This is a story of true love. But there is no happy ending. We all have good and bad lurking beneath the surface. Sometimes the world is so loud we can’t help but be what it tells us we are. Alyce is reviled by all. Because of the color of her blood, the veins that run green. When she falls in love with Aurora, she will stop at nothing to keep that love alive. If you enjoy fairytale retellings, this book is a must.

In the delightful tradition of "Wicked" and the flipped fairy tales of Margaret Atwood, Heather Walter's debut novel is "Malice." A spin on "Sleeping Beauty," "Malice" is full of imagination and intrigue. As with "The Hunger Games," there are districts dividing the poor and the wealthy. Districts have Graces assigned to them (enslaved, really) whose blood has special powers. Only one House for Graces, Lavender House, has a Dark Grace: Alyce, who is the equivalent of the bad fairy, or if you're talking Disney, Maleficent. Alyce's blood can curse people, and her skills are in hot demand, because once the Graces have given you an advantage with their blood potions (sexiness, beauty, wisdom) the only thing left to do is to disadvantage your rivals with foul curses. That's where green-blooded Alyce comes in. She can make your enemies break out in warts or hives, or make their hair fall out.

Walter tosses in a Cinderella angle at the beginning, in which Alyce doesn't get to go to the ball because she's not beautiful enough and the other Graces in the house mostly dislike her. She manages to go only because it's a costume ball. Then she meets a mysterious stranger in a ruined castle, who starts to tell her the true history of her kind, the inconvenient history that was not written by the winners.

There is indeed a Princess Aurora in the Kingdom of Briar, and a magic spindle that enchants Aurora with sleep, but the relationship of Aurora and Alyce couldn't be much more surprising, and it turns out that blood potions are not where Alyce's true power lies.

I was not as immersed in Alyce as I like to be with a first-person narrator, and I felt that Aurora was rather flat (personally I wanted her to be super naughty and bratty). Nevertheless, I enjoyed the book up until the last few chapters, in which a very predictable plot twist finally occurred and then it seemed as though the author was rushing, losing control over the pace, and adding too many different kinds of powers to Alyce. The ending was so abrupt that surely there must be a sequel coming. It didn't feel like an ending at all.

Thank you to NetGalley for this copy of the book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I fell in love with the cover and just had to find out more about the book. When I found out it was a fairytale retelling, I was excited. I love those.

The way it was written made it easy for me to get into the world the author had created. I loved the way the author chose to write the characters.

All in all I was pleased.

This book is beautiful. The darkness, the longing, the slow build of romance, all of it.

This is a f/f sleeping beauty retelling and it’s magical to it’s core. I’m a sucker for retellings but this took me completely by surprise. The writing style makes everything so atmospheric and I immediately fell in love with the world and characters. I love the addition of magic/magical beings with the history of the story, it made it feel so much more original and made the story unpredictable in the best of ways.

I’m so happy I came across this on NetGalley and was approved for an arc, this has been one of my favorite reads of the year and I’m going to be pushing it on everyone once it’s released.

Immediately, have to applaud the fact that this book is inclusive, exactly the kind of fairytale of which we need more.
Imagine if Loki retold Sleeping Beauty: A little verbose, but creative, clever, full of surprises and danger. Fans of Holly Black will gobble this book up, and thirst for more.

This is a soft three stars for a book I desperately tried to love.

“Malice” follows Alyce a Dark Grace as she has the power to create curses from the green in her blood but is an outcast amongst those who are blessed with veins of gold. When her path crosses that of the Princess Aurora she finds herself digging deeper into what makes a villain and trying to undo the curse that threatens the kingdom’s most beautiful heir.

I am a huge fan of fairy tale retellings especially those that give us the point of view of the villain but this book left a lot to be desired. The fist 40% was like a slow march through molasses as I tried to keep my interest focused on a story that I was never able to connect with. It’s clear what the author had in mind pulling a bit from different resources including some Cinderella, Wicked and of course Sleeping Beauty but it favored that of the live action version meaning that all plot points designed to be a “twist” were nothing more than a retelling itself which ruined any chance of a good climax.

Where I wish the story would have focused was on the curse and the legacy of the queens themselves as I felt like we were given bits and pieces when convenient for a villain but never enough to really explore that dynamic of the first curse and why the dynamic between Alyce and Aurora was so important other than the obvious.

There is a set up for a sequel which I’m almost certain we’ll get at some point and maybe that will smooth out some of the rough edges here as I do think there is something to enjoy with a f/f enemies to lovers like dynamic but alas we shall see.

I feel like I kept waiting for this story to take off but unfortunately like the famous spindle I was quick to sleep, though I do appreciate the authors note featuring her good natured humor at the end.

**special thanks to the publishers and netgalley for providing an arc in exchange for a fair and honest review**

Narrated entirely by ‘the villain’ in the same lovely and flowing manner in which the book blurb was written, ‘Malice’ is a creative and original sapphic re-imagining of ‘Sleeping Beauty.’

Though Alyce resembles Maleficent quite a bit, she is not actually intended to be *the* dark fairy we’re all familiar with. This re-telling includes other minor alterations as well as major plot changes and a richly developed world full of Fae, Vila, Demons, Shifters, Imps, and more.

I appreciated that many elements of the classic tale were included, such as true love’s kiss, magic activating with the prick of a finger, and court-approved magic involving beauty, healing, and music. Like Maleficent, Alyce often remains uninvited to palace events and parties, and is feared and hated for her different blood and magic abilities.

Highly recommended for fans of all fairy-tale retellings and F/F pairings. ‘Malice’ will also likely appeal to readers who enjoy vivid descriptions of palaces, court wardrobes, makeup, and food, such as in ‘The Selection’ series.

A fairytale world without the fairytale ending, Malice is a piece of art. Dark, bewitching, and vicious, this book kept you hooked from the minute you opened it. Instead of the “true love” presented in most fairy tales, this really explored the darker side of passion, and what it can lead to.

This book follows Alyce, the half Vila spawn with cruel powers. Instead of the ability to grant beauty, wisdom, or pleasure, Alyce can curse with ugliness. She is ostracized, tormented for her looks and her heritage, until she meets Princess Aurora, the only one to see through her Vila side. But with all things, love doesn’t come easy, and Aurora is cursed to die unless her true love is found.

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.

The romance in this was also amazing. One of my pet peeves about fairy tale retelling is that insta love is so common. This book was as far from that as it could get. A slow burn, queer romance, that challenged the original story, what else can we ask for? Aurora and Alyce were a compelling couple, and I was rooting for them despite their differences.

The only real complaint I have about this book is that the plot was a bit slow. It wasn’t like a lot of fantasies, which are completely action driven. This book really relied on its characters to move it forward, which I liked, but made it a bit hard to stay interested.

I really loved our characters in this. No one was truly good, or truly evil. Everyone had complex motivations, which is something I need in a villain. Kal was honestly my favorite, and I really liked his character arc. That being said, Alyce has a place in my heart, for being the vengeful character we can all relate a bit to.

For fans of dark fantasy, romance, or fairy tale retellings, this book is a must. It deviated far enough from the original tale that it felt new, but threw in a ton of small nods to the tale. Plus, the cover on it is absolutely gorgeous. This should definitely make a splash in the YA world!

Thanks to Heather Walter and Netgalley for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review

I had a little bit of a hard time getting into the story. The main character set me on edge a little and was hard to like, and there were a few grammar and spelling issues though since this is an ARC I volunteered to review I’m thinking they’ll probably be fixed when the book comes out. That being said, the plot execution was well thought out and creative, and I’m sure lots of people will enjoy it, it just wasn’t my cup of tea :)

An excellent addition to the pantheon of fractured fairy tales. Especially refreshing was the emphasis on complicated notions of good and evil, particularly concerning women.

I had heard nothing about this book prior to receiving the arc. When I realized it was an LGBT sleeping beauty retelling, I was very excited to see where it would go and I was not disappointed. Will definitely be recommending this book upon its release.

For fans of Maleficent and Wicked. We get Sleeping Beauty told from the other side, the Dark Grace Alyce's POV.

Set in a world where humans and the light fae joined forces long enough to defeat the Vila - magical creatures of the dark. The king of the fae bestowed the Briar crown on a human woman as thanks. In return, the Vila cursed the human queen so that all of her heirs would die but the fae lightened the curse. Each princess can break her curse and live if she receives true love's kiss.

Graces are human girls, gifted with golden fae blood in their veins that they use to create elixirs for beauty, wisdom, pleasure. Houses of Graces compete with each other for patronage but only one house has the Dark Grace.

Alyce has Vila blood instead of fae so her blood causes ugliness, sickness, and even death.

The writing is full of lush and detailed descriptions of the Graces' clothing and appearance, the food and wine, and the gorgeous Briar castle. The tone was dramatic and moody with touches of the romantic.

Because it's a retelling, it was easy to see where the storyline was going and I appreciated the author working in Sleeping Beauty touches like a spinning wheel. I wanted to know more about the history of this world. I appreciated that Princess Aurora accepted and wanted Alyce with her darkness instead of wanting to change or redeem her.

While Alyce and Aurora were well developed, the other characters felt flatter. The bad characters were very bad with no redeeming qualities. As an Alyce fan, I hope there's a sequel in the future.

Hooked early on from the premise of a sapphic retelling of Sleeping Beauty, this book caught my attention and held it. The world-building was rich and the characters were interesting, but I found myself worrying as the remaining pages quickly dwindled down.

For the most part, it was a refreshing page-turner, boasting female characters with depth, character development, and complexity. While I would have liked more time spent on Aurora, getting to know Alyce and the other girls in the Lavender House (their residence) made for easy attachment. I could picture the world Walter built with clarity and interest. The story was gripping.

On the other hand, a lot happens in the last third of the book that does not wrap up as well as the developments that came beforehand. I find myself hoping for a sequel in order to provide resolutions for things both presented earlier and opened up by the ending. I'm not the biggest fan of the ending, but since it is something of a open ending, I certainly wouldn't be opposed to reading more should there be a continuation.

Finally, I'd like to thank NetGalley and Random House Publishing for sending me an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I struggle with a lot of world building and this book had that. It wasn't super enjoyable for me to read until the last 150 pages or so - and then it was an INTENSE page turner. Also loved that it was a f/f Sleeping Beauty retelling. Want more fairy tales like this!

Who needs Prince Phillip to break her curse when she has a misjudged, quite lovable evil sorcerer! Yes, my friends, this is creative, sappy, angsty, intriguing, captivating retelling of Sleeping Beauty!

After reading this quite tempting blurb and magnificent cover, eventually I started scream : “I WANT THIS ASAP!” Thanks to the publishers heard my cry for help and they didn’t reject me this time!

You know how the fairy tale stars, a wicked, vengeful fairy curses the princess to die : a curse could be only broken by true love kiss. But in that case: princess does not need a knight in shiny armor, a sexy prince or Christian Grey to break the curse! ( Christian Grey only works to break my morning curse: I’m heavy sleeper!)

Princess Aurora actually needs Alyce who is branded, humiliated, shamed as villain because she has gifts: horrifyingly darker, mind blowing gifts you cannot ever imagine. She is outcasted, labeled as monster and abandoned to live a lonely life.

But is she really the villanelle of this story? Because everyone in the Briar only cares about jewelries, glamorous parties they throw, charm-granting elixirs they use. They’re selfish, hedonistic, self centered people who never care about princess or future of Briar if she really dies!
Only one who thinks and care about the princess is Alyce: Dark Grace, who is powerful enough to end her life. But does she really want it? Only one year left for Prince Aurora to break the curse and survive! If Alyce helps her, they can change the future by forging a brand new world! But will she do it? Both her and princes are not so different: they are both caged in their own prisons and they need to find their ways to freedom.

There are some plot holes in the story that I wish were written differently ( I cannot exactly tell those points without giving spoilers so I’m shutting my mouth ) but I mostly enjoyed the detailedly depicted, unique, mesmerizing world building.

I truly loved Alyce and the author’s different approach to the villanelle’s mind and her true feelings. In the regular fairytale universe there is strict line between good and evil: but the author shows that there are so many grey areas and evil we thought can have goodness and light in her/his heart just like the good ones have dark sides. Their choices define who they are, not their abilities or powers!

Well, I’m giving 3.5 stars and I’m happily rounding them up to 4 original, breathtaking, well-developed, smart, new age fairy tale stars!

I think I enjoyed this version of fairytale more and I don’t say no to a sequel!

Special thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group/ Ballantine/ Del Rey for sharing this digital copy of this anticipated novel in exchange my honest opinions.

WOW, this is the first book in awhile that I've really enjoyed. I liked the twists and turns the author provided on this updated version of Sleeping Beauty. I did figure out a few of the twists coming, but the ending was unexpected (as unexpected as a retelling of Sleeping Beauty can be). All in all, this was a well-written and exciting book.

This was a 4-5 star read. I thought it was an unique, clever, and well done reimagining of Sleeping Beauty! It face me a much needed break from my normal genre! I liked the way it was written, I also had some intense feelings for some of the characters! Very unputdownable, especially if you are a fan of fantasy or reimagining of old fairy tales! I would definitely recommend to any of those who love what I mentioned above, as it’s a very riveting story! Would also recommend to those looking to dip into this genre! The writing was beautiful, the characters developed amazingly, and I felt they did a great job of reimagining a timeless story!

Will make sure to buzz around platforms and use lower Amazon reviewer number on release date!

This is not my typical read and I don't remember wishing for it on NetGalley but apparently I did. I enjoyed the build up of how Alyce went from being misunderstood and treated poorly to coming into her power. I'm wondering if there's going to be a sequel?

Kindly received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this imaginative re-telling of Sleeping Beauty. I felt so bad for Alice, all she wanted was happiness and to be accepted as she was. She was not the evil person the fairytale made her out to be and her relationship with Aurora was sweet. The ending made it seem that their could be another book in the works, and I hope I’m right because I want a happily ever after for them.

A sapphic retelling of sleeping beauty where the princess falls in love with the evil sorceress? SIGN ME THE HELL UP. The moment I read the premise I was so so excited to read this book. I was lucky enough to snag an arc and I was not disappointed. This was such a great and really fun retelling. The story revolves around Alyce, a Dark Grace, graces being half fae who can bestow gifts such as beauty, wisdom, or in Alyce’s case.... darker gifts. Alyce is half Vil, and the last of her kind, making her the most hated and feared amongst the Graces. However, one day she meets Princess Aurora... and they both find that they are both prisoners in their cages and find solace in each other. The romance was great and I was rotting for Alyce the entire time. Everybody just takes from her and treats her like absolute garbage and when she finally finds out the true extent of her gifts and what it truly means to be part Vila, I was so amped. The story was great and honestly I would highly recommend this for anyone who loves an interesting romance fantasy book or a fairytale retelling with a twist. The ending had me begging for more and I would honestly love a sequel to see where Alyce goes and what happens with Aurora... seriously please give me more Heater Walter.

*Thank you Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*