I listened to this book as an audiobook, and it was entertaining, and would make a good read, but it just wasn’t memorable or outstanding to me. But at the same time, there are no major surprises that give the retelling something that differentiates it. We were able to see her side of the story and her own personal struggles. But I suppose another aspect I enjoyed was the added depth into Irina’s character. I actually would love a whole story dedicated to Kol and his kingdom.
So for me, Kol was the element that elevated this retelling. When most of the fairy tale girls and women are flat, giving a character a personality shouldn’t be this heroic feat.
While Lorelai’s empowerment is fun to watch, I wanted more than just a more complex heroine. For me, I expect it to give me something more, to present the story even better than before. I guess this all goes back to what you expect a retelling to do. And Kol, to me, was the only magical element I wasn’t expecting. In many other respects though, this was a pretty standard retelling. This conflict presents itself in a few different ways, but most importantly through a divided heart. He must fight his inner desire to do good and the power that Irina has over him. Whereas Kol is this intricate complex person, who is also not what he seems. It’s not that I disliked her by any means, but it didn’t challenge the retelling or present more than this. But her character mold – fiercely loyal and self-sacrificing – I’ve seen before. Don’t get me wrong, give me a good intelligent heroine like Lorelai any day. What I loved the most was Kol’s character. In many ways, this retelling moves slower than you would expect, almost leisurely introducing us to the world and these colorful characters within it. So as you can tell, it’s a Snow White Retelling. But he’s made a promise he won’t keep – to hunt Lorelai down and take her heart. So he turns to the only place he knows with powerful magic, Lorelai’s kingdom and to Irina for help. They are more clever than they’ve ever been and only magic will be able to stop their invasion.
In the neighboring kingdom, Eldr, Prince Kol has to save his lands and his family from the magical ogres. But to do so, she’ll have to use her untrained power to triumph, and she won’t be able to do it alone. She’s the only one who can stop Irina, her stepmother, as she is the only one with magic. She has one mission: kill her stepmother, the wicked Queen, who cares more about power than her subjects. This Snow White Retelling stars Lorelai, the crown princess and most wanted fugitive. I am a huge fan of retellings, spend enough time with me and you’ll find that out, but this one just left me high and dry. While I loved many elements of The Shadow Queen, the overall reading experience left me stranded in the middle of the road looking for help.
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