So she’s relegated to potions that make people ugly and curses that help people do malicious things. Alyce is a Vila it’s sort of the same as a Grace except she can’t cast spells for good. The only caveat is that Graces lose their power over time they use their distinct golden blood to create their elixirs and charms. I liked the idea of Graces different magical beings that can do everything from enhance your beauty to heal your wounds. But I was interested in the info dumps because it was as much world building as you get in the story. When Aurora finally shows up, that’s when things get interesting. I would say the story doesn’t actually get going until you’re 100 pages in. The beginning of the book really dumps a lot of information on you. We have that story already and hearing someone put their own twist on it makes it more exciting for me. I’m a huge fan of authors who don’t stay true to the original story. That’s because the story gives you some of the characters and world from the book, but the rest is completely created by the author. I think the biggest draw for me in this story is the fact that you don’t need to know the original story. But as a debut novel, the first in a duology, and something that features a lot of humanizing features, you have to give it props. I know it isn’t perfect and there could have been more enhancing the world building and some of the events that take place. This was a slow-burning retelling that I really enjoyed. Because we all know how this story ends, don’t we? Aurora is the beautiful princess.

Perhaps together we could forge a new world. If my power began her curse, perhaps it’s what can lift it. But with less than a year until that curse will kill her, any future I might see with Aurora is swiftly disintegrating–and she can’t stand to kiss yet another insipid prince. Even though a power like mine was responsible for her curse. Aurora says I should be proud of my gifts. Humiliated and shamed by the same nobles who pay me to bottle hexes and then brand me a monster. One who isn’t bothered that I am Alyce, the Dark Grace, abhorred and feared for the mysterious dark magic that runs in my veins. Not the way they care about their jewels and elaborate parties and charm-granting elixirs. Let me tell you, no one in Briar actually cares about what happens to its princesses. You’ve heard this before, haven’t you? The handsome prince. A curse that could only be broken by true love’s kiss. Once upon a time, there was a wicked fairy who, in an act of vengeance, cursed a line of princesses to die.

Heather walter malice