What a unique storyline!!! Gena Showalter has always been a favorite of mine but this just takes it up a notch. I've never thought of the fairy tales being told from the other side of the story. Everly knows her predicted future, but can she do anything to change it? Does she want to change it? As events happen, it becomes harder and harder to set this book down. You might as well plan on spending an over night reading binge! I can't wait to see which fairy tale character she retells next!

This book was absolutely amazing! I've frequently read fairy tale retellings and this one is definitely one of the best. It keeps you on your toes, all the twists and turns. Everly is an absolutely phenomenal, strong heroine. I loved reading about her toeing the line between good and evil. Her romance with Roth was constantly simmering. It was a phenomenal journey so worth being read by everyone.

Wow! Just wow! This book was so amazing! It might be a YA story but I still loved it even though I’m 50-years-old. Such riveting characters and brilliant plot. Every single page was entertaining.

This book had an interesting way of retelling Snow White and the Evil Queen. From the start, I felt like Everly would be the Evil Queen just based on her attitude and her name. It was awesome to find out in the end that there was no true role for everyone. I feel like the book was exceptional long but continued to power through because I wanted that happy ending for Everly. This book is great for those in high school as I think it'd interest them more then myself. I did like the overall message of the book but it took to long to get there and switched around locations frequently. I'm interested to see what other books come to the series though.

In The Evil Queen Gene Showalter takes on the tale of Snow White, specifically telling the story from the angle of a young woman, Everly Morrow, who has always seemed destined to play the part of the evil queen. But as the novel unfolds, the roles in the tale are not quite as clear as they originally seemed.

There were several pieces to commend in the novel. Showalter weaves an interesting tale and isn't afraid to play with conventions in meaningful ways. I also found the romance interesting, though using this as the only driving motive at times seemed like a bit of a cop out. The magical system, specifically the way sorcerers gain and keep their power, provided a unique view, but I did feel that some of the rules of the system weren't as clearly defined as they needed to be.

As I read the novel, I was reminded that Showalter can certainly spin a tale. However, I had a similar reading experience to Showalter's Firstlife, the first novel in the Everlife series. Firstlife at times felt a bit jumbled and directionless. It seemed like the through line of the plot was at times unclear and the characters suffered from little development in the initial installment. The Evil Queen read much the same and I felt that an unapologetic editor could help cut about 150 pages from the overall 544 page count and the novel would still read the same minus several of the parts that were a little slow. I say this because the points that were slow didn't add to the story or even the development of the characters. Cutting them and tightening other sections would have enhanced the plot and story as a whole.

I liked this novel enough that I will pick up the second one. I can only hope that it heads in the direction of the Everlife series were the books get progressively better the further into the story you go.

Thanks to Netgalley for providing me a digital ARC of this book.

I really liked how this book started and was determined to love it but unfortunately, that was not to be. Most of Everly's inner monologue had me visibly cringing and it quickly became a chore to read it. It seemed more like a YA Contemporary than anything with language that was a times very childish sounding. The constantly jumping around timeline made for a choppy and confusing read.

I need to start this review by stating that I am not a big young adult fan and unless it's an auto-buy author, I generally steer clear. I dealt with enough teenage angst as a teen and really don't have much interest in dealing with it as an adult. That said, Gena Showalter is an auto-buy author and is quite gifted in both young adult and adult genres. So, like the majority of her books, I wanted to read this one. It didn't disappoint.

The Evil Queen is a retelling of Snow White and while there were bits that seemed repetitive and should've been replaced or taken out during the editing process, I did enjoy the world building, many of the characters, and Ms. Showalter's take on Snow White. There is a lot of potential here and The Evil Queen was a good beginning.

I'm curious where The Forest of Good and Evil is going to go from here because it was mentioned there are multiple fairy tales playing out within the world and we didn't meet anyone associated with them. Will Everly and Roth's courtship continue on or will be get new fairy tales moving forward? Personally, I'm hoping for the latter. I give The Evil Queen ★★★1/2 and will definitely be reading book two.

*eARC provided by Harlequin TEEN (US & Canada) VIA NetGalley*

Hello My Darklings... Welcome to Enchantia, the land of myths, magic, and mystical creatures. It's the place make believe is made of. Realms based on fairytales, with its people living out the stories one day and battle at a time. One day, in Oklahoma, Everly finds out that her life is not what it appears to be. She was born with a destiny and it's time to take her rightful place amid the legend of Snow White and The Evil Queen. What part will she play? Is she good or evil? And is she strong enough to find out? Right this moment, fresh from reaching the end of this book, I'm eagerly anticipating the next one. I'm hooked on all things Roth and I NEED MORE!!

The Evil Queen could also be referred to as The Seven Sins of Everly. I swear, this young lady wanted and needed and craved it all.
⭐ Sloth: she wasn't well liked, she didn't like it, but she did nothing about it but complain and pout. She actually exacerbated the issue and still found cause for complaint..
⭐ Pride: when she found out she had mystical power, despite the warnings, she was proud of what she could do and did it anyway, regardless of the cost. Then whined about it afterwards.
⭐ Greed: she hoarded power and if she had her way, she alone would have any.
⭐ Gluttony: see above point; add in the fact that the more she had, the more she wanted. Enough was never enough.
⭐ Envy: she had green eyes for anyone who possessed something she didn't have. Being a sorceress was her greatest boon because she could just syphon what she wanted. I guess this goes with Greed and Gluttony as well.
⭐ Lust: not only for power, but also for Roth. When you meet him, you won't blame her.
⭐ Wrath: irrational scorn, justified rage, and generally mad at the world. That was Everly. I agreed with her reasons, not all of her methods.

I can imagine a lot of people hating Everly. I know that there were moments when I did. She constantly rubbed me the wrong way, tempting me to throw my kindle to get her to stop her nonsense. Like that was going to make it all go away 🤣🤣🤣 There were times when she had me rooting so hard for her (most of the book) and times when I couldn't figure out her logic. She went into everything with her own motives, which didn't really gel with her agenda. Would it hurt the girl to come up with a feasible plan? Something that didn't guarantee everyone's heartbreak? She was eternally sorry AFTER the fact, pretending to one and all that she felt nothing, making her the perfect enemy. How could one not hate her guts? But then when you consider her many vulnerable moments, you can't help but hope and pray and scream for her happy ending. Everly was a jumbled bag of contradiction, which I appreciated while I grumbled about it.

The characters I want to meet:
Noel, the oracle who aims to be Everly's best mediocre friend; Ophelia, the witch warrior you don't want to mess with; Hartly, Everly's sister, who has a heart of gold and a strong affinity with animals; Truly, an archer who never misses; Saxon and Vikander, Roth's besties and guards; and of course, Roth himself. He was honorable and kind, vicious and ferocious, a warrior of valor, honest to a fault, had the power of compulsion, an intricate back story, and HE WAS HOT! The man could turn you on with words, people! While any true heat in this story was fade to black, his kisses... dang, those kisses were incendiary!! 🔥🔥🔥

I've been a huge fan of Showalter's adult romance books and was super excited to get my hands on her attempt at young adult. Color me impressed! I was completely engrossed in this story, its characters, and the world building that had me practically visualizing Enchantia and its inhabitants. I'm in love with Roth because he happens to be the most amazing character in this book and I only wish I got to enjoy his perspective. Maybe we'll get something in the next one? *hint hint* Roth and his beast mode. Warrior Supreme. His pierced nipples and hot bod. Yeah, Roth was everything. Honestly, there were plenty of characters that got some shine and I'm hoping to get to know them better.

Freewill versus fate. What is predetermined and what do we have control over. Gena Showalter's new fairytale series, The Forest Of Good and Evil, tackles the idea of making your own fate and gives a inventive twist to the classic Snow White tale in the process.

One of this books strongest strengths is the world building. The setting feels like a fairytale. The world of Enchantia is vast, and brought to vivid lift. The magic of the world and how it works is also really fascinating. It is the kind of world that is created to be the backdrop to many stories with it being rich in potential. We are introduced to some areas only in passing as we are teased that other fairytales are currently taking place in the land of Enchantia. These other tales, and other lands, have already intrigued me and will provide a great jumping off point for the other books in the series.

Everly is the kind of character that you'll go back and forth on how you feel about them. For most of the novel I couldn't reconcile her actions. She was rash, impulsive, and power hungry. It wasn't until towards the end of the novel that I felt some justification for her actions. I could tell it was supposed to be a gradual turn with each betrayal leading her further down the path to darkness, but many of the things spurring her on could have been cleared up by actually talking with others. She had a lack of trust instantly that was supposed to be a carry over of her treatment in the mortal realm, but I don't personally think that was fleshed out enough for it to resonate the way I expect it was supposed to.

Gena Showalter's background of writing romance novels is evident when reading this. Some of the elements of that genre shine through into this book. They sometimes work and blend into the story and other times they don't quite mesh and stick out. I felt this became particularly evident in how she crafts both her main character and the love interest. Fans of her romance books, however, will probably be happy to discover this aspect of her books made its way into this one at well.

Roth Charmaine, the warrior Prince Charming, reads like my least favourite kind of love interest. He's written as your typical romance alpha male. He is a little softer around the edges than others I have read but his over protective qualities shine steep through a lot of his decisions. It, personally, made it hard for me to like him. He is well respected and does try to make amends for his actions which helped make his character more than just a stereotype.

Free will is a huge part of the story. Everly is told that she has a role to play in the Snow White tale but it isn't clear which one. She thinks her destiny is to be The Evil Queen but the books dives into the notion of self fulfilling prophecy. It grapples with the idea of people actively making choices that lead down a path they feel destined to take which then makes it reality. The book constantly questions if Everly (or any of the characters) could make different choices and have things end up differently.

Family is everything to Everly and these familial ties have the strongest connections in the books. Everly and her bond with her mother and sister is what drives the character and the book. It was nice to see these kinds of bonds driving the main character even more so than any romance. Family connections continue to be an important plot point through out the entire book and made for some of the more emotional elements of the story.

An inventive twist on a classic tale that sets up a much larger world filled with other tales. I may not have entirely loved this one but there is enough there to be enjoyed. I think fans of Gena Showalter's other books will love this one but I think those who are not a fan of her particular writing style will find more of the same here.

The premise of this book intrigued me, I enjoy fractured fairy tales, especially villain origin stories. This book, however, was a complete disappointment. It's the first Showalter book I've read, and may very well be the last. The writing just dragged for me. The idea is great, the execution is not. This book desperately needs a good editor!

First, what I enjoyed:
The idea that we all have the ability to choose for ourselves, despite what fate may have decreed. Everly is very aware of the fact that she's making choices that lead her down one path or another the entire way through the book. This is a great message to send young people.
"Evil isn't born, it's made. One thought and action at a time. Take a good look at what you've made."

Second, what I did NOT enjoy:
The dialogue is laughable! I felt like I was reading a middle schooler's story every time one of the characters opened their mouth. Trite dribble that no high schooler or young adult would ever actually say was over used constantly. It was exhausting!
There was no character development, and I mean ZERO. As the story progressed characters continued to make the same mistakes repeated over and over without learning from them. This got really old, really fast.
There was event after event the dragged and did not contribute much to the plot line. The story has some good action scenes, but it was about 200 pages too long.

Overall, while I did end up finishing this book, it took me over a month! That alone tells you something about the book (and it's not something good). It's not that I was ever too bored while I was reading, I was interested and/or cringing through most of it. But, when I sat down to read, there was always something better to pick up! I found myself putting this one off over and over and over again. I had to force myself to pick it up and finish. Between the time I started and finished this book, I read 14 other novels.

This one is a miss for me, 2 stars instead of 1 because I actually finished it and the idea was intriguing and fun. I do not recommend it.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this ebook from Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

This book just reminded me how much I like fantasy and going into other worlds. Everly and her sister Hartly are just normal mortals living in the real world, except that Everly sees things in mirrors and Hartly can communicate with animals. When they are pulled into Enchantia they find that they are a part of a prophecy. These prophecies are all based off of fairytales and their fairytale is Snow White.
.
.
I loved that you would think it's obvious that Everly is the evil queen because of the mirror thing, but the book keeps twisting and turning and no one actually knows who is what character. One moment she thinks she's the evil queen and the next maybe she's Snow White. There are all kinds of creatures from witches to trolls to nymphs. There were a few times when I had a problem with a character, but the world and concept overshadowed that. Huge Warning: I wanted the sequel right away.
.
.
Thank you @netgalley for the free copy in exchange for a review.

I'm a fan of Showalter and a fan of retellings so I was pretty excited to read this one. It was good, but it felt a little fell a little short of what I was hoping it would be. Overall good characters and perspective, but in a time of many retellings, it wasn't my most favorite. Thank you netgalley for this arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

Fairytale retelling? YES!! From the villain's perspective? YES PLEASE! I LOVE fairytale retellings. So anytime I see one, I immediately add it to my TBR list. I was stoked to read this book. Overall, I liked it (as I do most retellings) but there were a few things that made me give this less than 5 stars. It seems very juvenile for me and I know I'm the target demographic for this book...but that hasn't stopped me before from loving a YA book. It also seemed to jump around a lot...a little too fast for my tastes. Overall, I liked it and I may continue to read the series in hopes that it will develop (in writing/dialogue) a little more.

The Evil Queen Gena Showalter 2 stars

I’ll start by saying that I’m not sure if I just didn’t like the voice/tone of this novel or if the writing was just so bad, I had to drag my way through this book in order to finish it. Again, the premise, just like many ideas floating around the YA community, was fantastic. I loved everything about the description, the cover and the premise of the plot. However, this book sadly did not even come close to delivering what I was expecting of it.

Let’s talk about vernacular for a second. Just because it’s a YA book does not mean we should be dumbing down the vocabulary and word choice. There are plenty of spectacular Middle-Grade books that are well-written and use appropriate language for their target audience and still manage to also deliver great contact. I feel like I should be able to expect this from YA novels as well, however this is not so. The word-choice used in this book is either way out of my age range (meaning I am officially too old) or not all how teenagers are talking and is just what the author merely thinks teens sound like. It sounds more like a spoof of a 90s teenager movie than actual teens. But again...I may just be old.

The plot flow is choppy and again, I believe insulting to teens as well as YA reading adults. The author assumes you can’t infer and make rational connections between foreshadowing and other literary devices. So, she spells it out for you and tells you more of the story than she shows you. Instead of being shown a world, I feel more like someone awkwardly telling a story. It just isn’t good writing. Events are random and seem to have no flow, and the characters seem more like immature 10-year-olds than the 18-year-olds the author claims they are.

All in all, I believe this was a poorly written book and would not recommend it or read any of the authors other books. Absolutely disappointed.

While wanting to know whom the real Evil Queen is, which kept me reading, I ended the book not really satisfied. I felt like I was getting hit on the head with one of the messages; Love as a true strength. I also was having a hard time believing in Prince Charming’s love for Everly. I kept waiting for him to turn on her one more time. His love was all consuming to the point of creepy stalker guy.

I'm a big fan of the recent surge in fairytale retellings, and Showalter's Evil Queen is a good one! In an interesting YA diversion from her usual pretty heavily sexual paranormal romance novels, with some "fade out on the couple kissing" kinda sex scenes, but an interesting plot. To avoid spoilers I won't give too much away, but the idea of a pre-destined life as a character in a well known fairy tale (in this case Snow White) as prophesied by oracles is a newer take on the genre. There is a certain amount of investigation required to suss out who precisely will play which role, and Everly's concern about her potential EQ-status is completely understandable and justified. In the end, it's a nice tale that emphasizes the importance of one's own choices and actions to decide their fate.

The Evil Queen is the first installment of the Forest of Good and Evil series, which will apparently be a retelling or reimagination of our favorite fairytales a la Snow White, Beauty and the Beast, Cinderella, etc.

This first story revolves (obviously) around the various iterations of Snow White and we follow along with our characters to find out which prophecy will control, and which person fills the foretold role of Snow White, the Huntsman, Prince Charming, the Evil Queen, and the seven dwarves/protectors. There is a blending of mortals and magical creatures, and the story transverses multiple realms.

I would say that our "main" character and heroine is Everly Morrow, one half of a set of twins, who is trying throughout the story to figure out if she is the foretold Evil Queen, or maybe even Snow White, and how all these other people fit into her life and story. She has an undeniable attraction and chemistry with Prince Roth Charmaine... but is he the actual Prince Charming or the Huntsman prophesied to betray her? And what about the rest of her friends, family, enemies and frenemies - do they have free will, can they change fate, or is everything going to play out as one of the Snow White tales indicates?

So I really liked Everly and enjoyed watching her navigate this twisty maze of life. My heart went out to her as she worked through grief, heartache, betrayal, and self-realization. We saw her grow as a character and as a person, and I felt like she had matured greatly by the end of the tale.

While the story was a bit slow to start, after I got through the half-way mark, I was hooked and couldn't stop reading. I actually liked the murky aspect of the story and that we didn't know who was inhabiting what role in the fairytale. It made you think about the character's motivations, and how you yourself would react to various situations and scenarios. Sometimes the Schrodinger's Cat references were a bit overdone... but they also played into that murky aspect making you realize that a thing/person can both be something, and not be something, at the same time. Confusing? Of course. It was meant to be.

If you like reimaginations and retellings, I think you will like this series. While the characters are young adult, I didn't feel like they were overly immature or annoying, though I would have liked to see them more in the new adult range with some added spice to the story. But I'm invested enough to keep reading as the later installments get released.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book that I received from the publisher.

I love the premise for the book. Any twisted fairy tale is a good idea, and this one is good. This reminds me a bit of Wicked, in that it tells the story of the Evil Queen in Snow White and all of the steps along the way that created the character we know from the traditional story. I find her, at least in the first half of the novel, to be an extremely sympathetic character.

I love the plot, I love the world in which the novel is set. What I don't always love is the dialogue, which sometimes doesn't feel very realistic. I give the book four out of five stars.

My favorite aspect of this book was the mystery of how the "real" lives of the characters mapped to the Snow White fairy tale. Throughout the entire book, you're never quite sure if Everly is actually the Evil Queen or who the true Snow White is. This carried me through the book and kept me turning the pages even when the story felt a little too long and drawn out (which, unfortunately, it sometimes did for me). Everly's character was a little hard for me to connect to---I have trouble caring about unlikable characters, and she <i>is</i> possibly the Evil Queen, after all. She also sometimes reads a little young, but this is definitely mature YA (lots of violence, some sexual activity), so that might be a disconnect for some people. But Everly's struggle to come to terms with her baser instincts was interesting---and her conflict over her feelings for Roth definitely drew me in too. (I definitely liked Roth, even though sometimes I wasn't sure I would.) And I REALLY loved how we start at the end of the book and then circle back to that scene, when it all has so much more meaning (at the end). I enjoyed the end of the book immensely.

***Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***

It’s funny. I say I have a love/hate relationship for fairytale retellings and yet here I am reviewing my THIRD in 2019. Maybe I like them more than I think? I first stumbled upon this book (dare I say it) by accident. I was at a book signing for Victoria Aveyard, Tahereh Mafi and debut author, Maya Motayne and they were giving away samplers of the first few chapters. And yes, I was definitely intrigued and even more ecstatic when I saw it on Netgalley! SO you know I pounced on it, hoping I would get the chance and I did!! I want to thank Netgalley and the publishers at Harlequin TEEN. This was my first ARC obtained through my blog’s merit and I’m eternally grateful for this opportunity!

“Hidden inside every fairytale is a prophecy of events to come, and I play my part to perfection. Not that anyone understands my endgame—yet.

But you will. Soon. I will set the record straight. Fair warning, my darklings. This tale isn’t for the faint of heart.

Mirror, Mirror on the wall, who will perish when I call?”

The Evil Queen by Gena Showalter took Snow White’s story and manipulated the events to suit an Evil Queen angle while still maintaining the integrity rooted at this fairytale’s core. So far I haven’t really seen many snow white retellings so I don’t have much to compare it to but I must say this one was a masterpiece.

“I looked to the stars, the jewelry of the sky. Pinpricks of light scattered across the inky blackness; the beauty took my breath away.”

Showalter’s writing blew me away. This is the first book I’ve read by her and it will definitely not be the last. It’s obvious she commits to her characters and maintains consistency in crafting them all. The dialogue and interactions between characters were executed with an authenticity that felt real and believable. It was as if she can predict what, you as the reader are thinking and simultaneously answer it in the next line. It was on point! All this made the story flow very easily. She doesn’t bog down the story with description either and that is definitely something you want to see in a fairytale retelling because we know the iconic forest setting loved by most, so there’s no need to go into great detail. Showalter recognized that and instead took time and built up her characters and the differences between her version and Disney’s! And it was a job well done!

“Anger followed the shame. How dare anyone make me feel bad about being me? I wasn’t perfect, but I had a lot to give.”

There were so many times that I was routing for the main character, Everly Morrow. People have deemed her the Evil Queen just because her sister couldn’t be. She’s constantly fighting an assumption and her determination to not give in is admirable. She is strong!

“I can stare at a mirror for hours, so of course I’m vain. I don’t always smile, so of course I’m grumpy and cold. I don’t always care what others think of me, so of course I’m a snob.”

And I definitely loved her sassy and fierce attitude because it made her so funny to read! She has character! And she’s just someone you can’t hate even if she does something that you don’t agree with, she gets you hooked! To me, I saw a lot of Regina Mills, alter ego of the Evil Queen in ABC’s hit show Once upon a time. They share a lot similarities including their destined future as the villain and their fight to knock it off course. I also loved how she wasn’t above doing the “evil” thing if that’s what was needed. The most important quality to Everly and Showalter’s execution is how much care she took to convey Everly’s thoughts because they showed how her intentions were true. It showed her compassion and fight!

“And how had I ever considered his eyes frosted? Those shamrocks smoldered.”

Ok, I must get this out of the way now. Comparing eyes to shamrocks was ingenius! What a great image! And then on top of that Showalter added frosty to the mix! I’m in awe over originality! But let’s move on to who she’s describing, the Prince and Everly’s love interest. I really liked him! He’s strategic and gritty and confident. And the chemistry between him and Everly was scorching! The way Showalter wrote it, readers were privy to all sorts of steamy thoughts from Everly and how much of a nervous wreck she was due to being blinded by hotness. It was funny because she always put on a brave face but we knew how she felt and it made their love story adorable to read! This is definitely a tale with dirty banter and steamy romance. You’ve been warned!

“Oh, that burned! ‘Boo-hoo. Poor you. You have the hots for a spectacular sorceress.’ I rubbed my fists under my eyes, mimicking tears. ‘The travesty!”

Like I said, there are definitely sparks in this love story! And to say that your relationship status is complicated is a definite understatement in this book! There’s an abundance love stories in here, not just this one!

This world also borrows other supernatural themes like the fey, winged creatures and mer-folk and I really liked that added layer to the world. Plus, I loved Vikander, the cocky and seductive fae. He was hilarious and seemed to break up some tension with his relentless stabs at flirting. He was hilariously inappropriate to a fault!

“He gave half a smile and said, ‘I am fae. The most magnificent in all the land, obviously. Have you looked at me? Go ahead, you know you want to…’

‘He’s good at everything, except modesty,’ Roth said. Harsh words were layered with affection. ‘And that’s because he’s exceptional at modesty.’

Vikander grinned a wicked grin. ‘By the way, mortal. If you hoped to seduce the prince, you should have worn a better dress. Or no dress.”

If you’re a fan of Sarah J Maas’s A Court of Thorns and Roses series (ACOTAR), you might want to consider adding this book too, especially if you like Azriel because there’s a very similar character in here! And he’s just as adorable!

I had a lot of fun reading this book and I would definitely recommend this to anyone who loves fairytales and sassy heroines! Even if you’re like me and can’t seem to read many retellings, I urge you to check this one out because it was really good! It has a lot of elements that differ from fairytales that get you hooked! And because this must be addressed and may be just the thing to read this. Their dog is named after a certain god of thunder! Yep, you heard that right!

Another 5 star read for me. I might have to re-evaluate my stance on fairytale’s haha!