Ahoy there me mateys! I received this young adult fantasy eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. So here be me honest musings . . .

This is one of those books hopping around the blogosphere due to the excitement of a retelling of Snow White with a queer twist and its feminist leanings. Aye, had to check this one out. Plus it has a simplistic yet evocative cover.

Overall I thought it was a likeable story. This is not a book heavy on action or suspense. It also was a little bit confusing at first due to the nature of the flashbacks. At its heart this book seemed to be about family betrayal, overcoming familial obligations, and women choosing how to embrace their future selves and overcome their pasts. Personally I didn’t feel that the story was that feminist in tone because for the majority of the novel the three main women in the story seemingly have their entire lives and personalities dictated by the men in their lives. The women don’t really seem to fight at all for what they believe in and how they gain control in the end was rather lackluster. Also the queer relationship, while lovely, was certainly not even the secondary plot.

While I found all three women to be somewhat unique characters with the potential for inner strength, I felt that the story telling did not really do them justice. The pacing was a bit slow, the world building a bit flat, and the magic system not nearly explored enough. The age of the characters also seemed off. All the women came across as young, inexperienced, and naive. The villain wanted power for power’s sake. The loving father ended up being creepy. The flashback romance aspects of the novel were me least favorite portion. I wanted a fuller rendition of the world, characters, and the magic in particular. I didn’t know it was a debut before readin’ but some of these flaws seem in line with that fact.

That said I loved the huntsman and stepmother’s relationship and history. I adored how the mirrors and their symbolism were used in the story. I thought the relationship between the stepmother and princess was lovely in its complexities. The author’s mixing of fairy tale elements was clever. I am glad I read it but it is by no means a favorite. I wouldn’t reread this novel but I would check out more of the author’s work.

So lastly . . .

Thank you Flatiron Books!

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