Welcome to my stop for this gorgeous dark fairy tale retelling by Hailey Jade called Her Dark Reflection! Read on for more info and a chance to win a great giveaway!
Her Dark Reflections is the first book in Hailey Jade’s The Dark Reflection series, and if you are a fan of well-done re-tellings then this is the book for you.
Rhiandra has lived her life on the streets, but working as a maisera since coming of age has afforded her some means of supporting herself. She’s popular and favored at the Winking Nymph, but it does little for her when she crosses the wrong person. When she’s attacked and permanently scarred she no longer has a place to call home. A step away from being on the streets she is approached with a deal by the mysterious Draven. He offers her a deal that sounds too good to be true, but it’s coupled with things she never believed she’d be able to attain. Will her desire for more be her downfall or will everything work out the way that she wants?
Her Dark Reflections is the first book in this dark retelling of Snow White and the seven dwarves, and let me just say this – I ate this book up. I’m always up for a good retelling of a fairy tale favorite and this book really hits the spot. Piece by piece the author weaves together this story with a character who has so much to lose.
Rhiandra is a complex character, that much is true. I will be the first to admit that throughout the story I had mixed feelings about her. One minute I was cheering for her to be successful, and then the next I was wishing that she would have some sense. She is definitely an engaging character, that is for sure. I kept wondering what is going to happen next with her. Will she be exposed? Will there be a close call?
The author expertly weaves the dangers of court, and just the simple task of gaining the king’s eye and holding it. I will say that I expected a bit more rivalry from the other women who are selected in this book. There are some characters that create a bit of whiplash for me. I don’t quite get what is going on with them, but it’s all done for a reason. It really keeps you on your toes and page-turning to find out what is going to happen next.
The twists and turns of this book really make this book an engaging novel and I’m absolutely looking forward to what comes next in this series. The characters are engaging, and I must say that Rhiandra is one top-notch manipulator. Now, I will say that it takes a bit to get to the exact re-telling tie in, but it’s worth the wait. The author drops in little teasing items, besides the apple, to tie this re-telling to the original fairytale. So if you are one of those people who’s looking for those immediate tie-ins just be patient. It’ll get there and you’ll absolutely love it.
There is a nice variety of characters throughout this story that really help bring it to life. I just know that Rhiandra is going to have quite a lot to deal with in the coming books, because so much still is shrouded in shadows.
I’m rating this book 5 out of 5 stars. This book is exceptionally well-written and I couldn’t get enough of the characters throughout. If you like dark fantasy novels packed with twists, turns, and so much more then you’re not going to want to miss out on this particular book and series!
Thank you to the author, Hailey Jade, and R&R Tours for the opportunity to read and review this book! I look forward to book two!
Her Dark Reflection (The Dark Reflection #1)
Publication Date: June 15, 2022
Genre: Dark Fantasy/ Dark Romance/ Fairytale Retelling
“They
called me the Whore Queen. Some even called me the Evil Queen.
But
they could call me whatever they wanted. I was still queen.”
Rhiandra Tiercelin hungers for power and her charm has always been her sharpest weapon in hunting it. So when a brutal attack leaves her physically scarred, desperation drives her to make a deal with Draven, a magic-wielding stranger who is inexplicably compelling and definitely dangerous. She knows she can’t trust him, but he when he offers to make her a queen, the temptation is too enticing to resist.
Armed with a glamoured face and an enchanted apple, Rhiandra is determined to scheme her way into a crown, even if it means risking the deadly punishment for unsanctioned magic use. But Draven is playing a bigger game, and she is just one piece on the board.
Can she keep her wits about her long enough to uncover his secrets, or will he lure her down a path she will come to regret?
Her Dark Reflection is the first book in a new dark romantic fantasy series perfect for fans of Raven Kennedy, Jennifer Armentrout and Sarah A. Parker. If you like cunning, ambitious heroines, morally ambiguous men and romance that toes the line between love and hate, then you’ll love Hailey Jade’s dark reimagining of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves.
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Chapter One
The Winking Nymph was always flooded with patrons after the Burnings.
The atmosphere wasn’t the same as it would be on a busy night at a regular tavern; the dim lighting fed rather than banished the shadows, encouraging them closer, leaving pockets of space where patrons could lurk without being recognized. Men – and the occasional woman – drank, sometimes in groups, but for the most part they didn’t engage themselves with singing bawdy songs or telling dirty jokes. Perhaps the place was debauched enough on its own and so they didn’t feel the need.
Women drifted in and out of the shadows, flirting with the light as it caught on their spangled wrists and ankles and throats, and at the front of the room a beautiful redheaded girl sang with a voice as sweet as sun-warmed strawberries. It was going to be a big tipping night; the city was beginning to bulge with visitors attending the treaty celebrations, and the moon cycle holiday had beckoned them all to the streets, thrilled by the morning’s violence and drunk on bloodlust.
I was eager to get out on the floor, but Madam had saddled me with initiation duties, so I was instead lingering in a corner by the bar, doing breathing exercises with the novice.
Aalin’s perfume was thick, a ghastly confection of jasmine, violets and something sugary that made my head ache. I could pick a new girl a mile away – they wore thick makeup obscuring their faces, chains and sparkles everywhere one could hang a jewel, and gowns in gaudy colors that revealed more than they concealed. They thought they were channeling desirability, but in reality, all the decoration was just a screen to hide their nerves behind.
I was long past those sorts of naïve assumptions. I’d worked at the Winking Nymph long enough to know that calculated vulnerability earns more than donning the generic armor of maisera. Aalin wasn’t ready to hear that, though. That night she just needed to feel like she belonged, and all that perfume was a part of the uniform.
‘They’re just men,’ I soothed as she chewed on her lip and smoothed her dress over and over again. ‘And they’re mostly drunk men. They want to be pleased. And they’ll be excited to see a new girl.’ I tucked a lock of wiry hair back into her updo.
‘I don’t think I know how to be sexy,’ she admitted in a small voice. ‘I thought I did, but now that I’m standing here…’
Available on Amazon
About the Author
Hailey Jade has tried to quit writing, but alas, the characters who live in her head will not stop yammering. She’s hoping that building them ink-and-paper homes will make them pipe down long enough for her to get some sleep. She likes creating fantasy worlds populated by complicated, morally-grey characters who try to resist their attraction to other complicated, morally-grey characters, but who inevitably fall in love, because everyone needs a Happily Ever After.
Hailey has completed a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Teaching at Flinders University, and spends her daylight hours trying to convince reluctant teenagers to love books. She lives in regional South Australia with her partner, bouncy baby boy, and feline overlord.
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