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hebberelle's review against another edition
3.0
This is yet another installment in the "if only they would talk to each other like adults" series of romance novels. It was promising and then it didn't deliver.
fmcfranny's review against another edition
5.0
So I sat down to read a few chapters before bed and ended up going to bed at 1 am. Yeah, I ended up reading it from start to finish. It was the most interesting start to a fairy tale series ever. The lessons in the book are well done and integrated into the story in a way that it furthered the plot. Alex didn't end up being so bad and I hope he does get a happy ending. And the league, oh I loved them so much! I really hope we get more of the Sienna and Sebastion in the rest of the series because I love them!
ameserole's review against another edition
3.0
This was definitely cute. Kind of excited to jump into the sequel.
moosebutt's review
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
3.5
A good lighthearted read. I personally find Mary Sue / "I'm not like the other girls" characters annoying but this one was good in that the "other girls" were mostly not put down to elevate the protagonist. Some of the story elements were clever, so you can tell the author put some good thought into developing the story and the writing style is good. The age difference between the main characters was awkward in my opinion, so I pretended it wasn't there.
pi_maker's review
4.0
3.5 stars
First of all, I *really* liked how she wove Red Riding Hood into this B&tB retelling. Sienna's motivation to train with the Wolf of the West was a unique and logical way to bring the story's Beauty into the Beast's castle. Sebastian's curse and its remedy were different from other B&tBs I've read, which was interesting... Hopefully there will be more threads of that wrapped up in another book. Sienna and Sebastian were such fun to get to know, and their tangled issues of truth and trust made for a compelling B&tB story.
And the League of Princesses, what a backstory to be building from! I am intrigued to see how that continues to play into further stories in this series.
To be honest, though, Sienna's choices at the end made her seem a lot more immature than she'd been through the rest of the book, which was pretty frustrating.
[spoilers ahead]
The (tired, childish) conceit that "marriage ties you down" and she needed more time being independent, getting to do what she wanted, but at the same time telling Sebastian that she *did* want to marry him eventually [subtext being "after I've had my fill of freedom"], refusing to accept his proposal but also asking him to join her while she goes on adventures (un-engaged, despite the *massive* scandal that would cause and the clear danger presented by traveling together unchaperoned...) ugh. If she's capable of asking that of him, she's definitely too selfish and immature for marriage, so I guess it's good that she didn't accept, but it seemed out of character for her to make requests like that. I was annoyed to lose respect for a MC I'd really liked up to that point.
First of all, I *really* liked how she wove Red Riding Hood into this B&tB retelling. Sienna's motivation to train with the Wolf of the West was a unique and logical way to bring the story's Beauty into the Beast's castle. Sebastian's curse and its remedy were different from other B&tBs I've read, which was interesting... Hopefully there will be more threads of that wrapped up in another book. Sienna and Sebastian were such fun to get to know, and their tangled issues of truth and trust made for a compelling B&tB story.
And the League of Princesses, what a backstory to be building from! I am intrigued to see how that continues to play into further stories in this series.
To be honest, though, Sienna's choices at the end made her seem a lot more immature than she'd been through the rest of the book, which was pretty frustrating.
[spoilers ahead]
The (tired, childish) conceit that "marriage ties you down" and she needed more time being independent, getting to do what she wanted, but at the same time telling Sebastian that she *did* want to marry him eventually [subtext being "after I've had my fill of freedom"], refusing to accept his proposal but also asking him to join her while she goes on adventures (un-engaged, despite the *massive* scandal that would cause and the clear danger presented by traveling together unchaperoned...) ugh. If she's capable of asking that of him, she's definitely too selfish and immature for marriage, so I guess it's good that she didn't accept, but it seemed out of character for her to make requests like that. I was annoyed to lose respect for a MC I'd really liked up to that point.
khaleesimod93's review
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
5.0
SPOILERS
For a book under 250 pages, this story was well developed, with great characters, villainous snakes, and a plot that made me read this in one sitting. I fell in love with Sebastian's broodiness from the get go. I knew that under all that was someone genuinely hurting and frustrated with the cards he had been dealt. That's when Sienna entered the picture. She was hurting and had her own trauma. But I love how she viewed the world and that she wouldn't be trapped and kept. She wanted to earn her place in the world. And earn both Sebastian's and Marcus' respect she did. Women can be such villainous snakes and it was made so obvious in this story. Both Lady Camila and Princess Lacy are awful creatures and didn't deserve to be with Sebastian. I hated them. I was so proud of sienna for the trust she placed in him telling him about her past. Then how quickly that tables turned! Ugh I was so darn frustrated with Sebastian. Just because she didn't tell him she was a princess didn't mean she was like the others. Fast forward, he finally gets it through his skull and makes up with sienna. I love the twist on the dreamworld and how it's playing a part into this story and it seems through out the next books too.
For a book under 250 pages, this story was well developed, with great characters, villainous snakes, and a plot that made me read this in one sitting. I fell in love with Sebastian's broodiness from the get go. I knew that under all that was someone genuinely hurting and frustrated with the cards he had been dealt. That's when Sienna entered the picture. She was hurting and had her own trauma. But I love how she viewed the world and that she wouldn't be trapped and kept. She wanted to earn her place in the world. And earn both Sebastian's and Marcus' respect she did. Women can be such villainous snakes and it was made so obvious in this story. Both Lady Camila and Princess Lacy are awful creatures and didn't deserve to be with Sebastian. I hated them. I was so proud of sienna for the trust she placed in him telling him about her past. Then how quickly that tables turned! Ugh I was so darn frustrated with Sebastian. Just because she didn't tell him she was a princess didn't mean she was like the others. Fast forward, he finally gets it through his skull and makes up with sienna. I love the twist on the dreamworld and how it's playing a part into this story and it seems through out the next books too.
aworldshapedbybooks's review
3.0
After an ordeal in her youth, Sienna goes to the Red Hoods desperate to be trained in defense. Prince Sebastian was scarred by a witch and is extremely self-conscious about his looks because of it and because of how other women have slighted him. When he meets Sienna, they strike a friendship immediately despite the differences in their station.
Like, it was fine. It wasn't bad enough to rank any lower and there were some really interesting things about the fairy tales which were involved. I found the whole feminist angle weird and a little poorly done. She learned how to fight and not need a man but she also oscillated so much to get to that conclusion. The whole premise also got a little fuzzy when the actual events of her kidnapping were revealed, like I don't know how physical skill would defend her from a magical attack but go off I guess.
The fairy tales were fun and the combination of them is what provided the unique twists that made it interesting. The romance was a little weird and I don't know if I vibed with the age difference, especially when they drew attention to it. I don't think I'll be reading on but it was okay as a quick read.
This review and all my others can be found at: https://aworldshapedbybooks.blogspot.com/
emm_enchanted's review
5.0
My bookstagram: emm_enchanted
This is exactly the kind of fairytales we need!
Prince Sebastian became a recluse after a witch's curse scarred his face. His only interaction is with the elite squad he trains, known as the Red Hoods. Sienna's past haunts her, where she was kidnapped and vows to learn to protect herself. When their paths meet, sparks fly, but some secrets stand in the way.
I read this book in one sitting. It is simply superb! The characters are so well written, especially Sienna. She is so strong and determined. Despite everything she faced in the past, she refuses to see herself as a victim and strives to do everything to protect herself. This book focused a lot on female empowerment and tried to break from the traditional role of women in fairytales as damsels in distress and showed how badass they are.
Sebastian is a great love interest. Even though he was reluctant at first in accepting Sienna as a ranger, I liked how supporting and respectful he became. He treated her as an equal. They were marvellous together.
The supporting characters were wonderful and given importance which is a huge plus point.
The world building wasn't elaborate but was enough to paint a picture.
The best parts were the pacing of the story and the unexpected twists. I can't point out a single flaw in the whole book. I was completely sucked in.
Though the next book has Natasha as the lead, Sienna and Sebastian are on a quest to help the princesses, so I'm eager to see how it all works out.
One of the best fairytale inspired books I've read with a mix of Beauty and the Beast and Red Riding Hood, with some minor references to other stories.
A must read for all fantasy and fairytale romance lovers.
This is exactly the kind of fairytales we need!
Prince Sebastian became a recluse after a witch's curse scarred his face. His only interaction is with the elite squad he trains, known as the Red Hoods. Sienna's past haunts her, where she was kidnapped and vows to learn to protect herself. When their paths meet, sparks fly, but some secrets stand in the way.
I read this book in one sitting. It is simply superb! The characters are so well written, especially Sienna. She is so strong and determined. Despite everything she faced in the past, she refuses to see herself as a victim and strives to do everything to protect herself. This book focused a lot on female empowerment and tried to break from the traditional role of women in fairytales as damsels in distress and showed how badass they are.
Sebastian is a great love interest. Even though he was reluctant at first in accepting Sienna as a ranger, I liked how supporting and respectful he became. He treated her as an equal. They were marvellous together.
The supporting characters were wonderful and given importance which is a huge plus point.
The world building wasn't elaborate but was enough to paint a picture.
The best parts were the pacing of the story and the unexpected twists. I can't point out a single flaw in the whole book. I was completely sucked in.
Though the next book has Natasha as the lead, Sienna and Sebastian are on a quest to help the princesses, so I'm eager to see how it all works out.
One of the best fairytale inspired books I've read with a mix of Beauty and the Beast and Red Riding Hood, with some minor references to other stories.
A must read for all fantasy and fairytale romance lovers.
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