MALICE BY HEATHER WALTER
Malice is a retelling of sleeping beauty. It takes a spin on this well know tale and focuses on sleeping beauty and the dark fairy turning it into a sapphic romance if they were both the same age and in their teens. It follows the life of Alyce, imagined as the dark fairy living in a household of “graces” who are “good” magic wielders, and she is the only one who is a dark grace. One day Princess Aurora comes to Alyce in search for a cure for a curse that will kill her in exactly one year. From there sparks fly and everyone knows how the story is going to end right? I loved this novel, as it is a fantasy retelling, it did take some time to dive into its world, but I would say quicker than the usual fantasy and I read it in one sitting thinking it was a standalone, it was left on such a large cliff-hanger. Thankful the sequel is coming out May 2022! I really enjoyed see a LGBTQIA+ focused romance in fantasy and am very excited to see more of the romance in the sequel to coming out soon. I would recommend to those looking for a novel with the classic “good” and “evil,” but with the back story and from the point of view of the villain.
Trigger warning: Abuse, torture, death, violence, bullying, homophobia.