The Evil Queen

The Forest of Good and Evil, Book 1

By: Gena Showalter

Narrated by: Caitlin Kelly

Length: 20 hrs and 30 mins

Publisher's summary

WELCOME TO THE FOREST OF GOOD AND EVIL.

A DREAM COME TRUE.... AND A LIVING NIGHTMARE.

Far, far away, in the realm of Enchantia, creatures of legend still exist, magic is the norm and fairy tales are real. Except, fairy tales aren’t based on myths and legends of the past - they are prophecies of the future.

Raised in the mortal realm, Everly Morrow has no idea she’s a real-life fairy-tale princess - until she manifests an ability to commune with mirrors.

Look. See.... What will one peek hurt?

Soon, a horrifying truth is revealed. She is fated to be Snow White’s greatest enemy, the Evil Queen.

With powers beyond her imagination or control, Everly returns to the land of her birth. There, she meets Roth Charmaine, the supposed Prince Charming. Their attraction is undeniable, but their relationship is doomed. As the prophecy unfolds, Everly faces one betrayal after another, and giving in to her dark side proves more tempting every day. Can she resist, or will she become the queen - and villain - she was born to be?

The battle between good and evil is on.

©2019 Stella Cameron (P)2019 Harlequin Enterprises, Limited

Refreshing take on a fairytale

Those of us who like fantasies have probably read a few books that tell the origin story of the villain. This is one of the more refreshing, new, and innovative ones I’ve read. The whole time you’re wondering if she is good or bad, who is who, and how the story, or prophecy, is going to okay out. The narration is excellent. The only reason a docked a star is because the sappy love stuff got a little annoying, but I suppose it fits with the fairytale/princess part of it!! I say go for it, spend the credit. It’s worth it!

I wasn't sure what to think

but I figured I wanted to listen to something...different so I decided so teen literature might be in store and all I can say is 😲 WOW am I impressed!!! love the story...can't wait to listen to the next one...no credits right now...(hint hint Audible give me some credits at like 40 or 50% off)

Audible worthy🎯‼️‼️

I think stories like this are made to be listened to. Listening to The Evil Queen made me love the story even more. I loved the way Everly brung her modern ways to Enchantia. She kept me laughing.

Great take on the EQ POV

Kept you guessing the entire ride. 😏 loved it because just when I thought all was going to conspire...as the fairy tale dictates.... Wham!

amazing

I absolutely loved this book. It is beautifully written and narrated. A must read if you are into fairy tales.

Is she or isn’t she?

I was pleasantly surprised by this version of Snow White. Gena Showalter alluded to various versions of the tale including the original penned by the Brothers Grimm which is a darker take on the story which most of us are familiar. I believe she used this version as her
inspiration as Evil Queen is dark, but it is so much more. It has depth and the characters are fluid, just when one thinks they know what to expect... everything shifts!

Everly and her twin sister, Hartley, were raised in the Mortal Realm. Unbeknownst to them, their mother, Aubrey, was a fairy Tale princess from Enchantra (? Spelling). They were told the truth when the threat over their lives was finally gone. Each had their own magic, but Everly’s was more powerful. When her sister was taken, Everly vowed she would save her. So she found a way to get to the realm of Enchantra. That’s when the story gets even more exciting - familiar but not.

Caitlin Kelly is a fantastic narrator. I recently listened to the Cruel Prince series which she performed. Excellent. Her voices and accents are fantastic and plentiful. Even her male voices are good where I find many narrators fall short - opposite gender voices. Ms. Kelly’s list of credits is extensive which makes sense because she is talented.

If you like Fairy Tales revisited, you will enjoy this book. If you enjoy well written Fantasy with characters to get invited in and surprises at every turn, you will enjoy this book. If you just like reading, or listening to a great story, you will enjoy this book. So, get the book. This audio version is excellent and I believe the narrator truly added to my enjoyment of it!

Loved it Be prepared to not be able to put it down

This was an awesome book. I love almost anything Gena does however I was hesitant to read this one for whatever reason. I loved it!!! The book kept me guessing the whole time. Also I’m super happy she didn’t leave a huge cliff hanger but instead left room for the story to grow. Only thing I didn’t like was the main character seemed a little dense. She did grow a lot through out the book though which made me like her more and more.

Amazing Fairytale

I loved this version of the Evil Queen. Twisted in a great way and full of great characters in a unique world.

Interesting take

The story started pretty slow for me, but became better as it went on. I didn't really like the whole Schrodinger's cat theme, the writing of it demonstrated a faulty understanding of the whole concept. I admit that may have partially been the point, as we were seeing it through the eyes of a teenager who refused to pay close attention during the lecture, but it still bugged me each time Everly brought it up. That said, I still enjoyed the book and storyline and think Gena did a pretty good job on the classic fairy tale.

So worth the credit!

I hesitated for a long while to download this because I wasn’t a fan of the writing in the last Gena Showalter book I listened to. This was nothing like that and so much better. I’m glad I gave her another chance. It was such a refreshing take on Snow White and I literally loved every minute. Not a dull moment in the whole book.