A review by shelbys_cerebral_escapes
Crown of Slumber by R.L. Perez

adventurous hopeful 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? It's complicated

4.0

R. L. Perez provides us with a very unique and creative retelling of the Sleeping Beauty fairytale in Crown of Slumber.  I enjoyed the book and it was entertaining and kept me reading to see what would happen next! 
Tropes you will find in this Fantasy book include: enemies to lovers, dragons, neighboring kingdoms with strained relationships, mysterious powers and tattoos, secret and hidden personal histories the characters don't even know about themselves, and even a little voyeurism (one scene and it was totally on purpose ;-)). 
I give it 3 chili peppers for spice. The spicy scenes are progressively more spicy but aren't as detailed as some romantic fantasy reads.  I would definitely categorize under young adult.  The angst and slow burn is there throughout the book... but, speaking of slow...
This book is NOT SLOW!  I think it may be the fastest paced fantasy I have ever read (or have in recent memory)!  This book is non-stop with meet-cute moments, mystery reveals, confrontations, sexual angst, moral dilemmas... I mean, NON STOP, in a good way. That's what kept me reading. HOWEVER, my next input is the primary reason it is 4 instead of 5 stars:
I would have liked a liiiiiittle more build up and suspense when it came to resolving conflicts or revealing answers to mysteries.  I felt like as soon as I discovered a new question or concern for the characters or the situation, it was resolved within just a few pages.  While I do NOT like excessive filler and extensive internal dialogue (if you followed my reviews recently on a particular saga, you know extensive internal dialogue ANNOYS ME).  So, I think R. L. Perez COULD have drawn out the story a little more.  However, as it is it was a decent sized book, so maybe she did it just right.  She sure packs a lot in!
While this can be a stand alone, she does tease about a future book that may be a new spin on the Beauty and the Beast fairytale.  So if you like a series, I think she's got you covered. 

I was honored to receive an advanced reader's copy of this book and this is my honest, voluntary review and no dragons were hurt in the writing of this review.