Malice by Heather Walter - Book Review
3.75/5
A queer sleeping beauty retelling from the villains' point of view. Alyce is half-vila, a long-dead but ultra-powerful race that is both hated and feared. As a result of her blood she is subjected to a life of servitude in which she must use her powers to grant patrons magic elixirs. As the other semi-magical beings in Briar, the Graces, must do. Alyce, nicknamed both Malyce and the Dark Grace, is repeatedly discriminated against by the people of Briar. Forcing her to live a life of almost complete solitude. Minus her kestrel, which is a fun nod to the original story. However, she suddenly receives in invite to Princess Aurora’s 20th birthday. Which she initially only accepts to spite the other Grace’s in her house. But upon arriving she realizes what life is truly like for the Princess, who only has until her 21st birthday to live unless she has true love’s kiss.
And after meeting Aurora, who seems to be the only person in Briar who doesn’t look at Alyce like she’s gum scraped off her shoe. She begins to have some hope that maybe there is more to life than being miserable. But there’s still the pesky fact that the Vila are the reason Aurora’s blood is cursed. And her new friend Kal, who knew her mother isn’t exactly thrilled at their budding friendship. Despite the growing number of people against them Alyce is determined to clear her name and put an end to the Briar curse. But can she without succumbing to being the villain that everyone thinks she is?
I enjoyed this book. I went into it thinking that it was on the YA side of things but quickly learned it is very adult fantasy. The characters were a little lackluster and underdeveloped. But despite how impulsive and occasionally pathetic Alyce can be you do really understand why. The book does a good job of getting you to empathize and justify Alyce’s less than stellar actions. I mean she was horrifically tortured and abused by members of the palace for her entire childhood. It’s understandable that she has some issues and trauma. Who wouldn’t after that? And she is truly alone, even the people who are “nice” to her wouldn’t have her back when she needed them. So yes, Alyce isn’t the smartest or most morally upright character but I empathize a lot with what she is dealing with.
The queerification of the classic fairytale is what drew me to this book at first. I was interested as to what the author would do to make the story queer and how it would all tie together. The fact of the “evil villain” from my childhood being Aurora’s love interest was a fun choice. Although not the most original it kept my interest the whole book. And the way it was written was a surprisingly classic and heartwarming love story between two people who just want to be seen. The fact that they are both cursed in different ways and dream of living in a world where they can be themselves gave credibility to their relationship. So they weren’t just thrown together out of convenience. The author really spent time crafting their growing interest in each other beyond friendship.
The queer lore of the world itself was also very interesting and unexpected. It did feel a little…forced? For lack of a better word. Or perhaps I’m just not used to this type of topic being inserted into a fantasy book. But it was admittedly refreshing to read a fantasy world where being queer was widely accepted. And the reasoning behind the Briar crown not allowing same-sex couples made sense despite the overall acceptability of it. So kudos on that aspect.
The plot itself was fun. The magic system was very interesting. The use of the Grace’s blood to create elixirs was not something I would’ve thought of. But I loved how it pitted them against each other. The infighting with Alyce and the other Graces was a well-enjoyed subplot. It added more texture to the story itself and raised the already high stakes. Yes, the “plot twists” were a bit predictable and had a hint of cheese factor to them. But I loved it and ate it up. Sometimes you’re in the mood for a plot that is, although slightly predictable, easy to digest, fun, and shockingly well-written. I think it was also very self-aware of its slight cheesiness and played it up.
My favorite scene has to be the ending though. This book is the first of two so the end wasn’t really the end of it all. But the way it culminated and tied into the original story was exactly what I wanted. Without giving too much away Alyce’s descent into a true villain was just perfect. The entire book I was wondering how Alyce was going to deal with all the issues coming up and the way she did was just genius. Very vindicating on her part.
All in all, I recommend this book to anyone who loves queer fantasy and fairytale retellings. If you are a fan of Kalynn Baron this is kind of the more adult, darker cousin in the fairy tale retelling world. I also recommend it to anyone who found themselves strangely attracted to the villainous woman characters of their youth. Honestly, it is a bit of wish fulfillment if you ever wondered why the hot villain and princess never got together. I know that was one of the serious questions plaguing my childhood thoughts. And bonus, it is a two-parter so I am anxiously waiting for the chance to read the second one. Make sure to get both for your bookshelf because this is definitely a re-read-worthy duology. Enjoy!
CW // alcohol, animal abuse, blood, bones, bullying, death, decapitation, fire, depression, emotional abuse, gore, genocide, murder, physical abuse, poisoning, PTSD, self-harm, slavery, torture, violence and war.
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