The Crimson Crown

by Heather Walter Narrated by Emily Woo Zeller

Overview

Notes From Your Bookseller

Heavy is the head that wears the crimson crown. The Wicked Queen takes her story into her own hands in Heather Walter's latest fractured fairytale.

Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who's the wickedest of them all? Snow White's dark queen tells her side of the story in the first book of a queer, witchy duology that reimagines the classic fairy tale-from the author of Malice.

“An alluring, vengeful origin story that brings tremendous dimension to a classic fairytale.”-Chloe Gong, New York Times bestselling author of Immortal Longings

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.

Book One in The Crimson Crown series.

Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly

06/10/2024

Snow White gets a dark fantasy update in this satisfying epic from Walter (Malice). The Age of the Covens is over. Witches now live in hiding, persecuted by the White King’s merciless Hunt. Ayleth lives in Stonehaven, a coven disguised as a Sanctum for Order Sisters, worshippers of the goddess Meira. After her older sister’s death, Ayleth must step in as second to her mother, who is Heir to one of the Five Ancients, powerful witches who crafted the Veil that holds black magic—or Malum—at bay. The role is ill-suited to Ayleth, who, unbeknownst to the other Heirs, has no power of her own. After the ceremony that would cement her new status goes wrong, she decides to use the Veil to bring her sister back from the dead. To do so, she must sneak into the White City under cover of a festival that brings Order Sisters to the capitol. Along the way she meets and develops feelings for Order Sister Jacquetta. This slow-burning sapphic romance only enhances the high stakes: Malum is on the rise, the Veil is thinning, and Ayleth is in danger from those around her. Walter includes just enough elements of the original to hook fairy tale enthusiasts while adding enough surprises to keep readers on their toes. This is a winner. (Aug)

From the Publisher

It’s always a pleasure to read a villain origin story that makes you go ‘Good for her,’ and Heather Walter pulls this off masterfully in The Crimson Crown. This is a lush, dark, riveting tale about all the things that can lie in a woman’s heart—power, rage, grief, vengeance—and it is spun in such haunting prose that it kept me on the edge of my seat all throughout. . . . Simply gorgeous.”—Thea Guanzon, USA Today and New York Times bestselling author of The Hurricane Wars

“Beautiful and gloriously poisonous, The Crimson Crown will enthrall you.”—Tasha Suri, World Fantasy Award-winning author of The Jasmine Throne

“An alluring, vengeful origin story as you’ve never seen before. The Crimson Crown brings tremendous dimension to a classic fairytale, ushering in the darkness you’ve always craved.”—Chloe Gong, New York Times bestselling author of Immortal Longings

“Walter’s deeply rooted point of view never falters and is supported by intricate world-building and a history of family, love, and betrayal—and the prices paid for each.”—Sara A. Mueller, author of The Bone Orchard

Library Journal

06/01/2024

Snow White's wicked stepmother finally tells how she became the greatest villain of them all. Once upon a time, there was a young girl named Ayleth, a witch who lived in the forest with her family and coven, hiding their powers from the White King and his Royal Huntsmen who seek to destroy all who practice witchcraft. Ayleth has a secret of her own: her powers have not manifested, and the loss of her sister Rhea overshadows everything in her life. A desperate quest leads Ayleth to the White City and into the palace of the White King himself, also reuniting her with Jacquetta, the witch who stole—and broke—her heart. Ayleth and Jacquetta must set aside their past as they attempt to discover the secrets of the White King, who seems to have dangerous powers of his own. VERDICT Walter's (Misrule) adoration of the villains in fairy tales once again comes to life in a queer backstory for the witch queen from "Snow White." Her prose compels readers' empathy as she builds the richly complex story of a young woman looking to save the one she loves most.—Kristi Chadwick

Product Details

BN ID:	2940159264251
Publisher:	Penguin Random House
Publication date:	08/27/2024
Series:	The Crimson Crown Duology , #1
Edition description:	Unabridged