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.

©2024 Heather Walter (P)2024 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“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

What a ride!!!

I really can't wait for the followup! This book absolutely delivered! I couldn't stop listening

Awesome Story!

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

Great first half of a the series.

Off the bat, don’t make my mistake and allow yourself to be biased by Malice. I let myself compare The Crimson Crown to the previous series, and I found myself expecting more. But that’s unfair. This is its own series and should be given that respect. After I got over that initial feeling, I began enjoying this novel so much more. It builds up the character nicely and we can see the through line to exactly the person she’s going to be, in all the best ways.

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.

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.

it was good buuut

The story overall was good but there were elements in the story that were drawn out to the point that I wanted to rip my hair out, the internal dialog was sooooooo repetitive and sometimes annoying, like right before anything interesting happened INTERNAL DIALOG and it's the same damn thing every time like, WE GET IT your insecure and have trust issues, you don't have to tell us a 100 times. It just made it feel like the story was lagging.

NOW KISS!

amazing story. amazing performance. incredible. I couldn't stop listening. The plot is well timed and the romance is the biggest slow burn. I love Ayleth. Heather Walter is an incredible author who has a knack for making me love villains.

Wicked

If you enjoyed Malice, you’ll enjoy this story!

I enjoyed Ayleth’s character as things unfolded (especially the end, muhahaha); also, her connection to Jacquetta was bittersweet and real. I loved the way the story progressed, everything felt natural, and I am now waiting patiently and excitedly for the sequel!

Narrator also did a really good job, very easy to listen to and distinguish different characters (always a plus when a narrator goes for different tones for other characters).

Good story, good characters, Heather Walter has become one of my favorite authors now. :)

so much depth and amazing character detail

this book was amazing! so unbelievably will put together. it brought out so many emotions, and I couldn't stop listening. Heather Walter does such an amazing job with character building and giving you all the details to paint such a vivid picture. Emily Woo Zeller also did such a wonderful job with bringing the characters to life. I can't wait for Heather Walter to write another book, she's definitely one of my favorite authors. thank you Heather and Emily for putting together such an amazing story to listen to.

Did I read the same book the rest of you read?

The performance is fine. The story is juvenile, repetitive (If you had to drink every time you hear the words "grey eyes" be prepared for alcohol poising---no apple needed) and boring. Even the last 30 minutes of the story where Ayleth becomes the " Big Bad" fizzles. I love books based on fairy tales but my recommendation is skip this one.