If you love the idea of a good origin story, a story you think you know, check out The Crimson Crown. Walter takes the figure of Snow White’s stepmother and transcends it into a story about ambition, love, and betrayal. About when we are cast as the villain, the witch, the guilty. Keep reading this book review of The Crimson Crown for my full thoughts.
Summary
Legends tell of a witch who became a queen—the heartless villain in the story of Snow White.
But now the wicked queen is stepping out of Snow White’s shadow to become the heroine of her own legend.
Her real “once upon a time” begins when she is just Ayleth, a young witch who lives in the forest with her coven. The witches practice their magic in secret, hiding from the White King and his brutal war against witchcraft.
Ayleth, however, faces a war of her own. Her magical gifts have yet to reveal themselves, and as the threat of the Royal Huntsmen intensifies, Ayleth fears she will never become the witch her coven needs.
To prove herself, Ayleth sets out on a perilous quest that sends her to the White Palace, a decadent world of drama and deceit. There, Ayleth encounters an unlikely figure from her past: Jacquetta, a witch who once held Ayleth’s heart—and betrayed her.
As events at the palace escalate, Ayleth finds herself caught in the web of the White King, whose dark charisma is as dangerous as the sinister force that seems to be haunting the palace—and perhaps even Ayleth herself. With the threat of discovery looming, Ayleth and Jacquetta must set aside the wounds of their past and work together to survive.
As she uncovers the secrets of the White Court—and those of her own heart—Ayleth must find the strength to transform into someone she never imagined she could be.
A powerful witch, the very wickedest of them all.
Review
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
The Crimson Crown begins as an origin story. As a story about the power of loss, how grief can cause us to betray ourselves. It’s also about carrying the burden of her sister’s death, of all the deeds, the greatness, her sister could never complete. The lingering questions about whether the world would be better if it were her instead. It’s a Snow White ‘villain’ origin story which, at least in the first book, only begins to sow the seeds. They’re there as scaffolding which will only unfurl in the sequel. The Crimson Crown examines choice and fate.
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The power of a choice. And the inevitability of what will pass. How will we influence our fate if it seems written? If there is an unexplainable pull we cannot seem to shake. The Crimson Crown revolves around power and sacrifice. Everything we would give up for the line, the legacy, the power. What would it be like to only be seen for what we can do, not who we are. The Crimson Crown is multi-faceted exploring betrayal, family complexities, and power. I am fully invested in this series. Not only are there clashes between ‘holy’ religions and magic, but also magic which calls to us.
Find The Crimson Crown on Goodreads, & Amazon, Bookshop.org, Blackwells, & Libro. fm.