Title: Malice

Series: Malice duology

Author: Heather Walter

Once upon a time, there was a wicked fairy who, in an act of vengeance, cursed a line of princesses to die. A curse that could only be broken by true love’s kiss.

You’ve heard this before, haven’t you? The handsome prince. The happily-ever-after.

Utter nonsense.

Let me tell you, no one in Briar actually cares about what happens to its princesses. Not the way they care about their jewels and elaborate parties and charm-granting elixirs. I thought I didn’t care, either.

Until I met her.

Princess Aurora. The last heir to Briar’s throne. Kind. Gracious. The future queen her realm needs. One who isn’t bothered that I am Alyce, the Dark Grace, abhorred and feared for the mysterious dark magic that runs in my veins. Humiliated and shamed by the same nobles who pay me to bottle hexes and then brand me a monster. Aurora says I should be proud of my gifts. That she . . . cares for me. Even though it was a power like mine that was responsible for her curse.

But with less than a year until that curse will kill her, any future I might see with Aurora is swiftly disintegrating—and she can’t stand to kiss yet another insipid prince. I want to help her. If my power began her curse, perhaps it’s what can lift it. Perhaps, together, we could forge a new world.

Nonsense again.

Because we all know how this story ends, don’t we? Aurora is the beautiful princess. And I—

I am the villain.

A sapphic sleeping beauty retelling – and it was glorious!

Alyce, aka Malice, meets Princess Aurora who has a curse and…..something….blooms between them!

Alyce is perceived as evil, the villain, because of her powers but is she really the villain? A chance meeting with the Princess sets them about trying to break her curse, amongst other things,  but as you can imagine, it all goes wrong!

I listened to this and can totally recommend the audio! The world building and the magic system were amazing! I truly loved Alyce and also loved the spin the author put on this fairy tale!

I think there is a book 2 so I’m off to look for that and I’m still saying to myself, who needs a Prince when you’ve got Malice?!