Starla Huchton’s Shadows on Snow is a retelling of Snow White but with males taking traditional female roles and vice-versa. Yes, this means that Snow White is a man in this story. He is Prince Leopold, the evil step-mother becomes an evil step-father, and the seven “dwarfs” become seven sisters. Clever, but the story is a lot more than its flipped premise.
Rae, or Raelynn of Bern is a young princess with a gift for being unobserved. She’s working in the stables at the start of the story attempting to complete a mission. During her quest, the young prince of Sericea, Leopold comes home to be with his ailing mother. Rae and Leopold exchange a few pleasantries, but Rae sees herself as a spy against the evil king, and avoids anything that would make her stand out.
While the story follows the traditional Snow White plot points, the book contains a fascinating narrative of its own of ancient, evil magic, kingdoms overthrown, and rebels with powers. Much more action than in a traditional fairy tale, Shadows on Snow is also part-fantasy and part-romance. The scenes between Rae and Leopold come together quite naturally.
Rae is the central figure in this story, not Leopold, and it’s told from her point-of-view. With a tragic (and very dark) background, Rae isn’t your traditional fairytale princess and often mocks being one. She’s a woman of action—that part of her character is believable. Harder to invest in is her romantic side. While her relationships with the other women in the story ring true, the tension between her and Leopold ebbs and flows a bit much. Her backstory is almost too much to overcome at times so when the inevitable does happen, it feels sudden.
One of the highlights of this novel are the seven sisters. Endowed with magic, the conflict between them and the evil king is delightful. Believing that they could challenge their nefarious opponent, Ms Huchton has written a powerful adversary providing the story adequate tension all the way to its climax.
How about the Snow White story points? If you’re familiar with the real story, you’ll find it all here (including the three attempts on Snow White’s life). But isn’t Snow White effeminate? How does that work with a dude? It works quite well, actually. Instead of passive and dainty, Leopold is compassionate and caring. He looks after his troops in battle, he cares deeply for his true love, and he is kind and charming to the seven sisters. All the core kindness of “the fairest maiden” exists in Leopold, making him a fitting tribute to Snow White as well as a solid character in his own right.
Stuffed with action, bursting with magic, sprinkled with humorous scenes, and enchanting from start to finish, Shadows on Snow is a great retelling of Snow White.