Gr 9 Up—An action-packed retelling of "Snow White" with elements of horror and romance. Princess Lorelei fled the Ravenspire castle nine years ago, when her stepmother Irina used dark magic to kill her father and enslave the court. Now the 17-year-old and her younger brother live in hiding, coming out only in disguise to raid royal food storehouses and feed her country's starving people. This princess is smart, a skilled fighter, and a powerful magic user herself, and she has a long-range plan: gain the people's favor and topple the usurper queen. In a parallel plot, teenage king Kol travels to Ravenspire to beg Irina to save nearby country Eldr from invading ogres. In return for her help, the wicked queen compels Kol to hunt down Lorelei and bring back her heart. As the teens' stories come together, the outcome affects both countries. There are some truly cinematic moments here: predatory vines with eyeless heads, Lorelei sprinting up the sides of buildings, and Irina imprisoning an elderly noblewoman inside a tree and forcing her to choke out poisoned apples hour after hour. Kol's Eldrian people can change into dragons, and this novel finally answers the question of where shape-shifters put their clothes while in animal form (dragon-size backpacks!). In a refreshing departure from the original, when Kol inevitably falls in love with Lorelei, it's for her strength and selflessness rather than her beauty. VERDICT Great fun, and a first purchase where dark fantasy or fairy tale retellings are popular.—Beth Wright Redford, Richmond Elementary School Library, VT