Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a free electronic copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Alyce is a Dark Grace who serves Briar by concocting elixirs that are of a more unpleasant nature. Have a rival who could use a face full of worts? Alyce is your go to Vila. A half-breed who can only curse living amongst the other Graces who provide beauty, pleasure, and healing. Until she catches the Princess Aurora’s eye, Alyce is nothing more than a mongrel, caged to do the empire’s building because of a treaty between humans and fae.

Part love story, part twisted fairy tale. This wonderful retelling of Sleeping Beauty will leave readers guessing until the end. A wonderful LGBTQ reimagining that will delight all fans of dark fantasy and those who identify more with the villains in stories than the helpless princess.

I really liked this book!

In short, it is a retelling of Sleeping Beauty from the perspective of the dark fairy who cursed the princess with a sleeping sickness. While the book does hit specific plot points expected with the fairy tale, it is its own story and almost more like a prequel. One could draw some similarities to Disney's live action film "Malificent." (While I think it will appeal to fans of that film, I am not saying that they are the same, though.)

This book had a number of twists, more than I was expecting, and that's a good thing. I felt this served both to build sympathy for the main character, Alyce, and keep the reader engaged.

A Sleeping Beauty retelling told from the point of view of the "dark fairy" (in this book: the Dark Grace) - yes, the one with the spindle... and she falls in love with Aurora. The magic system is complex and variegated, the world building a delightful labyrinth of promises and betrayals. The romance might have taken a little bit to come, but it was well worth the wait and made my heart melt and explode and shatter and collapse in on itself like a dying star. The morally gray narration was simply wonderful - a "monster" who doesn't want to be a monster but is pushed further and further into that monster role until it becomes difficult to separate perception from internal desire.

I finished this last night and... I can't even. Incoming book hangover.

It seems like fairy tale retellings are all the rage right now, so a book needs to bring something new to the table to stand out - and Malice by Heather Walter absolutely does this. While the movie Maleficent introduced us to love between the princess and the evil sorceress, Malice takes that to another level and creates a romantic love story. Part of the experience of reading this book is following the love story while knowing how the original Sleeping Beauty ends. How much of that original endings remains? That tension is part of what kept me invested and turning the pages.

Another part of what kept me reading was Alyce herself. She is a compelling and sympathetic protagonist, relatable even while doing unrelatable things. I fast found myself rooting for her, hating the torment she had to endure, and hoping for her happy ending. In addition, Ms. Walter invented a type of magic system I haven't seen before and wove it into the civilization and social structure of the world she created, which made the read interesting.

There were a couple things that didn't make much sense to me and some pieces of information that were only revealed to the reader at the exact time they were relevant (for example, there was a point where Alyce figured something out because of what happened in her past, but that was the first time the reader was told about it). However, these are minor issues and didn't detract from my enjoyment. I am eagerly awaiting the sequel.

What if the princess wasn’t helpless and awaiting her Prince? What if her Prince was really the evil sorceress in the realm? Malice, by Heather Walter, manages to create a beautiful retelling of Sleeping Beauty. Her novel feels familiar, yet fresh enough to warrant revisiting this classic tale. I will always be intrigued by the villain’s backstory, and that is one of the best things this novel has to offer. Alyce, the Dark Grace, evolves through this book so profoundly that in the beginning it is difficult to see how Alyce would be viewed as evil.

Alyce is an incredible character and a great example of how villains are generally made, rather than born. By being the only Dark Grace in the realm she is treated poorly and really her evolution into the evil sorceress is entirely the doing of the people around her. Alyce begins as a depressed lonely girl, shifts into a morally ambiguous woman and finally makes the final step into villain hood, but honestly I found her lovable every step of the way. Walters does a great job of humanizing characters that you think you couldn’t empathize with.

Walters’ background as an English teacher is entirely expected because aside from characterization, the world building she achieves in one book is remarkable. She creates the tension and history between the realm of fairy, the human world, and the realm of the Vila in such a way that you feel as though this mythology cannot possibly be the work of one writer. The world is rich and organic and entirely believable. This realm of faerie feels incredibly real.

Aurora isn’t fragile but strong and a visionary. Walter makes the reader question how a princess becomes a queen and what internal changes must occur for this to happen. This Sapphic love story manages to hit all of the points of the original while twisting the love interest, but this novel is about so much more than that. It begs such questions as, “are villains made or born?”, “is violence and hatred ever justified?”.

Malice was an incredible read and I am eagerly looking forward to the sequel. Thank you Net Galley for giving me this arc to read. If you like dark fantasy, fairy tales, LGBTQIA romance stories or just really gritty fiction, Malice will not disappoint.

CW: abuse, violence, blood and gore.

I adored this book! Though the setting with royals, fae and magic may be familiar, Walter takes the fantasy genre to new heights with exquisite world building and characters of depth. The beginning is a bit of a slow start but you'll soon be swept into the world of Briar and it's good vs evil. For those interested in the Sapphic side, you will have to be patient and don't expect anything R rated. Instead enjoy an angsty, sweet romance that will make your heart swell. I did find the very ending somewhat unsatisfying as it seemed so abrupt. I am thinking, however, that there may be a sequel...I can only hope because I'm ready for more! #NetGalley

Look, let me just shout it out right now…this book was so good! I’ve read many books that like to claim to be villain origin stories and fairy-tale retellings but Malice? Malice takes home the gold medal. We have a winner folks, every one else go home.

But not really, keep giving me villain origin stories. I love them. But Malice is simply superb.

Disney has shoved the concept of the princess Aurora, her handsome prince, a kiss, and happily ever after down our throats for decades. I’m not even a Disney fan and I know the story. The lovely princess is cursed to sleep forever, only to be woken by true love’s kiss.

But, how did she get there?

In Malice we follow Malyce, or Alyce, a Dark Grace that is chained to a Grace House in the city of Briar with her strange and unique powers at the beck and call of whoever can pay for her services. The other Graces all are charmed to grant beauty, wisdom, kindness, and a bevy of other things that the elite long to have and are able to pay for. Alyce, well, Alyce grants curses. Warts, disfigurements, ailments, and on occasion she is required by the palace to “ease” the passing of someone beyond the scope of a Healing Grace.

Alyce hates her life and is ridiculed and bullied by all of the other Graces. Her patrons meet her in secret and though they pay for her services in private they would never accept her in public. That is, until she meets Aurora. Aurora is the last living princess and if she does not kiss her one true love by her 21st birthday she will die, struck down by a curse that has lasted generations. Aurora accepts Alyse exactly as she is although neither woman is willing at first to admit aloud the feelings that bloom between them.

What follows is a series of circumstances that are heartbreaking but you just can’t look away.

There is little more I love in a story than a sympathetic villain and Malice makes you feel for Alyce and the life she never asked to lead. She didn’t want to grant curses and cause harm to others. She didn’t want to be hated and feared by everyone around her. She didn’t want to be a pawn. But life very rarely gives you what you want and for Alyce it is no different.

I would would highly recommend this book to fans of upper YA fantasy. It is well written, engaging, and gives you a tragic glimpse into the story of one of Disney’s greatest villains.

A thoroughly enjoyable Sleeping Beauty re-telling!! Malice takes that fairy tale and makes it distinctly its own, with a wonderful new world full of fae, magic and a generations long curse. Briar is a human Queendom that made a treaty with the light fae of Etheria long ago. In exchange, the fae bestow powers on certain Briar girls giving them a variety of magical gifts. These women, called Graces, can produce charms and elixirs to enhance beauty and other abilities for a short period. These Graces with their golden blood are held held in high esteem, are paid for their work and seem to have a blessed life, however, their gifts are not lifelong and fade with time. And then there's Alyce, her blood is green, not gold and her heritage is of the Vila, a race that is considered vile and evil. She is the Dark Grace, and her elixirs are sought after for those wishing evil upon others. While Alyce's gifts are highly sought, she herself is belittled, scorned and treated horribly by her fellow Graces. A chance encounter with Kal, a man imprisoned by a curse in a crumbling tower and Aurora, the last daughter of the Queen set Alyce's life on a new path to learning about her past and her powers. Aurora, cursed to die at 21 unless she receives true loves kiss, befriends Alyce and an unexpected relationship blossoms that threatens to tear down Briar. Because the princess is not supposed to fall in love with the villain.
This story just pulled me right in. I thought the magic of the Graces and the world of Briar so intriguing, as is the history of the light fae of Etheria and the Vila of Malterre. The politics of the crown, the laws of the Graces and how they are themselves chained by the crown really add depth to the story. While built from a fairy tale that easily distinguishes between the good and evil characters, that is not so simple here. Alyce is so easy to like and root for because she has had truly bad things happen to her and you can understand how she ends up making the choices that she does. Her relationship with Aurora is lovely and heartbreaking. The twists and turns along with Alyce's embracing of her power and willingness to stand up for what she wants will keep you engaged throughout the entire book. I absolutely recommend this for anyone who loves a fully realized fantasy world with a fairy tale woven into the story. I am so looking forward to the sequel.

This book is completely unlike anything else I’ve read! A Sleeping Beauty retelling with so many new twists and a fresh take on a classic tale I truly enjoyed this book and found myself looking forward to picking it up every night!

Alyce is the Dark Grace, a half vila who has been raised in Briar by the graces (half fae light magic wielders) who goes through her entire life untrusted and looked down upon by everyone around her. She meets Aurora, the cursed princess who will die on her 21st birthday if she doesn’t find and kiss her one true love. In this fresh take on Sleeping Beauty Alyce is her true love and this story is their tale.

The storyline was interesting. There were some twists I saw coming but the end was really well done! Seeing Alyce fully embrace her dark magic and truly become a vila to be feared and learning the reasons behind this transformation was by far my favorite part of this story!

I want to rank it 3.5 stars but they don’t have half star ratings! But this book was good and I’d definitely recommend to anyone interested in unique fairytale retellings!

This title is exactly the type of YA material I have been looking for. Fantasy and magic (dungeons and dragons feeling) with LGBT+ characters and themes. This book would be a very solid read for most of my teens, but I will say it took a long time to lead up to the story and the worldbuilding was tedious. For some, that wouldn't be a problem...but I wanted it to start getting "can't put down good" sooner so that it would catch reader's interest faster.

When I read the synopsis for this book I was really excited to read. I love fairy tale retellings and origin-type stories for villains. I will start by saying there is nothing really wrong with this book. The world the author has created is original and interesting, the characters are complex, and the pacing is good. Despite all of that I had so much trouble getting into this book, after a while reading it felt like a chore rather than exciting. Even now as I write up my thoughts here I can't quite put my finger on why. My best guesses are either I have just passed the age where I can still easily connect with the young adult genre or the "bad guys" in the story were so awful that I couldn't stand to keep reading a story in which there were only a few redeemable characters. I didn't necessarily care about any of these bad guys, but I thought the destruction at the end was a bit of overkill. I can certainly imagine the target audience for this book loving it and encourage teen readers to check it out. The ending certainly keeps the door open for another story within this world and I do hope the author continues to visit it.

All the stars!!

Falling into this story felt like falling into the magical fairy tales of my childhood, except completely different. The elaborate world that Walter has created around the basic story of Sleeping Beauty is incredible. It's complex, it's grungy, it's full of misogyny and xenophobia and double standards. Once the story starts digging into the nitty gritty of this kingdom and how things actually work, it's downright uncomfortable, especially when you consider the parallels to our world today. But it's the perfect world to create when you want your audience to be on the side of the best character of all: the villain.

Alyce. Malyce. Alyce is different. While the magical Etherian peoples have been gifting a select few females in the kingdom with golden blood that has magical properties (that others pay a lot of money to take advantage of for vain purposes), Alyce has green blood, because she's part Vila, the enemy to both humans and Etherians. Alyce doesn't know her mother or father or where she came from. All she knows is that she is the outsider and most people would rather see her dead for what she is, including the people who pay her for her blood that can curse their personal rivals.

Everything changes when Alyce meets Princess Aurora. Does the princess seem to...like her? Impossible. Alyce is Vila. NOBODY likes her. Aurora must be using her for something, a devious plot, a simple amusement. ...But what if she isn't?

GET READY for Malice to take you on a fantastical journey as it explores feminism, power, sexual awakening, sacrifice, and how our minds can so easily turn on us, all within a world of dark magic, where the evil isn't necessarily where you expect it, and the conclusion will have you gasping for breath. I cannot wait to dive back into this enchantingly shadowy world.

Loved Malice! Excellent world-building and character/plot development. The reader immediately sympathizes with the main character despite how resentful and angry her treatment/experiences have made her.
Similarities to past Sleeping Beauty stories are evident but not belabored. Alyce's initial mistrust of Aurora's friendship and disbelief that anyone as seemingly perfect as Aurora could fall in love with her are understandable but heartbreaking nonetheless. The love that develops between Aurora and Alyce is sweet and the love scenes tender with just a hint of steam.
Will be recommending this book to friends and students, and adding it my library's purchase list.

4.5/5 Stars!


I've never been the biggest fan of retellings, some are pretty good and others destroy the original story. Malice is a Snow White retelling that I absolutely loved! It was different enough that you had no clue as to what was going to happen, but still carried the undertone of the original. The characters are all phenomenal, each one having their own key role - no extra fluff. This is a really fast read that I thoroughly enjoyed.

This is the first book I've read by Heather Walter and I'm definitely a fan now. I want to thank Netgalley and the Random House for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Princess Aurora is the last heir to Briar’s throne. However, she’s cursed to die on her twenty-first birthday unless the curse is broken by true love’s kiss. Now twenty, she has only one year remaining, and Alyce, a Dark Grace—feared by all the queendom--wants to do anything in her power to try and save her.

A sapphic retelling of Sleeping Beauty? A sympathetic villain origin story from the eyes of the villain?

Yes, please.

I wanted to love this story so badly. It had so much promise and potential, but what I got was a mixed bag of disappointment.

I think this partially boils down to pacing and focus issues. For instance, there were aspects of the story that I found really compelling (like the Graces being used and treated like commodities or the politics between Briar and the Fae). However, the beginning choses instead to focus on petty catfights and insults between the Graces.

Then the ending itself felt incredibly rushed to me. The last third of the novel introduces several serious plot developments—many of which are quickly and unceremoniously resolved.

Overall, the concept was fantastic, but unfortunately, I felt the execution was sloppy here.

A ral twist on fairy tales one which I have never read before didn't expect the part of the kiss which I should say befits today's world. It is well written and if there will be another book after this I sure am looking forward to reading it. AMAZING!!!! Couldn't put it down. A twist with a monster .
Thank You,
Amy Friedman

Villains are my favorite characters in books (most times). There's something about being ruthless and evil that just makes me giddy. Being good is so overrated. The great William Shakespeare said it best, “Good without evil is like light without darkness which in turn is like righteousness whith out hope.” Just think of my evilness as the light at the end of the tunnel.

We all know the story of Sleeping Beauty and how a handsome Prince kissed the Princess to break the spell. This turns that classic story on its head with the Dark Grace falling for the Princess. A relationship that will break all boundaries and perhaps that nasty curse. She just may have to kiss a lot of toads along the way.

This was good, not perfect. Things rarely are in this world. The story started off slower than I usually like but something made me push through. I think it was the promise of something dark and evil. Who knows, but I did. There were a few times where it almost started to lose me towards the end. But like I said, there was still something there that kept me hanging on. I'm glad I did because when the story was good, it was damn good. Like, let's read this and lose some sleep good.

When I first started to read this, I was expecting this to be full of romance. Where the Princess meets the Dark Grace, then we cue the heart eyes and the bad soft music. This story was so much more than that. It was about Alice finally figuring out who and what she is. About finding that inner power and using it to its fullest extent. Tsk tsk tsk. Ah, I love a villain with a passionate heart.

Malice was a great book with phenomenal characters. You'll easily fall in love with Alice and break right along with her. You may initially have different thoughts about our Dark Grace but give it time. If you love dark fantasy with powerful females who fall in love, then this is for you. My hope is that readers give this one a chance. You won't be disappointed.

4.5 stars

Malice is not your typical fairytale. But then again, is it a fairytale if the villain is at the forefront?

In this novel, we follow Alyce, otherwise known as “The Dark Grace.” She’s half-Villa, a breed of fae that is feared for their cruel powers that started a war long ago. Nowadays, her powers are instead used in one of the Grace houses, where fae-blessed girls use their powers in elixirs of sorts so that nobles can get a boost in their beauty, knowledge, and more. However, because of her Villa magic, the only thing Alyce can do is form elixirs to harm, and the other Graces make her suffer because of her heritage.

But then, she meets the crown princess, Aurora, who is cursed to die on her 21st birthday if she doesn’t get her true love’s kiss, and they form a connection. All despite the fact that it was one of Alyce’s own that placed the curse on Aurora’s bloodline.

The one thing that really stood out to me in this novel was the world-building, because it was damn fantastic. Walter describes Briar in such a fantastical and dreamlike way that following Alyce through its streets almost made me feel as though I was out of place as well.

The magic system in place was also super interesting and felt very natural and integrated through the world without any info-dumps. It was really interesting to see Alyce’s magic grow, and we as the reader were given just enough information at the right time to make us feel like we’re discovering it with her.

The characters were also amazingly written, each of them the dictionary definition of complex. Each one, despite their weaknesses and shortcomings, all had something to sympathize with, and they all felt so real in their own right I can almost imagine them as actual people. The only part I didn’t really like about the characters was Alyce. Yes, I do love her character, but sometimes her “I am the villain” brooding would trip over the line between guilt and melodramatic. While it’s okay to have a few melodramatic moments, I could not for the life of me see what was making her act this way. I’m not saying that she didn’t have her fair share of horrible choices and guilt, but it felt like she was getting too carried away with it at times.

Throughout the entire book, I swear I kept screaming at my Kindle for Aurora and Alyce to kiss. At first, their relationship seemed a bit forced, but as they got closer, I think my fondness for their friendship grew. Their dynamic felt sort of like dipping your toes into the water to check the temperature before you jump in, except both of them kept dipping their toes because they couldn’t glean the temperature the first a hundred times. Needless to say—the tension between these two was real.

Despite their rocky relationship development at first, I really loved how realistic their relationship was. Yes, this is a fairytale, but Walter takes that word completely flips it on its head. Alyce, despite being attracted to Aurora, knows her place in the world, and knows what people in Briar think of her kind. She knows Aurora is the princess, and rightfully has doubts about everyone’s motives. This sort of “is she actually...? or is she not...?” game had me on the edge of my seat the entire ride.

The reason why I took off half a star (other than the little things listed above) was because of the pacing. I hadn’t realized that months had passed in the book until it was said to us. For all I knew, it felt like it was happening within weeks. Some scenes were written out over tons of pages and chapters, while others just happened in one. It wasn’t hard to follow, per se, it just threw me off my reading experience a bit. It also often took me a long while to get through certain scenes, hence why my reading time was spread over a month.

Overall, Malice was a spectacular debut from Heather Walter. Now, I shall proceed to pray to the ARC gods so that I may be approved for the sequel as well. If you’re a fan of villain origin stories or just fantasy in general, please give this novel a try!

Great book! I am definitely going to look more into this author. I was pulled right in to this book, definitely recommend.

4.5/5 stars
Trigger/Content Warnings: violence, blood/gore, death

"If they want a monster, they shall have one."

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Del Ray, and Heather Walter for letting me read an eARC of Malice.

This book has been buzzing around the book community, and for good reason. It's a Sleeping Beauty retelling, but make it sapphic.

Alyce, aka "The Dark Grace," is half Vila, a breed despised by the people of the queendom of Briar. The Graces, who are magically gifted from the Fae, especially despise Alyce and make her life a living nightmare. Alyce believes that no one (save for her pet kestrel, Callow) cares for her until she meets the crown princess Aurora. They form a bond stronger than any magic, including the curse Aurora's family has endured for generations. Once the princesses of Briar turn 21, they will die unless kissed by their true love. It's a tale as old as time...or is it? The princess isn't supposed to fall in love with the evil sorceress...is she?

If I had to sum this novel up in one phrase, it would be: "Good for her."

I absolutely adored this book. The world-building, beautiful. The characters, perfect. The sexual tension, dragon's fucking teeth it was good (read the book, it will make sense).

So the world-building, let's talk about it. I love how this feels like reading a fairytale. The dialogue is definitely more modern, but the story feels so familiar and almost ancient (in a great way). The depth that is put into writing the world of Briar and beyond is incredible. I love how Walter took elements from the original story of Sleeping Beauty and put them into this retelling. There's fae lore, queendom politics, and even "tea" about the previous queens of Briar. We live for it. Not to mention the magic system is brilliant and feels a bit like a political statement in the way the Graces' magic is regulated through laws.

And the characters - my god, each one feels so complex. Everyone is morally grey in this world which is such a great reflection of life as it is. People are complex and intentions aren't always what they seem. And different things motivate different people, sometimes to the point of breaking. I don't want to spoil the ending - but I just have to say that with the way things ended for Alyce, I get it. I honestly would want to do the same if I was in her shoes.

The sexual tension was...unexpected and SO appreciated. I thought things would stop at a kiss, but I was absolutely mistaken and I've never been so happy to be wrong. It was flat-out sexy and so beautiful to see women loving each other in an emotional AND physical way. Please bring on all the sapphic romances from now on!

My final thoughts are that I need a sequel yesterday. And I'm seeing confirmation online that there will be one, thank GOD. I cannot recommend this book enough. Put your preorders in ASAP - I know I am!

Heather Walter, well done on your debut. This is stunningly written and I will read anything you write from now on. Once again, dragon's teeth, this was so good!