Heather Walter

Originally posted on Just Geeking by.

I’ve been struggling to find the words to write this review because to be quite frank, Malice blew me away. There are some books that are amazing, and then there are some books that sing a song that echoes in your heart. Malice is one of those for me. I connected very strongly with the character of Malice and her circumstances on a personal level and revelled in her transformation.

The world Heather Walter has created is rich, vibrant, inherently flawed show more and incredible. This is a book about a villain and her story, and yet it’s so much more than that. The fantasy world that Malice is a part of has such unique races that I was craving more information with every page. I liked the way that this knowledge was imparted to the reader from two very different sources as well, making us question the validity of the information at every step.

That’s one of the core themes of this novel; truth and especially the truth of history. The old adage that history is written by the victor is in play here, although it’s not quite as simple as that. What happens when the victor’s story gets manipulated and usurped? Their power diluted over time until they don’t really have it anymore? That’s the situation that Princess Aurora finds herself in and she’s most definitely not a sleeping beauty. There is nothing passive or damsel like about Aurora and she’s incredible. She’s the type of strong female character that we need to see more of in YA.

Unfortunately, both Malice and Aurora are playing a game with only half the cards and this is a world where power reigns, and while they have the power of truth and good on their side that isn’t enough. This is a book about a villain, not a hero and Walter delivers that in full colour and heart-wrenching emotion. Even as I read the final scenes of the book a part of me was begging for it not to happen, and I realised that we’re pre-conditioned to fight against the villain. The problem is that things aren’t that black and white, and Malice is a book of greys upon greys. Very few characters in this book are not grey (I can count two, and one of them I suspect is probably quite grey, we just don’t know anything about her – yet) and even when you think you’ve worked one out, Walter is there with a scene that changes your entire perspective.

Malice isn’t all sour and dour though; it’s fun, flirty and beautiful too. It’s filled with Sleeping Beauty, Disney and fairytale easter eggs as well. This is a fantasy novel that is a treat to read. It's a book for people who like something different, who like characters who don’t fit into those nice neat little boxes. It’s a book about an underdog who finds someone who understands them and wants them for who they are, not who they want them to become. There’s female friendship and romance, a unique magic system, intrigue and so much more. It’s definitely a must-read for fans of fairytales!


For more of my reviews please visit my blog! show less

This took me a hot minute to get into the book. At the beginning, it felt a bit too exposition-y and I nearly bailed but I am soooo glad that I didn’t because instead I devoured it in nearly one sitting. And now I need book two, pronto.

This had everything I ever wanted. I love the world the author created out of the old Sleeping Beauty fairy tale and I adoooore the way she’s crafted this story’s versions of both Maleficent and Aurora here. Goddamn that ending—sequel when?

I mean. So.
How the heck am I supposed to coherently review a book that veers HARD in the last couple of chapters, leaving my head spinning like this? I thought I’d gotten to understand this story! I thought I was on reasonably sure footing, and then it was like, “YOU DON’T KNOW ME,” and it threw me off a cliff.

So, trying not to spoil anything (hah), I’ll go with: loved the world the author made. Loved the characters and how they all wound up being so much more nuanced than they show more seemed at the start. Loved that the queer relationships weren’t viewed as wrong, but simply politically inappropriate for certain folks with responsibilities. And those whiplash surprises were so stealthily approached that I suspected almost nothing about them. (Okay, I did think one point was a bit too good to be true and that did turn out to be the case, but it was the exception.)

Want the next book now, even if I have no idea what the author could do to “fix” things. show less

Malice is everything I wanted in a Sleeping Beauty retelling.

It's from the villain's point of view; the culture and society give you that fairytale vibe while also being new and interesting; the magic system is layered with rules and history and lies/misunderstandings at every turn; the princess doesn't fall for the prince. It's FANTASTIC!