Snow: An Enchanted Story by Deborah M. Brown
Samhain Publishing
Dark Fantasy, Paranormal, M/M
ISBN: 978-1-60928-168-7
Reviewed by Patrice F.




Queen Anais faces countless expectations and responsibilities as the king’s second wife. She neither likes nor dislikes her stepdaughter, Princess Snow White; there is very little emotional reserves left to share with the girl.  The shy princess is unable to reach out to this aloof woman and the distance between them widens.

When the young Queen is faced with temptation in the form of the king’s huntsman, Rui, she succumbs to her loneliness and need.  When she discovers her lover’s true nature, there is no turning back for her.

Snow White finds companionship and comfort with the seven dwarves who serve her.  Over time they become more than just her protectors, they become her friends.  They are the ones who will teach her the ways of the court.

But will it be enough to protect her from the true evil that lurks in the form of a handsome face and form, sinister motives hidden behind sweet words?

When I say there is nothing cold or frost bitten about Snow, believe it.  This sexy, psychologically decadent fairy tale is bursting with magic and mayhem.  It is an eerie telling; the awakening of a young girl living in a court that is no place for children or anyone without power.

Princess Snow White lives in the south, and is as pale and fair as winter ice crystal.  She is immersed in sparkling darkness, deception and red-hot lust.  The Seven Dwarves:  Ander, Gault, Shyla, Hiram, Meris, Keffion and Kaliko are handsome, proportionate young males offered in service to protect Snow White until she can ascend to the crown.  Queen Anais is a woman who is lost and afraid, bound to her duty and failure.  She is the perfect victim for Rui who harbors love and devotion to one person—and it is not the queen. By the time she discovers all, there is only a brutal and tragic end.

It is rare to come across the kind of successful characterization in a story.  The author painstakingly put a great deal of thought into her players; why Grumpy is grumpy, plunging right into his somber despair.   And no, I won’t tell you which one is “Grumpy” that would give too much away!  Everyone is lovingly and finely sketched.  I was able to see, feel, and understand them clearly.  No one is limited; there are many layers involved in the creation of their personalities.  The motives of Anais, Rui and everyone involved set off a chain reaction of events that struck me by surprise, made my heart ache, triggered my anger and outrage, and finally had me biting my nails, dying to see the outcome.

Snow is an exotically appealing variation of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves that will singe your circuits and force you to discard Disney expectations.  Prepare to have your winter socks blasted off!  Get ready to pack up your comforter because this story is so hot you won’t need it!  I’m thrilled to recommend this torrid tale to our readers and to anyone open minded and looking for something fresh and exciting in this skillful reworking of a timeless classic.