The Evil Queen

The Forest of Good and Evil #1

by Gena Showalter

Once Upon a Time meets Game of Thrones in New York Times bestselling author Gena Showalter’s magical, romantic dark fantasy series, in which the fairy tales we know and love are prophecies of the future.

Welcome to the Forest of Good and Evil, where villains may be heroes and heroes may be villains…it all depends on who you ask.

In the realm of Enchantia, creatures of legend still exist, magic is the norm, and fairy tales are real.

Raised in the human world, Everly Morrow has no idea she’s a fairy-tale princess—until she begins to commune with mirrors. Soon, a horrifying truth is revealed. She is fated to be Snow White’s greatest enemy, the Evil Queen.

With powers beyond her imagination or control, Everly returns to the land of her birth. There, she meets Roth Charmaine, the supposed Prince Charming. Their attraction is undeniable, but their relationship is doomed. As Everly faces disasters and betrayals, giving in to her wicked side proves more tempting. Can she resist, or will she become the villain she was born to be?

Critics love The Evil Queen:

“Showalter (the Everlife books) delivers an entertaining series opener that condemns prejudice while championing self-determination. Romance-sweet and steamy, gay and straight-features prominently, action and humor abound, and the mystery of how each character figures into the legend imparts intrigue.”—Publishers Weekly

“The novel's conceit has a lot of potential with its deconstruction of a cherished fairy tale, an interesting take on good and evil as actions rather than fate, and a long cast of characters in ever evolving roles that will leave readers wondering who they are supposed to be.”—Kirkus Reviews

The Forest of Good and Evil
The Evil Queen
The Glass Queen

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Retellings, Romance, Young Adult Fantasy, Magic, Fiction

440 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 25, 2019

About the author

Gena Showalter is the New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of over seventy books, including the acclaimed Lords of the Underworld series, the Gods of War series, the White Rabbit Chronicles, and the Forest of Good and Evil series. She writes sizzling paranormal romance, heartwarming contemporary romance, and unputdownable young adult novels, and lives in Oklahoma City with her family and menagerie of dogs and cats.

Reviews

[Miranda Reads · Rating 1 out of 5]

The Reaction Gif Review

Me when Showalter announcing there's ANOTHER book:


It's 500+ pages :


Remembering all the other Showalter books I've read:


Not giving a f*ck cause I'm gonna read it anyway:


The Written Review

Whelp. I finished it. Took over a year of painful, labored reading BUT I am 110% positive of three things:

1) Gena Showalter has never met an actual teenager...

2) Gena's first drafts are her final drafts. It's the only way to explain all the plot holes, undeveloped characters and cringey dialogue.

3) she knows NOTHING about ants.

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[Melissa ♥ Dog/Wolf Lover ♥ Martin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love Gena but this was okay. I think it might just be a 2 star as I wanted to smack to many people or something like that. 🤔🙄

Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾

[Steven · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This sounded like a great book. The concept is fantastic - I'm a huge Disney villain fan, and retellings of fairy tales can be really fun, especially when told from the villain's perspective. Alas and alack, this one felt like reading a rushed first draft of a book. It was full of childish dialogue, whirlwind speed scene changes with very little substance, and little to no real character development.

I understand that it's a YA, so it's going to be written to appeal to younger readers, and the prose will be at a different level than a book written for adults, but honestly, it felt like a middle schooler wrote it.

I feel like it was a great concept with poor execution -- lots of potential, but never quite lives up to it.

All in all, I felt like it was appropriate to give this one two stars, the extra star because of the interesting concept and relatively neat magic system.

---
Review to come, but boy, this was a mess of a book. Felt like a rough draft of a middle grades book, rushed into production because of the big name. :(

[Angelica]

this is either going to be the best thing ever. or it's gonna totally suck. there is no in between that for this... my fingers are crossed that it's the best thing ever


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[Natalie ~ The Biblioholic · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hello My Darklings... Welcome to Enchantia, the land of myths, magic, and mystical creatures. It's the place make believe is made of. Realms based on fairytales, with its people living out the stories one day and battle at a time. One day, in Oklahoma, Everly finds out that her life is not what it appears to be. She was born with a destiny and it's time to take her rightful place amid the legend of Snow White and The Evil Queen. What part will she play? Is she good or evil? And is she strong enough to find out? Right this moment, fresh from reaching the end of this book, I'm eagerly anticipating the next one. I'm hooked on all things Roth and I NEED MORE!!

The Evil Queen could also be referred to as The Seven Sins of Everly. I swear, this young lady wanted and needed and craved it all.
⭐ Sloth: she wasn't well liked, she didn't like it, but she did nothing about it but complain and pout. She actually exacerbated the issue and still found cause for complaint..
⭐ Pride: when she found out she had mystical power, despite the warnings, she was proud of what she could do and did it anyway, regardless of the cost. Then whined about it afterwards.
⭐ Greed: she hoarded power and if she had her way, she alone would have any.
⭐ Gluttony: see above point; add in the fact that the more she had, the more she wanted. Enough was never enough.
⭐ Envy: she had green eyes for anyone who possessed something she didn't have. Being a sorceress was her greatest boon because she could just syphon what she wanted. I guess this goes with Greed and Gluttony as well.
⭐ Lust: not only for power, but also for Roth. When you meet him, you won't blame her.
⭐ Wrath: irrational scorn, justified rage, and generally mad at the world. That was Everly. I agreed with her reasons, not all of her methods.



I can imagine a lot of people hating Everly. I know that there were moments when I did. She constantly rubbed me the wrong way, tempting me to throw my kindle to get her to stop her nonsense. Like that was going to make it all go away 🤣🤣🤣 There were times when she had me rooting so hard for her (most of the book) and times when I couldn't figure out her logic. She went into everything with her own motives, which didn't really gel with her agenda. Would it hurt the girl to come up with a feasible plan? Something that didn't guarantee everyone's heartbreak? She was eternally sorry AFTER the fact, pretending to one and all that she felt nothing, making her the perfect enemy. How could one not hate her guts? But then when you consider her many vulnerable moments, you can't help but hope and pray and scream for her happy ending. Everly was a jumbled bag of contradiction, which I appreciated while I grumbled about it.

The characters I want to meet:
Noel, the oracle who aims to be Everly's best mediocre friend; Ophelia, the witch warrior you don't want to mess with; Hartly, Everly's sister, who has a heart of gold and a strong affinity with animals; Truly, an archer who never misses; Saxon and Vikander, Roth's besties and guards; and of course, Roth himself. He was honorable and kind, vicious and ferocious, a warrior of valor, honest to a fault, had the power of compulsion, an intricate back story, and HE WAS HOT! The man could turn you on with words, people! While any true heat in this story was fade to black, his kisses... dang, those kisses were incendiary!! 🔥🔥🔥

I've been a huge fan of Showalter's adult romance books and was super excited to get my hands on her attempt at young adult. Color me impressed! I was completely engrossed in this story, its characters, and the world building that had me practically visualizing Enchantia and its inhabitants. I'm in love with Roth because he happens to be the most amazing character in this book and I only wish I got to enjoy his perspective. Maybe we'll get something in the next one? *hint hint* Roth and his beast mode. Warrior Supreme. His pierced nipples and hot bod. Yeah, Roth was everything. Honestly, there were plenty of characters that got some shine and I'm hoping to get to know them better.


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[Alaina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really fun read!

Ugh, I love retellings and The Evil Queen was a good one to dive into. Pretty sure I loved every character that I was introduced to. The chemistry and every little twist was all amazing in my eyes. In it, you will meet Everly Morrow who is a normal girl living in the human world. Well, she thought that because one day she finds out she has been living a lie. WELL, her whole family has been really and it was a complete shock to her.

The day that her and her twin sister Hart find out that they are fairy princesses with supernatural powers.. was interesting. She is a sorcerer with her mirror (hint hint evil queen) and Hart can communicate with animals (which is adorable). Of course that isn't the only secret that Everly finds out about, nope - the one that almost breaks her is that Hart isn't even her real sister. Nor is her mother her real mother.. so yeah - that sucked.

Now everyone in this book keeps calling her the evil queen and shit.. and I could totally see why Everly was getting annoyed constantly. She never did anything that they are saying she is going to do or has done in the past.. so she is definitely going to become evil in this one. Once Everly embraces her eviliness.. I feel like she's a bit complete - not totally yet because she's still looking for the romance part.

Like everyone, she wants a happily ever after. It doesn't hurt that she has a crush on a charming prince.. but of course, evil doesn't normally get a happy ending. YET, the ending was honestly adorable and now I'm psyched for the next one. I have no idea when the second book will be out but I need it so freaking badly.

The romance was good, the chemistry was amazing, and the twists were soooooooooooooooo good. Ugh, again.. definitely recommend this book if anyone likes retellings and seeing all their favorite characters in snow white!

[Grace A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I stayed up till 2 AM to finish this book. It was a wholly engrossing, entertaining and engaging page-turner; I loved the re-imagined fairy tale characters and the magical world.
It is not your typical Good and Evil story; because Evil wears many faces, sometimes the faces of averagely good people. The choices we make given the situation can tip the balance between Good and Evil.
Everly Morrow, the main character, fought hard to be good, but when the lives of the people she cared about are threatened in any way, she shoved goodness to the side and let the Evil she's worked hard to tame come to the surface. She grew up in the mortal world, but one circumstance led to the other, and she found herself in a magical world and her destiny tied to the Evil Queen in the Snow White fairy tale; she might even be the Evil Queen.
I loved every minute I spent in this story world; it was truly magical. Five stars.

[Mlpmom (Book Reviewer) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gena Showater has an unique ability to write stories that are so engrossing, so entertaining, that you never want to put them down. Once you start them, you are hopelessly trapped in the imaginative worlds that she is able to create. Worlds that are so far out there, so far fetched, you can't help but fall in love with them and want to go there and visit them yourself.

Add irresistible characters that are completely relatable (even the bad guys) and you can see what I mean about not being able to put one of her books down as soon as you start it.

I am always irrevocable transported into another world and darn if I don't want to escape it.

This time Showater transports us into the very heart of a fairy tale, but this time, it isn't your classic retelling. Nope. With twists and turns and things you will never see coming, Showater adds not only a new twist on an old tale but blows it out of the water and makes it completely her own.

Where nothing is black and white or what it seems to be. When you can't help but care for those you never thought you would and despise those you shouldn't. Showater once again creates something unlike any retelling I've read before. Totally engrossing, totally enchanting, and completely hard to put down.

This memorized me and held me captive from the first page down to the very satisfying last.

I couldn't of asked for a more perfect, twisted tale of love and passion and wrong and right and overcoming and rewriting destiny until it fits what you want to be. Who you were always meant to be, good or bad, devil or angel.

*ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*

[Madison Warner Fairbanks · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Evil Queen by Gena Showalter

A retelling of Snow White. YA fantasy. 1st book in the series.
Is a person inherently evil? Or are they made evil by circumstance?
Dark and brooding, this story asks a lot of questions of the teens. Morals, decisions, and characteristics that would fit multiple roles in the inherited fable. Who are they at heart?

I alternated between a paperback copy and an audio version, both of which were equally compelling.
This is a long and complex version of the tale that is fascinating. I found it a unique retelling that could start a depth of discussion.

From the dark, a bit of whimsy:
“The pink fairy dust, when burned, tasted like caramel.”

[Bex (Beckie Bookworm) · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s rare that a fairytale retelling captures my imagination quite as this one does but this is not a tired retelling of Snow White and the evil Queen rather it takes that particular fairytale and turns it completely on its head giving it a fresh new spin and injecting some dark undertones so, in essence, a complete reimagining.
I’m incredibly critical when rating this type of fiction and this is definitely one of the better retellings for sure.

Hero or villain here nothing is assumed history is rewritten and who the ultimate villain is only a matter of opinion or ultimately how you look at things.
Sometimes following what’s been foretold means you actually force that destiny into truth giving it a life all it’s own a self-fulfilling prophecy if you will, Bringing upon yourself the very thing you’ve been trying to avert
Villains aren’t always born they can also be created pushed into a mould that has already been pre-determined, setting such events and there building blocks into place and triggering things that could have been avoided if only a different path had been followed or chosen.

Here Everly is that supposed villain but before the evil queen, there was just a girl, one who loves her mum and her sister and just wants to protect them and be the best version of herself she can be for them.
Forced into an uncertain future and then judged just for the accident of her birth Everly finds herself through no fault of her own with many enemies that want to destroy her.

She tries to be good and battles to balance her natural instincts against her much darker thoughts but when everyone thinks the worst of you no matter what you do is there any point in doing the right thing.

Genre-wise I’d describe this as mature YA it’s told completely from Everly’s POV.
I liked Everly a lot she has a lot of sass and despite being constantly betrayed and let down she still tries to do the right thing even when others around her don’t extend the same courtesy back.
She’s incredibly loyal and protective to those she cares about and it’s that treatment of her loved ones that finally pushes her from the ledge she’s been teetering on.

Roth the love interest well I initially liked him them I wanted to give him a swift kick where the sun doesn’t shine if you get my drift and then I was back to liking him again.
He’s definitely not perfect and his actions and words when he learns just what Everly is and her actual potential speak more of his own past and prejudice punishing her for the crimes of overs and no matter how much his own heart screams otherwise he sticks to his guns with detrimental results for poor Everly but despite the above Roth’s heart is essentially in the right place.
He most definitely could have done a lot more grovelling though there wasn’t nearly enough to satisfy me and my sense of betrayal on Everly’s part and Farrah his sister well, in my opinion, she got off far too lightly considering her heinous actions acting all holier than though when she was hardly an angel herself.
But for me, it’s Everly who is the standout star of the show here and she is the one that made this such an enjoyable experience I think I have a little bit of a girl crush.

This was fast-paced and easily kept my attention, I actually read it in one sitting and it’s not a short story either.
This was actually much better than I was expecting and though loosely linked with the Classic fairytale it’s certainly not in any way a rehash instead it’s very unique and stands completely on its own merit.
Full of surprises and unexpected plot directions this really was an unexpected gem and I’m excited to read the next book in the series.
Oh and just a heads up though this is mature YA It’s suitable for the older crowd as well I enjoyed it immensely despite me being slightly older than the usual target audience.
A big thumbs up from me this was all sorts of fabulous.

If you're looking for something a bit different from the norm this is definitely the book for you.


Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm
https://www.facebook.com/beckiebookworm/
www.beckiebookworm.com

[Kilikina]

Me going into hibernation until I get my hands on this


This comes out ON my birthday y'all. That means it can't be bad, right?!

[Jackie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Have you ever been around middle schoolers and hear how they talk and just think to yourself, my god I’m old? That’s how I felt for 75% of this book.

“The Evil Queen” takes us through the twists and turns of the classic fairy tale as the board is set but the pieces are yet to be played as Everly tries to understand her role in the prophecy that describes her path in the world of magic and with each step she takes she finds herself asking the question is evil born or made?

The dialogue in this is so cringy! I could not handle how anyone in this book spoke, half the time it was in riddles and the other it was so absurd that I rolled my eyes so far in my head I thought they were going to be stuck. I’ve never heard anyone talk like these characters especially in a fantasy based story even though it crossed over with the real world bringing in some of that slang.

The entire first 20% was nothing but exposition. They threw so much world building, background info and everything that ties the rest of the story together so quick I felt like I was cramming for a test. There is a lot that goes into understanding the dynamics that will play out later in this story and the pacing never managed to make that an easy journey instead it would throw everything at you before backing off for character development, and that’s being generous here, before doing it all over again when the story moved some place else.

This book has all the elements for a great villain origin story and I’m sad it took so long for us to get to a point where it actually worked. At about 3/4s of the way in is when it finally hit its stride and came together with the plot and the characters actually being something to root for or against rather than something that appeared so juvenile you questioned finishing it altogether.

This is going to be a struggle for people to get into and I’m not sure the pay off is worth the effort but I’ll leave that for each reader to decide, as for me I’m glad it’s over and I’m not sure I’ll be revisiting the forest any time soon.

**special thanks to the publishers and netgalley for providing an arc in exchange for a fair and honest review**

[Carrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Evil Queen by Gena Showalter is the first book in the young adult fantasy The Forest of Good and Evil series. As one may guess from the title alone this is a retelling of Snow White in a sense that it takes readers way way back to give a background to the one we love to hate herself, the Evil Queen.

Once upon a time in the magical land of Enchantia fairy tales were not only stories but prophecies. At that time in Enchantia there was a law that all newly married women faced, if a woman was not with child within one year of marriage a husband had the right to end the marriage by having his wife beheaded.

One desperate queen at this time banded together with another queen, a princess, a witch and an oracle all in the same position to take from the Tree of New Beginnings to ensure their pregnancies. Legend had it that those babies coming from the tree would be cursed and doomed to a tragic end. After the babies came the oracle predicted they would one day play a part in Snow White and the Evil Queen so in order to protect her Everly Morrow was sent to the mortal world but magic would eventually find her and bring her back to Enchantia.

As much as I love a good, creative retelling I was extremely hesitant to pick this one up simply looking at the length and thinking and that’s only book one? Well, my fears actually did have merit as this was one of those fantasies that to me felt like it would drag on and on quite a bit. There is action and adventure along with some romance so I’m sure those that like slow builds will have more patience than I but for me I was a bit meh in the end wishing the creativity made up for the pace.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/

[Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I really liked The Evil Queen, I unfortunately didn't love it as much as I was hoping I would, given my love of fairytale retellings. I did like Everly for a variety of reasons, but she also really annoyed me and came across as being a rather unlikable person at times throughout the book, too; and it can really hinder my enjoyment of a book when I'm not a huge fan of the protagonist. I really enjoyed the romance between Everly and Roth throughout the book for the most part, but there also some times when I felt like the writing for their relationship was slightly problematic. Showalter did a great job of making Everly and all of the other characters complex in a way that they didn't necessarily fit perfectly into just one fairytale archetype, which definitely added a very interesting element to the book as a whole. The plot of The Evil Queen was very interesting and engaging in many ways; but there were admittedly times throughout the book where I felt like the plot of suffered from pacing issues, and I found myself starting to lose interest in the book. That being said, all complaints aside, I still really liked this book, and I'll definitely be continuing on with the Forest of Good and Evil series as more books are released in the future.

My rating / score: 3 1/2 Stars out of 5 Stars on the Goodreads rating system; 7 out of 10 on my own personal scoring system.

[Lia Carstairs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actual rating: 4.5
Never have I loved the supposed 'villain' and hated the 'hero'.




I loved The Evil Queen . It's so much different from other stories. Imagine everyone (including yourself) believing that you were fated to be evil? Usually fairy tale retellings have the MC as the hero but this one was the opposite. With the MC trying to fight her destiny.



OMG there were so many moments where I just wanted someone dead (yes, i know violence is not the answer but that doesn't apply to That annoying, evil princess, Farrah.... though I'm actually really mad that Everly didn't kill her *sigh* oh well)
So many sad and shocking betrayals where I was surprised that Everly didn't just snap and kill them, lol I think that's just me.😅

Can't wait for the next book!

[Naomi · Rating 5 out of 5]

🤯🤯🤯🤯❤️

This book is amazing. I cried like a baby. I loooove the world Gena created and she, once again, surprised the hell out of me. I wasn’t expecting half of what happened and I loved every pages. I’m a huge fantasy fan and this was right up my alley, throw some romance in there and I’m hooked. 😍

[J · Rating 1 out of 5]

Alright, I will admit that I was attracted to starting this book because of its pretty cover and interesting blurb.
The reason why I rate this book so poorly is because of the writing style as well as the plot. There's not much plot to speak of, unfortunately. There's a lot of sexual tension that's brought up in such an awkward way that it makes me cringe. For example, our darling Everly's attempt at flirting: "You are Prince Roth.. something or other. The mansel in distress I rescued from a troll."
As if she hasn't gone rambling about how hot he was and asked
Is he single? (rhetorically, just other problems I have with the author's writing) the first time she saw him in a mirror with her stalker mirror powers. I still don’t understand why the mirror showed her Prince Roth; there's no discernible reason other than YA-MC-needs-hot-love-interest.

But yeah, the story was like 450 pages too long and the "world-building" kinda flopped for me. I wasn't interested in any of the one dimensional characters nor was I interested in the world.

Conclusion: The book is pretty and so is the story concept, but it's so poorly executed that I'm unable to bring myself to enjoy it.
Hopefully others will enjoy this book more than I did.

[Danielle · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Evil Queen could have been the next big thing to hit fairy tale retellings. It is dark and awful, with an MC that you can get behind, and it really tugs on your heartstrings, yet it is still so full of hope and innocence.

And yet... To me, The Evil Queen read like a rubbish first draft, not the polished gem, ready to be finalised and sent out to print that it should be by the time ARCs come out. There were OH SO MANY typos, the writing was clumsy at best (awful at worst), with stilted dialogue, poor character development, and a range of 2 dimensional characters who see absolutely zero growth. Not the mention a love interest purely there for abs and plot progression, and a bunch of actions taken by other characters that don't actually fit their character. And characters that made no sense. And a hell of a lot of plot holes.

Seriously, if it had been a new author looking to get this published, I am 100% sure the publisher would have scoffed and told them to add some major polish. The only reason I could see it being fast tracked is due to the name attached, regardless of the myriad flaws. And this makes me so damn sad! Much as I hated the aforementioned issues, I really enjoyed parts of the book, and think it holds a lot of promise. I just wish the bloody editors had been allowed to do their work!

Anyway, it is a very unpolished novel with lots of promise, and I hope that the finished copy will have some major changes. Due to my massive doubts however, I can't say I can recommend The Evil Queen. Maybe if you are super new to YA you could get past the massive issues, and it might have a fan base in the middle grade age bracket, despite not really being appropriate for them. But for the well read teen/adult? Steer clear my dears!

Age: 12-13+
Warnings: Abduction, Stockholm syndrome, killing, and torture, with one fade to black sex scene and some kissing.

[Amber · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Everly finds out from her mom that she is destined to be the evil Queen from the Snow white story, she tries to prove everyone wrong about her. Can she do it or will they push her to the edge and make her the evil queen of mean they want her to be? Read on and find out for yourself.

This was a pretty good fairy tale about the evil queen and snow white. If you like fairy tale retellings, be sure to check this book out at your local library and wherever books are sold.

[Danielle The Book Huntress · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an epic read. I believe this is some of Gena Showalter's best writing. I don't look down on young adult books. I just want to preface what I'm about to write by saying that. However, I feel that while there is a bit of a YA tone to the story and it's about young adults, the emotional beats and complexity of the story speak to a mature story with a very epic scope.

I have a bee in my bonnet about the movie Frozen. I think it was poorly written and has some very implausible aspects. I feel that this novel represents the potential that Frozen has. It's a villainess origin story, but it's much more than that. It's about a villainness who was never the villain, but has been cast into a roll by circumstances beyond her control.

Readers who love fairy tales and their retellings should really enjoy this book. It gives so much depth to the characters that are cast in the negative light in those tried and true tales.

Everly is such a good character. She is very layered and complex. She never comes off as evil, and in fact, my heart hurts for her because of the terrible way she's treated by others. There were points in the novel I really wanted her to go nuclear. I wanted her to make those who tormented her suffer. My heart absolutely shattered for her as she suffers loss after loss. It's completely awful what they do to her. After everything, she's the one you want to win. There's only one other person in this book that I truly valued on the same level as her, and I cannot talk about that right now. Everly was such a standout character, the others faded in comparison. I wasn't feeling her love interest at all. Through Everly's gaze, he's super hot and studly, but I hated some of the things he did to Everly. As a result, I didn't care about the romance. I just loved Everly. Of course, I want her to be happy and if that's with her love interest, great.

The worldbuilding was quite interesting. Honestly, I feel like the names of the different kingdoms were a bit silly, but it's forgivable. That aside, the different creatures/beings/species were really cool.

I listened to the audiobook and let me tell you, there were moments where this woman was too stunned to speak. This became one of those audiobooks that I couldn't turn off. I love that feeling, especially recently, when it's harder for a book to hold my interest. The narrator was really good. I appreciate when the narrator is able to capture both masculine and feminine voices in a believable fashion.

I've been a fan of Gena Showalter going on twenty years. I love her books. Like any other author, she has her high points and low points. For me, this book is one of her highest points. She put Everly through so much, but it was such a journey, and I was deeply invested the whole time. She wrote the hell out of this book. Even with the things I didn't care as much for with this story, none that takes away from the experience enough that I can't give it a richly deserved five stars. I don't know how the other books in this series will measure up.

[Gigi · Rating 2 out of 5]

The story had an excellent start and I liked that it was told in first person.
Unfortunately, my expectations were a little too high and ended in a DNF.

What worked:

- I liked that we dive right into the story from the get-go. A lot happens, which is also its ultimate downfall for me.

What didn't work:

-The timelines move back and forth at warp speed making it confusing. It was like listening to someone with a million thoughts speaking a mile a minute. You had to keep up to follow.

- Because there's so much going on with alternating timelines, the story doesn't properly unfold. Before one portion of the story finishes, the next one begins.

The final straw for me was when the story takes place in the mortal world. The narration went from classic fairytale to contemporary YA. It was like I was reading an entirely different story.

There others who enjoyed it, I just wasn't one of them..sorry..

Thank you Netgalley & Harlequin teen for my ARC.

[A. Hoyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am floored by how much I loved The Evil Queen by Gena Showalter. I loved my ebook so much, I plan to buy it in print and give it True Love's Kiss. I was so hooked by every comma and looped in every question mark. Seriously! I love how the tale came full circle, though at first I was dismayed to walk into the end of a story, the tale kept taking shape in so many ways due to the complexity of these characters. Yes, I said "complexity" when our MC makes me cringe with colloquialisms like "lightbulb moment"... Gena, Gena, Gena Showalter. I did not think you had it in you to have me ruminating on the complexity of choices and the nature of good versus evil. You are a sorceress of words!

[Cait | GoodeyReads · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF at page 76.

I could not even with this book. Mostly the dialogue that took it from young YA to feeling like I was watching middle schoolers interact and try to be cool.

I also hate when books start with a prologue that's the ending. WHAT IS THAT. I know we bascially *know* the ending of this book, but it still isn't fun for me to read it this way.

This was a crappier version of Heartless by Marissa Meyer (which I absolutely loved).

[Briar's Reviews · Rating 1 out of 5]

I used to binge Gena Showalter's YA and adult books when I was a teenager. I was easily obsessed with her as an author, which led to me seeing this book as a local bookstore and absolutely, 100% needing it. I was so excited to see my favourite author from years ago writing an intertext about fairy tales! I didn't have high standards but apparently any standards was too much for this book.

I'm highly disappointed in this book, and that's putting it lightly. Gena used to be a wizard at YA writing but now it seems like she's very far detached from that world. On top of that, there's so many plot holes and random occurrences that it felt like this book was the first draft fan fiction instead of a novel by an acclaimed author. I'm not normally this brutally (and rudely) honest, but... wow. I'm not sure what happened with this book. Was it rushed out? Was it a ghost writer? What in the world happened? The quality I expect from Gena was not there. It's very odd.

The idea of the story itself is incredible. I was thrilled to read the synopsis and while reading it I could see the through line of where the story was supposed to go. I wish it would have been better, because I would have LOVED this book if it had the editorial clean up it so desperately needed.

Sadly, this one has to be a low rating. The quality bar wasn't there. The book was too long and rambled too much, plus the minimal editing was atrocious. I love Gena, fairy tales, and YA... this was just not it. And... there's a sequel? I want to read it, but did the writing get better?

One out of five stars.

[Bambi Unbridled · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Evil Queen is the first installment of the Forest of Good and Evil series, which will apparently be a retelling or reimagination of our favorite fairytales a la Snow White, Beauty and the Beast, Cinderella, etc.

This first story revolves (obviously) around the various iterations of Snow White and we follow along with our characters to find out which prophecy will control, and which person fills the foretold role of Snow White, the Huntsman, Prince Charming, the Evil Queen, and the seven dwarves/protectors. There is a blending of mortals and magical creatures, and the story transverses multiple realms.

I would say that our "main" character and heroine is Everly Morrow, one half of a set of twins, who is trying throughout the story to figure out if she is the foretold Evil Queen, or maybe even Snow White, and how all these other people fit into her life and story. She has an undeniable attraction and chemistry with Prince Roth Charmaine... but is he the actual Prince Charming or the Huntsman prophesied to betray her? And what about the rest of her friends, family, enemies and frenemies - do they have free will, can they change fate, or is everything going to play out as one of the Snow White tales indicates?

So I really liked Everly and enjoyed watching her navigate this twisty maze of life. My heart went out to her as she worked through grief, heartache, betrayal, and self-realization. We saw her grow as a character and as a person, and I felt like she had matured greatly by the end of the tale.

While the story was a bit slow to start, after I got through the half-way mark, I was hooked and couldn't stop reading. I actually liked the murky aspect of the story and that we didn't know who was inhabiting what role in the fairytale. It made you think about the character's motivations, and how you yourself would react to various situations and scenarios. Sometimes the Schrodinger's Cat references were a bit overdone... but they also played into that murky aspect making you realize that a thing/person can both be something, and not be something, at the same time. Confusing? Of course. It was meant to be.

If you like reimaginations and retellings, I think you will like this series. While the characters are young adult, I didn't feel like they were overly immature or annoying, though I would have liked to see them more in the new adult range with some added spice to the story. But I'm invested enough to keep reading as the later installments get released.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book that I received from the publisher.

[Alina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this take on the evil queen. It was so fun and not like any other retelling I’ve read before. Really never thought i would be on the evil queens side but here we are. The romance started off a bit too quickly for my taste but I absolutely loved it throughout the story. Can’t wait for the second one

[Sophia Triad]

Super excited for this one 😊

[☾]

DNF @ 52%. but i thought about it severely at 17%, 38%, and 49%. RARELY will i ever not finish a book, especially when i’ve hit the halfway mark, but i truly felt my brain rotting more and more with every page. (skipped to the ending chapters once my decision was final, and i don’t regret not sticking around.)

[♥ WishfulMiss ♥ · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Evil isn't born, it's made. One thought and action at a time. Take a good look at what you've made."

An amazing retelling of Snow White from the Evil Queen's POV. It was dark and magical, romantic and heartbreaking. You will love Everly and laugh, cry and rage right along side her. If ever there was a villain I wanted to root for it would be Everly. Hands down. I loved this book and this heroic villain!

Props to the author for writing such an awesome take on this fairy tale. The world she creates and the magic she introduces was all mind blowing and amazing. Then there's the very complex characters she brings to life. I was beyond a doubt, emotionally attached to everyone I read about. From riddles galore Noel and her sidekick Ophelia to protective Vikander and Saxon. No surprise that Everly is my favorite lady lead but I also loved sweet Hartley.

If you like fantasy reads that are dark, a touch romantic, emotionally gripping, with morally gray characters and tons of action, The Evil Queen should be added to your tbr.

Favorite Line(s):

The taste of vengeance is foul, not sweet
If only you hadn't believed the deceit.

Underneath our skin, we are all the same, fighting for a little slice of happiness in an unhappy world.

Memorable Moments:
Reese's exit, befriending Phobia and Webster, Hartley's badass battle speech, Roth and Everly at the ball, their first kiss, their last kiss and all the times Everly had the perfectly timed, perfectly snarky comeback.

Would I recommend? Yes. I loved this book and I don't really like series but for Everly and Roth, I don't mind. (Also there are so many other characters you're going to want to see more of! Ty for one and definitely Allura!)

* * * ARC provided for an honest review * * *
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

*** Rating Explained ***
This could have easily been a 5 star read but I'm a super emotional reader. Meaning I get crazy attached to these characters so the bittersweet ending broke my freakin heart and I'm still bummed the hell out about certain events that happened. I ugly cried and that sadness clung to me even as I cheered that epic ending. I wanted Everly to have her cake and eat it too. She deserved it and I felt like she'd already had enough hard knocks. Did she really need more???

SAFETY INFO:
Ages : Everly (Hartley, Truly, Farrah, Ophelia and Noell) are 17 in the beginning of the book (turn 18 half way through) Roth, Vikander, Saxon, Reese and Ty are all 19+.

Romance : Yes, Everly and Roth, Hartley and Warik and Truly and Farrah.

Sexual Content : Slightly graphic. Heavy petting, making out and one sex scene (fades to black). There is a safe sex talk before h loses her virginity.

Possible Triggers : Death of a parent (on and off page), death of a sibling (on and off page) descriptive violence, graphic scenes of murder and death, torture (on and off page), death of a friend (on page)

Series or Standalone? : This is a series, but the ending was a HFN.

[Jennie Damron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ok so call me completely cheesy, but I loved this book. I went into it thinking it would be your typical retelling of a fairytale. This one being Snow White, but it's so much more. No one is who they seem, and no one is who they think they are. Life tends to be a bit more complicated than that.
Everly Morrow is everything I love in a character. Fearless, determined, perseveres, but shows such vulnerability and yearns to be loved for who she is.
Roth Charmaine. At first he irritated me. Full of arrogance and cockiness. But, as you dig deeper there is so much more to him. He is loyal and everything he does is because he believes it is best for his kingdom and family.
Gena is a wonderful story teller. She creates these fast paced plots on an enchanting world and I am hooked every time. I adored this book so much more than I thought i would.