The Crimson Crown

By: Heather Walter

Narrated by: Emily Woo Zeller

Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who’s the wickedest of them all? Snow White’s dark queen tells her side of the story in the first book of a queer, witchy duology that reimagines the classic fairy tale—from the author of Malice.

“An alluring, vengeful origin story that brings tremendous dimension to a classic fairytale.”—Chloe Gong, New York Times bestselling author of Immortal Longings

Legends tell of a witch who became a queen—the heartless villain in the story of Snow White.

But now the wicked queen is stepping out of Snow White’s shadow to become the heroine of her own legend.

Her real “once upon a time” begins when she is just Ayleth, a young witch who lives in the forest with her coven. The witches practice their magic in secret, hiding from the White King and his brutal war against witchcraft.

Ayleth, however, faces a war of her own. Her magical gifts have yet to reveal themselves, and as the threat of the Royal Huntsmen intensifies, Ayleth fears she will never become the witch her coven needs.

To prove herself, Ayleth sets out on a perilous quest that sends her to the White Palace, a decadent world of drama and deceit. There, Ayleth encounters an unlikely figure from her past: Jacquetta, a witch who once held Ayleth’s heart—and betrayed her.

As events at the palace escalate, Ayleth finds herself caught in the web of the White King, whose dark charisma is as dangerous as the sinister force that seems to be haunting the palace—and perhaps even Ayleth herself. With the threat of discovery looming, Ayleth and Jacquetta must set aside the wounds of their past and work together to survive.

As she uncovers the secrets of the White Court—and those of her own heart—Ayleth must find the strength to transform into someone she never imagined she could be.

A powerful witch, the very wickedest of them all.

Book One in The Crimson Crown series.

Critic reviews

“It’s always a pleasure to read a villain origin story that makes you go ‘Good for her,’ and Heather Walter pulls this off masterfully in The Crimson Crown. This is a lush, dark, riveting tale about all the things that can lie in a woman’s heart—power, rage, grief, vengeance—and it is spun in such haunting prose that it kept me on the edge of my seat all throughout. . . . Simply gorgeous.”—Thea Guanzon, USA Today and New York Times bestselling author of The Hurricane Wars

“Beautiful and gloriously poisonous, The Crimson Crown will enthrall you.”—Tasha Suri, World Fantasy Award-winning author of The Jasmine Throne

“An alluring, vengeful origin story as you’ve never seen before. The Crimson Crown brings tremendous dimension to a classic fairytale, ushering in the darkness you’ve always craved.”—Chloe Gong, New York Times bestselling author of Immortal Longings

“Walter’s deeply rooted point of view never falters and is supported by intricate world-building and a history of family, love, and betrayal—and the prices paid for each.”—Sara A. Mueller, author of The Bone Orchard

Awesome Story!

Beautifully written, gripping, strong characters, this book has it all. I can't wait until part 2!

I was hooked from the beginning.

Some parts I wanted more. I couldn’t figure out how it was going to get to what I expected and then suddenly it was there. I definitely enjoyed it and look forward the next one.

Not quite what I expected, but still good.

3.5 ⭐️’s rounded up

This book was… fine. I think my hopes were set a bit too high after reading Malice/Misrule. While the story and the characters were intriguing, I was missing the romantic aspect I felt with Malice (possibly my bad expecting that?). Overall, the writing was good, and I look forward to future works from Heather Walter.

Amazing!!!

The story was so well done. Ayelith was such a detailed character. I felt for her, and there were many many times where she surprised me. The twists and characters were so entertaining and the drama and heartbreak was so intense. Can’t wait for the second book!!! I loved every bit of this book, literally took the weekend to read it and I’d do it all over again.

So good

Heather Walters is such a good story teller The ending gave me such chills! I can’t wait for the witch queen to come out!