The Shadow Queen

November 30, 2015
An exiled princess with magic at her fingertips, an evil queen who wants to kill her, and a young king trying to save his people are a few of the central figures in this expansive reinterpretation of Snow White. Princess Lorelai wants the throne back from Queen Irina, who killed Lorelai’s family nine years ago and rules Ravenspire by starving its citizens. Enter Kol, who ascends to the throne of Eldr when his family is killed by ogres; Kol can transform into a dragon, but his army can’t vanquish the ogres alone. Lorelai and Kol find themselves at odds—Kol has made a blood oath with Irina to take Lorelai’s heart in exchange for her magical support—yet are also drawn to each other. Redwine’s (the Defiance trilogy) writing is fluid and sure, and she has created a fully imagined fairy tale landscape. The line between good and evil is always clear, with characters either good or terrible, which adds a certain predictability, but fantasy lovers should find it easy to get drawn into the story. Ages 13–up. Agent: Holly Root, Waxman Leavell Literary Agency.

December 1, 2015

Gr 9 Up-An action-packed retelling of "Snow White" with elements of horror and romance. Princess Lorelei fled the Ravenspire castle nine years ago, when her stepmother Irina used dark magic to kill her father and enslave the court. Now the 17-year-old and her younger brother live in hiding, coming out only in disguise to raid royal food storehouses and feed her country's starving people. This princess is smart, a skilled fighter, and a powerful magic user herself, and she has a long-range plan: gain the people's favor and topple the usurper queen. In a parallel plot, teenage king Kol travels to Ravenspire to beg Irina to save nearby country Eldr from invading ogres. In return for her help, the wicked queen compels Kol to hunt down Lorelei and bring back her heart. As the teens' stories come together, the outcome affects both countries. There are some truly cinematic moments here: predatory vines with eyeless heads, Lorelei sprinting up the sides of buildings, and Irina imprisoning an elderly noblewoman inside a tree and forcing her to choke out poisoned apples hour after hour. Kol's Eldrian people can change into dragons, and this novel finally answers the question of where shape-shifters put their clothes while in animal form (dragon-size backpacks!). In a refreshing departure from the original, when Kol inevitably falls in love with Lorelei, it's for her strength and selflessness rather than her beauty. VERDICT Great fun, and a first purchase where dark fantasy or fairy tale retellings are popular.-Beth Wright Redford, Richmond Elementary School Library, VT

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 15, 2015
"Snow White" forms the loose foundation for this tale of a princess who has lost her kingdom to her wicked stepmother. Lorelai escaped when Irina killed her family and took over Ravenspire. Both Lorelai and Irina are magic-working mardushkas, but Irina is both strong and evil, using her talents to squeeze the kingdom for power and deliberately leaving her citizens to starve. Meanwhile, in nearby Eldr, populated by beings who can shift shape and become dragons, Kol suddenly becomes king when ogres invade. He turns to Irina for help, unaware that she is evil. Lorelai, who has been hiding, presumed dead, for years, meets Kol and the two form an alliance, despite Kol's blood oath to kill her for Irina's aid. The two sides fight back and forth as a predictable fairy-tale romance blossoms between them. Redwine includes some nicely imagined scenes, especially Irina's use of poisoned apples and Lorelai's telepathic pet gyrfalcon, which becomes perhaps the most interesting character in the book, with its bird's worldview: "Kill overgrown lizard. Eat the eyes, tear out the heart," it declares, seeing a dragon. The story drags when Redwine repeats herself, telling readers numerous times that if Lorelai uses magic, it will reveal her to Irina. For the most part, the story is a full-bore fantasy fairy tale with magic slung around with abandon and battles aplenty. Undemanding fantasy fun. (Fantasy. 12-18)

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December 1, 2015
Grades 9-12 Lorelai's position as heir to the Ravenspire throne has been usurped by Queen Irina, the evil stepmother who killed Lorelai's parents and brother to assure her ascendancy. Lorelai is as gentle and good as Irina is vile and devious; the only thing they share is their beauty, magical powers, and determination to rule Ravenspire. Meanwhile, half dragon, half human Kol is king of Eldr, which is being overrun by ogres. In an attempt to save his country, he makes an alliance with Irinaa Faustian bargainonly to learn that Eldr's salvation requires that he bring Lorelai's heart back to the queen. Kol fights Irina's wicked spells with the help of Lorelai's love and magic, as they work together to overthrow Irina. Redwine uses Snow White as a framework to create her own fantasy filled with complex characters, imaginative and horrible consequences, and sharp twists, all of which give this novel a place among other clever, contemporary romantic fantasies.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)