I'm a sucker for darker books. Especially darker fairy tale re-tellings because it pulls from the original telling of the tales. I also loved getting to see from the villain's point of view. It's an interesting way to look at the story.

I think Jade does something original with the plot and world building in this book. The closest I think I have come to something similar to "the evil queen's point of view" is Alex Harrow's "A Mirror Mended". And even then it isn't from her POV it's just that you get a different look at her through Zinnia's eyes.

I like the Dark Romance aspect as well. The more I read Romantasy the more I find myself leaning to the darker romances and the more complicated love pairings. Jade keeps it interesting. She definitely makes you feel the tension between the characters as they decide what's at stake and if its worth falling in love.

The ending felt a little flat. It is the first book in a series, but it felt like more could have been done to tie up some of the ends in preparation for the next book. But I am kind of excited to see where Jade goes with the rest of it.

Thank you to the publishers, author and NetGalley for the free copy of this book.

This was even better than I expected! I definitely enjoy reading from the supposed villain's point of view, so this was interesting just in that aspect alone. Well written, with good pacing and interesting characters. Reading the next one because I need to know what happens!

I am not a huge fan of dark romance but this one was a pretty mild one for me. It is a Snow White retelling that focuses on the "wicked" queen. I loved reading this one and I am interested to read more from this story.

4/5 Stars

I was very happily surprised by this book. I went in with low expectations and those were quickly met and surpassed. I just grooved with the writing. It just kept my attention and me wanting to read. I absolutely enjoyed reading from the "Villian" and getting their story. I will absolutely be reading the second book ASAP, and would highly recommend this book!

I've read a lot of fairytale retellings but this was one of the first Evil Queen ones I can remember reading. I wasn't sure what direction the author was going with the story, but I found the plot so original with incredible world-building. I think it could've even stood on its own without any ties to Snow White. Rhi had so much depth and Draven was fire. I really wish we could've had more romance based on how much chemistry the characters had together. Be ready for the cliffhanger ending too.

How could you not love a book that is written from the ‘villains’ point of view. that is always going to be a good idea and i was not disappointed! I think it was an extremely good concept for a book and even though retellings are extremely common I havent seen/read one just like this. Would definitely recommend!

The only way I can describe this one is oddly unfinished. Obviously, it's part of a series so there should be plot threads left untied. My problem is that this left off in such a weird way. Like, one page we were making intense decisions, and the next the book was over. It's not a cliffhanger that makes me want to keep reading. Instead, it's just like the book lost pages.

I also wasn't a huge fan of this portrayal of the Evil Queen. The synopsis makes her sound powerful, but that's really not how she came off. She was mainly desperate. She did some things to solidify her power, but it wasn't like she was acting with agency. It's weird, but I didn't love her as a character.

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

I have always been intrigued by villain’s origin stories. I have always wanted to learn the origin story of the Evil Queen of what made her truly evil. I have to say that this novel did not disappoint and was everything I hoped the Queen’s story would be. The main character had a tragic past. It is easy to see why she wanted to be the queen. I felt sorry for her and the trauma she was going through. Therefore, this novel will be sure to please readers of villians’ origin stories. I recommend this for fans of A Forest of a Thousand Lanterns, Book of Gothel, and Heartless!

I am a sucker for a fairytale retelling, and this novel had just the right amount of Snow White while still being twisted enough to keep you turning the pages. After Rhiandra is scarred and unable to continue her work, she is found by a stranger with magic who offers her a kingdom.
Morally grey just so happens to be my favourite colour of character and this novel is full of them, each one with their own agenda. I cannot wait to see what our wicked Queen accomplishes in the next book.

What a great retelling! Love Draven! And love the little bit of comedy written in, this is what I expected but also more. The cliffhanger though…

Definitely need more Draven!
This book was pretty much what I expected, though that cliffhanger was pretty rough (looking forward to seeing the next installment!).
I enjoy a villain story and am looking forward to seeing how our fmc evolves from here. I would give this 3.5 stars (rounding up to 4!).

That cliffhanger is not friendly.

I squeezed this one in at the minute of 2022 because I refused to end the year on a two star read. Which was the perfect choice because this was a nice quick read.

I enjoyed Hailey Jade's writing quite a bit besides the use of ' instead of " around dialogue. But I quickly got used to that as I kept reading.

The morally grey characters were fun to read about! I loved Rhiandra and Draven's dynamic. I can't exactly call their dynamic a relationship because they very much dislike each other. A lot of times authors use the term "enemies to lovers" as a marketing technique but then the relationship is not like that at all. Trust me, Rhiandra and Draven do NOT like each other in the slightest. It was the perfect mix between hate, chemistry and lust.

This is a retelling of Snow White but more of a backstory retelling about her stepmother. It was a nice change of pace since I find Snow White retellings rather predictable and not as entertaining as other retellings. But this was great. I am a sucker for villain origin stories and I really have no idea where this story is going to go in the sequel.

I’m a SUCKER for villians and let me tell you🥵 this book did not disappoint. I need book 2 stat to get my fix.

While the book didn't quite meet my expectations, I still really enjoyed it. The character development felt rich and real, and the world-building dark and gritty. I wanted to see more of Draven and that romance - I hope the next installment is a bit heavier on the enemies-to-lovers!

My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐.5

I had an idea in my head of what this book was going to be before jumping into it and it just didn't quite meet my expectations. It was still pretty good overall though, just not as dark and gritty as I'd hoped.

Watching Rhiandra descend further into this obsession with protecting her best interests was really interesting, and rubs you the wrong way, but in the best way. It's supposed to, she's the morally grey girl out to take what she wants.

Some thoughts, in no particular rhyme or reason:

• I needed more Draven.
• I wish the world was a little more fleshed out. I know this is the first book, so maybe we can hope for a little more of that in subsequent books, but I felt like things might have felt a little more impactful with a stronger view of the world we're thrust into.
• I want more villain moments. Gimme, gimme!


I'd read book two, but it wouldn't be a rush to read for me. The writing was pretty solid, I'd just love to see the author take it just a touch darker. 😈

(ARC from NetGalley) I support women’s wrongs!!
This was a unique retelling of Snow White’s evil queen. Gripping and easy to follow, lots of political intrigue. HOWEVER, this fell short with the romance. Insta-lust does not translate into genuine feeling of romance. I didn’t understand the motivations of either character.

If you like Folk of the Air series, you may want to pick this up.

I really enjoyed this book. I hope the author continues to write more books in the future. I can't wait to see what the author releases in the future.

This dark and twisty retelling of Snow White was imaginative and layered. I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of world-building present in the story, since fairytale retellings can be hit or miss in that aspect. Our "heroine" Rhiandra is smart and cunning when she needs to be, but also quick to anger and more than a little self-centered. She can be kind (even without the promise of reward), but also cruel. She's a tricky little thing with moods that change like the breeze. And I loved reading from her point of view. I know not everyone agrees, but if it's done well I enjoy reading about characters that are flawed or quite possibly unlikeable. There's a duality to Rhiandra's characterization that challenges the mutually-exclusive concepts of good and evil. Can a good woman do evil things? Can an evil woman do good things? Which is the truth? In addition to that question, there's the layered lore of magic as it exists in this Universe. I don't think it's a mistake that it is mentioned multiple times in the story that magic is "corrosive". If the magic that created the King's love for Rhiandra could reduce him to a violent, possessive man, what has happened to others who use or are under the influence of magic? Rhiandra continually uses the magic mirror given to her by Draven throughout the book to refresh her beauty. Is it any wonder then that her morals descend as the story progresses? And what of Draven? Has magic corrupted him to the point that he has no emotions or morals?

Needless to say, I'm anxiously awaiting the next installment in the series. Especially with how that last chapter ended.

The only thing keeping me from giving this book five stars was that it was somewhat difficult for me to get through. Other reviewers have mentioned this. Though I don't think I had as much difficulty as other readers, it seems to be a common theme. There was nothing in particular that put me off, but perhaps the pace was too slow in the first half of the book? The double-edged sword of detailed world building is that it can drag the pace down at times and I think that's what happened here.

Unfortunately this book was not for me, it was a bit slower than I would like and it just didn't hold my attention. I am sure other people will love it!

I really wanted to like this book. It sounded like something right up my alley- a dark fantasy romance retelling? Yes please! But sadly, it was lacking. It wasnt terrible but something felt flat for me. Overall, loved the concept of the story but I just didn't feel that the depth was there for me to be fully immersed in the world and characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!