Take a photo of a barcode or cover
A review by thehazeylibrary
Crown of Briars: A Beauty and the Beast Retelling by R.L. Perez
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
One of the reasons I was so thankful to receive this ARC is because it was a retelling of one of my favorite fairytales Beauty and the Beast . Honestly the author took the bare bones of that childhood story and ran with it. She threw in some shadows, and claws, and fantastical creatures with giggle inducing banter and some forced proximity enemies to lovers that was đ¤ Chefâs kiss
Iâd say that although it was a bit slow to start I was still hooked by the first few chapters. I wanted to keep learning about our fiery Sybelleâs plan and what Varius actually was hiding. As you get deeper into the story you learn so much more about how the magic system works in this world and the curse becomes more volatile the stakes just start to reach higher and higher. Each scene between the FMC and MMC was so intentional, like you couldnât skip a single interaction without missing something important or emotionally charged.
Sybelle? Sheâs not your typical damsel in distress. She plots and adapts and continues to reveal her inner struggles throughout the book that just make you want to wrap her up in a big hug and say âYes girl weâre slaying some enemiesâ. Variussssss đ Talk about dark, broody, territorial, but slid vulnerable and a huge softie. I truly loved this pairing. We got so much tension filled banter and when things finally got a bit spicy? youâll definitely think it was worth the wait.
Overall Iâd say this book was dark and romantic while still being deeply emotional. It gave me nostalgia but still rewarded me with an excitingly fresh new world. So if youâre into romantasy fae courts, Beauty and the Beast vibes that pack a punch, and slow burns that truuuuly make you burn alongside the characters then this is an absolute must read.
Again thank you to NetGalley and R.L.Perez for gifting me this ARC in exchange of an honest review. All thoughts are my own.
Iâd say that although it was a bit slow to start I was still hooked by the first few chapters. I wanted to keep learning about our fiery Sybelleâs plan and what Varius actually was hiding. As you get deeper into the story you learn so much more about how the magic system works in this world and the curse becomes more volatile the stakes just start to reach higher and higher. Each scene between the FMC and MMC was so intentional, like you couldnât skip a single interaction without missing something important or emotionally charged.
Sybelle? Sheâs not your typical damsel in distress. She plots and adapts and continues to reveal her inner struggles throughout the book that just make you want to wrap her up in a big hug and say âYes girl weâre slaying some enemiesâ. Variussssss đ Talk about dark, broody, territorial, but slid vulnerable and a huge softie. I truly loved this pairing. We got so much tension filled banter and when things finally got a bit spicy? youâll definitely think it was worth the wait.
Overall Iâd say this book was dark and romantic while still being deeply emotional. It gave me nostalgia but still rewarded me with an excitingly fresh new world. So if youâre into romantasy fae courts, Beauty and the Beast vibes that pack a punch, and slow burns that truuuuly make you burn alongside the characters then this is an absolute must read.
Again thank you to NetGalley and R.L.Perez for gifting me this ARC in exchange of an honest review. All thoughts are my own.