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I'm blown away. This twisted Sleeping Beauty retelling was a wild ride and I loved it. I will say that it's fairly predictable in what it does. That is in part because it is following the standard Sleeping Beauty storyline. You could tell from the very beginning that Alys was going to be the one to break Aurora's curse and that somehow it was all going to go wrong. I do feel that it modernized the fairytale. I enjoyed the Sapphic romance subplot, instead of having the typical Prince Charming savior. The different facets morally grey and villainous characters, especially from Alys' point of view really added a level of believability to this retelling. Alys, herself, was very morally grey and to see her vacillate between doing bad things while justifying it, and wanting to be good and kind, was made all the more nuanced when she lost everything in the end. Her juxtaposition with Aurora’s innate goodness was a very interesting take. And he absolute unraveling in the end really spoke to how much heartbreak, betrayal and pain she'd endured up until that point.
The worldbuilding was top-notch. Especially when it came to the elaborate setting and the magic system. Honestly, the magic system and Briar's history were so much more complex than I expected. I love a fantasy book with beautiful world building. It could have leaned more into the darker side of things, but honestly, I'm happy it didn't go completely dark. It made it easier for me to read and enjoy. I'm very much looking forward to the second book.
The worldbuilding was top-notch. Especially when it came to the elaborate setting and the magic system. Honestly, the magic system and Briar's history were so much more complex than I expected. I love a fantasy book with beautiful world building. It could have leaned more into the darker side of things, but honestly, I'm happy it didn't go completely dark. It made it easier for me to read and enjoy. I'm very much looking forward to the second book.