I'm torn between 3 and 4 stars. There so much to love about this book, but there's also a few things that I did not like.

First off, I loved how this book gave Princess Aurora a personality! In the Disney-fied version of Sleeping Beauty, the sleeping princess has about 18 minutes of screen time. She's a little more than an idealized plot device in the movie. In this story, Aurora is an idealized princess, but her character does not end there. She has moments of spunk, and I kind of wanted more page time with her. Alyce was a welcome surprise. I really liked her as a MC, and I kept reading to see if she would find her place (& get the princess).

The Grace system was also neat. I thought it was a cool way to tie in the "fairy godmother" characters into this new fantasy world, and this was one of many allusions to the original fairytale! I really enjoyed seeing if I could catch the Sleeping Beauty tie-ins. There's also some political intrigue and whatnot that added to the plot.

The main thing that I did not like about this book (without getting too spoilery) was I thought (due to the blurb and the appearance of being a stand alone) that it would be more of a retelling than origin story. And unfortunately, this was enough to diminish my enjoyment of this novel.

All in all, this was a nice take on the sleeping beauty story. The romance between Alyce and Aurora was nice, and the magic system was neat! However, I didn't love it as much as I wanted to, but I'm sure that many other readers looking for LGBTQ+ takes on classic fairytales will.

I would love to thank NetGalley and publisher, Random House, for allowing me to read an eARC! I really appreciated the opportunity!

Four stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐ for shocking the heck out of me!

Malice is a sapphic fairytale retelling, somewhere in the realm between Maleficent/Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella from the perspective of the perceived "villain" and while I'm not so into re-tellings, I'm always here for a good grey main character.

The worldbuilding here was very, very entrenched in the fairytales a lot of us know and love, but with a twist. Here, the society is built around the Graces: Beings born with magical gifts of beauty, charm, and wisdom, who sell their spells for a price as the kingdom itself protects the border between the human and the fae land. Alyce is not a Grace, however, she is a Vila. The remnant of a dark race of beings who only worked in dark and bitter magic. Though she lives among the Graces and works alongside them, she is shunned and ostracized. There is a longing in Alyce that she can hardly contain: She has no idea who her parents were, why she survived when the rest of her race did not, and truly, she doesn't even know the extent of her own power. A series of events begins to unfold when the Graces and Alyce are invited to the palace for the princess Aurora's birthday.

I was surprised and relieved at the careful balance between the frill of the fantastical and how well thought-out the world was. This is very much a fairytale, but there was enough depth to keep me intrigued. Aurora and Alyce did not fall in love instantly (another fairytale faux pas that always ails me). No, instead they develop a friendship first and the slow-burn romance is both satisfying and enjoyable to follow. I appreciated how the story focused on Alyce finding her power, and herself.

Some plot points did not get as well fleshed out as I would like, but as I've heard there will be a sequel, I'll reserve my judgement until then and can forgive the sort of abrupt, cliff-hanger ending. I truly enjoyed this book all around and was pleasantly surprised to find out just how much. Aurora and Alyce both were very likable and very sweet. If you're here for twisty sapphic fairytales, this one is definitely for you!

Malice will hit the shelves 13 April 2021!

My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for gracing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The elevator pitch given to me for Malice was "lesbian retelling of Sleeping Beauty." The reality is that it is more of a lesbian prequel to Sleeping Beauty that ends when Aurora is sent to sleep. This story is set in a world with graces. Girls born with golden eyes who can craft elixirs from their golden blood. The elixirs can make you more beautiful, or wiser, or dancer better. However the main character Alyce is a dark grace. The only one ever known to exist. Her elixirs are curses that cause warts or make people clumsy. She is forced to work as a grace by the laws of the land but she is shunned and people fear her. Upon meeting the princess Aurora Alyce feels a connection but the royal family is cursed to die on their 21st birthday unless they are kissed by their true love before then and Aurora just turned 21. The two start working together to try and save the princess and free her from her curse.

I enjoy fairy tale re-tellings and thought the LGBTQ+ addition to the story was great. Especially since it went beyond the main characters and it was pointed out that other LGBTQ+ couples existed and were accepted in this world. I felt the world building was great and there was clearly a lot of thought put into the different areas, and people of the world. The characters that Alyce interacted with all had full and interesting backgrounds and felt like complete people. The build up between Alyce and Aurora was well done. However. I feel the pacing was a bit off and times the story dragged a bit especially towards the end. And then the very end felt rushed and sudden. A bit less exposition about the king and bit more of a slow ramp up in the change in Alyce would have created a smoother and less sudden ending I believe. But this is a rather minor critique in a story that I thoroughly enjoyed.

Overall Malice is an enjoyable book and one I was excited to read and will enjoy recommending when it is released. It is an impressive debut novel and I look forward to seeing what else Heather Walter will publish in the future. It had strong Feminist and LGBTQ+ themes that I hope to see continued in her future writing.

Merryweather who? Give me Alyce over a storybook stereotypical fairy any day!

Malice is a dark fantasy retelling of the story of Sleeping Beauty, with more of a feminist perspective. It features a beautiful female/female romance, where you turn into one of those crowd members who start chanting “Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!”. I loved how it focused more on the “villain” rather than the princess in the story. The main character is by no means powerless, but she has been made to feel helpless by those around her. This feeling of helplessness is what turns her into a villain.

Our main character is Alyce, the Dark Grace of the Realm. No one wants to be associated with her, yet at the same time, they require her services whenever they want to curse their enemies. Alyce goes on a journey of character development throughout the course of the story, which is fun to see. She is clearly portrayed as the bad guy or the villain in this story, but it was refreshing to get a perspective of what goes on in the villain’s head.

Heather Walter creates an immersive world for readers to jump into. I don’t think I’ve read a book with this level of world-building in a while. The settings were all very unique. I feel that the system in the book with the Graces and the Vila was a unique idea as well. The Graces in this novel each have their individual specialties (some specialize in beauty, others in cursing one’s enemies….). Definitely better than the forgettable fairies you see in the original Sleeping Beauty movie.

Overall, a captivating reimagination of the Briar Rose/Sleeping Beauty story. I really hope that this has a sequel, as I can't wait to see what happens next.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This felt exactly how I wanted it to feel: like I was reading a fairy-tale.

I am a sucker for an anti-hero or anti-heroine, and the moment I heard of 'Malice' being told from the "evil fairy" POV, I knew I needed it - and I was not disappointed. From the very first chapter, I was drawn into Alyce and her story. I was angry for her, the way the other Grace's and society treated her, and I was curious about why she was so different. Having it be Sapphic was just the icing on the cake. I honestly cannot wait for this book to be released so I can have a physical copy on my shelf (and to force into the hands of my friends demanding they read it).

I can't believe this is the authors debut, but I am officially a fan. I can't wait to see what she comes up with next.

This was a fun, dark fairytale! I really enjoyed the plot line and the characters!!
And the cover is absolutely stunning!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own

Malice by Heather Walter

Not really spoilers, but read at your own risk.

You might like this book if you're a fan of Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella with a little bit of GOT thrown in at the end.

I was attracted to this book because of the cover, but I didn't realize this was a retelling of Sleeping Beauty when I requested it from Netgalley. The book follows the story of Alyce, "the Dark Grace," who is this version's Malificient. She grew up amongst the other Graces that had special abilities to make humans beautiful, smarter, more artistic, etc. (think, the good fairies). All Alyce could do is make curses, such as ugly potions, which earned her the nickname Malyce. Then the royal family is introduced to include Aurora. I personally feel like maybe the princess's name should be changed but I guess that was my first clue that this was a version of Sleeping Beauty. Throw in some Fae influence and some LGBTQ romance and you have yourself a new story.

I actually enjoyed reading the majority of this book. It was an interesting twist to the classic, but I wasn't a big fan of the ending. It was really too similar to GOT for my liking. I know the cartoon version of Sleeping Beauty has a dragon but this was next level. Overall, I gave it a 4. I probably would've given it a 5 with a different ending.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book!

Thank you netgalley and the publisher for sending me this copy.

Sometimes, there are stories you don’t feel drawn into, where you feel detached. And then, there’s Malice.
I was immediately intrigued by the cover, then I saw in the description that it was a queer retelling of Sleeping Beauties which made me feel so excited for this story! I was happy to be approved, and I was not disappointed!

We could say of this book that the pacing is kind of slow, and this is what I liked. I liked it because it allows the readers to immerse themselves into this story, which brought about different aspects from what we usually find in fantasy. Indeed, the story of the Graces was original, and I was really interested in reading about them. Moreover, what I adore in fantasy is well developed word-buildings, when the world has an History, some wars, etc. In Malice, the word-building is well developed, it makes sense and I think it has so much potential to be developed in a series of plenty of books! I want to know more about this world.

Now Alyce… she is different from other main characters in fantasy. She’s not the fiercest, she doesn’t always stand up for herself, but she is still formidable. She went through a lot which makes me feel a lot for her. I love the writing for this exact reason, it is so detailed that I really felt as if I was in her head, every jab, every dirty look, every time it made her feel as if she was worthless. This is the kind of stories that makes you realize that the bad is not always from where we believe it is.
Even though I did not always understand her actions, and I sometimes wanted to shake her, I really liked reading her story and the ending… I like it when the character developments are not the ones we always have in books, and I need the sequel.

I wish there was more of Aurora and more of Aurora and Alyce, I liked the chemistry and because I don’t want to spoil anything, I will not say anything specific but there is a particular scene that became one of my favourite scene throughout all the books I've ever read.

To conclude, a very interesting book in which you can find a well developed world-building, a main character different from every fantasy novels, plot-twists and also breaking hearts (mine).

ARC received from Netgalley for an honest review.
I really wanted to like this retelling of Sleeping Beauty. Our main character is Alyce, a young woman of 20 that makes elixirs and potions that turn out to be more like hexes. She discovers that she is Vila, which is apparently part shifter and part Grace. Alyce falls for Princess Aurora and they decide that the future is female and that they want to rule the kingdom together.
I felt like I didn't read enough of Alyce and Aurora spending time together and developing more of their relationship. I get that it is a "forbidden" love. It felt like it was lacking more details on that aspect. It's an okay read and I do love the plot behind the book. I however did not care for the ending.

This book was received as an ARC from Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine Del Rey in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

I could not get enough of this book. I am a huge fan of Sleeping Beauty and the many variations. This one is the first that I have heard where it is in the point of view of the villain who is actually named Alyce instead of Malificent and her perception of Sleeping Beauty (Aurora) was a pleasant and Aurora actually cared about Alyce even though Alyce was responsible for Aurora's sleeping curse and she still cared about her and loved her. If this is not the true meaning of friendship and love, I do not know what is. You want to lean towards the good side of Aurora but you have some sympathy for Alyce, the choice is complicated. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I know our teen book club will have a lot to say for it.

We will consider adding this title to our YA collection at our library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.

Malice takes the Sleeping Beauty story in a different direction with hints of Cinderella as well.

Alyce is not a typical Grace, mortals born with the power of the light Fae used to make nobels beautiful, graceful etc. Abandoned as a young child, she is part Vila, a type of dark Fae. Patrons visit her, the Dark Grace, not for beauty or wisdom, but for vengeful elixirs. Treated as an abomination because of her heritage, all she wants is to escape Briar and be accepted, treated as an equal. Meanwhile, due to a Vila curse, the land of Briar is down to it’s final heir, Aurora. She must kiss her true love before her twenty-first birthday or she will perish, leaving the kingdom in chaos. When the two meet at a masquerade ball, Alyce is surprised to discover the princess is not afraid of her or her powers. The two become close as they try to discover a way to break the curse on Aurora. The story follows Alyce’s journey of self-discovery as she learns the full extent of her powers and who she can trust. Will her choices and friendship with the princess lead her to redemption or corruption?

Walter creates an engaging story that leaves readers eager for more with an ending that promises a sequel.

I recieved a copy of Malice by Heather Walter from NetGalley for my honest opinion.

I love retellings and reinterpretations of fairytales and Malice for the most part delivers. The worldbuilding is flawlessly executed, The story itself is mix of Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella and Beauty and the Beast. This book is everything I look for. Ever since reading the Young Elites, I’ve been looking for main characters who aren’t so good, who are ruthless and cruel. This book delivered. I was wary for the first half, because Alyce seemed pretty stereotypical. The last 1/4 of this was absolutely amazing though, and I look forward to rereading this and catching all of the details I missed. I can't wait to read more books by this author.

First of all, thank you NetGalley and Del Rey Books for allowing me to read this story. To be able to understand the side of the evil sorceress is something I think will be greatly under appreciated, as are many minorities, whether that be minorities of color or sexual orientation, and that’s something I as a part of the LGBTQ community seriously appreciate. The relationship between Alyce and the Graces was fraught with much tension, something that I don’t think will be resolved, probably ever. Alyce’s connection to the Fae Lord was something I thought would end up destroying one or the other, and I’m not sure that it didn’t destroy something in Alyce herself. It was obvious from the beginning the Alyce was going to be Aurora’s true love, and the twist in that where her father turned evil was a little unexpected. Kal’s evil (the Shifter prisoner) was unexpected, after what was probably centuries of imprisonment. His revenge and his Vila “lover” cursing Aurora was messed up, but Alyce working with her in the end to do what she did to Briar was a pleasant surprise. This book is well worth the read, and I cannot wait for its inevitable release date next year.

Note: Book ends on a cliff hanger. It is a great read. Alyce is a Vila, not quite a Grace but not evil. We see her discover her true powers while her friendship with Princess Aurora builds. There are many themes within this well written tale. Friendship, acceptance, trust and love. This is not a Maleficent and Aurora tale, no. It is quite different. You will see yourself in many of the characters within the book. I can't wait for part 2.

Malice was a pretty interesting read set in a realm where some of the people there are gifted with a bit of magic in their blood. They are called Graces and their blood isn't red but gold. However, these Graces don't have powers forever. Once they have used too much, they start to fade and silver starts to show in their blood.

Our main character, Alyce, is called a Dark Grace. She's actually the only one in this realm that is part Vila. Her blood is Green instead of Gold and while the other Graces can produce elixirs for beauty, wisdom, healing, Alyce can only create them for destruction. She is feared and mistreated by everyone for her heritage and differences. The only one that seem to care for her is the Princess Aurora. She is cursed to die at the end of the year if she doesn't kiss her true love.

Overall, I liked this book. I had forgotten it had a lgbt romance and I was really happy and excited to see how it was going to evolve after their first meeting. The plot and setting was pretty interesting to me. However, while I liked how this book ended in a way... I also kind of hate it and how it left things with a certain character. I'm still unsure how to feel about it all and it makes me wonder if the author was planning on a sequel or if she preferred to stop it here. I guess we'll see!


(Thank you for letting me read and review an ARC via Netgalley)

What a great twist on a fairy tale! I love seeing a story from the villain's point of view, especially because they're usually mistreated and/or misunderstood. The fact that this is also a wlw romance made me so happy!

This retelling of Sleeping Beauty asks what if the key to breaking the princess's curse wasn't a prince, but the villain? Alyce isn't the Vila (like a dark fairy) who originally cursed Aurora's family, but she is a descendant. She's treated like a caged wild animal, the people fear her but also use her abilities for curses and ways for them to get back at their enemies. Alyce meets the princess and there's instant attraction and chemistry. I love the way Aurora treats Alyce like she's precious and doesn't shy away from her Vila heritage.

As we see Alyce start to go down the path of a villain, your heart goes out to her. Can you blame her for wanting revenge against those that hurt her? She fights to free Aurora from her curse and save her love, but others are always standing in the way. How far will Alyce go to save her love?

The ending of this is crazy and I'm really hoping for a sequel. I'm excited for this to be released so everyone can check out this awesome story!

I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

I got an ARC of this book at a conference, where several speakers talked up this title. I was not disappointed! This is one excellent read. If you like retold fairy tales and learning why the villains in fairy tales did what they did, this book is for you. This book speaks to anyone who has felt like they don't belong, to anyone who has been treated poorly because they were different, for anyone who dares to dream of finding a home somewhere other than they are. I loved seeing the budding romance and seeing Alyce learn to use her power. That said, the book is not perfect. I felt a bit lost in the first few chapters, where I wish more of the world building had been explained earlier. But I hung in there, and by chapter 4-5 or so, I felt fully immersed in the world, and I'm glad I did, because it was a satisfying, emotionally fulfilling ride after that. My other complaint is that I didn't realize the book was the first in a duology when I started reading. I so wanted to see the happily ever after in this book! Alas, I have to wait for book two, which I hope will come out very, very soon.

I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Oh man, Malice was a great fairy-tale retelling! Give me evil sorcerers any day and I will be happy. After meeting Alyce, I honestly felt so bad for her. Her living situation wasn't easy and everyone within the Lavender house treated her like shit. She did have one friend but I had a suspicious feeling about her..

Along the way, she meets Princess Aurora. Now stopping here, I was getting some Cinderella meets Sleeping Beauty vibes. Just because the house that Alyce lived at basically treated her as a servant even though she actually worked with clients as well. Ugh, Rose was the worst person in that house and I despised her. As for the Sleeping Beauty.. well Aurora - duh!

Everyone within this kingdom was an asshole. A selfish asshole. Well, everyone but Aurora. Her dad just wants her to be married and her curse lifted.. and she just doesn't want to marry anyone. Basically these guys all suck.

Once these two formed a friendship, I loved them together. Then feelings grew between them and I was even happier. I loved them together but of course, I knew my happiness was going to be taken away. Rather swiftly too.

All I'm going to say is.. everyone in this kingdom should be afraid. You created a monster and now you have to live with her revenge. I hated how she was betrayed but damn - I loved the evilness. Definitely look forward to another book by this author!

Woooowww twisted!! This story is a fantastic fantasy, LGBTQ, and feminist representative. Plus, it’s dark and twisted and evil in all the right ways. That being said, it was a bit long... some parts just weren’t necessary. Similarly, while several twists or revelations felt brilliant, a few felt obvious or a little too convenient. Overall, great story, good romance, decent writing. A much better Sleeping Beauty retelling than I ever expected to read!

Heather Walter's "Malice" is a dark, sapphic re-telling of Sleeping Beauty but I also saw shades of Cinderella and Beauty and the Beast. I would recommend this book to fans of the ACOTAR series, Maleficent or The Lunar Chronicles.

From what I had heard from others, I expected Malice to be heavy on the romance but really, this is Alyce's story. Of course, her relationship and subsequent romance with Princess Aurora is a part of her story, but the biggest part of the plot revolves around Alyce learning the true scope of her powers, how to use them (and how not to use them!) and discovering her own sense of self. . She went through extraordinary character development. She was easily my favorite character. She is such a fully fleshed character that I felt her embarrassment, humiliations and frustrations.

I really liked the fact that she had a kestrel as a companion pet (and a little frog too). The kestrel is named Callow and he is like a kindred soul to her because they are both damaged in their own ways and suffered abuse at the hands of others. But Callow has found a safe home with Alyce and I love the pureness of that!

The cover of this book is stunning! I would love to see this book in subscription boxes like Owl Crate or Fairy Loot. The cover and the imagery n the book would inspire gorgeous merchandise.

My sole complaint was that it started off a little slow. However, once it got going I could not put the book down!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.