This is a fairy tale retelling that gives the origin story of the wicked queen in snow white.
I picked this up a few times and would put it down again because the story is a bit slow in the beginning, (and again a little past the midway point) and I struggled to connect with Ayleth's character because she is so unsure of herself and what she wants to do. Ayleth is on a journey to discover who she really is and clearly has forces that are influencing that, wanting to find out how she reaches the end goal is what kept me returning despite the slow parts. I like the FMC mostly and look forward to finding out how the story continues in the second book. Overall, this is a pretty good start for a duology.

If you like villain origin stories for your classic fairy tales, a queer FMC that is on a mission to save what she loves, and a kingdom full of secrets to be discovered then this one is for you.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC of this work in exchange for my honest review.