The Evil Queen by Gena Showalter
- The Wicked Reader
- Jul 18, 2019
- 2 min read
Author: Gena Showalter
Publisher: Inkyard Press
Date: June 25, 2019
Pages: 544
Format: ARC
My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐
Goodreads Synopsis:
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.
My Review:
*Thank you HCC Frenzy for sending me an ARC of The Evil Queen by Gena Showalter for an honest review.*
I loved Gena Showalter's Everlife series and was excited to hear about her new book. I loved the concept of The Evil Queen. I am a huge fan of retellings, especially when it is told from the villain’s perspective. When I first saw the book I was a bit worried about its length, as this was only book one, but I didn't let that deter me from picking it up. Unfortunately, the book did not deliver.
My main problem was with the dialogue; it was so cringy! I understand it's a YA so the writing will be more focused for a younger audience but this felt like as if a middle grader wrote it. I could not stand the way anyone spoke in the book, they either spoke in confusing riddles, back and forth banter, or it was so absurd that I was constantly shaking my head in denial.
Right away we were stuck with A LOT of world-building and background information. It was rushed and the pacing was all over the place, jumping from place to place while trying to fit in very little character development. It felt more of a first draft than a finished book. There were many moments where I felt I wanted to DNF but I kept pushing through. The last quarter of the book was where everything was finally adding up, the plot and characters started making more sense and connecting better.
The Evil Queen had so much potential but sadly lacked execution.
Comments