Fairest Son by H.S.J. Williams

The Synopsis:

The Fair and Foul courts of the fey folk have long yearned for one to bring them together in peace, but hopes are dashed when the fairest prince and the prophecy concerning him are laid to ruin. Burdened with shame and sorrow, the prince flees to the cold mountains far above the forests and lochs with nothing but animals and goblins for company.
When a human huntress stumbles upon him in her search for a legendary predator, their fates are intertwined. But she hides deadly secrets, and if he dares to trust her, he may risk the doom of both courts to an ancient evil…
A Retelling of Snow White

I received this book from the author for the purpose of this review. All comments and opinions are entirely my own.

Review:

In this short story retelling of Snow White, we not only encounter a brilliant gender-swap to the classic tale, but we also see familiar pieces to the beloved story put together in a new and unexpected way.

Fairest Son is no light fairytale. From the very first page, it is a tense story with very dark themes like magic, torture, and war. But there is a battle between light and darkness and I loved seeing that reflect in the characters’ actions as they attempted to overcome the darkness with light.

The story is brilliant! I loved the twists and even though I knew that this was a Snow White story, I didn’t know what was coming next or how key elements of the famous fairy-tale would be interwoven into this fresh new take.

Because this is a short story, it did move a lot faster than I would have liked. There was one aspect to the story that held all the promise for a fearsome battle, but it was resolved in just a few short pages with almost no consequences, so it was just slightly disappointing.

However, Fairest Son as a whole is an excellent story. Beautifully written and intricately cared for even as a short story, so I am certainly looking forward to more works from this author *fingers crossed for a full-length novel*!