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annettebooksofhopeanddreams's review
3.0
Sleeping Beauty is one of the hardest fairytales to retell. After all, the princess is asleep for the most important part of the story. I'm therefore always curious how authors tackle the story when doing their retelling. So, I was really looking forward to this installment in the Shattered Tales series and I was even happier that I got an arc.
I have to admit that I have slightly mixed feelings on this book and I think most of those mixed feelings are a me issue and not a book issue. I think the book and I, and especially the characters and I, simply didn't really have a click. Not because the book was bad or the retelling was badly done. Just because it wasn't my kind of story.
I do think the way the author retells the famous fairytale of Sleeping Beauty is incredibly clever. The kingdom is plagued by a sleeping sickness and our princess has decided she's going to take matters into her own hands. With her we're entering the world where all the sleepers are and we follow her on her quest to tear that world down from the inside out.
And that's where my issues with the story start. Both the world, although that one at least is explained, and the romance feel a little underdeveloped and the entire story feels rushed. As a reader I barely felt like I got a chance to get invested in the romance and I think the world could have been more interesting. However, there was an insanely great plottwist in the end I absolutely adored!
Hopefully the next Shattered Tale and I will be a better match.
I have to admit that I have slightly mixed feelings on this book and I think most of those mixed feelings are a me issue and not a book issue. I think the book and I, and especially the characters and I, simply didn't really have a click. Not because the book was bad or the retelling was badly done. Just because it wasn't my kind of story.
I do think the way the author retells the famous fairytale of Sleeping Beauty is incredibly clever. The kingdom is plagued by a sleeping sickness and our princess has decided she's going to take matters into her own hands. With her we're entering the world where all the sleepers are and we follow her on her quest to tear that world down from the inside out.
And that's where my issues with the story start. Both the world, although that one at least is explained, and the romance feel a little underdeveloped and the entire story feels rushed. As a reader I barely felt like I got a chance to get invested in the romance and I think the world could have been more interesting. However, there was an insanely great plottwist in the end I absolutely adored!
Hopefully the next Shattered Tale and I will be a better match.
dwinprincess's review
5.0
Excellent take and retelling of the Sleeping Beauty story we all know and most likely loved. As with all the stories in this series, it was shattered. A dream world, people going into eternal sleep, including a prince. Djinn that are trapping people and a princess that enters the dream world willingly to save her brother.
Great from the beginning to the end. Even a little lost love, second chance romance going on here. A must read for the fairy tale lover, and definitely most of all, the one that loves to watch those fairy tales become SO MUCH MORE!
Great from the beginning to the end. Even a little lost love, second chance romance going on here. A must read for the fairy tale lover, and definitely most of all, the one that loves to watch those fairy tales become SO MUCH MORE!
riellareads's review
4.0
Princess Aurelia’s kingdom is plagued by the Eternal Slumber, which ensnares the mind of her subjects. When she wishes for a means to revive her brother, her sinister fairy godmother gives her an ominous solution: a poisoned spindle. Now plunged into a nightmare where the victims of the Eternal Slumber are trapped by a dark djinni. However, she doesn’t only find her brother in this land, but Everett, the love of her life who mysteriously disappeared years ago. As the djinni’s power grows, Aurelia must decide who to save before the djinni escapes and enters the waking world. If she fails, she could be trapped forever and no matter who she chooses, someone will be doomed to remain in the nightmare.
What a fun twist on Sleeping Beauty! Poor Aurelia! She had so much weight on her, especially with her brother under the Eternal Slumber. I definitely felt for her and the burdens she felt. Her emotions were very powerful and she was passionate about things. It did make her stubborn though! I admired her dedication and sense of responsibility. Aurelia was very relatable in how she felt the pressure of her responsibilities and the stress it gave her. It was so interesting to see the nightmare world. Everett seemed very sweet and earnest. While the story mostly centered on Aurelia, I enjoyed seeing their reconnection and romance. I also enjoyed Aurelia’s relationship with her brother. I love family relationships! Even with the shorter length, it was an exciting story. Ms. Mecham did a good job setting up the story, so that it felt satisfying. There were times where I had a bad feeling about something and had to pause to recover, but overall I really enjoyed this!
This was a fun novella with a creative twist on Sleeping Beauty! I really enjoyed the magic and was engaged by the story. It did take me a bit to read it, but it was very intriguing. This is fantasy romance that is part of a multi-author series of standalones, it has some fantasy violence and only kissing.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author. All views expressed are only my honest opinion, I was not required to write a positive review.
What a fun twist on Sleeping Beauty! Poor Aurelia! She had so much weight on her, especially with her brother under the Eternal Slumber. I definitely felt for her and the burdens she felt. Her emotions were very powerful and she was passionate about things. It did make her stubborn though! I admired her dedication and sense of responsibility. Aurelia was very relatable in how she felt the pressure of her responsibilities and the stress it gave her. It was so interesting to see the nightmare world. Everett seemed very sweet and earnest. While the story mostly centered on Aurelia, I enjoyed seeing their reconnection and romance. I also enjoyed Aurelia’s relationship with her brother. I love family relationships! Even with the shorter length, it was an exciting story. Ms. Mecham did a good job setting up the story, so that it felt satisfying. There were times where I had a bad feeling about something and had to pause to recover, but overall I really enjoyed this!
This was a fun novella with a creative twist on Sleeping Beauty! I really enjoyed the magic and was engaged by the story. It did take me a bit to read it, but it was very intriguing. This is fantasy romance that is part of a multi-author series of standalones, it has some fantasy violence and only kissing.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author. All views expressed are only my honest opinion, I was not required to write a positive review.
kacie_marria's review
4.0
Note: I received a copy of this book from the author. All thoughts and opinions are my own and I was not required to write a positive review.
What a fantastic Sleeping Beauty retelling! I'm not the biggest fan of the Sleeping Beauty story, but Mary Mecham did an amazing job of taking the bones of the fairytale and making it into quite the adventure with a fierce heroine, a swoony love interest, unexpected twists, and let's not forget to mention... volcanos???
What a fantastic Sleeping Beauty retelling! I'm not the biggest fan of the Sleeping Beauty story, but Mary Mecham did an amazing job of taking the bones of the fairytale and making it into quite the adventure with a fierce heroine, a swoony love interest, unexpected twists, and let's not forget to mention... volcanos???
chelse34's review
3.0
I got an ARC for this book, so that was fun!
I love the thought of the "Aurora" character being active in her cursed sleep instead of just waiting for the prince to come save her. In this book she puts herself in the enchanted slumber in order to save her people who are also stuck in the djinni world. That's about the only similar thing in the retelling. Everything else was very much different.
I love the thought of the "Aurora" character being active in her cursed sleep instead of just waiting for the prince to come save her. In this book she puts herself in the enchanted slumber in order to save her people who are also stuck in the djinni world. That's about the only similar thing in the retelling. Everything else was very much different.
caitcat0212's review
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
3.5
talesandtreatswithtay's review
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This novella is part of the multi author fairytale retelling series that features a significant twist that "shatters" the original fairytale. This Sleeping Beauty retelling answers the question "what if she purposefully pricked herself with the spindle?"
Mary Mecham did a fabulous job placing our princess into the heart of the story, rather than as a stagnant character that needs to be rescued. Aurelia is a fully developed character who takes on such responsibility at a young age and is willing to sacrifice everything for her kingdom.
There is also a great plot twist that I wasn't expecting, so fun to read! I knew something was up but I wasn't prepared for the reveal!
There was one part where a character is accused of something that I didn't quite see the justification for that accusation but maybe I missed something. Second chance romances aren't always my favorite trope but I had to read this book since I enjoyed Becoming Hook so much!
Also it is fascinating to me to see the role of glass/objects made of glass in each of these novellas as I work my way reading through the series!
**I received an advanced readers copy to honestly read and review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Christian fiction rating: 0/3 not Christian fiction but clean
Mary Mecham did a fabulous job placing our princess into the heart of the story, rather than as a stagnant character that needs to be rescued. Aurelia is a fully developed character who takes on such responsibility at a young age and is willing to sacrifice everything for her kingdom.
There is also a great plot twist that I wasn't expecting, so fun to read! I knew something was up but I wasn't prepared for the reveal!
There was one part where a character is accused of something that I didn't quite see the justification for that accusation but maybe I missed something. Second chance romances aren't always my favorite trope but I had to read this book since I enjoyed Becoming Hook so much!
Also it is fascinating to me to see the role of glass/objects made of glass in each of these novellas as I work my way reading through the series!
**I received an advanced readers copy to honestly read and review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Christian fiction rating: 0/3 not Christian fiction but clean
moni_reads's review
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review. This is the fourth book in The Shattered Tales collection, which is made up of 12 standalone books by 12 different authors. The book's blurb is straightforward. It's a unique Sleeping Beauty retelling told through Aurelia's pov.
I'm pretty sure I'm in the minority of those that actually love the Disney version of Sleeping Beauty and don't mind too much that Aurora needed to be rescued. That being said, I love that in this retelling Aurelia is taking charge and doing the saving. She's a princess who has responsibilities she didn't want and is feeling the toll of them without her brother and Everett, the man she loves, by her side. She may be impulsive and quick to act but I liked how she didn't sit around waiting for her problems to solve themselves. Even when her emotions got the best of her, she's able to acknowledge that. Once she enters the nightmare where all the victims of the Eternal Slumber are, I liked seeing her have to use her knowledge to try and save everyone while she had to also confront her heartbreak and make tough choices.
Because Aurelia is upset with the way things ended between her and Everett, the dynamics between them is that ofone sided enemies to lovers. As someone who loves that trope and the second chance one, I really enjoyed the intensity of Aurelia's feelings and the tiny angst. You could feel her emotions in conflict with each other as she was still hurt by his actions but knew she had never stopped loving him. I loved how Everett regretted the past and was determined to make things right between them. He didn't give up trying to make amends but he also wasn't being pushy in trying to reconnect. Aside from their romance, I liked the pacing of the story and how it had me captivated from page one wondering how Aurelia would break the curse. The moment of truth was satisfying and the twists were so good. This Sleeping Beauty retelling is so fresh and different from the ones I can remember reading. I'm sure most readers will think that too, appreciate it, and like this novella - especially those who are fans of the original tale.
I'm pretty sure I'm in the minority of those that actually love the Disney version of Sleeping Beauty and don't mind too much that Aurora needed to be rescued. That being said, I love that in this retelling Aurelia is taking charge and doing the saving. She's a princess who has responsibilities she didn't want and is feeling the toll of them without her brother and Everett, the man she loves, by her side. She may be impulsive and quick to act but I liked how she didn't sit around waiting for her problems to solve themselves. Even when her emotions got the best of her, she's able to acknowledge that. Once she enters the nightmare where all the victims of the Eternal Slumber are, I liked seeing her have to use her knowledge to try and save everyone while she had to also confront her heartbreak and make tough choices.
Because Aurelia is upset with the way things ended between her and Everett, the dynamics between them is that of