Book Reviews

ARC August Review: The Evil Queen by Gena Showalter

40242200._SY475_Summary: WELCOME TO THE FOREST OF GOOD AND EVIL.

A DREAM COME TRUE…AND A LIVING NIGHTMARE.

Far, far away, in the realm of Enchantia, creatures of legend still exist, magic is the norm and fairy tales are real. Except, fairy tales aren’t based on myths and legends of the past—they are prophecies of the future.

Raised in the mortal realm, Everly Morrow has no idea she’s a real-life fairy-tale princess—until she manifests an ability to commune with mirrors.

Look. See… What will one peek hurt?

Soon, a horrifying truth is revealed. She is fated to be Snow White’s greatest enemy, the Evil Queen.

With powers beyond her imagination or control, Everly returns to the land of her birth. There, she meets Roth Charmaine, the supposed Prince Charming. Their attraction is undeniable, but their relationship is doomed. As the prophecy unfolds, Everly faces one betrayal after another, and giving in to her dark side proves more tempting every day. Can she resist, or will she become the queen—and villain—she was born to be?

The battle between good and evil is on.


I really enjoyed this book a lot.  The concept was incredible and the plot was super addicting. I absolutely loved the prophecy and the mystery it created for us to figure out as the story and characters progressed, and it was set up nicely for us right at the beginning- creating a really magical and addicting story.  The plot is full of action, romance, adventure, and has a million twists and turns.  I couldn’t wait to see how everything played out through the lens of the prophecy.  What really makes this book special though, is the depth and complexity of the characters.  Showalter really turns this fairytale retelling into an exploration of good and evil, and how our choices affect our fate.  The knowledge of the prophecy really messed these people up. Our narrator, Everly, was a fascinating character and I loved her.  Supposedly fated to become The Evil Queen in Snow White, she is constantly conflicted about what is right and what actions she should follow through, always fighting against her prophesized future.  While she grows a lot throughout the story, there were a few developments that seemed to come out of nowhere and were a bit muddied. I felt that her emotions would do a complete 180 with very little prompting, and it often left me a bit confused as to how we got to this point.  Most of the time I was on board with her though, and I loved her strength, feistiness, and her “evil”, or dare I say human, tendencies.  Her relationship with Prince Roth started out a little bit insta-lovey, but we are inside a fairytale after all, and it grew into a much deeper bond that was incredibly steamy and their chemistry was squeal-inducing.  The other characters involved in the prophecy all went through complex emotional turmoil while trying to figure out which role they played and what their futures held.   This book is a wild ride of love and betrayal, magic and adventure, and steamy romance wrapped up into a beautifully created fairytale world that I really hope to see more of in the future.

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