A dark, gut-wrenching retelling of Snow White, one of my favorite fairytale characters.
The author revamps the story from the point of Snow White waking up and escaping her glass coffin.
You’ll recognize some characters and she’s added new ones to the decaying and dangerous world where Snow is forced to reinvent herself.
Not for those who enjoy the typical fairytale ending, but still an interesting read.

Thank you St. Martin’s Press / Wednesday Books and Netgalley for the arc.

I loved this bleak take on the Snow White story. And it's sapphic?! Perfection! Fans of fractured fairy tales and LGBTQ romantasies will greatly enjoy this new YA retelling!

This is a retelling of Snow White that takes place after she wakes up from being poisoned by the apple. While she's been asleep, her land has deteriorated with woodland creatures malformed and no longer gentle. At first, Snow takes refuge with the tree-like men who are a replacement for the 7 dwarves. But she soon realizes nobody in this new world can be trusted, especially the new queen who is the daughter of Snow's step-mother.

This book is well written and well-plotted plus the world building is very well constructed. The book provides a hint of a Sapphic pairing but really doesn't follow through with it. I would have appreciated an epilogue.

I was provided an ARC by the publisher via NetGalley.

I'm a massive fan of fractured fairytales so I knew I had to pick this one up! I loved the dark take on the Snow White story. It was fun to see Snow White cope with the betrayals she experiences in the original story and be more of an active participant in reclaiming her kingdom. The author gave Snow more complexity than she gets in the fairytale. Getting to see more of Snow's dark side was my favorite part of the story. The author tried to give more complexity to the Evil Queen's daughter too but that part was less successful for me. We only got glimpses of her character in the interlude chapters and didn't really get to know her as well as Snow. I would have liked to see her get more attention and depth. This might also be a case of mismarketing. The synopsis makes it sound like Snow is going to be conflicted about her feelings for the Evil Queen's daughter but that wasn't really the case. There was a hint of a sapphic arc if you squint at the very end but this is very much about Snow's story. If you're looking for a darker, more complex take on the Snow White story then I definitely recommend checking this story out! The darker vibes definitely fit with the grotesque nature of Grimm's original tales which I love in my fractured fairytales.

excuse me please don’t leave me hanging like that….this was so thrilling. I loved the retelling and wished it never ended. I also now want a bunny named Blueberry. Your writing is so fantastic and your use of imagery is spectacular. I can really picture what is going on. I can’t wait to see what happens next (if there is a next). 10 🌸 out of 5 🌸

“The Wildest Things,” by Andrea Hannah

I was excited to read a darker spin on snow white retelling. It was a good book but not really what I was expecting nor my vibe with pacing. I found chunks of the book on the boring side and had a bigger build up till most of the plot stuff that I really wanted. I wish the characters were as dynamic in the first part as they were at the end of the book. All in all, I would give it 3 stars out of 5.

-Snow White Retelling
-Magic

Thank you for the ARC, Netgalley.

I always find dark fantasy interesting, and this was no exception. With a premise that’s basically anti-Disney fairy tale, it promised some very dark and twisty action. And it delivered, at least to some degree, a degree I liked, but did not love.

I liked the warped nature of the world, along with the characters, especially Snow White. Everything and everyone, even her, is in some way affected by the blight scouring the land. But she finds ways to survive the nightmarish landscape, make some new friends along the way, and exhibit astounding resilience and growth. She isn’t the bravest person, by her own admission, but she still strives to do the right thing even under the most dangerous of circumstances.

However, the side characters felt a bit flat. I found them intriguing, but a bit underdeveloped. This book seemed to be setting itself up for a sequel, so I hope this is remedied there.

And if that sequel comes to fruition, I would enjoy learning more about this world’s magic system (which had a good set-up here), as well as getting further explorations of gender dynamics, powerful women, race, and class. I will be watching for Book 2.

DNF'd after chapter five. Five chapters in and nothing had really happened yet. Just a lot of confusing lore/vague backstory. I'm sure it would've all come together if I'd stuck it out (I found the lore in Where Darkness Blooms confusing until it all clicked, but at least in that one things were happening) but after slogging through the first five chapters I totally lost my momentum for reading this one.

Snow White is one of my favorite fairy tales and I typically love retellings, but this one really didn’t work for me. The author tried to give Snow more of a dark side and gave her magic powers which was cool, but she still ended up being the stereotypical damsel with the plot constantly happening “to” her, rather than her being an active participant in the story. Snow showed very little agency and was always in peril or being spoon-fed information about her new powers.

I loved some of the new magical elements introduced like the Mossfolk, but overall the magic system felt very muddled and like the rules kept changing.

I was also really disappointed with the romantic elements of the story. I thought the romance would be a much bigger subplot but the two love interests spend almost no time together and when they do, they just experience insta-love. I wish we had more opportunity to see them interact and grow their attraction over time. I think the romance just didn’t get near enough time devoted to it and almost wish it had just been cut if it wasn’t going to get fully fleshed out.

I am still interested in these characters and this world so if there is a sequel, I would like to read it, but I don’t think my expectations will be nearly as high as they were going into this one.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

The biggest issue for me was I couldn't get over my dislike for the FMC. Snow has been asleep for 20 years, and she wakes to a world she doesn't recognize, so I was willing to cut her some slack. But for someone who's expected to save her entire kingdom, she annoyingly spends the entire book being whiny and having to be saved by others.

I also didn't understand the romance in the book. The book is touted as being a sapphic romance, but the scenes between her and the evil queen's daughter felt unnecessary and forced, and she had was more chemistry with her friend, Henrick.

The prose was a bit flowery for my liking at times. While I appreciate Hannah being descriptive, it often felt over the top from the 'syrupy juices' of the apples to the 'ballet-pink flush' of a girl's cheek, it sometimes felt like she was just adding extra words to meet some required word count.

A queer reimagining of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. However, this was not what I was expecting. Snow White is ridiculous. Absolutely ridiculous. She is weak and whiny and there is definitely something wrong with her since she's having feelings for a truly evil queen. There's maybe a teeny tiny bit of growth in her character and I can infer from the ending that there will be a sequel.
However, as annoying as Snow White is, the story itself is pretty interesting and that is why I gave it an extra star. But I'm truly horrified that someone "pure of heart" could love an evil doer.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for this digital e-arc.*

Snow White awakens from her glass coffin to find her kingdom, Roanfrost, in ruins. The land is decayed, and animals have mutated. After twenty years, Snow embarks on a perilous journey to restore her kingdom. She faces betrayal, forms new alliances, and battles the ruthless Queen. To save Roanfrost and Garedenne, Snow must become the Seasonkeeper and harness life-giving magic, all while resisting her darker impulses. Will she succeed?

This Snow White retelling was a lot of fun! I loved getting perspectives from both the Mirror and Snow, which gave a complete view of the story. The good versus evil theme was compelling, and Snow White's growth throughout her journey was well done. The side characters, especially Hennrick and Blueberry, added a lot to her story.

Although the book started off a bit slow for the first 40%, I was hooked enough to keep reading. The magic system was fascinating, and the twist in the story was great. The ending wrapped things up nicely, leaving room for a potential sequel but also tying up loose ends. Overall, I recommend this one if you like fantasy books and fairytale retellings.

Rating: 3.5/5
Spice: 0/5

Tropes:
Good Vs Evil
Fairytale Retelling
Nature Magic
Healing Magic
Magical Creatures
Enchanted Sleep

Thank you Andrea Hannah, St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books, and NetGalley for a chance to read this ARC. All thoughts are my own.

I thought that this was a really good retelling of Snow White tale. It was really interesting way to do the tale and I loved it. I also loved that it was a sapphic retelling.

I love Snow White and I love retellings of classic stories. It was nice to see some of the story from the Mirror’s perspective. But, nothing major stuck out to me as I read this book.

Thank you to Wednesday Books | St. Martin’s Press for providing this ARC. The publication date is February 25, 2025.

I usually enjoy anything published by Wednesday Books, but this story fell a bit flat for me. As a huge fan of Snow White, I was disappointed by this retelling. I’m not sure if it was the author’s writing style or the overall plot and characters, but I struggled to get through it.

On the positive side, I appreciated the overarching theme of learning to trust your own heart. I also enjoyed reading from the 'mirror's perspective'; I thought that was a nice touch. Additionally, the cover is stunning.

Overall, I found it mediocre. I neither loved it nor hated it. I would say read the summary and if it seems like something up your alley, give it a shot! If all else fails, it would be a beautiful addition to your home library!!

As always, all thoughts are my own. 🖤✨

[arc review]
Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.
The Wildest Things releases February 25, 2025

2.5

In this dark retelling, Snow White wakes from a twenty year slumber in her glass coffin to a decaying territory with poisonous lands and mutated animals.
With the absence of a Keeper to perform the High Season ritual, Roanfrost has been devoid of its seasonal magic for decades, and will not last another year in its current state.

Hannah’s writing is fluid and straightforward, making for a bingeable read, though this also puts the story at risk of feeling more like a middle grade novel at times.

The strengths here lie within the imagery and descriptions; I especially liked the uniqueness of the mossfolk and the added gothic horror elements.

As for this being a sapphic romance, I feel a bit queerbaited. Yes, it’s implied that Snow White is attracted more to Iliana than Hendrick, but I expected a much larger romantic plotline. One forced brush of the lips (at 92%), which was used as a transference of poison to kill someone, does not hold enough weight in my opinion. I also wasn’t fond of the love interests being step-sisters.

cw: animal death

A new sapphic Snow White retelling in which Snow wakes up 2 decades after being poisoned only to find she has to kill the Evil Queen's daughter.... the one person she's in love with. Snow is the poisoned and finds herself waking up to her kingdom in complete decay, the land is rotting and the animals have mutated... something is wrong with nature. Snow knows she has to find a way to undo it and to face off against everyone she once called a friend while trying to make new allies as after 20 years... things have become twisted. She realizes that she must kill the Evil Queen's daughter... who happens to be the one girl she loved..... can she undo it and still save her beloved? This one was so odd to me, the story felt so slow, the romance felt nonexistent, and the characters were lacking in actual depth. I felt myself being yanked out of the story constantly and just couldn't really ever enjoy it. I wish I did like it more, I love fairytale retellings, especially queer takes, but this one just felt like a miss for me.

Release Date: February 25, 2025

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and St. Martin's Press | Wednesday Books for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review. DNF. I will not be finishing this novel. I’m not invested in what’s happening. I’m only rating and reviewing so it doesn’t hurt my feedback ratio and because it makes me.

DNF at 60%. At this point in the book, I didn't feel connected to the characters, or feel any kind of romance brewing.

Unfortunately this was not a win for me. I loved the cover and the concept on the book but truly could not bring myself to care about Snow. The pacing was also slow. Thank you for the opportunity!