Malice by Heather Walter
Age Group: Young Adult
Format: Fiction
Genres and Categories: Lesbian Characters, Sapphic Characters, Magic Users, Royalty Characters, Villain Characters, Fae/Fey, Dark Fantasy, Fairytales, Various Magic
Series: Malice Duology #1
My Rating:
Published on: 16th January 2026
Pages: 470
Buy this Book! Amazon UK / Amazon US / Barnes & Noble / Blackwells / Bookshop.org US / Bookshop.org UK / Waterstones / BookBeat Audio
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The princess isn't supposed to fall for an evil sorceress. But in this darkly magical retelling of Sleeping Beauty, true love is more complicated than a simple fairy tale. Once upon a time, there was a wicked fairy who cursed a line of princesses to die, and could only be broken by true love's kiss. You've heard this before, haven't you? The handsome prince. The happily-ever-after.

Utter nonsense.

Let me tell you, no one actually cares about what happens to our princesses. I thought I didn't care, either. Until I met her.

Princess Aurora. The last heir to the throne. The future queen her realm needs. One who isn't bothered that I am the Dark Grace, abhorred and feared for the mysterious dark magic that runs in my veins. Aurora says I should be proud of my gifts. That she . . . cares for me. Even though it was a power like mine that was responsible for her curse.

But with less than a year until that curse will kill her, any future I might see with Aurora is swiftly disintegrating - and she can't stand to kiss yet another insipid prince. I want to help her. If my power began her curse, perhaps it's what can lift it. Perhaps, together, we could forge a new world.

Nonsense again. Because we all know how this story ends, don't we? Aurora is the beautiful princess. And I-

I am the villain.

This book was provided for free by NetGalley, Rockstar Book Tours and the publishers in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks to the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read this book!

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I first heard about Malice by Heather Walter from Lorraine of a Geeky Galaxy when she listed it on her April 2021 books to add to your TBR. Naturally, Malice got added to my TBR. I then watched a promotional video featuring Heather Walter during the Del Rey Virtual Showcase (read the highlights here!) and heard about the book in her own words. I was even more sold on this book, so when Del Rey offered me a chance to read it, I grabbed the chance with both hands.

I’ve been struggling to find the words to write this review because, to be quite frank, Malice blew me away. There are some books that are amazing, and then there are some books that sing a song that echoes in your heart. Malice is one of those for me. I connected very strongly with the character of Malice and her circumstances on a personal level and revelled in her transformation.

The world Heather Walter has created is rich, vibrant, inherently flawed and incredible. This is a book about a villain and her story, and yet it’s so much more than that. The fantasy world that Malice is a part of has such unique races that I was craving more information with every page. I liked the way that this knowledge was imparted to the reader from two very different sources as well, making us question the validity of the information at every step.

That’s one of the core themes of this novel: truth and especially the truth of history. The adage that history is written by the victor is in play here, although it’s not quite as simple as that. What happens when the victor’s story gets manipulated and usurped? Their power diluted over time until they don’t really have it anymore? That’s the situation that Princess Aurora finds herself in, and she’s most definitely not a sleeping beauty. There is nothing passive or damsel-like about Aurora, and she’s incredible. She’s the type of strong female character that we need to see more of in YA.

Unfortunately, both Malice and Aurora are playing a game with only half the cards, and this is a world where power reigns, and while they have the power of truth and good on their side, that isn’t enough. This is a book about a villain, not a hero, and Walter delivers that in full colour and heart-wrenching emotion. Even as I read the final scenes of the book, a part of me was begging for it not to happen, and I realised that we’re pre-conditioned to fight against the villain. The problem is that things aren’t that black and white, and Malice is a book of greys upon greys. Very few characters in this book are not grey (I can count two, and one of them I suspect is probably quite grey, we just don’t know anything about her – yet), and even when you think you’ve worked one out, Walter is there with a scene that changes your entire perspective.

Malice isn’t all sour and dour, though; it’s fun, flirty and beautiful too. It’s filled with Sleeping Beauty, Disney and fairytale easter eggs as well. This is a fantasy novel that is a treat to read.

Malice is a book for people who like something different, who like characters who don’t fit into those nice, neat little boxes. It’s a book about an underdog who finds someone who understands them and wants them for who they are, not who they want them to become. There’s female friendship and romance, a unique magic system, intrigue, and so much more. It’s definitely a must-read for fans of fairytales!

About Heather Walter

Heather Walter has been telling stories for as long as she can remember. A graduate of the University of Texas at Austin with both English and Information Science degrees, books are--and always will be--a definitive part of her life.

As an author, Heather loves writing about what-ifs, flawed protagonists, and re-imagined history. Her favorite characters are usually villains.

When not writing, you can find her reading (duh), knitting, binging TV, and planning her next travel adventure.

Website | Goodreads | Instagram | Twitter

Many thanks for reading my review of Heather Walter’s debut novel, Malice! I hope I managed to articulate what makes this novel so special and didn’t just word vomit. It truly is a wonderful book 🙂

Have you read Malice? What did you think?

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