4.75

What can I say about this book? I sit here, after finishing it, struggling with what to say because this book was fantastic, even when i wasn't sure where it was going.

Pros: Worldbuilding. Lovable morally grey female main character. Relatable mommy issues. Heartbreaking romance. Side characters that make you feel things (Blodwyn has my heart). An intriguing mystery.

Cons: Pacing and follow through was iffy. I've been getting really annoyed when authors buiild up to an event that should be a hige game changer for the plot and then nothing really happens. The sequel (preferably dual pov with Blodwyn) is not confirmed.

I received an early copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. A fellow bookish friend really hyped up this book for me and they were so right.

A retelling of Snow White of sorts, this book follows a witch Ayleth as she is about to become her mother’s Second and heir. Following an attack from the Hunt and the death of her sister, Ayleth never thought she would be in this position. Looking to attempt to bring her sister back, she travels in search of the Bloodstones, the only thing keeping the Veil and Malum in place. Swept up into the palace, she runs into her lover that left her the night her sister died. Fighting between her feelings for her sister and her feelings for Jacquetta, Ayleth must keep her secret close because if it were known she were a witch, the White King would watch her burn.

I really enjoyed this book! This is my first book by the author but I will for sure be reading her other two. I really enjoyed the fairytale backdrop and loved seeing the details Heather used tying to Snow White.

I devoured this book, and I had no idea where or how this lovely gem of a novel was going to become the beginnings of the classic Snow White tale we all know, but the journey there, the heart break and the sadness, the emotions it wrought was tragic and my heart clenches just thinking of it all. Ayleth. I see her, and I understand her. I get it now. Destroy them all Ayleth, let them burn.

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Heather Walter's The Crimson Crown kicks off a new series with a riveting and darkly enchanting reimagining of the Snow White tale. As the first installment in the Crimson Crown series, this novel introduces readers to a fresh perspective on the infamous wicked queen, transforming her into a deeply compelling heroine.

Walter's storytelling is both immersive and emotionally charged. As Ayleth ventures on a dangerous quest, she confronts not only the political intrigue and dark magic of the court but also a personal betrayal that cuts deeply. Jacquetta, a witch from Ayleth's past, reappears in her life, reigniting old feelings and hopes.Ayleth’s painful and heart -wrenching struggle to reconcile her feelings of love and trust adds a profound emotional depth to the narrative.

The novel’s climax is both exhilarating and devastating, leaving readers with a powerful sense of anticipation for the next chapter in Ayleth’s journey. Walter expertly balances themes of magical adventure with the personal anguish of betrayal and self-discovery, creating a tale that resonates on multiple levels.

The Crimson Crown by Heather Walter is a sapphic Snow White retelling and I loved every single second of it. The characters, the world-building, the plot, the atmosphere...it was all impeccable. Highly recommended!

DNF at 20%

Probably would like it more as an audiobook. I loved Malice and really wanted to like this one, but I was mostly bored. Ayleth is supposed to be in her early 20s, but she reads like a teenager in Part One. I love YA, but the constant reminder of her age even though she wasn't acting like it was off putting.

Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for the opportunity to read and review.

I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

"Mirror, mirror on the wall," I say, the words pulled from my lips like a spell. "Who is fairest of them all?"


Even though this took me three months to basically read, I am so happy with how it all ended. Hot damn! The Crimson Crown is the third book by this author, Heather Walter, and I'm surprised that I have received all of her books as an ARC. Well, okay, maybe not that surprised because I absolutely love her writing.

In this, you will meet Ayleth. She is a young witch who is just trying to live her life. Whether it's with her mother and the coven, or maybe it's on the quest to find the stones, she will always need to figure out who is a friend or foe. Her life is never the same after her sisters dies. It also doesn't help that the love of her life has left her and the coven either.

So, it's kind of interesting when she goes on a quest and runs into the one person she would never expect to. Jacquetta. The girl who broke her heart and betrayed her. Together, they are like feral cats trying to claim territory. It's not always easy, or a pretty picture, but eventually they start to get closer. Throw in some castle drama, magic failings, an unknown bad guy, and a thirsty ass king who needs to hear the word no more often, and you are basically hooked.

Or maybe that's how I felt? Either way, I enjoyed the heck out of this book. The last part—there's five—blew my mind, and I'm so excited that this is part of a duology. I can't wait for the next book and hope to be amazed even more. I want to see what Ayleth will do to the world next.

This book has the best vibes: witchy, sapphic, and full of rage. Most of the Snow White retellings focus so much on her and not as much on how the Witch Queen comes to power and how the rest of the world runs and reacts to witchcraft. There is such good world-building in this story that it stands unique and separate from what we already know of the classic tale.
There is so much new and different storytelling to build up the lore of the Witch Queen and Heather Walter does so good with building and growing Aelyth’s character over the course of the story. There is a will-they-won’t-they type of sapphic relationship that is full of yearning and shared trauma, but with lots of dishonesty and mistrust.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Thank you to Del Rey for the physical ARC of this book! All thoughts are my own. I am so excited for you all to read this one!!

Anything about witches, covens, black cats named Nettle, sign me up. And I love that this was another fairytale retelling from Heather Walter. I LOVED Malice so much that this was an absolute must-get for me and I’m super grateful that Del Rey and NetGalley made that happen for me.

Ayleth is a young witch hiding from the White King and his brutal war against witchcraft. She doesn't know what her magical gifts are, so she sets off on a quest to the White Palace, a decadent world of drama and deceit. Ayleth soon meets Jacquetta, a witch who once held Ayleth’s heart—and betrayed her. There are dark forces at play within the castle and with the White King himself. Now Ayleth and Jacquetta must set aside the past and work together to survive.

The Crimson Crown is the first book of a duology, telling the story of the wicked stepmother in Snow White. Ayleth is the second daughter of a witch descended from one of the five Ancestors who saved the land generations ago. They created bloodstones that held the dark forces known as Malum away from the world of humans, dwarves, and witches. When the human kings shifted their view of witchcraft and blamed them for evil, hunts began to kill them and eradicate their bloodlines. Always feeling less than, Ayleth left her Sanctum for the city, hoping to find the lost bloodstones to help restore the land and get her sister back from the dead. She poses as a Sister of the approved goddess and manages to get into the palace as well. This gets her closer to the probable location of the bloodstones, but also her former maybe-lover Jacquetta who had betrayed her and left years ago when her Sanctum was attacked, and the White King who keeps staring at her uncomfortably.

We have an incredible amount of worldbuilding in the beginning, so there is a lot to learn about Ayleth's world with the witches, then as a Sister, then in the royal household. There are many secrets in the palace, and Ayleth tries to look for answers as she continues to pose as a courtier. While she and Jacquetta have a push-pull relationship, the king is also close and takes an interest in Ayleth. His attention comes across as creepy and menacing at once, and the court politicking is tense to read. The final third of the book moves much quicker, with a sense of dread and finality to it. The conclusion of the book is chilling, and there is both dread and anticipation for the conclusion. The finale is definitely worth the slower start to the novel.

Big thank you NetGalley and to the publisher for the chance to review this book pre-release. I had fun reading The Crimson Crown, it was a great sapphic twist on a retelling from an interesting angle. I love villain origin stories, and this one really scratched the itch! I can't wait to get my hands on a physical copy! 3.7 Stars

Thank you to Net Galley and Random House for the ARC. I was really excited for this as sapphic romance and villainy is something I can get behind, but unfortunately Ayleth was not villainous enough for me, nor was the romance interesting.

5 STARS
I did not see how this was going to end. I mean that in the best way. Once I started reading I was so swept up in the story I couldn't stop. Ayleth came alive, I couldn't help but feel like her choices were real. There is a toxic ex she can't get over, family obligations, and the feeling she can't ever have what she really wants. I don't want to spoil anything, so I reccomend this book with no reservations. If you liked Malice, you will love this one.

Absolutely loved this story! In the world of fairytale retellings and/or villain origin stories, sometimes the stories rely TOO heavily on knowing and loving the original story. This luckily does not fall into that trap, Walter creates a story all of her own. Although there are small ties to the story we know and love, the Evil Queen takes on a whole new persona as we travel with her throughout her childhood.
This story adds a complicated family dynamic, LGBTQ+ characters, and a political element to the pre Evil Queen reign in the world of Snow White. Ayleth starts a nervous witch in her coven, and we get to see her growth through her trying to make a place for herself in a world she does not want to be a part of. With a great cast of side characters, we really see the depth of Ayleth's emotions and conflicting feelings about her own self worth.
I love when I can get absolutely lost in the story and forget that you 'know' the ending. Except that's the best part, you don't know the ending. You don't know where, when, or how we will exit Ayleth's story (for now, because I believe it will be a duology). Not to say that I want to root for the villain, but I loved following Ayleth on this story.

3.5 stars
I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
The Crimson Crown is the start of a promising new duology from Heather Walter, this one retelling the story of the Evil Queen from Snow White. I find I feel very similarly about this one to Malice, the first entry in Walter’s prior duology, with this feeling very “middle of the road,” with glimmers of potential.
Ayleth as a character is rather intriguing. She’s a witch hiding with her coven and struggling with her magic. Her growth, with an idea of what she’ll eventually become, is well-foreshadowed, especially as she helps her coven fight back against the White King, who is persecuting witches.
The romance with Jacquetta was fine, but I can’t say I was massively invested in it. It’s a solid portrayal of a toxic relationship, and I can respect what it did for Ayleth’s character arc.
The pacing is where my main gripe lies, as the books lags a lot, resulting in my interest flagging several times. A lot of it felt aimless, beyond the faint inkling that Ayleth becomes the Evil Queen, and getting those seeds planted by the end was perhaps the best part of the book. I am hopeful if the trend from the previous duology continues, the next book will be better. And while Walter could easily streamline her duologies into single books, or even shorter books with it remaining a duology, I acknowledge that my issues with her work are not necessarily popular.
While I had some issues with this book, it’s not completely unexpected, given my history with Walter’s work. If you enjoyed Malice, I think you’ll also enjoy this one. And if you’re new to Walter’s work, I’d recommend it to readers interested in a slow-burn, largely character-focused corruption arc inspired by a fairytale.

I've never read any books by Heather Walter so I really did not know what to expect. I did not love or hate this book. I loved the magical aspect and thought it was well explained but for me overall the pace was a little too slow. It was not until around 80% that I really was invested and wanting to see what happened. I'm usually a quick reader but this one was a little hard for me to get through. I really did enjoy the ending though!

It's always nice to read a sapphic novel, and especially a fun retelling With A Twist. More gay villains, please!

This was a very interesting and unique take to the evil queens story! There were so many little details that ended up being so important to the story line. I enjoyed this read! I would love a short story of what happens next! There’s so much left that could be written about. But it’s also a great ending that could be stand alone. I loved the last sentence of the book! It was kind of like at the end of a movie where you’re like ohhhh dang! Okay girl!

I have really enjoyed Walter's two previous novels. This one had a lot of strengths of the previous books, but it just didn't work as well for me as the previous books.

Things I really liked: I like the premise. What turns the evil queen evil? After all, evil queens aren't born that way. And I suspect too often what is seen as the evil queen is really just a strong, confident woman who doesn't take anyone's crap. So evil queens have always interested me.

The writing is very smooth, and easy to read. Walter gives a good sense of place and setting. I liked the world she is creating in this book.

I really liked Blodwyn, and I feel she's been a bit discarded at the end, which feels a bit unfair to her. However, since there is another book coming, I suspect (and hope) Blodwyn plays a much bigger role.

Then there are the things that didn't sit well with me.

One, I felt it was a little too long. The ending was terrific, and even surprised me. But it took a long time to get there. The middle dragged a lot for me, and while there are some scenes that seem to have some importance by the end, I feel some edits still could have been done to tighten up the pacing.

Two, I found Ayleth really annoying and honestly a bit too whiny for my tastes. She's constantly putting herself down, listening to this voice that tells her she's not good enough. She carries that with her a long time after what happens with her sister. Also I just didn't buy her feelings for Jacquetta. They had a fling when they were teenagers, and I find it not quite believable that 10 years later Ayleth still has those same feelings. I also had some trouble with her motivations for some of her actions. She just comes across as young and somewhat immature. So although I actually did like her ending, I feel it wasn't entirely believable, and it felt rushed to me.

Then there are some little picky things that annoyed me. She and Jacquetta talk a lot about witch stuff in the castle and don't seen terribly bothered that at any point they could be overheard. I kept wanting to shush them!

Also, with Nettle and Fitz (a cat and a dog) how many times are they following her on multi day journeys while she's on a horse, and they aren't and somehow they keep up with her? That struck me as odd, esp since it happened more than once.

So overall, I think there's some good stuff in this book, although there are elements that needed additional attention. I think readers who enjoyed Walter's previous books will likely enjoy this one. In her acknowledgements she mentions that she struggled with the writing of this book, and I struggled a little bit with the reading of it. I hope the next one is tighter, and goes better, because I still think there's a very interesting story here, and I really like the world she is creating with it.

An origin story of the evil queen from Snow White? I was definitely intrigued.

Ayleth, our main character comes from a family of witches that undergo an ascension at a certain age. Of course during Ayleth’s something goes wrong setting the tone for the story.

I definitely enjoyed the witches, magic, and the world building. However, I was a little bored throughout the middle. The plot fell a bit flat midway, but then pick up during the last 20% and went full throttle.

This book was not terrible, but it wasn’t my favorite.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for this eARC.

With witches hiding their magic for fear of being hunted down at the order of the White King, a young witch embarks on a journey to the White Palace to try to save her coven and become the witch they all need in The Crimson Crown by Heather Walter.
A young witch, Ayleth is set to become the Second to her mother as leader for the coven of witches living in secret in the forest as they hide from the White King and his malicious Huntsmen, in one of the Hunts in which her sister Rhea, her mother’s previous Second, died. As preparations are made for Ayleth’s Ascension ceremony she faces an internal battle as her magical gifts have yet to fully manifest themselves, which adds to her feeling of not being worthy of the role; during the ceremony Ayleth sees Rhea through the Veil and becomes determined to bring her departed sister back, which means leaving on a dangerous quest for the White Palace where she immerses herself in a world of corruption and deceit and she encounters a surprising figure from her past, Jacquetta, a witch who both held and betrayed her heart. Caught in a web of dark manipulations, Ayleth navigates her way forward through escalating events and secrets coming to light, relying upon the few allies and abilities she has and drawing upon strength to let go of the past and become someone more powerful than she ever imagined she could for the future she and the witches deserve.
In a tale that envisions a backstory for the witch queen from the beloved fairy tale Snow White, whose story elements were strewn throughout this tale as reminders of the familiar, this story develops Ayleth into a fairly captivating and complicated character to become invested in and root for instead of against, demonstrating the hows and whys behind the person that she becomes and the actions that she takes once she comes into her powers. Ayleth faces many challenges and slowly begins to adapt with growth, both mentally and emotionally, with each hurdle as she figures out the next step to her larger plan as well as how to tread within the plots put in place by those around her; she is still rather too hung up on Jacquetta given the time that’s passed from the initial betrayal and their dynamic and relationship doesn’t feel developed enough even with their rekindled interactions. The world the witches live in is filled with fear as they hide their true nature and those in power in the court, through their corruption, keep the witches from fully embracing and obtaining the truth of their history, which has been suppressed in heinous ways and is depicted well with a dark and eerie atmosphere.
Overall, I’d give it a 4 out of 5 stars.
*I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.