Malice

by Heather Walter

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was an absolutely fantastic book. It does a great job of humanizing a traditionally known villain. The characters were all very well written, especially the main character Alyce. She stays true to her developed character throughout the entire book. I felt genuinely conflicted with my emotions by the end of the book.

Full Review with Spoilers

I went into this book with high expectations. A sapphic retelling of a classic fairytale is something I will always jump on. I was extremely happy to see that this book delivered and then some. The entire story is told from the perspective of Alyce, the traditional villain of Sleeping Beauty. The book acts as much like an origin story as much as it is a retelling.

Alyce is a fantastic character. She is told she is essentially evil and dark her whole life, that she is something other. It was heartbreaking to see how she deals with this her whole life and as much as she tries not to be that person, it definitely shaped who she is. She does what is essentially considered bad things because it is what is expected of her and what she is brought up to believe is the only thing she can do. Aurora is also a great main character. She is a princess and at first glance Alyce’s total opposite. The relationship that builds between them through the book is so well done. It was great to see them connect over their general dislike of everyone around them then it progress to Alyce trying to help her break the curse that will kill her when she turns 21. I loved seeing Alyce’s emotion progress and escalate even if she could quite see it for what it is.

There was a very interesting magic, social structure, and history developed in this book. I especially loved how the decline in ruling from a Queendom to a Kingdom where the queens have essentially given all their power to her husband over time really hinted at the same type of direction the story was going to take. The author did a great job placing these hints and connecting everything in a smooth flow that never felt like an information overload to the reader.

The storyline flowed so very well. There was a fantastic mix of emotional drama, angst, and the sweeter buildup on the romance side. The romance was definitely not the focus of the story, though it was very much there. It really focuses on Alyce’s build-up to becoming a villain. And it was such a ride! Once Alyce crosses that line into actually killing people I have no idea what I should feel. Up to that point, we get to see everything that has just been stacking against her and in a way we really see the justification for her actions. I ended the book completely blown away by the turn of events. We see Alyce exactly how we expect, guarding a sleeping princess against a kingdom that hates her.

Overall

This was a great retelling that gives the reader a new way of looking at a classic and very well-known fairytale. Good storytelling and great character development make this an extremely enjoyable read and one you won’t want to put down.