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The Poisoned Prince
A royal huntsman. An illegitimate daughter. And one heart — delivered on a platter.
Max is training to become the royal huntsman, a respected position his lineage has held for generations. Orphaned Snow is an unremarkable palace servant of questionable origins.
Although Max banters with Snow every morning, and she can sense his mood at a single glance, the best friends are thrown apart when the king winds up dead. Under the queen’s rule, the kingdom devolves into chaos — and Snow is a threat to be eliminated. When Snow is betrayed, Max risks everything to save her life, despite the painful discovery of the secrets she’s been hiding. With the help of seven dwarven allies, they must all work together to dethrone the mad queen.
But as the queen’s magic strengthens, so do the risks.
The longer Max juggles the traitors, lies, and unstable queen, the more he realizes he must choose between his family and the woman he's grown to love. And it’s painfully clear that he can't save both.
The key to saving the kingdom may lie in Snow’s unraveling of her past, but her heart lies in the hands of the queen’s huntsman.
The Poisoned Prince is a best friends to forbidden romance retelling of Snow White and is book 6 of Once Upon A Prince , a multi-author series of clean fairy tale retellings. Each standalone story features a swoony prince fighting for his happily ever after.
*See all of the books in the Once Upon a Prince Series HERE.*
Max is training to become the royal huntsman, a respected position his lineage has held for generations. Orphaned Snow is an unremarkable palace servant of questionable origins.
Although Max banters with Snow every morning, and she can sense his mood at a single glance, the best friends are thrown apart when the king winds up dead. Under the queen’s rule, the kingdom devolves into chaos — and Snow is a threat to be eliminated. When Snow is betrayed, Max risks everything to save her life, despite the painful discovery of the secrets she’s been hiding. With the help of seven dwarven allies, they must all work together to dethrone the mad queen.
But as the queen’s magic strengthens, so do the risks.
The longer Max juggles the traitors, lies, and unstable queen, the more he realizes he must choose between his family and the woman he's grown to love. And it’s painfully clear that he can't save both.
The key to saving the kingdom may lie in Snow’s unraveling of her past, but her heart lies in the hands of the queen’s huntsman.
The Poisoned Prince is a best friends to forbidden romance retelling of Snow White and is book 6 of Once Upon A Prince , a multi-author series of clean fairy tale retellings. Each standalone story features a swoony prince fighting for his happily ever after.
*See all of the books in the Once Upon a Prince Series HERE.*
305 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 3, 2023
132 people are currently reading
676 people want to read
About the author
Kristin J. Dawson
10 books102 followersI am a chocolate and romantic English movie lover who reads and writes fantasy and science fiction. You can find me most often indulging in my favorite things at 2 am -- night owls unite! I write epic fantasy with political intrigue, complicated families, and unique magic systems. When I'm not writing, toting kids on mountain adventures, or cleaning out the chicken coop, I'm probably trying to talk author friends into more shenanigans.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 81 reviews
November 15, 2024
3 stars ✨
I really liked that they were friends-to-more! I’ve learned that Snow White retellings that have the huntsman being her friend are my favorite version of this tale now after reading Melanie Cellier’s version and this one.
I did think it was interesting that this book covers about two years and during that time, we don’t see our main couple together much because of being in different places. I didn’t love that element, but I could understand why. (One minor formatting thing is that I prefer to read with the Black background on my Kindle and had to switch to the White background for this book because the date part at the beginning of each chapter didn’t show up on the black background due to the text also being black. Minor thing, but want to give a heads up for those like me as I thankfully caught it at the very beginning—else wise I would have been super confused about how much time had passed between chapters!)
I will say that I was personally a bit uncomfortable with the religion (?) of this world as it’s three goddesses, but it’s not a major part of the story. The magic made sense as it was discussed more, but I didn’t care for those elements either, personally.
I was suspicious about a certain somebody and yet was still shocked when it all went down 😂 But I did like the very end!
While perhaps not my favorite from this series or a favorite retelling of Snow White, this version was very different and had a lot of really neat takes and elements from the classic story. The author definitely made it her own and I think that’s a great talent! Lots of parts made me go “huh, that was different” or “oooh 👀” which kept me interested to see what would happen next. A solid retelling and I will be checking out the author’s other books.
Main Content-
Magic and spells are used by faes (light magic, looked as good) and those with connections to witches (dark magic, looked as bad and connected to a dangerous woods); In this world, there are the three goddesses called “The Abundant Ones” (which are a Child, Maiden, and Crone) and the calendar is based off of the Goddess comet; In this book, there are faes and dwarfs & we see both as important characters in the plot; Witches and trolls are also mentioned; Royalty members receive a bond with a fae and faes can bless infants when they are born with a gift; Snow was gifted about feeling others’ feelings and because it was overwhelming as a child, her mom found a witch to put up a wall in her so she wouldn’t feel it; There are beasts called “Shadow Beasts” that are mentioned and shown on page; Witches and faes can glamorize appearances of themselves and others; The worship/chapel-like places are called “Blessed Houses” and the men and women there are called “The Attuned” who dedicate their lives to worship of the goddesses; Faes can transform into human-like sizes or be small; Someone thinks the queen is talking to a deceased person when she’s babbling to herself, but another thinks she’s talking to a fae; Witches go against the natural order of the Abundants and need training to create magic and spells; Someone says that the Abundant, “the Maiden herself, held you in her palm”.
Mentions of enchanted items with fae and dwarven magic; Mentions of dwarves meditating; A couple mentions of meeting a deceased person again in Fairen’la; A couple mentions of praying (most likely to the Abundants); A mention of rumors of ghosts.
Shooting someone, Being attacked, fighting and killing giant beasts, Being abducted, Being held at knife-point, Being poisoned, Being suffocated, Passing out, Injuries, Pain, & Blood/Bleeding (up to a few sentences); Recalling a beast attack & death of a parent (up to a couple sentences); Throwing up.
No major language besides “bastard” being used in it’s literal sense, a curse/exclamation for this world is “Abundants”, “Abundant Ones”, and “Thank the Abundants” and said; Other phrases/words like “blast it”, “dang” are said; One cut-off (implied a**); Two dwarves tell the other that the other is “dung on a stick” and the other says “shut your pie hole”; Eye rolling & Sarcasm.
Mentions of deaths, grief, attacks, hangings/executions and planned ones; Mentions of abductions/kidnappings; Mentions of being held at knife-point, injuries, pain, & blood/bleeding; Mentions of poisons & being poisoned/drugged; Mentions of alcohol & drinking (including characters at dinner); Mentions of lies & lying; Mentions of the queen wanting Snow’s heart and liver prepared for consumption; Mentions of hunting & dressing animals; Mentions of hatred; A few mentions of jealousy; A few mentions of a bar & drunks; A couple mentions of torture; A mention of someone’s “winter melancholia afflictions”.
1 fingers-to-lips touch,
1 almost kiss (lasting up to a few sentences),
1 neck kiss (which makes Snow hunger for something other than food),
1 collarbone kiss,
2 kises with no details,
3 kisses lasting a couple sentences,
1 kiss lasting a few sentences,
Wanting to kiss & staring at lips (up to a couple sentences);
Touches, Embraces, Dancing, Hand holding, Nearness, & Smelling (up to a few sentences); Wanting to do all of the prior; Noticing & Staring (including muscles, up to a couple/few sentences); Jealousy.
The King has had multiple illegitimate children through multiple mistresses and affairs (The Queen knows this and has mixed feelings about it; Later it’s said that the Queen is barren); Snow was told the same thing “every fatherless girl was told” that she was “the child of a great man who loved her” and yet abandoned her; A woman says she thought she was pregnant once, but got sick and if she was with child, she wasn’t after that.
A couple mentions of flirting; A mention of an engaged man’s eye watching a servant girl (and Snow trying to avoid his “unpleasant” emotions).
I really liked that they were friends-to-more! I’ve learned that Snow White retellings that have the huntsman being her friend are my favorite version of this tale now after reading Melanie Cellier’s version and this one.
I did think it was interesting that this book covers about two years and during that time, we don’t see our main couple together much because of being in different places. I didn’t love that element, but I could understand why. (One minor formatting thing is that I prefer to read with the Black background on my Kindle and had to switch to the White background for this book because the date part at the beginning of each chapter didn’t show up on the black background due to the text also being black. Minor thing, but want to give a heads up for those like me as I thankfully caught it at the very beginning—else wise I would have been super confused about how much time had passed between chapters!)
I will say that I was personally a bit uncomfortable with the religion (?) of this world as it’s three goddesses, but it’s not a major part of the story. The magic made sense as it was discussed more, but I didn’t care for those elements either, personally.
I was suspicious about a certain somebody and yet was still shocked when it all went down 😂 But I did like the very end!
While perhaps not my favorite from this series or a favorite retelling of Snow White, this version was very different and had a lot of really neat takes and elements from the classic story. The author definitely made it her own and I think that’s a great talent! Lots of parts made me go “huh, that was different” or “oooh 👀” which kept me interested to see what would happen next. A solid retelling and I will be checking out the author’s other books.
Main Content-
Magic and spells are used by faes (light magic, looked as good) and those with connections to witches (dark magic, looked as bad and connected to a dangerous woods); In this world, there are the three goddesses called “The Abundant Ones” (which are a Child, Maiden, and Crone) and the calendar is based off of the Goddess comet; In this book, there are faes and dwarfs & we see both as important characters in the plot; Witches and trolls are also mentioned; Royalty members receive a bond with a fae and faes can bless infants when they are born with a gift; Snow was gifted about feeling others’ feelings and because it was overwhelming as a child, her mom found a witch to put up a wall in her so she wouldn’t feel it; There are beasts called “Shadow Beasts” that are mentioned and shown on page; Witches and faes can glamorize appearances of themselves and others; The worship/chapel-like places are called “Blessed Houses” and the men and women there are called “The Attuned” who dedicate their lives to worship of the goddesses; Faes can transform into human-like sizes or be small; Someone thinks the queen is talking to a deceased person when she’s babbling to herself, but another thinks she’s talking to a fae; Witches go against the natural order of the Abundants and need training to create magic and spells; Someone says that the Abundant, “the Maiden herself, held you in her palm”.
Mentions of enchanted items with fae and dwarven magic; Mentions of dwarves meditating; A couple mentions of meeting a deceased person again in Fairen’la; A couple mentions of praying (most likely to the Abundants); A mention of rumors of ghosts.
Shooting someone, Being attacked, fighting and killing giant beasts, Being abducted, Being held at knife-point, Being poisoned, Being suffocated, Passing out, Injuries, Pain, & Blood/Bleeding (up to a few sentences); Recalling a beast attack & death of a parent (up to a couple sentences); Throwing up.
No major language besides “bastard” being used in it’s literal sense, a curse/exclamation for this world is “Abundants”, “Abundant Ones”, and “Thank the Abundants” and said; Other phrases/words like “blast it”, “dang” are said; One cut-off (implied a**); Two dwarves tell the other that the other is “dung on a stick” and the other says “shut your pie hole”; Eye rolling & Sarcasm.
Mentions of deaths, grief, attacks, hangings/executions and planned ones; Mentions of abductions/kidnappings; Mentions of being held at knife-point, injuries, pain, & blood/bleeding; Mentions of poisons & being poisoned/drugged; Mentions of alcohol & drinking (including characters at dinner); Mentions of lies & lying; Mentions of the queen wanting Snow’s heart and liver prepared for consumption; Mentions of hunting & dressing animals; Mentions of hatred; A few mentions of jealousy; A few mentions of a bar & drunks; A couple mentions of torture; A mention of someone’s “winter melancholia afflictions”.
1 fingers-to-lips touch,
1 almost kiss (lasting up to a few sentences),
1 neck kiss (which makes Snow hunger for something other than food),
1 collarbone kiss,
2 kises with no details,
3 kisses lasting a couple sentences,
1 kiss lasting a few sentences,
Wanting to kiss & staring at lips (up to a couple sentences);
Touches, Embraces, Dancing, Hand holding, Nearness, & Smelling (up to a few sentences); Wanting to do all of the prior; Noticing & Staring (including muscles, up to a couple/few sentences); Jealousy.
The King has had multiple illegitimate children through multiple mistresses and affairs (The Queen knows this and has mixed feelings about it; Later it’s said that the Queen is barren); Snow was told the same thing “every fatherless girl was told” that she was “the child of a great man who loved her” and yet abandoned her; A woman says she thought she was pregnant once, but got sick and if she was with child, she wasn’t after that.
A couple mentions of flirting; A mention of an engaged man’s eye watching a servant girl (and Snow trying to avoid his “unpleasant” emotions).
Read
December 20, 2024****DNFed at 30%****
I tried, I really did (twice, actually!) and while I wanted to love it I just couldn’t.
First, the positives. I really liked the opening chapters, especially Snow and Max’s first interaction which was charming and showed how much they were friends…at least, so I thought (I’ll get to that in a minute). I also liked the strange, eerie vibes going on, plus where the plot was headed with a slightly different take on the typical Snow White plot line was interesting.
However, I didn’t like that I was TOLD Snow and Max were best friends rather then SHOWN they were best friends, which aside from that first chapter didn’t happen. Then a rift happens between them because of Snow’s secrets and lies and her holding all the cards while Max has nothing and I doubted this “best friends” thing even more. I personally would have had Snow give Max at least trust in her sensing emotions ability because then it would have shown how much she trusts him and bond them closer before everything breaks loose with all the heir stuff and the crazy queen. It would also give Max a reason to protect her more then because they’re “best friends” just because the author has told me so, because frankly where I left the story Max really had no reason to keep Snow hidden since she’s basically using him at this point.
Also for a series where I thought the focus was mostly on the main prince character, Max has done very little and most of the focus seems to be on Snow which I was annoyed by.
This story has good pieces and a plot that could work but the lack of believability of these two characters being best friends and Snow basically having all the cards while Max gets nothing yet is expected to love and protect her, I just couldn’t force myself to continue without getting more frustrated or landing in a reading slump. I’m highly disappointed as I REALLY wanted to love this one but it just didn’t work out in the end for me.
‼️Content (up to 30%)‼️
Violence: a woman commands a man to kill a girl and cut out her heart and liver so she can eat them (nothing happens)
Sexual: a woman talks about being barren
Drugs/Alcohol: a character is knocked out with a drug; a man is suspected to have been poisoned resulting in his death
Other: fae; magic; magical powers/objects; a fantasy world has fantasy goddesses; a witch put a spell on a character; a character is illegitimate; a man had many mistresses and children by them before being married; death and grief; a character is “kidnapped”
I tried, I really did (twice, actually!) and while I wanted to love it I just couldn’t.
First, the positives. I really liked the opening chapters, especially Snow and Max’s first interaction which was charming and showed how much they were friends…at least, so I thought (I’ll get to that in a minute). I also liked the strange, eerie vibes going on, plus where the plot was headed with a slightly different take on the typical Snow White plot line was interesting.
However, I didn’t like that I was TOLD Snow and Max were best friends rather then SHOWN they were best friends, which aside from that first chapter didn’t happen. Then a rift happens between them because of Snow’s secrets and lies and her holding all the cards while Max has nothing and I doubted this “best friends” thing even more. I personally would have had Snow give Max at least trust in her sensing emotions ability because then it would have shown how much she trusts him and bond them closer before everything breaks loose with all the heir stuff and the crazy queen. It would also give Max a reason to protect her more then because they’re “best friends” just because the author has told me so, because frankly where I left the story Max really had no reason to keep Snow hidden since she’s basically using him at this point.
Also for a series where I thought the focus was mostly on the main prince character, Max has done very little and most of the focus seems to be on Snow which I was annoyed by.
This story has good pieces and a plot that could work but the lack of believability of these two characters being best friends and Snow basically having all the cards while Max gets nothing yet is expected to love and protect her, I just couldn’t force myself to continue without getting more frustrated or landing in a reading slump. I’m highly disappointed as I REALLY wanted to love this one but it just didn’t work out in the end for me.
‼️Content (up to 30%)‼️
Violence: a woman commands a man to kill a girl and cut out her heart and liver so she can eat them (nothing happens)
Sexual: a woman talks about being barren
Drugs/Alcohol: a character is knocked out with a drug; a man is suspected to have been poisoned resulting in his death
Other: fae; magic; magical powers/objects; a fantasy world has fantasy goddesses; a witch put a spell on a character; a character is illegitimate; a man had many mistresses and children by them before being married; death and grief; a character is “kidnapped”
Read
November 25, 2023A Snow White reimagining featuring an earnest and loyal huntsman and a princess finding her self-confidence with lots of gradually unfolding twists on the familiar story. This has a robust fantasy world with complex magic systems and a broad cast of characters.
October 27, 2023
I was blessed and given this story as an ARC. Here is my honest review:
A huntsman torn between his duty, his family, and his love of an orphaned girl with dangerous secrets must save the kingdom from a mad queen in this friends-to-lovers retelling of Snow White.
___________________
Fantastic!! This story was filled with political intrigue, mystery, heartwarming friendships, and a colorful cast making it just fantastic!! It kept me reading, anchored right to my seat until there was no more!
The setting was captivating ….A palace, a dangerous forest filled with unfriendly magic, and very secret cave! What is there not to love!?
The characters…. All very likable (apart from the…I can’t say)!
A very brave, noble and swoon worthy Huntsman! A sweet servant girl! And dwarfs!!! I love the dwarfs! The author wrote the dwarfs banter to perfection! So enjoyable!
The author also made this really creative time line that was unlike anything I have ever read. It was a great way to track the passage of time within the story.
Did I mention the political intrigue?! I felt this story had just the right amount to keep my interest throughout the book.
With all that said I really enjoyed this Snow White retelling. I felt it had all the right ingredients to make a very engrossing fairytale. I highly recommend it! Oh and the ending!! It was just perfect!
👑
A huntsman torn between his duty, his family, and his love of an orphaned girl with dangerous secrets must save the kingdom from a mad queen in this friends-to-lovers retelling of Snow White.
___________________
Fantastic!! This story was filled with political intrigue, mystery, heartwarming friendships, and a colorful cast making it just fantastic!! It kept me reading, anchored right to my seat until there was no more!
The setting was captivating ….A palace, a dangerous forest filled with unfriendly magic, and very secret cave! What is there not to love!?
The characters…. All very likable (apart from the…I can’t say)!
A very brave, noble and swoon worthy Huntsman! A sweet servant girl! And dwarfs!!! I love the dwarfs! The author wrote the dwarfs banter to perfection! So enjoyable!
The author also made this really creative time line that was unlike anything I have ever read. It was a great way to track the passage of time within the story.
Did I mention the political intrigue?! I felt this story had just the right amount to keep my interest throughout the book.
With all that said I really enjoyed this Snow White retelling. I felt it had all the right ingredients to make a very engrossing fairytale. I highly recommend it! Oh and the ending!! It was just perfect!
👑
October 26, 2023
I absolutely LOVE that this book is friends-to-lovers! I haven't read a ton of those, but I absolutely adore the trope. The characters were interesting, and I loved the relationship they had. The ending was a bit confusing and seemed abrupt, but overall I enjoyed the story.
February 8, 2024
༻❥☆🍎☆❥༺
📖𝙱𝙾𝙾𝙺•𝚁𝙴𝚅𝙸𝙴𝚆📖
───────•🍎♡︎🍎•───────
📚🌿𝐁𝐎𝐎𝐊•𝐃𝐄𝐓𝐀𝐈𝐋𝐒🌿📚
✨𝚃𝙷𝙴 𝙿𝙾𝙸𝚂𝙾𝙽𝙴𝙳 𝙿𝚁𝙸𝙽𝙲𝙴 𝙱𝚈 𝙺𝚁𝙸𝚂𝚃𝙸𝙽 𝙹. 𝙳𝙰𝚆𝚂𝙾𝙽
✨𝙱𝙾𝙾𝙺 𝟼 𝙸𝙽 𝚃𝙷𝙴 𝙾𝙽𝙲𝙴 𝚄𝙿𝙾𝙽 𝙰 𝙿𝚁𝙸𝙽𝙲𝙴 𝚂𝙴𝚁𝙸𝙴𝚂 (𝚂𝚃𝙰𝙽𝙳𝙰𝙻𝙾𝙽𝙴 𝙽𝙾𝚅𝙴𝙻𝙻𝙰 𝚂𝙴𝚁𝙸𝙴𝚂)
✨𝐆𝐄𝐍𝐑𝐄: 𝙵𝙰𝙸𝚁𝚈𝚃𝙰𝙻𝙴 𝚁𝙴𝚃𝙴𝙻𝙻𝙸𝙽𝙶
✨𝐑𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐄 𝐃𝐀𝐓𝐄: 𝙽𝙾𝚅. 𝟹𝚁𝙳, 𝟸𝟶𝟸𝟹
╰┈❥𝙰𝚅𝙰𝙸𝙻𝙰𝙱𝙻𝙴 𝙾𝙽 𝙺𝚄!✨
✨𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ || 𝟻
✨𝐒𝐏𝐈𝐂𝐄 𝐋𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐋: 🌶️ || 𝟻
✨𝐅𝐔𝐋𝐋 𝐑𝐄𝐕𝐈𝐄𝐖 𝐎𝐍 𝐆𝐎𝐎𝐃𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐒✨
───────•🍎♡︎🍎•───────
✨✨𝑀𝑦 𝑇ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑔ℎ𝑡𝑠✨✨
Thank you so much to @kristinimagines for my gifted eARC of 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐏𝐎𝐈𝐒𝐎𝐍𝐄𝐃 𝐏𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐂𝐄!
This was a wonderful Snow White Retelling! Snow White isn’t my favorite fairyale, but I was very pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this novella!
Our FMC, Snow is a servant in the King’s castle. When the King falls ill, he tells Snow that she is actually his daughter and heir to the throne. After he passes, she flees the castle because someone is going after the King’s children. She finds herself living with the dwarves until she is 19, and can prove that she is worthy to take over the throne. Max, our MMC, is the Huntsman’s son and he and Snow are best friends. Together, along with some very hilarious and witty dwarves, they go on an adventure filled with excitement, romance, and danger.
I really adored the friends-to-lovers romance between Snow and Max AND I loved that he fell for her first! I loved each other their character’s development and thought they had really great chemistry throughout the story. Honestly, the dwarves completely stole the show for me and the found family made my heart so happy. They really provided some amazing humor and banter and there were so many moments I found myself grinning from ear to ear because of their antics!
I loved the pacing and I thought that Kristin did such an excellent job of telling this story. There were so many familiar elements of the Snow White tale, but there’s also so many things about this retelling that make it unique. The world building and magic system were really well-written and I was really intrigued by the Fae/Human bond element!
Overall, I definitely recommend this novella! It’s a bit on the longer side for a novella but still a very quick read, and will keep you on your toes and your heart swooning!
🍎✨𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐅𝐄𝐂𝐓 𝐈𝐅 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄...✨🍎
☆Snow White Retelling
★Friends to Forbidden Romance
☆Fae Magic and Witches
★He Falls First
☆Slow Burn
★Hidden Royal Identity
☆Found Family & Banter
★Good vs. Evil
☆Magical Amulets of Power
༻❥☆🍎☆❥༺
📖𝙱𝙾𝙾𝙺•𝚁𝙴𝚅𝙸𝙴𝚆📖
───────•🍎♡︎🍎•───────
📚🌿𝐁𝐎𝐎𝐊•𝐃𝐄𝐓𝐀𝐈𝐋𝐒🌿📚
✨𝚃𝙷𝙴 𝙿𝙾𝙸𝚂𝙾𝙽𝙴𝙳 𝙿𝚁𝙸𝙽𝙲𝙴 𝙱𝚈 𝙺𝚁𝙸𝚂𝚃𝙸𝙽 𝙹. 𝙳𝙰𝚆𝚂𝙾𝙽
✨𝙱𝙾𝙾𝙺 𝟼 𝙸𝙽 𝚃𝙷𝙴 𝙾𝙽𝙲𝙴 𝚄𝙿𝙾𝙽 𝙰 𝙿𝚁𝙸𝙽𝙲𝙴 𝚂𝙴𝚁𝙸𝙴𝚂 (𝚂𝚃𝙰𝙽𝙳𝙰𝙻𝙾𝙽𝙴 𝙽𝙾𝚅𝙴𝙻𝙻𝙰 𝚂𝙴𝚁𝙸𝙴𝚂)
✨𝐆𝐄𝐍𝐑𝐄: 𝙵𝙰𝙸𝚁𝚈𝚃𝙰𝙻𝙴 𝚁𝙴𝚃𝙴𝙻𝙻𝙸𝙽𝙶
✨𝐑𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐄 𝐃𝐀𝐓𝐄: 𝙽𝙾𝚅. 𝟹𝚁𝙳, 𝟸𝟶𝟸𝟹
╰┈❥𝙰𝚅𝙰𝙸𝙻𝙰𝙱𝙻𝙴 𝙾𝙽 𝙺𝚄!✨
✨𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ || 𝟻
✨𝐒𝐏𝐈𝐂𝐄 𝐋𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐋: 🌶️ || 𝟻
✨𝐅𝐔𝐋𝐋 𝐑𝐄𝐕𝐈𝐄𝐖 𝐎𝐍 𝐆𝐎𝐎𝐃𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐒✨
───────•🍎♡︎🍎•───────
✨✨𝑀𝑦 𝑇ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑔ℎ𝑡𝑠✨✨
Thank you so much to @kristinimagines for my gifted eARC of 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐏𝐎𝐈𝐒𝐎𝐍𝐄𝐃 𝐏𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐂𝐄!
This was a wonderful Snow White Retelling! Snow White isn’t my favorite fairyale, but I was very pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this novella!
Our FMC, Snow is a servant in the King’s castle. When the King falls ill, he tells Snow that she is actually his daughter and heir to the throne. After he passes, she flees the castle because someone is going after the King’s children. She finds herself living with the dwarves until she is 19, and can prove that she is worthy to take over the throne. Max, our MMC, is the Huntsman’s son and he and Snow are best friends. Together, along with some very hilarious and witty dwarves, they go on an adventure filled with excitement, romance, and danger.
I really adored the friends-to-lovers romance between Snow and Max AND I loved that he fell for her first! I loved each other their character’s development and thought they had really great chemistry throughout the story. Honestly, the dwarves completely stole the show for me and the found family made my heart so happy. They really provided some amazing humor and banter and there were so many moments I found myself grinning from ear to ear because of their antics!
I loved the pacing and I thought that Kristin did such an excellent job of telling this story. There were so many familiar elements of the Snow White tale, but there’s also so many things about this retelling that make it unique. The world building and magic system were really well-written and I was really intrigued by the Fae/Human bond element!
Overall, I definitely recommend this novella! It’s a bit on the longer side for a novella but still a very quick read, and will keep you on your toes and your heart swooning!
🍎✨𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐅𝐄𝐂𝐓 𝐈𝐅 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄...✨🍎
☆Snow White Retelling
★Friends to Forbidden Romance
☆Fae Magic and Witches
★He Falls First
☆Slow Burn
★Hidden Royal Identity
☆Found Family & Banter
★Good vs. Evil
☆Magical Amulets of Power
༻❥☆🍎☆❥༺
October 27, 2023
What a wonderful retelling of Snow White!
In this retelling, the king has had more than a few dalliances before he settled down and married a
royal princess. A girl was born from one of them and she was called Snow White. Upon her mother’s tragic death, she was taken to the castle and was hired as a servant there. She forms a friendship with the man and his family who came to get her after her mother’s death, especially with their son.
Later on the king has her assigned as his personal servant and when the two of them are alone informs her he is her father. However, shortly thereafter, the king falls Ill and dies and the man who brought her to the castle abducts her and informs her that the queen told him to kill her. He takes her to meet his son and they journey to see the dwarfs where they shelter her for a couple of years until she can legally be announced as the new heir and future queen of the kingdom. However, things don’t go as planned and a new plan has to be formed to get Snow recognized but then the betrayer is revealed and things look bleak for awhile! Let’s just say I don’t think you’ll see who that betrayer is but it was the one responsible for Snow’s mother’s death!
This book tells of the love that blooms between two best friends, other friendships that are formed and that ultimate betrayer; plus the exciting plan to get Snow recognized as the next heir as the king intended!
This is a page turning, engrossing read which will
keep your attention riveted to the pages causing you
to devour them as fast as you can to find out what happens next!
I throughly enjoyed this retelling of the beloved fairy tale and heartily and enthusiastically recommend this wonderful book to everyone who loves fairy tales! You are never too old to not be caught up in their magical pull on you as you read them. You’ll probably find yourself reminiscing on when you first read this story or listened as it was read to you or perhaps when you saw the classic Disney movie the first time!
Treat yourself to a book you’ll love and be oh so glad you read it! I guarantee you won’t regret the experience!
In this retelling, the king has had more than a few dalliances before he settled down and married a
royal princess. A girl was born from one of them and she was called Snow White. Upon her mother’s tragic death, she was taken to the castle and was hired as a servant there. She forms a friendship with the man and his family who came to get her after her mother’s death, especially with their son.
Later on the king has her assigned as his personal servant and when the two of them are alone informs her he is her father. However, shortly thereafter, the king falls Ill and dies and the man who brought her to the castle abducts her and informs her that the queen told him to kill her. He takes her to meet his son and they journey to see the dwarfs where they shelter her for a couple of years until she can legally be announced as the new heir and future queen of the kingdom. However, things don’t go as planned and a new plan has to be formed to get Snow recognized but then the betrayer is revealed and things look bleak for awhile! Let’s just say I don’t think you’ll see who that betrayer is but it was the one responsible for Snow’s mother’s death!
This book tells of the love that blooms between two best friends, other friendships that are formed and that ultimate betrayer; plus the exciting plan to get Snow recognized as the next heir as the king intended!
This is a page turning, engrossing read which will
keep your attention riveted to the pages causing you
to devour them as fast as you can to find out what happens next!
I throughly enjoyed this retelling of the beloved fairy tale and heartily and enthusiastically recommend this wonderful book to everyone who loves fairy tales! You are never too old to not be caught up in their magical pull on you as you read them. You’ll probably find yourself reminiscing on when you first read this story or listened as it was read to you or perhaps when you saw the classic Disney movie the first time!
Treat yourself to a book you’ll love and be oh so glad you read it! I guarantee you won’t regret the experience!
January 25, 2025
A cute and quick novella! This Snow White re-imagining is steeped in political intrigue, has a slow burn sweet romance, dwarves with a sense of humor, and some fairy-tale twists that were so fun. I loved Snow and Max together. It was a best-friends to lovers story and didn’t have any red flags. I really appreciate when romances have two mature and loving individuals whose circumstances are the reason they can’t always be together. There wasn’t any annoying angst, just sweet pining. I loved it!
November 4, 2023
Snow White is my absolute favorite fairytale and character of all time, and I always look forward to the Snow White retelling the most in every fairytale series. That’s why I’m so disappointed that I didn’t really like this. I’ve read all of the fairytale collaboration series coming out in the latter half of 2023 (this Once Upon a Prince series, and also The Shattered Tales series, and Autumn Fairytales) and I have enjoyed every single one in all three series so far, even ones I didn’t think I would enjoy, all except this one. I don’t know, it just didn’t feel like a fairytale. All of the other books in these 3 series have felt like a fairytale and given me that fairytale feeling that I love. This didn’t. It felt like a fantasy, not a fairytale. Which is disappointing, seeing as Snow White is always the retelling I look forward to the most.
November 18, 2023
This Snow White retelling had an interesting premise and plot. Magic surrounding the fae and how they interacted with humans was also interesting. I liked Snow and Max and enjoyed getting to know them. Despite the story’s clever start and detailed backdrop of the kingdom, I found the plot slow-moving and ended up skimming the book after the first half.
I received a complimentary copy courtesy of the author and was under no obligation to post a positive review. All opinions are my own.
I received a complimentary copy courtesy of the author and was under no obligation to post a positive review. All opinions are my own.
January 24, 2025
This one had all of the Snow White elements but turned them on their heads. I really enjoyed the big twist.
October 26, 2023
FANTASTIC fairy tale retelling! Love, love, loved it! Magical and infinitely romantic, action and adventure.. Just couldn't put it down!
November 14, 2023
Snow White is one of my favorite fairy tales, in spite of some of its weird quirks (such as the prince who kisses a dead girl in a coffin, rendering her instantly willing to marry him--what?!), so I was excited to read this new spin on it. The Poisoned Prince delivers all the fairy tale vibes of the original tale PLUS a charming bunch of dwarves, a dash of political drama, a moody and ravenous fairy, a magical amulet, poisonous apples, and the sweetest friends-to-lovers romance between Snow and the huntsman's swoony son. Also, plot twists I didn't see coming! I hope Kristin Dawson writes more fairy tale retellings set in this world, because this was my kind of book--one you can cozy up with and disappear into for a while.
July 14, 2024
4.5 Stars!
I thoroughly enjoyed this one! It was a "Snow White" retelling but also put something new on the table. I really like the "huntsman falls in love with Snow" twist that a few other retellings have done. Plus, the huntsman actually did huntsman duty! He wasn't just out for Snow, which was a huge plus! I also loved the fae element in the story (how they were very reclusive from humans, but they love food). It felt more classical and fairytale-ly. I loved this element so much, that when I saw the author was going to write more books in this world I tried to find them, unfortunately, I don't know if they have been released yet or if they had which ones they are.
Maybe fuller review to come?
I thoroughly enjoyed this one! It was a "Snow White" retelling but also put something new on the table. I really like the "huntsman falls in love with Snow" twist that a few other retellings have done. Plus, the huntsman actually did huntsman duty! He wasn't just out for Snow, which was a huge plus! I also loved the fae element in the story (how they were very reclusive from humans, but they love food). It felt more classical and fairytale-ly. I loved this element so much, that when I saw the author was going to write more books in this world I tried to find them, unfortunately, I don't know if they have been released yet or if they had which ones they are.
Maybe fuller review to come?
August 4, 2024
In my quest to complete all the books in the Once Upon a Prince series, I decided to read its version of "Snow White," The Poisoned Prince by Kristin J. Dawson. With a title like that, I was hoping for a gender-bent retelling, which would have been the first I'd read for this fairy tale, but it was more of a traditional retelling. Although the roles of the main characters were not reversed, it was an original and imaginative take on the story. The story alternates between Snow White and her love interest, who is the son of the huntsman, and takes place in a high fantasy setting with fae and dwarves like the ones you would find in DnD. I found the book charming and romantic overall, though, like others in this series, it places a lot of focus on the princess despite being called Once Upon a Prince.
This is one of the most unique interpretations I've read of "Snow White," focusing on tropes that are not typically incorporated into retellings of this story. For instance, it has a "Cinderella" vibe by making Snow White a servant who learns later in life that she is one of many illegitimate children of the king and was hand-picked by him to take the throne. Now, not only does Snow White have to escape a murder attempt from jealous family members, but she is also coming to terms with being royal for the first time. There is also a "Sleeping Beauty" element in which she is granted a magical fae gift as a baby. Thanks to that gift, the gentle Snow is an empath with the ability to magically read the emotions of those around her. This is a unique twist that is unfortunately not used to its full potential because it doesn't come up during any major plot points, including a very important one at the end that her ability could have unveiled earlier in the story.
Max, the huntsman's son, is supposed to be the main character of this book, but I felt like he faded into the background due to how important Snow was to the story. Though he is just as compelling a love interest as any other, the book doesn't take advantage of the series' premise by giving him any extra importance. He has strong feelings for Snow White before learning she is a princess and is wholly devoted to protecting her and upending any political schemes he hears about at court through his father. This book stands apart from the film Snow White and the Huntsman because it is Max's father and not Max himself who is the huntsman sent to kill Snow. When Max learns about this, he becomes even more determined to protect her and find the king's other secret progeny for the safety and security of the kingdom.
This adaptation also has a new twist on the villain from the traditional wicked stepmother. I am not always a fan of twist villains, a trope that can come off as contrived or hoky at times, but it was done well in this book. The explanation for the twist made sense, and although I did not see it coming, I was not particularly surprised by it either. Due to the king's philandering nature, the book contains more espionage and political intrigue than the average "Snow White" retelling, so fans of that genre are likely to enjoy this book a lot. The story takes place in a magical world of fae and monsters, adding some whimsy to the tale. The dwarves who protect Snow White are interesting characters with their own unique culture, and several of them are female, giving Snow some positive female influences in her life while she is being hunted.
The Poisoned Prince by Kristin J. Dawson is an imaginative retelling of Snow White, offering a fresh take on the classic tale. With its high fantasy setting, fae and dwarves, and emphasis on political intrigue and espionage, this book stands out from other retellings. While it may not fully utilize the Once Upon a Prince series premise due to shining the spotlight on Snow, it still delivers a charming and romantic story. Snow White's journey from servant to royal, coupled with her unique empathetic gift, adds a delightful twist to the narrative. The villain's unexpected reveal and the incorporation of fae culture and strong female influences make this adaptation an intriguing read. Overall, The Poisoned Prince is a spellbinding retelling that will enchant fans of fantasy and fairy tale retellings alike.
This is one of the most unique interpretations I've read of "Snow White," focusing on tropes that are not typically incorporated into retellings of this story. For instance, it has a "Cinderella" vibe by making Snow White a servant who learns later in life that she is one of many illegitimate children of the king and was hand-picked by him to take the throne. Now, not only does Snow White have to escape a murder attempt from jealous family members, but she is also coming to terms with being royal for the first time. There is also a "Sleeping Beauty" element in which she is granted a magical fae gift as a baby. Thanks to that gift, the gentle Snow is an empath with the ability to magically read the emotions of those around her. This is a unique twist that is unfortunately not used to its full potential because it doesn't come up during any major plot points, including a very important one at the end that her ability could have unveiled earlier in the story.
Max, the huntsman's son, is supposed to be the main character of this book, but I felt like he faded into the background due to how important Snow was to the story. Though he is just as compelling a love interest as any other, the book doesn't take advantage of the series' premise by giving him any extra importance. He has strong feelings for Snow White before learning she is a princess and is wholly devoted to protecting her and upending any political schemes he hears about at court through his father. This book stands apart from the film Snow White and the Huntsman because it is Max's father and not Max himself who is the huntsman sent to kill Snow. When Max learns about this, he becomes even more determined to protect her and find the king's other secret progeny for the safety and security of the kingdom.
This adaptation also has a new twist on the villain from the traditional wicked stepmother. I am not always a fan of twist villains, a trope that can come off as contrived or hoky at times, but it was done well in this book. The explanation for the twist made sense, and although I did not see it coming, I was not particularly surprised by it either. Due to the king's philandering nature, the book contains more espionage and political intrigue than the average "Snow White" retelling, so fans of that genre are likely to enjoy this book a lot. The story takes place in a magical world of fae and monsters, adding some whimsy to the tale. The dwarves who protect Snow White are interesting characters with their own unique culture, and several of them are female, giving Snow some positive female influences in her life while she is being hunted.
The Poisoned Prince by Kristin J. Dawson is an imaginative retelling of Snow White, offering a fresh take on the classic tale. With its high fantasy setting, fae and dwarves, and emphasis on political intrigue and espionage, this book stands out from other retellings. While it may not fully utilize the Once Upon a Prince series premise due to shining the spotlight on Snow, it still delivers a charming and romantic story. Snow White's journey from servant to royal, coupled with her unique empathetic gift, adds a delightful twist to the narrative. The villain's unexpected reveal and the incorporation of fae culture and strong female influences make this adaptation an intriguing read. Overall, The Poisoned Prince is a spellbinding retelling that will enchant fans of fantasy and fairy tale retellings alike.
October 18, 2024
Whew, this one took me ages to read as my mind kept wandering from the pages, and I hate to say this, but The Poisoned Prince was a swing and a huge miss for me.
Let me clarify that for you, because the story itself is t the issue here, it’s the length that’s the issue. In these shorter retellings the book is overloaded with people, plots and subplots and also with moments of wasted time. I am also confused- as I distinctly remember one paragraph telling me it had been 5 year since her 11th birthday and a few pages later it was 7? Maybe I read something wrong, but the sad thing is I had no desire to look back and verify.
For a shorter page count some things needed to be dropped, but the author works so hard to tie everything together that I understand why the machinations were included in order to bring about the desired ending, but this tale could have benefited from another hundred pages instead of just yanking the story along at a condensed pace. You’re left drowning in information and you know it isn’t good when a YA book feels the need to give you a list of characters and notes about how the odd calendar works- especially when the calendar sounded interesting in the blurb, but then didn’t add to the story at all except as a timepiece at the start of every chapter.
Boring.
Snow and Max are interesting enough, but the constant description about how much they long for each other or are hurt and jealous, etc is rammed down your throat. So much so that it became annoying. They can’t have a single moment together without a play-by-play of what their emotions are doing in-between the dialogue.
Max’s “poisoning” is mostly a side thing dealt with behind the scenes so the title is misleading as well.
In a longer format though the storyline could have gone so much smoother, but it’s like “okay, we’re here and now we are suddenly yanked to this new location and then whoops, back we are to home”. The travel between places happens also off the pages, which adds to that feeling of hopping from here to there.
I am giving this 3 stars, though I should have dropped it lower just for that weird opening with Snow’s birth. And maybe another for dumping so many of the king’s illegitimate offspring to the story only to have them more mentioned that included- seriously, Ludwig is the only one to do something and then he just fades off at the end?
Why even bother having the king’s multiple affairs with so many different incredibly fertile villagers? That’s a storyline that could have been struck from the story as it’s just more distraction when dumped alongside everything else.
I would be happy to give this another chance should the author decide to give this story the time and attention it deserved, but the likelihood of that happening are fairly nil and it’s a shame. There were so many original ideas in this retelling that should have made it shine, but rather went nowhere special. Why bother having Snow work in the mines? Seriously, other than a joke about her newfound arm strength, nothing. It’s a wasted element.
The poisoned comb, meh, it sort-of worked but the “bee sting” was clumsy as heck and also not needed. Snow keeping her money in a hole dug in the woods? Who is going to take it from her? Seriously, that made no sense at all and it’s brought up several times to no avail. The way fae bonding works should have been explained better…I could go on, but you get the point.
So would I read another book from the author? I’m not sure- probably not another YA book unless it’s of a decent length, but I would like to think I’d come around to her work some point in the future.
I can see though how a teenage me would have embraced it as romantic whereas my 5+ decade self has reservations. Good thing this is geared to young women who will read this strictly for pleasure without getting analytical over it.
Let me clarify that for you, because the story itself is t the issue here, it’s the length that’s the issue. In these shorter retellings the book is overloaded with people, plots and subplots and also with moments of wasted time. I am also confused- as I distinctly remember one paragraph telling me it had been 5 year since her 11th birthday and a few pages later it was 7? Maybe I read something wrong, but the sad thing is I had no desire to look back and verify.
For a shorter page count some things needed to be dropped, but the author works so hard to tie everything together that I understand why the machinations were included in order to bring about the desired ending, but this tale could have benefited from another hundred pages instead of just yanking the story along at a condensed pace. You’re left drowning in information and you know it isn’t good when a YA book feels the need to give you a list of characters and notes about how the odd calendar works- especially when the calendar sounded interesting in the blurb, but then didn’t add to the story at all except as a timepiece at the start of every chapter.
Boring.
Snow and Max are interesting enough, but the constant description about how much they long for each other or are hurt and jealous, etc is rammed down your throat. So much so that it became annoying. They can’t have a single moment together without a play-by-play of what their emotions are doing in-between the dialogue.
Max’s “poisoning” is mostly a side thing dealt with behind the scenes so the title is misleading as well.
In a longer format though the storyline could have gone so much smoother, but it’s like “okay, we’re here and now we are suddenly yanked to this new location and then whoops, back we are to home”. The travel between places happens also off the pages, which adds to that feeling of hopping from here to there.
I am giving this 3 stars, though I should have dropped it lower just for that weird opening with Snow’s birth. And maybe another for dumping so many of the king’s illegitimate offspring to the story only to have them more mentioned that included- seriously, Ludwig is the only one to do something and then he just fades off at the end?
Why even bother having the king’s multiple affairs with so many different incredibly fertile villagers? That’s a storyline that could have been struck from the story as it’s just more distraction when dumped alongside everything else.
I would be happy to give this another chance should the author decide to give this story the time and attention it deserved, but the likelihood of that happening are fairly nil and it’s a shame. There were so many original ideas in this retelling that should have made it shine, but rather went nowhere special. Why bother having Snow work in the mines? Seriously, other than a joke about her newfound arm strength, nothing. It’s a wasted element.
The poisoned comb, meh, it sort-of worked but the “bee sting” was clumsy as heck and also not needed. Snow keeping her money in a hole dug in the woods? Who is going to take it from her? Seriously, that made no sense at all and it’s brought up several times to no avail. The way fae bonding works should have been explained better…I could go on, but you get the point.
So would I read another book from the author? I’m not sure- probably not another YA book unless it’s of a decent length, but I would like to think I’d come around to her work some point in the future.
I can see though how a teenage me would have embraced it as romantic whereas my 5+ decade self has reservations. Good thing this is geared to young women who will read this strictly for pleasure without getting analytical over it.
January 1, 2024
Reader’s Notes:
– this is part of a series, but meant to be read as a stand-alone
– this is mainly told from Snow & Max’s points of view (the prologue is told from a different character’s point of view)
– Snow grew up without a father figure & her mother died when Snow was young
– the king had many illegitimate children with many women prior to his marriage to the queen
Review:
This was a very interesting Snow White retelling! Trying to keep track of the villain, their motivations, and their actions was interesting to follow and try to figure out from Snow & Max’s points of view. I also liked the twists thrown into this version of Snow White’s tale! Between the storyline/character changes and Snow White’s best friend/love interest being the huntsman’s apprentice, it added a new layer of intrigue to her story. I also loved interactions with the dwarves! They had a unique way of looking at their world and interesting traditions that they pulled Snow into while she was with them. I loved that Snow & Max were best friends and had to navigate the new changes to their lives in the midst of realizing their feelings for each other. I also liked that Snow White was given powers that she didn’t really want to use at first. It showed me that she had great morals and didn’t want to intrude on people’s innermost selves just because she could. Though I really enjoyed when she really started to use her powers to be an asset to her growth as a future ruler.
Summary:
Snow White is an orphan working in the palace with an ability she’d rather live without. Sensing the emotions of those around her feels intrusive, especially when it comes to her best friend Max. All she wants to do is work until she has enough coin to travel back the town where she lived in with her mother to find out what happened to her. But when the king dies, Snow’s plans are thrown to the wind. She has more important things to do than she’d ever expected to have in her life. And the deeper she gets into them, the more in danger her life is. With the reigning queen set on Snow’s death, she goes on the run and into hiding. With all the new knowledge Snow has of her life, she grows more and more determined to travel back to the last place she saw her mother. Because there may be more to her mother’s death than she thought and it could lend aid to Snow’s current situation…
Max loves spending time with the servant Snow White though he could be spending time with nobles. She is not only fun and different from those in court, but she’s also his best friend…and the love of his life. But just as Max is getting ready to tell Snow of his feelings, the kingdom falls into chaos and Snow’s life becomes in danger. He must help her hide and then he must return to the capital. With someone on the inside, they may just have a chance of dethroning the queen that’s sending their kingdom into dire straights. But the deeper Max gets into the secrets surrounding the throne the more he realizes that he may have to make a choice: save the kingdom and lose a chance to love Snow the way he wants to or do everything he can to save their love only. With each having such big consequences and conflicting emotions, the choice is unclear. What is he going to do?
– this is part of a series, but meant to be read as a stand-alone
– this is mainly told from Snow & Max’s points of view (the prologue is told from a different character’s point of view)
– Snow grew up without a father figure & her mother died when Snow was young
– the king had many illegitimate children with many women prior to his marriage to the queen
Review:
This was a very interesting Snow White retelling! Trying to keep track of the villain, their motivations, and their actions was interesting to follow and try to figure out from Snow & Max’s points of view. I also liked the twists thrown into this version of Snow White’s tale! Between the storyline/character changes and Snow White’s best friend/love interest being the huntsman’s apprentice, it added a new layer of intrigue to her story. I also loved interactions with the dwarves! They had a unique way of looking at their world and interesting traditions that they pulled Snow into while she was with them. I loved that Snow & Max were best friends and had to navigate the new changes to their lives in the midst of realizing their feelings for each other. I also liked that Snow White was given powers that she didn’t really want to use at first. It showed me that she had great morals and didn’t want to intrude on people’s innermost selves just because she could. Though I really enjoyed when she really started to use her powers to be an asset to her growth as a future ruler.
Summary:
Snow White is an orphan working in the palace with an ability she’d rather live without. Sensing the emotions of those around her feels intrusive, especially when it comes to her best friend Max. All she wants to do is work until she has enough coin to travel back the town where she lived in with her mother to find out what happened to her. But when the king dies, Snow’s plans are thrown to the wind. She has more important things to do than she’d ever expected to have in her life. And the deeper she gets into them, the more in danger her life is. With the reigning queen set on Snow’s death, she goes on the run and into hiding. With all the new knowledge Snow has of her life, she grows more and more determined to travel back to the last place she saw her mother. Because there may be more to her mother’s death than she thought and it could lend aid to Snow’s current situation…
Max loves spending time with the servant Snow White though he could be spending time with nobles. She is not only fun and different from those in court, but she’s also his best friend…and the love of his life. But just as Max is getting ready to tell Snow of his feelings, the kingdom falls into chaos and Snow’s life becomes in danger. He must help her hide and then he must return to the capital. With someone on the inside, they may just have a chance of dethroning the queen that’s sending their kingdom into dire straights. But the deeper Max gets into the secrets surrounding the throne the more he realizes that he may have to make a choice: save the kingdom and lose a chance to love Snow the way he wants to or do everything he can to save their love only. With each having such big consequences and conflicting emotions, the choice is unclear. What is he going to do?
November 10, 2023
I thoroughly enjoyed this retelling of Snow White. The author stayed true to the original story while putting her own twist on things and it was excellently done!
I especially liked:
The dwarves (they were freaking AWESOME!)
The plot twists in the story (no spoilers here – go read it, if you haven’t already)
How the characters who were supposedly evil weren’t and the ones that were supposedly good
were anything but! (Is that a spoiler? Oops! Oh well!)
And how Max matured from a bit of a spoiled teenager who just assumed stuff, to a well-
adjusted young man who believed the best of people while still being sure to investigate the
truth when need be.
The supporting cast – Max’s parents, the king and queen, the guards and judges … yup – they
were all great!
I also enjoyed the mix of fae, human and dwarven lore and enjoyed reading about bonded fae
and dwarven loyalty especially.
I often manage to guess how a mystery will be resolved but this one had me more than a little shocked when things played out at the end! Kudos to the author on keeping me guessing!
Also, I loved being a guest at Max and Snow’s wedding – the décor was lovely and the food was delicious!
There were only two things that I would have changed about this book:
1. The title (my brain kept trying to find the link between that and the story as Max only became a prince at the end, and he was poisoned for all of about ten seconds, but I contacted the author and she explained it – saving her 5 star rating from dropping to a 4 star one in the process! – The word “Poisoned” links the story to Snow White and she preferred to have a huntsman who became a prince rather than a traditional prince. I did really like the story of the poisoned apples, so in hindsight this worked!
And:
2. How Snow was a bit of a wimp near the end of the book, being willing to go along with others’ plans for her and marry the notoriously annoying Prince Leopold instead of focusing on saving her OWN kingdom. Thankfully, this rather ambivalent royal had amazing friends in the form of Max, the dwarves and Dottie (and a really cool grumpy brother to boot!) and together they worked as a team to save the day and put the RIGHT royals back on the throne!
Yup, the ending made the book! I mean the whole book was pretty amazing but the ending was like watching an action film in my head which quickly turned into a swoony romance at the end.
This book had it all! Action, adventure, confusion, betrayal, love, fae, royals, embittered humans, hilarious dwarves, a stunning wedding ….. but no dragon. Kristin, let it be known that next time I would like a dragon! Thank you.
I received an ARC for this book and all opinions are my own – except that I’m sure other readers would agree that a dragon deserves to be featured in future books.
I especially liked:
The dwarves (they were freaking AWESOME!)
The plot twists in the story (no spoilers here – go read it, if you haven’t already)
How the characters who were supposedly evil weren’t and the ones that were supposedly good
were anything but! (Is that a spoiler? Oops! Oh well!)
And how Max matured from a bit of a spoiled teenager who just assumed stuff, to a well-
adjusted young man who believed the best of people while still being sure to investigate the
truth when need be.
The supporting cast – Max’s parents, the king and queen, the guards and judges … yup – they
were all great!
I also enjoyed the mix of fae, human and dwarven lore and enjoyed reading about bonded fae
and dwarven loyalty especially.
I often manage to guess how a mystery will be resolved but this one had me more than a little shocked when things played out at the end! Kudos to the author on keeping me guessing!
Also, I loved being a guest at Max and Snow’s wedding – the décor was lovely and the food was delicious!
There were only two things that I would have changed about this book:
1. The title (my brain kept trying to find the link between that and the story as Max only became a prince at the end, and he was poisoned for all of about ten seconds, but I contacted the author and she explained it – saving her 5 star rating from dropping to a 4 star one in the process! – The word “Poisoned” links the story to Snow White and she preferred to have a huntsman who became a prince rather than a traditional prince. I did really like the story of the poisoned apples, so in hindsight this worked!
And:
2. How Snow was a bit of a wimp near the end of the book, being willing to go along with others’ plans for her and marry the notoriously annoying Prince Leopold instead of focusing on saving her OWN kingdom. Thankfully, this rather ambivalent royal had amazing friends in the form of Max, the dwarves and Dottie (and a really cool grumpy brother to boot!) and together they worked as a team to save the day and put the RIGHT royals back on the throne!
Yup, the ending made the book! I mean the whole book was pretty amazing but the ending was like watching an action film in my head which quickly turned into a swoony romance at the end.
This book had it all! Action, adventure, confusion, betrayal, love, fae, royals, embittered humans, hilarious dwarves, a stunning wedding ….. but no dragon. Kristin, let it be known that next time I would like a dragon! Thank you.
I received an ARC for this book and all opinions are my own – except that I’m sure other readers would agree that a dragon deserves to be featured in future books.
October 30, 2023
Not gonna lie…Snow White and the retellings of generally aren’t my cup of tea. And if I’m being completely honest I tend to avoid them unless they are in a series I’m already familiar with by an author I know I love. However, that being said, The Poisoned Prince was an Excellent Snow White retelling that completely blew me away!
Initially I was a little reluctant to read this Once Upon a Prince Story and thus I did struggle a little in the beginning to get into the plot…but…once I was drawn in I quickly found myself becoming wholeheartedly invested. And the deeper in I read the more captivated I became until I found myself unable to pull my eyes from the pages and staying up waaaaaaaay past my bedtime. I just had to finish it! And finish it I did!
Oooooooohhhhhhh! Oh! That Ending! That Ending was Masterfully Written! Unexpected! Revelation after Revelation! Complete Awesomeness! And I was both utterly shocked and pleasantly surprised! I love a great twist and Dawson took the Story of Snow White…let you believe you knew it…and then twisted it into something entirely her own and it was magnificent!
Snow’s life keeps twisting and turning. Being born as an illegitimate child she often wondered about her father and where he fit in. Then After a wolf kills her mother in late childhood she finds herself brought to the capital to live with the King’s Huntsman and his family. But she soon becomes Best Frirnds with Max, the huntsman’s son, and takes up a job in the palace kitchens. Later to be chosen as the King’s personal servant. But then she finds herself almost 18 and called to the rooms of the ailing king and Snow realizes her life is about to change again. Now with the revelation that Snow is truly the King’s illegitimate child and his secret chosen heir Snow must decide who she can trust…because truly nothing is as it seems.
And Max…well Max…doesn’t know what to do when he is caught between duty and his love for Snow. All he knows he will do anything for her and can hopefully save the Kingdom in the process.
This story is filled with all the expected Snow White elements: an evil out to destroy the king’s heir, an escape to the dwarves, a magic comb, many ruthless and deadly attempts on Snow’s life.
Buuuuuuut…there are plenty of secrets to be revealed…revelations to be uncovered…and unexpected twists that Dawson created that made this story truly her own and I loved it!
So yep, this is definitely the Snow White retelling for you if you want something unique and captivating, sweet and swooony, and all around twisted and beautiful!
Honest and happily written ARC review!
Initially I was a little reluctant to read this Once Upon a Prince Story and thus I did struggle a little in the beginning to get into the plot…but…once I was drawn in I quickly found myself becoming wholeheartedly invested. And the deeper in I read the more captivated I became until I found myself unable to pull my eyes from the pages and staying up waaaaaaaay past my bedtime. I just had to finish it! And finish it I did!
Oooooooohhhhhhh! Oh! That Ending! That Ending was Masterfully Written! Unexpected! Revelation after Revelation! Complete Awesomeness! And I was both utterly shocked and pleasantly surprised! I love a great twist and Dawson took the Story of Snow White…let you believe you knew it…and then twisted it into something entirely her own and it was magnificent!
Snow’s life keeps twisting and turning. Being born as an illegitimate child she often wondered about her father and where he fit in. Then After a wolf kills her mother in late childhood she finds herself brought to the capital to live with the King’s Huntsman and his family. But she soon becomes Best Frirnds with Max, the huntsman’s son, and takes up a job in the palace kitchens. Later to be chosen as the King’s personal servant. But then she finds herself almost 18 and called to the rooms of the ailing king and Snow realizes her life is about to change again. Now with the revelation that Snow is truly the King’s illegitimate child and his secret chosen heir Snow must decide who she can trust…because truly nothing is as it seems.
And Max…well Max…doesn’t know what to do when he is caught between duty and his love for Snow. All he knows he will do anything for her and can hopefully save the Kingdom in the process.
This story is filled with all the expected Snow White elements: an evil out to destroy the king’s heir, an escape to the dwarves, a magic comb, many ruthless and deadly attempts on Snow’s life.
Buuuuuuut…there are plenty of secrets to be revealed…revelations to be uncovered…and unexpected twists that Dawson created that made this story truly her own and I loved it!
So yep, this is definitely the Snow White retelling for you if you want something unique and captivating, sweet and swooony, and all around twisted and beautiful!
Honest and happily written ARC review!
November 5, 2023
I knew this moment would come... I knew there would have to be at least one book in the Once Upon a Prince series that didn't quite do it for me. I'm sad it's the Snow White retelling though, because that's one fairytale not done as often as others, so I really was looking forward to it. For what it's worth, what I loved about this book slightly outweighs the things that I totally disliked, so I am giving it 3.5stars.
What I liked:
I am in love with the dwarves. Having an intergenerational family group with male and female dwarves and the fun banter was absolutely amazing. If only for this, I'm glad I stuck through the whole book. They really were so much fun to read.
I also thoroughly enjoyed the two big twists the author brought to bear in the final 20% of the book. They were both unexpected and brought a lot of things together, while also offering a very interesting twist on the original tale. They were good plot twists.
What I disliked:
The pacing of the book was off for me. It just never swept me off my feet, and that's surprising because I did think the friends-to-lovers element should have hit the spot. I think because of the disjointed pacing the relationship and how it developed didn't do it for me.
There was also a lot of worldbuilding that didn't feel like it got explained. I still have no idea how the fae fit into the world. I was immensely confused in the first half of the book because I didn't know about the rules of fae bonding with human royalty and how important that was. Considering the final twist, that oversight in laying out the worldbuilding from the beginning was particularly problematic for me. I feel the prologue added to my confusion. If some things had been explained better, or at the least foreshadowed better, I would have had fewer "what the heck is going on?" or "what about x is important?" moments while reading.
I also, unfortunately, don't get the relevance of the title. There is no poisoned "prince" per se. And if it is a twist because of who got poisoned, then that just didn't resonate for me. Perhaps if the author had somehow acknowledged the discrepancy in the title in some way towards the end of the book, it might have worked for me, but as it is it feels completely disjointed.
It's a good idea. And I recommend it only for the very unique and fun dwarves. Female dwarves are far too few, and funny dwarven sibling banter so rare that it makes an impression. I wish I could have loved the rest of this book though.
What I liked:
I am in love with the dwarves. Having an intergenerational family group with male and female dwarves and the fun banter was absolutely amazing. If only for this, I'm glad I stuck through the whole book. They really were so much fun to read.
I also thoroughly enjoyed the two big twists the author brought to bear in the final 20% of the book. They were both unexpected and brought a lot of things together, while also offering a very interesting twist on the original tale. They were good plot twists.
What I disliked:
The pacing of the book was off for me. It just never swept me off my feet, and that's surprising because I did think the friends-to-lovers element should have hit the spot. I think because of the disjointed pacing the relationship and how it developed didn't do it for me.
There was also a lot of worldbuilding that didn't feel like it got explained. I still have no idea how the fae fit into the world. I was immensely confused in the first half of the book because I didn't know about the rules of fae bonding with human royalty and how important that was. Considering the final twist, that oversight in laying out the worldbuilding from the beginning was particularly problematic for me. I feel the prologue added to my confusion. If some things had been explained better, or at the least foreshadowed better, I would have had fewer "what the heck is going on?" or "what about x is important?" moments while reading.
I also, unfortunately, don't get the relevance of the title. There is no poisoned "prince" per se. And if it is a twist because of who got poisoned, then that just didn't resonate for me. Perhaps if the author had somehow acknowledged the discrepancy in the title in some way towards the end of the book, it might have worked for me, but as it is it feels completely disjointed.
It's a good idea. And I recommend it only for the very unique and fun dwarves. Female dwarves are far too few, and funny dwarven sibling banter so rare that it makes an impression. I wish I could have loved the rest of this book though.
November 1, 2023
I was eager to see how the author twisted this very popular and well known fairytale but good gracious, even I didn't anticipate THAT! Although one is always aware of the original fairytale, let's face it, it's hard NOT to be, with the MC being Snow White, and there's a Huntsman, and there are dwalves, and there are apples, a mirror and a King and Queen but all of these are so brilliantly twisted, so superbly manipulated, it was NEW and it was FRESH! And I LOVED it!
Geesh, this was a busy King, having multiple consorts, fathering multiple children, most of whom had no idea he WAS their father. Snow certainly didn't. Until he eventually confessed to her on his deathbed, throwing her life into utter turmoil. And Agnus, well hello! NOT what one would expect! There were few who came close to what I was expecting, they ALL surpassed my expectations and delighted me no end! I loved Max, the sweetest, most adorable, loving, considerate, protective....ok, you get me, but his love for Snow shone throughout! As for Snow, again, not as a princess, loved and cherished, until her father's demise, nope, SHE was a servant in the castle. When everything crashes around her, well duh, finding out who your father is, finding out you have the weight of the kingdom on your shoulders, yes, that has potential to undo anyone! But she's strong, she's a real soft tough cookie, as you'll discover when you read this book. Then the dwalves... oh boy were they awesome! Bickering, good-hearted yet resolute in helping Snow. Runa and Grim gave me more than a fair amount of giggles, absolutely delightful! Oh, let's not forget Reinhard! He was hidden under so many layers of intrigue that I was, well, utterly intrigued!
So, here we have a fairytale we all know, except shaken and stirred, the ingredients include magic, amulets, gifted talents and a ball of intrigue that just grows and grows. Magnificent! I loved this spin, I loved the flair the author used to create a wonderful retelling. Ms Dawson sure knew how to spin this, throwing Fae into the mix, expertly I must add, to really capture my attention at the onset. By the time I got to the final few chapters, and the HUGE shocking revelation, I think I was drooling from my mouth involuntary hanging open! And WHAT AN ENDING! OMG! What an ending....
November 10, 2023
An adorable Snow White retelling with all the fun tropes! Max is training to be the royal huntsman, a respected position that has been in his family for generations. He has plenty of invitations and offers and friendships, but prefers bantering with the intriguing Snow White. She is an orphaned, unremarkable palace servant, but her ability to sense moods at a glance has her wary of ruining their unlikely friendship. Besides, as soon as she can scape enough coins, she is going to journey and find what happened to her mother. But when the king winds up dead, they are thrown apart. Between Snow’s bloodline and her fae-gifted ability, she is a threat to the queen’s rule. As Max finds himself juggling, plotting traitors, lies, and an unstable queen, he finds that he must choose between his family and Snow, who he has grown to love. Can he save both?
This was a lot of fun to read! I love friends-to-more, I love the fairytale-inspiration, and the excitement of this story! Snow was struggling with her ability and bloodline. It weighed on her and she definitely felt the responsibilities. She sincerely gave all of herself into her work and training. Yet she was also trying to protect herself. I loved watching her come into herself and how she learned to grow with Max. I loved their friendship and the growth of it! He was a sweetheart! Even though he had a lot of responsibilities, he really tried to take care of people. He adored Snow and I loved the ‘he falls first’. They had so many memories and trust built up from them. I think it made their relationship even deeper and more meaningful.
The story was full of political intrigue and twists. The fairytale inspiration was clear in the story, but there were still enough surprises to make it exciting. I enjoyed the magical world that was established in this book! It was so cool to see the elves and how magic fit into that world. I found the dwarves a lot of fun too! Overall, this was an intriguing and magical retelling with an adorable friends-to-more romance! It has fantasy violence and only kissing.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author. All views expressed are only my honest opinion, I was not required to write a positive review.
This was a lot of fun to read! I love friends-to-more, I love the fairytale-inspiration, and the excitement of this story! Snow was struggling with her ability and bloodline. It weighed on her and she definitely felt the responsibilities. She sincerely gave all of herself into her work and training. Yet she was also trying to protect herself. I loved watching her come into herself and how she learned to grow with Max. I loved their friendship and the growth of it! He was a sweetheart! Even though he had a lot of responsibilities, he really tried to take care of people. He adored Snow and I loved the ‘he falls first’. They had so many memories and trust built up from them. I think it made their relationship even deeper and more meaningful.
The story was full of political intrigue and twists. The fairytale inspiration was clear in the story, but there were still enough surprises to make it exciting. I enjoyed the magical world that was established in this book! It was so cool to see the elves and how magic fit into that world. I found the dwarves a lot of fun too! Overall, this was an intriguing and magical retelling with an adorable friends-to-more romance! It has fantasy violence and only kissing.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author. All views expressed are only my honest opinion, I was not required to write a positive review.
October 28, 2023
She’s the illegitimate daughter of the king. He’s the son of the huntsman sent to kill her. What could possibly go wrong?
Max has been best friends with Snow since they were children, but ever since she found out her father was the king, she’s been keeping secrets from him. With the kingdom on its way to ruin under the control of the queen, can he put his feelings aside for the good of the people?
Snow has always felt too much — her own emotions and those around her. So she’s built a wall to protect herself. But when she finally lets Max in, she’s confused by what she feels. Can she trust him enough to do the right thing?
“True queens cannot rebuild kingdoms on the bones of their friends.”
I wish I loved this story more, but I just didn’t. It was too slow to start, and Snow was just pulled along with things happening to her. And this story is part of “Once Upon a Prince” yet the male lead didn’t really have a character arc at all. We were also supposed to be sympathetic to the king, but he had nine children by numerous women, none of which he married, and other things that just made me dislike him a lot.
The dwarves and the caves were my favorite part. The underground world was delightful, and I loved the banter between the dwarves. The twist toward the end was predictable but good.
If you liked Disney’s Mirror, Mirror by Jen Calonita, then you’ll enjoy this book.
3.5 Roses (Rounded up to 4)
A couple kisses. But several mentions of the king fathering multiple children by his mistresses.
A few minor injuries
Some in-world swearing. A magic system that had a bit of an occult feeling to it.
(Thank you to the author for the ARC of this book. This is my honest review.)
Max has been best friends with Snow since they were children, but ever since she found out her father was the king, she’s been keeping secrets from him. With the kingdom on its way to ruin under the control of the queen, can he put his feelings aside for the good of the people?
Snow has always felt too much — her own emotions and those around her. So she’s built a wall to protect herself. But when she finally lets Max in, she’s confused by what she feels. Can she trust him enough to do the right thing?
“True queens cannot rebuild kingdoms on the bones of their friends.”
I wish I loved this story more, but I just didn’t. It was too slow to start, and Snow was just pulled along with things happening to her. And this story is part of “Once Upon a Prince” yet the male lead didn’t really have a character arc at all. We were also supposed to be sympathetic to the king, but he had nine children by numerous women, none of which he married, and other things that just made me dislike him a lot.
The dwarves and the caves were my favorite part. The underground world was delightful, and I loved the banter between the dwarves. The twist toward the end was predictable but good.
If you liked Disney’s Mirror, Mirror by Jen Calonita, then you’ll enjoy this book.
3.5 Roses (Rounded up to 4)
A couple kisses. But several mentions of the king fathering multiple children by his mistresses.
A few minor injuries
Some in-world swearing. A magic system that had a bit of an occult feeling to it.
(Thank you to the author for the ARC of this book. This is my honest review.)
November 5, 2023
Snow White retellings aren't my favorite. But there have been several fantastic retellings published over the past year. This is one of them.
Snow is one of the king's many children, born to many different mothers and none to the queen. It's rather hard to withhold judgment from the king for being at best a fool and, at worst, a terrible husband. Even if this is culturally acceptable, it's ick. But all personal judgments aside, let's call this background to the story. After Snow's mother is killed by a horrific creature, she is relocated near the palace, where she grows up as a servant and becomes best friends with the son of the king's huntsman.
Shortly before his death, the king reveals their relationship and names her his heir. In secret. Because we all know not to trust the evil queen and the king's other children have begun to disappear. Which is where the story starts to get super fun. There is strange magic in this story. And fae--both good and evil. And then there are dwarves.
These are not Disney's dwarves. These are witty and silly and wise and magic and all kinds of wonderful. Disney wishes they wrote these dwarves! They make the story when they welcome Snow into her home (teaching her mining and economics, no less).
The love story was also very sweet. Friends to lovers is one of my favorite tropes. Although they were both a bit overly self-sacrificing at times. But that is very Snow White-esque after all.
I received an ARC from the Once Upon a Prince review team and reviewed it willingly because it was lovely...well, except for the king. But even the queen was an amazing character, and that is hard to pull off.
Snow is one of the king's many children, born to many different mothers and none to the queen. It's rather hard to withhold judgment from the king for being at best a fool and, at worst, a terrible husband. Even if this is culturally acceptable, it's ick. But all personal judgments aside, let's call this background to the story. After Snow's mother is killed by a horrific creature, she is relocated near the palace, where she grows up as a servant and becomes best friends with the son of the king's huntsman.
Shortly before his death, the king reveals their relationship and names her his heir. In secret. Because we all know not to trust the evil queen and the king's other children have begun to disappear. Which is where the story starts to get super fun. There is strange magic in this story. And fae--both good and evil. And then there are dwarves.
These are not Disney's dwarves. These are witty and silly and wise and magic and all kinds of wonderful. Disney wishes they wrote these dwarves! They make the story when they welcome Snow into her home (teaching her mining and economics, no less).
The love story was also very sweet. Friends to lovers is one of my favorite tropes. Although they were both a bit overly self-sacrificing at times. But that is very Snow White-esque after all.
I received an ARC from the Once Upon a Prince review team and reviewed it willingly because it was lovely...well, except for the king. But even the queen was an amazing character, and that is hard to pull off.
Read
November 3, 2023The Poisoned Prince: A Snow White Retelling
By Kristin J Dawson
Pub Date Nov.3 2023
If you enjoy...
◇Royal Story
◇Friendships
◇Sweet Romance
◇Friends to more
◇Fairytale Retellings
◇Snow White with a twist
I recommend looking into this one. I have read Snow White Retellings before, but like this one. Really enjoyed the changes and twists to this classic tale.
Thanks to the author for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts, reviews, and posts are all my personal opinions. ♡
Book Synopsis:
"A royal huntsman. An illegitimate daughter. And one heart — delivered on a silver platter.
Max is training to become the royal huntsman, a respected position his lineage has held for generations. Between his mother's noble family and his father's prominent appointment, he has no end of invitations and offers of friendship. But, he much prefers bantering with the intriguing Snow White every morning in the kitchens.
Orphaned Snow is an unremarkable palace servant of questionable origins. With the ability to sense moods at a single glance, Snow won't risk feeling Max's emotions and ruining their unlikely friendship. Besides, as soon as she scrapes together enough coin, she must journey to find out what happened to her mother.
When the king winds up dead, the best friends are thrown apart. Between Snow's bloodline and her fae-gifted ability, she tip-toes on a blade's edge. The kingdom devolves into chaos under the queen's rule—and Snow is a threat to be eliminated.
The longer Max juggles the plotting traitors, lies, and unstable queen, the more he realizes he must choose between his family and Snow, the woman he's grown to love. And it’s painfully clear that he can't save both.
The key to saving the kingdom may lie in Snow’s unraveling of her past, but her heart lies in the hands of the queen’s huntsman.
The Poisoned Prince is a best friends to forbidden romance retelling of Snow White and is book 6 of Once Upon A Prince, a multi-author series of clean fairy tale retellings. Each standalone story features a swoony prince fighting for his happily ever after."
By Kristin J Dawson
Pub Date Nov.3 2023
If you enjoy...
◇Royal Story
◇Friendships
◇Sweet Romance
◇Friends to more
◇Fairytale Retellings
◇Snow White with a twist
I recommend looking into this one. I have read Snow White Retellings before, but like this one. Really enjoyed the changes and twists to this classic tale.
Thanks to the author for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts, reviews, and posts are all my personal opinions. ♡
Book Synopsis:
"A royal huntsman. An illegitimate daughter. And one heart — delivered on a silver platter.
Max is training to become the royal huntsman, a respected position his lineage has held for generations. Between his mother's noble family and his father's prominent appointment, he has no end of invitations and offers of friendship. But, he much prefers bantering with the intriguing Snow White every morning in the kitchens.
Orphaned Snow is an unremarkable palace servant of questionable origins. With the ability to sense moods at a single glance, Snow won't risk feeling Max's emotions and ruining their unlikely friendship. Besides, as soon as she scrapes together enough coin, she must journey to find out what happened to her mother.
When the king winds up dead, the best friends are thrown apart. Between Snow's bloodline and her fae-gifted ability, she tip-toes on a blade's edge. The kingdom devolves into chaos under the queen's rule—and Snow is a threat to be eliminated.
The longer Max juggles the plotting traitors, lies, and unstable queen, the more he realizes he must choose between his family and Snow, the woman he's grown to love. And it’s painfully clear that he can't save both.
The key to saving the kingdom may lie in Snow’s unraveling of her past, but her heart lies in the hands of the queen’s huntsman.
The Poisoned Prince is a best friends to forbidden romance retelling of Snow White and is book 6 of Once Upon A Prince, a multi-author series of clean fairy tale retellings. Each standalone story features a swoony prince fighting for his happily ever after."
October 23, 2023
An enjoyable Snow White retelling where Snow is an empath - loved it!
What if Snow was the illegitimate child of a peasant woman? What if it was the King who was given the apple? What if there were 2 huntsmen? What if Snow, instead of tending house, mined gems with the dwarves?
I loved this Snow White retelling where witches were made by breaking fae bonds. Slight Charlize Theron vibes for the main villain and Once Upon a Time series vibes for the whole book. The elements of the original tale were there, except the number of dwarves & how the HEA came about & a few extra characters. The dwarves absolutey stole the show for me as did the young huntsman Max. Loved how empathy was turned into a fae gift and how Snow learnt to use it. After all the breadcrumbs, I absolutely loved the twist in the end. A very enjoyable retelling, a veritable emotional rollercoaster of a ride (will-they-won’t-they), a marvellous world, and lovely characters. Will keep an eye out for this author in the future.
Recommended for lovers of retold fairytales, especially Snow White and for lovers of clean&sweet (but slightly darkish) YA coming of age stories where the FMC learns to handle her magic & MMC learns when to go after his dreams.
What if Snow was the illegitimate child of a peasant woman? What if it was the King who was given the apple? What if there were 2 huntsmen? What if Snow, instead of tending house, mined gems with the dwarves?
I loved this Snow White retelling where witches were made by breaking fae bonds. Slight Charlize Theron vibes for the main villain and Once Upon a Time series vibes for the whole book. The elements of the original tale were there, except the number of dwarves & how the HEA came about & a few extra characters. The dwarves absolutey stole the show for me as did the young huntsman Max. Loved how empathy was turned into a fae gift and how Snow learnt to use it. After all the breadcrumbs, I absolutely loved the twist in the end. A very enjoyable retelling, a veritable emotional rollercoaster of a ride (will-they-won’t-they), a marvellous world, and lovely characters. Will keep an eye out for this author in the future.
Recommended for lovers of retold fairytales, especially Snow White and for lovers of clean&sweet (but slightly darkish) YA coming of age stories where the FMC learns to handle her magic & MMC learns when to go after his dreams.
January 22, 2024
This is a Snow White retelling. In this book, Snow is a servant in the castle of the King and her best friend is Max, the Huntsman's son. After the king falls ill and bedridden, he decides to tell Snow that the is her father. And as if that is not enough, she finds out she is the secret heir to the throne. But once the King dies, Snow must run for her life. Someone is going after all the King's illegitimate children and removing them from the picture. The Queen has asked the Huntsman for her heart and liver. So she goes into hiding in a cave with the dwarves until she turns 19 and can prove that she is the rightful heir to the throne.
This book is a back and forth between Max and Snow White's perspectives. You get a real sense of what goes on in each of their heads. This is a friends to lovers story, but there are bumps along the road to happiness. They are both stubborn and do not want to tell each other their true feelings.
The Wicked Queen story is a real crazy ride as well. Not only is she evil, she is mad as well. But the twist at the end of this was a real punch to the gut! I couldn't believe my eyes! But the story did get its HEA and I thoroughly enjoyed this book!
This book is a back and forth between Max and Snow White's perspectives. You get a real sense of what goes on in each of their heads. This is a friends to lovers story, but there are bumps along the road to happiness. They are both stubborn and do not want to tell each other their true feelings.
The Wicked Queen story is a real crazy ride as well. Not only is she evil, she is mad as well. But the twist at the end of this was a real punch to the gut! I couldn't believe my eyes! But the story did get its HEA and I thoroughly enjoyed this book!
November 3, 2023
The Poisoned Prince by Kristin J. Dawson follows Snow White after she discovers that she is the king’s daughter. Before he dies, the king gives Snow a ring that will appear to everyone on her 19th birthday and tells her she will rule the kingdom. However, Max, the royal huntsman, knows that the queen will not hand over the kingdom so willingly. The two must navigate politics all while trying to keep Snow safe. But everything turns out to be much more complicated than they ever could have anticipated.
As a whole, I really enjoyed this novel, especially toward the end when everything really starts to come together. Dawson did a great job of playing into the original fairy tale while also keeping readers on their toes by adding her own twists to the story. The ending was a whirlwind in the best way possible.
There were a couple things that I didn’t love, but they didn’t take away much from the story. For instance, the romance didn’t play a huge part in the story until halfway through, and even then it kind of took a backseat to the political turmoil the kingdom was in. Similarly, the title of the novel didn’t necessarily fit the story in my opinion. The novel read more like Snow’s story than Max’s. However, I can see how the title fits with the series as a whole.
That being said, I thoroughly enjoyed everything else! Perhaps my favorite element was the way Dawson tied emotion into the story. Instead of having 7 emotionally named dwarves, Snow has the ability to read emotions. I thought this was a particularly genius way of approaching the dwarves because it allowed them to have more complex personalities than if they had been tied to one emotion. And, Snow’s abilities made it clear why she would be a good leader for her kingdom.
Finally, the characters in the story really made it come to life. As I said before, the dwarves were detailed characters, and they were also a lot of fun. Max’s character was a nice foil to Snow’s. I appreciated the way their emotions played off of one another and how Snow’s powers affected that. There were also many endearing supporting characters, including the king, Princess Elisabeth, Judge Helene, and even the queen.
Overall, this is yet another solid installation in the Once Upon a Prince series!
I received an ARC of this book, and I'm leaving this review voluntarily.
As a whole, I really enjoyed this novel, especially toward the end when everything really starts to come together. Dawson did a great job of playing into the original fairy tale while also keeping readers on their toes by adding her own twists to the story. The ending was a whirlwind in the best way possible.
There were a couple things that I didn’t love, but they didn’t take away much from the story. For instance, the romance didn’t play a huge part in the story until halfway through, and even then it kind of took a backseat to the political turmoil the kingdom was in. Similarly, the title of the novel didn’t necessarily fit the story in my opinion. The novel read more like Snow’s story than Max’s. However, I can see how the title fits with the series as a whole.
That being said, I thoroughly enjoyed everything else! Perhaps my favorite element was the way Dawson tied emotion into the story. Instead of having 7 emotionally named dwarves, Snow has the ability to read emotions. I thought this was a particularly genius way of approaching the dwarves because it allowed them to have more complex personalities than if they had been tied to one emotion. And, Snow’s abilities made it clear why she would be a good leader for her kingdom.
Finally, the characters in the story really made it come to life. As I said before, the dwarves were detailed characters, and they were also a lot of fun. Max’s character was a nice foil to Snow’s. I appreciated the way their emotions played off of one another and how Snow’s powers affected that. There were also many endearing supporting characters, including the king, Princess Elisabeth, Judge Helene, and even the queen.
Overall, this is yet another solid installation in the Once Upon a Prince series!
I received an ARC of this book, and I'm leaving this review voluntarily.
November 3, 2023
I received this book as an ARC.
Snow White is not one of my favorite fairytales, or really anywhere towards the top. But I appreciate this version because while the big details were all still the same the plot felt fresh and different. I have never read anything else by this author bt I'm intrigued and plan on picking up some of her other books on KU.
Snow is a new servant in the kings household and her best friend is Max, whose father saved her from being homeless as a young girl have a animal attack that took her mother's life. But soon we find out the attack wasn't random and Max's father was ordered to save Snow because of course she is the fairytale princess. I don't want to give to much away but I appreciated the twists and turns off this plot. I give it 4 stars only because the friends to lovers didn't progress for me and that might be because there were very few scenes with Max and Snow together. It just felt slightly forced.
Book was told from both Snow and Max's POV. Overall it was an easy and quick read. Can't wait to see the next book in the series.
Snow White is not one of my favorite fairytales, or really anywhere towards the top. But I appreciate this version because while the big details were all still the same the plot felt fresh and different. I have never read anything else by this author bt I'm intrigued and plan on picking up some of her other books on KU.
Snow is a new servant in the kings household and her best friend is Max, whose father saved her from being homeless as a young girl have a animal attack that took her mother's life. But soon we find out the attack wasn't random and Max's father was ordered to save Snow because of course she is the fairytale princess. I don't want to give to much away but I appreciated the twists and turns off this plot. I give it 4 stars only because the friends to lovers didn't progress for me and that might be because there were very few scenes with Max and Snow together. It just felt slightly forced.
Book was told from both Snow and Max's POV. Overall it was an easy and quick read. Can't wait to see the next book in the series.
November 4, 2023
While this retelling of Snow White had a bit of a slow start, I ended up appreciating the time spent depicting the relationship between Snow and the Huntsman. Their easy friendship and banter were endearing and helped highlight the budding romance that was well worth fighting for as the plot took them separate ways. I enjoyed the political intrigue and light suspense that kept me on my toes throughout the story.
It took a few chapters to get used to some of the bigger time gaps (I sometimes missed when the seasons changed as indicated by the chapter headings), but I like how the story progressed over a longer time period and helped build the rising tension in the kingdom as things began to fall apart. I loved the ending and how some of the subtle details became more clear in the conclusion. The dwarves were a lot of fun, and this was definitely a story worth checking out!
I received an advanced reader copy of the book.
It took a few chapters to get used to some of the bigger time gaps (I sometimes missed when the seasons changed as indicated by the chapter headings), but I like how the story progressed over a longer time period and helped build the rising tension in the kingdom as things began to fall apart. I loved the ending and how some of the subtle details became more clear in the conclusion. The dwarves were a lot of fun, and this was definitely a story worth checking out!
I received an advanced reader copy of the book.
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