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Winter Cursed #1-2
Winter Cursed: The Complete Series
A dark prince and a princess of snow.
Divided by war.
Bound by a kiss of true love.
Elisabeth is the heir to a kingdom trapped in an eternal winter, however, her stepmother Ismena rules as regent until she can come of age. When Ismena comes to kill her, she is forced to flee into an enchanted forest—only to discover that she has entered the realm of an exiled dark prince and his band of mercenary dwarfs.
Cedric of Mooraven is the son of Elisabeth’s enemy, but he might just be her only hope of defeating her stepmother. The only thing he asks for in return is that Elisabeth lift his exile and allow him to return to the rest of the world. Elisabeth doesn’t want to trust him, but neither can she trust herself or her magical powers over ice and snow. An ability that she must keep under tight control for fear of making the winter worse.
With Ismena bent on killing her and the dark prince bargaining for his freedom, the fate of a kingdom rests on Elisabeth’s choice. Ismena, Cedric, or herself… who should she protect her people from?
Mirror, mirror…
All will fall,
Till I’m the fairest…
Of them all.
The classic tale of Snow White takes a darker turn in this YA fantasy reimagining where the dwarves are mercenaries, the prince cannot be trusted, and the whole world is trapped in a spell of ice. This series is perfect for fans of C.J. Redwine, Melanie Cellier, and Sylvia Mercedes.
Divided by war.
Bound by a kiss of true love.
Elisabeth is the heir to a kingdom trapped in an eternal winter, however, her stepmother Ismena rules as regent until she can come of age. When Ismena comes to kill her, she is forced to flee into an enchanted forest—only to discover that she has entered the realm of an exiled dark prince and his band of mercenary dwarfs.
Cedric of Mooraven is the son of Elisabeth’s enemy, but he might just be her only hope of defeating her stepmother. The only thing he asks for in return is that Elisabeth lift his exile and allow him to return to the rest of the world. Elisabeth doesn’t want to trust him, but neither can she trust herself or her magical powers over ice and snow. An ability that she must keep under tight control for fear of making the winter worse.
With Ismena bent on killing her and the dark prince bargaining for his freedom, the fate of a kingdom rests on Elisabeth’s choice. Ismena, Cedric, or herself… who should she protect her people from?
Mirror, mirror…
All will fall,
Till I’m the fairest…
Of them all.
The classic tale of Snow White takes a darker turn in this YA fantasy reimagining where the dwarves are mercenaries, the prince cannot be trusted, and the whole world is trapped in a spell of ice. This series is perfect for fans of C.J. Redwine, Melanie Cellier, and Sylvia Mercedes.
Unknown Binding
Published October 28, 2022
46 people are currently reading
67 people want to read
About the author
Nicki Chapelway
37 books330 followersNicki is a twenty-something author of swoony romantic fantasy. She has been writing since she was eleven and has since published several works. She enjoys creating stories with twisty-stabby faerie romances, retellings that take a darker turn, and epic fantasies in worlds full of monsters and magic.
Nicki lives in Ohio where she spends far too much time watching TV, playing video games, and sleeping. She listens to music basically all the time, and adores obsessing over mythologies, her shows, and her slew of fictional boyfriends. When not writing, she can usually be found at her desk with either a paintbrush or a pen in her hand.
Subscribe to her newsletter and receive a free book!
https://mailchi.mp/b6ec5f4a74a5/subsc...
Nicki lives in Ohio where she spends far too much time watching TV, playing video games, and sleeping. She listens to music basically all the time, and adores obsessing over mythologies, her shows, and her slew of fictional boyfriends. When not writing, she can usually be found at her desk with either a paintbrush or a pen in her hand.
Subscribe to her newsletter and receive a free book!
https://mailchi.mp/b6ec5f4a74a5/subsc...
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
October 29, 2022
Winter Cursed: The Complete Series (Nicki Chapelway Bundles, #1)
First Read: 12/23/18 - 9/22/21
Overall Rating for All Three Books:
5 Stars
Overall Review:
An absolutely wonderful collection of the "Winter Cursed" series! I loved everything about this "Snow White" retelling and love how all the books are now in one place. PLUS THAT COVER *Heart Eyes*
I had already previously read all the books, but you can see my reviews for them at the links below:
My Review for "A Winter Grim and Lonely" (Winter Cursed, #0.5)
My Review for "Winter Cursed" (Winter Cursed #1)
My Review for "A Winter Dark and Deadly" (Winter Cursed #2)
"A Winter Grim and Lonely" (Winter Cursed, #0.5)
First Read: 1/29/19 - 1/30/19
Reread: 6/8/21 - 6/21/21
Rating: 5 Stars
My FIVE STAR Review
Review:
You know that saying: "Everyone is the hero of their own story"? Well, Nicki just took that saying to a whole new level.
*Cries*
*Sobs*
*Wails*
It was just so sad and good and *hiccup* somehow I really felt for Ismena. She was her own hero and her own villain.
Like is this is supposed to happen??? Am I supposed to like her? I mean she is the villain after all.
Look. I like villain stories done well. And this is done so well, that, yes, I was crying at the end. And I already knew how it was going to end, and yet I still had tears on my cheeks. Thanks Nicki, I really needed that.
Ismena just wanted to be loved by the man whom she loved. But he just abandoned her. Because he didn't think she was pretty enough or something like that. Like what is wrong with that!?!
No, I didn't like what Ismena did. But I felt her hurt. A promise is a promise and they need to be kept, especially in the matters of love.
I really like how much Ismena loved kids. And especially how much she loved Elisabeth.
The whole book was tragic, the writing was stellar, and even though Ismena may not be the fairest of them all, she will always be the one who we will cry over.
Then there was stuff in this one that was very interesting that I'm sure will be explained in book 2.
Plus that cover *heart eyes* It. Is. Beautiful!
Content in Book:
1. Vanity
2. Magic.
3. Using a potion to create monsters out of men.
4. Poisons.
5. Violence. (War related. Trying to kill people. Killing people. Stabbing someone with a knife and . Tying a corset too tight on purpose.)
6. Someone giving birth and dying. Not too detailed.
7. Mentions of wanting children.
8. Some more passionate kisses from a married couple.
9. Adultery. Wanting a man when he was already married. Wanting a woman when he was already engaged to another.
Review first seen on Goodreads here.
"Winter Cursed" (Winter Cursed #1)
First Read: 12/14/18 - 12/23/18
Reread: 6/8/21 - 6/21/21
Rating: 5 Stars
Review:
Gah! I loved this book so much! I'm gonna to give it five shiny stars! Snow White was already a good tale, but this book is one of the BEST RETELLINGS I HAVE EVER READ!!!!
The Characters:
Cedric is fabulous! I love the banter and his darkness! And it was interesting to have him the prince of shadows! In the original retelling the Prince didn't have any role with the plot and the love is too instant and stuff. This book is not the case. Cedric has a great role. Somebody help me though! I kept thinking that because Cedric is the dark prince that he has dark hair, then the book keeps reminding me that he actually has pale blond hair.... Lol
Elizabeth was okay. I thought she was a goody-two-shoes at first, but then she started to grow on me. And she works well with Cedric. I love how concern she was for her people and how she was willing to hold a sword to free her people from Ismena. Just, YES!!!
I really loved the seven dwarfs. They had really good character development, which kinda reminded me of dwarfs in The Hobbit (which, by the way, I loved!). I sometimes had a hard time keeping track of who was who, but they were so great and funny and just made the book, along with Cedric, of course.
Ismena was a wonderful villain. Believe it or not she was one of my favorite characters. She was so sincere and it just made sense why she didn't like Elizabeth. And that prologue, wow, that was scary, interesting, and heartbreaking all at the same time. =0 I LOVED IT!!! She seemed to care and then she didn't, but she did, I love villains like this!
The World Building:
The world building was also great. I love the eternal winter and the magic and the characters, it was so good!
The dark enchanted forest was a interesting place, scary, and dangerous; filled with Garmrs and other horrifying things (like Giant Spiders *shivers*). I just loved it!
Content in Book:
1. Cedric is the Prince of shadows.
2. Violence. (Hand-to-hand combat. With monsters. Using magic. With swords. Etc.)
3. Magic.
4. Killing people with poison.
5. Turning people into creatures and controlling them.
6. Turning people to ice.
7. Mentions of a war.
Review first seen on Goodreads here.
"A Winter Dark and Deadly" (Winter Cursed #2)
First Read: 9/4/21 - 9/22/21
Rating: 5 Stars
Review:
AHHHH!!!! I LOVED THIS BOOK SO MUCH, OKAY?
Don’t mind me while I fangirl over here. I mean, look at that beautiful cover! IT’S BLUE!!!
Today, I have the pleasure of reviewing this book. I’ll be honest, getting to spend time with some of my favorite characters, Cedric, Elisabeth, and the dwarfs, made me so giddy and happy. It has been so long. The first book (“Winter Cursed”) gave us the fairytale retelling of “Snow White” and set the stage for this book. This book, THIS BEAUTIFUL BOOK, had the main character question what true love really means, had the characters handle forgiveness and second chances, had villains who wanted to take over the entirety of the kingdom, and had further exploration of this well-crafted world. The whole story was purely a delight to read!
Themes
Can I just say how much I like the themes in the story? It really goes deep into forgiveness and second chances. Really showed the characters struggling with these things. And I loved how it addresses the issue of blaming someone for the sins of the parents.
The Romance
The romance was just wonderful. It had the slow burn of enemies to lovers. I like how they took time to really realize that they loved each other. That true love was questioned. I mean, you hear about true love in so many fairytales, but getting to read about a character questioning what true love really was, was refreshing. I kept rooting for the characters in every romantic scene. I was so happy at the bench scene. *Squeals* it was so good! I was cheering the whole time. Plus, I really like that they could argue with each other and still love one another, I feel that the relationship is actually stronger because of it. Yes, it still hurt them to argue, but they became closer because of it. Argue with me on the matter and I’ll win.
The Worldbuilding
We got to see more of this world! Like Mooraven, Havenkeep, Alain, and some magical island (that was awesome!). Plus, we got to learn that there are other lands in this world. Like the country of Almenia that is really warm. I just really appreciate how much more of the worldbuilding that was explored in this book than in the first book. And trust me when I say that the first book was good, but the fact that we got so much more of this one? Yes! I love it so much and I would really recommend it.
The Characters
Elisabeth. She was wonderful and was meant to be queen. Her ice powers are awesome, though I kind of wished her powers were used a little more in the story. I did love how her powers were used though. While Ismena used her ice powers for bad, Elisabeth mainly accidentally used her powers to display strong emotions. Which I really liked. I also like that she questioned what true love really was.
Cedric. Ahh, what to say about him? He is my favorite character and I love him so much. He always wanted people to see him as being the big bad, but in reality, he had a heart of gold and he was just really lonely. His banter always makes me smile, I love his shadow powers and the fact that he can talk to crows, and the way he is with Elisabeth. ❤ I feel like he really wanted to be with Elisabeth but he let Elisabeth make the choice, which I thought was so sweet. I love how he was willing to give people a second chance even if he was cautious (I mean, he should be). AND HOW HE CARED FOR HIS PEOPLE!!!
The dwarfs. I really enjoy the dwarfs. They kinda reminded me of the dwarfs in the Disney “Snow White” cartoon. We have Gabriel, the grumpy dwarf. Florian, who is mute and uses sign language. Aldrus and Alban, the twins. Kenrick, the hopelessly romantic. Fergus, the doctor. And Lucius, the father figure. Out of all the dwarfs, Lucius and Kenrick are probably my favorites. Especially Lucius, he was just so understanding and was there for Cedric when he needed him. I really like how each of the dwarfs has their own personality. Usually, they are all together whenever they are in a scene, but the different ways that they talk make it pretty easy to figure out who is who. And they are great. They’re always in some kind of shenanigan. I love them.
Luk. Elisabeth’s loyal guard. I really like that he wanted to keep Elisabeth safe. BUT, sometimes he overstepped boundaries. I don’t blame him too much, but I wished that he had trusted Elisabeth more.
Eirwen. I really liked her. I wanted Elisabeth to befriend her so bad. I wanted her to have a redemption arc so bad. Her past was so sad and it wasn’t fair that she had it caught up in the scheme of things. She needed someone to love her so much.
Ismena. Wow.
Cillian. The guy was horrible. He was power-hungry and had no compassion for others. Though the way that Cedric dealt with him. XD Worth. It.
Arnette. This guy seemed to be caring and he seemed to want what was best for Elisabeth. BUT, he didn’t think things through at times. And sometimes he was more of a hindrance. He was interesting, to say the least. There were times I liked him and other times… well, sometimes he made me mad.
The Ending
The ending was scary, to say the least. I’m going to be emotionally scarred here for a while. But it was sooo good.
Content in Book
1. Magic. (Ice, shadows, talking to crows, fire, witch powers. Etc.)
2. Violence. (A group of wolf-like creatures dead and bloody. With swords. With magic. Someone gets seriously injured and there is a lot of blood (actually, this happens more than once). A hand gets chopped off. Several people are killed, semi-descriptive. War is mentioned throughout. Several villagers get massacred and some people are okay with this. Etc.)
3. Turning people into immortal killing soldiers by making them drink poison. Semi-disturbing with how it is described.
4. Abuse.
5. Torture (only mentioned) and making a child performed torture on others.
6. Drunk characters.
Review first seen on Goodreads here.
Review also posted on my website here (with fan art of Cedric and Elisabeth). https://gracemmorris.wordpress.com/20...
Who I Would Recommend It To:
Those who like "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" retellings. Those who like excellent books with great world building and characters. Those who like books that have wonderful villains. Those who like winter, because it might just be eternal. Those who like fantasy. Those who like enemies to lovers romance. Those who like banter (*eye roll* because who doesn’t). Those who like thick books (this book is a big boy, but every moment is sooo worth it!) Trust me, this book deserves to be loved. It is really good!
First Read: 12/23/18 - 9/22/21
Overall Rating for All Three Books:
5 Stars
Overall Review:
An absolutely wonderful collection of the "Winter Cursed" series! I loved everything about this "Snow White" retelling and love how all the books are now in one place. PLUS THAT COVER *Heart Eyes*
I had already previously read all the books, but you can see my reviews for them at the links below:
My Review for "A Winter Grim and Lonely" (Winter Cursed, #0.5)
My Review for "Winter Cursed" (Winter Cursed #1)
My Review for "A Winter Dark and Deadly" (Winter Cursed #2)
"A Winter Grim and Lonely" (Winter Cursed, #0.5)
First Read: 1/29/19 - 1/30/19
Reread: 6/8/21 - 6/21/21
Rating: 5 Stars
My FIVE STAR Review
Review:
You know that saying: "Everyone is the hero of their own story"? Well, Nicki just took that saying to a whole new level.
*Cries*
*Sobs*
*Wails*
It was just so sad and good and *hiccup* somehow I really felt for Ismena. She was her own hero and her own villain.
Like is this is supposed to happen??? Am I supposed to like her? I mean she is the villain after all.
Look. I like villain stories done well. And this is done so well, that, yes, I was crying at the end. And I already knew how it was going to end, and yet I still had tears on my cheeks. Thanks Nicki, I really needed that.
Ismena just wanted to be loved by the man whom she loved. But he just abandoned her. Because he didn't think she was pretty enough or something like that. Like what is wrong with that!?!
No, I didn't like what Ismena did. But I felt her hurt. A promise is a promise and they need to be kept, especially in the matters of love.
I really like how much Ismena loved kids. And especially how much she loved Elisabeth.
The whole book was tragic, the writing was stellar, and even though Ismena may not be the fairest of them all, she will always be the one who we will cry over.
Then there was stuff in this one that was very interesting that I'm sure will be explained in book 2.
Plus that cover *heart eyes* It. Is. Beautiful!
Content in Book:
1. Vanity
2. Magic.
3. Using a potion to create monsters out of men.
4. Poisons.
5. Violence. (War related. Trying to kill people. Killing people. Stabbing someone with a knife and . Tying a corset too tight on purpose.)
6. Someone giving birth and dying. Not too detailed.
7. Mentions of wanting children.
8. Some more passionate kisses from a married couple.
9. Adultery. Wanting a man when he was already married. Wanting a woman when he was already engaged to another.
Review first seen on Goodreads here.
"Winter Cursed" (Winter Cursed #1)
First Read: 12/14/18 - 12/23/18
Reread: 6/8/21 - 6/21/21
Rating: 5 Stars
Review:
Gah! I loved this book so much! I'm gonna to give it five shiny stars! Snow White was already a good tale, but this book is one of the BEST RETELLINGS I HAVE EVER READ!!!!
The Characters:
Cedric is fabulous! I love the banter and his darkness! And it was interesting to have him the prince of shadows! In the original retelling the Prince didn't have any role with the plot and the love is too instant and stuff. This book is not the case. Cedric has a great role. Somebody help me though! I kept thinking that because Cedric is the dark prince that he has dark hair, then the book keeps reminding me that he actually has pale blond hair.... Lol
Elizabeth was okay. I thought she was a goody-two-shoes at first, but then she started to grow on me. And she works well with Cedric. I love how concern she was for her people and how she was willing to hold a sword to free her people from Ismena. Just, YES!!!
I really loved the seven dwarfs. They had really good character development, which kinda reminded me of dwarfs in The Hobbit (which, by the way, I loved!). I sometimes had a hard time keeping track of who was who, but they were so great and funny and just made the book, along with Cedric, of course.
Ismena was a wonderful villain. Believe it or not she was one of my favorite characters. She was so sincere and it just made sense why she didn't like Elizabeth. And that prologue, wow, that was scary, interesting, and heartbreaking all at the same time. =0 I LOVED IT!!! She seemed to care and then she didn't, but she did, I love villains like this!
The World Building:
The world building was also great. I love the eternal winter and the magic and the characters, it was so good!
The dark enchanted forest was a interesting place, scary, and dangerous; filled with Garmrs and other horrifying things (like Giant Spiders *shivers*). I just loved it!
Content in Book:
1. Cedric is the Prince of shadows.
2. Violence. (Hand-to-hand combat. With monsters. Using magic. With swords. Etc.)
3. Magic.
4. Killing people with poison.
5. Turning people into creatures and controlling them.
6. Turning people to ice.
7. Mentions of a war.
Review first seen on Goodreads here.
"A Winter Dark and Deadly" (Winter Cursed #2)
First Read: 9/4/21 - 9/22/21
Rating: 5 Stars
Review:
AHHHH!!!! I LOVED THIS BOOK SO MUCH, OKAY?
Don’t mind me while I fangirl over here. I mean, look at that beautiful cover! IT’S BLUE!!!
Today, I have the pleasure of reviewing this book. I’ll be honest, getting to spend time with some of my favorite characters, Cedric, Elisabeth, and the dwarfs, made me so giddy and happy. It has been so long. The first book (“Winter Cursed”) gave us the fairytale retelling of “Snow White” and set the stage for this book. This book, THIS BEAUTIFUL BOOK, had the main character question what true love really means, had the characters handle forgiveness and second chances, had villains who wanted to take over the entirety of the kingdom, and had further exploration of this well-crafted world. The whole story was purely a delight to read!
Themes
Can I just say how much I like the themes in the story? It really goes deep into forgiveness and second chances. Really showed the characters struggling with these things. And I loved how it addresses the issue of blaming someone for the sins of the parents.
The Romance
The romance was just wonderful. It had the slow burn of enemies to lovers. I like how they took time to really realize that they loved each other. That true love was questioned. I mean, you hear about true love in so many fairytales, but getting to read about a character questioning what true love really was, was refreshing. I kept rooting for the characters in every romantic scene. I was so happy at the bench scene. *Squeals* it was so good! I was cheering the whole time. Plus, I really like that they could argue with each other and still love one another, I feel that the relationship is actually stronger because of it. Yes, it still hurt them to argue, but they became closer because of it. Argue with me on the matter and I’ll win.
The Worldbuilding
We got to see more of this world! Like Mooraven, Havenkeep, Alain, and some magical island (that was awesome!). Plus, we got to learn that there are other lands in this world. Like the country of Almenia that is really warm. I just really appreciate how much more of the worldbuilding that was explored in this book than in the first book. And trust me when I say that the first book was good, but the fact that we got so much more of this one? Yes! I love it so much and I would really recommend it.
The Characters
Elisabeth. She was wonderful and was meant to be queen. Her ice powers are awesome, though I kind of wished her powers were used a little more in the story. I did love how her powers were used though. While Ismena used her ice powers for bad, Elisabeth mainly accidentally used her powers to display strong emotions. Which I really liked. I also like that she questioned what true love really was.
Cedric. Ahh, what to say about him? He is my favorite character and I love him so much. He always wanted people to see him as being the big bad, but in reality, he had a heart of gold and he was just really lonely. His banter always makes me smile, I love his shadow powers and the fact that he can talk to crows, and the way he is with Elisabeth. ❤ I feel like he really wanted to be with Elisabeth but he let Elisabeth make the choice, which I thought was so sweet. I love how he was willing to give people a second chance even if he was cautious (I mean, he should be). AND HOW HE CARED FOR HIS PEOPLE!!!
The dwarfs. I really enjoy the dwarfs. They kinda reminded me of the dwarfs in the Disney “Snow White” cartoon. We have Gabriel, the grumpy dwarf. Florian, who is mute and uses sign language. Aldrus and Alban, the twins. Kenrick, the hopelessly romantic. Fergus, the doctor. And Lucius, the father figure. Out of all the dwarfs, Lucius and Kenrick are probably my favorites. Especially Lucius, he was just so understanding and was there for Cedric when he needed him. I really like how each of the dwarfs has their own personality. Usually, they are all together whenever they are in a scene, but the different ways that they talk make it pretty easy to figure out who is who. And they are great. They’re always in some kind of shenanigan. I love them.
Luk. Elisabeth’s loyal guard. I really like that he wanted to keep Elisabeth safe. BUT, sometimes he overstepped boundaries. I don’t blame him too much, but I wished that he had trusted Elisabeth more.
Eirwen. I really liked her. I wanted Elisabeth to befriend her so bad. I wanted her to have a redemption arc so bad. Her past was so sad and it wasn’t fair that she had it caught up in the scheme of things. She needed someone to love her so much.
Ismena. Wow.
Cillian. The guy was horrible. He was power-hungry and had no compassion for others. Though the way that Cedric dealt with him. XD Worth. It.
Arnette. This guy seemed to be caring and he seemed to want what was best for Elisabeth. BUT, he didn’t think things through at times. And sometimes he was more of a hindrance. He was interesting, to say the least. There were times I liked him and other times… well, sometimes he made me mad.
The Ending
The ending was scary, to say the least. I’m going to be emotionally scarred here for a while. But it was sooo good.
Content in Book
1. Magic. (Ice, shadows, talking to crows, fire, witch powers. Etc.)
2. Violence. (A group of wolf-like creatures dead and bloody. With swords. With magic. Someone gets seriously injured and there is a lot of blood (actually, this happens more than once). A hand gets chopped off. Several people are killed, semi-descriptive. War is mentioned throughout. Several villagers get massacred and some people are okay with this. Etc.)
3. Turning people into immortal killing soldiers by making them drink poison. Semi-disturbing with how it is described.
4. Abuse.
5. Torture (only mentioned) and making a child performed torture on others.
6. Drunk characters.
Review first seen on Goodreads here.
Review also posted on my website here (with fan art of Cedric and Elisabeth). https://gracemmorris.wordpress.com/20...
Who I Would Recommend It To:
Those who like "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" retellings. Those who like excellent books with great world building and characters. Those who like books that have wonderful villains. Those who like winter, because it might just be eternal. Those who like fantasy. Those who like enemies to lovers romance. Those who like banter (*eye roll* because who doesn’t). Those who like thick books (this book is a big boy, but every moment is sooo worth it!) Trust me, this book deserves to be loved. It is really good!
October 28, 2022
Snow flakes flutter in the sky,
Let me tell you of the day you die.
The world around you concealed in ice,
All that you do comes at a price.”
Winter Cursed is a Snow White retelling, and I stayed pretty faithful to the original story. But it is also based off of some Nordic and Celtic mythologies, has lots of ice magic, and a snarky dark prince. The prequel, A Winter Grim and Lonely, tells of how Ismena became a wicked queen is dark and dare I say grim. And the sequel A Winter Dark and Deadly breaks into its own story, telling the tale of what happens after Snow White wakes up...
“So what if the world freezes? Maybe that’s what it deserves.”
The prince is an exiled dark lord. The dwarfs mercenary war criminals. An enchanted mirror hiding a sinister force. An eternal winter. A princess cursed from birth...
“What this story needs a dark lord,” Cedric mumbled with a shake of his head.
I can't believe that what began as an idea to twist the tale of Snow White by adding darker elements has developed into this story. Originally it was just supposed to be a novella retelling, but then the evil queen demanded to have her story told. The sequel A Winter Dark and Deadly was also never a part of the plan, but as I finished writing Winter Cursed the story just seemed so incomplete. I started wondering, what happens to Snow White after she awakens to true love's kiss and returns to her castle, a prince and seven dwarfs in tow, claiming that she had killed the queen because she was evil. And so this tale was born.
What did true love’s kiss even mean?
This story started out as a dark fantasy, but as I wrote it started transforming into a fairy tale, and I think that's very fitting for this story. That dark beginning and the slow shift into something that just might have a happy ending.
“But you were born to rule. You were born to conquer and if you put your mind to it, you could do anything you want. So, stop playing the part of the damsel, when you can be anyone you want to be. The villain. The hero. The queen.”
I am the author of this book and my thoughts and views are 100% biased.
It seemed all Cedric truly had to his name were ruined castles.
Let me tell you of the day you die.
The world around you concealed in ice,
All that you do comes at a price.”
Winter Cursed is a Snow White retelling, and I stayed pretty faithful to the original story. But it is also based off of some Nordic and Celtic mythologies, has lots of ice magic, and a snarky dark prince. The prequel, A Winter Grim and Lonely, tells of how Ismena became a wicked queen is dark and dare I say grim. And the sequel A Winter Dark and Deadly breaks into its own story, telling the tale of what happens after Snow White wakes up...
“So what if the world freezes? Maybe that’s what it deserves.”
The prince is an exiled dark lord. The dwarfs mercenary war criminals. An enchanted mirror hiding a sinister force. An eternal winter. A princess cursed from birth...
“What this story needs a dark lord,” Cedric mumbled with a shake of his head.
I can't believe that what began as an idea to twist the tale of Snow White by adding darker elements has developed into this story. Originally it was just supposed to be a novella retelling, but then the evil queen demanded to have her story told. The sequel A Winter Dark and Deadly was also never a part of the plan, but as I finished writing Winter Cursed the story just seemed so incomplete. I started wondering, what happens to Snow White after she awakens to true love's kiss and returns to her castle, a prince and seven dwarfs in tow, claiming that she had killed the queen because she was evil. And so this tale was born.
What did true love’s kiss even mean?
This story started out as a dark fantasy, but as I wrote it started transforming into a fairy tale, and I think that's very fitting for this story. That dark beginning and the slow shift into something that just might have a happy ending.
“But you were born to rule. You were born to conquer and if you put your mind to it, you could do anything you want. So, stop playing the part of the damsel, when you can be anyone you want to be. The villain. The hero. The queen.”
I am the author of this book and my thoughts and views are 100% biased.
It seemed all Cedric truly had to his name were ruined castles.
April 14, 2025
*3.5*
I really enjoyed the prequel novella, the first story, and the first half of the second book. The last half of book two really brought things down for me.
Prequel Novella: this is the main villain’s story and honestly??? Valid. Some decisions made were dumb, but I’m glad I got to see more of this character before reading the main two books.
Book One: ADORED!!! The chemistry and plot were amazing. It felt short, but I really did love all of it and all the nods to Snow White. Cedric.
Book Two: I really did enjoy the first half. There was a lot of buildup and secrets. We got to see more chemistry and tension. The second half really went down hill. So there are witches and sorcery in this world. Both are looked upon as bad. There is also mention of a Maker and the Tree of Life. My problem is with the witchcraft being twisted. Sometimes it’s looked upon as ok because certain characters were born to a witch. I am totally against that part of the story, but I did love our characters.
Content: witches/sorcery (looked on as wrong then shift to tolerated), in-world magic (this doesn’t bother me as much as outright witchcraft), violence (semidetailed), romance and kisses (up to just below semidetailed)
I really enjoyed the prequel novella, the first story, and the first half of the second book. The last half of book two really brought things down for me.
Prequel Novella: this is the main villain’s story and honestly??? Valid. Some decisions made were dumb, but I’m glad I got to see more of this character before reading the main two books.
Book One: ADORED!!! The chemistry and plot were amazing. It felt short, but I really did love all of it and all the nods to Snow White. Cedric.
Book Two: I really did enjoy the first half. There was a lot of buildup and secrets. We got to see more chemistry and tension. The second half really went down hill. So there are witches and sorcery in this world. Both are looked upon as bad. There is also mention of a Maker and the Tree of Life. My problem is with the witchcraft being twisted. Sometimes it’s looked upon as ok because certain characters were born to a witch. I am totally against that part of the story, but I did love our characters.
Content: witches/sorcery (looked on as wrong then shift to tolerated), in-world magic (this doesn’t bother me as much as outright witchcraft), violence (semidetailed), romance and kisses (up to just below semidetailed)
May 13, 2025
Elisabeth won me over from page one, a princess cursed to deepen the winter destroying her kingdom, with ice in her veins and fire in her heart. What made her stand out wasn’t just the magic, but how raw and human she felt: stubborn, distrustful, and afraid she might be as dangerous as the stepmother hunting her. Her journey to embrace that power was unforgettable. Pairing her with Cedric, a sharp-tongued, exiled princewa,s genius. Their chemistry crackles with tension, not just from clashing kingdoms, but from how alike they are: trapped, desperate, and unsure of their own roles in the story. And the mercenary dwarves? A darkly funny twist that kept things from getting too heavy.
The worldbuilding is immersive, painting a winter so vivid you can feel it creeping in. Every frostbitten forest and crumbling castle pulses with danger and enchantment. I only wish we got more of Ismena’s backstory what makes a queen so obsessed with being the “fairest”? If you love fairy tales with teeth and heroines who save themselves sometimes with a little help from a shady prince this duology is the perfect binge.
4.5/5, only because I’m selfish and wanted 100 more pages of Elisabeth and Cedric’s banter.
The worldbuilding is immersive, painting a winter so vivid you can feel it creeping in. Every frostbitten forest and crumbling castle pulses with danger and enchantment. I only wish we got more of Ismena’s backstory what makes a queen so obsessed with being the “fairest”? If you love fairy tales with teeth and heroines who save themselves sometimes with a little help from a shady prince this duology is the perfect binge.
4.5/5, only because I’m selfish and wanted 100 more pages of Elisabeth and Cedric’s banter.
November 10, 2025
A retelling of Snow White that is full of unexpected twists and turns.
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