Hidden inside every fairytale is a prophecy of events to come, and I play my part to perfection. Not that anyone understands my endgame—yet. But you will. Soon. I will set the record straight. Fair warning, my darklings. This tale isn’t for the faint of heart. Mirror, Mirror on the wall, who will perish when I call?
It’s funny because I have a love/hate relationship for fairytale retellings, but yet here I am reviewing my third retelling in 2019. Maybe I like them more than I think?
The Evil Queen by Gena Showalter took Snow White’s story and manipulated the events while still maintaining the integrity rooted at this fairytale’s core. So far I haven’t really seen many Snow White retellings so I don’t have much to compare it to, but I must say this one was a masterpiece.
Showalter’s writing blew me away. This is the first book I’ve read by her and it will definitely not be the last. It’s obvious she commits to her characters and maintains consistency in crafting them all. The dialogue and interactions between characters were executed with an authenticity that felt real and believable. It was as if she can predict what you as the reader are thinking and simultaneously answering it in the next line. It was on point! All this made the story flow very easily. She doesn’t bog down the story with too much description either and that is definitely something you want to see in a fairytale retelling because we know the iconic forest setting loved by most, so there’s no need to go into great detail. Showalter recognised that and instead took time and built up her characters and the differences between her version and Disney’s.
“Anger followed the shame. How dare anyone make me feel bad about being me? I wasn’t perfect, but I had a lot to give.”
There were so many times that I was rooting for the main character, Everly Morrow. People have deemed her the Evil Queen just because her sister couldn’t be. She’s constantly fighting assumptions and her determination to not give in is admirable. She is strong and I definitely loved her sassy and fierce attitude because it made her so funny to read! She has character and she’s just someone you can’t hate even if she does something that you don’t agree with. To me, I saw a lot of Regina Mills, the alter ego of the Evil Queen in ABC’s hit series Once Upon A Time. They share a lot similarities including their destined future as the villain and their fight to knock it off course. I also loved how she wasn’t above doing the “evil” thing if that’s what was needed. The most important quality to Everly and Showalter’s execution is how much care she took to convey Everly’s thoughts because they showed how her intentions were true, which showed her compassion and fight.
“And how had I ever considered his eyes frosted? Those shamrocks smoldered.”
Okay, I must get this out of the way now. Comparing eyes to shamrocks was ingenious! But let’s move on to who she’s describing, the Prince and Everly’s love interest. He’s strategic, gritty, and confident, and the chemistry between him and Everly was scorching! The way Showalter wrote it, readers were privy to all sorts of steamy thoughts from Everly and how much of a nervous wreck she was due to being blinded by hotness. It was funny because she always put on a brave face, but we knew how she felt and it made their love story adorable to read. This is definitely a tale with dirty banter and steamy romance, so you’ve been warned! Like I said, there are definitely sparks in this story and to say that your relationship status is complicated is a definite understatement in this book. There’s an abundance love stories in here, not just this one!
This world also incorporates other supernatural themes like the fey, winged creatures, and mer-folk and I really liked that added layer to the world. Plus, I loved Vikander, the cocky and seductive fae. He was hilarious and seemed to break up some tension with his relentless stabs at flirting. He was hilariously inappropriate to a fault!
If you’re a fan of Sarah J Maas’s A Court of Thorns and Roses series, you might want to consider adding this book to your TBR, especially if you like Azriel because there’s a very similar character in here and he’s just as adorable!
I had a lot of fun reading this book and I would definitely recommend this to anyone who loves fairytales and sassy heroines! Even if you’re like me and can’t seem to read many retellings, I urge you to check this one out because it has a lot of elements that differ from fairytales that get you hooked!
The Evil Queen is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers. Thanks to Harlequin Teen for providing The Nerd Daily with a copy in exchange for an honest review.
Will you be reading The Evil Queen? Or have you already? Tell us in the comments below!
Synopsis | Goodreads
Classic fairy tales are turned on their heads as strong heroines take charge and save the princes and the world in this magical action and romance-filled trilogy from the New York Times bestselling author of the Everlife novels and the White Rabbit Chronicles, beginning with a teen prophesied to become the Evil Queen from Snow White who refuses to be pigenonholed into her destiny.
Far, far away, in the magical realm of Enchantia, creatures of legend still exist, magic is the norm, and fairytales are real. Except, fairytales aren’t based on myths and legends of the past—they are prophecies of the future. Though Princess Everly Morrow was brought to the mortal realm as an infant, she knows she’s destined to rule a kingdom in Enchantia, thus fulfilling a beloved fairytale. But which one?
At seventeen, when an ability to commune with mirrors manifests, she begins to suspect the truth, and it’s more sinister than anyone ever realized…
She is destined to be Snow White’s greatest enemy, the Evil Queen.
With powers beyond her imagination or control—and determined to prove herself good—Everly returns to the land of her birth, smack dab in the middle of the creepiest forest of all time. There, Everly meets Roth Charmaine, the supposed Prince Charming. Their attraction is undeniable, but their relationship is doomed. As bits and pieces of the prophecy unfold, Everly faces one betrayal after the other, and giving in to her dark side proves more tempting every day. Soon, she will have to choose. Be a hero and walk away, or become the queen—and villain—of her dreams.
The battle between good and evil is on!
