Wow. This was incredibly well written and an amazing plot. All the characters were so good and perfect for the story. A must read for those who love fairy tales.

Have you ever wondered what leads the villain in a story to make the choices they do? Walter explores just that in The Crimson Crown while navigating what would cause the Evil Queen in a Snow White retelling to venture down that path. Walter makes you think and question - how much can one character go through before you would start contemplating the same choices. Poor Ayleth is used and betrayed at every turn. It’s not wonder the her goals shifted over the course of the tale. Walter certainly had me rooting for Ayleth to get her happy ending regardless of what that ending looked like. In addition to writing interesting, well developed characters, I appreciated the world building and magic system that Walter created. They were both well thought out and richly developed. I do think the pacing of the plot could’ve used some tweaking as the story seemed to slow down too much at times. I also would love to know more about the different forces at work like Malum and the original witches. I’m hoping we get more details on them in the next book. Overall, though, I’m a sucker for a good villain origin story would recommend reading this.

“I know how to lock my heart inside a cage.”

“The Crimson Crown,” by Heather Walter

Snow White’s dark queen origin story. Ayleth is a witch who lives with her coven, but the Royal Huntsmen are intensifying their search for witches and putting their lives in danger. Ayleth whose magic has not shown yet decides to go on a quest to the White Palace to save her family. On the way she runs into Jacquetta, a witch who broke her heart and trust.

This book is a good retelling of the evil queen. I liked the political intrigue and world building. The romance in the book was minor though but I liked the characters especially FMC. I enjoyed reading it, 3 out of 5 stars.

-F/F
-Magic
-Retelling
-Political Intrigue

Thank you for the ARC, Netgalley.

This book! I don't even know how to put in words how much I truly enjoyed this book!

The story blended so seamlessly with the original tale we all grew up with yet managed to stay true to itself! At the beginning of the book I wanted to get to know Ayleth on a deeper level. Throughout the book I came to care for her and by the end I was rooting for the Villain!

This plotline had me searching for clues, on the edge of my seat, and still threw out twists I did not see!

Thank you so much NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for my honest review!

As always, I am the easiest sell on a queer retelling of a fairy tale. Give me the fun game of a slide into the fairy tale's villain and it's really all I'm every looking for. The Crimson Crown is just that: an alternate telling of the origin's of the queen from Snow White.

Under the White Court, Ayleth has lost almost everything she thought her life would be. Her coven must hide in plain sight as sisters of the King's new god. Her sister was killed in the witch hunts. Her mother's trust in Ayleth was destroyed when her sister died. But now Ayleth is expected to step into a role that was always meant to be her sister's and become the heir to lead their coven. The night she is set to take this role, Ayleth's sister reaches through the veil setting Ayleth on a journey to find a way to pull her through and back to the word of the living. For this, Ayleth infiltrates the White Court where she is also reunited with an old love who vanished the night of her sister's death.

This book was a delight in many ways. The nods to Tudor combined with the approach to fairy tale built a world that was easy to slip into. Some of the twists and turns felt unnecessary, especially in the third act. Overall constant slide of anger and inability to trust her self worked for the character of Ayleth though I did have to remind myself that she was in fact so young at times. This book was exactly what I expected from Heather Walter. And given how much I enjoyed her last duology, it was no surprise that this was a strong start to another fun duo.

The beginning of this book was a little slow for me and it took a bit to pick up, but once it did I was hooked. As the book progress, I genuinely started to like Ayleth more and more. I thought it was so funny that Ayleth wanted a break and she had to take the L left and right l. Every time she thought it couldn't get worse, it does, but she got through it and I respect that. I definitely did judge her a bit when she got back with Jacquetta because love yourself more Ayleth, you deserve better. I'm glad she ended up realizing Jacquetta was just gonna keep betraying her and didn't take her back AGAIN. The end was a little sad even though I know she succeeded in what she needed to do, but she lost so much too. This book was so well written, I love the writing style and the story was so interesting. I forgot this was a re-telling of snow white's evil queen until the last line of the book. I can't wait to read the second one.

Thanks to NetGalley & Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the early copy in exchange for an honest review.

I'll be honest, I was a bit disappointed. I really enjoyed the Malice duology and Walter's strong writing style is still prevalent here...but the plot and characters were all over the place. I really didn't like the protagonist nor her love interest. The entire setting made no sense to me--I usually can suspend my disbelief but the choices Ayleth made were so stupid and it made no sense to me that the entire palace staff kept rewarding her for her dumb errors. Her turn to evil didn't make much sense either, she just seemed like a young teenager that's extremely indecisive rather than "evil". If anything, I thought Jacquetta was more evil than her with her awful behavior towards Ayleth! I wish we had more of the witch coven stuff, but that was mainly in the first 10% of the book and the rest of it was boring palace drama. Disappointing...

DNF'd at 30% and even skipped ahead to 50% to see if it would peak my interest more, but alas, it did not.

2.5 stars for me and my thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for the eARC.

I gave this the best shot I could. I went in with an open mind, knowing it might not be for me. But in my attempt to branch out to new genres, there are going to be many that don't hit with me. This is one of them.

I found myself not caring about the characters. By the time Ayleth got to the city, it became too overwhelming to remember everyone and their motivations. I wasn't expecting the book to go straight from a small backstory into Snow White from the Evil Queen's perspective, and anyone who does expect that didn't read the blurb. But god Ayleth was so boring. She was supposed to be mid-20s but acted childish as if she was still a teenager.

This one wasn't for me. But that doesn't mean it won't be for you.

Well I gobbled this poison apple right up- flesh, seeds, and core, without even bothering to chew. When I look in the mirror I see complete satisfaction. This retelling is the fairest of them all. 🍎

This took Snow White and flipped it on its head- which is great, because who wants to read the exact same story? And this isn’t Disney taking the animated version to live action and adding CGI effects. We are talking covens, world-bending magic, murder AND lesbians. What more do you want?

This is similar to the author’s Malice duology in that it’s a fairy tale retelling centered on the evil witch- but it has a faster pace, a darker tone, and is just overall more fun. The mystery is thrilling, the romance is most welcome, and the world is enchanting.

My only gripe is that some phrases were overused throughout the novel, but it wasn’t enough to distract from how much fun I was having. Pack your bags, saddle that horse, and get ready to paint the White Court… red.

I wanted to love this book so much because I was enthralled with the author's prior duet. Unfortunately this book fell flat for me and I could not keep reading it. It did not have the same character development that I had ground to love in her prior novels. It was also more slow paced and lacked the tension and interest that I had expected. I wish the author the best of luck and hopefully her future books will be similar to Malice and Misrule.

Heather Walter’s *The Crimson Crown* is a mesmerizing start to a new duology that reimagines the Snow White fairy tale through the eyes of the wicked queen. As someone who adored the *Malice* and *Misrule* duology, I had high expectations for this book, and Walter certainly delivers a story rich with magic, intrigue, and deep, raw emotion.

The novel introduces us to Ayleth, a young witch struggling to find her place within her coven as her magical gifts remain dormant. Her journey from a carefree second daughter to the heartless villain of the Snow White story is both heartbreaking and compelling. Walter masterfully portrays Ayleth’s emotional turmoil—her grief over her sister’s death, the lingering heartbreak from Jacquetta’s betrayal, and the growing realization that her mother and coven may never truly accept her. These emotional threads weave together to create a protagonist who is both relatable and tragically flawed, making her descent into darkness feel all the more poignant.

The world-building in *The Crimson Crown* is equally captivating. The magic of the witches and the treachery of the White Palace court are beautifully rendered, drawing readers into a world where danger lurks around every corner. I particularly enjoyed the character of Blodwyn, our Snow White, whose curiosity and innocence add a layer of complexity to the story. The interactions between Ayleth and Blodwyn are filled with tension and foreshadowing, setting the stage for what promises to be an explosive continuation in the next book.

However, there were a few aspects where I wished for more. The concept of Malum, a sinister force hinted at throughout the story, could have used further explanation. Its vague presence left me wanting a deeper understanding of its role in the narrative. Additionally, while there is some romantic tension and a bit of spice, it remains relatively tame, which might leave some readers craving more intensity in that department.

Despite these minor qualms, *The Crimson Crown* is a fantastic read that left me eagerly anticipating the next installment. Walter’s ability to breathe new life into familiar tales while maintaining a dark, witchy atmosphere is truly impressive. This book is a must-read for fans of queer fantasy and fairy tale retellings. I’m excited to see where Ayleth’s journey will take her next, and how her story will ultimately intertwine with the legend of Snow White.

"The Crimson Crown"❤️🪞
⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Love a good fairytale retelling (Snow White) or reimagining, unfortunately this book didn't do it for me.😔
I felt myself skimming through most of it because I really didn't connect with the story or characters.
The book tells the story of the would be "Evil Queen" and it really doesn't come to light until the very end of the book. And this book is long lol😅
I did enjoy some aspects of the book, the world building was amazing and it was very well written and I love the Witchy aspects of the story but I still couldn't get into it and was very confused throughout most of the book.
Overall this book wasn't my cup of tea but it might be yours.❤️💫
Thank you Netgalley for the ARC opportunity ❤️

DNF (But I may revisit this book and try again at a later date)
I think I can really like this book, others obviously do, but at this current time, the writing style is not meshing with me. I hope to come back to try again soon in the future.
I do want to give this book another chance at a later date, recognizing that I am in a mild reading slump. I also recognize that this particular style of writing, which comes across as sort of novice to me, would not have bothered me if I was reading it when I was fifteen and not as well-versed in the world of reading, and the world of reading YA. While I struggled with this, I do encourage others to give it chance. It may be for you, even if it wasn't for me right now.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for providing an advance reader copy of this book for my honest review.

Thank you, Netgalley, for this ARC.

“Mirror, mirror on the wall,” I say, the words pulled from my lips like a spell. “Who is fairest of them all?”

The Crimson Crown is the sapphic villain origin story about the wicked queen in Snow White. In this, Ayleth is a young witch trying to find herself. The covens are in a war with the White King and his false goddess. The witches control of the Veil is what holds back Malum, but it is failing.

Ayleth is shoved into being the Second in her coven after her sister is killed in a witch hunt, but it is a role that she never wanted. She hasn't come into her powers, and the threat of the war and Malum is too much. She goes to the White Palace to find the Bloodstones, which should repair the Veil. When she arrives, she finds the one person she never expected to see: Jacquetta, the witch that broke her heart.

As Ayleth tries to find the Bloodstones and navigate court, she finds herself in over her head and struggling to resist trusting Jacquetta even though she knows she shouldn't. Ayleth also has to battle a dark force within herself that is determined to come out.

There are so many amazing things about this book. The magic of the witches, the intrigue of the White Palace court, the curious princess Blodwyn (our Snow White). But modt of all, the rawness of Ayleth’s emotions. She deals with the death of her sister, the heartbreak of Jacquetta leaving her and the fact that her mother and coven don't seem to care for her. All of these things take her from a carefree second daughter to a reluctant Second to her mother, to the heartless villain in the story of Snow White.

There were some things i wanted more of, specifically more explanation of what Malum is. There was some spice, but not explicit. I am very excited to see where the next book takes us.

I enjoyed the initial set-up and concept of this book but I felt that it could have been shorter. I was sucked into the idea of a fairy tale re-telling with further inspiration from Anne Boleyn; and those parts were interesting but took too long to start to come to fruition.

I think part of my struggle is I couldn’t get behind the romance of this at all and even though I’m a romance fan I think it did a disservice in this.

Overall a solid book, the ending clearly leaves the story ready for book 2 but I think this will be the end of my journey with this story.

Thanks to NetGalley & Del Rey for the digital ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

Heather Walter is fantastic at creating compelling magic systems that aren't too technical but also not too hand-wavey. She also allows her characters to actively make choices that harm others, which is what I really want in a fairy tale villain POV -- so many authors just rely on misunderstandings or forced situations to explain why antagonists do what they do. My only complaint is that now I have to wait for the second book to come out!

Thanks Netgalley and Del Rey for an earc in exchange for an honest review. This is my first Heather Walter book and if her first two are anything like this one, I will happily read them.
The Crimson Crown tells the story of Ayleth and her journey to becoming the evil queen we all know from Snow White. I haven’t read many villian origin stories, this is definitely my first fairytale villian origin story and it did not disappoint. Ayleth’s origin story accomplished exactly what it needed to. While I did find the pacing in the beginning to be a little slow, the last 40% fully gripped me and I was so excited to see how this story was going to end. I really loved Ayleth’s character and I love the push and pull of her emotions and seeing the dominos fall. With Jacquetta, I definitely had to warm up to her, but I enjoyed seeing her interactions with Ayleth and how they reacted to each other. I feel like this whole story was full of really complex characters with complex dynamics with each other which I really enjoyed unraveling.
Overall, I found the pacing to be pretty slow towards the beginning, but I definitely grew to really enjoy where this story went. I definitely will read more of her books.

4.75

What can I say about this book? I sit here, after finishing it, struggling with what to say because this book was fantastic, even when i wasn't sure where it was going.

Pros: Worldbuilding. Lovable morally grey female main character. Relatable mommy issues. Heartbreaking romance. Side characters that make you feel things (Blodwyn has my heart). An intriguing mystery.

Cons: Pacing and follow through was iffy. I've been getting really annoyed when authors buiild up to an event that should be a hige game changer for the plot and then nothing really happens. The sequel (preferably dual pov with Blodwyn) is not confirmed.

I received an early copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. A fellow bookish friend really hyped up this book for me and they were so right.

A retelling of Snow White of sorts, this book follows a witch Ayleth as she is about to become her mother’s Second and heir. Following an attack from the Hunt and the death of her sister, Ayleth never thought she would be in this position. Looking to attempt to bring her sister back, she travels in search of the Bloodstones, the only thing keeping the Veil and Malum in place. Swept up into the palace, she runs into her lover that left her the night her sister died. Fighting between her feelings for her sister and her feelings for Jacquetta, Ayleth must keep her secret close because if it were known she were a witch, the White King would watch her burn.

I really enjoyed this book! This is my first book by the author but I will for sure be reading her other two. I really enjoyed the fairytale backdrop and loved seeing the details Heather used tying to Snow White.

I devoured this book, and I had no idea where or how this lovely gem of a novel was going to become the beginnings of the classic Snow White tale we all know, but the journey there, the heart break and the sadness, the emotions it wrought was tragic and my heart clenches just thinking of it all. Ayleth. I see her, and I understand her. I get it now. Destroy them all Ayleth, let them burn.

---
Heather Walter's The Crimson Crown kicks off a new series with a riveting and darkly enchanting reimagining of the Snow White tale. As the first installment in the Crimson Crown series, this novel introduces readers to a fresh perspective on the infamous wicked queen, transforming her into a deeply compelling heroine.

Walter's storytelling is both immersive and emotionally charged. As Ayleth ventures on a dangerous quest, she confronts not only the political intrigue and dark magic of the court but also a personal betrayal that cuts deeply. Jacquetta, a witch from Ayleth's past, reappears in her life, reigniting old feelings and hopes.Ayleth’s painful and heart -wrenching struggle to reconcile her feelings of love and trust adds a profound emotional depth to the narrative.

The novel’s climax is both exhilarating and devastating, leaving readers with a powerful sense of anticipation for the next chapter in Ayleth’s journey. Walter expertly balances themes of magical adventure with the personal anguish of betrayal and self-discovery, creating a tale that resonates on multiple levels.