As the sole heir to her family’s fortune—and with her mother’s magical ability to turn spells into profit—Snow is worth more dead than alive. Despite having eliminated several huntsmen her mother has dispatched, she can't keep running. With her magic on the fritz, Snow only has her wits to rely on. But it's only a matter of time before a huntsman skilled enough catches up to finish the job.
When a tumultuous storm forces her to take sanctuary in a cabin at the edge of the forest, Snow finds herself in the middle of the infamous Arion Warrior Camp, leaving her to bargain with the brooding, arrogant captain—Huck that ignites a flame within her she didn’t see coming. But Huck’s sword is spoken for, and they may call in his bond any day.
As more huntsmen close in, Snow’s running out of time. She may lose her heart to the one person she’s trusted enough to hold it or her life to the woman who gave it to her.
Will Snow have what it takes to face her mother and conquer? Or will she do what her mother’s always dreamed of—fall?
Tara N Gabrys is a romantic fantasy author who gravitates toward retellings with a hint of spice. She is represented by Josi Beck at Beck Literary Agency.
If you love immersive stories, lyrical writing, and books that feel like dark fairytales, you’re in the right place.
She was born and raised in the suburbs of Chicago, Illinois, and graduated from Elmhurst University. She was raised with a passion for telling story through dance all the way into her adulthood. She has since found that telling story through writing is much like a dance of words.
She is most happy when surrounded by nature or near the sea. Her published works are UNDER A VIOLET MOON, THE FALL OF SNOW (Book 1 in the Guard Your Heart Duology, and THE SIREN AND THE GUARDIAN with more to come.
In her downtime, if she isn’t ravenously reading, she is spending time with her husband, children, and chocolate lab.
Abso-freakin-lutely phenomenal!!!!! This Snow White retelling had everything I was looking for and plots twists that I was not expecting. Snow being on the run, while her mother has huntsman after her, she finds herself stumbling into a cottage. A cottage of warriors!!!! This book has such a fun way to introduce who is Doc, Sleepy, Sneezy, Bashful, Dopey, Happy and Grumpy. Their personalities made me feel like I knew them myself and watching their found family dynamic is exquisite! This slow burn had some edging to make you wait which made it all the more fun. I am not excitedly anticipating Book 2's arrival. ✨️📚✨️
There’s something so special about a retelling that adds depth and nuance to the traditional story. Tara does just that with Snow. In less than 300 pages she manages to not only weave an intricate web of complexity into Snow as a character, but her entire story as a whole.
Snow is fierce, determined, and strategic. She does not back down from a fight, and I really loved that. From the beginning you are shown her resilience and you find yourself routing for her right away. Huck is deliciously mysterious, and their tension was perfect. The found family was done so well and I love how the original story material fed into that aspect. The magic was very interesting and unique without ever being confusing. Evangeline was a fantastic villain, with her jealousy and desire for power propelling her to kill the daughter she once eagerly welcomed. I loved having POVs for her, and I thought that doing them in third person was brilliant.
Truly such an overall amazing book! The timing of shorter stories can be difficult, but Tara handles it beautifully. It never felt rushed or difficult to follow, and every bit of it was important to the overarching story being told. Highly recommend not just for romantasy or fairytale retelling lovers, but for anyone who has a soft spot for beautiful found families and badass FMCs. I can’t imagine anyone not finding themselves lost in this story in the best way.
The Fall of Snow is everything I could ask for when looking for a good romance with plenty of spice AND a great story! The heroine, Snow, is not only strong and beautiful but full of depth. The love interest, Huck (swoons) is real and raw and everything 🫠 I found myself immediately drawn into this story. Knowing the Snow White origin story, I love that this book has its fairy tale roots while feeling completely different and new. The slow burn romance is perfect and sexy. The story itself is epic and captivating. Just when you think you know the story of Snow White, you don't.
To start with, thank you so much @tarangabrys for letting me ARC read your new book!
✨ This book is out on 15 October! ✨
Tara N. Gabrys really does write the most amazing books! Under a Violet Moon was stunning, so I didn't think it was possible for another book to be equally as good. But this was!
Snow is on the run. Her own mother wants to murder her and has sent huntsmen to do the job. Who can Snow trust? Where will she be safe? She finally finds a group of warriors who she can stay with, but for how long? And will she be safe here? Snow is in for one hell of a journey, with an array of conflicted emotions.
This book was beautiful. I was there. The author writes so beautifully descriptive, it's so vivid. I could see Snow. I could smell the coffee. I could feel the fear in her journey. I grew to love some of these characters, and they started to feel like my own friends.
There are fight scenes which send your heart racing and you absolutely do not want to look away. This is one of those books which I'll think about one day and wonder if it was a book or a movie I watched. It felt so real.
I loved that we got chapters of Snow's mother. A perfect villain story! She was dangerous and emotionless, but we did get to learn her motives and why she didn't like her daughter, so much so, she wanted her dead.
We also have some romance and you guys, you'll love it! Very steamy and very, "who touched you?" vibes! So many emotions and fear surrounding this love interest. I was on edge always!
The character development was brilliant. The story was beautiful. So well written and gripping. Tara is a fantasy queen and I cannot wait to read more of her work! Grab Under a Violet moon and then pre-order this one. You don't want to miss out. These books deserve to be seen!!
I love retellings and this book did not fail. I love Snow because she is a strong female and not some weak whiny MFC. This book was pleasantly not predictable. I love that it threw me through some loops. The only thing I would have loved more was to get to know the other characters/warriors more but I understand why it was not that way.
Tara has done it again! What an amazing read! I was hooked right from the beginning and was so invested in how the story was playing out. The enemies to lover slow burn was killer and damn Huck has haunted my dreams ever since! This grumpy x sunshine Snow White retelling played in my head like a movie, and the ending had me in pieces! I loved how Tara retold this story, it was unique and spicy all in one. This is a must read for everyone who loves fairytale retellings, I loved the chapter titles, the POV from our evil mother villain, and the unique magic was just the cherry on top!
This was a cute Snow White retelling! I liked the premise of a strong 'Snow White' character, one who is stubborn, strong and training to physically be able to fight! No damsel in distress here! Even before she was trained by the guards she was strong and cunning. I loved that about her character! Loved seeing the different caricatures of the seven dwarfs played out amongst the warriors, and the found family they had built. All in all this was a cute and fun fantasy read!
Reading The Fall of Snow is like settling into a soft blanket with a warm cup of tea - an enchanting, fast-paced, and heartfelt retelling of Snow White with a modern, spicy twist.
Tara's fresh take on Snow gives the beloved princess a badass makeover, showcasing her resourcefulness and courage while retaining the genuine warmth and kindness that defines her. This novel lovingly blends classic charm with a bold new perspective, making it a truly engaging and memorable read.
I’m obsessed with this retelling of Snow White’s story. I could not put it down once I picked it up. Tara did an amazing job with making Snow independent and resourceful and the warriors she stumbles upon unique, but recognizable. There is a slow burn romance with a MMC that I immediately had a crush on. I would absolutely recommend this book to anybody who is into romance, fantasy, justice, strong FMC, and a hot, but grumpy MMC.
Snow’s mom is evil. She kills whoever gets in her way, even if that is her own daughter. Snow is left with no other options than to run from home. Running into and killing every huntsman sent her way, a storm finally forces her to wind up in a cabin that is occupied by 7 warriors, one of which is a very grumpy captain. She bargains her way into staying and makes friends with everybody in the warrior cabin. Her mother uses her magic mirror to locate Snow and she sends additional huntsman after her. What will it take for Snow to be able to live in peace and is she willing to do what it takes?
I loved this book , I loved all the spicy scenes as well as how it took a different turn on Snow White , but with a happy but yearning for the next book ending!
Loved this retelling of Snow White! I was immediately drawn into the enemes to lovers (one of my fave tropes) and the world was very creative. I love that Snow had a unique gift of Fuzing - so cool - and very inventive. If you like a more adult version of Snow White this is for you! can't wait to read the second book!
I just finished The Fall of Snow by Tara N. Gabrys, and I am honestly still reeling. I went in expecting a simple Snow White retelling, but what I got was a story that completely captured my heart.
Snow’s resilience is so moving—seeing her transform from a girl running for her life into a fierce warrior at the Arion Camp felt so personal and earned. And Huck. My goodness. Their slow-burn, grumpy-meets-sunshine romance had me kicking my feet one minute and aching for them the next. Love the found family trope. The sneak peek at the end of the book has me wanting more! I’m counting down the days until I can get my hands on the sequel.
Tara’s retelling of the classic Snow White story is filled with charming takes on the story we all love, original ideas (especially the magic!), beautiful lines of description and a plot twist that dropped my jaw.
The ending felt a bit rushed to me and I had a hard time connecting to/believing some of the characters, but overall it’s a fun and inspiring retelling. Great job, Tara!
There’s been a lot of Snow White retellings done over the years but I loved how unique this one was!
In this story Snow is on the run from her mother and has already killed several huntsmen that have been sent after her. An injury and bad storm lead her to seek shelter in a cabin on the edge of the forest. This cabin is home to seven(!) warriors and she must make a deal with the grumpy captain to remain sheltered through the winter. But huntsmen are still being sent after Snow and she’s struggling to get control over her magic. Will Snow have what it takes to face her mother and survive, or will she end up losing her heart?
Pros:
The way apples were included in the story was so cool. Snow and her mother have the magical ability of fuzion which means they can imbue their orchards apples with magical properties. Anything from healing to hair loss and pain relief to poison. Snow’s mother uses these abilities to rise in the social hierarchy and be the most powerful person around, but once she realizes Snow has the promise of being even better with magic the training ends and Snow never fully learns how to use her power.
It made me sad that its Snow’s mother is the one after her and not a stepmother, but as someone with a toxic narcissistic mother I could relate a bit. Anyone’s fixation on power and being the top will always be their downfall.
TLDR: Great fairytale retelling with a strong heroine and amazing found family
A retelling of Snow White, Snow is a daughter born to a mother who resents that her daughter is more beautiful and more powerful than her with her inherited magic to fuze items with magical abilities like healing, changing appearances, etc.
Tara’s Snow is more kickass than the Snow White most of us grew up with and I really enjoyed reading her journey of survival and strength. I couldn’t put it down and it only took me 4 hours to read as I really wanted to find out what happens next.
This book! The emotions! The nickname! You will understand when you read this book which is an absolute MUST read!!!! The found family in this, the slow burn and twists! Perfection! You will not want to put this book down! Just an absolutely amazing twist of a Snow White Fairytale retelling. I can’t wait until I can step back into this world! - Grumpy 🔥 - Nicknames - Found Family - Secrets - Betrayal - Unique magic - Deep emotion - Mystery
All of the tropes that I needed in a romance/fairytale retelling were right here in The Fall of Snow. We had forced proximity, found family, a strong female lead, magic, spice, and even a little bit of enemies to lovers!
I say ‘a little bit’ of enemies to lovers, because I wouldn’t say Huck and Snow were ever fully enemies. It was more like they annoyed each other. But I think I liked it more this way, because Huck was just IT the whole time. He was never rude, dismissive, or unhelpful like we see in other enemies to lovers books. He was Team Snow the whole time and was almost immediately calling her “Snowflake”, which I LOVE because he was giving off major Flynn Rider vibes. I thought a lot of their romance resembled that of Flynn and Rapunzel from Tangled and I can’t begin to explain how perfect that is. Huck was the perfect balance of arrogant, smug, and sensitive and the banter between him and Snow had me laughing out loud at times.
There was more to this story besides Huck and Snow (even though they were obviously my favorite part). It was also really inspiring to watch Snow power through her mental barriers and become such a badass self confident character. One thing I was worried about before reading the book, was how the 7 dwarves were going to play in. Tara portrayed them perfectly, making them 7 warriors hellbent on protecting the ones they love. I appreciated that the warriors weren’t over the top depictions of their cartoon counterparts. As a huge Disney fan, it was clear to me which warrior was which dwarf, but they weren’t overdone by any means, and I even got some of them mixed up when they were first introduced. I loved that they were still their own characters with their own interesting backstories and quirks.
All in all, I’ve read my fair share of fairytale retellings, some of them great, and some of them not so great.
I can tell you here and now that The Fall of Snow was GREAT. A wonderful book that I just couldn’t put down.
I was lucky enough to read this story in its earliest form and what a joy it was to read it at its end product.
A fairytale re-telling of Snow White, this novel starts with Snow on the run. Having survived her mother's three attempts at her life, Snow now runs from her huntsmen who are paid handsomely to bring her heart to Evangeline, the Lady of the Orchard. Hiding away in a warrior camp, Snow plans to run at the first site of Spring; however, she soon befriends the warriors and learns it will not be so easy to leave them. Attempting to fuze her magic as her mother once taught and secretly living in the warrior camp hoping her mother does not learn of her location, Snow falls for a particularly fierce warrior.
This book is for you if you are looking for magic, found family, and devoted friendship.
This book is for those who love world building, a plot, a little bit of spice and to actually see a "enemies to lovers" romance bloom.
What I loved most was Snow's relationship with each character. They were each well thought out, deep and involved. Snow's relationship with Coy, I'm gonna go on a limb and say this was Bashful, was my ultimate favorite solely because I love seeing a deep friendship with meaning and it actually be with a man. Coy is the one that finds her first and they hit it off immediately. Snow has finally found safety, even if she still has to hide in a closet.
However, Huck finds her, let's not play, he's known she's been in there for a hot minute, but he wants her gone, out, too-da-loo buck-a-roo. Snow scrambles q1uick to find a reason to stay because she must. If she were to leave now, she'd freeze, she just needs till spring, then she can hop on a boat and hopefully sail off to safer places away from her crazy, murderous mother-maybe she could find herself a cozy place to live instead of a hollowed out tree or a supply closet. Huck is adamant though, "No, girl, you gotta go. You're not my problem, and I don't need anymore."
But she grabs his attention when she says she can heal, or at the very least take away Aspen's pain. Reluctantly, Huck and the rest agree to let her stay for two weeks.
Two weeks come and go and she still hasn't figured out to heal Aspen because all her life she's been suppressing her Fuze magic to try and pacify her jealous mother. Yes, her mother is quite jealous of Snow--Madame Evangeline is psychotic, a blackened heart.
As time marches on through winter, Huck and Snow go from wanting to stab each other to trying to suppress whatever the hell it is that could not possibly be floating in their veins for each other because no, "He's a brute" and "she's a problem."
...a tale as old as time.
This book had me a little wary at first, I'm not going to lie, because there is a lot of inner monologuing and world building and very little dialogue for how long this book is, however...I found it to be a breath of fresh air, and pleasing because most world building literally bores me to tears--I didn't find myself bored once. I was engaged all 400 pages, so absolute kudo's to the author. I'm looking forward to reading the second and whatever else she may put forth into the world.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
I absolutely enjoyed this Snow White retelling. I appreciated the fact that we didn't have a "damsel in distress save me Prince Charming" FMC and she was much closer to a "stabby warrior princess getting s**t done!" This Snow had the strength and agency that the most recent live action remake was desperately lacking. The world-building was excellent, the side character memorable and nuanced, and the twist near the end that I won't talk about because of spoilers left me reeling. I had to put the book in time out for a hot minute before finishing.
Also we need to talk about Huck because HELLO. I don't normally go for the tall broody types, but Huck absolutely changed my mind. I know everyone's obsessed with Xaden Riorson and whoever their book boyfriend from the SJM universe is, but y'all need to meet Huck because you will not be disappointed.
This book delivers great suspense and rich world-building. Snow's battle for survival—against ruthless huntsmen, her own failing magic, and the dangerous allure of the brooding warrior Huck—keeps the pages turning with relentless tension and fiery chemistry. With a great blend of action, romance, and dark fantasy, this novel gripped me from the first page. A must-read for fans of spicy fairytales with a razor-sharp edge.
I really like that the author chose to use Grimm’s original story as an inspiration rather than their edited one in that the evil queen is was her mother instead of her stepmother. I didn’t enjoy how there is a perspective shift that also changed tense. The main narrative is in first person but every few chapters there was a pov shift to third person. I was confused and while I liked getting the evil queen’s pov, the execution ultimately took away from my enjoyment of the story.
A beautiful retelling of the classic Snow White story. It took me a little bit to get invested but once I sorted out who all the different warriors were I was hooked. Snow is a fierce FMC and her story deserved to be told. Thank you Tara.
It has taken me way too long to get my act together and finally read this book.
Snow White will always be my favorite Disney movie. So the connection to that makes this book that much better. I loved seeing all the similarities and differences.
Absolutely loved this book! Such a great read! Love the characters so much! I’d love a Huck in my life! The plot is fantastic! And the plot twists - wow! I was not expecting! I can’t say much without giving away spoilers, so you know what to do. Go and get this book and read! You won’t be disappointed. Can’t wait for The Rise of Snow.
“I tried to hate you for making me feel. For making me yearn for your touch, like a starving man out of his mind.”
Beautiful retelling of Snow White, that I absolutely fell for every single one of the characters. Snow is different in the fairytale though, she will do what she must to survive her vindictive mother and her huntsman. This leads her to hiding a closest in a cabin that turns out to be the home of 7 elite warriors. That is how this story begins and leads Snow not only finding her true strength but also the family that she has always needed. While the MMC find that one things he truly can not live without even if it would cost him everything he always thought he wanted. This is for sure a must read.
The Fall of Snow is an amazingly written NA fairytale retelling! With the addition of fuzion magic, turning the seven dwarves into warriors with unique personalities, and getting chapters from Queen Evangeline's perspective made this story fresh and new. I loved Huck and Snow's seamless romance arc and the action scenes were exciting and well written. I can't wait to read more by Tara!
I really enjoyed this Snow White retelling. Found family plays such a huge part of the story, as well as the strifes and complicated love of biological family. Family is complicated, relationships come with challenges, not everything is as it seems, and this book illustrates that beautifully. You fall in love with so many of the characters, it’s not just about the FMC and MMC. The characters felt real and by the end you feel like you actually know them. I’ve read 2 books by Tara Gabrys so far, and I really love her writing. I can’t wait to find out what happens next in this story.