The Princess Blog

I requested an ARC of  Castle of Broken Dreams  by A.R. Kaufer when I saw that it's a retelling of "Sleeping Beauty" and The Last Unicorn , which seemed like a whimsical and creative combination. This book absolutely delivers on its premise, though I wish it didn't contain spice so I could recommend it to the closed door community as well. Although I felt that the three brief spicy scenes interfered with the innocence of the overall story, it was a well-written book full of nostalgia for childhood stories and animation. What girl doesn't want to read more stories about faeries  and unicorns ? Aurora Rose is a powerful fae princess whose birth is celebrated throughout the land until she is cursed by the wicked sorcerer, Maleck, to prick her finger and die on her eighteenth birthday unless she agrees to marry him. The faery Alyssa (which is not a very faery-like name) amends the curse so she will fall into a death-like sleep instead, only to be awakened by true lo...

Slippers and Thorns  is the first book in the Roumaterra Chronicles, a series of combined fairy tale retellings by Erin Halbmaier . This book is different from other combined retellings because it takes place during the aftermath of both stories. It is a loose retelling and sequel to "Cinderella" and "Sleeping Beauty"  with similar themes to Just Ella  and Glass and Feathers . According to the author's notes, this book was intended to be a short story and was expanded into a 90,000-word novel. Regrettably, the combination of slow pacing and frustrating character decision detract from the extended length of the book. This book begins after the events of "Cinderella." Princess Ella's marriage to Prince Mike is on the rocks. Similar to the Disney sequel , Ella has a difficult time adjusting to palace life due to having more experience as a maid than as a princess. Meanwhile, Mike is overwhelmed by his princely duties and doesn't have time for his...

I signed up for an ARC of The Secret World of Briar Rose  by Cindy Pham on NetGalley because it looked like an interesting take on "Sleeping Beauty."  The book was more or less what I expected. It was a unique and creative take on the fairy tale, but like most modern books from traditional publishers, it lacked the heart that makes that tale such a beloved classic. I saw it described in some spaces as a  queer  story, which is debatable. While there were descriptions of queer feelings in certain characters, there is little to no actual romance, giving the book an overall feeling of loneliness and melancholy. Going in, it's important to know that this book is primarly an allegory for depression, and the fairy tale aspects are secondary. The "Sleeping Beauty" elements, while present, are not the primary focus of the book. The story alternates between two different timelines. The "future" timeline focuses on the dystopian kingdom that resulted from the ...

Falling for the Doomed Bride  by C.K. Beggan is the second of many ARCs I received from the villainous multi-author series, To Win a Dark Heart , which will be the primary focus of my blog posts over the next few months. The book contains a crossover of "Sleeping Beauty" and "Bluebeard,"  though it uses these stories as background dressing for the main plot, which reads like an adaptation of Pirates of the Caribbean . I personally have never understood the appeal of glorifying medieval seafaring criminals, but fans of the Pirates of the Caribbean  movies will likely enjoy it. Both protagonists are presented on the morally gray side of the spectrum rather than misunderstood , which is perfectly acceptable for a villainous retelling, though not always the most relatable choice. Although neither "Sleeping Beauty" nor "Bluebeard" took place on a ship, this book makes it work by making these fairy tales the building blocks for a seafaring adventure...

Many rumors have emerged from the Mouse House of late. Some  have vanished  as quickly as they sprouted, sometimes despite a great deal of press coverage . Therefore, it's best to take these announcements with a grain of salt, especially if they don't come from an official source. The latest rumor  comes from an alleged "Disney insider," DanielRPK , with no other confirmation of its existence, which could mean it's nothing more than a push to create buzz. However, rumors are still fun to speculate about, so let's discuss the possibility of a Mexican "Sleeping Beauty" retelling called Aurora. The initial reaction to this rumor was mixed, as many are confused about why Disney would do a live-action remake  of a fairy tale they already covered with Maleficent , which is considered one of the introductory remakes to their current era of films . Fans frequently make compilation graphics of Disney's live-action princesses, including  Elle Fanning  as...

Ice and the Elves  is the latest book in  Anabelle Raven 's Elves & Legends series. Like the other books in this series, it is an extremely loose fairy tale retelling that is essentially an original story. This particular book draws inspiration from "Sleeping Beauty"  by incorporating themes of dream magic. It takes place in the same high fantasy world as the other Elves & Legends books, in which there is a rivalry between humans and elves. This book directly follows the events of Nolan and the Elf , in which an elf and a human fall in love, and explores the fallout of their actions. It is a dark story centered around a war setting, which may not be every fairy tale fan's cup of tea. Ice and the Elves  is a second-chance romance that begins after a lot of important events have already taken place, which requires the reader to catch up through expository dialogue and description. Kendrick is an elf prince seeking revenge for his parents' murder by a king a...

I've read roughly half the books from the Hope Ever After series , leaving a good handful of them on my TBR list. The latest one I got around to is A Gracious Hope  by Robyn Sarty . This charming retelling is a surprising combination of "Sleeping Beauty"  and The Wonderful Wizard of Oz  with fae lore in the mystical land of Tír na nÓg . It's an interesting combination that makes for a lovely and whimsical story with beautiful visuals. Few people probably would have the imagination to combine two such different stories as these. There are also some fun twists and turns encompassing a unique read that's full of surprises. This book picks up right in the middle of Disney's 1959 animated classic, Sleeping Beauty . For that reason, it is probably necessary to watch the film before reading the book, which is unlikely to be an issue for its target audience. Alora is a peasant girl living with her Aunt Em and Uncle Henry. On her nineteenth birthday, she learns that s...

Thirty years ago, it would have been considered a crime to twist the sweet, gentle princess archetype  into a cold-blooded murderer. Times have changed . Today, the type of violent nature required for horror movie leads is not so far off from how modern princesses act . That's why it's not too surprising that the niche fairy tale horror genre has increased in popularity over the past couple of years. In 2024 alone, there have been three gruesome, twisted princess films, two of which were based on the same fairy tale .  Cinderella's Revenge , Cinderella's Curse , and The Little Mermaid  all take a beloved protagonist known for her kind-hearted nature and turn her into a killer. Is there an audience for this growing trend, or is it merely a passing fad? The concept of combining the traditionally family-friendly fairy tale genre with the darker, more adult horror genre is not entirely novel. Original versions of fairy tales had many dark elements before they were Disney...

So far, I have not read a single book by Abigail Manning that I haven't enjoyed.  Insomniac's Curse  is no exception. This "Sleeping Beauty" retelling is a creative reimagining that takes the story in a bold new direction. I have never read a book that reminded me so much of the dichotomy in the video game  Slay the Princess , which is really saying something because that game makes you think. It has lots of surprises with a hero and heroine that are easy to love. This book is a magical escape from the world we know, with a sweet romance and a few subtle references to the Disney movie. I found it a relaxing read with plenty of thrills along the way. Kaliope is an innocent maiden living in the woods, being raised by her three spinster aunts. She has a hard time sleeping at night, and for good reason. When she falls asleep, she has episodes where she loses control of her body and launches into violent attacks on the villagers. Her aunts have done their best to hide h...

I recently had the exciting opportunity to review an ARC of The Cursed Beauty , the newest fairy tale adaptation by Valia Lind . This book is part of her Skazka Fairy Tales series , which is about a Russian-inspired fantasy world with a heavy focus on romance. As the first full-length novel I've read that takes place in this world, I found it refreshingly sweet. The Cursed Beauty  is a retelling of "Sleeping Beauty"  that places more focus on the love story than the magical elements of the fairy tale. It's a straightforward romance about a princess and her bodyguard and the class differences that stand in their way. I liked that the book didn't use unrealistic feminist standards  and gave an accurate representation of how this type of relationship could have played out. The Cursed Beauty  starts out exactly like "Sleeping Beauty." Princess Alyona was cursed by an evil fairy at her birthing ceremony to fall into a death-like sleep that would affect the w...

To Defy a Dream  by Mary Mecham  is a retelling of "Sleeping Beauty"  from The Shattered Tales , a multi-author series bent on deconstructing popular fairy tales and rewriting them with a twist that shatters their most defining elements. As a huge fairy tale fan, I wasn't too interested in a premise that it rips apart the foundations of what makes fairy tales so beloved. I think deconstructions work better for outdated romcom tropes such as Rachel Bloom's brilliantly executed in Crazy Ex-Girlfriend  than they do with timeless fairy tale classics. Still, I enjoyed this author's deconstructed "Cinderella" retelling , and since  To Defy a Dream  was part of a big fairy tale promotion for Valentine's Day , I thought I might as well give it a chance. Overall, To Defy a Dream  has very little to do with "Sleeping Beauty" despite being a retelling. There is a sleeping curse and a magic spindle, but the princess was not cursed to die or sleep at he...

Since the November princess anniversaries are too far away for this year, Disney is setting their sights on other things to celebrate in the coming months. For those of you who read my latest review of a "Sleeping Beauty" retelling yesterday, the timing could not have been more appropriate. Today marks the 65th anniversary of Disney's 1959 animated classic, Sleeping Beauty , and they are celebrating it with some beautiful limited edition merchandise . This year also marks the 30th anniversary of Disney's Beauty and the Beast Broadway musical , which is being celebrated in a big way. Finally, four Disney Princess television shows may or may not still be in production this year, so we will wait with bated breath for updates in the hopes that we can see some of our favorite princesses return on the small screen. Princess Aurora is the featured princess on Shop Disney today , marking the 65th anniversary of her film. There is lots of great merchandise available, but o...

Before she started the inspired Singer Tales series , Deborah Grace White had another series of fairy tale retellings called The Kingdom Tales . This series took some time to find its voice, but I think it found it with Kingdom of Slumber , a retelling of "Sleeping Beauty" with a twist. In this interpretation of the often-retold tale , the princess is cursed to fall into an enchanted sleep during the day, while the rest of the kingdom sleeps all night without ever knowing that she is awake. In addition to its creative twist, the book boasts a beautiful romance and a guest appearance from the dragon Rekavidur, who travels across each Kingdom Tales book as well as Deborah Grace White's original mermaid series, The Vazula Chronicles . Up to this point, I hadn't enjoyed the Kingdom Tales as much as her newer Singer Tales , but this book had a certain something missing from others I've read so far. Like many princesses before her , Princess Azalea was born into a mar...

For my next book review, I was planning to cover The Silent Prince  by C.J. Brightly , a gender-bent retelling of "The Little Mermaid" that was released on Black Friday, but I unexpectedly received an ARC for The Awakened Prince  by Alora Carter , another book from the Once Upon a Prince series that I had not read yet. Based on the title, I was hoping this would be a gender-bent adaptation of "Sleeping Beauty."  Instead, it was a direct retelling of the Disney movie from the prince's perspective that adds very little to the original story. Though some of the names and lore were altered to avoid copyright issues, I could see that the author was inspired mainly by the most popular version of the story and took very little liberty with the many other fairy tale adaptations out there. The book provides everything a reader would expect from a fairy tale retelling--romance, fantasy, and a bit of medieval history with nothing new or insightful to offer. Though Prince...

When I wrote my series of fairy tale origin posts , one major story that I skipped was "Sleeping Beauty."  It wasn't because I didn't care for this story as much as the others, but instead that it had a less complex narrative of changing with the times . In fact, this fairy tale is so simple that no matter how many updates modern adaptations incorporate, it is rarely altered so drastically from its roots to the point of being unrecognizable,  except in the case of a ridiculous 2016 horror movie called The Curse of Sleeping Beauty . Of all the movies I argued against depicting the theme of "Be pretty, girls, and things might work out,"   Sleeping Beauty  is the biggest outlier. It is probably for this reason that it is the only Disney Princess movie that did not get a direct live-action remake , but instead a creative reimagining with Maleficent , which focused on the more active villain than the mostly passive princess. Determining how much Sleeping Beauty h...

I received an ARC for Thorns of Gold  from Celeste Baxendell pretty quickly after the disappointing cliffhanger ending from  Dreams of Roses . After reading it, it became clearer why this story needed two books. While Dreams of Roses  was about Rosalia, the "Sleeping Beauty" character from the Bewitching Fairy Tales series , this book was the conclusion of Aerona's story from Celeste's "Beauty and the Beast" retelling, Beasts of Beauty . Though it is promoted as the conclusion of the Bewitching Fairy Tales series as a whole, I was pleased to find that it ended with a teaser for a continuation called Enchanting Fairy Tales that begins with an adaptation of my favorite fairy tale of all time . It may not be the end of a storytelling era, but it does provide a satisfying conclusion to Dreams of Roses . Many books from fairy tale adaptation series can be read as standalones. Thorns of Gold  is not one of them. At the very least, readers of this book must read ...