Everyone knows the story of the Cursed Princess. But Talia never expected to be living it… really is destined to be trapped in eternal sleep?
Duke Caradoc has spent his whole life dominated by his mother, the fierce Duchess of the Northern Wastes. But when he meets Talia, betrothed to him since childhood, he knows that his mother’s lust for power has gone too far. The curse must be stopped… and the answer might lie in Caradoc and Talia’s mysterious dreams.
A Sleeping Beauty retelling, first in a series of fairytale-inspired fantasy romances.more
A nice enough re-telling of Sleeping Beauty, but I found the characters a bit bland and I would have liked more background stories. The romance was sweet, but it lacked some chemistry. Talia and Caradoc have met in their dreams since they were children, but here as well I would have wanted more background. They’ve actually become good friends in the dream world, something I wished had been more clear. I also had some problems with Talia’s “friends”, her “ladies-in-waiting”. These friends didn’t seem to care very much about Talia, and neither of them had any difficulties leaving their families and lives behind to follow Talia to the castle. This felt unrealistic and simplified.
What I liked? Talia don’t just wait for the prince to solve everything with a kiss. She takes matter in her own hands and tries to break the curse herself. Caradoc revolts against his mother when he thinks she’s gone too far. Good for both of them!
I felt a bit uninterested in the beginning of this book, but around half way it started to be more eventful, and I read the other half in, more or less, one sitting.
*I received a free copy of the book through BookSirens, in exchange for an honest review.*
The Rose Princess was a beautiful and unique retelling of Sleeping Beauty in which the princess needs to be rescued while also playing a part in the rescue. The dreams that are only sung about in Disney’s version also play a significant role in the story, and when it was discovered that the princess might also be an enchantress, I was hooked.
Princess Talia is a darling from the start. She’s delightfully naive, but as she begins to notice how things are not as they should be, she begins to take a stand for herself, her people, her kingdom. It’s really exciting to watch her grow up and grow into her role. Also, it’s so cute that she’s skeptical of true love’s kiss working to break the spell. Everyone knows that true love’s kiss is the most powerful thing in the world!
This book looked at the privileges that come with different types of power, but it also considered the power that comes from different motivations. Evil maintains power through threats, while good maintains power through service and love. It also looks at forgiveness – how it is possible and when there must still be consequences. The setup for the next book is perfect and the kingdom was beautifully imagined. I look forward to seeing where the series takes us next.
I received an advance review copy for free from BookSirens, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
What a lovely spin on Sleeping Beauty. I really enjoyed Talia and Caradoc and how their love grew as they met in their dreams, not knowing who they were but sharing so much night after night for years. There were beautiful descriptions of the rose palace and the lands of Parsilon so you could imagine yourself there. I enjoyed the wide variety of creatures, dragons, unicorns, gryphens and more. We have fairy folk and enchantress so there is lots of adventure, magic and love in this world the author has written. I liked the premise of what true loves kiss to break her curse included.
I’m excited to see what future books will have as we are introduced to the brother, Rhys who fought with the wicked enchantress, the duchess against Talia and Caradoc and how he is cursed to become a dragon and the curse can only be broken if he learns to love and gains love from someone else.
Well loved stories with unique spins will lead to hours of enjoyment.