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art_books_chemistry's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
I was intrigued by the blurb for this book and subsequently sorely disappointed by the time I made it to the second chapter. The quality of the writing simply didn't hold up to what it could have been. There were attempts at making the characters multi-dimensional but they all still felt very flat. The plot for most of the book was the "contest" set by the King and yet the resolution of this contest is stuck in at the end of the last chapter as a "oh yeah hey she won". I was expecting a Snow White retelling but what I found was a Once Upon A Time fanfiction. Every other chapter we are introduced to another character from a different fairy tale.
I will admit that I found the erotic scenes to be fairly well written and evocative. The trope of women "tasting" like fruit and such is overused but I can forgive it a bit more in a fantasy/magic setting. I also liked that Snow wasn't "white as snow" in this retelling and was instead the exact opposite. It was a nice play on the standard theme.
I don't recommend and won't be reading the subsequent books.
I will admit that I found the erotic scenes to be fairly well written and evocative. The trope of women "tasting" like fruit and such is overused but I can forgive it a bit more in a fantasy/magic setting. I also liked that Snow wasn't "white as snow" in this retelling and was instead the exact opposite. It was a nice play on the standard theme.
I don't recommend and won't be reading the subsequent books.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Sexual content, Violence, Suicide attempt, and Death of parent
nobeliumreads's review against another edition
fast-paced
2.5
Thank you Netgalley for providing a digital copy.
A short, fast paced sapphic Snow White retelling that was entertaining enough to keep me reading despite the issues I had with it.
I was drawn in by the premise of this book because of course I’d be down for a sapphic Snow White retelling and I was also super intrigued by Azura as this evil, dark witch and really wanted to see how the romance would form between her and Snow.
And whilst yes, Azura is definitely this very evil witch, I just didn’t believe it. We are told, time and time again from Azura’s perspective how empty and terrible she is and how she must stay away from Snow to keep her ‘pure and innocent’, but we don’t see her do anything truly evil until about 80% through the book, and even then I was more excited about the plot finally kicking in than shocked or appalled. I think we are told many things throughout the story instead of shown it, which is my issue with the book. I forget that Azura’s mission is to become queen because she spends absolutely zero time with the king and we don’t really get a sense of what Azura’s plan was in the first place, other than to use Snow to get to him. So whilst I did like Azura and Snow's moments, I would not have minded if we’d swapped some of their scenes together out for some plot and action, especially earlier in the book.
In terms of the plot, everything kicked in at around the 80% mark which was just too little too late for me - I would have liked some more buildup to everything that happened, especially as you really had to suspend your belief for some of the stuff that happens like Snow, who barely knows how to use her magic, undoing a spell cast by Azura, who’s been practicing magic since she was like a kid or something. Or when Snow was just beginning her journey to Azura’s castle and the next chapter, which was Azura’s POV, Snow was suddenly already there which had me checking to see if I’d missed a chapter. I genuinely thought Azura was dreaming because we really just skipped Snow’s entire journey which would probably have been a great opportunity to show some character development without Azura. AND when Azura gave an apple to the king during the showcase and I was super excited to see where that would go because it’s an apple and that has to mean something in a Snow White retelling, right? But it just didn’t go anywhere. At all.
As for Snow, it’s not hard to see how 'naive' and 'pure' and 'innocent' she is because unfortunately she felt more like a child to me than a young woman at times. I did like her character, but I would have loved more of Snow by herself, as it felt like all of her chapters were with or about Azura.
Overall, the writing and plot weren’t amazing. It was just barely decent at best and there was practically no worldbuilding, which is a shame because I think it has a lot of potential and I am genuinely interested from little we are told. I was a bit shocked to see the self-harm and suicide attempt, mostly because I was really not expecting it because of how light the book seemed earlier on. Also, there is one non consensual kiss (kissing while asleep) and although it is reciprocated when they wake up, it did still take me by surprise (partially because of the circumstances surrounding it; out of everything you could do, you kiss her instead???).
Anyways, despite my grievances with this book (which I know seem like a lot), it was entertaining and I did enjoy the ride. It was a quick, easy, fast-paced read and I am always down for more sapphic retellings. Just go in expecting something fun and slightly spicy (because Snow and Azura were horrendously down bad for each other), not quality craftsmanship or worldbuilding and you’re set.
(Also that Veronica princess who sleeps with men and then steals their money? Iconic honestly.)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm, Sexual content, and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Cannibalism, Suicide attempt, and Death of parent
Minor: Death and Toxic relationship
eal617's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Let me start off by saying that I absolutely love fairytale retellings. Recently I've been looking for more sapphic stories because I've gotten tired of reading straight love stories. I want to read about characters like me and love stories like my own. This book definitely did not disappoint in that area.
The book had an interesting twist on the usual Snow White story: instead of starting the story after her father as already married the evil queen, this story starts with all the eligible young women arriving for pretty much a contest to marry the king. So we actually meet the "evil queen" before she marries the king. Actually, that's really where the story stops following the traditional tale. There are no dwarves, no huntsman, no poisoning Snow White, no prince to kiss her awake. Pretty much the only pieces of the original story you will find in this book are that Snow White's mother dies and her father remarries (although this is true for Cinderella as well), the magic mirror, and the fact that the girl's name is Snow White.
In addition to not following the traditional Snow White story, the authors also included the names of several Disney characters, which threw me off a little. I am a huge fan of Disney and don't mind reading books about Disney characters that are actually put out by Disney but having random Disney characters put into a non-Disney story, especially one that Disney has done but isn't even close to related to that version, was just really weird and made the book feel more like a fanfic than an actual book.
And then there was the sex. While I don't mind reading books with sex in them, this definitely felt more like erotica than a romance. This may not be a bad thing for some readers but it wasn't something that I was expecting and it just didn't feel like it fit into the story that well, more like it was put in for certain audiences. Although I do see how some of it did help move the plot a little, I think it could have been written better to fit into the writing of the rest of the story.
Lastly, I really disliked the ending. I don't want to give any spoilers so I will just say that the ending felt rather rushed and unrealistic. Mainly the king's reaction. I feel the story would have felt more realistic if there had been a little more pushback from some characters at the end. I understand wanting to wrap everything up nicely at the end but I wish they had taken more time and not rushed it. They could have even left an opening for a sequel with a few changes if that was something the authors were interested in.
All in all, while I am thrilled that there is another sapphic fairytale retelling out there, this one just wasn't for me personally. I still recommend it for anyone looking for this particular niche!
Let me start off by saying that I absolutely love fairytale retellings. Recently I've been looking for more sapphic stories because I've gotten tired of reading straight love stories. I want to read about characters like me and love stories like my own. This book definitely did not disappoint in that area.
The book had an interesting twist on the usual Snow White story: instead of starting the story after her father as already married the evil queen, this story starts with all the eligible young women arriving for pretty much a contest to marry the king. So we actually meet the "evil queen" before she marries the king. Actually, that's really where the story stops following the traditional tale. There are no dwarves, no huntsman, no poisoning Snow White, no prince to kiss her awake. Pretty much the only pieces of the original story you will find in this book are that Snow White's mother dies and her father remarries (although this is true for Cinderella as well), the magic mirror, and the fact that the girl's name is Snow White.
In addition to not following the traditional Snow White story, the authors also included the names of several Disney characters, which threw me off a little. I am a huge fan of Disney and don't mind reading books about Disney characters that are actually put out by Disney but having random Disney characters put into a non-Disney story, especially one that Disney has done but isn't even close to related to that version, was just really weird and made the book feel more like a fanfic than an actual book.
And then there was the sex. While I don't mind reading books with sex in them, this definitely felt more like erotica than a romance. This may not be a bad thing for some readers but it wasn't something that I was expecting and it just didn't feel like it fit into the story that well, more like it was put in for certain audiences. Although I do see how some of it did help move the plot a little, I think it could have been written better to fit into the writing of the rest of the story.
Lastly, I really disliked the ending. I don't want to give any spoilers so I will just say that the ending felt rather rushed and unrealistic. Mainly the king's reaction. I feel the story would have felt more realistic if there had been a little more pushback from some characters at the end. I understand wanting to wrap everything up nicely at the end but I wish they had taken more time and not rushed it. They could have even left an opening for a sequel with a few changes if that was something the authors were interested in.
All in all, while I am thrilled that there is another sapphic fairytale retelling out there, this one just wasn't for me personally. I still recommend it for anyone looking for this particular niche!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Death of parent
svftsapphic's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
“I can’t care about her. But when she looks back at me, a part of me dies at the painful coldness in her eyes”
This book was able to get me out of a month long reading slump. From start to finish I was so invested and struggled to put the book down.
I always have a soft spot for fairytale retellings but I feel many of them fall flat as they struggle to have the balance between originality and connection to the original, but that’s something this book does PERFECTLY. I absolutely loved all the fairytale references throughout, I always felt so proud of myself for catching onto some of the more subtle ones and I’m sure each re-read will make me realise even more that I missed.
The main characters, Snow and Azura are amazingly written. Despite first appearing to be and acting like total opposites, they compliment each other perfectly. Dual POVs are something I tend not to enjoy but I thought it was really well done in this book and gave us really good insight into the characters. I loved seeing Azura’s internal conflict and Snow’s periods of self doubt, both were things that I felt myself relating too and that in general connected me more to these characters. Their romance and relationship is beautifully done, I always saw myself smiling and getting giddy at their pining for each other.
My one issue was the ending, I felt it was rather rushed as the “dramatic ending” happened in less than half a page. I get the effect they were going for as it’s intended to be a cliffhanger however I was rather thrown off by it.
I will absolutely be purchasing a physical copy of this and I can’t wait to see and read the next book in the series !!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
This book was able to get me out of a month long reading slump. From start to finish I was so invested and struggled to put the book down.
I always have a soft spot for fairytale retellings but I feel many of them fall flat as they struggle to have the balance between originality and connection to the original, but that’s something this book does PERFECTLY. I absolutely loved all the fairytale references throughout, I always felt so proud of myself for catching onto some of the more subtle ones and I’m sure each re-read will make me realise even more that I missed.
The main characters, Snow and Azura are amazingly written. Despite first appearing to be and acting like total opposites, they compliment each other perfectly. Dual POVs are something I tend not to enjoy but I thought it was really well done in this book and gave us really good insight into the characters. I loved seeing Azura’s internal conflict and Snow’s periods of self doubt, both were things that I felt myself relating too and that in general connected me more to these characters. Their romance and relationship is beautifully done, I always saw myself smiling and getting giddy at their pining for each other.
My one issue was the ending, I felt it was rather rushed as the “dramatic ending” happened in less than half a page. I get the effect they were going for as it’s intended to be a cliffhanger however I was rather thrown off by it.
I will absolutely be purchasing a physical copy of this and I can’t wait to see and read the next book in the series !!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Cannibalism, and Suicide attempt
theartsybookwitch's review against another edition
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
"So begins the end of Snow White."
Holy –, this was so good. I fell in love with both Azura and Snow White pretty much immediately.
Think The Selection meets The Iron King meets Snow White.
A sapphic retelling of Snow White? Sign me up. Right Now.
I loved the near instant falling in love of both, the mental flip flop they go through trying not to.
Both Azura and Snow White are forced to be reckoned with, from Snow being the meek innocent princess to a literal magic eternal saving her girlfriend. Whilst Azura, being a Queen already, protects the one who she never thought would be a problem. Both of them are badass and I can’t help but love them more with every passing word.
The way it’s told and all the illusions and references are perfect and I’m begging for spin offs of everything.
Just the way Jeanette and Alice tell their story is so alluring, and addictive and I need more.
I cannot wait to continue on with the series!
Thank you to Rose & Star Publishing for the opportunity to ARC read. All opinions are my own.
POSSIBLE SPOILERS BELOW
“I am just here for the food.”
“Only the sheep are led to slaughter. My mothers voice rings in my head. They never think to look for the wolf until it’s too late,”
“Fear is the biggest compliment.”
“Tell me your darkest fantasies, princess. Let me make them come to life,”
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Cannibalism, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Death and Death of parent
opalescent4026's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
What a wonderful read! I loved how villainous Azura was from page 1, and by contrast how innocent Snow White was. I loved seeing Snow White's progression through the story as well as how Azura softened towards her. The elements of the original fairy tale were innovatively and beautifully worked in - and the sassy Mirror was the cherry on top!
This is such a great beginning to the Ever After series - not too little world building, not too much. I loved the side characters, who I hope will be main characters in future books! I am quite excited for the rest of this series to come out
This is such a great beginning to the Ever After series - not too little world building, not too much. I loved the side characters, who I hope will be main characters in future books! I am quite excited for the rest of this series to come out
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Cannibalism and Suicide attempt
Minor: Death and Death of parent
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