“I believe in you, and I’ve fought for you, because in a world full of people who crumble before an evil too terrifying to comprehend, you put up your fists and fight.”
The Shadow Queen by C. J. Redwine is an elegant, mystical, and darkly fascinating retelling of the classic fairytale of Snow White. Lorelai Diederich, the Snow White of the story, is the princess of Ravenspire, and an outlaw in her own country. Lorelai is a powerful mardushka, a sorceress like her mother who hailed from the northern kingdom of Morcant, a land rife with magic and turmoil. Upon her mother’s death, Lorelai’s father married her aunt, Irina, who at first nourished and raised Lorelai as her own, but soon began to show her true colours as she bewitched the entire court of Ravenspire to follow her bidding. Years before the story begins, Lorelai had attempted to kill Irina, thinking herself strong enough, but Irina had years of experience. The king was killed, and Lorelai fled the palace with her younger brother, Leo, and a palace guard named Gavril. When the novel begins, Lorelai is a young woman and a famous fugitive, intent on killing her wicked step-mother, the queen, and resuming her rightful place on the throne to help her sick and starving country. Northeast of Ravenspire is the kingdom of Eldr, a land of dual-hearted humans with the ability to transform into dragons. Eldr is at war with ogres equipped with magic, and when his mother, father, and older brother are killed in battle, the weight of the crown falls to second son Kolvanismir Arsenyevnek, who is wholly unprepared for the sudden responsibility. Knowing that his people cannot fight the giants alone and that Ravenspire’s people are hungry, he goes to Queen Irina to propose a trade: her magic for his kingdom’s food. However, the queen does not want crops from the young dragon king, but rather for him to act as her hunter and bring her a prize: the heart of her unruly, dangerous step-daughter, lest Lorelai enter the palace and finish what she started.
“A warrior doesn’t focus on the odds stacked against her. She focuses on her heart, on her will to face the evil in her world and defeat it, and then she finds a way to do it.”
This novel puts a rich, complex spin on the original tale of Snow White. The princess is battle-hewn and ruthless, determined to undermine the cruel queen’s power and dispose of the traitor sitting on her country’s throne. The huntsman is a young king, an unprepared, but loyal man with fire in his heart and determination to do whatever it takes to save his people. The queen has a story of her own, a woman who has woven magic and lies alike to spin a web of deceit and keep her power infinite, with the help of some unfamiliar ruby-red apples. Redwine enchants you from the very first verse of this poetic and stunning retelling of the classic fairytale, with beautiful new countries and customs, and clever, intricate characters. Every character receives their chapters, telling you what exactly are their motives for their actions, and the toll each decision is taking on their constitution. Irina is the villain, yet her story is beautifully developed. Lorelai and Kol are predator and prey, sovereigns trying to save their respective lands, and as they draw closer together, despite fierce danger, unprecedented loss, and themselves, their fates become impossibly intertwined. You learn about the power of love, the price of power, and the immeasurable strength that can be found within yourself in times of conflict and need.
“You don’t go into battle because you’re sure of victory. You go into battle because it’s the right thing to do.”
