This is one of my favorite Hamlet retellings of all time. Ophelia and Hamlet's relationship has my entire heart, and the magic system is so cool.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a free eARC in exchange for an honest review!

An entertaining retelling with a fascinating magic system and wonderfully written characters, this book will be on my mind for a long time. Can't wait to read more from this author!

Maybe my new favorite version of Hamlet– not misogynistic, queer, and a wet cat of a teenage boy. Every single character was written so well– they all had their own selfish motivations for what they did, but none of them were inexplicably evil (except Claudius but that is integral to the original play). Rosencrantz has got to be my favorite, but I am also biased towards transgender people with a rather loose moral code that involves magic.. I also really loved how Hamlet and Ophelia were treated as platonic soulmates, but it did not demean the connection that the two of them shared because it was not sexual or romantic– and aroace Ophelia has my entire heart.
The book was also the perfect setup for an absolutely heart-wrenching tragedy, we know how it is going to end but we do not want it to.

Smile and Be aVillain is a fabulous Hamlet retelling. Yves Donlon has rewoven the class tale into one that can shine alone, while still honouring the original thoroughly.

Hamlet is probably my favourite Shakespeare; so I was thrilled to receive this novel. Yves' adaptation is authentic to the original story while adding to it in a beautiful way.


Thank you to Netgalley, the Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op in providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

There is something corrupted in the state of Denmark.
Smile and Be a Villain is a queer dark magical take on the well known classic Hamlet, if mirrors were portals to another world and magic led to corruption. Set before the events of the play Hamlet is sent off to Wittenberg and while he is discovering magic, Ophelia is left alone back home trying to cure the magical corruption as war with Norway brews in the background. This retelling gave a unique take on these well known characters and their relationships.. I particularly enjoyed the layers added by Hamlet’s childhood friendship with Fortinbras and what that meant for them to be princes on opposing sides. Ophelia also got a great additional depth- no longer just a tragedy but now a girl with autonomy. power and magic who has a heavy influence on the story and assists shaping it in her own ways.
While I enjoyed the book as a whole I do think that it was rather slow in the beginning though it definitely picked up its pace further into the plot especially when Claudius was introduced with his clearly nefarious machinations. Part of that comes from this being a “prequel” of sorts and so it was very much setting up the characters and world building for what will becoming later in its sequel. I have high hopes for the following book now that the players are all set. I also unfortunately found some of the characters to be a little flat. I love the additions that were added to them but I would also just like to see them get more actualized.
My final rating would probably be more in the vein of 3.5 starts but I rounded up because the ending was good enough to leave me in need of the sequel to see how it continued to play out.

3.5/5 stars

This was such a clever concept - a perfect blend of dark academia and fantasy, and the perfect read for any Shakespeare fans!

This magical prequel to Hamlet builds cleverly on the features and nuances of Shakespeare's tragedy, explore sexuality, madness, and politics against a backdrop of witchcraft and mystery.

The dual POVs were a nice touch, and although Ophelia was by far the more engaging and sympathetic character, both her and Hamlet's perspectives on events set up a great precursor to the events of tbr original play.

The plot did seem a little too slow-paced on occasion - maybe because of the difficulties switching from a play format to a novel. I really enjoyed how Shakespearean language was woven into the story, and there were some great nods to the play itself, but it would have been nice to see even more of this archaic language, just so I could feel even more immersed in this world!

Overall, this was an engaging and intelligent story, and a nice change of style from my recent reads, and if you're a dark academia lover, you're likely to enjoy it.

Books with similar vibes - If We Were Villains by M L Rio, One For My Enemy by Olivie Blake, and Starling House by Alix E Harrow.

Smile And Be A Villain is a queer fantasy Hamlet prequel/retelling that is equal parts charming and haunting, lovely and depressing at times. As someone who knows very little of the original Hamlet beyond basic plot lines and cultural understandings, I enjoyed this book and never felt that I was missing out on the conversation due to my lack of knowledge. The characters were textured and deep, giving the reader a lot of personality to really dive in to. This book is much more character-driven than plot-driven, which I personally enjoyed quite a bit but I know is not everyone's cup of tea. I do wish certain scenes had been expanded on in the book. It felt too short at times, and I had to infer a lot from what was told rather than what was shown. Overall though I greatly enjoyed this book and thought it was an interesting take on Hamlet.

Yves Donlon's debut is a charming, magical, haunting retelling of Hamlet, set before the events of the play. With queer characters and striking but still accessible prose, Donlon breathes new life into the story, and the addition of fantasy elements helps set SABAV apart from other Shakespearean retellings. I'm excited to see what the author does next.

Thanks for the e-arc!

I was super excited going into this book. In doing a lot of scholarly work with Shakespeare and retellings/adaptations/insert your preferred term here, I've come across a lot of books that retell the plays in unique and interesting ways. With this one, I felt a little bit underwhelmed unfortunately. Despite the fast pacing, the first 60ish% of the book dragged for me and I was honestly getting a bit bored. It felt like there were several scenes of dialogue missing (perhaps cut for space/time?) and were instead narrated through in a very tell-y way. This also contributed as to how some of the supporting characters didn't feel as fleshed out as they could have been (especially Rosencrantz and Guildenstern). Some of this could just be Donlon's writing style, and if it is, then maybe it simply just isn't for me. Once I hit the 65% mark, the narrative picked up for me though and that is what carried me through to the end of the book. There were also Shakespeare lines and allusions weaved in but some of these line drops changed the style of language being used and they just ended up feeling out of place (and, this is definitely very picky, I kind of hated how there was a line from The Tempest in here...). Ophelia and Hamlet were the stars of this though, and I'm glad they were given the space to exist both beside and outside of each other, especially Ophelia. The dual split between them worked extremely well and Ophelia's backstory getting fleshed out the way Donlon did was an awesome choice on their part. This prequel retelling definitely has a place in the genre of adaptation, and I'm glad it's being written because the way Donlon is mixing historical fantasy with Hamlet is really intriguing. I'm interested to see what they do in the next book and I'm definitely still going to give it a read to see what they do with the canonical events of Hamlet. So if queer magical Hamlet prequel is your jam, I recommend checking this one out when it comes out next month.

I love love love when a character feels their age in a book I'm reading. And both Hamlet and Ophelia feel their ages in the novel. Something that usually gets ignored is how actual characters act their age. This book doesn't have that problem. In a queer retelling of Hamlet I couldn't really have asked for more. The second half of the novel reads a little bit better than the first but that's fine. It gets better from something that is already extremely good and I love that.

Ophelia discussing what it means to be a woman in a man's world and how the perception of a person changes from a girl to a woman as she ages is magnificent. The fact that it touches on this at all was a grace to the writing and the story in itself. I love Hamlet ( the original ) and reading this brought a fresh love of the story that once again will never die. This retelling belongs on any fans shelf and anyone who enjoys an introspective read about who you are and why.

A great riff on 'Something is rotten in the state of Denmark.'

I love Hamlet, so I was excited to see a reimagining of the story. The characters in this novel feel true to the original, but much more textured (yes, Shakespeare, we get that Hamlet's indecisive - but why? Now, at last, I have the answer!). I also loved the way the events are placed into the wider historical context, with the religious and political upheavals of the time impacting the central story. The sixteenth century was brought alive beautifully.

What I wasn't quite so keen on, unfortunately, were the magical elements. There was a good basic concept there, but it wasn't fully formed and was often confusing, muddying the waters regarding character motivations. I hope there will be more rigorous worldbuilding of the fantasy elements in the next book - which I'm looking forward to already.

Smile and Be a Villain is a fantasy retelling of Hamlet by Shakespeare, which I only had the exposure through a manga and the memory is thinning, yet I liked it. So, I didn't have that much information besides some character's roles before diving in. It feels like this is the 'prelude', primarily the reason why Hamlet is driven to madness, by incorporating dark magic trace element called Corruption.

There is something in the writing style that feels comfortable and familiar to me. Maybe the fact that this retelling uses OG character's names and the humor just hits the spot right remind me of a very, very well-written fanfiction that I often revisit. I don't mean 'fanfiction' in a demeaning way, in fact, sometimes I choose to read fanfics over original fiction because of the familiarity and warmth they offer. This book is like a blend of those two--fanfic and orific, the beloved and authenticity, and that alone score high points for me.

The two point of views, Hamlet and Ophelia, are placed strategically, so you don't have to worry about not being able to distinguish them. Ophelia here is likable, delicate and strong at the same time, but Hamlet is the STAR. His part is really enjoyable and as he explores himself and the world, as he tries to make sense of what happens, the tone gradually changes from light and humorous to grim and bloody. I LOVE IT. I also find myself root for Ophelia more towards the end.

Hopefully the stakes are higher in book two.

The first half was 2 stars, and the second half was 3.5 stars, so I just averaged it out


Dislikes
- Second half feels significantly better-written than the first half tbh. And there’s like no humor in the first half either. Like why? Hamlet is an actually funny narrator in JUST the second half…
- If you’re going to keep the iconic Hamlet line, then you have to make your characters talk like that. The cognitive dissonance drives me nuts whenever they bring the line up
- Why the magic bro
- Ros & Guild had no discernible personality traits until Ros showed him magic. Like literally they were interchangeable until that moment for me

Likes
- The only things I know abt Hamlet is from the Lion King, so considering that I rather like the characters, and felt like they gave off the right vibes. Especially Hamlet; he had good humor
- The whole last chunk, with Hamlet slowly going mad + the battle was really good
- Idk but Horatio grew on me even tho he was barely in the story <3

Thank you to Netgalley, the author, and Victory Editing for an eARC in exchange for an honest review. Unfortunately, this book wasn’t for me despite me so believing it would be. :(

Everything about “queer magical Hamlet retelling” sold me, but once I was reading the story, I felt a little disappointed. I wanted even more magic and explanation to magic and the portal world: I felt we only a taste of it despite needing to follow the magic Ophelia and her portal-world family do.

The book’s language is quite accessible, but then there will randomly be a line from the play, which feels anachronistic compared to the language used otherwise. Committing to one or the other would have been a stronger choice.

I felt most connected to the characters of Ophelia and Hamlet (our two dual POVs), while many other characters didn’t feel fully fleshed out. I think as someone very familiar with Hamlet, I was aching for each character to truly show their personalities as they are in the play, though this book is set prior to the events of the play, so I should have kept that in mind. It is the yearning and bond between Hamlet and Ophelia that kept me reading—I felt the supporting and side characters were very one-note.

There is a lot of great marginalized rep in this. I’m glad a Shakespeare retelling has prominent LGBTQIA+ characters and speaks openly about queer desire and love and the different ways that can manifest.

Ultimately, it looks like this book found its intended audience, and I’m glad. :) I may read the sequel just to see how the author continues to adapt Hamlet.

Thank you to NetGalley and Yves Donlon for letting me review this book.

There's a historical note from the author before the story begins. I think that was so important. Personally that refined my expectations for the book and I'm so happy it's there.

The beginning is descriptive, and I found the writing beautiful. As a literature major, I was also excited to read about Hamlet and Ophelia.

I loved the fantasy elements of the world. All in all, the worldbuilding was intriguing.

I would recommend this book to anyone who loves Shakespeare and fantasy. Just don't expect this to be a happy story!

Includes:
Hamlet
Ophelia
Magic

SABAV is a queer Hamlet retelling, and one of the best books I’ve read so far this year.

The story is told from two POV’s, Hamlet’s and Ophelia’s. Hamlet has been sent away to study at Wittenberg after being caught in a compromising position with Ophelia and the stable boy. There he meets Rosencrantz and Guildenstern and ends up living with them.

Ophelia, who is now alone and disgraced in the castle, is struggling to try and keep corruption from taking over. Corrupting is the by-product of using magic, and the castle is overflowing with. Ophelia needs to do her best to get rid of it because it starts to rot away at the people.

I loved everything about this book, and I especially loved Hamlet. I want to wrap him in a big hug and give him all the love he deserves. He’s struggles a lot with inner homophobia, but still has his heart open to loving others like he just can’t help it. On the outside he is ever the Prince he was raised to be, keeping up appearances with a smile on his face. But inside he is struggling and feels like there is a monster living within him.

Hamlet is seventeen and he feels that way. The author did a great job of writing him to feel like a teenager, but one who has been raised in court and is expected to make good decisions. He never feels immature, or too old for his age.

Ophelia is truly a character to admire. She is trying so hard to save everyone’s lives with a hint of recognition or even acceptance from some. She is smart and confident in her goal and honestly everyone should be bowing at her feet for all she’s doing to keep them alive.

You don’t need any prior info of Hamlet to read this book. The whole of this book is set before the timeline to the original, so it’s a sort of prequel retelling. Yves Donlon has added enough of their own twist to the whole story that I really have no idea what to expect from the sequel but I’m super excited, and a little nervous too.

Thank you to Netgalley and the author for providing me with an E-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Disclaimer: I have not read Hamlet, and therefor my experience with this book might be different than someone who has (E.G plot twists etc.)

I knew I would love this book the moment I heard the premise; "Hamlet but queer". I've been fascinated by Shakespear for a while now, and having previously only read 'If We Were Villains', I thought a Hamlet retelling would be perfect to further fuel this fascination, and boy oh boy was I correct.

This book was, with its beautiful writing style, fast pace and short chapters, addicting. I had to force myself to put it down, and had I not, I would've devoured this in only 2 or 3 sittings. Though, I'm glad I took my time, as this meant I had more time with these characters whom I absolutely adored. Magical, badass Ophelia who loves her father, her brother, her Otherworld family and who just wants to do whats best for Denmark, and the queer mess that is Prince Hamlet. They were filled with unique personality and I could do nothing but root for them the entire time. I loved reading about Ophelia and her struggles as a lady in a royal court, alongside her struggles of using her magic to try and keep Denmark free of the corruption, and the love she shared with Hamlet was so sweet. Oh and the fact that she's ACE, god she's just like me. Now, Hamlet. He was such a troubled boy, and reading about his yearning and internalised homophobia saddened me. Though, I really enjoyed the banter he shared with Guildenstern and Rosencrantz (and the rest of the characters, but especially these two). It was heartbreaking reading about the betrayals tragedies they both went through (though, I might've seen them coming, had I actually read the original source material, but whatever, it only added to my misery and enjoyment). The characters in general were so lovable (except for you, Claudius), unique and complex that I just wanted to learn more about them and never felt the "Urgh when does this character stop talking" feeling.

The magic system with the corruption and the Otherworlds and the seight guids and everything was so well done, and fascinated me a lot. The descriptions of the corruption and the corruption-creatures were gross, and I LOVED it. The whole thing felt so original, and I just wanted to read more.

I might not have read a lot of historical fiction, but Yves Donlon managed to capture the time period perfectly, which only made me enjoy this book even more. The writing style was, as previously mentioned, beautiful and only added to this. I know I will think about this book in the next forseeable future because Oh my god. I know this review probably made no sense, and was just me yapping without actually saying anything intelligent, but trust me, you will not want to miss out on this book once it releases.

I might be a bit biased as a Dane, but shh it only made the story feel more special to me.

I had the opportunity to read an ARC of Smile and Be a Villain (Book 1 of Goodnight Sweet Prince) by Yves Donlon thanks to NetGalley! It’s a queer retelling of Hamlet, with fantasy elements and a lot of insightful social commentary woven throughout.

Yves’ writing and language was the first thing that stood out to me about this book. In the absolute best way, it has the Shakespearean vibe while maintaining an understandable vocabulary and modern flow. It fits the nature and tone of this book extremely well, making it even easier to get lost in the world hidden between its pages.

The main characters – Hamlet and Ophelia – are likeable, making it very easy to root for them. The depth of their relationship is compelling, and never once did I feel like I had any questions about it – it was just Hal and Fee, friends since they were kids, and that was that. Their internal monologues did a lot for their likeability. Ophelia’s internal monologue talks a lot about what it means to be a woman, while also being strikingly relatable at times, despite the 500-odd years between us. (Fond mention to: “more than anything, she craved cheese”). Hamlet, on the other hand, explores a lot of what it means to be touch-starved and yearn for companionship, and also the hunger to earn the approval of a parental figure. He’s also… slightly pathetic, especially at the start, but in a good way? Like a soaked kitten you find on the side of the road and take in.

I mentioned the social commentary earlier. It absolutely knocked me off my feet: it was nothing more than a sentence here and there at times, but it packed a punch with the simplicity of it. The complex thoughts expressed in simple sentences that cut straight for the heart. Ophelia (and Alessandra) discussing what it means to be a woman and the change when one grows from a girl into a woman and the way people perceive that stood out to me. Fond mention to the religious commentary, that faith is to believe that god will love you in the end no matter what – in a book in which the differences between Lutheranism and Catholicism seemed woven into its very core, it was a lovely touch.

I will try and refrain from major spoilers, but I will say that the foreshadowing had me second-guessing everything I believed to be true. The last 10-15% of the book had me unable to stop reading with my jaw on the floor as everything unravelled before my eyes.

Side notes; I loved Laertes and Horatio, though they were certainly not the main focus of the book in the slightest. Horatio’s last appearance in the book had my heart breaking for reasons I couldn’t put into words (as someone who hasn’t read the original Hamlet, though I am starting to think I should).

The line in chapter 40, scene 10, “there is nothing in Denmark that is worth this” made me feel far too much for how brief that scene was. I felt like I’d been stabbed, and I cried like it too.

Overall, the book was a very strong 4.5/5, rounded up to 5! My only critique is that the book took a touch too long to get started, and I did find it hard to convince myself to pick it up at the beginning. Once it got going, however, it was great.

I don’t recall much of Hamlet having not read / watched it since school but I still thought this was super imaginative and an exciting retelling that’s worth your time. The characters in here are complex and the story is intriguing. The representation in here is going to spread joy and we love to see it.

I think this may be a series, if so I’d definitely be continuing.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Excellent read. Really enjoyable. Exquisitely written with relatable and likable characters and beautiful world-building. 100% would recommend to all of my friends and fellow book lovers.