Prince Thomas cannot take the throne without a queen. Though the problem isn’t his lack of suitors but his refusal to marry a princess that is less than perfect. The cardinal presents him with an opportunity: a quest to find the most beautiful princess in the land who has been in slumber for a century. But, unbeknown to the prince, the cardinal plans to kill him as soon as the prince embarks on … embarks on his quest, and take the throne for himself.
Luckily, Prince Thomas’s path crosses with Lucy, a spirited orphan runaway, who saves his life and convinces the prince to continue the quest. When they eventually find Princess Aurora, they also find another contender – Prince Philip – vying for the princess’s heart.
Despite their mutual disdain for each other, Lucy agrees to assist the prince, and Thomas accepts her help to keep him alive long enough to beat out his competition and return to rule his kingdom alongside his perfect bride.
They just don’t count on falling for each other in the process.
A YA retelling of the classic fairy tale Sleeping Beauty
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Fairytale – very sleeping beauty adjacent. I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I give this 3.5 stars because it was good and held my interest throughout, but there wasn’t anything about it that really stood out as original as far as fairytales go aside from the fact that Aurora and Prince Phillip from Sleeping Beauty are in it and It isn’t a retelling of that story.
This story is about Prince Thomas whose father died not too long ago and his Mother the queen is pushing him to marry a girl of royal blood in order to become the king. However, Thomas is vain and spoiled and wants to find a princess that is perfect so that her beauty is a match to his handsomeness and he rejects every girl that is presented to him.
The Cardinal, who turns out to be evil and magical, shows him a picture of sleeping beauty and tells him that she would be perfect. Her 100 year curse is nearly over, Thomas just needs to travel to her kingdom and give her true loves kiss and travel home. Though the Cardinal spelled the guards to kill the prince on the journey.
A runaway orphan girl Lucy, and her friend Jack come upon the prince while he is being attacked and Lucy saves the Prince and they decide to go on the quest together. When they get there they meet another prince and they all travel together. The characters are pretty great and the story is fun. It is entertaining, I liked it quite a bit.
This book is a retelling of the classic fairytale “Sleeping Beauty,” but with a twist. It’s not really about Aurora, the most beautiful woman in the land. We have Prince Thomas–check, we have Aurora–check, we have the evil cardinal villain–check, but then we have two orphans, Lucy and Jack, plus another prince. All of these characters weave together the story to bring a new freshness to the fairytale. I loved Lucy–all spunk and fearlessness. Jack was the comic relief and Prince Thomas goes from a spoiled man-child to the hero the story demands.
I did find the POV changes a little jarring sometimes and there should be an formatting indication that the scene has shifted between the Prince et al and the cardinal. It would have made for a smoother read. The book was a quick read and I found it quite enjoyable.
I voluntarily read the advanced reader copy and all opinions are my own.
I did not like the way this book started at all. Lucy was an overbearing bully and physically abusive. In addition, she was spouting ideas that would have been beyond her comprehension in the quasi-historic feudal setting this book takes place in. Jack was bumbling and I had no idea why he put up with Lucy, and Prince Thomas was completely self-absorbed and shallow.
It is, however, a fractured fairy tale, the purpose of which is redemption. So I gave these characters a chance and they really grew on me. The character growth and development of Lucy and Thomas was quite well done. Jack was given a chance to develop as well but never got his happy ending – I wanted a line at the end where he got his heart’s desire. Phillip and Aurora were pretty static and the villains were over-the-top caricatures. The story was overall predictable, no shocking twists or surprises, but still satisfying and entertaining. I would recommend this to readers who enjoy Gail Carson Levine’s books.
It definitely felt like it was written with a younger (grade school – jr high) primary audience in mind with some definite movie influences. There were a few scenes and characters that felt strongly reminiscent of ones in popular stories, but the author made them her own in this story.
Slumber was a fun rewrite of the Sleeping Beauty fairy tale. It was generally predictable. Everyone knows that Prince Philip and Aurora belong together, but it was still an entertaining read. Jack and Lucy were wonderful characters and I particularly enjoyed watching Prince Thomas grow and develop into someone who could actually be king. He was such a brat at the beginning!
The villain was a bit disappointing. He should have won the majority of his battles, but was constantly distracted at exactly the wrong (or right, depending on your perspective) moment. True love’s kiss took on a new twist, as did a lot of the magical attacks. Overall, it was a fun adventure.
I received an advanced review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I really enjoyed this story and the unique twist on sleeping beauty. The underlying message was that love builds from more than surface beauty, instead with gaining understanding of the beauty inside someone. Seeing their strengths and talents and recognizing that they are more than just their appearance. I really didn’t like Thomas at the beginning of the book, he was arrogant and rude and shallow, looking only on outer beauty. As his journey to find the most beautiful woman in the world took him on paths unexpected, he grew into a better person. I adored Lucy, her gumption and spirit, her snarky comments and compassion. Her bravery and willingness to help others really endeared her to the other characters. I enjoyed the steady growth of the romance between Thomas and Lucy and was very happy with how the stories resolved. The introduction of prince Philip and Aurora were very cute. I also adored Jack, he was the funny surprise in the mix of characters.
A delightful story worth the read.
***I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving a free copy***This
This is an amazing book! If you like fairy tale retellings, then you will love this book. There are a few main characters, Prince Thomas and Lucy. This story has the Sleeping Beauty vibe but with a twist. This is more from the Princes view, however he has some major issues he needs to overcome. The relationship between him and Lucy is intense and funny. Can’t blame the girl, however you can’t change someone who doesn’t want to change. Anyways you wouldn’t think that the Prince would get help Lucy on his journey. Then another Prince was thrown in on this quest to find Prince Thomas a bride. This quest brings love, action, and personal growth for all. There were moments were I teared up for these characters, so much so I needed to know how it would end. This is a definite read to add to your list.