**Disclaimer: I was given a free audiobook in exchange for an honest review from the author.**
Title The Reflections of Queen Snow White
Author David Meredith
Description from Amazon
What happens when “happily ever after” has come and gone?
On the eve of her only daughter Princess Raven’s wedding, an aging Snow White finds it impossible to share in the joyous spirit of the occasion. The ceremony itself promises to be the most glamorous social event of the decade. Snow White’s castle has been meticulously scrubbed, polished, and opulently decorated for the celebration. It is already nearly bursting with jubilant guests and merry well-wishers. Prince Edel, Raven’s fiancé, is a fine man from a neighboring kingdom, and Snow White’s own domain is prosperous and at peace.
Things could not be better, in fact, except for one thing: The king is dead.
The queen has been in a moribund state of hopeless depression for over a year, with no end in sight. It is only when, in a fit of bitter despair, she seeks solitude in the vastness of her own sprawling castle and climbs a long disused and forgotten tower stair that she comes face to face with herself in the very same magic mirror used by her stepmother of old. It promises her respite in its shimmering depths, but can Snow White trust a device that was so precious to a woman who sought to cause her such irreparable harm? Can she confront the demons of her own difficult past to discover a better future for herself and her family? And finally, can she release her soul-crushing grief and suffocating loneliness to once again discover what “happily ever after” really means?
Only time will tell, as she wrestles with her past and is forced to confront the reflections of Queen Snow White.
Initial Thoughts
This is a book that wasn’t on my radar until the author, David Meredith, contacted me about reviewing it. I love a fairy tale retelling and he was actually looking for audiobook reviewers. As you may (or may not know), audiobooks are my absolute jam. I listen to so many on my crazy long commute to work). So, I was excited for the chance to listen to this book.
Some Things I Liked
- A spin on happily ever after. Fairy tales are commonly ended with something to the effect of “and then the all lived happily ever after.” No questions asked, no explanations. I loved that this story explored the darker side of Snow White’s story. I feel like the classic tale just glosses over her terrible childhood and the struggle she had to endure but this book dives right in.
- Emotional spectrum. You will feel all the feelings when you read (or listen to) this book. This book was truly an emotional rollercoaster and I really enjoyed that. There was no major action sequence or dragon to slay, the story was about the emotions and that was a refreshing take on a fairy tale.
Final Thoughts
This book was the sequel to the original Snow White tale that I remember as a child that I didn’t realize I needed until I read it. I found the way Queen Snow White remembered aspects of her life incredibly realistic and this story made a classic fictional character seem so much more relatable.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Recommendations for Further Reading
- The Evil Queen by Gena Showalter – if you liked the fairytale retelling aspect of this story, check out this series by Gena Showalter.
- Reflection by Elizabeth Lim – if you liked the idea of a sequel to a classic fairytale, give this book by Elizabeth Lim a try.
- The Last Note by Grace McGinty – if you like books that are filled with emotions, give this one by Grace McGinty a go.
Books Over Everything 