Danielle Paige, Wish of the Wicked, Bloomsbury Publishing, November 2023, 464 pp., RRP $19.99 (pbk), ISBN 9781526636461
Cinderella reimagined. Danielle Paige puts a dark and deadly spin on this fairy-tale classic in her captivating novel Wish of the Wicked. In a world drastically different from our own it is the women and women alone that rule. This is a world of Queendoms.
Wish of the Wicked delves deep into the life of Farrow, a young witch and sister of the Entente. Farrow is surrounded by extraordinary magic and shrouded from society in what is known as the Reverie, a secret place in the forest, protected by spells and filled with sights beyond the human imagination. Disaster strikes when the tyrannical Queen Magrit quickly rises to power following the sudden demise of her family members. The Queendom is soon overrun by soldiers and the Entente hunted. Farrow is forced to watch the cruel deaths of numerous innocents and loses both her home and family in a matter of hours. Broken and alone in a strange new world Farrow finds herself lost. From that day forward the anger builds and so does her thirst for revenge.
Fate finally falls on her side and Farrow is pulled from her hiding place, the orphanage, and conscripted into the Couterie, a program that trains young boys and girls to be companions to royalty. Farrow seizes an opportunity, becoming the chosen Couterie for Magrit’s son, Prince Mather. She plans to kill both Queen and Prince, but her plans are disrupted when she finds herself falling for the Prince. An unexpected event finds Farrow far from the castle yet again and in more danger than she realises.
Danielle Paige weaves a tale of loss, revenge, and unexpected love in her novel Wish of the Wicked. Full of unexpected twists and strange spells this is an immersive narrative that promises a thrilling blend of magic, love, and the unpredictable twists of fate. Wish of the Wicked is recommended for readers over the age of 15 due to some mature themes.
Reviewed by India Boon
