Snow White awakens to a ravaged world when her glass coffin shatters. Her kingdom of Roanfrost suffered under the Blight, and now Snow wants to restore her kingdom. She must go on a dangerous journey to become the Seasonkeeper and access the life-giving magic that will heal the plague. She must be careful, because the wild things have awakened and Snow’s darker impulses want to set them free.

The world this takes place in has seasonal magic, with Nature choosing who wields it in balance to maintain the seasons. After her mother's death, Snow White's father had her stepmother installed as Seasonkeeper even though she didn't hear the call of Nature, further destabilizing the land. Snow grew up thinking she was good for nothing but running away, singing and crying. She starts off her reawakening in this frame of mind, and we learn about the land and the magic along with her. She thinks that her worth is in being beautiful and pure, and the journey she takes in the book shakes the foundation of that belief.

The book has the premise "what if Snow White fights back?" It's not necessarily the kind of fight where she takes on an army, but where she uses the skills she has and the allies she made to effect change. The magic of winter is subtle, so she misses for a long time what actually works for her. The conflict with the new Evil Queen hovers throughout the novel; both girls were made to feel less than, trapped by the expectations of the evil stepmother. The balance of life and nature must be maintained, so there are hints that another book will continue this story.

I have a lot of mixed feelings on this one soI’ll break it down into likes and dislikes.

𝐋𝐢𝐤𝐞𝐝: I loved the way in which she took the Snow White fairytale and completely made it her own. The magic system and world is really cool, I loved that instead of dwarfs there were the mossfolk. The seasonal realms, each with their own special magic were cool.

𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞𝐝: I had trouble staying engaged with this one, I took a break and came back to it. I struggled to connect with the characters at times and I really did not enjoy the ending. It felt like there were a lot of different and exciting paths this could have taken but it didn’t go there.

I was drawn to this book for the stunning cover and premise. The story felt a bit slow and was a bit heavy on interiority for my taste.

I didn't finish this. The premise sounded so good - a dark retelling of Snow White. I love retelling old fairy tales, but this was so slow in the beginning that I found I didn't care what happened. I didn't finish the book because it just didn't hold my interest long enough to decide it was worth it. Too many other good books our there to read. If you enjoy a book that does a very slow build up, you would like this. I would read the author again because I think she has a lot of talent.

Okay, things I liked about this book. I enjoyed that there is the twist of a Blight and Snow White wakes up to a very changed kingdom, full of toothy animals looking for meat snacks. I liked the view points of the mirror (who is a right interesting character who has seen a lot). I also really liked the side characters of Henrik and Briar (would love to see more of their history). And Iliana could have been so good with how she searches for power but also seems to be conflicted in whether she forges her own path or will follow in her mother's footsteps. Plus the cover is awesome.

The issues I had with this book are a few. One. I got irritated with how Snow cried, screamed, and ran so much in the beginning. She did get more of a backbone as she realized her powers, but still I did not click with her character. Also the attraction between her and Iliana seemed a bit too forced as they only caught glimpses of each other in reflections. And, the big thing that drove me crazy is how nothing was resolved. No fixing of the blight, all the characters in limbo, and a mysterious third party appearing. I think that is what frustrated me most and so I can only rate this as okay. It could have been great though and maybe the next book will redeem the series.

I struggled a bit on my first read but I think that was a me problem—I just picked it back up and loved it!

𝘔𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘚𝘵. 𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘯’𝘴 𝘗𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴 | 𝘞𝘦𝘥𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘉𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘤!

I really wanted to love this Snow White retelling, but something was definitely amiss for me as I struggled to fully invest myself in the story and its characters. I really appreciated how Andrea Hannah took a classic fairy tale and made it her own, with a sapphic retelling.
Would love to read more of her novels in the future.

When her glass coffin unexpectedly shatters, Snow White awakens. The land is rotting. The animals have mutated. In the twenty years that have passed since Snow bit into the poisoned apple, the kingdom of Roanfrost has transformed from a luscious wild land to a blight-ravaged nightmare. In search of answers and a way to restore her kingdom to its former glory, Snow sets out on a dangerous journey that will test the strength she never knew she had. Friends will become foes. New alliances will form. The Queen will stop at nothing to seize her power as well as her heart.
If Snow has any chance to survive and restore not only her kingdom, but all of Garedenne, her only option is to become the Seasonkeeper and access the life-giving magic that will heal the plague. But the path to becoming the Season keeper is more treacherous than she could ever imagine. The wild things have awakened and Snow’s darker impulses yearn to set them free. What will happen?

White I knew as a child.”Snow White” this is different enough that it did surprise me at times. It is different enough that II wondered if we are losing what the original fairy tale was about. Here is a difference. The original fairy tales have an easy to understand story. The author has written a good story. What age do you need to be to understand the story?

The Wildest Things by Andrea Hannah
⭐⭐⭐ | 🍎 Snow White, but make it apocalyptic

So I just finished this sapphic Snow White retelling and honestly? My feelings are as twisted as those mutated woodland creatures.

The premise is FIRE though - Snow White wakes up from her glass coffin 20 years later to find everything's gone to hell. The landscape? Blighted. The animals? Nightmare fuel. Her old pals? Giving major trust issues. And she's supposed to save everything by becoming the "Seasonkeeper" which sounds like a fantasy LinkedIn job title I didn't know I wanted.

The vibes we're tracking:
🌑 Decaying fairytale aesthetic
🏃‍♀️ Perpetual quest energy
🐿️ Rabid chipmunks (yes, really)
💔 Slow-burn romance that's actually SLOW
📚 First-book-in-a-series energy

Let's be real - the pacing is where this book lost me. Snow spends SO much time running around collecting magical plot coupons that I kept checking how many pages were left. The worldbuilding has moments of gorgeous, macabre imagery, but then we're back to quest-mode and I'm like "are we there yet?"

The whole "I must kill the queen's daughter but oops she's kinda cute" angle had potential but doesn't really deliver the sapphic tension I was promised until wayyyy too late. One kiss? In this economy??

Also fair warning: cliffhanger ending that basically screams "buy the sequel!"

Would recommend if: you love dark fairy tale vibes, don't mind a slow middle, and have patience for book one of what's clearly going to be a series. Just don't get attached to any woodland creatures, mkay?

The Wildest Things had such an aesthetic—gothic forest vibes, corrupted magic, sapphic tension, and a Snow White retelling with bite—but it didn’t fully sweep me away like I hoped. The atmosphere? Absolutely stunning. The prose? Lush. But the pacing dragged in places, and while the romance had potential, it didn’t hit that swoon or heartbreak level I wanted. I kept waiting for the emotional stakes to cut deeper, and they just... didn’t. Still, if you love dark fairytales, morally gray girls, and forests that feel alive in the worst possible way, it’s worth checking out—it just didn’t become my new obsession.

Dear The Wildest Things,
I really really wanted to let love you. I get really into fairy tale retellings and a sapphic retelling of Snow White sounded like it would be right up my alley. But you just were a miss for me. Your characters were weak, and you were not a retelling but a continuation of the Snow White fairy tale. I just feel like I didn't get what I was looking for from you.

Some books grip you with action, others with language—this one does it with a quiet, undeniable pull. Before you know it, you’re fully inside its world, thinking about its characters as if they’re real. It’s not just a book you read; it’s a book you live with.

Readers who love and crave Sapphic retellings of classic stories and need to see themselves represented, will love this book.

I tried but I just ran out of time to finish this one, I think I’ll try again later, I thought it was an interesting premise

Please give me more sapphic fairy tale retellings immediately, okay - I loved this. It was my first Andrea Hannah and I will definitely be reading more

I want to thank #Netgalley and #WednesdayBooks for the chance to read #TheWildestThings by #AndreaHannah in return for a fair and honest review.

The Wildest Things is a twist on the Snow White fairytale, it delves into Nature and the magic tha nature itself holds.
Snow White awakens to her glass coffin shattering over her and the lush land she once knew is now crumbling and decaying. The animals that she once called friends that came to her when she sang are creatures that have become grotesque and deformed.
The seven Mossfolk she once lived with and called family have turned into something she doesn't recognize. Now and then in the eyes of the creatures she comes across is a girl that takes her breath away and causes her fear.

Nature needs it's Season keeper to restore balance and cure the blight over the land and although Queen Illiana has tried all the spells she has mastered from her Mothers grimoire she can't seem to bring snow down from the sky. When she feels Snow White awaken she decides what she needs to make antimony that she can consume and force natures magic to her will is Snow Whites heart. Once again Snow White must protect her heart while learning to become that which nature needs her to be.

It had a great concept but it just didn’t deliver. I can see a few people liking this book. It just wasn’t my favorite.

Thanks Andrea Hannah and Netgally for the arc.

A slow burn Sapphic Snow white retelling? Hello. Yes please. You dont often see the what happens after Snow White wakes up so this was new territory for me and what a wild ride it was. I love the darkness of it and the Gothic eerie style. Pacing wise and over explanations aside I found this retelling to be quite fresh and imaginative. I am really looking forward to more from this author.

Normally, I love a retelling, especially when they explore something on the darker side. I did like the very beginning as Snow first wakes from her glass coffin, but I quickly grew bored. I didn't connect with Snow at all, and I found myself not really caring about what was happening and skimming the story.

A huge thank you to Wednesday Books for the opportunity to read The Wildest Things! This sapphic Snow White retelling offers a fresh and compelling twist on the classic tale. With a kingdom on the brink of ruin due to the Blight, Snow faces an impossible choice—kill the Evil Queen’s daughter to save her people… or risk everything by falling in love with her.

I found the plot captivating and refreshingly unique, breathing new life into the familiar Snow White story. The world-building and high-stakes tension kept me engaged throughout. However, while the premise promised a sapphic romance, I felt that aspect took a backseat to the overarching plot. At times, Snow’s interactions with the brother overshadowed the romantic elements, making the romance feel more like a subplot rather than a central theme. Because of this, I personally wouldn’t categorize it as a romance-first novel, but rather a gripping fantasy with romantic elements.

Overall, The Wildest Things is an intriguing and inventive retelling that fans of dark fairy tales will enjoy, especially those looking for a new take on Snow White!