I really enjoyed this book. This dark, sapphic retelling of Snow White immersed me in a richly imagined, blight-ravaged kingdom. When Snow White wakes up and see the state of her kingdom she becomes determined to restore her realm. The book was captivating while navigating Snow Whites journey. This book offers a unique and compelling narrative that reimagines a classic tale through a darker, more complex lens.

I was expecting a little more of a dark Snow White retelling as it’s one of my favorite movies. I enjoyed the middle to end more but felt as though it was missing something more.

Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday publishing for the arc!

A Snow White sapphic retelling? Fantastic premise. The execution? Very hit or miss. As a queer woman, you know I love me some queer romance? But…I cannot believe I’m saying this, this romance between Iliana and Snow just wasn’t there for me. I felt like it was kinda forced? Idk maybe because there is going to be a book two? I just wanted more and I didn’t feel the connection between Ilana and snow as much as I did with Henrick and her.

Also the magic system/world system needed work. Or I felt like 100 pages could have been cut from this book. It felt a lot like, Snow runs away, thinks she is safe by making a friend, friend is bad/working with the queen/infected from Blight, they try to attack her, try to get something from her, she is on the brink of death, and then she SINGS and is alive, and everyone is gooped and gagged that she is alive, like it happens at least four times. Gimme some variation please!

I loved the mirror chapters and Henrick was an icon. Briar too.

I am obsessed with everything Andrea Hannah does, and her spin on a classic fairytale did not let me down. She instilled so much beautiful magic and sisterhood and thoughts about taking care of the land in a heart pounding sapphic adventure. I will absolutely be buying myself a signed copy of this.

Thank you to Wednesday Books for the advance copy!

3.5 stars - First, I actually adored this book. It's a dark, twisty, YA retelling of Snow White that was really interesting. The world building was well done, and I am obsessed with Snow, who was strong, fierce, and brave. I loved the magic and the woodland creatures and was so intrigued by the blight and the relationships between the ruling families. It was also really fun that we got the mirror's perspective!

However, I feel like this book was really mismarketed, which threw off my expectations. This is advertised as a sapphic romance, but there is almost no romance in the book. Honestly, for most of the book I kept expecting Snow and Henrick to have a romance. There were two kisses toward the end, but they seemed to come out of nowhere since Snow and Iliana had very little interactions.

There are some hints that there will be additional books, and I would definitely pick them up!

Andrea Hannah’s The Wildest Things is an intriguing and fast-paced sapphic Snow White retelling with a dark, atmospheric twist. Waking up after twenty years to a kingdom in ruin, Snow must navigate a treacherous world of shifting alliances, forbidden magic, and an undeniable pull toward the daughter of the Evil Queen—who she may have to kill to save her home.

The story is immersive, with lush writing and a gripping plot that keeps the pages turning. While some elements could have been explored more deeply, the blend of eerie fairytale vibes, romance, and action makes for an enjoyable and quick read. Perfect for fans of dark fantasy retellings!

Would recommend to anyone who loves their fairytales with a bit of bite.

First let me start by saying I would give this 2.5/5 stars if this site allowed half stars. But I just could not round this up to 3 stars.
I was super excited to read this sapphic Snow White retelling until I actually started reading it.
It read a lot like a horror novel…….and may I ask what romance? Snow and Iliana literally don’t meet until the last 1/3 of the book and then it’s literally Snow lusting over an evil queen because she’s “pretty and she feels a zing”. Ma’am, this b**** is trying to kill you and all your friends but you’re still begging for her kiss……..STOP IT. Maybe if there was a backstory and ya’ll had been friends or in love but no it’s insta-lust from before you even meet her.
Meanwhile we get to listen to Snow’s internal monologue about how she’s not good enough to be season keeper and how she’s so weak over and over and over again. I just started skimming at that point.
None of the characters get the development they deserve. Honestly, the rabbit Blueberry gets more development than most of the human characters.
And so the fact that the idea had such promise and failed to deliver on it really just was sad to me.
I received an ARC of this title, all opinions are my own

Snow White has woken from her coffin, but there’s no prince in sight. The forest animals who were once her beloved friends now sprout fangs and hiss. Danger lurks in the forest and Snow must find allies quickly to survive. As Snow tries to untangle what happened while she slept, she learns that the kingdom of Roanfrost has been taken over by the Evil Queen and her daughter. Can Snow harness the realm’s magic to take back her throne?

The Wildest Things is a haunting fairy tale tinged with horror. I loved the sensory details of Snow breaking the glass coffin on her own and her adventures through the forest. Andrea Hannah has created a unique and compelling adventure. While there was definitely a sapphic connection, I am excited to see how it continues and is further developed in books to come. Andrea Hannah wrote in skillful twists and turns that took me by surprise! I really enjoyed the well-designed and rich magic system. I'm looking forward to seeing how the story continues!

Thank you to Andrea Hannah, Wednesday Books, and NetGalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

For publisher: My review will be posted on Goodreads, Amazon, Storygraph, and Barnes & Noble etc.

It’s always fun to read a different take on a well known fairytale. This author uses their obvious passion for the original tale to create a detailed world that feels familiar and at the same time, exciting and unpredictable. The story’s lore is expansive, which at times can work against the reader because there are so many threads to keep hold of. The author has a distinctive writing style that felt overwritten at times, especially when it did more telling rather than letting the reader experience the actual moment. I loved the setup of the relationships but it was a bit confusing what the author wanted to say about them. In other words, I was confused on who I was rooting for. Basically, I loved all the elements of this book, even if they sometimes stepped on each other for attention. I would definitely read another if this becomes a series of retellings!

Oof, no one likes a DNF this early in the year, right? Well, I had one, friends. And extra sadly, it was from an author I usually really enjoy. But sometimes things don't work out, and that is okay. I made it to 27% before I called it, and I did so because I was just bored. There was a lot of info-dumping, especially about past stuff that meant nothing to me because at that point, I only knew the one character (Snow) and frankly, I didn't care much about her one way or the other. So, it had to be done. Retellings and I are always hit or miss anyway, so I think others may have a better time with this than I did.

Delightfully macabre, this YA fantasy takes the classic story of Snow White and twists it into one deliciously eerie tale.

We get poisoned forests, carnivorous chipmunks, creepy-cute bunnies, a kick-ass princess, and so much more. I was honestly shocked by how dark it got at points, especially considering it’s YA! But my goodness, was I HERE FOR IT 🖤

What really pulled me in was the incredibly detailed world. Infused with nature-based lore, it features four separate regions each ruled by a specific season to keep all living things in balance. While a tad complex, the magic system is thoroughly explained, so just stick with it if you feel lost at first!

One more thing I loved: the character arcs! Each MC, from Snow White to the Evil Queen’s daughter, is complex—no one is “just good” or “just evil.” They all have believable motivations that drive the plot forward, exploring everything from generational trauma to the patriarchy. You feel for everyone…even the villains...and it’s so satisfying.

Is the darkness calling to you yet?? 😈 If so, then get this one on your TBR pronto!

𝗔 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗲𝘀:
🍎 This isn't mentioned in any official synopsis, but The Wildest Things is the first book in a duology. So don’t fret if you get to the end and are like, “WAIT…WHAT?? WHO?!” 😉

🍎 While marketed as a sapphic romance, this first installment is more about world-building. There’s an obvious attraction between our two FMCs but my guess is we’ll get more romance and queer rep in the second book 🏳️‍🌈

🍎 Please check the content warnings 💔 Like I mentioned, this one gets dark.

I tried to like this book as I love fairy tale re-tellings and most of them are pretty good. However, this one fell a bit flat for me as I felt no investment in any of the characters. I appreciated the chapters from the perspective of the magic mirror but even that failed to capture my interest. TBH Snow White is a good tale (especially the Grimm version) but it's not my most favorite. I thought maybe this one might get me a little more into the empowered character that is promised in this version of Snow White but alas, it did not.

This is a failure of wanting to be too descriptive of the environment. The author paints an excellent picture of the barren wasteland that has become of Snow's kingdom but she often takes the picture a little too far, sometimes to the point of just weird.

Thank you to Wednesday Books and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I quite loved Andrea Hannah’s Where Darkness Blooms so I had high hopes for her sapphic retelling of Snow White in The Wildest Things.
Snow White is wakened, not by a prince, but by the shattering of her glass coffin. It is twenty years later, and her land is rotting. Her beloved animals have mutated. It seems that the land of Roanfrost never took to her Stepmother as the Seasonkeeper even though the woman had put Snow White into a poisonous sleep. If she is to save her kingdom, she must take on the full power of the Seasonkeeper and one person is standing in her way: her stepmother’s daughter. Luckily, this time, the Huntsman is on her side.
The book lost a whole star because it claimed to have lesbian representation. This is taken from the official synopsis:
“In this sapphic Snow White retelling, if Snow is to save her kingdom from being ravaged by the Blight, she’ll have to kill the Evil Queen’s daughter…if she doesn’t fall in love with her first.”
But there isn’t any real true attraction or love included. While Snow has a moment or two of questioning her attraction to the new Queen, most of the kisses or talk of marriage are used for convenience; there is nothing sexual about them. And when there is one kiss that isn’t used for poison, they are awkward and make no sense. For me, it felt like bait and switch, and I feel bad for those who wanted to see themselves in Snow White.
There were also some writing issues. The story went too long with too many side quests. There also wasn’t much of a conclusion with no indication that a sequel is coming. But there were things I liked. Snow struggles to overcome the way she was raised. She came to understand that she didn’t have to be “fair” and be held down by men which was very powerful. I also enjoyed getting the point of view of the mirror. I did enjoy the world Hannah created.
The Wildest Things isn’t one of Hannah’s sharpest works though I enjoyed the dark version of Snow White. I would suggest anyone wanting to see a queer Snow White skip this book as this is not a true sapphic tale.

Publication Date February 25
I received an ARC for review; all opinions are my own.

Unfortunately, I did not like this book at all. It was really boring and did not grab my attention at any point. The characters were flat with little to no development. This could’ve been so good, but sadly fell short. This is marketed as a sapphic retelling and there was zero of that present in this book minus some random kiss? There was no romance at all. Snow White was better off ending up with the male main character. They had a good relationship going.

LOVED THIS. everyone needs a sapphic snow white retelling in their lives and this was the perfect book 💫 from the first chapter i was hooked and i loved this unique take on a classic tale, i highly recommend reading this!

~ 3.5 stars ~

Thank you to Netgalley and Wednesday Books for providing me this ARC in exchange for an honest review
Expected publication date: February 25th, 2025

𓈒⟡₊⋆∘ Plot
A sapphic Snow White retelling with a dark twist.
When Snow White wakes up from her 20 year long slumber and pries herself out of her shattered glass coffin, she finds that the world she knew has become a nightmare. The animals she grew up with have become bloodthirsty mutants, the forests are gnarled and rotten, and her closest friends are shadows of themselves.
To save her home, Snow must take on the role of the Seasonkeeper and battle her darkest desires in order to kill the new evil queen.

𓈒⟡₊⋆∘ Review
Compared to other fairy tale retellings, I enjoyed the darkness of this one - it maintained the heart of the tale yet added something new.

I liked the writing style, I love extensive descriptions because they bring the scenes to life, but (and I can hardly believe that I'm saying this) there were TOO MANY descriptions. This made the book extremely slow and difficult to get through, especially towards the middle. I found myself invested at the beginning and slowly losing interest as the chapters went on - there was too much narration and not enough action.

This book is primarily marketed as a sapphic and gothic romance, which it is, but just barely. Iliana and Snow hardly interact in the book and they don't get together at the end. Perhaps this is because of the implied second book, to lengthen the slow burn, but thus far there isn't enough tension between the two characters for me to be invested in their relationship.

Unfortunately, I don't believe this was the book for me. It has an interesting premise but the execution didn't match my expectations.

This was such a fantastic Snow White retelling. Being a huge fan of Snow White I’ve always wondered what would have happened with Snow never woke up from her eternal slumber. In this sapphic retelling we learn just that.

That was what immediately caught my eye to this story, twenty years have passed since Snow White bit into the red apple the Evil Queen gave her. As she awakens, and her glass coffin is finally open, she doesn’t recognize the kingdom before her. It has change for the worse, the land is rotting, and the animals have transformed into heartless creatures. As she runs for her life, she learns of what happened to her friends and what the Blight is. This had so much political intrigue and suspense I couldn’t stop reading. I was fully immersed in the story, not only she’ll have to find her true power within her, she’ll have to save her kingdom from the Evil Queen’s daughter. Definitely read if you love action packed retellings.

I loved this retelling. It's sort of a coming of age, as Snow White discovers the truth of her own power, both literally and figuratively. I liked having the perspective of the mirror, and the ending intrigued me.

The Wildest Things is billed as a sapphic Snow White retelling, which it is, but author Andrea Hannah’s setting is the star of this novel.

Hannah’s world-building is exceptional. You truly get a sense of the rot plaguing not only the land, but the plants, creatures and people who inhabit it. It’s dark and twisted and truly sets the tone.

The magical system, too, has a sort of dark tone. It’s almost as if Hannah treats it like a character unto itself, so it’s only as you progress as a reader that it starts to make sense.

I really wanted to fall in love with The Wildest Things but the “romance” element just falls flat. There’s a lot of telegraphing early on that feels forced. I would have been fine without those spots at all. The biggest problem is that when the two love interests meet, it’s an instant connection — there’s no growth, no getting to know each other.

I wish that Hannah had made The Wildest Things into a dual character study between Snow and the Queen. The moments where this happens, Hannah’s prose shines.

The Wildest Things is a queer reimagining that isn’t perfect but still has merit. I suggest checking it out from the library prior to purchase to make sure it’s a good fit.

A dark, gut-wrenching retelling of Snow White, one of my favorite fairytale characters.
The author revamps the story from the point of Snow White waking up and escaping her glass coffin.
You’ll recognize some characters and she’s added new ones to the decaying and dangerous world where Snow is forced to reinvent herself.
Not for those who enjoy the typical fairytale ending, but still an interesting read.

Thank you St. Martin’s Press / Wednesday Books and Netgalley for the arc.