4/5
There is nothing I love more than a story reimagined and retold, but make it sapphic and I just might push all my responsibilities aside to read it as soon as possible. Malice brings a new side to the Sleeping Beauty story, one that is dark, twisted, and full of power. Heather Walter gives agency and authority to these characters in a story that was beyond overdue for a refresh. The world of the original story seemed to lack in world building, but that is not the case here. Here, there are clear distinctions in a world reevaluated from the get go.

I initially didn't know what to expect from this, as is the nature of reading a retelling, and I must say I was pleasantly surprised. This book follows Alyce, who takes on the role of Maleficent, as she grapples with her own identity and ties to her past. Alongside this is her growing friendship and eventual romantic relationship with the princess Aurora. Walter ties in some significant connections to the original story, while at the same time bringing new meaning to the elements that coincide with that. Overall I think this was executed well, if not a bit convoluted at times due to the amount of history and information being conveyed to the reader. Towards the end, I found it did take on a few too many developments that I'm not sure panned out in the way the author intended. This could just be because it isn't clear to me whether or not this is a standalone or part of a larger series. I hope it's the latter. All together an interesting read!

This is a mixed review. I wanted desperately to love this title. Ultimately, I will recommend it to people, especially people looking for Sapphic fantasy. That said, I had a few major issues - revealing that the princess falls in love with Alyce in the copy took much of the urgency out of one of the major plotlines. There were a few major holes in the world-building/magic system that frustrated me throughout and were never addressed. (Namely, if Alyce's magic is intent based and has been proven to fade when her intent fades, then really much of the plot should be unnecessary.) I was, however, excited to see that there was room for Alyce's anger and vengeance, and she was given space to be messy and complicated. That's not something you see a lot of with female characters, so it was refreshing. Overall, a good book, but one I will continue to quibble with.

*Thank you so much to the publisher, the author and Netgalley for giving me an Earc of "Malie" in exchange for an honest review.*An amazing imagivitive retelling of Sleeping Beauty unlike any other I've read. Told from the POV of Aylce aka The Dark Grace, the "villian" was wonderful. I loved how morally grey she was. The story was excellent, doing what ever great fairytale retelling should, twisting well-known elements of the orginal tale into new and exciting things. I really liked the Graces, i though they were interesting (and vile). I loved Aurora and Aylce and wish this wasnt a standalone, if only so I could see what comes next.

Oh my goodness gracious! This book was incredible. I couldn’t put it down and read it in one (staying up much too late). I’m so glad I came across it.

A dreamy and dark twisted retelling of Sleeping Beauty. The dynamic between Aurora and the sorceress is a dark, dreamy sort of magic. I loved this book and felt it's magic in every page.