Malice by Heather Walter

A princess isn’t supposed to fall for an evil sorceress, but in this book, true love is more than a simple fairy tale.

This book is about fairies and evil sorceress.
This is not the genre I usually read sov I wasn’t compltelybintovthecstory. Many characters - good and evil.

Thanks to Net Galley for sending me an advanced reader’s copy for my review.

Wow!! This book was simply amazing. Retellings are sometime hit or miss with me but this was was incredible. It was dark and evil but also sweet and romantic. I absolutely loved that Princess Aurora's true love wasn't the typical Prince Charming. I enjoyed Alyce immensely as a character. Her story is so sad that you just can't help but love her. Personally I like her way more than any of the other Graces. The ending has me dying to find out what happens next.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an eARC. All opinions are my own.

Dark fantasy. Fairytale retelling. Sapphic romance. Pretty much everything that I want in a book wrapped up into one package, and let me tell you... IT DID NOT DISAPPOINT.

Malice is an intricately woven high fantasy retelling of Sleeping Beauty. Alyce, the Dark Grace, is seen as a monster. She has the same sort of power that long ago cursed the royal family, so that all the princesses would die if they didn't kiss their true love by the age of 21. This happens to be only a year away for the last remaining heir, Princess Aurora.

The first book in a duology, Malice exceeded all my expectations. Walter delivers a main character who is not only strong, but intelligent, angry, and morally grey. The romance delivers both the forbidden love and soulmate tropes, and I absolutely adored every bit of it.

There is a fair amount of world building, so prepare for that if its not your thing, but the pacing is relatively fast, and I had a lot of trouble putting the book down after the first 100 or so pages.

Walter's writing is beautiful, and her storytelling ability is TOP TIER.

I LOVED THIS BOOK! The idea was fresh and intriguing. The characters were engaging and I was hooked from the very beginning.

I'm a glad that I read this book. This was my 1st villain origin story. Its A Sleeping Beauty sapphic retelling. Alyce is known as the Dark Grace. She uses her exilers to cause dark enhancements. After meeting Princess Aurora her life begins to spiral into something completely foreign to her. While part 1 of this novel was slower than I tend to care for part 2 made up for it. I loved the ending and hope their will be a book 2. Appropriate for high school classroom.

*I was gifted an ebook copy for an honest review.

Possibly the best Sleeping Beauty retelling I've ever read.

Malice is a Maleficent origin story of sorts that has been retold in a way that feels realistic. In Briar all Princesses are cursed to find their true love by their 21st birthday or die. Alyce could care less as she is forced to spend her life using her blood to basically curse and hex people. in her role as the Dark Grace at the whims of the court. Until one day when Alyce crosses paths with the last Briar Princess, Aurora, who is nothing like she seems. Aurora is tired of being forced upon every last man who enters Briar in an attempt to have true love's kiss break the curse. As Alyce and Aurora work together to try and find another way to break the curse things get a bit more complicated when Alyce starts developing feelings for Aurora.

I loved this book. There was just enough of the original Sleeping Beauty story to make you see what this retelling was based on. I also loved the bits of other fairytales subtly mixed in. Aurora felt very likeable being someone who hasn't ever really had control of her life but was determined to do what she could with the time she had. Alyce was so complex and giving her the backstory she has made the character make sense. I like most people, am more familiar with the less extreme and graphic Disney version of Maleficent (cartoon version) and having the small touches with the dragons, and green with the Maleficent character felt good to read. Even though I know the story I could not have predicated the ending. I can't wait to read the final book, and if Heather would like to rewrite any other fairytales in the same way she has done with Malice I won't hesitate to pick those up.

*Arc provide by Netgalley, Del Rey/Ballantine, and Heather Walter in exchange for an honest review.*

I wanted to enjoy this way more than I did!! I love retellings for the most part and it could just be me but I was getting bored of the same old retelling. So when this was introduced as a sapphic sleeping beauty retelling, I was immediately intrigued.
I did like the characters. Although the side characters lacked depth for me.
Alyce was great and had so much growth through the book and so I really enjoyed her story.
Unfortunately the romance was lacking for me. It fell kind of flat and I don’t think they had much chemistry.
Also the world building could have been better.
The writing however I did enjoy and I can see myself possibly picking up the sequel as this is only a duology.

This was such an unexpected treat. Based on the premise alone I knew I would like this one, but I was not prepared for the sheer badassery that was the last 15% of the story. At first I was like "Oh sh*t. They're going there. Poor Alyce." And THEN I was a little scared of Alyce. But at the end, I was cackling with malicious joy as she burned EVERYTHING to the ground. Very unlike my emotions when Daenerys did a 180 and leveled Kings Landing. I was never lead to believe that Alyce was a "hero" in hiding so it was incredibly satisfying to watch her embrace the rage and destroy Briar.

A hero would sacrifice their true love to save the world. A villain would sacrifice the world to save their true love. And I am *here* for it.

A re-telling of Sleeping Beauty. Alyce is known as "the Dark Grace" of Briar - sought out for her dark potions, but hated and abhorred by all. Aurora is the princess of the realm, cursed to die if she does not find her true love. When Alyce and Aurora meet, there is an immediate connection that begins to grow into something more .... what if the princess's true love is the Dark Grace. Will this fairy tale re-telling have a happily ever after?

This book takes a very unique take on the story of Sleeping Beauty and the creation of Maleficent. The author has build a fantastic world in Briar with interesting characters and a totally new take on the story of Aurora's true love.

The story of sleeping beauty is simple, a princess cursed to sleep eternally unless awoken by true love’s kiss. It’s earliest known iteration was published by Italian poet Giambattista Basile, which was adapted by Charles Perrault then the Brothers Grimm. Since then, the classic fairy tale as been retold countless times, from more traditional fantasy retellings to novels about girls awoke after a cryogenic “sleep”. But Malice reimagines sleeping beauty in an entirely new way, putting the evil fairy- now a Dark Grace- not only at the forefront of the narrative, but also casting her as Aurora’s love interest.

Admittedly it did take me a little while to get into the book; the beginning forced on the necessary world building and I was excited to get to the more character driven aspects. But the world building was fascinating, establishing the tensions between the mortals and the Vila, the Graces and the social hierarchy, and the curse that holds the royals hostage to fear. But as soon as Alyce and Aurora met, I was hooked.

Alyce is a Dark Grace and although she’s marked a monster by the society that depends on her for her unique brand of magic, the green blood that runs through her veins. She’s called Malyce by the other Graces who sell their light magic as sanctioned by the King. Aurora, likewise, is trapped in tradition. The women of her family are cursed to die on their twenty-first birthday unless they kiss their true love- and Aurora is tired of kissing man after man. Yet at Aurora’s twentieth birthday celebration, the pair meet, becoming unlikely friends.

Alyce and Aurora's romance builds slowly, as they work together in secret to try to break Aurora's curse. Their scenes are full of unspoken tension- their friendship defying tradition, social orders and all expectations- until it finally comes to a head. Aurora dares to imagine a brave new world, one where Alyce would no longer be a second class citizen, all while they both try to defy the hand they've been dealt. I enjoyed all their scenes immensely, their romance steeped with yearning.

Heather Walter reimagines this age old tale in an entirely new light, adding depth to the villain, putting her at the center of this rich tale. The world-building was fascinating, with the side characters adding depth. Malice is not to be missed and will leave you wanting more.

Thank you so much to Del Rey publishing for providing me with this e-arc to read and review! Malice by Heather Walter, the first book in the duology, comes out April 13th, 2021.

READ THIS BOOK! Such a wonderful reimagining of the Sleeping Beauty tale, it’s got everything: romance, magic, secrets, mystery, betrayal, and sleeping curses. Although fairly self-contained, I am most excited to read the second half of this duology.

Excellent retelling with many twists. The main plot revolves around Alyce realizing her own worth and I'd loved it. The magic system was unique and I can't wait for book 2!

I am woefully behind on my ARCs if that is not evident. I’ve slowly been going through the ARCs I have and reading the ones that have already been released. Next on the list was Malice; I really enjoyed this book and definitely recommend it.

Alyce is our main character. She’s a Vila and she’s despised by much of the kingdom even though they all still want to use the powers she has. I liked Alyce, especially at the end when everything came to light. She was a character that you could really sympathize with and that made everything that happened all the more fun to read about. The romance between her and the princess was so cute and made my heart warm.

The beginning of the book was kind of slow and there was a major amount of info dumping but once we got halfway through it got better and the action started to pick up. The plot twists were kind of predictable but still fun to read even if you had guessed them. The last quarter of the book was my favorite and really left me wanting more. I’m eagerly awaiting the sequel. The retelling aspect of the story was done well and I liked the little nods to Sleeping Beauty.

Overall this was a solid book and I think the biggest selling point is that there is a really well done corruption arc. If you’re looking for a book with likable characters that do questionable things then I really recommend this book.

Oh man, that was so good! This is a retelling of the sleeping beauty story, but from Malecifent's point of view--in this story, her name is Alyce, although the other "Graces" call her the Dark Grace or Malyce. There have been retellings of Maleficent, the most recent being Disney's version with Angelina Jolie, and I definitely enjoyed Jolie's version but even in that version, the female main character is beautiful and good and possibly in need of saving. In this one, Alyce is neither beautiful nor entirely good, and yet, the author does such a good job creating sympathy for her. Her character is so relatable in that you understand the feelings of helplessness and rage. How many of us have had our feelings of helplessness and rage lead to dire consequences? Alyce is exactly that character and tears apart the "good vs evil" trope. I didn't realize until the end that this book is just the first of two, but I'm so glad it is because I can't wait to dive back into Alyce's world! As a debut novel, this one truly impressed me. I can't wait to read the conclusion!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Perhaps my expectations were set too high for Malice, but I found this book to be a letdown. When I heard the news that there was going to be a sapphic retelling of Sleeping Beauty, I was so excited. The execution, while perfectly fine, did not work for me at all.

I understand the isolation Alyce experiences, and can relate to the bullying she has to endure. However, she is never someone I feel like I can root for - she is both viciously dull and just plain vicious. The severe retribution she takes against another character who bullies her feels like a gross and violent overreaction, and the ending, while the most exciting ten pages of the entire book, doesn't feel justified. She does not read as a morally gray character (which I love!), but as morally bankrupt.

The romance is bland; it feels as if it is forced so as to make the fairy tale and retelling fit together, but the chemistry is sorely lacking. There is more passion between Alyce and Rose than between Alyce and Aurora. I would not want Alyce and Rose together as their relationship is all hate, bullying, and violation, but it is by far the most intriguing and believable relationship on the page.

The world-building and magic system are well-written. But without interesting characters, Malice doesn't have legs to stand on. There is going to be a second novel, but it isn't one I will need to read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Del Rey for the free advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review!

Extremely slow pacing. Even at 30% there still wasn't much romance or story starting. I found this incredibly boring and could not get through it. Thank you to the Netgalley and to the publisher for the copy!

Loved this dark re-telling of Sleeping Beauty, set in a kingdom where people have forgotten the warrior queens that once ruled them preferring instead the favor of popularity, beauty and riches. Princess Aurora yearns to be a different kind of ruler, one who respects the history of her land. But first she must find her one true love to kiss her and break the curse that will kill her on her 21st birthday. Alyce is the Dark Grace, only respected by the people around her for the curses she can sell them to use on others. When the two young women meet, the kingdom will never be the same.

This was great! I loved seeing this told through the eyes of the "villain". We get a whole new view on who she is, and it was a great story! I loved this retelling, and I highly recommend it for readers looking for more fantasy!

Malice is a fantasy origin story of maleficent from sleeping beauty, and a good one I might add. Alyce is her name in this book and this is her journey on becoming a villain. Overall I love this book and the romance was amazing, so check it out if you live retelling

Fantastic re-telling of Sleeping Beauty, with a sapphic twist. The world building was robust, almost to the point of too much, as there was a lot of political history and historical figures to learn.

I was really rooting for our heroine Alyce, a Dark Grace who is different than the other light and beautiful Graces in the Kingdom of Briar. She is constantly bullied and shunned, and I really felt for her...until I didn't.

She just kept making decisions that didn't make sense, like trusting everyone, even though she kept getting burned. Although this mindset eventually cumulates in the somewhat hopeless cliffhanger end of this book, it was often frustrating seeing her make the same mistakes and getting hurt repeatedly.

Overall, I enjoyed this creative twist on a well-known tale. I will definitely be reading the second book in the duology to see how it all plays out.