Before the Emerald Crown

The Before Fairy Tale Series #5

by Michelle Deerwester-Dalrymple

In a time nearly ancient, before a brave Scottish princess defied her mother, a young woman has lost everything.
Except for her unexplainable talent for magic.

Now Magda's being hunted, and in her attempt to survive, loneliness and desperation take control.
Until she meets someone who offers her a chance at happiness, at normalcy, at the fullness of life. Then she discovers something wrong, so shockingly wrong with this hopeful future, and she must make a harrowing decision to ensure her survival.
And she will have to draw on all her magic to do it.

Actions have repercussions -- Magda knows this better than anyone else -- and with her magic, she will ensure everyone else learns that lesson as well.

Something different by Michelle Deerwester-Dalrymple. Meet the villains in your favorite fairy tales! A romantic fantasy fairy tale retelling series full of love, a little magic, a strong sense of history, and powerful characters that we fall in love with, only to hate later on. Not steamy or with HEA endings and not cliffhangers, this standalone book series paints the fairy tale characters in a new light! (updated cover)

The Before . . .
Before the Glass Slipper
Before the Magic Mirror
Before the Cursed Beast
Before the Mermaid's Tale
Before the Emerald Crown
Before the Red Cloak -- coming soon

Genres: Fantasy

265 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 28, 2024

About the author

I'd love to give you some free ebooks! Sign up here for my newsletter and receive three ebooks right away, and then newsletters with new releases, discounted, and free books!
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Michelle is an author, college writing professor, mother, and wife living on the west coast. Follow her socials here: https://linktr.ee/mddalrympleauthor

This author also writes as M.D. Dalrymple
and Strawberry Chase

Reviews

[ren ౨ৎ (rozanov's version) · Rating 5 out of 5]

⁀➷ 4.5 ★ ´ˎ˗

▶︎ •၊၊||၊|။||||။ ၊|• 4:17
now playing: fate and destiny - patrick doyle

“my world was full of magic i did not understand.”

i was beyond excited when i got the opportunity to read this book. i’ve always been a big fan of re-telling of fairy tales and the story of brave is one that i have always adored. this absolutely delivered everything i could’ve asked for in a backstory.

in this story, we get a glimpse into the backstory of the witch and ‘villain’ long before she crosses paths with merida. the story woven is one of whimsical magic and tragedy. we get to follow magda as she struggles with her abilities and the trials and tribulations that life throws her way. along the journey, she struggles with grief and tries to become comfortable with herself in several different aspects. from understanding her ‘charms’ to realizing that she wants a life similar to one led by an old woman she meets in the woods named geneen — one where she is alone yet content with her cozy isolated existence. but, loneliness is something that looms over her and becomes another battle for her.

overall, i felt the pacing of the story was a little bit slow at first but once it picked up i was completely hooked. i adored magda as a character and getting to see how life continued to change her felt like a borderline heartbreaking ride.

i was absolutely in love with the romance between grant and magda and was left longing for more of their story.

this story also made me extremely eager to check out michelle deerwester-dalrymple’s other works within the before fairy tale series. i’m super curious and excited to see her take on the other fairytale villains due to how well her writing flowed and the magical world she was able to effortlessly paint.

thank you to netgalley, sword and thistle LLC, and michelle deerwester-dalrymple for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

[Aaliyah · Rating 4 out of 5]

At first it was difficult to understand the Scottish language but once you got used to it, it was amazing. This is a very quick read and I enjoyed it a lot. Magda was an amazing character and I instantly wanted to protect her from the world. There is romance but I enjoy how plot overtook it. Very well written also. Magda went from some innocent girl who just cared for her family and animals but throughout the hardships she grew a lot.

[Cassandre Thornbro · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once you get accustomed to the Scottish language used, this is a quick read that gives insight on why the villain of “Brave” does the things she does. Loss of family, loss of trust and loss of love. All actions have consequences is the only truth Magda can cling to.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Audrey Finchum · Rating 4 out of 5]

In a time nearly ancient, before a brave Scottish princess defied her mother, a young woman has lost everything.
Except for her unexplainable talent for magic.
A coming of age fairytale retelling. I love Magda. She is so endearing. A human with a touch of fae. Read along as she finds herself, and all the power she possesses. What happens when she doesn't get what she feels she deserves? Witness the birth of a villian.

[Rainelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story has a moderate pace to it. You will find parts the book to be exciting and interesting. I loved the sisterly bond between Effie and Magda. The story is a sweet one based around a family who is trying to survive on the Highlands. Not only are they trying to make a life and maintain their farm on the highlands, but they have to dodge the political aspects between other clan families. The book is a good read.

[Anne Bollmann (Annelise Lestrange) · Rating 4 out of 5]

*~.I have received an ARC of this book in exchange of my honest review.~*

Before the Emerald Crown is a fairy tale retelling, imagining the past of the witch of Brave, the Disney animation. While we never learn her name through the movie,
Michelle Deerwester-Dalrymple presents us to sweet Magda.

Magda was born with a special touch among her people in the Highlands. She can feel and understand animals and nature. Her family was loving and united, living a modest life.

When tragedy strikes and Magda is left alone in the world, she must face her powers and choose between love for Grant, the man of her dreams, or honour for her family and people.

I must say I was so not ready for this! The story is slow-paced and Madga grows a lot through her journey. Mastering her powers come with a price and she pays it every time. Also, the way it was written, as if we were hearing it from a Scotch?! So cool!

I loved how the author portrays the importance of keeping promises and trusting others, how loneliness can darken even the brightest soul. As Magda and Grant's relationship developped, my pulse quickened to see how things would turn out.

The end was the best I could hope for and I was a bit sad to see this adventure was over.

For the thing that bothered me: in the beginning of the book, Magda is said to be 17, but she acts like a 13-14 year old during the first half of the book. I took several deep breathes to push through this part of the story.


My point is: if you love Fairy Tale Retellings, Romantasy, witches on the wood, and a good plot twist, you have to pick this book!


Thank you so much once again to author Michelle Deerwester-Dalrymple and Booksprout for my review copy!

[Rose Seals · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very well written, full of magic, family loss, intrigue, hope, drama, love and terrible luck. Able to read and stay following a fairy tale retelling. Has a great storyline/plot. With all the characters strong, well defined and spell binding. Included a Scottish Highlands with lots of history within. Magda is the heroine of this story that has some ups and downs that have to be worked out. This author has put a lot of herself into this story. Would encourage all to read this book.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Alissa Gupta · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had a hard time getting into this book. For me, it was a no but I think I wasn't the right audience for this book. I had a really hard time getting into the book. I don't think it was a bad storyline but it never really hooked me in. I was just reading to read and to be honest, I don't even know what exactly happened. It just didn't have the wow factor I was looking for.
Thank you, NetGalley for allowing me to review this book. Thank you, Michelle Deerwester-Dalrymple for taking the time to write your books. I just think I wasn't the right audience for it, especially after seeing reviews of people who did like the book.

[Aaliyah · Rating 4 out of 5]

At first it was difficult to understand the Scottish language but once you got used to it, it was amazing. This is a very quick read and I enjoyed it a lot. Magda was an amazing character and I instantly wanted to protect her from the world. There is romance but I enjoy how plot overtook it. Very well written also. Magda went from some innocent girl who just cared for her family and animals but throughout the hardships she grew a lot.

[Amy Chapman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book I have read by this author and it will not be the last. I wasn't sure what to expect going in but definitely worth the read.

[Jordyn Shadden · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐⭐⭐⭐.25/5

Not what I expected it to be, but I loved it nonetheless. As a Disney lover I really enjoyed this as it is a "before" villain's backstory series. Surprisingly I had never seen the movie Brave and all I knew about it was that the girl's mom was turned into a bear.

I loved having the setting of the story being in the Highlands of Scotland, the world building was beautiful and simple.

The only reason this didn't get five stars is because I had to keep looking up what things meant, as this was written pretty authentically with slang and words I did not understand.

The story follows Magda, a young girl from the Maccubbin clan who always thought she was different. She has what she calls "charms", she thinks she can talk to her farm animals or bring some of her thoughts to fruition. Her mother was always worried and this is something that troubled her, she tried to do everything that her mother had asked of her and her younger sister, Effie.

Many nights Magda lays awake and hears her parents whispering of the rumors around Magda, fae, druids, one of the rival clans (the Galbraiths). She never understood why rumors surrounded her.

When her father sends her into the forest to check on "the old crone" from a neighboring clan she thinks nothing of it. She meets Geneen, the old woman who lives alone in the woods, and brings her food and collects firewood to keep her warm for the impending winter. She stays the evening and feels a sort of familiarness and safeness with Geneen. The following morning, she starts her journey home.

When she arrives the house she once called home is nothing but ash and she sees the remains of her family. She heads to where they kept their animals and sees the same thing, until her favorite goat, Mathilda, comes out covered in ash. She nudges and brays, happy to see Magda. It's almost as if Mathilda is speaking words to Magda, but she brushes it off.

With nowhere to go, she takes to the road and comes across someone from the neighboring clan, the Maccarrons, and finds that she knows him. He tells her that the Galbraiths have killed all of the clans with the name Maccubbins. If she if found then she will be killed. She knows no one and has no family left. The only other place to go would be north to the Ferguson clan and ask for protection, Laird Ferguson had the Emerald Crown. Geneen is the only other person she could trust and hopes that she will take her in.

Geneen takes her with open arms. They lead a peaceful life together and Geneen notices Magda's "charms" and urges her to practice. She is having a friendly osprey bringing wood to the house every few days, Mathilda is learning more and more words.

One day, Geneen asks if Magda has ever tried her charms on anything else, like people? Magda has not and never thought anything of it. She didn't know it, but she would have to try it sooner than she intended. When another Maccarron comes to check on Geneen, Magda has to figure out how to make them forget that they ever saw her here. In a dream the ingredients come to her and she mixes it into the stew they had eaten the night before. Turns out the potion worked too well and the gentleman forgot where he even was and why he was at Geneen's in the first place.

This seems to have frightened Geneen and Magda thinks it best that she leaves and heads north to the Fergusons land. While travelling north she is trying to find a place to stay, somewhere for her and Mathilda to build a life. She reaches out her charms to see if any of the birds know of a place and they lead her to a small hut on the Fergusons land.

She fixes it up and makes a new home. She grows lonely though, having just Mathilda and a chicken as company. One day there is a knock on the door from a young girl, looking for a witch. She tells Magda that she needs a love potion and explains that there is someone in love with her that she does not love back and wants to have them fall in love with someone else. The ingredients and words come to Magda and she makes the girl the potion.

Later she is out looking for food and firewood when she is surprised by a handsome young man that she feels an undeniable pull to. He offers to walk her home and she declines, but says he can walk her some of the way. He tells her of his family. He says that he wants to see her again and can bring her more supplies to get her through the winter and that he would meet her again in 4 days. She agrees, feeling a pull and attraction that she doesn't understand.

She finds herself thinking of the man often and tries to distract herself in the following days. When the 4th day arrives she goes to the meeting place and he comes with a heavy sack. He again offers to walk her home, and since the sack is heavy, she lets him get a bit closer to her home. He says that his name is Grant Maccarron and tells more stories of his family along the way. Once they arrive she goes to leave and he grabs and kisses her. Says that he wants to spend more time with her. In the coming months they spend everyday together, meeting near her house. She is falling for him more and more everyday, but he still doesn't know who she truly is. She knows that she has to tell him, but she is afraid that he will leave her.

He tells her that he loves her and that he wants her to come and meet his family. She hesitantly agrees, saying that she will tell him the truth if all went well. The next day, Grant arrives with his horse and takes her south to his family's home. She was set to meet his parents, brother and cousin. Following dinner, all is going well, until his cousin finally arrives and introduces himself as Alpin Galbraith.

The last name lit a fire in Magda and she raced out of the home. She couldn't believe that the man that she loved was tied to a Galbraith, the clan responsible for her family's death and her life of solitude. Grant races after her and she tells him her name and what had happened. Grant tries to defend his cousin and says that they can keep her identity a secret and that they can still be together. This enrages her and she begins to scream at him. She then realizes that maybe he was part of the atrocity brought onto the Maccubbins and Grant falls silent. He helped in the massacre of her clan, not her family directly, but was still part of killing innocent people. She calls on the animals of the woods and they show behind her in case they are needed. She says she will let him go if he promises to forget her and never speak of her again. He agrees and walks back to his horse.

Magda returns home with a heavy sadness for the love that she just lost and from what she has found out, until a knock sounds on the door. Grant stands on the other side. Before she answers the door, she grabs the ingredients for the potion that she used previously for the man at Geneen's house, but this one is much stronger. Turns out, that he had followed her footprints and now knew where she lived. She took the potion and blew it into his face, causing him to inhale it. He then looks distraught and returns to his horse. Never to be seen again.

During the winter, Magda worked to hone in on her magic and learned to master it. Using it to make her house clean, sending animals for other tasks.

A loud knock sounded on the door. A man stood before her and asked for help. Magda asked what the man needed. He explained that he was one of the sons of Laird Ferguson and that Laird had fallen ill and did not have long to live. He went on further to say that he is not the strongest or the smartest of his brothers, but that he was clever. He asked her to make him stronger, smarter, and the king. In exchange, he would give her coin and make her his personal enchantress when he became king. This infuriates Magda. Magda obliges, but it isn't what the son bargained for. He thought he could come to her and just become the king. She made her potion and told him to leave her hut, take a deep breath, and to drink all of the contents she gave him.

He does as she says, but starts growing fur and changes shape. He had become a wolf. Magda said she gave him exactly what he asked for, wolves are of the smartest animals, clever and strong, he had potential to become the leader of a pack....if he could last that long.

Actions did have consequences, after all.

[Kata · Rating 5 out of 5]

“In a time nearly ancient, before a Brave Scottish princess defied her mother, a young woman has lost everything.

Except for her unexplainable talent for magic...”

YA fantasy
Fairytale retelling
Historical / medieval
Scottish
Animal companions
Romance
Magic
Betrayal

Before the Emerald Crown is a part of the Before Fairy Tale series, but can be read as a standalone.

The book is a retelling of the witch in the woods from Brave. I haven’t watched Brave and I don’t really know anything about the film or the characters but it didn’t really matter.

The book takes place in northern Scotland and the story follows 17 years old Magda who is a strong character with a interesting backstory. I liked the way she was introduced to a reader in the first pages of the book because it showed right away how she is as a character. Her decisions through the story seemed reasonable & realistic.

There’s is not a huge amount of action in the book, but it was a nice and easy read. The pacing was okay, a bit slow at times but not too slow.

The supporting characters were well developed and I really liked the animal companions. Magda’s magic / power was interesting.

I would have liked to learn where Magda’s story goes next. Als there were some questions that were left unanswered at least for me and maybe if the book had been a bit longer there would have been time for those answers.

But overall I liked the book.


I received an ARC of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review. Receiving ARC didn’t affect my opinion of the book.

[Ink · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love a good fairytale retelling with a twist, I adore and anti-hero. What if both of these were combined? Michelle Deerwester-Dalrymple has created a series based on not the goodies from fairytales, but the baddies and how utterly glorious it isl

The first in the series is "Before the Emerald Crown" and revolves around Magda (loooong before she meets Priincess Merida) and this is a reimagining of her origin story. Magda is destitute, she has nothing but her magic, and seemingly, terrible luck. However, this is a story of bitterness and self sacrifice with a smidgen of hope.

The writing has a great flow to it and it ducks and weaves gracefully through the plotlines. I really enjoyed Magda's characters development and that this book is not predictable

This book is a phenomenal beginning to what is likely to be a brilliant series and I alooking forward to reading more.

Thank you to Netgalley, Sword and Thistle LLC and Michelle Deerwester-Dalrymple for this fantastic ARC. My review is left voluntarily and all opinions are my own

[Kat · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a quick read. I loved Magda and her story. Some parts were sad, but in the end, she grew into someone who wasn't afraid anymore. She learned to control her magic and became stronger.

However, even after reading this story, I still don't think she's a villain. I mean, she doesn't give the potions to those who request them so she can gain something. And she does kind of let the person know there's consequences for their actions, like how she did with the man in the last chapter of this book. And she tells them how to fix things. Like in the movie Brave, the witch does leave a message for Merida telling her how she could change her mother back. If she were truly a villain, she would've left without saying a thing. She would've just changed Meridas mom into a bear and then not given a solution. But that's just what I think about it.

I really loved the plot of this book, though! It gives an interesting backstory for the witch from Brave. I'm really interested in reading the rest of the books from this series!

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a historical fantasy romance set in the Scottish Highlands, and I thought it was lovely.

Initially, there was a cosy quality about it that I liked. My first impression was that the protagonist, Magda, lived a sheltered but happy life. Later on, she did face some hardships, and while there were some moments that made me tearful, I appreciated the character development.

The characters came to life for me while I was reading, I enjoyed the Scottish setting, and while the romance element was definitely there, I didn't feel it dominated the story. I didn't realise that this is part of a series, and I would probably be interested in reading some of the others.

Thank you to Booksprout and the author for a free copy to review.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Louise · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story introduces Magda and her relationship with her immediate family, but soon a tragic incident takes Magda's family's lives and Magda runs with Mathilda to hide from the Galbraiths. She finds a friend in Geneen and learns how to use her magic. During her time with Geneen, there are plenty of visitors that come and go and Magda falls for Grant. As truths are revealed, Magda learns that people need to know that actions have consequences and Magda's character arc begins. This is a young read with inspiration from Brave, revolving more around Magda's thoughts and fears than on the magic she possesses.


I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Alissa Gupta · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had a hard time getting into this book. For me, it was a no but I think I wasn't the right audience for this book. I had a really hard time getting into the book. I don't think it was a bad storyline but it never really hooked me in. I was just reading to read and to be honest, I don't even know what exactly happened. It just didn't have the wow factor I was looking for.
Thank you, NetGalley for allowing me to review this book. Thank you, Michelle Deerwester-Dalrymple for taking the time to write your books. I just think I wasn't the right audience for it, especially after seeing reviews of people who did like the book.

[MarryAnn · Rating 2 out of 5]

I feel like this book was not for me. I expected more magic, more royals, more drama and intrigue. But we get lots of sottish slang, which is not bad, but didn't give what I expected, a confused young girl (but at some point it is said that girls her age are married, so she can't be as young as she seems), a goat and a supposedly a rival family that hunts her, but apart from the fact that she lives in a more secluded area, I didn't get the feeling that she's actually in danger.
All in all, the book is not bad, but the description was misleading and that's really upsetting, because, as I said, this book is not my type.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy in exchange for my honest review

[Brandie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story, set in Ireland and involving a young girl named Magda, had me riveted. At seventeen Magda has already developed “tingling charms” that help her grow things and connect with animals. She has to keep her talent hidden because her family are simple farming folks who don’t like to make waves. Watching all that Magda goes through is hard. But she finds a way to survive and even grow her tingling talents. How does trauma shape her into the person she becomes? Read it NOW and find out, just as she did, that there are some things people need more than charms and magic. “People needed to learn their actions had consequences.”

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

I'm not much of a Disney person, and I didn't care much about Brave but I really loved Magda's story in this novel.
How this ordinary, kind girl became a powerful, clever witch and lived protecting herself against the men who killed her clan. She's made so many sacrifices out of the kindness of her heart.
The story is fast-paced and wonderfully described. I would recommend this novel to Disney fans, and Grishaverse fans.

[Kristen Tougas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and publisher for providing me with a free ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. I had a lot of fun reading this book! It is a fast-paced and interesting standalone retelling of Disney's Brave, with strong themes of family bonds, found family, and betrayal. It was a short and easy read (there is some Scottish jargon used, so it might take you a little bit to get used to that if you are not already), but I was still able to become fully invested in Magda's story. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys fairytale retellings!

[Kristens_korner · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick short story with an interesting concept. I like the idea of the behind the scenes of the fairytale. However, it failed to really keep my attention and lacked the needed depth of characters for me to truly enjoy it. Some of the wording made it a bit challenging and not because of the different language but the flow felt off. It wasn't my least favorite book, but it also wasn't enough to keep me engaged in pursuing other works by the author.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Kat M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Michelle Deerwester-Dalrymple does another great story from the Before Fairy Tale series, it has what I was looking for from the fairy tale retelling concept. The characters were what I was looking for and worked with the original story. It had the elements that I was hoping for and thought it worked overall in this fairy tale world. It left me wanting to read more in this series and from Michelle Deerwester-Dalrymple.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Gina Stamper · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fantastic book. Had me totally immersed in the world Michelle Deerwester-Dalrymple created. She continues to build her world and characters in this book. Later books in series can often times feel repetitive but I love how she kept things fresh.
My favorite part of this book though was the characters. The author allowed them to be flawed and they really shined, both the good and the bad.
I really enjoyed this journey and I love the authors ability to transport the reader into her world using vivid imagery.
I love the magic and Magda is such a strong lead.

[Abigail · Rating 4 out of 5]

The beginning of this story is a bit slow as the author builds up the background information necessary to understand the rest of the story. It also takes some time to get used to the Scottish accent that the author wrote in, but once it gets going, all the pieces come together a little bit better and offer some interesting ideas about the world of Brave before the events of the movie.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[R.K. Emery · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the imagery in this story. I felt as if I was there.
This book was very vividly creative in the descriptions, superb writing, a great story with familiar characters!
There were moments where I was on the edge of my seat. The perfect amount of action, angst, and more all in in all-consuming package.
This series is phenomenal and the author has done a great job of bringing to life characters we love.

[C. Gonzales · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book will consume you, it’s wonderfully written and a great overall read and addition to the series.
I loved the attention to detail to the time and place. Getting the reader caught up but throwing them right into the action.
Great characterization yet again. You are invested with these characters again right from the start as well as consumed by the mystery and journey right along with them.
Beautiful romance that took a bit to get going but was all-consuming.

[Lelia Emery · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a quick read of a young witch growing into her power after tragedy. I enjoyed the Scottish setting and language as well as how Magda described her gifts. Love a “villain” origin story. Parts were a little slow at the beginning but I found myself rooting for Magda in her journey and hoping for more by the end.
Thanks to NetGalley and BookBuzz for the eARC!

[Kerith-Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would say the target audience is around 11-14 years old. When I first began reading, I thought that this would be more of an adult fantasy novel, and it is not. It is more of a kid's fable, and less of a fairy-tale retelling. There is most definitely a lesson to be learned by the reader. It's a nice short read that I imagine a kid would enjoy.

[Rhonda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful retelling of a familiar fairy tale from a different point of view. Interesting and complex characters to follow along as they leave through the twists and turns that are in the story. Entertaining read.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.