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abbs15norm's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Classism, Death, War, Murder, Child abuse, Xenophobia, and Blood
Minor: Classism, Confinement, Genocide, Homophobia, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Lesbophobia, Misogyny, and Alcohol
kingrosereads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
There’s also a curse (surprise!) on the women of the royal family. This curse kills the princesses on their 21st birthday. The only way to break this curse is true loves kiss. This means the young Princess Aurora was forced to kiss hundreds of strange men from the time she was 8 years old. Not only is this curse a problem, but over the generations of Briar Queens, their power has slowly shifted to their husbands. Aurora hopes to change the laws around the Graces and put power back into the Queenship.
Alyce meets Kal, who tells her of her heritage and magic. He tells her that her magic doesn’t work like the Graces’ and Alyce has been holding back what she can do for all these years. She’s more powerful than the Graces and possible more powerful than the Fae.
Alyce and Aurora soon meet and develop a friendship based on working together to break the curse using magical means. The beautiful, ethereal Aurora does not see Alyce as an ugly monster, but as an amazing gifted person. She’s in awe of Alyce’s magic and prefers it over Grace magic. And Alyce slowly develops feelings towards Alyce.
But it becomes clear that the King and Queen will not accept their relationship and neither with the rest of the queendom. The people Alyce thought she could trust betray her in the worst way. And when Aurora falls under a new curse (one that won’t end with true love’s kiss) Alyce is left to become the monster they all made her out to be.
It’s all very fun and sapphic. I think the chemistry between Alyce and Aurora is great, but when they get to the point where they make their feelings known, it’s a bit clunky. I do like that this is a Sleeping Beauty retelling told from the perspective of the “evil witch” and not only that, but they fall in love with the princess! Aurora is every bit of a powerful Queen in the making. She is stubborn, rebellious, clever, and open minded. She’s the first to really tell Alyce that just because her magic stems from dark magic, that doesn’t make Alyce a monster or evil. As the reader, you get to see Alyce hate herself less and fear her magic less. She becomes more sure of herself and her power, but she still questions her worth and her self-esteem is still struggling the increase.
I’m glad this is just a duology and not a whole long series, I’m definitely excited to read the next book. I like that this story challenges the whole “good vs evil” and the black-and-white mentality lots of fairytales and hero stories have in them. It definitely challenges the whole “rise above it” or “turn the other cheek”, because at the end of the day, we should all demand respect and to be treated well. I also like that Aurora sees Alyce as being beautiful, because she doesn’t adhere to their society’s beauty standards.
There aren’t too many downsides to this story, but I think there were more things the author could’ve focused on, like Hilde and even just the middle part of Alyce and Aurora’s friendship. The book does drag on a little longer than necessary and there were some scenes that didn’t flow very well.
That being said, I think this is an amazing and interesting concept and take on Sleeping Beauty that was executed well.
Moderate: Lesbophobia, Homophobia, and Xenophobia
Minor: War and Suicide
knightreads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Homophobia, Child abuse, Xenophobia, and Physical abuse
parkergeist's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Moderate: Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Physical abuse, Self harm, Violence, Xenophobia, Abandonment, Ableism, Blood, Bullying, Child abuse, Classism, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Genocide, Grief, Sexual content, Torture, and War
anapthine's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Bullying, Xenophobia, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Confinement, Death, Abandonment, Classism, Death of parent, and War
solenekeleroux's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
I loved the world-building, with the Grace system and how it explores capitalist exploitation of magical beings, that's something I wasn't expecting from this book and I was here for it.
The most lacking part was the romance, especially in the build-up part. It was all tell and no show, so not very believable when something did end up happening. The twists at the end are not bad, but too little too late. I was bored during all the middle part of the book (when the romance was supposed to build-up).
The character development is also a bit weak. It started well with Alyce's character, I loved the storyline of how she discovers herself and her power. But then there's no real growth or transformation, it stays very much on the surface of what she can do with her powers instead of the deep inner exploration of good and evil that I was expecting. Most other characters have little substance and are very black and white, except for the graces (again, I think I would have loved a novel just about the graces because that was the most interesting part), especially Laurel and her political reasoning.
Side-note, I am very pissed off whenever there is a shape-shifter character/storyline and it doesn't lead to a real exploration of gender and identity, especially in what is supposed to be a sapphic novel. Don't give me shape shifters and not make them queer!
Graphic: Blood, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Homophobia, Misogyny, Murder, Violence, Xenophobia, and Torture
Moderate: Genocide, Drug use, and War
Minor: Adult/minor relationship and Pedophilia
megj23's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
Graphic: Xenophobia
Moderate: Homophobia
Minor: Physical abuse, Suicide, Torture, and Child abuse
kaziaroo's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Bullying, Blood, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Death, Confinement, Violence, War, Alcohol, Child abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Genocide, and Grief
Minor: Drug use, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Cursing, Death of parent, Incest, Suicidal thoughts, and Torture
ashleycmms's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Death, Blood, Murder, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Drug use, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Child death, and Xenophobia
Different magical beings. Several kinds of beings have been wiped out of existence and have experienced immense hate.foreverinastory's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Well. Damn. This was incredible!!
Rep: sapphic half-vila MC, possibly suffers from PTSD, sapphic love interest, queer-normative world for MLM and WLW couples (sadly still very driven by the gender binary).
CWs: Blood, bullying, death, gaslighting/manipulation, lesbophobia/general queerphobia for royals, misogyny, murder, violence, child abuse, drug use/abuse by side character, grief, slavery/extortion of Graces, torture, xenophobia towards Vila and Fae.
Graphic: Blood, Bullying, Gaslighting, Lesbophobia, Misogyny, Murder, Violence, and Death
Moderate: Child abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Grief, Slavery, Torture, and Xenophobia