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shelvedthoughts's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
5.0
Reader’s Notes:
– this is part of a series, but meant to be read as a stand-alone
– this is told from Killian & Raela’s points of view
– Killian’s mother died years prior, but Killian still holds onto guilt over the incident
– from about the middle to almost the end there are some nightmare-esque depictions coming against characters (not horrific or necessarily creepy, but not for young children or anyone who doesn’t like any form of creepy)
– there is some fantasy violence
Review:
This story really gripped me the deeper I got into it! I loved getting to know our main characters and their close friends/family. I really enjoyed Killian’s selectively telepathic wolf companion and his amusements with Killian’s attempts to woo Raela. I also really liked that he had no qualms with throwing Killian under the bus when it would cause Killian some embarrassment. I also loved Killian’s best friend and how much his best friend tried to bring him up in attitude/outlook when it came to everything with his father and the attempts at being a good ruler. I loved that he was both blunt and caring in his assessments and was willing to repeat things as many times as he needed to. I also really liked that Raela had a thirst for knowledge of new things and would not only get joy from it, but also get lost in her ministrations. I loved all the different nods to the original tale of Sleeping Beauty throughout this story and seeing how Alora Carter twisted some things and made the entire story her own! I can’t wait to read more books she’s written to see what else she’s created!
Summary:
Prince Killian wants his father’s approval and to feel like his father is confident in the coming transfer of power from him to Killian. But no matter what Killian does, or how prepared he is, his father continues to pass him by and let him know how Killian has failed him as an heir on the past. The only thing that somewhat mollifies his father is Killian’s betrothal to the princess of another kingdom. A princess that has been missing since soon after they were betrothed to each other. Killian has doubts that she’ll even show up to their coming wedding, no matter how many of the people around him think otherwise. Feeling lost and useless, Killian does the unthinkable and ventures into the Forbidden Forest just outside the castle grounds. And there he finds someone who doesn’t know a single thing about him, yet the mysterious maiden is willing to spend time with him…
Raela grew up in the forest, caring for it, and protecting it from harm with no one else besides her aunties and the forest’s animal inhabitants. But one day she comes across a man in the forest and begins to question the life she’s lived. Why has she not met any other humans until now? Does she have parents? What else is outside of her forest? She never would have expected to discover that her aunties kept something from her, especially things like this. She certainly never thought that they could have deeper secrets that would completely uproot her life either…
stephnm26's review
5.0
Wow. I’ve never been a huge fan of sleeping beauty but this .. may have changed my mind. I love the princess doing the work, he truly wants everything to work out and get his HEA. SO GOOD.
I received this ARC for an honest review!
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