Read Like a Wicked Queen

Everyone knows your standard princess tale, but each wicked queen has her own story to tell. Is she evil or misunderstood? What spurs an evil queen to act? Check out these titles for queens who may or may not be evil, depending on how you look at it.

Heartless starts at the beginning, before the Queen of Hearts became the most fearsome figure in Wonderland, when she was just an ordinary girl. Begin at the beginning, as the Cheshire cat would say, and learn what twists in the tale made her become the heartless monarch of the kingdom.

What makes an evil queen? In Kendare Blake's Three Dark Crowns, three sisters, each with a unique magical ability, compete for the throne of the kingdom. A story of loyalties, love, danger and secrets, Three Dark Crowns begins the trilogy, followed by One Dark Throne and Two Dark Reigns.

In Red Queen, Mare Barrow is a Red working in a palace of Silvers when she discovers she has a dangerous power. The Silver Court declares her a Silver Princess, betrothed to Prince Maven, to keep her powers for themselves. Maven's mother, Queen Elara, is cruel and controlling, keeping secrets and wielding her own mysterious power.

Tradition tells us a prince must conquer a dragon and rescue a princess, whom he then will marry. Damsel's Ama has been rescued, but she doesn't remember her life before that day. At first, Prince Emory seems brave and noble, but Ama comes to realize he is cruel and controlling. The Queen Mother, who was rescued in the same way as Ama, urges her to forget her dreams, learn to be quiet and turn herself into the perfect queen, ready to bear a son. Ama must decide if she will rebel against Emory and the traditions of the palace. If only she could remember her life before being rescued!