I loved the story. Although naive, the protagonist have a strong character. In a period that women depend on men for their own protection, Magda is different. She grew in a small week clan the McCubbin, in a house full of love. Their bitter enemies were the Galbraiths. On they the day that this clan decides to massacre them, her father sent her to help to Geneen McCurren. A very independent eldery wome. It doesn't clear if he knew something is going to happen but he trust that her ability to charm animals will help her in her way through the forest. After the horror of discovery of the massacre she came to live with Geneen honing her talent. As the only surviving of her clan she he'd to hide her identity, However, when a suspicious guy arrives and she had to weep his memory of her, her relationship with Genneen become terse and she decides to leave. She found a hut neer the Ferguson clan, the strongest clan in the highlands. Her life had changed when meeting and falling in love with Grant McCurren and discover his connections to the Galbraiths and her clan massacre.

I love a good fairytale retelling with a twist, I adore and anti-hero. What if both of these were combined? Michelle Deerwester-Dalrymple has created a series based on not the goodies from fairytales, but the baddies and how utterly glorious it isl

The first in the series is "Before the Emerald Crown" and revolves around Magda (loooong before she meets Priincess Merida) and this is a reimagining of her origin story. Magda is destitute, she has nothing but her magic, and seemingly, terrible luck. However, this is a story of bitterness and self sacrifice with a smidgen of hope.

The writing has a great flow to it and it ducks and weaves gracefully through the plotlines. I really enjoyed Magda's characters development and that this book is not predictable

This book is a phenomenal beginning to what is likely to be a brilliant series and I alooking forward to reading more.

Thank you to Netgalley, Sword and Thistle LLC and Michelle Deerwester-Dalrymple for this fantastic ARC. My review is left voluntarily and all opinions are my own