Review: The Reflections of Queen Snow White

Title: The Reflections of Queen Snow White

Author: David Meredith

Date of Publication: October 2, 2013

Formats Available: E-book

Buy This Book: Amazon

Synopsis: What happens when "happily ever after" has come and gone?

On the eve of her only daughter, Princess Raven's wedding, an aging Snow White finds it impossible to share in the joyous spirit of the occasion. The ceremony itself promises to be the most glamorous social event of the decade. Snow White’s castle has been meticulously scrubbed, polished and opulently decorated for the celebration. It is already nearly bursting with jubilant guests and merry well-wishers. Prince Edel, Raven's fiancé, is a fine man from a neighboring kingdom and Snow White's own domain is prosperous and at peace. Things could not be better, in fact, except for one thing:

The king is dead.

The queen has been in a moribund state of hopeless depression for over a year with no end in sight. It is only when, in a fit of bitter despair, she seeks solitude in the vastness of her own sprawling castle and climbs a long disused and forgotten tower stair that she comes face to face with herself in the very same magic mirror used by her stepmother of old.

It promises her respite in its shimmering depths, but can Snow White trust a device that was so precious to a woman who sought to cause her such irreparable harm? Can she confront the demons of her own difficult past to discover a better future for herself and her family? And finally, can she release her soul-crushing grief and suffocating loneliness to once again discover what "happily ever after" really means?

Only time will tell as she wrestles with her past and is forced to confront The Reflections of Queen Snow White.

My Review: 

Even though I wasn't quite sure what I would think about this novel, since I either really love or really hate re-tellings, I started The Reflections of Queen Snow White hoping to like it and I'm happily I did! Well written and entertaining to read  I was drawn in by the story and quickly found myself engulfed in the memories of Snow White.

What I really liked about this novel was how real Snow White was. I feel that in most of the fairy tale re-tellings Snow White often lacks that little spark that makes her seem real. Meredith was able to perfectly capture this spark and give Snow White depth and a personality. I also loved how instead of reading from the prime of her life onward we get to see her as an aging widow with flashbacks to the past. The flashbacks worked wonderfully for the story and I loved seeing glimpses into her past life.

I also really enjoyed seeing the parts of the story that are so often glossed over. Everyone knows the typical story of Snow White living the woods with the dwarfs but Meredith really focused on the parts of the story, such as Snow White's childhood, that are so often forgotten. From her horrific childhood and her eventual escape, to the death of her husband Meredith focused on more obscure events and I really loved being able to read about something new, rather than the same story I already know just embellished with different words.

The only thing I was a little disappointed about was the lack of character development in any character other than Snow White; though she was wonderfully developed all the other characters made such short cameos that they never really developed much of a personality. I was especially interested in learning about her evil stepmother, Meredith painted such a abusive and horrible picture of her I was curious to learn more about her. However, I was so impressed by Snow White and the other characters made such short appearances that this small fault was easy to overlook.

Overall The Reflections of Queen Snow White was an interesting read that fans of Snow White will no doubt devour. Great writing, wonderful character development, and a deeper look into the world of Snow White all come together to make this a entertaining novel.

3/5