gets interesting the later in the book and the closer to the evil queen we know her to become. There’s a good chance I’ll read the sequel, and hope it will do more to reel me in.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House/Ballantine/Del Rey for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is not at all what I expected but I was so invested! Witches, covens, adventure, and the white king?! But alas, the characters felt lackluster and the plot didn’t feel high stakes. I actually couldn’t tell you why the FMC went to the White Castle in the first place. Most of the book felt like very little was happening except listening to the FMC worry about being found out. Aftera strong start I was bored and lost interest with its excessive page length. I wasn’t even into the romance, as I couldn’t get behind the fact that they got together after Jaquetta knew it was Ayleths mom pretending to be Ayleth and still held a grudge so many years later. I didn’t even really believe they were friends. Idk. The evil white king didn’t seem nearly as evil as the power she was fighting in her head and any connections to Snow White were lost on me.

I received an advance review copy for free from the publisher via Netgalley and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

**Review of *The Crimson Crown* by Heather Walter**

If you’re a fan of fairy tale retellings with a dark twist, *The Crimson Crown* is an absolute must-read! This book flips the script on the classic *Snow White* story, giving the Evil Queen, Ayleth, a chance to shine as the main character. Instead of being the heartless villain, she’s a witch struggling to find her power in a world that wants to crush her.

The world-building is lush and full of drama, especially at the White Palace, where Ayleth gets tangled in a web of deceit and danger. I loved how Ayleth’s relationship with Jacquetta, her former lover, is filled with tension and betrayal, making their eventual team-up even more exciting. The romance is queer and beautifully messy, and it adds so much depth to Ayleth’s journey.

What really pulls you in, though, is how Ayleth grows from being uncertain and vulnerable to becoming a badass witch ready to take on whatever (or whoever) comes her way. The White King is a deliciously sinister character, and the stakes keep getting higher as Ayleth’s story unfolds.

A beautifully crafted fantasy with rich world-building and complex characters. The blend of intrigue, magic, and emotion makes it a captivating start to the series.

Thank you Del Rey and NetGalley for the DRC of The Crimson Crown! All opinions in this review are my own.

I really enjoyed Heather Walter's Malice duology so I was excited to read this witchy Snow White's Evil Queen retelling! The Crimson Crown did not disappoint! At this point, I will read anything Walter writes!

I am a simple woman: anything Heather Walter publishes I read and rate 5 stars.

Walter is a masterclass in fairytale retellings, and The Crimson Crown is no different. Easy to pick up (I mean, look at that cover!!) and difficult to put down, you don’t want to miss this one.

I thought this book was more of a slow burn. For a book that's 544 pages long, not much really happened until the end.

The premise of the story follows Ayleth (the witch from Snow White, but before) and her mission to bring her sister Rhea back. She journeys to the White Castle, the kingdom of people that killed her sister and the other witches. She needs to find the bloodstones to bring her sister back, but finding them is not as easy as she originally thought.

While I wasn't a fan of how slow the book moved, it was still easy to read and entertaining. I thought for a retelling, the connections to Snow White were pretty scarce. The first 400 pages I was really struggling to find a connection beyond the apples in the palace and the singular dwarf. (view spoiler)

While it wasn't the book for me, I'm sure others that enjoy Snow White may enjoy it.

I loved Malice, so I was so excited to read this. And it was beautifully dark and enchanting, and it made me care about Snow White for the first time. It added further depth and a fresh take on the Snow White legend. Ayleth’s journey is compelling, and the complicated dynamics between her and Jacquetta kept me hooked.

While the pacing struggled in places, and some twists felt a bit predictable, the emotional depth and character development more than made up for it. The blend of court intrigue, forbidden magic, and romance made this a hard book to put down.

If you enjoy fairytale retellings with a darker edge and morally complex characters, The Crimson Crown is definitely worth a read. 4/5 stars.

I liked the concept of the book and the world building aspect of it. I had a hard time finishing it however as it seemed a slow reading midway through. However overall interesting story and world

I was sooooo down for this story. The concept behind it and seeing a classic story from a different point of view had me living for it! This was a great sapphic read!