By Melissa De La Cruz
G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2023. 273 pages. Young Adult
Nicknamed Snow White, sixteen-year-old Lady Sophie, daughter of Duke Franz of Bavaria, debuts into high society and falls for the prince of Spain, whose betrothal to a higher-ranking girl and mercurial father prove dangerous for the duchy.
I found Snow & Poison to be a quick and enjoyable read! This is the second book in a series of fractured fairy tales by Melissa De La Cruz (I reviewed the first book in the series, Cinder & Glass, earlier this year) but is able to be read as a standalone. I approached this book with a bit more hesitancy than I did with Cinder & Glass because Snow White is not on my list of favorite fairy tales. But, despite my initial apprehension, I was pleasantly surprised with the plot twists that this retelling took me through. Sophie, nicknamed Snow White, was likeable and relatable with a believable character arc. I liked how the author reframed Sophie's stepmother as a more sympathetic character, and Prince Philip was quite dashing as well. The plot and intrigue thicken every chapter and kept the pages turning. With historical elements and a touch of magic sprinkled in, this is a book I would definitely recommend checking out!
If you like Snow & Poison, you might also like:
Rose Daughter
By Robin McKinley
Ace Books, 1998. 292 pages. Young Adult
Beauty grows to love the Beast at whose castle she is compelled to stay, and through her love he is released from the curse that had turned him from man to beast. A beautiful retelling of the fairy tale Beauty & the Beast from Newbery Award-winning author Robin McKinley. Twenty years ago, Robin McKinley dazzled readers with the power of her novel Beauty. Now this extraordinarily gifted novelist returns to the story of Beauty and the Beast with a fresh perspective, ingenuity, and mature insight. With Rose Daughter, she presents her finest and most deeply felt work--a compelling, richly imagined, and haunting exploration of the transformative power of love.
Nightbirds
By Kate J. Armstrong
Nancy Paulsen Books, 2023. 462 pages. Young Adult
The Nightbirds are Simta's best kept secret. Teenage girls from the Great Houses with magic coursing through their veins, the Nightbirds have the unique ability to gift their magic to others with a kiss. Magic--especially the magic of women--is outlawed and the city's religious sects would see them burned if discovered. But protected by the Great Houses, the Nightbirds are safe well-guarded treasures. As this Season's Nightbirds, Matilde, Aesa, and Sayer spend their nights bestowing their unique brands of magic to well-paying clients. Once their Season is through, they're each meant to marry a Great House lord and become mothers to the next generation of Nightbirds before their powers fade away. But Matilde, Aesa, and Sayer have other plans. They know their lives as Nightbirds aren't just temporary, but a complete lie and yearn for something more. When they discover that there are other girls like them and that their magic is more than they were ever told, they see the carefully crafted Nightbird system for what it is: a way to keep them in their place, first as daughters and then as wives. Now they must make a choice--to stay in their gilded cage or to remake the city that put them there in the first place.
ERB
