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The Singer Tales #1
Song of Ebony
In a city trapped in the treetops, one princess’s song will change everything
Crown Princess Bianca has always been unusual, from her snow-white hair to the strange way her words dance. But just like every other Selvanan, she’s restricted to the trees, unable to set foot on the deadly soil. That is, until her stepmother betrays her on the eve of her coronation, sending Bianca to the ground to die. Except the jungle floor is not what Bianca expected—from supposedly mythical elves to magic gone wild, it seems there’s much she didn’t know about both her kingdom and herself.
Prince Farrin never intended to get trapped in Selvana forever. He only came to find a cure for his brother’s terrible affliction. But after two years, he’s no closer to his goal. And his continued survival depends on his ability to navigate both the treacherous Selvanan jungle and the ways of the bargain-loving miniature elves.
When he crosses paths with an exiled princess, his course takes an abrupt change. It’s not just because he’s rattled by his all-consuming determination to keep the princess safe. More Selvanans than Bianca will pay with their lives if the pair can’t find a way to outwit her enemies and harness the power of Bianca’s voice.
Song of Ebony is the first installment in The Singer Tales, a series of interconnected standalone novels set on the continent of Providore, where magic is harnessed by singers. Each story follows a different heroine navigating everything from miniature elves to brutish giants as she chases her own happily ever after. If you enjoy strong heroines, clean romance, and fantasy worlds with a dash of intrigue, discover the world of The Singer Tales today.
Crown Princess Bianca has always been unusual, from her snow-white hair to the strange way her words dance. But just like every other Selvanan, she’s restricted to the trees, unable to set foot on the deadly soil. That is, until her stepmother betrays her on the eve of her coronation, sending Bianca to the ground to die. Except the jungle floor is not what Bianca expected—from supposedly mythical elves to magic gone wild, it seems there’s much she didn’t know about both her kingdom and herself.
Prince Farrin never intended to get trapped in Selvana forever. He only came to find a cure for his brother’s terrible affliction. But after two years, he’s no closer to his goal. And his continued survival depends on his ability to navigate both the treacherous Selvanan jungle and the ways of the bargain-loving miniature elves.
When he crosses paths with an exiled princess, his course takes an abrupt change. It’s not just because he’s rattled by his all-consuming determination to keep the princess safe. More Selvanans than Bianca will pay with their lives if the pair can’t find a way to outwit her enemies and harness the power of Bianca’s voice.
Song of Ebony is the first installment in The Singer Tales, a series of interconnected standalone novels set on the continent of Providore, where magic is harnessed by singers. Each story follows a different heroine navigating everything from miniature elves to brutish giants as she chases her own happily ever after. If you enjoy strong heroines, clean romance, and fantasy worlds with a dash of intrigue, discover the world of The Singer Tales today.
388 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 26, 2022
269 people are currently reading
830 people want to read
About the author
Deborah Grace White
44 books358 followersDeborah Grace White was more or less born reading. She grew up on a wide range of books, from classic literature to light-hearted romps. Her love of fantasy was inevitable from the time her father read the entire Lord of the Rings trilogy to her and her siblings when she was four years old.
The love of reading has traveled with her unchanged across multiple continents, and carried her from her own childhood all the way to having children of her own.
But if reading is like looking through a window into a magical and beautiful world, beginning to write her own stories was like discovering she could open that window and climb right out into fantasyland.
Now she gets to live that childhood dream amidst the fun and chaos of life with her husband and their four kids.
Visit Deborah at her website: http://deborahgracewhite.com
Or follow her on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/DeborahGrace...
Or Instagram https://www.instagram.com/deborahgrac...
The love of reading has traveled with her unchanged across multiple continents, and carried her from her own childhood all the way to having children of her own.
But if reading is like looking through a window into a magical and beautiful world, beginning to write her own stories was like discovering she could open that window and climb right out into fantasyland.
Now she gets to live that childhood dream amidst the fun and chaos of life with her husband and their four kids.
Visit Deborah at her website: http://deborahgracewhite.com
Or follow her on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/DeborahGrace...
Or Instagram https://www.instagram.com/deborahgrac...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews
March 22, 2025
3.5 stars ✨ Clean Fiction - Fairytale Retelling
After the prologue, I knew there would be a time skip, but I was shocked that there was another time skip a few chapters into the story!
This book took me a little to get into because I couldn’t quite picture the kingdom within the trees, but once Bianca is living in the jungle, it picked up for me. It was a very different Snow White, which was neat, though! I think this was my first Snow White retelling where our princess has a half-sibling! That entered in a unique dynamic into this version and I hope that her sister gets her own story (but looks like she maybe didn’t?).
Can I describe a book as a musical? Would that be very strange to say? Perhaps it doesn’t work exactly for this book, but when Bianca would sing (which is connected to the magic in this world), I was reminded of musicals and I imagine it will be even more so in the rest of the series.
I liked both Bianca and Farrin though I admit to being more curious about his brother’s story and who I assume is his Little Mermaid! There’s still a lot of unanswered questions by the end of this book, which makes me eager to read the rest of the series (which I was already going to do, of course 😉).
Edit to add: It's not his brother's story??? Well, now I'm confused and intrigued.
Main Content-
Magic in this world can be connected to singing and those that can tame it are called Singers; The wild magic of a land is felt by both Bianca and Farrin and described as a heavy weight on them, a painful awareness,& a surge of energy; Elves harvest/mine the magic and use it on-page (including to protect themselves and remove dark magic; it seems to be a powder); Bianca’s people have always been told that humans can’t step on the land because of they will die (due to the wild magic); Humans can’t mine magic because if they touch it in the raw form like an elf would, it enters their bodies and can mess up those who aren’t Signers; Bianca is a Singer and when she makes “her words dance” (sing) different things can happen like making it rain, fixing a broken item, making a plant flower, or ripening a fruit; Talismans (magical objects) are used including by those with ill or selfish intent; There is also dark magic and can be connected to talismans; Bianca is trapped and poisoned by talismans and dark magic; Farrin is given a vial of bat wings to drink by an elf to improve his hearing for a few hours; Farrin is trying to find a magical plant that he learned is supposed to help heal his brother’s magical ailment (which we hear about but never get the full story of what went wrong when they were trying to wield magic); Farrin comments on the fact that no one can “outrun their demons [past] forever”.
A few mentions of giants, mermaids, & superstitions.
A sailor/pirate says that they are all going to meet their maker after an attack on their ship; A mention of someone who has passed away going to a place where no one can use him for the other’s purposes again.
No major language, only a couple mentions of curses (not written out); Other words/phrases like “thank heavens”, “stars above”, and “blasted” are said; Eye rolling & Sarcasm; Bianca lies a couple of times and feels awkward about it because she’d never had cause to hone the skill of deception; Farrin gives Bianca the advice to try to trick the elves into giving her information or help because they will want her to promise something in return (which can cause trouble or difficulty for her; Elves view selfishness as reasonable).
Fighting, Being attacked (including by a jaguar), A shipwreck/attack, Being tied-up, Pain, Injuries, Being poisoned, Passing out (up to a few sentences); Seeing a loved one pass (Bianca’s father) & grief/grieving (up to a handful of sentences); Seeing a death (a couple sentences); Farrin almost chokes someone (a couple sentences).
Bianca’s stepmother plans to have Bianca sent to the ground (which everyone believes that humans will die if they touch the ground, therefor this could be considered murder) after an elf she made a deal with requested it; Bianca’s stepmother is, you know, the evil step-mother/queen and kind of hates Bianca (including feeling jealous); Some elves have a plan to exploit Bianca, not caring if their plans kill her or not; Farrin tries to push away the thought that his family probably thinks he is dead; Farrin makes it seem like Bianca was taken by a jaguar by making a carcass of a deer look partially consumed (a couple sentences).
Mentions of murder, murder attempts, & treason; Mentions of deaths & grief (including Bianca’s father for her mother); Mentions of wars & battles/fights; Mentions of an order to sink a ship with people on it, the drownings and bodies, deaths, & injuries; Mentions of pain, injuries, & blood/bleeding; Mentions of stealing & thieves; Mentions of poisons & being poisoned; Mentions of lies, lying, & deception; Mentions of rumors & gossip; Mentions of vanity & comparison; Mentions of hunting & kills; A few mentions of executions and banishments; A few mentions of hatred; A few mentions of eavesdropping; A couple mentions of Bianca’s mother dying in childbirth; A couple mentions of blackmail & threats; A mention of gambling; A mention of Farrin relieving himself and a cat watching.
1 almost kiss (lasting a handful of sentences),
1 kiss with no details,
1 kiss lasting a few sentences,
Remembering an almost kiss (a couple sentences);
A bit of staring at lips & wanting to kiss (a sentence or two);
Touches, Embraces, Hand holding, Warmth, Nearness, & Blushes (up to a couple sentences); Wanting to touch & embrace (a couple sentences).
Marisol is very vain about her appearance and finds pleasure in men looking at her with admiration; A few mentions of mooning & doe eyes.
See my content reviews of the other books in this series:
Book #1, Book #2, Book #3, Book #4, Book #5, Book #6, Connecting Book, and the connecting trilogy: Book #1, Book #2, and Book #3
After the prologue, I knew there would be a time skip, but I was shocked that there was another time skip a few chapters into the story!
This book took me a little to get into because I couldn’t quite picture the kingdom within the trees, but once Bianca is living in the jungle, it picked up for me. It was a very different Snow White, which was neat, though! I think this was my first Snow White retelling where our princess has a half-sibling! That entered in a unique dynamic into this version and I hope that her sister gets her own story (but looks like she maybe didn’t?).
Can I describe a book as a musical? Would that be very strange to say? Perhaps it doesn’t work exactly for this book, but when Bianca would sing (which is connected to the magic in this world), I was reminded of musicals and I imagine it will be even more so in the rest of the series.
I liked both Bianca and Farrin though I admit to being more curious about his brother’s story and who I assume is his Little Mermaid! There’s still a lot of unanswered questions by the end of this book, which makes me eager to read the rest of the series (which I was already going to do, of course 😉).
Edit to add: It's not his brother's story??? Well, now I'm confused and intrigued.
Main Content-
Magic in this world can be connected to singing and those that can tame it are called Singers; The wild magic of a land is felt by both Bianca and Farrin and described as a heavy weight on them, a painful awareness,& a surge of energy; Elves harvest/mine the magic and use it on-page (including to protect themselves and remove dark magic; it seems to be a powder); Bianca’s people have always been told that humans can’t step on the land because of they will die (due to the wild magic); Humans can’t mine magic because if they touch it in the raw form like an elf would, it enters their bodies and can mess up those who aren’t Signers; Bianca is a Singer and when she makes “her words dance” (sing) different things can happen like making it rain, fixing a broken item, making a plant flower, or ripening a fruit; Talismans (magical objects) are used including by those with ill or selfish intent; There is also dark magic and can be connected to talismans; Bianca is trapped and poisoned by talismans and dark magic; Farrin is given a vial of bat wings to drink by an elf to improve his hearing for a few hours; Farrin is trying to find a magical plant that he learned is supposed to help heal his brother’s magical ailment (which we hear about but never get the full story of what went wrong when they were trying to wield magic); Farrin comments on the fact that no one can “outrun their demons [past] forever”.
A few mentions of giants, mermaids, & superstitions.
A sailor/pirate says that they are all going to meet their maker after an attack on their ship; A mention of someone who has passed away going to a place where no one can use him for the other’s purposes again.
No major language, only a couple mentions of curses (not written out); Other words/phrases like “thank heavens”, “stars above”, and “blasted” are said; Eye rolling & Sarcasm; Bianca lies a couple of times and feels awkward about it because she’d never had cause to hone the skill of deception; Farrin gives Bianca the advice to try to trick the elves into giving her information or help because they will want her to promise something in return (which can cause trouble or difficulty for her; Elves view selfishness as reasonable).
Fighting, Being attacked (including by a jaguar), A shipwreck/attack, Being tied-up, Pain, Injuries, Being poisoned, Passing out (up to a few sentences); Seeing a loved one pass (Bianca’s father) & grief/grieving (up to a handful of sentences); Seeing a death (a couple sentences); Farrin almost chokes someone (a couple sentences).
Bianca’s stepmother plans to have Bianca sent to the ground (which everyone believes that humans will die if they touch the ground, therefor this could be considered murder) after an elf she made a deal with requested it; Bianca’s stepmother is, you know, the evil step-mother/queen and kind of hates Bianca (including feeling jealous); Some elves have a plan to exploit Bianca, not caring if their plans kill her or not; Farrin tries to push away the thought that his family probably thinks he is dead; Farrin makes it seem like Bianca was taken by a jaguar by making a carcass of a deer look partially consumed (a couple sentences).
Mentions of murder, murder attempts, & treason; Mentions of deaths & grief (including Bianca’s father for her mother); Mentions of wars & battles/fights; Mentions of an order to sink a ship with people on it, the drownings and bodies, deaths, & injuries; Mentions of pain, injuries, & blood/bleeding; Mentions of stealing & thieves; Mentions of poisons & being poisoned; Mentions of lies, lying, & deception; Mentions of rumors & gossip; Mentions of vanity & comparison; Mentions of hunting & kills; A few mentions of executions and banishments; A few mentions of hatred; A few mentions of eavesdropping; A couple mentions of Bianca’s mother dying in childbirth; A couple mentions of blackmail & threats; A mention of gambling; A mention of Farrin relieving himself and a cat watching.
1 almost kiss (lasting a handful of sentences),
1 kiss with no details,
1 kiss lasting a few sentences,
Remembering an almost kiss (a couple sentences);
A bit of staring at lips & wanting to kiss (a sentence or two);
Touches, Embraces, Hand holding, Warmth, Nearness, & Blushes (up to a couple sentences); Wanting to touch & embrace (a couple sentences).
Marisol is very vain about her appearance and finds pleasure in men looking at her with admiration; A few mentions of mooning & doe eyes.
See my content reviews of the other books in this series:
Book #1, Book #2, Book #3, Book #4, Book #5, Book #6, Connecting Book, and the connecting trilogy: Book #1, Book #2, and Book #3
February 20, 2024
3 ½ stars 🌟
This was such an interesting twist on Snow White where her voice is magic and there's elves instead of dwarves! AND THE COVER *chefs kiss* I want that dress. I really enjoyed the jungle setting and the characters. The thing that brought my rating down was when Bianca kept falling for traps over and over again. It was very redundant.
This was such an interesting twist on Snow White where her voice is magic and there's elves instead of dwarves! AND THE COVER *chefs kiss* I want that dress. I really enjoyed the jungle setting and the characters. The thing that brought my rating down was when Bianca kept falling for traps over and over again. It was very redundant.
if-it-fall-it-fall-dnf
February 8, 2025DNF at 52% Although I really enjoyed the premise of this Snow White Retelling, the pacing was just off and did not work for me. I enjoyed the characters, the magic and the lore. But it just read a bit too slow moving and boring for me. I would reccomend this book. It just turns out it’s not for me.
January 20, 2023
The Whole Snow White
I was intrigued the first time I read the original Snow White story, after growing up on the Disney version. I was flabbergasted that there were three attempts on Snow’s life, not just the apple. Deborah Grace White incorporated them into her story so well!
This was an interesting new world with Singers and wild magic. I can’t wait to see how the rest of the stories fit into this new framework.
P.S. I loved the elves and their singleminded focus on bargains! So many hilarious exchanges, given freely, with no debt owed from me.
I was intrigued the first time I read the original Snow White story, after growing up on the Disney version. I was flabbergasted that there were three attempts on Snow’s life, not just the apple. Deborah Grace White incorporated them into her story so well!
This was an interesting new world with Singers and wild magic. I can’t wait to see how the rest of the stories fit into this new framework.
P.S. I loved the elves and their singleminded focus on bargains! So many hilarious exchanges, given freely, with no debt owed from me.
January 29, 2023
From the cover alone, it's clear that Song of Ebony is a creative take on your average "Snow White" retelling. Instead of the traditional skin as white as snow and hair as black as ebony, this story presents a protagonist with skin as black and ebony and hair as white as snow. This rare combination insinuates innate supernatural abilities like Storm from the X-Men. The unique properties of this book go beyond mere aesthetics. Deborah Grace White's earlier books were somewhat generic fantasy stories, which is why I never read past the first book in her Kingdoms series of fairy tale anthologies. Since then, she has really managed to hone her craft, especially with her top-notch mermaid series, The Vazula Chronicles that I've been shamelessly recommending to anyone who likes mermaids. When I found out that Deborah was starting a new fairy tale anthology called The Singer Tales, I couldn't wait to find out what was in store.
Song of Ebony is the premiere book in The Singer Tales, a new anthology of fairy tale retellings that focus on princesses with magical singing abilities. I love how this concept is a subtle reference to Gail Carson Levine's Fairest, one of my favorite "Snow White" adaptations from before the fairy tale retelling craze took the independent publishing world by storm. With the theme of magical singing abilities, it's no surprise that the next book in this series is Song of the Sea, which will be based on "The Little Mermaid," my favorite fairy tale. This upcoming book was heavily foreshadowed in Song of Eboy, which is a wonderful fantasy take on "Snow White." Bianca is a magical princess with snow-white hair that serves as a visual representation of the singing abilities that she denies having for most of the book. Instead of seven dwarfs, she encounters seven elves who place her under their protection when they learn that her stepmother is trying to kill her. And that's just the beginning of this magical story.
What I love most about Deborah Grace White's other recent works is how much care she puts into building a rich and believable fantasy world. This story takes place in a land of animosity between humans and elves caused by jealousy of their varying magical abilities. In this world, the natural ground is fatal to most humans because it is filled with wild magic, and humans, who are mostly non-magical, don't have the capacity to handle that level of power. As a result, human lodgings are built above ground in the treetops. When Princess Bianca is seen plummeting to the ground after her stepmother's orders to kill her, she is presumed to be as good as dead, yet she miraculously survives. This causes her to cross paths with another human who survived on the ground of her kingdom, a young prince named Farrin, who provides shelter for her among his elf companions. I appreciate that the story only focused on two of the seven elves because it would have been difficult to try to keep track of all of them. Lurgl is the leader who was slighted by the rest of the elven kind, and Dionysius is this book's equivalent of Grumpy who doesn't trust Bianca and hates having her around.
This adaptation does a fantastic job of staying true to the original story in spite of all of the creative changes. Marisol, Bianca's stepmother, was vain and power-hungry and took some despicable measures to become queen and get rid of the king. Like in the fairy tale, there are three attempts on Bianca's life--one with a ribbon that wraps around her body like an over-tightened corset, one with a poisoned comb, and one with a poisoned apple. It even includes the part about only poisoning half the apple so that the stepmother can take a bite out of the green half to prove that it's safe and convince Bianca to eat the poisoned red half. The book also has the same moral of being careful about who you trust. Bianca is painfully aware that her trusting nature might get her killed someday, yet no matter how much she tries to change it, Marisol continues to find new ways to bypass Bianca's newfound cynicism. I also liked how the romance between Bianca and Farrin was built up from the beginning of the book without changing too much of the original story.
If you are a fan of "Snow White" and want something a little different, Song of Ebony is a must-read. It flips the script on the original fairy tale just enough to be unique without ruining what made it such a good story in the first place. I love how the white hair provides an opportunity to change Snow White's skin color without drastically altering the story, something that Disney did not seem to do with their upcoming remake. The world-building in this book is fantastic and makes me eager to read the rest of the series, especially the upcoming "Little Mermaid" adaptation. Deborah Grace White put a great deal of thought into the magic system and the setting in which these books take place. This is one fairy tale series you don't want to miss out on.
Song of Ebony is the premiere book in The Singer Tales, a new anthology of fairy tale retellings that focus on princesses with magical singing abilities. I love how this concept is a subtle reference to Gail Carson Levine's Fairest, one of my favorite "Snow White" adaptations from before the fairy tale retelling craze took the independent publishing world by storm. With the theme of magical singing abilities, it's no surprise that the next book in this series is Song of the Sea, which will be based on "The Little Mermaid," my favorite fairy tale. This upcoming book was heavily foreshadowed in Song of Eboy, which is a wonderful fantasy take on "Snow White." Bianca is a magical princess with snow-white hair that serves as a visual representation of the singing abilities that she denies having for most of the book. Instead of seven dwarfs, she encounters seven elves who place her under their protection when they learn that her stepmother is trying to kill her. And that's just the beginning of this magical story.
What I love most about Deborah Grace White's other recent works is how much care she puts into building a rich and believable fantasy world. This story takes place in a land of animosity between humans and elves caused by jealousy of their varying magical abilities. In this world, the natural ground is fatal to most humans because it is filled with wild magic, and humans, who are mostly non-magical, don't have the capacity to handle that level of power. As a result, human lodgings are built above ground in the treetops. When Princess Bianca is seen plummeting to the ground after her stepmother's orders to kill her, she is presumed to be as good as dead, yet she miraculously survives. This causes her to cross paths with another human who survived on the ground of her kingdom, a young prince named Farrin, who provides shelter for her among his elf companions. I appreciate that the story only focused on two of the seven elves because it would have been difficult to try to keep track of all of them. Lurgl is the leader who was slighted by the rest of the elven kind, and Dionysius is this book's equivalent of Grumpy who doesn't trust Bianca and hates having her around.
This adaptation does a fantastic job of staying true to the original story in spite of all of the creative changes. Marisol, Bianca's stepmother, was vain and power-hungry and took some despicable measures to become queen and get rid of the king. Like in the fairy tale, there are three attempts on Bianca's life--one with a ribbon that wraps around her body like an over-tightened corset, one with a poisoned comb, and one with a poisoned apple. It even includes the part about only poisoning half the apple so that the stepmother can take a bite out of the green half to prove that it's safe and convince Bianca to eat the poisoned red half. The book also has the same moral of being careful about who you trust. Bianca is painfully aware that her trusting nature might get her killed someday, yet no matter how much she tries to change it, Marisol continues to find new ways to bypass Bianca's newfound cynicism. I also liked how the romance between Bianca and Farrin was built up from the beginning of the book without changing too much of the original story.
If you are a fan of "Snow White" and want something a little different, Song of Ebony is a must-read. It flips the script on the original fairy tale just enough to be unique without ruining what made it such a good story in the first place. I love how the white hair provides an opportunity to change Snow White's skin color without drastically altering the story, something that Disney did not seem to do with their upcoming remake. The world-building in this book is fantastic and makes me eager to read the rest of the series, especially the upcoming "Little Mermaid" adaptation. Deborah Grace White put a great deal of thought into the magic system and the setting in which these books take place. This is one fairy tale series you don't want to miss out on.
November 12, 2024
Heartwarming and delightful!
I loved this Snow White retelling! Grumpy, hermity Prince Farrin and kind, trusting Princess Bianca are my favorite! Their story is sweet and swoony and full of growth and learning to trust and discern. This story was full of twists with clever and conniving elves and a new kind of magic system that comes through singing. Definitely worth a read for a delightful story!
I loved this Snow White retelling! Grumpy, hermity Prince Farrin and kind, trusting Princess Bianca are my favorite! Their story is sweet and swoony and full of growth and learning to trust and discern. This story was full of twists with clever and conniving elves and a new kind of magic system that comes through singing. Definitely worth a read for a delightful story!
January 5, 2023
I loved the setting; it was one of the many things that made this retelling beautifully unique from the many others I’ve read. The story and characters were wonderful also, and I look forward to the next book in the series.
February 3, 2023
Wow. This is SUCH a unique retelling of Snow White! A world so infused with wild magic that humans can't live on the ground. A tree top city. Ground-dwelling, miniature elves. This Snow White retelling has all the sweetness of a fairy tale retelling with all of the world building of a romantic fantasy. I can't WAIT for the next book of this series!
April 8, 2024
Enchanting Tale of Singing Magic, Elves, and Growth
“Song of Ebony” by Deborah Grace White is a captivating introduction to The Singer Tales series, offering a fresh and enchanting perspective on traditional fairy tales. As someone relatively new to the author's works, I eagerly embarked on this new series.
Set in a city suspended among treetops, Crown Princess Bianca possesses unique qualities, from her ethereal snow-white hair to her enchanting way with words. However, like the other Selvanans, she's forbidden to set foot on the perilous ground. When her stepmother's treachery forces her to descend, Bianca discovers a world teeming with mythical elves and wild magic, challenging everything she thought she knew about her kingdom and herself.
Deborah Grace White skillfully crafts a world that balances magic and tension between humans and elves. Homes are built high among the treetops, a stark reminder of the tension between the two races and the danger that has overtaken the jungle ground.
Bianca's journey, akin to "Snow White," is beautifully reimagined. Her path converges with that of Prince Farrin, leading to a journey filled with danger, mysterious elves, and a growing attachment to the enigmatic princess. What sets "Song of Ebony" apart is its clever adaptation of Snow White's fairy tale elements into a wholly original and captivating story. The symbolism of Bianca's snow-white hair representing her latent singing abilities is a unique twist. The world-building is exceptionally well-crafted, making it a promising introduction to The Singer Tales series. It leaves readers eager to explore upcoming adaptations of beloved fairy tales.
Deborah Grace White's storytelling has a familiar and comforting quality. She delivers a clean and engaging narrative, allowing her characters room to grow and develop meaningful relationships. "Song of Ebony" expertly incorporates the often-forgotten attempts on Bianca's life, adding depth to the story. It teases the introduction of a compelling magic system, leaving readers excited to delve deeper into this unique world.
This captivating tale of song, magic, and growth breathes new life into the world of fairy tale retellings. As someone relatively new to the author's works, I am eager to explore more of The Singer Tales and uncover answers to the mysteries left tantalisingly unsolved. Deborah Grace White's ability to reimagine classic tales in fresh and enchanting ways ensures that her readers are in for a delightful journey.
“Song of Ebony” by Deborah Grace White is a captivating introduction to The Singer Tales series, offering a fresh and enchanting perspective on traditional fairy tales. As someone relatively new to the author's works, I eagerly embarked on this new series.
Set in a city suspended among treetops, Crown Princess Bianca possesses unique qualities, from her ethereal snow-white hair to her enchanting way with words. However, like the other Selvanans, she's forbidden to set foot on the perilous ground. When her stepmother's treachery forces her to descend, Bianca discovers a world teeming with mythical elves and wild magic, challenging everything she thought she knew about her kingdom and herself.
Deborah Grace White skillfully crafts a world that balances magic and tension between humans and elves. Homes are built high among the treetops, a stark reminder of the tension between the two races and the danger that has overtaken the jungle ground.
Bianca's journey, akin to "Snow White," is beautifully reimagined. Her path converges with that of Prince Farrin, leading to a journey filled with danger, mysterious elves, and a growing attachment to the enigmatic princess. What sets "Song of Ebony" apart is its clever adaptation of Snow White's fairy tale elements into a wholly original and captivating story. The symbolism of Bianca's snow-white hair representing her latent singing abilities is a unique twist. The world-building is exceptionally well-crafted, making it a promising introduction to The Singer Tales series. It leaves readers eager to explore upcoming adaptations of beloved fairy tales.
Deborah Grace White's storytelling has a familiar and comforting quality. She delivers a clean and engaging narrative, allowing her characters room to grow and develop meaningful relationships. "Song of Ebony" expertly incorporates the often-forgotten attempts on Bianca's life, adding depth to the story. It teases the introduction of a compelling magic system, leaving readers excited to delve deeper into this unique world.
This captivating tale of song, magic, and growth breathes new life into the world of fairy tale retellings. As someone relatively new to the author's works, I am eager to explore more of The Singer Tales and uncover answers to the mysteries left tantalisingly unsolved. Deborah Grace White's ability to reimagine classic tales in fresh and enchanting ways ensures that her readers are in for a delightful journey.
March 22, 2024
A clever tale
I so love how cleverly the elements of snow whites fairy tale are woven into this completely new and fascinating story. I feel like there's a part two that needs to happen here, and am excited to embark on this new series. A good read.
I so love how cleverly the elements of snow whites fairy tale are woven into this completely new and fascinating story. I feel like there's a part two that needs to happen here, and am excited to embark on this new series. A good read.
February 9, 2024
unique Snow White telling
Full honesty, the male MC drove me bonkers- he is the definition of emotionally stunted.
But this is an interesting world and I’m looking forward to meeting more royalty.
Full honesty, the male MC drove me bonkers- he is the definition of emotionally stunted.
But this is an interesting world and I’m looking forward to meeting more royalty.
June 9, 2023
This was an okay start to a new series. Overall I enjoy this author's work so I will continue for a bit in the series.
I felt like the two MC's were really well-written. The evil queen was also developed nicely. I wish there'd been a little bit more from Bianca's sister and the evil elf, but overall they were unique characters that stood on their own.
I wish the one guard, howard?, had been included more or excluded entirely. He was written in a way where I kept expecting him to be important, yet he had hardly any scenes. I'm not entirely sure why he was in the book at all.
Of the seven "dwarves"(and this happens with any large cast of similar-ish characters) very few actually had a personality. The leader elf had the most dedication to character development. And then, and I kind of was let down by this, the only other elf that really had any time dedicated more than a random one off line was
Since we don't get the evil queen pov again after the prologue it means that we really only see Bianca and Farrin. While Farrin was a decent character to observe, Bianca was not my type.
She was a total doormat and while I guess her character arc is supposed to include being a little more suspicious and to grow a spine... I didn't see that happen.
My favorite part was where she snaps at Farrin for not trusting her to make good choices about her own life. Then he's like, oh my bad I should've known you can take care of yourself. You've proven so many times that you can handle yourself blah blah. While that all SOUNDS great, at this point in Bianca's history it's simply not true.
But at EVERY turn Bianca is helpless. She isn't making smart decisions with her life. She isn't able to do anything really and everyone around her is doing all the work. Other people are doing the spying and ward creating. The only thing Bianca is supposed to do is learn how to use her gift which she fails abysmally at.
So no, actually, she hasn't proven that she can handle herself at all. The only situation where she shows any ounce of common sense/backbone/self-sufficiency is at the very end where everything has basically been all neatly wrapped up and she only needs to stand before a supportive audience and
I felt like the two MC's were really well-written. The evil queen was also developed nicely. I wish there'd been a little bit more from Bianca's sister and the evil elf, but overall they were unique characters that stood on their own.
I wish the one guard, howard?, had been included more or excluded entirely. He was written in a way where I kept expecting him to be important, yet he had hardly any scenes. I'm not entirely sure why he was in the book at all.
Of the seven "dwarves"(and this happens with any large cast of similar-ish characters) very few actually had a personality. The leader elf had the most dedication to character development. And then, and I kind of was let down by this, the only other elf that really had any time dedicated more than a random one off line was
Since we don't get the evil queen pov again after the prologue it means that we really only see Bianca and Farrin. While Farrin was a decent character to observe, Bianca was not my type.
She was a total doormat and while I guess her character arc is supposed to include being a little more suspicious and to grow a spine... I didn't see that happen.
My favorite part was where she snaps at Farrin for not trusting her to make good choices about her own life. Then he's like, oh my bad I should've known you can take care of yourself. You've proven so many times that you can handle yourself blah blah. While that all SOUNDS great, at this point in Bianca's history it's simply not true.
But at EVERY turn Bianca is helpless. She isn't making smart decisions with her life. She isn't able to do anything really and everyone around her is doing all the work. Other people are doing the spying and ward creating. The only thing Bianca is supposed to do is learn how to use her gift which she fails abysmally at.
So no, actually, she hasn't proven that she can handle herself at all. The only situation where she shows any ounce of common sense/backbone/self-sufficiency is at the very end where everything has basically been all neatly wrapped up and she only needs to stand before a supportive audience and
November 27, 2024
I really enjoyed this. I didn’t think I would given the first chapter is preface for everything that happens 16-18 years in the future, and the fact that everyone lives in a huge tree-city like Ewoks due to the ground not being safe. We also meet our shipwrecked prince who refers back to previous sea voyage he was on which also sank, which I am sure will link to the second book in this series about the little mermaid.
I understand that the mermaid story will be dealt with later, but it’s rather annoying to have something so important referred to numerous times happen behind-the-scenes. Seriously aggravating because without those details it feels like we are missing out on a large part of Farrin’s motivations here. But we’ll see how I feel about it after sending book 2.
As for Bianca- she’s likable enough, but is rather pampered and far too stubborn for my liking. I’m left wondering at times if Farrin’s growing attraction is more due to being a hermit for 2 years with only “what’s-in-it-for-me” elves as company or is this the real deal.
That’s for you to decide.
Clever use of the ribbon and apple, but the comb was a bit of a stretch. Wicked stepmother is on point, but Ilsa the half-sister didn’t add anything to the story and could have been tossed and not missed really. Sure she helps in a pivotal moment but we later find someone else was going to handle it anyway, but whatever.
Also, what’s with Bianca’s hair? Do all singers have white hair once they start using their magic? It’s hard to know as this is the first in a series, but she starts with a lock of hair turning white to it all being white in the jump forward? Maybe I missed it, but I don’t remember it mentioned as being all white by the time she’s a teen. I imagined her still with black hair with a streak of white so when she’s teasingly called the Snow Princess I didn’t get it. So when Farrin sees her white hair not long later and thinks she’s an old woman I was confused for a couple of minutes. Speaking of which, for a jungle country that never sees snow you’d think they’d call her after white lillies or whatever plant blooms white in the jungle treetops, rather than off of a story in their history- especially when Bianca and her sister are tutored- I doubt everyone in this treehouse society is getting the same ancient history lessons.
Too analytical for a YA romance? Too bad- it had me questioning it so of course I’m going to bring it up. Oh, and later building plans come up that are ancient- were they carved into wood or something? Given the constant humidity of a jungle setting anything on paper should have rotted long ago… sorry, need to turn off the analysis portion of my brain (easier said than done).
The 7 elves rather than 7 dwarves was cute enough. The fact that they are split from a larger group of elves who have nefarious plans for Bianca and the citizens of Sel made for a nice backdrop, and other than my mentions above it’s a well-rounded and enjoyable story. The story isn’t overly strained by setting the Snow White FT in the heart of an island jungle, and the originality fairly shines here.
So 3 stars from present me… maybe 4 from my now ancient tween viewpoint.
I understand that the mermaid story will be dealt with later, but it’s rather annoying to have something so important referred to numerous times happen behind-the-scenes. Seriously aggravating because without those details it feels like we are missing out on a large part of Farrin’s motivations here. But we’ll see how I feel about it after sending book 2.
As for Bianca- she’s likable enough, but is rather pampered and far too stubborn for my liking. I’m left wondering at times if Farrin’s growing attraction is more due to being a hermit for 2 years with only “what’s-in-it-for-me” elves as company or is this the real deal.
That’s for you to decide.
Clever use of the ribbon and apple, but the comb was a bit of a stretch. Wicked stepmother is on point, but Ilsa the half-sister didn’t add anything to the story and could have been tossed and not missed really. Sure she helps in a pivotal moment but we later find someone else was going to handle it anyway, but whatever.
Also, what’s with Bianca’s hair? Do all singers have white hair once they start using their magic? It’s hard to know as this is the first in a series, but she starts with a lock of hair turning white to it all being white in the jump forward? Maybe I missed it, but I don’t remember it mentioned as being all white by the time she’s a teen. I imagined her still with black hair with a streak of white so when she’s teasingly called the Snow Princess I didn’t get it. So when Farrin sees her white hair not long later and thinks she’s an old woman I was confused for a couple of minutes. Speaking of which, for a jungle country that never sees snow you’d think they’d call her after white lillies or whatever plant blooms white in the jungle treetops, rather than off of a story in their history- especially when Bianca and her sister are tutored- I doubt everyone in this treehouse society is getting the same ancient history lessons.
Too analytical for a YA romance? Too bad- it had me questioning it so of course I’m going to bring it up. Oh, and later building plans come up that are ancient- were they carved into wood or something? Given the constant humidity of a jungle setting anything on paper should have rotted long ago… sorry, need to turn off the analysis portion of my brain (easier said than done).
The 7 elves rather than 7 dwarves was cute enough. The fact that they are split from a larger group of elves who have nefarious plans for Bianca and the citizens of Sel made for a nice backdrop, and other than my mentions above it’s a well-rounded and enjoyable story. The story isn’t overly strained by setting the Snow White FT in the heart of an island jungle, and the originality fairly shines here.
So 3 stars from present me… maybe 4 from my now ancient tween viewpoint.
February 8, 2025
Something was off about this book, but I couldn't tell you 100% that it was one thing or another. The magic system sounded really interesting, but it was not executed well. The stuff that was said was inconsistent. The same thing seemed true about the society-the people live in the trees, and don't want to touch the ground because there's too much magic. (Spoiler maybe here- the antagonists want to clear the jungle so the magic isn't as imposing. But the people in the trees mention that supplies were scarce for building. Is the issue that there are too many trees or not enough trees?!) .
The FMC is simultaneously praised and ridiculed for being trusting and kind, but the mixed reviews of her continue throughout the whole book. And because it's following Snow White as a storyline, she doesn't overcome it but is just suddenly *better* at the end. You see her mentally thinking through hoq to have better judgement and then she botches it. And thinking then messing it up again. She's rescued by others, not by herself, so her judgement is still crap basically. And then the love interest at the end is like "it's nice that you're so trusting that you'll repeatedly let people take advantage of you."
The whole love interest things seems to happen because they are in the role of "the two last people on Earth" basically. Everyone else around them is off the table from a romantic perspective.
Weird word choices, phrases, etc. Not on every page, but also not just one or two accidentally slipping past the editors. Spots where I would have to stop and reread and question what was said because the phrasing just didn't work.
And the way they talk about reclaiming the land and land management towards the end really felt like European colonizers speaking about spreading West across the United States. How they were going to get the Good guys from the foreign country to come help them while the indigenous population's methods of land management were trash. (DGW didn't use words like that, but the subtext was there.)
The preview for the next book, right on top of a very clear "we're going to get more of the better people to come save us" was icky as well. Mermaids who only have kids once every 10 years, so they have to give birth at 15 for the honor of their family. (That character is called a CHILD multiple times in Song of Ebony. She's too young for the MMC of Song of Ebony to consider her as a grown up. And she isn't aged up for her own book, which starts prior to the SoE.) Is DGW Mormon? Fundamental Christian? I know she lives in Australia, maybe there's a religious sect I'm not aware of glorifying 15 year olds giving birth?! Between the weird colonization=good and the preview of the next book I think I'm done with DGW for a while.
The FMC is simultaneously praised and ridiculed for being trusting and kind, but the mixed reviews of her continue throughout the whole book. And because it's following Snow White as a storyline, she doesn't overcome it but is just suddenly *better* at the end. You see her mentally thinking through hoq to have better judgement and then she botches it. And thinking then messing it up again. She's rescued by others, not by herself, so her judgement is still crap basically. And then the love interest at the end is like "it's nice that you're so trusting that you'll repeatedly let people take advantage of you."
The whole love interest things seems to happen because they are in the role of "the two last people on Earth" basically. Everyone else around them is off the table from a romantic perspective.
Weird word choices, phrases, etc. Not on every page, but also not just one or two accidentally slipping past the editors. Spots where I would have to stop and reread and question what was said because the phrasing just didn't work.
And the way they talk about reclaiming the land and land management towards the end really felt like European colonizers speaking about spreading West across the United States. How they were going to get the Good guys from the foreign country to come help them while the indigenous population's methods of land management were trash. (DGW didn't use words like that, but the subtext was there.)
The preview for the next book, right on top of a very clear "we're going to get more of the better people to come save us" was icky as well. Mermaids who only have kids once every 10 years, so they have to give birth at 15 for the honor of their family. (That character is called a CHILD multiple times in Song of Ebony. She's too young for the MMC of Song of Ebony to consider her as a grown up. And she isn't aged up for her own book, which starts prior to the SoE.) Is DGW Mormon? Fundamental Christian? I know she lives in Australia, maybe there's a religious sect I'm not aware of glorifying 15 year olds giving birth?! Between the weird colonization=good and the preview of the next book I think I'm done with DGW for a while.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 15, 2023
"Song of Ebony" is a fantasy retelling of Snow White. While the major plot points from the fairytale do show up in this story, the author has extensively created her own fantasy world in which to place the story. Humans live in the trees of the jungle to avoid the wild magic of the ground that will kill them. The elves can live on the ground but have to constantly work to 'mine' the wild magic and place it into objects for specific uses. A jealous queen sends her stepdaughter to the ground to pay a debt to the elves and to maintain her control over the humans. She assumes Bianca will die. But she doesn't because she's a Singer (magic user). Some outcast elves and a stranded human prince help her survive repeated attempts by both the queen and the elves to capture or kill her.
Frankly, I feel like I should have enjoyed it at 4 stars as it has things I like: a sweet heroine who is capable (and becomes more so), a trustworthy, supportive prince, and an interesting world with unique cultures. I guess I kind of felt like Bianca blamed herself for not taking control from the queen when her father died, but I felt like she had tried and the humans who should have backed her up didn't do so. Bianca's determined to do things right when she regains control, yet by the end planned to sail off with the prince to visit his land. I felt like she still had a lot of responsibilities requiring her to stay home at that moment, so that just felt irresponsible to me.
Anyway, there was no sex or bad language. It was an interesting retelling, so I'd recommend it to fans of fairytale retellings.
Frankly, I feel like I should have enjoyed it at 4 stars as it has things I like: a sweet heroine who is capable (and becomes more so), a trustworthy, supportive prince, and an interesting world with unique cultures. I guess I kind of felt like Bianca blamed herself for not taking control from the queen when her father died, but I felt like she had tried and the humans who should have backed her up didn't do so. Bianca's determined to do things right when she regains control, yet by the end planned to sail off with the prince to visit his land. I felt like she still had a lot of responsibilities requiring her to stay home at that moment, so that just felt irresponsible to me.
Anyway, there was no sex or bad language. It was an interesting retelling, so I'd recommend it to fans of fairytale retellings.
September 19, 2023
Deborah Grace White’s books are like coming home. You know what to expect. You’re going to get clean writing, great worldbuilding, wonderful characters, and a happy ending.
I really enjoyed Song of Ebony. Bianca has the biggest heart and I loved that. I liked seeing her grow into her role of a leader.
Farren’s caring and protectiveness was very sweet.
The elves reminded me of the goblins in Hilari Bell’s The Goblin Wood and I was loving every minute of their crazy bargaining
I absolutely loved the worldbuilding of Solstice and Kyona, in White’s other series, and I would have been perfectly content for all of her books to be in that world… but Selvana being a town built on a jungle island in the trees was very intriguing, especially the wild magic.
Best of all though is that I can always count on Miss White’s books being clean. Her books should be the standard of what content should be in YA books. Nothing is ever too gory, romance is always kept clean and sweet, no vulgar language, and no evil is ever glorified. I can’t wait to share her books with my daughters when they get older.
I really enjoyed Song of Ebony. Bianca has the biggest heart and I loved that. I liked seeing her grow into her role of a leader.
Farren’s caring and protectiveness was very sweet.
The elves reminded me of the goblins in Hilari Bell’s The Goblin Wood and I was loving every minute of their crazy bargaining
I absolutely loved the worldbuilding of Solstice and Kyona, in White’s other series, and I would have been perfectly content for all of her books to be in that world… but Selvana being a town built on a jungle island in the trees was very intriguing, especially the wild magic.
Best of all though is that I can always count on Miss White’s books being clean. Her books should be the standard of what content should be in YA books. Nothing is ever too gory, romance is always kept clean and sweet, no vulgar language, and no evil is ever glorified. I can’t wait to share her books with my daughters when they get older.
April 2, 2023
It's an ok retelling. I like that the character Bianca has beautiful, dark, ebony skin and snow white hair. It makes for a much more realistic beauty, in my opinion. I also like how the series introduces characters and we meet them again further into the books. Prince Emmett is Farrin's, the Male lead in this book, brother. He's also featured more in the next book(mermaid retelling). But we still are waiting to see what happens with him. I like that in a series. It introduces other people and even gives some background, but never completely finishes with them. Leaves me wanting more. I can't stand when a book is finished and side characters aren't expanded. Anyway, this is pretty good. Bianca is annoyingly trusting, we're supposed to love that, and hope she doesn't change. To be queen, you need some kind of backbone! Anyway, it's original and characters are gonna be popping in and out thru all the books. It's a quick read, but WARNING: Bianca will get on your nerves, Farrin will too. I like the elves!
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June 4, 2025
🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹
This is a Snow White retelling and the first of the Singer Tales series by Deborah Grace White. Bianca is an interesting take on Snow White, but I liked her! She did annoy me a couple of times. Farrin was great! He was brave in searching for a cure for his brother. The elves were an interesting twist on the seven dwarves. It was so interesting with the Singers and the living in trees! It was a bit confusing at times, but fascinating! I really liked the living in the trees part! That would be so cool! It was a good retelling of Snow White although not my favorite.
Quote that I liked:
🌹 "All the same, it's yours if you want it," she told him simply. Her smile grew. "And I don't ask anything in exchange-it's a gift freely given.” “Well that's a relief." said Farrin, leaning forward so that his breath was warm on her face. "Because I don't have anything that could come close to matching the value of that gift. All I can offer is my own heart, which seems to me a poor exchange.”
🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹
This is a Snow White retelling and the first of the Singer Tales series by Deborah Grace White. Bianca is an interesting take on Snow White, but I liked her! She did annoy me a couple of times. Farrin was great! He was brave in searching for a cure for his brother. The elves were an interesting twist on the seven dwarves. It was so interesting with the Singers and the living in trees! It was a bit confusing at times, but fascinating! I really liked the living in the trees part! That would be so cool! It was a good retelling of Snow White although not my favorite.
Quote that I liked:
🌹 "All the same, it's yours if you want it," she told him simply. Her smile grew. "And I don't ask anything in exchange-it's a gift freely given.” “Well that's a relief." said Farrin, leaning forward so that his breath was warm on her face. "Because I don't have anything that could come close to matching the value of that gift. All I can offer is my own heart, which seems to me a poor exchange.”
🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹
September 9, 2023
I absolutely loved this book, which was a nice surprise because Snow White isn't generally my favorite(though my main exposure is the Disney movie, so take that however you will). I love that Bianca is a generally optimistic and trusting character, even to a fault sometimes, but is still strong, capable, and often wise. I love that Farrin recognizes that in her and loves her because of it. I love that they both recognize their faults and work to overcome them and are patient with each other while they grow. They're basically my favorite kind of characters.
The book also set up a fascinating magic system for the series that I'm excited to learn more about from the point of view of characters who understand it better.
Also, the elves and their whole thing with making deals was fantastic.
Overall, an excellent fairytale retelling that makes me want to learn more about the world it introduced!
The book also set up a fascinating magic system for the series that I'm excited to learn more about from the point of view of characters who understand it better.
Also, the elves and their whole thing with making deals was fantastic.
Overall, an excellent fairytale retelling that makes me want to learn more about the world it introduced!
August 14, 2023
A fairy tale retelling where singing (or voice “dancing”) is magic? Sign me up! I truly believe that music can be magic.
This is a Snow White retelling. Bianca lives in a land of treetops, as the land below is full of wild magic and is inhospitable to humans. When her stepmother tries to kill her, Bianca ends up on the ground and allied with some outcast elves (who made me think more Keebler, less Legolas). There are plots upon plots, betrayals (including one I didn’t expect), and hints at other fairy tale stories to come.
Since it’s a fairy tale retelling, you’re basically guaranteed a HEA. But the romance between Bianca and Farrin didn’t feel as fake as you’d get in a 90 minute movie from a company run by a mouse.
January 23, 2023
This is the first of a new series and the world-building within the book is excellently paced as the characters live in and discover new aspects of their world, which is full of wild magic, dangerous to humans on an island they live with the elves, who they believe tricked them into dying on the ground in their past. The main character, Bianca, is a young woman but her hair has turned all white due to contact with magic unexpectedly. She loves to make her words “dance,” and this becomes an important aspect to the story, so I can’t quite give away what this means, but I loved the idea. Clean Fantasy Adventure Romance by a Christian Indie Author.
December 20, 2024
incredible start to the series, full of magic and romance
This retelling of the Snow White will definitely be a delight to read by the fairy tale’s fans. However, in true Ms. White’s fashion, the story brings so much more: the fantasy world is intriguing without being too heavy, the plot is amazing, and the characters are wonderful in their growth.
As any good story, it teaches and shows the beauty of trust, learning on past mistakes, facing fears and change, and of course loving selflessly.
Oh, and of course sweet (and clean - just kisses) romance between Bianca and Farrin gives all the feels.
This retelling of the Snow White will definitely be a delight to read by the fairy tale’s fans. However, in true Ms. White’s fashion, the story brings so much more: the fantasy world is intriguing without being too heavy, the plot is amazing, and the characters are wonderful in their growth.
As any good story, it teaches and shows the beauty of trust, learning on past mistakes, facing fears and change, and of course loving selflessly.
Oh, and of course sweet (and clean - just kisses) romance between Bianca and Farrin gives all the feels.
May 11, 2023
A very unique take on the original Snow White fairy tale. The world was interesting with some fun characters. Just like her other fairy tale series this one will encompass an overall evil threat seen throughout the books. While this one does have a satisfying ending there will clearly be connections in the next books. And I am curious to see what clues the next books will give as to who is the evil mastermind threatening all the kingdoms.
I took a star away because the book didn’t have enough dialogue in the first half of the book for my preference. Now on to book #2!
I took a star away because the book didn’t have enough dialogue in the first half of the book for my preference. Now on to book #2!
May 18, 2024
Bargain-loving elves and two royals determined to keep their identities a secret
The elves are fascinating. They’re small, but they’re as exact as fae in this series. Precise wording and bargains matter. Bianca has a gentle heart, but wow did she cause me a lot of frustration at her naïveté at times. Farrin was a good foil. Both go on journeys of self-discovery in the book. The plot was well-paced and the characters developed. I enjoyed this book and look forward to seeing what happens next.
The elves are fascinating. They’re small, but they’re as exact as fae in this series. Precise wording and bargains matter. Bianca has a gentle heart, but wow did she cause me a lot of frustration at her naïveté at times. Farrin was a good foil. Both go on journeys of self-discovery in the book. The plot was well-paced and the characters developed. I enjoyed this book and look forward to seeing what happens next.
January 12, 2023
Delightful
I’m not a huge fan of Snow White stories for some reason, but I really liked this version of it. The elves were an interesting take on the dwarves and the prince was just right. The princess frustrated me (and the prince lol) for a while as she seemed determined to be TSTL. But she won me over in the end. It’s a standalone with a satisfying end. It looks like we will get more of their ending in the next book which I’m looking forward to.
I’m not a huge fan of Snow White stories for some reason, but I really liked this version of it. The elves were an interesting take on the dwarves and the prince was just right. The princess frustrated me (and the prince lol) for a while as she seemed determined to be TSTL. But she won me over in the end. It’s a standalone with a satisfying end. It looks like we will get more of their ending in the next book which I’m looking forward to.
October 2, 2025
A fun, unique retelling of Snow White with the jungle setting where humans can’t go on the ground or they die of wild magic. A jealous queen sent her to the ground to pay the debt to the elves hoping she dies, but she survives. I liked the creative worldbuilding. It was interesting to see elves as the seven dwarfs. I didn’t really connect with the two main characters, but I liked the twist of Snow White having black skin and white hair instead of traditional black hair and pale skin.
August 7, 2023
Best retold story of Snow White I've ever read. It was nicely done, and I enjoyed the twist and the tale immensely. I appreciate the author always giving her characters time to actually get to know their love interests before they fall in love with them. That was always one of my problems with fairytales in general. Thanks Ms. White! Makes the relationship much more believable.
December 27, 2022
Fabulous start to the new series
I loved this retelling of Snow White and found it pleasantly unique.
Of course it’s clean- romantically and violence wise.
Can’t wait for the next!
I loved this retelling of Snow White and found it pleasantly unique.
Of course it’s clean- romantically and violence wise.
Can’t wait for the next!
December 31, 2022
A unique but somewhat convoluted version of Snow White, complete with seven dwarves (short elves), a wandering prince, and a wicked stepmother. This Snow is just as naive, though she has a lot more backbone.
January 1, 2023
I really loved reading this wonderful book! I loved the characters and the plot! I had a hard time putting this wonderful book down! I absolutely loved this retelling of Snow White! I am really looking forward to reading the next book in this wonderful series!
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