I was excited to read MALICE, and really enjoyed this queer retelling of Sleeping Beauty.

Heather Walter has put her own spin on this beloved fairytale, as the story follows Alyce, the “villain” and Dark Grace who spends her days creating potions and tinctures she’s hired to make.

Overall I thought it was a great debut, and I can’t wait for the next book!

*many thanks to Del Rey and Netgalley for the gifted copy for review

3.5 stars. I really enjoyed this retelling of Sleeping Beauty. I picked it up because I thought the idea of the evil sorceress being Aurora’s true love was such a clever twist. And the book did not disappoint. The middle was a little slow but the ending was perfect. I loved how it turned everything on it’s head. I definitely didn’t see it coming.

This book explores the complicated question of good vs. evil. And much like the movie Maleficent or the play Wicked, asks you to look at the motivations behind the “evil” and whether evil really is evil or just misunderstood or pushed to the brink.

**Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC copy. My opinions are my own.**

Fantastic retelling from the villain PoV. Suspenseful page turner. Absolutely cannot wait for book two!

This was a really interesting retelling of the classic Sleeping Beauty story that did a good job of injecting life back into the story we all grew up with. I thoroughly enjoyed the story, although it was a bit predictable (what else to expect with a retelling though, so it’s not a real complaint—just statement of fact)

Alyce serves as the only Dark Grace in Briar and absolutely hates her life. The Graces-magically gifted individuals who are able to use their powers to impact the lives of those around them—are required to help anyone who pays for their service. As the Dark Grace, Alyce is able to make peoples lives a bit worse: an outbreak of warts, temporarily terrible breath, a sudden inability to dance, or any other sort of pettiness that the courtiers would bring to their competition. As such, Alyce is seen as a necessary evil to keep in the town, but they won’t let her forget the “evil” part no matter what.

Malice let’s us follow along with Alyce’s journey to figure out who she is and how that differs from what she came from. Overall a great take on the tale, and I can’t wait for the sequel!

Thank you to Ballantine Del Rey and NetGalley for the gifted ebook of Malice! All opinions in this review are my own.

In this queer retelling of Sleeping Beauty, what if it's the "villian" that is able to break Aurora's curse?

Although it took a little while for me to get into, I ended up really enjoying Malice! When I read retellings, I spend a lot of the time in the beginning looking for similarities to the original text. Malice stands out from its original source material and the world that Walter has created should be explored with a new mind. While Malice is a Sleeping Beauty retelling, it does go beyond the original fairy tale and I recommend trying not to compare the two.

I cannot wait for the second book in this duology!

This was such an unexpected favorite. I loved how the storyline felt similar enough to the original tale but different enough that you're not able to fully predict the ending. Alyce's crave for love and acceptance shows through each page, as well as her growing control of her magic and infatuation with Princess Aurora. Thoroughly good start to this duology!

#Malice by author # Heather Walter is a fun novel. It's book one in her series. This is her debut. What a debut!!
Description:
The last heir to the throne of Briar, Princess Aurora is a kind future queen. With less than a year until a curse that will kill her. Alyce, the villain whom is feared for her dark magic. And of course responsible for the curse..... 💜🐾🐾

4 stars

I'm so mad at myself for putting this off because I read it in one day! I loved it and this twisted retelling. Alyce and Aurora might be my favorite FF couple. I can't wait to read Misrule!

The fact that this book has 470 pages and I finished it in four days speaks for itself.

When I first got an invitation to read and review Malice I thought it was ya book, but man, when I started it I was pleasantly surprised that it was adult story.
However, it doesn't have graphic or violent scenes (there is one scene about hm hm adult activity but it isn't detailed), so I feel like it is perfect choice for readers who usually read ya fantasy but would like to explore adult books in that genre.

The book follows Alice who people call Malice, because of her dark magic and her look, which is different from what their society considers as beautiful.
Alice is also a narrator of this story that is written in first person.

The whole atmosphere in the novel is dark and gray, at least that is how I imagined it, and therefore it is perfect to read during winter.

This is Sleeping Beauty retelling (with some parts that reminded me of Cinderella) and it is also a fantasy romance in which protagonists are our dear Malice and Aurora.
To some it might sound cheesy, but trust me, it isn't. In matter of fact, it is a good story, with interesting plotline in which love story isn't in main focus, although it is important part.
Because of it, I think this book could appeal to big audience and not just romance lovers.
If you like retellings, you will probably appreciate this novel.

With more than few surprises the story left me confused at times, but still it was so enjoyable and also, the cast of characters was interesting to follow.

The ending was good but at the same time I wish it had better closure...
I mean, I felt like it was cut off in the middle of the action, which makes sense since this is duology...
Now I wish I had the sequel already, but I guess I'll have to wait for another year...

This is a really interesting retelling of the Sleeping Beauty fairytale. Where some retellings stick very close to the source material, the author's world-building and character development does a good job at making it feel like its own story. It does end on a cliffhanger, but I am excited to see where the story goes!

A lovely twist on “Sleeping Beauty” with a unique magic system and a F/F relationship that makes it fun and modern. A cute YA fantasy story that’s very creative

A gorgeous, dark retelling of Sleeping Beauty in which the princess falls hard for the evil sorceress. I absolutely loved every page of this book, all the way up to the heart-pounding crescendo ending. Alyce channeling her inner Daenerys was a scene to die for!

Alyce is half-Vila, half-shifter and she has been forced to work in Briar, in the Grace district, as the Dark Grace, which essentially means she is required to make dark potions with curses for an endless stream of entitled, spoiled, rich patrons. She is the outcast, the hated and despised “half-breed” capable only of harming people with her magic. The Graces are her polar opposites, or so it seems. Their golden blood allows them to create magic potions that make people beautiful, smart and talented. Alyce’s green blood is a curse in itself.

When she meets Kal - a shifter cursed and bound to the decaying tower at the edge of sea cliffs - she starts to learn about the true history of Briar and the power within herself.

Can Alyce change her fate and escape from Briar? Can she help princess Aurora break the curse that will kill her as soon as she turns 21?

Malyce is such a great retelling, I just loved the queer spin on Aurora’s story and absolutely loved the flawed, temperamental character of Alyce. The ending of the first volume was such a heart-pounding thrill ride - it would make for a visually stunning movie adaptation! I loved the world-building and political intricacies of the plot line, enjoyed learning about the realms and different types of magic. This was a very well fleshed out story, full of details and chemistry between characters. Can’t recommend it enough!

A decent story. I love the twist on a retelling. This is a story of Princess Aurora and villainous Alyce, who is outcast as a monster because of her gift. But is she really a monster. This stories brings about metaphors of greed in human nature. So many twist and turns. I finish this book so fast. Can’t wait to read the next book!

Thank you Netgalley and the publishers for a review copy of Malice.

The first time I read the synopsis, I knew it would be a story worth reading. It's seldom that a story is told through the villain's or perceived villain's perspective. Alyce is a dark fairy, rare and believed to be evil from birth. Feared and hated in the kingdom of Briar, Alyce is used to keeping her head down and making it through a day without drawing too much attention to herself. Though kind and a bit cynical, Alyce believes the lies and hushed whispers she hears from others, but regardless of what they see, Alyce is only buying her time until she can leave. But her plans suddenly change when she encounters the princess Aurora, her complete opposite in every way yet something about her draws Alyce closer.

One of the things I love about this novel is the portrayal that love, true love comes in all forms and is never what you expect it to be. Alyce attempts to desperately make a way for herself and clutches to the belief that things will get better if she only tries harder. I love Alyce's character and even love the story more for focusing on solely her and not Aurora, who serves as a secondary character. There's a message and question of how evil can be created and what our choice will be when pushed to close to the edge.

I am looking forward to reading the next book, because woah that ending!

This book was 5 stars all the way. I loved the twists in the familiar tale and the swoony characters. Have been telling all of my fantasy customers about this one and was super excited when the author popped in to our store to sign copies-I bought one!! 5 star read!!

This book is really good! I really enjoyed the different types of magics and how some was applauded while others looked down upon. The characters were really interesting too. The protagonist and her bird companion were my favorites, but the villains were especially villainous as well. There were several twists in the book, a couple that I saw coming and a couple that I didn’t. I’m really looking forward to the sequel!

***Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an electronic copy of this book in exchange for honest feedback.***

This book had a slow start for me so I dnf. Which is why this review took so long

I hope to one day go back and try again.

I honestly hadn't heard a lot of buzz about this book, but why is everyone sleeping on this book? This was such an intuitive and beautifully written book. The pacing is perfect, the characters are so strong and the tension and angst between the two girls is just perfection. I am obsessed with this book. Did I just read my favorite book of the year in FEBRUARY?!?

I'm catching up on all my ARC reviews, so don't mind this VERY LATE post.

I was super excited to receive an advanced copy of this off netgalley because a sapphic fairytale retelling is all I ever wanted, but unfortunately this ended up being a bit of a bust for me. This was basically a worse version of The Belles by Dhonielle Clayton, with one-dimensional female characters. Everyone could be summed up with stereotypes like "the one who cares about books" or "the petty one who only cares about fashion and beauty" in a way that felt very regressive. Plus there were so many info dumps at the beginning. that I was zoning out.