Warning: May contain minor spoilers, but opening comments are spoiler-free. Check out my Reading Ranting page for more.
Full disclosure, I received this as an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I’m so glad I signed up for this ARC. Not only is Sleeping Beauty one of my all-time favourites for a retelling, but this book also had hints of Rapunzel just to add to the fairy tales.
As for the end… no spoilers, but it left me with sooooo many quotations in the best way.
What I liked…
Love interests… Definitely curious about them and if they’re genuine or playing Aurelia. Who knows with fantasy these days, and that’s half the fun.
I also loved how different the love interests were and how they brought different things out of Aurelia.
Self-realisation… OMG yes. I love seeing characters realise that what they thought was for their own protection was basically a prison. Obviously, a good prison break is required.
Aurelia’s inner conflict felt spot on when it came to wanting revenge for those who hurt her and the people she cared about.
I liked how emboldened she became after her initial escape (right at the beginning so not a spoiler) and how she wanted to try new things now she had a better idea of the world.
There were a lot of funny moments to with Aurelia’s scheming and inner thoughts. Definitely got a few giggles from me.
What I didn’t like…
The dreams were supposedly dreams, but Aurelia’s thoughts made them too obvious from my liking. Of course readers will think they’re real, but Aurelia kept referring to them as if they were real far too often.
Final thoughts…
Definitely a great read if you love overly protected princesses fighting for their freedom and her own choices. Especially with the very charming and sexy men she meets.
Love Fantasy Novels 