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The Reflections of Queen Snow White
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.
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.
155 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 2, 2013
About the author
David Meredith
4 books84 followersDr. David Meredith is a writer and educator originally from Knoxville, Tennessee. He received both a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Arts from East Tennessee State University, in Johnson City, Tennessee. He received his Doctorate in Educational Leadership (Ed.D.) from Trevecca Nazarene University in Nashville, Tennessee. On and off, he spent nearly a decade, from 1999-2010 teaching English in Northern Japan, but currently lives with his wife and three children in the Nashville Area where he continues to write and teach English.
Author page: https://www.facebook.com/DavidMeredit...
Author page: https://www.facebook.com/DavidMeredit...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 290 reviews
April 2, 2016
The story starts out sad and heartbroken. The queen is beyond sad missing her prince Charming. She can no longer find solace in the places that they shared and the places where they were happiest. Their bed no longer is a sanctuary, it is cold and lonely. Her pain is beautifully written. You feel the abject loneliness that she feels.
Then there is a shocking discovery. Shocking for me and especially for Queen Snow White. The misdirection is very apparent in the meeting of the mirror. Things become a little more clear and I realized that it is very much different than it appears.
While grieving she finds the mirror and it takes her back through her real memories. The memories full of the emotion and honesty of the event. The telling is so vivid. The reader can understand her decisions and her place in the kingdom.
The mirror could cause extreme pain, but it also brought clarity. sometimes the mirror comes across as maniacally cruel, then others it seems that it is on a mission to help.
Each chapter changes the way I feel about Snow White and the mirror. Until I am filled with Awe and love for her. She and Charming did not live happily ever after, but oh my gosh they sure lived!
I had to take a moment to compose myself before I wrote this because I was so emotional about the entire book. This story will live in my heart as an addendum to the fairy tale. I am going to get a copy for my daughters so that they can see what I saw in The Reflections of Queen Snow White.
Then there is a shocking discovery. Shocking for me and especially for Queen Snow White. The misdirection is very apparent in the meeting of the mirror. Things become a little more clear and I realized that it is very much different than it appears.
While grieving she finds the mirror and it takes her back through her real memories. The memories full of the emotion and honesty of the event. The telling is so vivid. The reader can understand her decisions and her place in the kingdom.
The mirror could cause extreme pain, but it also brought clarity. sometimes the mirror comes across as maniacally cruel, then others it seems that it is on a mission to help.
Each chapter changes the way I feel about Snow White and the mirror. Until I am filled with Awe and love for her. She and Charming did not live happily ever after, but oh my gosh they sure lived!
I had to take a moment to compose myself before I wrote this because I was so emotional about the entire book. This story will live in my heart as an addendum to the fairy tale. I am going to get a copy for my daughters so that they can see what I saw in The Reflections of Queen Snow White.
Read
August 26, 2016
The only things I knew about the story before I started reading it, was that it was obviously a Snow White retelling and that it was an emotional read. I saw a couple of raving reviews on Goodreads as well and because I love fairytales, I started reading eagerly.
The first chapter describing an air dance between two hawks was an interesting opening but it just went on and on, to the point of me rolling my eyes and wishing someone would just shoot the damn birds. I sincerely hoped that the rest of the book wasn't a reflection (heh) of this. Thankfully, it wasn't. Entirely, that is.
When Queen Snow White was about to discover the mirror, the tension was rising quickly and I thought "Finally, here we go!". Edge of my seat stuff, really.
Not all too many pages later (there are only 155 of them anyways), the story fell flat for me again. Here was the Snow White story as we already knew it, except with a lot more physical and mental abuse coming from the evil stepmother. I never really think it's necessary to give a character that extra kick in the ribs just to prove the darkness inside of the antagonist; I can usually determine whether someone is evil by more subtle means as well. The case here was everything but subtle.
As the story progresses, we get to read more original chapters about the life of Snow White after she married her beloved prince Charming. I thought that was a nice touch to it. Until I came to the part of their wedding night...
When I was about 10-12 years old, I once saw a German Snow White soft porn movie while flipping through the TV channels. Scarred for life I tell ya. Nobody wants to see Sneezy blow anything other than his nose!
Thank GOD, the dwarves aren't involved in any kind of sexual activity in this book, yet I still felt very uncomfortable reading about Snowy's cream pies. Mind you, this is my opinion and I'm a big prude when it comes to graphic sex scenes in general. I'm sure there are a lot of you out there who don't mind at all! This book just added a whole new layer to the 'Someday My Prince Will Come'- Disney song...
Credit: Andrew TarusovNow, for all of you who are starting to wonder if this is merely a smut retelling of Snow White, it really isn't. It's not so much about Snow White in the first place, actually. Her character and world are just used to demonstrate the power of grief.
When grief takes over and turns into a depression, things quickly spiral out of control. Having a magical mirror to make you become aware of this and show you that there's still so much to live for is something a lot of people could use these days.
TL; DR: David Meredith is clearly a storyteller. I'd like to read something completely original coming from the depths of his brain one day. This one just wasn't my cup of tea. I found the political scenes to be boring and somewhat redundant, the sex scenes too inappropriately long, and the writing style too pretentious sometimes. Because I did find the storytelling to be vivid and liked the German names being used, I'm giving it 2 brownies (meaning it was okay!). As I've said before, this is just my opinion, there are a lot more positive reviews (for example, this one from Donna) out there as well to check out and see if this is a book for you.
A big thank you to David Meredith for providing me with a copy of his book in exchange for an honest review!
June 2, 2019
This is an incredible retelling of a classic fairy tale.
“And they lived happily ever after. The end”
That famous line was all we can see in the ending of any fairy tales that we had read before when we were still a kid. After that, we just continue our lives and never really wonder what their lives will be after those lines. I am just so glad that Mr. David Meredith gave me a chance to read a continuation of Snow White’s story.
“Instead, you made a choice to change your life. You decided that you would no longer be ruled by your fear.” – David Meredith, The Reflection of Queen Snow White
His book was all about Snow White now as an old and aging queen of castle Wolfejager. She was mourning the loss of her husband, and yes, the Prince Charming we once knew was already gone. Their daughter was also in the midst of her wedding preparations. Now that everything around Queen Snow White seems to lose its color, and joy was nowhere to be found since her husband’s death, she wasn’t in the good state to fulfill her duties as a mother and a queen. Wandering around her castle, she stumbled on her stepmother’s chamber where she found the mirror Lady Arglist once owned. She wasn’t aware that the mirror will show her own reflection, a reflection of whom she is and where she came from.
“Instead, you made a choice to change your life. You decided that you would no longer be ruled by your fear.” – David Meredith, The Reflection of Queen Snow White
The first half of the book was written at a slow pace, and it makes me uninterested at first, but as I went to the second half, everything seems to be engrossing. We all know the story of Snow White being hated by her stepmother and all, but we never got to see the deeper side of the story, how her stepmother’s abused her and how she and the prince got along when they met. In this book, we got to see the real story. The way Snow White’s emotions were written and how her journey was described was what makes this book beautiful and enjoyable to read.
I liked this book. It makes me see how the once weak Snow White became strong, but she lost it again when Prince Charming died. But through the mirror, she saw again who was waiting for her. And, why she needs to be strong again, and that’s her daughter and the people she is serving.
“That it is foolish to despair,” she whispered, “that there is always hope.” – David Meredith, The Reflection of Queen Snow White
I’ve learned a lot from this book, especially when it comes to hope. That we should not dwell on the past and we should move on from our painful past if ever we have one. There’s still a lot of reason to continue our life, and there’s always someone whom we can make us happy.
This sequel to Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is not a children book, and it contains mature scenes, so I’m only recommending this to grown-up people who love to read. I also recommend this book to those who lost someone and to those who were losing hope.
Disclaimer: I received a reader copy of this book from the author.
BLOG POST LINK: http://bit.ly/1TRE60A
“And they lived happily ever after. The end”
That famous line was all we can see in the ending of any fairy tales that we had read before when we were still a kid. After that, we just continue our lives and never really wonder what their lives will be after those lines. I am just so glad that Mr. David Meredith gave me a chance to read a continuation of Snow White’s story.
“Instead, you made a choice to change your life. You decided that you would no longer be ruled by your fear.” – David Meredith, The Reflection of Queen Snow White
His book was all about Snow White now as an old and aging queen of castle Wolfejager. She was mourning the loss of her husband, and yes, the Prince Charming we once knew was already gone. Their daughter was also in the midst of her wedding preparations. Now that everything around Queen Snow White seems to lose its color, and joy was nowhere to be found since her husband’s death, she wasn’t in the good state to fulfill her duties as a mother and a queen. Wandering around her castle, she stumbled on her stepmother’s chamber where she found the mirror Lady Arglist once owned. She wasn’t aware that the mirror will show her own reflection, a reflection of whom she is and where she came from.
“Instead, you made a choice to change your life. You decided that you would no longer be ruled by your fear.” – David Meredith, The Reflection of Queen Snow White
The first half of the book was written at a slow pace, and it makes me uninterested at first, but as I went to the second half, everything seems to be engrossing. We all know the story of Snow White being hated by her stepmother and all, but we never got to see the deeper side of the story, how her stepmother’s abused her and how she and the prince got along when they met. In this book, we got to see the real story. The way Snow White’s emotions were written and how her journey was described was what makes this book beautiful and enjoyable to read.
I liked this book. It makes me see how the once weak Snow White became strong, but she lost it again when Prince Charming died. But through the mirror, she saw again who was waiting for her. And, why she needs to be strong again, and that’s her daughter and the people she is serving.
“That it is foolish to despair,” she whispered, “that there is always hope.” – David Meredith, The Reflection of Queen Snow White
I’ve learned a lot from this book, especially when it comes to hope. That we should not dwell on the past and we should move on from our painful past if ever we have one. There’s still a lot of reason to continue our life, and there’s always someone whom we can make us happy.
This sequel to Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is not a children book, and it contains mature scenes, so I’m only recommending this to grown-up people who love to read. I also recommend this book to those who lost someone and to those who were losing hope.
Disclaimer: I received a reader copy of this book from the author.
BLOG POST LINK: http://bit.ly/1TRE60A
March 17, 2016
Find this and other Reviews at In Tori Lex
This was an immersive look into Snow White's life, beyond the fairy tale. Snow White has to come to terms with who she is, and remember why she has come so far in life. She is very depressed and unsure how to deal with her depression, after her Charming has died. You learn more about how Snow White survived a nightmare inducing childhood, but was able to carry on. Faced with the mirror she is forced to live through her best and worst memories again. Slowly she learns to recognize the good in herself and realizes she needs more than what mourning the King can give her.
Through Snow White's reflection you learn how the dwarves and Charming are able to care for and befriend her. You get swept up in the sweet, kind, and steamy romance between Charming and Snow White. You get angry for Snow White, and can feel her frustration through one of the most infuriating scenes I've ever read. The experiences are well described with an adult audience in mind. I enjoyed the language of the period being incorporated seamlessly and was happy to learn what heterodox and immaculacy were.
I appreciated exploring the stress and danger of being King and Queen, that is often overlooked in stories of Royalty for children. The relate-able emotions Snow White feels made me reflect on my own experiences, while learning about hers. Retelling's are becoming more popular, but this stands out as a well written and memorable book. I hoped there would be a bit more exploration of the seven dwarves, because their role in Snow White fascinated me, but it was still a worthwhile read without that. I would recommend this to mature readers who enjoy re-tellings and want to learn some of what was left out of the original fairy tale.
I received this e-book from the author, in exchange for an honest review.
This was an immersive look into Snow White's life, beyond the fairy tale. Snow White has to come to terms with who she is, and remember why she has come so far in life. She is very depressed and unsure how to deal with her depression, after her Charming has died. You learn more about how Snow White survived a nightmare inducing childhood, but was able to carry on. Faced with the mirror she is forced to live through her best and worst memories again. Slowly she learns to recognize the good in herself and realizes she needs more than what mourning the King can give her.
"That it is foolish to despair,...that there is always hope."
Through Snow White's reflection you learn how the dwarves and Charming are able to care for and befriend her. You get swept up in the sweet, kind, and steamy romance between Charming and Snow White. You get angry for Snow White, and can feel her frustration through one of the most infuriating scenes I've ever read. The experiences are well described with an adult audience in mind. I enjoyed the language of the period being incorporated seamlessly and was happy to learn what heterodox and immaculacy were.
I appreciated exploring the stress and danger of being King and Queen, that is often overlooked in stories of Royalty for children. The relate-able emotions Snow White feels made me reflect on my own experiences, while learning about hers. Retelling's are becoming more popular, but this stands out as a well written and memorable book. I hoped there would be a bit more exploration of the seven dwarves, because their role in Snow White fascinated me, but it was still a worthwhile read without that. I would recommend this to mature readers who enjoy re-tellings and want to learn some of what was left out of the original fairy tale.
I received this e-book from the author, in exchange for an honest review.
May 21, 2016
We all know the story of how Snow White found her Prince Charming and they lived happily ever after. Or do we?
In David Meredith's The Reflections of Queen Snow White the "ever after" part didn't quite work out the way it sounds. You see, Prince Charming was quite a bit older than Snow, so he passed away, while Snow still had quite a few years left ahead of her.
Preparations are underway for the wedding of Snow and Charming's daughter, Raven, but Snow just isn't showing much interest. It has been over a year since she lost her prince, and although this should be a happy time for Snow White, she just can't snap herself out of this hopeless depression. Snow feels as if a huge part of her very soul has gone missing.
Snow White wanders the palace seeking solace. When she wanders into the unused wing that was once the quarters of her wicked stepmother, she finds the infamous mirror. This is the one that her stepmother once talked to endlessly, asking it who was the most beautiful woman in the all the land. Although the rest of the quarters are cobwebbed and dusty, the mirror appears shiny and clean.
As Snow White gazes into the mirror, she finds that she is talking to it, and she is saying things that she has never revealed to anyone before, not even Charming. The mirror advises her that some people are frightened of their own reflections and too scared to examine what lies deep within them. The visions the mirror provides will only reveal that which is already a part of her, but may not be fully realized.
Snow White seeks clarity from the mirror. As she reflects back on the abuse she suffered at the hands of her stepmother, she begins to realize that the pain and torment of these memories still haunt her. She almost died at the hands of Lady Arglist and she has resented her father for having died, abandoning her to the devices of the evil queen. And now she resents Charming for leaving her as well. Although Prince Charming came into her life and put an end to her suffering, she questions whether she ever possessed any strength of her own. Snow White will need to come to terms with the memories that haunt her and find the strength to carry on without Charming. Will her wicked stepmother's mirror help Snow, or is this an evil trap?
This is a nice little novella, taking us on a different route through Snow White's future. I found it a very enjoyable and quick read, with a lot of important points being made along the way. This is a great book for those who might be grieving a loved one.
I would like to thank the author for providing me with a complimentary copy of his book in exchange for an honest review.
In David Meredith's The Reflections of Queen Snow White the "ever after" part didn't quite work out the way it sounds. You see, Prince Charming was quite a bit older than Snow, so he passed away, while Snow still had quite a few years left ahead of her.
Preparations are underway for the wedding of Snow and Charming's daughter, Raven, but Snow just isn't showing much interest. It has been over a year since she lost her prince, and although this should be a happy time for Snow White, she just can't snap herself out of this hopeless depression. Snow feels as if a huge part of her very soul has gone missing.
Snow White wanders the palace seeking solace. When she wanders into the unused wing that was once the quarters of her wicked stepmother, she finds the infamous mirror. This is the one that her stepmother once talked to endlessly, asking it who was the most beautiful woman in the all the land. Although the rest of the quarters are cobwebbed and dusty, the mirror appears shiny and clean.
As Snow White gazes into the mirror, she finds that she is talking to it, and she is saying things that she has never revealed to anyone before, not even Charming. The mirror advises her that some people are frightened of their own reflections and too scared to examine what lies deep within them. The visions the mirror provides will only reveal that which is already a part of her, but may not be fully realized.
Snow White seeks clarity from the mirror. As she reflects back on the abuse she suffered at the hands of her stepmother, she begins to realize that the pain and torment of these memories still haunt her. She almost died at the hands of Lady Arglist and she has resented her father for having died, abandoning her to the devices of the evil queen. And now she resents Charming for leaving her as well. Although Prince Charming came into her life and put an end to her suffering, she questions whether she ever possessed any strength of her own. Snow White will need to come to terms with the memories that haunt her and find the strength to carry on without Charming. Will her wicked stepmother's mirror help Snow, or is this an evil trap?
This is a nice little novella, taking us on a different route through Snow White's future. I found it a very enjoyable and quick read, with a lot of important points being made along the way. This is a great book for those who might be grieving a loved one.
I would like to thank the author for providing me with a complimentary copy of his book in exchange for an honest review.
May 12, 2016
http://angelerin.blogspot.com/2016/05...
First off a big thank you to the author for providing an ebook copy in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!!
I have seen The Reflections of Queen Snow White around on a few other blogs and it looked like an intriguing story. So when the author sent me an email request to read and review the book I was really excited! This is definitely a story that is up my alley and I was extremely curious to see what happened to Snow White after the happily ever after.
#AfterTheHEA
This book begins about thirty years later (I think it was thirty, don't quote me.) and Prince Charming has died. Due to this Snow White is very melancholy and is having a hard time moving on. Even though her daughter is getting married and needs her, Snow White is depressed. I felt a lot of emotion for Snow White throughout the whole book. Whether she was sad, angry, hurt or whatever the author did a great job conveying these emotions to the reader. Which I really LOVE that in a book.
#FEELS
While I can't say this is a new favorite book, it was very enjoyable. I read most of it in a day! Once I really had some time to sit down and read it really flew by. So it was definitely an engaging read as well as enjoyable. The writing flows really well and I was just fascinated by what an aging Snow White is up to now. However, there was just something missing for me. There wasn't anything in the novel that was BAD, but I feel like it needed MORE. It seemed pretty short and I think there were more things that could have been explored. The ending was a little rushed and a little too abrupt for me.
#Rushed
Overall The Reflections of Queen Snow White was pretty good and very enjoyable. This was not an Earth shattering or perfect read for me, but definitely one worth reading. I just wish that the story had been longer and really expanded upon.
#EnjoyableButNotPerfect
I recommend The Reflections of Queen Snow White for fans of fairy tales and retellings. Also, for anyone just interested in what happened after Snow White's HEA.
#ForFairyTaleLovers
First off a big thank you to the author for providing an ebook copy in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!!
I have seen The Reflections of Queen Snow White around on a few other blogs and it looked like an intriguing story. So when the author sent me an email request to read and review the book I was really excited! This is definitely a story that is up my alley and I was extremely curious to see what happened to Snow White after the happily ever after.
#AfterTheHEA
This book begins about thirty years later (I think it was thirty, don't quote me.) and Prince Charming has died. Due to this Snow White is very melancholy and is having a hard time moving on. Even though her daughter is getting married and needs her, Snow White is depressed. I felt a lot of emotion for Snow White throughout the whole book. Whether she was sad, angry, hurt or whatever the author did a great job conveying these emotions to the reader. Which I really LOVE that in a book.
#FEELS
While I can't say this is a new favorite book, it was very enjoyable. I read most of it in a day! Once I really had some time to sit down and read it really flew by. So it was definitely an engaging read as well as enjoyable. The writing flows really well and I was just fascinated by what an aging Snow White is up to now. However, there was just something missing for me. There wasn't anything in the novel that was BAD, but I feel like it needed MORE. It seemed pretty short and I think there were more things that could have been explored. The ending was a little rushed and a little too abrupt for me.
#Rushed
Overall The Reflections of Queen Snow White was pretty good and very enjoyable. This was not an Earth shattering or perfect read for me, but definitely one worth reading. I just wish that the story had been longer and really expanded upon.
#EnjoyableButNotPerfect
I recommend The Reflections of Queen Snow White for fans of fairy tales and retellings. Also, for anyone just interested in what happened after Snow White's HEA.
#ForFairyTaleLovers
March 2, 2016
This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review. Thanks David!
Less Reality More Books
You know what I think of when I hear Snow White? Not the Disney Princess… this badass:
Snow from Once Upon A Time. She will always be Snow White for me, now and forever. So when I was asked to read this retelling of Snow White, this was the image engraved into my mind. And this is a type of a retelling of Snow White. This book doesn’t retell the entire tale of Snow White, but rather use Snow’s experience with her Prince Charming, growing up with an evil stepmother and losing her parents at such a young age to teach Snow White how to process grief and the importance of life and hope. And Snow White in this tale is nothing like the Snow White from Once Upon A Time.
I do love fairy tale retellings, and I have a great respect for authors who can take such a beloved story and twist it to make it their own. In this book, Snow White is an aged woman, and is still trying to come to grips of life after her husband, Charming, passed away. She finds the mirror belonged to her stepmother who, through flashbacks, reminds Snow of all the hardships and grievances she has overcome in her life and survived. Some of it was quite hard to read and the author is quite explicit with the details of Snow’s traumatic childhood. This Snow White may not be a badass like Snow White from Once Upon A Time, but she is still powerful in her own right.
This story helped remind me that death is often a reminder to the living to keep on living. If we are strong, we can all overcome tough experiences and learn that we are never truly alone.
Less Reality More Books
You know what I think of when I hear Snow White? Not the Disney Princess… this badass:
Snow from Once Upon A Time. She will always be Snow White for me, now and forever. So when I was asked to read this retelling of Snow White, this was the image engraved into my mind. And this is a type of a retelling of Snow White. This book doesn’t retell the entire tale of Snow White, but rather use Snow’s experience with her Prince Charming, growing up with an evil stepmother and losing her parents at such a young age to teach Snow White how to process grief and the importance of life and hope. And Snow White in this tale is nothing like the Snow White from Once Upon A Time.
I do love fairy tale retellings, and I have a great respect for authors who can take such a beloved story and twist it to make it their own. In this book, Snow White is an aged woman, and is still trying to come to grips of life after her husband, Charming, passed away. She finds the mirror belonged to her stepmother who, through flashbacks, reminds Snow of all the hardships and grievances she has overcome in her life and survived. Some of it was quite hard to read and the author is quite explicit with the details of Snow’s traumatic childhood. This Snow White may not be a badass like Snow White from Once Upon A Time, but she is still powerful in her own right.
This story helped remind me that death is often a reminder to the living to keep on living. If we are strong, we can all overcome tough experiences and learn that we are never truly alone.
September 10, 2016
I really enjoyed The Reflections of Queen Snow White. It is wonderfully descriptive and I found it exceptionally hard to put down.
It was somewhat darker than I was expecting, covering aspects of loneliness, sadness, grief and depression. I found it surprisingly emotional in places and even had tears in my eyes.
I don’t wish to go into detail about the plot, as the blurb tells you all you need to know. However, if you enjoy fairy tales and are intrigued about what may or may not have happened to Snow White in the future, then I highly recommend you read this book.
I would like to thank the author for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, and wish him success with this and any future novels.
It was somewhat darker than I was expecting, covering aspects of loneliness, sadness, grief and depression. I found it surprisingly emotional in places and even had tears in my eyes.
I don’t wish to go into detail about the plot, as the blurb tells you all you need to know. However, if you enjoy fairy tales and are intrigued about what may or may not have happened to Snow White in the future, then I highly recommend you read this book.
I would like to thank the author for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, and wish him success with this and any future novels.
June 11, 2014
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Remember the story of Snow White, how scary her wicked stepmother was, how brave and handsome Prince Charming was? It was all so beautiful, colorful and the ending faded to black as they lived happily ever after and girls everywhere wanted to be a princess. What really happened after the wedding? Author David C. Meredith has written “the rest of the story” as the now widowed Queen Snow White’s daughter, Princess Raven is preparing for her wedding day. The Reflection of Queen Snow White is a “grown up” version of this epic fantasy.
Lost in a deep depression after the death of King Charming, Queen Snow White is emotionally lost to those who need her. When the festive atmosphere of her daughter’s upcoming wedding is too much to handle, she runs for the one part of the castle that has been abandoned since the death of her stepmother. There, within these dark chambers stands THE MIRROR, the evil mirror. Intrigued, Snow White finds that the mirror isn’t inherently evil, it is a reflection of what the user wants or needs to see, although it never lies. Snow White is permitted to reflect on her past with Charming and see it for what it was, the good, and the bad, all of it. It is up to Snow White to decide what she will do once her life is put back into perspective; go on letting her loss consume her or use her memories to strengthen her and enrich her life and her future.
Creating a re-telling of a beloved fantasy can be a dangerous undertaking, but David C. Meredith has braved the waters and come out with a powerful tale of true love, great loss and reconnecting with life and those around you in honor of that great love. Mr. Meredith brings the fantasy of each character back to life, but older, with more nicks and dents, seasoned by life. He writes with a smooth flow and brings back memories of the original tale, with only a twist or two. We’ve grown up, and so has Snow White.
I honestly think this is an amazing piece of fantasy brought to life perfectly! Well done! My thanks to the author for this review copy!
Publication Date: January 20, 2014
Publisher: David Meredith
Genre: Adult Fantasy Romance, Re-telling
Print Length: 155 pages
Available from: Amazon
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Remember the story of Snow White, how scary her wicked stepmother was, how brave and handsome Prince Charming was? It was all so beautiful, colorful and the ending faded to black as they lived happily ever after and girls everywhere wanted to be a princess. What really happened after the wedding? Author David C. Meredith has written “the rest of the story” as the now widowed Queen Snow White’s daughter, Princess Raven is preparing for her wedding day. The Reflection of Queen Snow White is a “grown up” version of this epic fantasy.
Lost in a deep depression after the death of King Charming, Queen Snow White is emotionally lost to those who need her. When the festive atmosphere of her daughter’s upcoming wedding is too much to handle, she runs for the one part of the castle that has been abandoned since the death of her stepmother. There, within these dark chambers stands THE MIRROR, the evil mirror. Intrigued, Snow White finds that the mirror isn’t inherently evil, it is a reflection of what the user wants or needs to see, although it never lies. Snow White is permitted to reflect on her past with Charming and see it for what it was, the good, and the bad, all of it. It is up to Snow White to decide what she will do once her life is put back into perspective; go on letting her loss consume her or use her memories to strengthen her and enrich her life and her future.
Creating a re-telling of a beloved fantasy can be a dangerous undertaking, but David C. Meredith has braved the waters and come out with a powerful tale of true love, great loss and reconnecting with life and those around you in honor of that great love. Mr. Meredith brings the fantasy of each character back to life, but older, with more nicks and dents, seasoned by life. He writes with a smooth flow and brings back memories of the original tale, with only a twist or two. We’ve grown up, and so has Snow White.
I honestly think this is an amazing piece of fantasy brought to life perfectly! Well done! My thanks to the author for this review copy!
Publication Date: January 20, 2014
Publisher: David Meredith
Genre: Adult Fantasy Romance, Re-telling
Print Length: 155 pages
Available from: Amazon
February 18, 2014
The Reflections of Queen Snow White tells a story of an aging Snow White that we know from Grimm brothers tales. After the death of her husband she's stricken with grief that she cannot deal with. Then in abandoned chambers of her evil stepmother she finds a mirror...
I liked this story. It was very pleasurable, showing us what happened after the happily ever after and some of the known already events (meeting Charming, etc.).
It also shows us how grief is such a powerful emotion, too often negative, and that we must always remember that even tough our loved ones are no longer with us physically, they're in our hearts all the time.
I must applaud the writing style, it was very good! I wish all the best for David C. Meredith with his next novels!
Thanks for sending me a free copy from the Making Connections group.
I liked this story. It was very pleasurable, showing us what happened after the happily ever after and some of the known already events (meeting Charming, etc.).
It also shows us how grief is such a powerful emotion, too often negative, and that we must always remember that even tough our loved ones are no longer with us physically, they're in our hearts all the time.
I must applaud the writing style, it was very good! I wish all the best for David C. Meredith with his next novels!
Thanks for sending me a free copy from the Making Connections group.
May 9, 2014
Beautiful, yet heart wrenching. Not for kids.
Queen Snow White is in mourning. Prince Charming is dead and she finds herself in a haze, unable to feel anything but pain and loss, despite the joyous preparations for her daughter's upcoming wedding. Looking for a quiet place absent of backstabbing nobility, she wanders into a disused tower in her castle and finds herself face to face with the magic mirror her wicked step mother adored all those years ago.
I must say this story left me speachless. The language is beautiful, as are the images it brings to mind, and Snow White's story is wrought with both heartache and joy. We learn the gritty truths behind the children's fairy tale as the mirror helps Snow White take a good look at who she really is. Some of the scenes are graphically violent, such as the one that reveals the extent Lady Arglist's abuse, made all the worse because it follows on a scene of an even younger Snow White sharing what she hoped her new mommy would be like.
But the story isn't all heartache. Snow White's happiest moments are just as important to whom she has become. I wasn't exactly surprised when I encountered Snow White's wedding night. I did a cursory look-over of some of the other reviews and saw tag lines like "not your kid's snow white" when I was deciding whether to review it. That's usually code for adult content. I've read a few mature-audience stories that have fairy tale origins, and I think it's important that reviewers are extremely clear, in those cases, that there is adult content. However, I think the author did a great job making the intimate content relevant to the story and bringing the emotional aspects into play. Sure, it was explicit, but it was also beautiful, one of the most cherished memories the aging Snow White possesses. It broke my heart when she awoke in the room with the mirror and reality crashed in on her.
The mirror keeps drawing her in to experience each heartache, each triumph, each fear, all reflections of her true self, someone Snow White had long forgotten and perhaps never quite understood. This journey of self-discovery is what made me love this story. I will definitely want to read this again.
On a lighter note, I did find myself trying to match the dwarves to their counterparts in the Disney movie. I suspect Snow White's close friend Erfruet is Dopey*, because he was the youngest, and Grantig was Grumpy. I enjoyed doing so, though I think these characters were likely meant to match up with the literary version of the story, not the Disney version. Also, some of the character and kingdom names and titles were quite a mouthful. I most likely butchered them when I tried to pronounce them in my head.
So overall, I loved this story, but I must caution that it is for adult readers only. This is not a children's book. I would recommend this to people who enjoy a grown up spin on classic fairy tales.
I received a free copy of this book in return for an honest, non-reciprocal review.
*I learned something new after chatting with the author about my theory about his names. He informed me that Erfruet is actually Happy (in German) and that the Disney characters were actually the inspiration for the names. I managed to guess Grantig correctly, and Artz in the book is a tweak to Arzt, for Doc. In the Snow White book, they are never actually named. He used German names because the original Snow White story is from Germany. I love little tidbits like this.
Queen Snow White is in mourning. Prince Charming is dead and she finds herself in a haze, unable to feel anything but pain and loss, despite the joyous preparations for her daughter's upcoming wedding. Looking for a quiet place absent of backstabbing nobility, she wanders into a disused tower in her castle and finds herself face to face with the magic mirror her wicked step mother adored all those years ago.
I must say this story left me speachless. The language is beautiful, as are the images it brings to mind, and Snow White's story is wrought with both heartache and joy. We learn the gritty truths behind the children's fairy tale as the mirror helps Snow White take a good look at who she really is. Some of the scenes are graphically violent, such as the one that reveals the extent Lady Arglist's abuse, made all the worse because it follows on a scene of an even younger Snow White sharing what she hoped her new mommy would be like.
But the story isn't all heartache. Snow White's happiest moments are just as important to whom she has become. I wasn't exactly surprised when I encountered Snow White's wedding night. I did a cursory look-over of some of the other reviews and saw tag lines like "not your kid's snow white" when I was deciding whether to review it. That's usually code for adult content. I've read a few mature-audience stories that have fairy tale origins, and I think it's important that reviewers are extremely clear, in those cases, that there is adult content. However, I think the author did a great job making the intimate content relevant to the story and bringing the emotional aspects into play. Sure, it was explicit, but it was also beautiful, one of the most cherished memories the aging Snow White possesses. It broke my heart when she awoke in the room with the mirror and reality crashed in on her.
The mirror keeps drawing her in to experience each heartache, each triumph, each fear, all reflections of her true self, someone Snow White had long forgotten and perhaps never quite understood. This journey of self-discovery is what made me love this story. I will definitely want to read this again.
On a lighter note, I did find myself trying to match the dwarves to their counterparts in the Disney movie. I suspect Snow White's close friend Erfruet is Dopey*, because he was the youngest, and Grantig was Grumpy. I enjoyed doing so, though I think these characters were likely meant to match up with the literary version of the story, not the Disney version. Also, some of the character and kingdom names and titles were quite a mouthful. I most likely butchered them when I tried to pronounce them in my head.
So overall, I loved this story, but I must caution that it is for adult readers only. This is not a children's book. I would recommend this to people who enjoy a grown up spin on classic fairy tales.
I received a free copy of this book in return for an honest, non-reciprocal review.
*I learned something new after chatting with the author about my theory about his names. He informed me that Erfruet is actually Happy (in German) and that the Disney characters were actually the inspiration for the names. I managed to guess Grantig correctly, and Artz in the book is a tweak to Arzt, for Doc. In the Snow White book, they are never actually named. He used German names because the original Snow White story is from Germany. I love little tidbits like this.
June 15, 2016
It's the perfect reflection of "Happily Ever After"
First of all a huge thanks to the author for providing me with a copy of the book to read and review. Thanks for such a delightful read.
For me personally, the book was the perfect analogy of every "Happily ever after" story. The book has taught me a valuable lesson that there is no happily ever after, if we don't not make one for ourselves and it is in our hands to make our endings happy or sad. Who else to teach us this valuable lesson than the very people who started this trend. Our fairy tale princes and princesses. Thus author has used fairy tale queen "snow white" to bring focus to some very important lessons and that is why the book makes for an amazing and interesting read.
To begin with the basic story of the book in itself is very unique and thrilling. The book is basically looking back at snow white's life and accessing everything that has happened. Apart from the story, the next best thing that has happened to the book is its language. I am in love with the language. I have rarely seen anybody creating art with words and the book is just that. Pure art. Each line, word is poetic. It practically sings and hums. Now this you could actually call a work of literature. I think I was so much in awe of the language that I could barely concentrate on anything else. The flow is smooth, pace is absolutely brilliant. In short, the book runs smooth and stands different from any retelling. I would not call the book retelling as it is a completely different chapter in itself to the classic fairy tale "snow white and seven dwarfs". If for nothing you would at least want to go back and read the classic after reading the book
I think this book would be the one where you would get to see the actual prince charming more than the original fairy tale.
The book should be tried for its unique treatment of "snowhite and seven dwarfs" and then for its amazing language. A brilliant read and absolutely poetic
First of all a huge thanks to the author for providing me with a copy of the book to read and review. Thanks for such a delightful read.
For me personally, the book was the perfect analogy of every "Happily ever after" story. The book has taught me a valuable lesson that there is no happily ever after, if we don't not make one for ourselves and it is in our hands to make our endings happy or sad. Who else to teach us this valuable lesson than the very people who started this trend. Our fairy tale princes and princesses. Thus author has used fairy tale queen "snow white" to bring focus to some very important lessons and that is why the book makes for an amazing and interesting read.
To begin with the basic story of the book in itself is very unique and thrilling. The book is basically looking back at snow white's life and accessing everything that has happened. Apart from the story, the next best thing that has happened to the book is its language. I am in love with the language. I have rarely seen anybody creating art with words and the book is just that. Pure art. Each line, word is poetic. It practically sings and hums. Now this you could actually call a work of literature. I think I was so much in awe of the language that I could barely concentrate on anything else. The flow is smooth, pace is absolutely brilliant. In short, the book runs smooth and stands different from any retelling. I would not call the book retelling as it is a completely different chapter in itself to the classic fairy tale "snow white and seven dwarfs". If for nothing you would at least want to go back and read the classic after reading the book
I think this book would be the one where you would get to see the actual prince charming more than the original fairy tale.
The book should be tried for its unique treatment of "snowhite and seven dwarfs" and then for its amazing language. A brilliant read and absolutely poetic
August 12, 2014
Thank you to the author, David Meredith, for gifting me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
Wow... where to even begin! There isn't one thing that I didn't like about this book. It does an excellent job of exploring what happens after the 'happily ever after'. It is a curious thought because none of the fairy tales include an epilogue of how the happiness together came to end and how that happiness can continue on. It illustrates how life is full of loss and nothing lasts forever, but you can always find happiness.
From the first page, I was absorbed. I laughed, cried, and cringed right along with the characters as Snow White and Charming's tale was told. It was both heart-breaking and heart-warming to see the changes in Snow White. Just the way it was written, I really connected with Snow White and felt her loss as well.
It's the perfect length as well. Longer and it would drag, while if it were shorter it would seem rushed.
Final Verdict:
This is a very powerful book with a very powerful message encased within it. I loved the idea of telling the story of after the 'happily ever after' and Mr. Meredith did an excellent job of telling the story. I was totally immersed and connected with the characters.
5 stars
"But most importantly, she saw a princess of raven hair and skin of purest snow with lips like the red, red rose who had finally found her happily ever after."
Wow... where to even begin! There isn't one thing that I didn't like about this book. It does an excellent job of exploring what happens after the 'happily ever after'. It is a curious thought because none of the fairy tales include an epilogue of how the happiness together came to end and how that happiness can continue on. It illustrates how life is full of loss and nothing lasts forever, but you can always find happiness.
From the first page, I was absorbed. I laughed, cried, and cringed right along with the characters as Snow White and Charming's tale was told. It was both heart-breaking and heart-warming to see the changes in Snow White. Just the way it was written, I really connected with Snow White and felt her loss as well.
It's the perfect length as well. Longer and it would drag, while if it were shorter it would seem rushed.
Final Verdict:
This is a very powerful book with a very powerful message encased within it. I loved the idea of telling the story of after the 'happily ever after' and Mr. Meredith did an excellent job of telling the story. I was totally immersed and connected with the characters.
5 stars
"But most importantly, she saw a princess of raven hair and skin of purest snow with lips like the red, red rose who had finally found her happily ever after."
August 20, 2017
Description: After happily ever after has come an gone an aging Snow White is losing herself to depression. She discovers the magic mirror once used by her evil step-mother and quickly finds herself sucked into its silvery depths. Will she come out mad like the former user, or will she finally truly find her happily ever after?
In Short: This book puts a layer of realism onto a familiar fairy tale. Unlike the Disney version you see what a victim Snow White really was. Horribly abused by her stepmother after her father’s death until fleeing and surviving a murder attempt (the poisoned apple), she was only saved by Prince Charming. So it is not surprising that later in life after Charming passes away she suffers this loss greatly and finds herself reverting back to that hopeless little girl that never found her own power. This book explores mental health issues in the form of a depressed Snow White receiving unconventional therapy from a magical mirror.
Pros: This book is very well written and because of that I got a clear picture of Snow White’s psyche early on. I also enjoyed the beginning with the hawks flying around painting a beautiful picture of the setting. The story is fast paced and makes for a quick read. I love the way the story is told through flash-backs that the mirror shows Snow White. And the mirror itself can only reflect, so it shows only what Snow White already has inside of her. It really is kind of a mind-trip the way she sort of counsels herself out of a year-long depression by looking deep and really acknowledging and accepting the past traumas that have brought her to this point. I found Snow’s character to be very well developed and believable, I could sympathize with her pain even though I didn’t find her very likable. This is in no way a criticism, only a compliment. I generally don’t like Princess characters but I could really get into her story. The stories in the flash-backs give us a dark, gritty look at the history I only half-knew of Snow White. Even though I personally don’t like reading dramas, or books with as many sad themes as this, I thought it was really well written and a good story overall. I would recommend this book to those who like darkness with their HEAs. Even though this turned out not to be my usual genre of choice I did enjoy the book. And I have to say, the cover is beautiful.
Cons: Although I appreciated the realism of this book there was one scene where I could not suspend disbelief. The part where the nobles didn’t believe Snow White was the real Snow White so they humiliated her, and then their subsequent punishment was odd. A lot of unrealistic nudity there. I also know that with the time and place of this book it was not unusual for Snow White to be married at 16, but the sex scene between her and her much older (and implied more experienced) husband creeped me out. I would have liked more of that scene to just be implied and then less of the evil stepmother’s death to be implied.
Parent’s Guide & Trigger Warnings: This book contains depictions of violence, child abuse, consensual sex, sex with a minor, and a graphic suicide attempt.
In Short: This book puts a layer of realism onto a familiar fairy tale. Unlike the Disney version you see what a victim Snow White really was. Horribly abused by her stepmother after her father’s death until fleeing and surviving a murder attempt (the poisoned apple), she was only saved by Prince Charming. So it is not surprising that later in life after Charming passes away she suffers this loss greatly and finds herself reverting back to that hopeless little girl that never found her own power. This book explores mental health issues in the form of a depressed Snow White receiving unconventional therapy from a magical mirror.
Pros: This book is very well written and because of that I got a clear picture of Snow White’s psyche early on. I also enjoyed the beginning with the hawks flying around painting a beautiful picture of the setting. The story is fast paced and makes for a quick read. I love the way the story is told through flash-backs that the mirror shows Snow White. And the mirror itself can only reflect, so it shows only what Snow White already has inside of her. It really is kind of a mind-trip the way she sort of counsels herself out of a year-long depression by looking deep and really acknowledging and accepting the past traumas that have brought her to this point. I found Snow’s character to be very well developed and believable, I could sympathize with her pain even though I didn’t find her very likable. This is in no way a criticism, only a compliment. I generally don’t like Princess characters but I could really get into her story. The stories in the flash-backs give us a dark, gritty look at the history I only half-knew of Snow White. Even though I personally don’t like reading dramas, or books with as many sad themes as this, I thought it was really well written and a good story overall. I would recommend this book to those who like darkness with their HEAs. Even though this turned out not to be my usual genre of choice I did enjoy the book. And I have to say, the cover is beautiful.
Cons: Although I appreciated the realism of this book there was one scene where I could not suspend disbelief. The part where the nobles didn’t believe Snow White was the real Snow White so they humiliated her, and then their subsequent punishment was odd. A lot of unrealistic nudity there. I also know that with the time and place of this book it was not unusual for Snow White to be married at 16, but the sex scene between her and her much older (and implied more experienced) husband creeped me out. I would have liked more of that scene to just be implied and then less of the evil stepmother’s death to be implied.
Parent’s Guide & Trigger Warnings: This book contains depictions of violence, child abuse, consensual sex, sex with a minor, and a graphic suicide attempt.
April 25, 2014
The princess is all grown up and has lived her happily ever after – or has she? Caught in the midst of depression after the death of a loved one Snowy is trapped in a vice of her own making. As she tries desperately to get away and remove herself from everyone in the castle she stumbles down a long forgotten passage that leads her to the truth of her past – will it be enough to mend her fractured soul or will it shatter this delicate lady once and for all?
I was immediately drawn to the idea of Snow White in her later years battling emotional forces she hadn’t dealt with since she was a child. This notion held the promise of a tortured soul and a detailed look at what it meant to be happy. The title for this story could not be more perfect for describing the tale this short novel tells. The overriding premise might lead you to believe that this is a fictional memoir, but it is not. The overriding story that leads Snow White to reflect upon her past is not only plausible but believable, within the framework of the original tale.
Meredith gives readers a handful of truly magical moments where the pain and horror of Snowy’s childhood realistically echoes the tortures some children in this world have and do face. His ability to flush out a tale whose truth was heavily veiled by the animated masters at Disney Studios make it clear why this was and will continue to be one of the timeless Grim pieces.
Unfortunately, my praise ends there. Yes, The Reflections of Queen Snow White won a Reader’s Choice Award as professes the illustrated medal on the front cover of the book, but that just made my expectations soar all the higher in anticipation – only to be let down as an overly weepy older woman acts like a spoiled child. Her severe lack of self-confidence and esteem made reading weary and repetitive. Yes, I realize that depression saps the life right out of you, but it needs to be written about in such a way that readers become entangled in shared grief with the character.
The older Snowy of the outer story lacked dimension and depth. The more she reflected on how she was supposed to be strong, the more convinced I became that this woman never knew strength of purpose or character. By the end of the story, I did not fully believe that she had reached any kind of realization about herself and that the one trying to help her see the truth of her life did little more than prove her own rational for self-pity.
Perhaps my hopes were too high for this manuscript, perhaps I expected too much of a simple fairy tale – but I think not. Meredith simply did not fulfill the promise of his book blurb and let his powerful moments wallow in a watery wasteland.
Review by M.J. Moores, OCT. Author. Editor. Freelance Writer.
I was immediately drawn to the idea of Snow White in her later years battling emotional forces she hadn’t dealt with since she was a child. This notion held the promise of a tortured soul and a detailed look at what it meant to be happy. The title for this story could not be more perfect for describing the tale this short novel tells. The overriding premise might lead you to believe that this is a fictional memoir, but it is not. The overriding story that leads Snow White to reflect upon her past is not only plausible but believable, within the framework of the original tale.
Meredith gives readers a handful of truly magical moments where the pain and horror of Snowy’s childhood realistically echoes the tortures some children in this world have and do face. His ability to flush out a tale whose truth was heavily veiled by the animated masters at Disney Studios make it clear why this was and will continue to be one of the timeless Grim pieces.
Unfortunately, my praise ends there. Yes, The Reflections of Queen Snow White won a Reader’s Choice Award as professes the illustrated medal on the front cover of the book, but that just made my expectations soar all the higher in anticipation – only to be let down as an overly weepy older woman acts like a spoiled child. Her severe lack of self-confidence and esteem made reading weary and repetitive. Yes, I realize that depression saps the life right out of you, but it needs to be written about in such a way that readers become entangled in shared grief with the character.
The older Snowy of the outer story lacked dimension and depth. The more she reflected on how she was supposed to be strong, the more convinced I became that this woman never knew strength of purpose or character. By the end of the story, I did not fully believe that she had reached any kind of realization about herself and that the one trying to help her see the truth of her life did little more than prove her own rational for self-pity.
Perhaps my hopes were too high for this manuscript, perhaps I expected too much of a simple fairy tale – but I think not. Meredith simply did not fulfill the promise of his book blurb and let his powerful moments wallow in a watery wasteland.
Review by M.J. Moores, OCT. Author. Editor. Freelance Writer.
March 20, 2016
"The Reflections of Queen Snow White" is a work of fiction by David Meredith. It is based upon the Brothers Grimm fairy tale, Snow White and the Seven Dwarves.
Most everyone knows the story of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, the wicked stepmother and her magic mirror, and Prince Charming. I hadn’t read the story since I was a child and have never bothered to see the movie but as I read this book, it came back to me.
But this isn’t a happy fairy tale at all. This story is darkly intense and covers Snow White’s life from the time her father died to the upcoming marriage of her own daughter many years later. It includes her marriage and life with Prince Charming.
Prince Charming has passed away and Snow White is in a deep depression and unable to function in any capacity. In an effort to find a place to be alone, she wanders the castle and finds herself in a room where her stepmother’s belongings were stored. Amongst the deceased woman’s possessions is the magic mirror.
Snow White finds herself gazing into it and seeing her life. It reveals her abusive childhood at the hands of her stepmother in graphic detail. It showed her being poisoned by the apple and how Prince Charming saved her life. She saw her wedding and her wedding night and everything else up to the point where her daughter, Raven, is getting married. Snow White’s life was not one of happiness or contentment. Her only solace was Prince Charming and when he died, she just shut down.
The story is quite imaginative. Not too many people think about what happens after closing the book on a fairy tale. The end is the end. It’s simple and memory-worthy but it’s still the end. Taking the story past that is what makes this book so appealing. It looks beyond the “happily ever after” and slaps you in the face with a dose of realism that could have been.
I give this book a 4-star rating because I felt that some of the words in the book were a bit advanced for the average reader (I was looking them up in the dictionary); there were some wrong words used and a few incidents of inaccurate punctuation. Other than that, this was a great story.
*Reviewed for the Say What?? Book Club
Most everyone knows the story of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, the wicked stepmother and her magic mirror, and Prince Charming. I hadn’t read the story since I was a child and have never bothered to see the movie but as I read this book, it came back to me.
But this isn’t a happy fairy tale at all. This story is darkly intense and covers Snow White’s life from the time her father died to the upcoming marriage of her own daughter many years later. It includes her marriage and life with Prince Charming.
Prince Charming has passed away and Snow White is in a deep depression and unable to function in any capacity. In an effort to find a place to be alone, she wanders the castle and finds herself in a room where her stepmother’s belongings were stored. Amongst the deceased woman’s possessions is the magic mirror.
Snow White finds herself gazing into it and seeing her life. It reveals her abusive childhood at the hands of her stepmother in graphic detail. It showed her being poisoned by the apple and how Prince Charming saved her life. She saw her wedding and her wedding night and everything else up to the point where her daughter, Raven, is getting married. Snow White’s life was not one of happiness or contentment. Her only solace was Prince Charming and when he died, she just shut down.
The story is quite imaginative. Not too many people think about what happens after closing the book on a fairy tale. The end is the end. It’s simple and memory-worthy but it’s still the end. Taking the story past that is what makes this book so appealing. It looks beyond the “happily ever after” and slaps you in the face with a dose of realism that could have been.
I give this book a 4-star rating because I felt that some of the words in the book were a bit advanced for the average reader (I was looking them up in the dictionary); there were some wrong words used and a few incidents of inaccurate punctuation. Other than that, this was a great story.
*Reviewed for the Say What?? Book Club
September 4, 2017
✮ Read this review and more like it on The Last Page ✮
What an incredible twist on a classic fairy tale! The Reflections of Queen Snow White successfully breathes new life into an old story and transforms a cherished childhood favorite into a beautiful grown up fairy tale.
Queen Snow White is no longer the adorable and innocent little princess many of us all know and love; now after almost forty years she is aging, grieving the loss of Prince Charming and her most cherished friends, the seven dwarves. This book takes a hard look at what happens after the happy ending and covers the very real difficulties that come with losing the ones you love.
When Snow comes upon the long forgotten magic mirror, Snow reminisces about her past. We get to relive the classic fairy tale up to the triumphant rescue by Prince Charming and the years of court life and political turmoil that came after. The one twist is that there is very little magic, in fact the only magical thing is the mirror itself. Snow’s desperate fight for survival against the mad Queen is actually rather brutal, and I absolutely loved this more realistic version of the story.
Admittedly this book made me cry quite a few times. The descriptions of Queen Snow’s loneliness and despair over the loss of her savior struck a very personal chord with me that actually left me feeling pretty depressed. If you took away the fairy tale setting, the royalty, and the magic, Snow’s struggle is very real. I was honestly surprised with how sad I felt so often while reading, and the fact that it could draw that kind of raw emotion out of me is incredible.
A marvelous debut by a promising new author and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. Any fan of fairy tales I think will appreciate this wonderful adult retelling of a classic fairy tale.
Disclaimer: Received a copy for free from the author in exchange for an honest review
What an incredible twist on a classic fairy tale! The Reflections of Queen Snow White successfully breathes new life into an old story and transforms a cherished childhood favorite into a beautiful grown up fairy tale.
Queen Snow White is no longer the adorable and innocent little princess many of us all know and love; now after almost forty years she is aging, grieving the loss of Prince Charming and her most cherished friends, the seven dwarves. This book takes a hard look at what happens after the happy ending and covers the very real difficulties that come with losing the ones you love.
When Snow comes upon the long forgotten magic mirror, Snow reminisces about her past. We get to relive the classic fairy tale up to the triumphant rescue by Prince Charming and the years of court life and political turmoil that came after. The one twist is that there is very little magic, in fact the only magical thing is the mirror itself. Snow’s desperate fight for survival against the mad Queen is actually rather brutal, and I absolutely loved this more realistic version of the story.
Admittedly this book made me cry quite a few times. The descriptions of Queen Snow’s loneliness and despair over the loss of her savior struck a very personal chord with me that actually left me feeling pretty depressed. If you took away the fairy tale setting, the royalty, and the magic, Snow’s struggle is very real. I was honestly surprised with how sad I felt so often while reading, and the fact that it could draw that kind of raw emotion out of me is incredible.
A marvelous debut by a promising new author and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. Any fan of fairy tales I think will appreciate this wonderful adult retelling of a classic fairy tale.
Disclaimer: Received a copy for free from the author in exchange for an honest review
June 6, 2014
Most of us know the story about Snow White; most of us know that she and Prince Charming lived happily every after. But just what is that “happily ever after”?
In The Reflections of Queen Snow White, David Meredith leads us through Snow’s and Charming’s “happily ever after”. Not only do we get the inside scoop on that question, but Meredith also shows us some of the never before revealed details of the goings on between Snow and her stepmother.
We learn all this, ironically enough, through Snow’s stepmother’s “Mirror Mirror on the wall” – that magical reflecting glass that continues to hang, forgotten, on a wall in Snow’s castle. What Snow White learns from her reflections includes how, in a way, she is doing to her own daughter what had been done to her. When she emerges from her reflecting, Snow comments: “I took a good long look in the mirror….”
When I was originally asked to review this book, I was reticent, as so many classics and fairy tales have been sullied of late, by authors trying to modify or expand them beyond their original covers. But, Meredith’s novel, although fairly short, is very clever.
One negative about the book, in my opinion, is the writing. Although Meredith’s writing is, basically, very good, he seems to have an aversion to commas. This may seem like a petty complaint, but commas are a big deal to me, and there is a dearth of them in this book. The teacher in me feels like I need to sit Meredith down and teach him about the comma.
Other than this personal foible, I found The Reflections of Queen Snow White to be well written and very clever. I thoroughly enjoyed my experience with this little book!
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
In The Reflections of Queen Snow White, David Meredith leads us through Snow’s and Charming’s “happily ever after”. Not only do we get the inside scoop on that question, but Meredith also shows us some of the never before revealed details of the goings on between Snow and her stepmother.
We learn all this, ironically enough, through Snow’s stepmother’s “Mirror Mirror on the wall” – that magical reflecting glass that continues to hang, forgotten, on a wall in Snow’s castle. What Snow White learns from her reflections includes how, in a way, she is doing to her own daughter what had been done to her. When she emerges from her reflecting, Snow comments: “I took a good long look in the mirror….”
When I was originally asked to review this book, I was reticent, as so many classics and fairy tales have been sullied of late, by authors trying to modify or expand them beyond their original covers. But, Meredith’s novel, although fairly short, is very clever.
One negative about the book, in my opinion, is the writing. Although Meredith’s writing is, basically, very good, he seems to have an aversion to commas. This may seem like a petty complaint, but commas are a big deal to me, and there is a dearth of them in this book. The teacher in me feels like I need to sit Meredith down and teach him about the comma.
Other than this personal foible, I found The Reflections of Queen Snow White to be well written and very clever. I thoroughly enjoyed my experience with this little book!
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
June 11, 2014
Whoever said that guys do not know how to write a perfectly good romance book, should read this book. This book was given to me by the author, David on Goodreads, and honestly, I was a wee bit skeptical that a GUY is actually writing the stories of Snow White. Though, I was curious, so I agreed to review it. I was surprised actually, when I enjoyed the book. HAHA okay, I should stop that and go into the review of it. This book, as the title states, is about Snow White. Well, more like, her future. In her future, Prince Charming died (due to old age), and she grieved over him for so long, that she actually forgot all the happy times. The Reflections of Queen Snow White, is as it says. It's a reflection of her past. She was forced to look into her past, when she stumbled upon the Magic Mirror. (I'm sure you guys remembered that mirror, ps, "Mirror mirror on the wall, who's the prettiest of them all?") This book is perfectly written. It was quite obvious that the author's grasp of English is really good. As good as John Green (and that is a compliment, okay?), with all the bold words. Trust me, i had to look up those words a few times (and I used a Kindle, so it was easier, HAHA). Honestly, though, this book made me like Snow White. HAHA yes, she was the only Disney princess that I hated, because I thought she was such a slut. HAHA but anyway, this book makes you look at Snow White in a whole different light. Which to me, is a good thing. So, YAY. HAHA. I would seriously recommend this book to those who love fairytales, as much as I do. :)
December 1, 2016
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The Reflections of Queen Snow White
David Meredith
Received from author
Obviously, THE REFLECTIONS OF QUEEN SNOW WHITE is a retelling of the classic Snow White tale. As I was reading I found my emotions all out of whack and one minute I was happy and the next, almost in tears. Memories of our loved ones are what keep those who have passed, alive. Grief is so powerful and effects each of us differently and with David Meredith's very descriptive writing, you will feel every single ounce of Queen Snow White's grief.
THE REFLECTIONS OF QUEEN SNOW WHITE has Snow White finding the old mirror and learning about what is deep inside of her and what she has to do to become the Queen she once was. Will Snow White ever be able to go on without her Prince? Will she ever be happy again? I was instantly caught up in Snow White's feelings and wanted her to smile once again. I felt so much of her pain and loneliness and wanted to shake her so she would see what was right in front of her.
I really enjoyed THE REFLECTIONS OF QUEEN SNOW WHITE and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys fairy tales retellings because this one is un-put down able. Once I started reading, I could not stop. I do not remember Snow White ever making me cry but this version surely did. I loved learning about "the after" of happily ever after. I still can't believe this is David Meredith's debut and I'm excited to read more by this very talented author.
The Reflections of Queen Snow White
David Meredith
Received from author
Obviously, THE REFLECTIONS OF QUEEN SNOW WHITE is a retelling of the classic Snow White tale. As I was reading I found my emotions all out of whack and one minute I was happy and the next, almost in tears. Memories of our loved ones are what keep those who have passed, alive. Grief is so powerful and effects each of us differently and with David Meredith's very descriptive writing, you will feel every single ounce of Queen Snow White's grief.
THE REFLECTIONS OF QUEEN SNOW WHITE has Snow White finding the old mirror and learning about what is deep inside of her and what she has to do to become the Queen she once was. Will Snow White ever be able to go on without her Prince? Will she ever be happy again? I was instantly caught up in Snow White's feelings and wanted her to smile once again. I felt so much of her pain and loneliness and wanted to shake her so she would see what was right in front of her.
I really enjoyed THE REFLECTIONS OF QUEEN SNOW WHITE and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys fairy tales retellings because this one is un-put down able. Once I started reading, I could not stop. I do not remember Snow White ever making me cry but this version surely did. I loved learning about "the after" of happily ever after. I still can't believe this is David Meredith's debut and I'm excited to read more by this very talented author.
July 8, 2014
*I was gifted and pleased to receive this book for free in exchange for an honest review.*
What would your mirror show? In David Meredith’s The Reflections of Queen Snow White, we get a glimpse into the life of Snow White in the years after her marriage to Charming. Please, don’t let this fool you! There is romance, there is love, there is a true happily ever after!
"What do I hope for now? she mused. Have I really become so different?"
This was an amazing read. It’s intellectual in its examination of the ubiquitous happily ever after. It’s not only a post-happily-ever-after tale, it’s quite literally insight into ourselves. What happens after loss, after beauty fades, after friends move on or pass. What happens to our hopes.
This story was articulate; it was graceful; it was beautiful. It was everything the story of Snow White should be. How David Meredith imagined her life is nothing short of stellar. I doubt many of us of have looked beyond the fairytale HEA. To think she faced shame and ridicule and has human problems after her happily ever after with Charming is HEA anathema yet it is perfectly told.
Meredith looks at so many aspects of our lives and our pasts. At points I was almost brought to tears thinking what my mirror would show. What strengths and what lessons I’ve learned. It’s a poignant reminder that “The End” only holds the place for what’s to come.
Wow.
Go buy The Reflections of Queen Snow White NOW! What are you waiting for?
What would your mirror show? In David Meredith’s The Reflections of Queen Snow White, we get a glimpse into the life of Snow White in the years after her marriage to Charming. Please, don’t let this fool you! There is romance, there is love, there is a true happily ever after!
"What do I hope for now? she mused. Have I really become so different?"
This was an amazing read. It’s intellectual in its examination of the ubiquitous happily ever after. It’s not only a post-happily-ever-after tale, it’s quite literally insight into ourselves. What happens after loss, after beauty fades, after friends move on or pass. What happens to our hopes.
This story was articulate; it was graceful; it was beautiful. It was everything the story of Snow White should be. How David Meredith imagined her life is nothing short of stellar. I doubt many of us of have looked beyond the fairytale HEA. To think she faced shame and ridicule and has human problems after her happily ever after with Charming is HEA anathema yet it is perfectly told.
Meredith looks at so many aspects of our lives and our pasts. At points I was almost brought to tears thinking what my mirror would show. What strengths and what lessons I’ve learned. It’s a poignant reminder that “The End” only holds the place for what’s to come.
Wow.
Go buy The Reflections of Queen Snow White NOW! What are you waiting for?
May 21, 2014
First, I would like to thank the author, David Meredith for giving me this beautiful book for an honest review. So here it goes. This is not your typical fairytale story. No, it is not the Snow White you remember from your childhood days. This book tells a story that is at times dark, heart-wrenching and melancholy that it will bring you to tears. This book was so well written the descriptions of scenes were so brilliantly depicted that at times I felt like I was at Castle Wolfejager along with the queen, the mirror and Charming.
In this story we meet up with Snow White, after her happily ever after with her Prince Charming. Years have passed and now, she is Queen. It has been a year since Charming’s death. Snow White is grief stricken and finds herself, isolated and depressed within the walls of Castle Wolfejager with no way of escape from her forsaken thoughts. She ends up returning to her step mother’s old quarters and discovering the long lost Magical Mirror. Thus, starts the beginning of her journey to discover self-worth, strength and hope in what was left after an awful tragedy, such as the death of your soulmate.
This was a wonderful turn of the story of Snow White and I would most definitely recommend it to everyone whether you are a fairytale fan or not.
for more reviews please go to http://carriejosbookblog.blogspot.com
In this story we meet up with Snow White, after her happily ever after with her Prince Charming. Years have passed and now, she is Queen. It has been a year since Charming’s death. Snow White is grief stricken and finds herself, isolated and depressed within the walls of Castle Wolfejager with no way of escape from her forsaken thoughts. She ends up returning to her step mother’s old quarters and discovering the long lost Magical Mirror. Thus, starts the beginning of her journey to discover self-worth, strength and hope in what was left after an awful tragedy, such as the death of your soulmate.
This was a wonderful turn of the story of Snow White and I would most definitely recommend it to everyone whether you are a fairytale fan or not.
for more reviews please go to http://carriejosbookblog.blogspot.com
May 23, 2014
David Meredith's "The Reflections of Queen Snow White" is an interesting and fresh take on a familiar story.
Set years after the events that we all know from our childhood Disney retelling of the classic fairytale, readers find Snow White looking back and facing her life in a very revealing way. Meredith portrays a much deeper character than the singing, frolicking, conversing with woodland creatures one that most people picture when Snow White's name is mentioned.
The book takes readers on a tour of Snow White's past, exploring her relationships with the dwarves, her subjects and especially Prince Charming in a very real and emotional way. I particularly appreciated that Meredith did not paint Snow White as a perfect princess, in his work she definitely has her human flaws.
I also found it interesting that the author painted Snow White's marriage to Prince Charming as an almost political move. While the story is still romantic, it does bring a different edge to it.
This dramatic account as Snow White looks deep into herself from the very mirror that was used by her enemy will keep readers turning pages. Fans of the mini-series "The Tenth Kingdom" and the T.V. show "Grimm" will love this book.
Allison Hawn - Author of "Life is a Circus Run by a Platypus"
Set years after the events that we all know from our childhood Disney retelling of the classic fairytale, readers find Snow White looking back and facing her life in a very revealing way. Meredith portrays a much deeper character than the singing, frolicking, conversing with woodland creatures one that most people picture when Snow White's name is mentioned.
The book takes readers on a tour of Snow White's past, exploring her relationships with the dwarves, her subjects and especially Prince Charming in a very real and emotional way. I particularly appreciated that Meredith did not paint Snow White as a perfect princess, in his work she definitely has her human flaws.
I also found it interesting that the author painted Snow White's marriage to Prince Charming as an almost political move. While the story is still romantic, it does bring a different edge to it.
This dramatic account as Snow White looks deep into herself from the very mirror that was used by her enemy will keep readers turning pages. Fans of the mini-series "The Tenth Kingdom" and the T.V. show "Grimm" will love this book.
Allison Hawn - Author of "Life is a Circus Run by a Platypus"
November 15, 2013
The Reflections of Snow White By David Meredith
First off I got to say that this book is very well written. David writes details and descriptions so well you can picture everything in your mind as if it was a movie.
I love how David takes one of my favorite childhood fairy tales and puts his own spin on it. The way it was written was very unique and clever.
I really enjoyed getting the before and after in this classic happily ever after fairytale. For me it was like getting an adult extended version.
Snow Whites reflections held so much emotion. I felt for her in so many ways. I want to say more about her reflections but I do not want to spoil it for anyone :)
What a great take on a favorite fairy tale. David skillfully combined many life lessons with emotion, suspense and yes a bit of sexiness mixed with passion. This book had a little bit of everything.
Truly a great read that will stay with me for a long time to come. David Meredith will now be on my auto buy list.
I actually realized that this amazing book can be a fabulous and helpful guide for those who are grieving.
First off I got to say that this book is very well written. David writes details and descriptions so well you can picture everything in your mind as if it was a movie.
I love how David takes one of my favorite childhood fairy tales and puts his own spin on it. The way it was written was very unique and clever.
I really enjoyed getting the before and after in this classic happily ever after fairytale. For me it was like getting an adult extended version.
Snow Whites reflections held so much emotion. I felt for her in so many ways. I want to say more about her reflections but I do not want to spoil it for anyone :)
What a great take on a favorite fairy tale. David skillfully combined many life lessons with emotion, suspense and yes a bit of sexiness mixed with passion. This book had a little bit of everything.
Truly a great read that will stay with me for a long time to come. David Meredith will now be on my auto buy list.
I actually realized that this amazing book can be a fabulous and helpful guide for those who are grieving.
March 5, 2016
More of a 3.5
This story was sent to me by Mr. David Meredith for an honest review.
We enter a deeper understanding of the life of Snow White. After her husbands passing Snow White falls into a deep grief and despair that only she can pull herself out of. She encounters the magical mirror her evil step mother once had and learns that she, Snow White, is a stronger and bravery than she makes herself out to be.
The story is told in the same style as the classic fairy are told. Short and sweet sentences that ooze magic and lessons to children. Meredith would be the classic story tellers such as the Grimm Brothers proud following their format of lessons through stories.
I would not recommend this story if you want a sweet fairy tale. The Reflections of Queen Snow White has emotional and physical abuse and violence, and if you are faint of heart it might not be for you. This story is about handling grief and not clinging to what you lost. ( There is also some sexual content but it is not overwhelming. Just their wedding night and conceiving a child )
Full Review at: www.simplyallytea.com
This story was sent to me by Mr. David Meredith for an honest review.
We enter a deeper understanding of the life of Snow White. After her husbands passing Snow White falls into a deep grief and despair that only she can pull herself out of. She encounters the magical mirror her evil step mother once had and learns that she, Snow White, is a stronger and bravery than she makes herself out to be.
The story is told in the same style as the classic fairy are told. Short and sweet sentences that ooze magic and lessons to children. Meredith would be the classic story tellers such as the Grimm Brothers proud following their format of lessons through stories.
I would not recommend this story if you want a sweet fairy tale. The Reflections of Queen Snow White has emotional and physical abuse and violence, and if you are faint of heart it might not be for you. This story is about handling grief and not clinging to what you lost. ( There is also some sexual content but it is not overwhelming. Just their wedding night and conceiving a child )
Full Review at: www.simplyallytea.com
May 22, 2015
What can I say? I never have any expectations when I start reading any books, and this was a pleasant surprise. This one is so moving, you need to keep the tissues nearby. I couldn't put the book down.
It is beautifully written and you feel the emotions of Queen Snow White as she copes with change before and after going to the magic mirror.
The character is strong in this book and shows tenderness of love.
This book makes you feel sad, but also uplifted at the same time as it gives you another way of looking at life.
The reason I read this though was the fond memories of reading the original book as a child, although due to adult themes this book is not for the younger audience.
This author is one to watch in the future.
I give this book a rating of 5 stars out of 5.
e-book kindly given by author for review purposes.
It is beautifully written and you feel the emotions of Queen Snow White as she copes with change before and after going to the magic mirror.
The character is strong in this book and shows tenderness of love.
This book makes you feel sad, but also uplifted at the same time as it gives you another way of looking at life.
The reason I read this though was the fond memories of reading the original book as a child, although due to adult themes this book is not for the younger audience.
This author is one to watch in the future.
I give this book a rating of 5 stars out of 5.
e-book kindly given by author for review purposes.
September 8, 2017
I didn't know what to expect from this story but I liked it and I was really fascinated by it from the begnning to the end.
David Meredith with this short story made us meet Snow at an older age,he told us also some of her past experiences and he succeded to touch me with his words depicting this frail character that has only forgot how she was and lost her way.
Copy kindly provided by the Author.
March 3, 2014
I chose this book because it appealed to my whimsical nature. Snow White was the first Disney movie I ever saw, in the theater, for it’s re-release. I now have my own daughter, and she loves the Disney Princesses, although her fav is Belle. Snow White was always my favorite princess until I discovered Princess Leia. I do have to point out that I know absolutely nothing about where these fairy tales come from. Outside of the sanitized Disney versions, I haven’t read any literature about the origins of these stories. Now I want to.
Despite my very eclectic tastes in reading, I am always a sucker for the “happily ever after”. Always have, always will be. But I understand that “happily ever after” can have different meanings. That was one of the things that drew me to this book.
There were so many things I like about this book. First being the writing style. Very fitting of a book about a fairy tale, the writing is very elegant and proper without being nauseating. For example, when describing Snow White’s throne room in comparison to the rest of the castle that is preparing for the wedding, Mr. Meredith writes:
The cavernous chamber appeared a bleak island of melancholy set adrift upon a sunny, celebratory sea.
The writing helps to transport the reader to the castle, to Snow White’s side, through the visions she sees through the mirror. The writing also helps define the depth to her suffering:
Snow White had said she wanted to be alone, but that was not really true. She simply was alone, whether there were any other people about to witness it or not. Now that she was by herself in the large room however, the queen was not at all sure what to do next.This of course was her regular dilemma. It seemed difficult to do anything anymore but sit around feeling miserable and sad.
That is pretty much depression in a nutshell, whether it stems from grief or from illness. Well done.
I love the use of the magic mirror to prompt Snow White to examine her life. This is usually what is done in therapy, but being that therapists weren’t around in that time period and that cures for things pertaining to mental illness probably involved using leeches, I guess a magic mirror would have to do. Here the mirror describes his role succinctly:
I simply do that which mirrors do. You look in. I show you a reflection of yourself- Nothing more. Your stepmother thought herself beautiful, but I showed her the ugliness that dwelt in her heart as well. She asked me then who there was more beautiful that she and again I showed her. Some people are frightened of their own reflection, I’ve found. They do not want to examine themselves too closely, for fear of what they will see – For fear of what others might discover.
Through the mirror, Snow White sees several events from her past, ranging from her stepmother’s abuse to her life with Charming. Some of the events are terribly traumatic. Some of them are very tender and emotional. All of them serve a purpose as the mirror again counsels:
You know there is no forgetting, not really. What happens, happens. The past is the past and your past is ever a part of you! Only by facing it can you truly leave it behind. Otherwise, it will ever intrude upon your present..
I have found this especially true in my own personal life and my issues with domestic violence. Leave it to a magic mirror to put it so plainly.
That noted, there are elements of abuse, especially surrounding her stepmother’s treatment of her. It may trigger. That was one thing I remember from all the Disney movies. The absolute cruelty of the stepmothers featured. I think that is why I refused to be referred to as a “stepmother” to this day. I would rather my bonus son call me by my first name than his “stepmother”. Thanks, fairy tales!!
This book is also not rated G. It is not rated X either, but Snow White and Charming do get it on….in detail. That was kind of refreshing. For two reasons 1) it is a departure from the sanitized Disney versions of the fairy tales we have been force fed for the past 70 years. Yes, I know they are for children, but you rarely ever see the characters kiss…and in the next frame they get married? And 2) these scenes were written by a man and they are very tender and not gratuitous. Not something you associate with a man writing a sex scene. Especially the one featuring the night of their wedding night. Good job!!
It is a very short read and is well worth the $1.99 it is going for right now on amazon.
I really enjoyed this book. Immensely. It captured my imagination. It spoke to that little girl in me who loved fairy tales but is now grown up and is now aware of the issues that face adults. Excellent concept, excellent execution. Highly recommended.
Despite my very eclectic tastes in reading, I am always a sucker for the “happily ever after”. Always have, always will be. But I understand that “happily ever after” can have different meanings. That was one of the things that drew me to this book.
There were so many things I like about this book. First being the writing style. Very fitting of a book about a fairy tale, the writing is very elegant and proper without being nauseating. For example, when describing Snow White’s throne room in comparison to the rest of the castle that is preparing for the wedding, Mr. Meredith writes:
The cavernous chamber appeared a bleak island of melancholy set adrift upon a sunny, celebratory sea.
The writing helps to transport the reader to the castle, to Snow White’s side, through the visions she sees through the mirror. The writing also helps define the depth to her suffering:
Snow White had said she wanted to be alone, but that was not really true. She simply was alone, whether there were any other people about to witness it or not. Now that she was by herself in the large room however, the queen was not at all sure what to do next.This of course was her regular dilemma. It seemed difficult to do anything anymore but sit around feeling miserable and sad.
That is pretty much depression in a nutshell, whether it stems from grief or from illness. Well done.
I love the use of the magic mirror to prompt Snow White to examine her life. This is usually what is done in therapy, but being that therapists weren’t around in that time period and that cures for things pertaining to mental illness probably involved using leeches, I guess a magic mirror would have to do. Here the mirror describes his role succinctly:
I simply do that which mirrors do. You look in. I show you a reflection of yourself- Nothing more. Your stepmother thought herself beautiful, but I showed her the ugliness that dwelt in her heart as well. She asked me then who there was more beautiful that she and again I showed her. Some people are frightened of their own reflection, I’ve found. They do not want to examine themselves too closely, for fear of what they will see – For fear of what others might discover.
Through the mirror, Snow White sees several events from her past, ranging from her stepmother’s abuse to her life with Charming. Some of the events are terribly traumatic. Some of them are very tender and emotional. All of them serve a purpose as the mirror again counsels:
You know there is no forgetting, not really. What happens, happens. The past is the past and your past is ever a part of you! Only by facing it can you truly leave it behind. Otherwise, it will ever intrude upon your present..
I have found this especially true in my own personal life and my issues with domestic violence. Leave it to a magic mirror to put it so plainly.
That noted, there are elements of abuse, especially surrounding her stepmother’s treatment of her. It may trigger. That was one thing I remember from all the Disney movies. The absolute cruelty of the stepmothers featured. I think that is why I refused to be referred to as a “stepmother” to this day. I would rather my bonus son call me by my first name than his “stepmother”. Thanks, fairy tales!!
This book is also not rated G. It is not rated X either, but Snow White and Charming do get it on….in detail. That was kind of refreshing. For two reasons 1) it is a departure from the sanitized Disney versions of the fairy tales we have been force fed for the past 70 years. Yes, I know they are for children, but you rarely ever see the characters kiss…and in the next frame they get married? And 2) these scenes were written by a man and they are very tender and not gratuitous. Not something you associate with a man writing a sex scene. Especially the one featuring the night of their wedding night. Good job!!
It is a very short read and is well worth the $1.99 it is going for right now on amazon.
I really enjoyed this book. Immensely. It captured my imagination. It spoke to that little girl in me who loved fairy tales but is now grown up and is now aware of the issues that face adults. Excellent concept, excellent execution. Highly recommended.
May 26, 2016
A few things before I start. I’d like to thank the author David Meredith for providing me with a free copy for an honest view in return. Secondly, this book IS for adults. It has some explicit violence as well as explicit romance. It’s not the Snow White disney movie. Overall I thoroughly enjoyed this short tale, a different look at the life of a well known fairy tale princess, Snow White.
This story starts off with an old, grieving Snow White. It’s been a year since Prince Charming has died, and Snow White is still full of grief and despair. She feels so alone despite her friends and her young daughter, Raven. Snow White ends up stumbling upon her evil step mother’s old mirror, who takes Snow White on a trip down memory lane and reveals to her that there is always hope. Even when things get rough, you fall down, you’ll always get back up again.
I really loved this story. I’m a sucker for fairy tale retellings / different takes on them, and this one was really good. It’s only 155 pages, it’s short and sweet. I did take a while to read it, but that’s only because ACOMAF put me in a slump. But this book definitely got me out of it. This tale about Snow White was a beautifully, well written with so much intricate sentences and descriptions. I liked that I was able to feel what Snow felt; I was attached to her character and went through the emotions as she did. I wanted Snow to overcome her hardships and destroy and fight the people who harmed her.
Something that made the inner feminist inside of me happy was that Snow White was so convinced Prince Charming was the one who made her strong, but the mirror kept trying to make her realize her strength was inside of her all along. YES, David Meredith, YES. WOMEN DON’T NEED MEN TO BE STRONG. A+ from me on that.
This was a well-crafted tale about grief and overcoming the hard days in life. Snow White desperately needed to talk to someone over her sadness, and she found that in herself. It was what she needed all along, a long conversation with the inner depths of her mind. Sometimes the key to understanding your future, finding your future path, is understanding the past and seeing how far you’ve already come. That message was clear and so well-thought out.
The only issues I had with this book was that some of the language in this book was far ahead of my education; it made a few scenes for me hard to understand. I blame my lack of higher education on this, but the larger words did take away from some scenes. Of course, not all of them, the story still made complete sense to me.
The second thing I didn’t like, again, is merely a personal issue. I wish there had been some trigger warnings for a certain scene where a character slits their wrists. I am highly, highly sensitive to scenes where people have their blood drawn, or lose it from their wrists or veins, you know? I am weak and shaking just as I type this. Scenes like that make me feel ill and weak and I actually had to skip over most of this scene because I didn’t want to get sick.
Lastly, I felt like the end could have been dragged out a tad more. Once she had finished looking at the reflections of herself, her past, she barely had any time to contemplate or think about what the mirror showed her before she got over her sorrow. It would have been so much more powerful if Snow White went back to her room and thought about what the mirror showed her for a little while before straightening her back, letting the grief go.
Other than those three things, The Reflections of Queen Snow White is now one of my favorite new takes on this fairytale. It was an emotional, violent, intimate ride through parts of this fairy tale we don’t usually read about. This story was the perfect length and leaves the reader satisfied. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys twists on fairy tales, or more in depth to the Disney ones we are so used to. Again, it IS for mature audiences and I would say 16+ is the right age range! Thank you again David Meredith for allowing me to read and review the book. I give it four out of five stars. I almost want a little bit more about Charming and Snow’s adventures. (https://morrisareads.wordpress.com/20...)
This story starts off with an old, grieving Snow White. It’s been a year since Prince Charming has died, and Snow White is still full of grief and despair. She feels so alone despite her friends and her young daughter, Raven. Snow White ends up stumbling upon her evil step mother’s old mirror, who takes Snow White on a trip down memory lane and reveals to her that there is always hope. Even when things get rough, you fall down, you’ll always get back up again.
I really loved this story. I’m a sucker for fairy tale retellings / different takes on them, and this one was really good. It’s only 155 pages, it’s short and sweet. I did take a while to read it, but that’s only because ACOMAF put me in a slump. But this book definitely got me out of it. This tale about Snow White was a beautifully, well written with so much intricate sentences and descriptions. I liked that I was able to feel what Snow felt; I was attached to her character and went through the emotions as she did. I wanted Snow to overcome her hardships and destroy and fight the people who harmed her.
Something that made the inner feminist inside of me happy was that Snow White was so convinced Prince Charming was the one who made her strong, but the mirror kept trying to make her realize her strength was inside of her all along. YES, David Meredith, YES. WOMEN DON’T NEED MEN TO BE STRONG. A+ from me on that.
This was a well-crafted tale about grief and overcoming the hard days in life. Snow White desperately needed to talk to someone over her sadness, and she found that in herself. It was what she needed all along, a long conversation with the inner depths of her mind. Sometimes the key to understanding your future, finding your future path, is understanding the past and seeing how far you’ve already come. That message was clear and so well-thought out.
The only issues I had with this book was that some of the language in this book was far ahead of my education; it made a few scenes for me hard to understand. I blame my lack of higher education on this, but the larger words did take away from some scenes. Of course, not all of them, the story still made complete sense to me.
The second thing I didn’t like, again, is merely a personal issue. I wish there had been some trigger warnings for a certain scene where a character slits their wrists. I am highly, highly sensitive to scenes where people have their blood drawn, or lose it from their wrists or veins, you know? I am weak and shaking just as I type this. Scenes like that make me feel ill and weak and I actually had to skip over most of this scene because I didn’t want to get sick.
Lastly, I felt like the end could have been dragged out a tad more. Once she had finished looking at the reflections of herself, her past, she barely had any time to contemplate or think about what the mirror showed her before she got over her sorrow. It would have been so much more powerful if Snow White went back to her room and thought about what the mirror showed her for a little while before straightening her back, letting the grief go.
Other than those three things, The Reflections of Queen Snow White is now one of my favorite new takes on this fairytale. It was an emotional, violent, intimate ride through parts of this fairy tale we don’t usually read about. This story was the perfect length and leaves the reader satisfied. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys twists on fairy tales, or more in depth to the Disney ones we are so used to. Again, it IS for mature audiences and I would say 16+ is the right age range! Thank you again David Meredith for allowing me to read and review the book. I give it four out of five stars. I almost want a little bit more about Charming and Snow’s adventures. (https://morrisareads.wordpress.com/20...)
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February 15, 20244.5 stars. I really enjoyed this book: review to come. Thank you to the author for sending me a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
**Update 8.5.16: Full Review***
'True strength is when you have a lot to cry about, but you choose to smile and take another step forward.'
David Meredith was kind enough to gift me a free copy of his book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions stated in this review are my own.
The first problem I faced with The Reflections of Queen Snow White came after I finished reading the book. If you did not know, last year I did an 'Academy Book Awards' where I basically awarded certain books with certain prizes based on those of the Academy Awards. I will be doing one again this year, as well as a favourite books post. However, I ended up forgetting about books last year and in order to prevent that from happening at the end of the year, I am doing at as I go. One of the awards a book can get is the best book in it's target audience range (middle grade, YA, new adult, adult). I was trying to place this book for that purpose and couldn't decide whether to go with New Adult of Adult. My problem here arose from the fact that a large portion of this book is told in flashbacks to when Queen Snow White was younger... but not all of it. In the end I decided to go with NA just because I read more adult than new adult and then I would have a book there. But in conclusion, I don't really know where to place this.
The Reflections of Queen Snow White is a fantasy novel. It is not a straight retelling of Snow White. Instead, it is told from a middle-aged Snow White's perspective after her husband has died. David Meredith, as there were a lot of flashbacks throughout the book, did technically retell Snow White, but this story comes partially after the events of Snow White. I am quite obviously horrible at summaries, but basically... Queen Snow White is going through a tough time and she stumbles across the mirror of her evil stepmother. In this story it isn't evil and instead shows the truth that one already knows but can't face/see. A large portion of this book is Snow White talking to the mirror and experiencing her memories through it and learning about herself. The rest of the book is about Snow White learning from those memories. The book is set over a couple of days or so and is very short, but also quite powerful in message.
I often hesitate when a book has a lot of dreams or flashbacks in it as I tend to get annoyed and want to just get on with the story. However, I am glad I took the chance with this book as I ended up really appreciating both the flashbacks and the other storyline. The flashbacks were engaging and interesting, rather than stale or boring and the main storyline supported the flashbacks, rather than drawing my attention away from them. The beginning and end of the story, where there was quite a bit of description as well as symbolism was both eloquently described and beautifully worded. The rest of the book, whilst still well written was somewhat more casual and less formal, which worked with the progression of the tone and voice of the narrator.
I really appreciated how David Meredith made Snow White a stronger character than she typically was in the original story, but still made her vulnerable and wove the two different ideas of Snow White together in a way that made for a flawed, yet realistic character. The character development throughout this book was exceptionally written, not overbearing or too quick and definitely inspiring and thought-provoking.
In conclusion, this was a wonderfully written and intriguing book. As a warning, there is one sexually explicit scene in one of the flashbacks, but it was, in my opinion, not uneccessary. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for an alternate version of a fairytale retelling. I gave this book 4.5 stars.
**Update 8.5.16: Full Review***
'True strength is when you have a lot to cry about, but you choose to smile and take another step forward.'
David Meredith was kind enough to gift me a free copy of his book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions stated in this review are my own.
The first problem I faced with The Reflections of Queen Snow White came after I finished reading the book. If you did not know, last year I did an 'Academy Book Awards' where I basically awarded certain books with certain prizes based on those of the Academy Awards. I will be doing one again this year, as well as a favourite books post. However, I ended up forgetting about books last year and in order to prevent that from happening at the end of the year, I am doing at as I go. One of the awards a book can get is the best book in it's target audience range (middle grade, YA, new adult, adult). I was trying to place this book for that purpose and couldn't decide whether to go with New Adult of Adult. My problem here arose from the fact that a large portion of this book is told in flashbacks to when Queen Snow White was younger... but not all of it. In the end I decided to go with NA just because I read more adult than new adult and then I would have a book there. But in conclusion, I don't really know where to place this.
The Reflections of Queen Snow White is a fantasy novel. It is not a straight retelling of Snow White. Instead, it is told from a middle-aged Snow White's perspective after her husband has died. David Meredith, as there were a lot of flashbacks throughout the book, did technically retell Snow White, but this story comes partially after the events of Snow White. I am quite obviously horrible at summaries, but basically... Queen Snow White is going through a tough time and she stumbles across the mirror of her evil stepmother. In this story it isn't evil and instead shows the truth that one already knows but can't face/see. A large portion of this book is Snow White talking to the mirror and experiencing her memories through it and learning about herself. The rest of the book is about Snow White learning from those memories. The book is set over a couple of days or so and is very short, but also quite powerful in message.
I often hesitate when a book has a lot of dreams or flashbacks in it as I tend to get annoyed and want to just get on with the story. However, I am glad I took the chance with this book as I ended up really appreciating both the flashbacks and the other storyline. The flashbacks were engaging and interesting, rather than stale or boring and the main storyline supported the flashbacks, rather than drawing my attention away from them. The beginning and end of the story, where there was quite a bit of description as well as symbolism was both eloquently described and beautifully worded. The rest of the book, whilst still well written was somewhat more casual and less formal, which worked with the progression of the tone and voice of the narrator.
I really appreciated how David Meredith made Snow White a stronger character than she typically was in the original story, but still made her vulnerable and wove the two different ideas of Snow White together in a way that made for a flawed, yet realistic character. The character development throughout this book was exceptionally written, not overbearing or too quick and definitely inspiring and thought-provoking.
In conclusion, this was a wonderfully written and intriguing book. As a warning, there is one sexually explicit scene in one of the flashbacks, but it was, in my opinion, not uneccessary. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for an alternate version of a fairytale retelling. I gave this book 4.5 stars.
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