The Witch Queen by Heather Walter Publishes 8/11/26


 I was excited to read this second installment of this duology.  It is very loosely based on Snow White but is truly it's own story.  This novel was not just  Ayleth's story but Blodwyn's as well.  I enjoyed the added addition of her perspective.  


In this story Ayleth is the queen with the former king trapped in the mirror.  She is trying to hold the kingdom togther but needs soldiers.  She reaches out to Margaret in the hopes that she will lend her support but it ends up that Margaret and Blodwyn come back to the kingdom.  Blodwyn decides to go for the throne in a series of trials.  Ayleth is not happy about this but feels stuck.  We also see the return of Jacquetta as Ayleth tries to use her to meet her goals.  What follows is a story with lots of action, intrigue, magic, and a little romance.  


Ayleth was hard to like at the beginning of this book.  If you think of her as the evil queen it makes sense but I really liked her in the first book and wanted her to do well.  She grew on me as this book went on.  The characters went through so much and I was happy with the way things went.  My only critique was that it felt very long. There were times where I wished it had been a little shorter.  Overall, if you love fairy tale retellings, books about witches, or books with lots of action, I think you will enjoy this novel.

4 out 5 Stars

Thank you to Del Rey and NetGalley for this ARC.  All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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