#snowwhite — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #snowwhite, aggregated by home.social.
-
Book Review: The Witch Queen by Heather Walter
The Witch Queen served with apples, because what Snow White retelling would be complete without apples?
Title: The Witch Queen (Crimson Crown #2)
Author: Heather Walter
Publisher: Del Rey
Publication date: August 11, 2026
Genre: Fantasy
The Witch Queen is the second in the Crimson Crown duology, a retelling of Snow White from the Evil Queen’s perspective. Where the first book set up who Ayleth is, where she comes from, and how she gains the crown, The Witch Queen follows Ayleth as she tries to get her revenge on the witches that scorned her while dealing with a stepdaughter trying to reclaim her crown. This was long, and sometimes it felt a little too stuffed, but it wove a wonderful story between Ayleth and Blodwyn, harkening back to the fairy tale without feeling out of place or forced.
Three years after the events of the first book, Ayleth has a tenuous rule over the kingdom. The witches have fled to a neighboring kingdom, escaping Ayleth and her shadowy Huntsman, who would take their magic from them, leaving them as little more than shells. Blodwyn has been sent to her Aunt Margaret, her father’s sister, to recover from illness and grief. But now war with the neighboring kingdom has shifted tides, and Ayleth needs Margaret’s forces if she’s to win. So she invites Margaret back home, but is unprepared when Margaret brings Blodwyn with her. She’s even more caught off guard when Blodwyn declares she’s returned to call for Braxos’ Trials. If Blodwyn successfully passes all three tests, she’ll take her rightful crown, and Ayleth will no longer be the prophesied queen she believes she is. When Gavin, son of one of the most powerful and influential courtiers, also declares he’ll take part, Ayleth sees an opening, and takes it. But, as the trials unfold and Ayleth’s doom seems certain, the kingdom is attacked by an unknown force bent on destroying them all.
There’s a lot going on in The Witch Queen. It’s a long, almost winding story, following Ayleth’s path to the end while weaving in elements of Snow White’s story. Because of the length of this book, nothing is ever rushed, and it was actually quite fun to read, but there is a lot stuffed into this. There’s the tension between Ayleth and Blodwyn, the scheming aunt who was never given any attention as a princess, a tentative blooming relationship between Blodwyn and Gavin, the witches who want to destroy Ayleth, the looming battle with the neighboring kingdom, the fractured romance between Ayleth and Jacquetta, and a long-dead princess seemingly come back to wreck havoc in her quest for revenge. Somehow, it all worked. I enjoyed this book. I enjoyed the conclusion to the Evil Queen’s story. I thought it did a lovely job of painting the Evil Queen in a sympathetic light, and I loved the way the story ended. But, looking back, it felt like it was doing a little too much, turning this into a story of villain after villain after villain. It felt like the Evil Queen, the villain in the Snow White story, was just a victim and not a villain at all.
The story was framed around the trials, which made it feel easier to digest. There are these three trials Blodwyn and her fellow male contenders must go through, each dealing with a different aspect of ruling. In between is a lot of down time, presumably for the contenders to prepare for the next test, but mostly so the rest of the story can unfold. I often felt a little stuck in the weeds with Ayleth. With so much going on, she has to split her attention. She’s fighting battles on so many fronts. Someone always seems to be out to get her. But the trials kept the story neat and orderly, which I appreciated. They also highlighted the tension between Ayleth and Blodwyn, and their separate romantic pursuits. I liked the clear direction, I liked the stakes they represented, and it made it easier to deal with all the other things going on at the same time.
I adored Ayleth and Blodwyn. Their relationship has some very nice touches in the first book, and I loved seeing how the three years apart didn’t really help them. It was prickly here, but, since both of them get to tell their stories, it’s easy to see there’s still some care between them. Despite how close in age they were, there is a glimmer of a stepmother-stepdaughter relationship where they want to care about and love each other because they both were so ignored, but their assumptions about each other and the secrets between them keep getting in the way. But, when they did work together, they were lovely and I loved it. It was nice to see both of them grow over the course of the story, though I also struggled with Blodwyn being sixteen; there were times when she felt older and times when she felt younger, and it just made it difficult for me to pin her down.
At first, I loved all the villainry. After all, this is supposed to be a retelling from the villain’s perspective. Except Ayleth is less a villain and more someone who just wants to be accepted and loved for who she is, just like Blodwyn and Margaret. These three women were quite powerful, and they showed just how powerful they are in a male-dominated world, which was wonderful to see. But everyone seemed to be a villain. Everyone seemed to be scheming. One villain would pop up, but then it’s eventually explained and everything is fine. And then another villain will pop up, and the cycle would repeat. There were so many villains, so many people scheming. Eventually, it felt a little over the top and I could have done with one or two fewer villains.
The Witch Queen is a fantastic story of villains. It’s just the main villain is more of a hurting heart than a villain while everyone else around her is either evil or scheming or both. It made the story a little bloated and, eventually, a little annoying. But I liked the ups and downs between Ayleth and Blodwyn, I liked how The Witch Queen showed just how powerful women are if they’re bold enough to claim it, and I liked how the Snow White elements were neatly woven in instead of forced.
How many cups of tea will you need?
4 cups
Amazon | Bookshop (The Lily Cafe is a Bookshop affiliate and may earn a small commission if you use this link to make a purchase)
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a review copy. All opinions expressed are my own.
Head over to the Bookshelf to check out my reviews of books from the Big 5 and self-published, indie, and small press books.
This blog is my home base, but you can also find me on:
Pinterest | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook
#BookReview #crimsonCrownDuology #delRey #fantasy #heatherWalter #netgalley #snowWhite #theWitchQueen -
3 Key Reasons ‘Moana’ Flopped at the Box Office
“Moana” bellyflopped in its box-office debut, and the miss should provide Disney film executives with some hard-earned lessons.…
#NewsBeep #News #Movies #AU #Audience #Australia #box-officedebut #businessinsider #Disney #Entertainment #film #gabbishaw #live-actionphenomenon #marketplacetrend #moana #moana-crazedkid #movie #newlive-actionremake #pastremake #SnowWhite #Theater
https://www.newsbeep.com/au/798632/ -
3 Key Reasons ‘Moana’ Flopped at the Box Office
“Moana” bellyflopped in its box-office debut, and the miss should provide Disney film executives with some hard-earned lessons.…
#NewsBeep #News #US #USA #UnitedStates #UnitedStatesOfAmerica #Movies #audience #box-officedebut #businessinsider #Disney+ #Entertainment #Film #gabbishaw #live-actionphenomenon #marketplacetrend #Moana #moana-crazedkid #movie #newlive-actionremake #pastremake #SnowWhite #Theater
https://www.newsbeep.com/us/761071/ -
"Ketchup Ketchup on the wall, who's the weakest one of all?"
- Snowflake, a judge-shopping old man in Washington DC. ❄️https://us.cnn.com/2026/06/12/politics/trump-kennedy-center-name-change-deadline
-
𝐑encontre 𝐈mprobable
𝐁𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐡𝐞 𝐍𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐞 ( #LilyCollins ) 𝐕ersus 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐀𝐭𝐭𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐬!
#RencontreImprobable #SnowWhite #MarsAttacks
#MirrorMirror #cinegenres #culte #classic #cinema #film #movie𝐕ersions 𝐂omplètes :
https://cinegenres.com/news/ -
#SnowWhite Yes, new #music by #Ghinzu! And why didn't anyone tell me? How could this have happened? #alternative #rock
GHINZU - Snow White (Official ... -
Movie TV Tech Geeks #Movie #SnowWhite #Blonde #TheEmojiMovie 8 Worst Movies That Were Empty Rage Bait http://dlvr.it/TSSBrN
-
Prince Charming Part 2
#FanFic WanderingWitch #SnowWhite
#Wss366 Hedge / #GreeneryDay JapanAhead, light streamed through a honeysuckle-draped arch. The air was sweet with their scent, buzzing with the song of bees.
“Hum,” I thought and then laughed at my pun. It looked as though there was a grassy clearing ahead. The sun would feel nice there. I could lie in the grass and eat the bread I’d bought at the last town. But wait, there was someone already there: a tall, handsome man standing next to a proud horse. The man’s elegant hunter’s outfit made it clear he was some kind of noble—“too bad.”
He looked up, smiling. “Have you come to see her too?”
“See who?” I asked and approached cautiously, peering through the grass to see what he was looking at.
There, in the middle of the clearing, was a crystal coffin. Inside was a woman wearing a brown peasant dress. Among the wilted remains of wildflowers that someone had placed on the lid was a bouquet of fresh roses.
“Isn’t she beautiful?” the man said. “I could stroke her hair all day.”
“Yes, it’s lovely,” I said. It was too: an amber-brown, lightened in streaks by the sun.
“And you are?” I asked.
“I wouldn’t want the Queen to hear I came here, so you can just call me Prince Charming. Many people do.”
“So you visit often, Prince Charming?” My sarcasm went unnoticed. I had met nobles like him before. Their charm chiefly resided in the threat of violence. That and the power to wave away such aggression as the victim’s fault.
I hadn’t failed to notice the short silver hunting sword at his side.
“Yes, she is so lovely. How can I resist? I’ve named her Snow White. Doesn’t she deserve it?”
“She is quite lovely, Your Highness. But I hear that if you kiss a sleep enchanted woman, she will wake. Have you tried that?”
“I’ve heard the same, but youth’s beauty fades with time. The lovely bride of today is a wrinkled hag tomorrow. I will let her sleep so she never fades. A gem forever brilliant for me to view.”
The poppies and bluebells nodded in agreement; whether to my ironic thoughts or his statement, I didn’t know.
The honeysuckle odor had suddenly cloyed, and clouds cast shadows on the grass.
I smiled and departed. I could eat my lunch elsewhere.
-
Prince Charming Part 1
#FanFic WanderingWitch #SnowWhite
#Wss366 Hedge / #GreeneryDay JapanThe day had started well. A gentle wind scented with verdant greenery stirred my hair. Bright violets bloomed along my path, mingling with yellow buttercups and brilliant orange poppies. Thrushes and titmice flitted in the #hedges. It was truly the kind of day where wandering the byways was a goddess-given blessing.
So wondrous was the day that I didn’t even mind the occasional burr that attached itself to my mage’s robes or the dense foliage that forced me to walk. The moss-covered path was easy on my feet. The occasional brook sang to me. Butterflies as bright as the star brooch of my profession delighted my eyes.
Who was this young woman so enamored with life?
It was me, Elaine the Wandering Witch.
-
Movie TV Tech Geeks #Movie #Blonde #SoundofFreedom #SnowWhite 6 Movies That Turned Out To Be Rage Bait http://dlvr.it/TSJ8tj
-
‘Paddington’ musical triumphs at London’s theatrical Olivier Awards
-
CPA Fantaisie Walt Disney Blanche Neige et les sept nains www.cpaphil.com/prod... #CPA #FantasyArt #WaltDisney #SnowWhite #SevenDwarfs #DisneyArt #FairyTaleArt #VintageDisney #ClassicAnimation #FantasyIllustration #DisneyInspired #StorybookArt #DisneyMagic #ArtLovers
-
‘War Of The Worlds’ Zapped With 5 Razzies In Near Sweep
#News #IceCube #RazzieAwards #Razzies #SnowWhite #WaroftheWorldshttps://deadline.com/2026/03/razzie-awards-2026-winners-war-of-the-worlds-1236752714/
-
Movie TV Tech Geeks #MovieNews #SnowWhite #RachelZegler #Disney Rachel Zegler Just Proved Every Hater Wrong With a Bold Response to the 'Snow White' Backlash http://dlvr.it/TRQxly
-
Rachel Zegler Recalls Backlash Over Her Casting On Disney’s ‘Snow White’: “I Refuse To Assimilate For Anybody Else’s Comfort”
#News #RachelZegler #SnowWhitehttps://deadline.com/2026/03/rachel-zegler-backlash-casting-disney-snow-white-1236749537/
-
Rachel Zegler Says ‘Snow White’ Casting Backlash Was ‘Really Confusing’ and ‘I Refuse to Assimilate for Anybody Else’s Comfort’
#Variety #News #RachelZegler #SnowWhitehttps://variety.com/2026/film/news/rachel-zegler-snow-white-casting-backlash-disney-1236684079/
-
When Disney sued the Academy Awards
https://web.brid.gy/r/https://filmstories.co.uk/features/when-disney-sued-the-academy-awards/
-
-
#BehindTheScenes
#SnowWhite (2025)
A princess joins forces with seven dwarfs and a group of rebels to liberate her kingdom from her cruel stepmother the Evil Queen. -
"Epstein Used Brett Ratner's Name to Recruit Woman for "Snow White" Photos. That Director Just Made Melania Trump's $40 Million Documentary.
Meanwhile JPMorgan Executive Jes Staley Selected Victims by Character Name While His Bank Processed the Payments and New Emails Explain More."
https://kaitjustice.substack.com/p/epstein-used-brett-ratners-jes-staley #Epstein #EpsteinFiles #SnowWhite #BrettRatner #Melania #JPMorgan #JesStaley
-
Disney Love
Disney princesses kissing Cinderella and Snow White kissing in Carlton South, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. First photo by Andrew. Comments: https://twitter.com/StreetArtUtopia/status/1490023888239177732
