Book: The Shadow Queen
Author: C. J. Redwine
Published: 3rd March 2016
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Pages: 390
Rating: 4/5 stars
Rating: 4/5 stars
I love fairy-tale retellings. However, it can be hard to find good ones. The Shadow Queen is definitely a good one. This loose retelling of Snow White has gripping action, creepy villains and lovable heroes, which ensure a thrilling read.
Firstly, the writing of Redwine is superb. She really delivers a page-turning read. Never did I feel bored, or like I was just skimming pages. I really felt immersed in the story, and it still felt original, even though it was a retelling.
This book had some truly dark and creepy moments, but provided the perfect balance for me as I love the slightly more sinister touches like the use of blackened apples and the enchantment of vines (reminded me of Maleficent, another story I love).
The characters were all interesting, and I liked the heroine Lorelai. She is both brave and smart; she's kind and sincere but isn't naive about the task ahead of her and the threat that the main villain, Irina, poses (something I appreciated).
Kol, the other ~main character~ really goes through a significant character journey, which I enjoyed reading. He's funny and honorable and noble and honestly a little sassy, which is great. He is the perfect companion character to Lorelai's sometimes more serious nature (she's facing death, totally understandable), and I loved their story together.
There IS romance, which sometimes I'm adverse to if it's done poorly, however there is no insta-love here, and the relationship blossoms over time and trials etc. etc. which is exactly what I'm looking for in a book.
Overall, this is a really satisfying take on the story of Snow White and definitely worth a read. I'm excited for other additions to the series, however I'm hoping they will be companion novels, set within the same universe but with different characters, as the story to this book was wrapped up quite nicely, to be honest.
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