THE EVIL QUEEN by Gena Showalter

July 12, 2019

The Forest of Good and Evil #1
Release: June 25, 2019
Genre: YA Fantasy Retelling
Heroine POV: 1st person
Format: eARC provided by the publisher
Length: 544 pages
Publisher: Inkyard Press


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My heart belongs to Prince Roth

★★★★✩

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

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

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

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

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

Synopsis


WELCOME TO THE FOREST OF GOOD AND EVIL.

A DREAM COME TRUE…AND A LIVING NIGHTMARE.

Far, far away, in the realm of Enchantia, creatures of legend still exist, magic is the norm and fairy tales are real. Except, fairy tales aren’t based on myths and legends of the past—they are prophecies of the future.

Raised in the mortal realm, Everly Morrow has no idea she’s a real-life fairy-tale princess—until she manifests an ability to commune with mirrors.

Look. See… What will one peek hurt?

Soon, a horrifying truth is revealed. She is fated to be Snow White’s greatest enemy, the Evil Queen.

With powers beyond her imagination or control, Everly returns to the land of her birth. There, she meets Roth Charmaine, the supposed Prince Charming. Their attraction is undeniable, but their relationship is doomed. As the prophecy unfolds, Everly faces one betrayal after another, and giving in to her dark side proves more tempting every day. Can she resist, or will she become the queen—and villain—she was born to be?

The battle between good and evil is on.


About the Author
Gena Showalter is the New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of the spellbinding Lords of the Underworld, Otherworld Assassins, and Angels of the Dark series, as well as two young adult series--Everlife and the White Rabbit Chronicles--and the highly addictive Original Heartbreakers series.

In addition to being a National Reader's Choice and two time RITA nominee, her romance novels have appeared in Cosmopolitan (Red Hot Read) and Seventeen magazine. She was interviewed on Nightline and has been mentioned in Orange is the New Black. Her books have been translated in multiple languages.

She’s hard at work on her next novel, a tale featuring an alpha male with a dark side and the strong woman who brings him to his knees. Check back often to learn more about Gena, her menagerie of rescue dogs, and all her upcoming books.

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