Wednesday, June 25, 2014

The Reflections of Queen Snow White, by David Meredith



What a fabulous new twist on one of my favorite fairytales!  Reflections of Queen Snow White is not quite the "fractured fairytale" that has become so popular lately, but a look at one possibility for "the rest of the story".  I received an e-copy of this book as a gift from the author, and was thrilled because I had already seen a synopsis on Goodreads and it looked very intriguing, especially considering my love of Snow White stories.  Reflections is an independently-published novel, but I would anticipate this author will get attention from top publishers in the future.  Meredith is an unbelievably skilled writer, both in style and substance.

The story begins with an older Snow White,  preparing for the wedding of her daughter, Raven, while feeling the absence of her deceased husband, Charming.  Snow White is lamenting the prospect of living out her days in the castle alone.  In a moment of misdirection and vulnerability, she wanders up the stairs of the castle and finds the mirror (the "magic" mirror), which has been dormant since the death of her stepmother.  Will the mirror heal Snow White or make matters worse?  The power of magic has the ability to change perspectives, and lives.....

For me, Reflections started a bit slowly.  I was caught up in the exquisite writing, but the story itself did not "take off" quite as quickly as I prefer.  After the tone and background had been set, however, I became captivated by Snow White and her experiences.  True to her original story, Snow White is such a loveable character, and Meredith built on that character and drew us in even more.  I found myself wanting to get to know her even better, and feeling her joys, pains, and reflections. This book would be good for anyone 16 and up.  There is some sexual content, so I wouldn't recommend it to younger readers, although they may be interested in the story.  It's a great book for adults, especially those who grew up adoring Snow White.

Bottom Line:  A well-written book that delves deeper into to beloved story.
Rating: 82/100

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