"Poisoned" by Jennifer Donnelly

Poisoned (Oct. 20, 2020) by Jennifer Donnelly.

*This is a standalone novel.*

Once upon a time, Snow White Princess Charlotta-Sidonia Wilhelmina Sophia (Sophie) rode into the Darkwood with her stepmother’s huntsman. His anguish did not stop him from plunging his dagger into Sophie per the queen’s command and stealing the heart of the girl with lips “the color of ripe cherries, her skin as soft as new-fallen snow, her hair as dark as midnight.” But it’s not Queen Adelaide that wants Sophie’s heart, but the King of Crows. Who is he really? Because Corvus certainly isn’t his real name. She may find out if she makes it to the King of Crows’ castle, Nimmermehr. Making it alone may be impossible, not only because of the challenge of navigating the monsters roving near the castle, but because of her mechanical heart. It was crafted by one of the seven brothers, “each barely taller than a rain barrel.” They are the seven men of the woods. Their names are: Johann (scientist), Julius (herbalist), Joosts (carpenter), Jeremias (hunter), Josef (farmer), Jakob (blacksmith) and Schatzi (tailor). There was once an eighth (Jasper). The brothers live with Weber, a nut-brown spider a foot taller than them who cooks, and Tupfen, their housekeeper ladybug.

            Sophie knows the things people say about her: that she’s weak, incompetent and hopeless. That she’ll never make a worthy queen. Good thing she’s in love with Prince Haakon, right? Because he’ll surely be a strong ruler. The thing is, Haakon isn’t looking for her. Instead, Sophie discovers Will (a pauper) and, later, Arno Schmitt (a thief). She also comes across her people of the Greenlands in dire straits, from wounded veterans thrown out of the hospital by the queen to the already destitute being harassed and abused by the queen’s military. Sophie trusts so easily and has been led to believe that kindness is useless. The brothers will encourage otherwise. The girl who ends up with a scar on her chest, bite marks on her arms and the grime of wandering through the forest is not the Sophie of old. She’s someone meant to be queen.

            Do I like a feminist story? You bet, especially when that YA novel is filled with action, self-discovery, empowerment and magic, wrapped around a fairy tale retelling. Donnelly’s retelling is dynamic, but also thoughtful. The Darkwood, like the story, is lush but treacherous, the landscape dotted with familiar legends and horrors better left undisturbed.  That Sophie falls so quickly for Haakon makes me roll my eyes (and I’m not an eye-roller), but I understand that it’s part of her original naiveté. I don’t love that all of the characters appear to defer to Caucasian in this Germanic-ish landscape, but I also wouldn’t love if the author included, like, one token person of color, either. Overall, I enjoyed this fantasy story. It reminds us all that fear, pain and darkness can be overcome, or at least tempered, by courage, hope and love.