Estimated Reading Time: 3min
Normally, villain origin stories feel like a pointless exercise – why can’t we just let bad guys be bad guys without trying to explain it away? This one, however, I actually found myself surprised and maybe considering that some stories might be interesting to tell…
Heartless
Catherine may be one of the most desired girls in Wonderland, and a favorite of the unmarried King of Hearts, but her interests lie elsewhere. A talented baker, all she wants is to open a shop with her best friend. But according to her mother, such a goal is unthinkable for the young woman who could be the next queen.
Then Cath meets Jest, the handsome and mysterious court joker. For the first time, she feels the pull of true attraction. At the risk of offending the king and infuriating her parents, she and Jest enter into an intense, secret courtship. Cath is determined to define her own destiny and fall in love on her terms. But in a land thriving with magic, madness, and monsters, fate has other plans.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Murder, Grief
Moderate: Body Shaming, Violence, Blood
Minor: War, Suicide, Kidnapping
My Review
I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this book. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but honestly with the exception of the inclusion of the three “sisters” (I genuinely have no clue why people like writing about those hags…. Yes offence to the hags intended) there wasn’t a whole ton of creepy magic so that was nice. (Some of my dislike of that is personal taste for reading, but I was happy to see minimal)
The love story was fun and the banter was great. I know we are reading the origin story of a villain (another phenomenon that I don’t understand why people like so much, but here I am reading one so… yup) but it still felt like it wasn’t until the end.
I was rooting for characters, liking the story, then BAM they hit me with creepy and I was annoyed. Ultimately, these fairytale retellings always feel the need to lean more into the creepy/evil but I was impressed that majority of this story didn’t so that.
Would I Recommend This Book?
Yes, I would still recommend this book (even keeping in mind the three witches that unnecessarily made an appearance).
Similar Books You Might Like
If you are thinking what kind of books would have similar feel, themes or content, here is a list that you can consider:
- The Lunar Chronicles (Marissa Meyer)
- To Kill a Kingdom (Alexandra Christo)
- Six of Crows (Leigh Bardugo)
See You in the Adventures!
Christy Grace
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