Malice

Alyce lives in the kingdom of Briar as the Dark Grace, a woman whose dark magic makes the nobility fear and despise her. The same nobles pay her to bottle hexes, then call her a monster for the skill they bought. She has long told herself she does not care what becomes of the realm's princesses.

Then she meets Princess Aurora, the last heir to the throne. Aurora is kind, and she is not bothered by what Alyce is. She tells Alyce to be proud of her gifts, and says she cares for her.

But Aurora carries a curse that will kill her in less than a year. The only cure the old tale offers is a kiss of true love from a prince she cannot stand.

Alyce believes the magic that began the curse might also be the thing that ends it. She wants to help, and she begins to imagine a different future for the two of them. Yet she knows how this story is supposed to end, and she knows which role the tale has given her.

Alyce narrates this queer fantasy retelling of Sleeping Beauty herself, as the so-called villain. Her voice is wry and bitter, and it turns tender around Aurora. It is the first book of a duology.