To Defy a Dream: A Sleeping Beauty Retelling

by Mary Mecham

What if Sleeping Beauty pricked her finger on purpose?

Princess Aurelia’s kingdom is plagued by the Eternal Slumber, a disease progressively ensnaring the minds of her subjects. After Aurelia wishes for the means to revive her brother, her sinister fairy godmother presents an ominous Aurelia must stab herself with a poisoned spindle.

Accepting this fate plunges Aurelia into a nightmare where victims of the Eternal Slumber are being held hostage by a dark djinni. However, Aurelia’s brother isn’t the only familiar face she finds herself reunited with; Everett, the love of her life who mysteriously disappeared years ago, is there as well. As the djinni’s power grows, Aurelia must decide who to save before the djinni escapes and enters the waking world.

Failing on her quest could trap her in the dream world forever. Will she forgo her chance at a happily ever after and protect her brother, or will she choose to rescue herself and the man she loves?

No matter who she chooses, someone will be doomed to remain in the nightmare that never ends.

To Defy a Dream is a retelling of Sleeping Beauty. It is one of twelve novellas in The Shattered Tales, a collection of twelve fractured retellings of your favorite fairy tales. They can be enjoyed in any order, so fall in love with the swoony sweet romance, magical adventures, and tale-shattering twists one happily-ever-after at a time!

Genres: Fantasy, Retellings, Romance, Fairy Tale Retellings, Young Adult, Fairy Tales, Clean Romance

166 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 17, 2023

About the author

Mary Mecham writes high stakes, high swoon, no spice romantasy and fairy tale retellings packed full of adventure and romances. Her greatest joy is writing snarky banter and morally grey characters.

She is a born and raised Texan with a love of theater and books overshadowed only by her passion for disability advocacy. Her favorite food is chips and queso, her favorite holiday is April Fool's Day, and her favorite trope is enemies to lovers.

When she isn't writing, Mary enjoys spending time with her family and trying out new experiences, from fire breathing and axe throwing to trapeze flying and power paragliding.

She currently lives in Texas with her husband and three children.

You can get a FREE e-copy of her Rumpelstiltskin retelling, A Curse of Gold and Beauty, when you sign up for her newsletter at MaryMecham.com

Reviews

[Kacie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Note: I received a copy of this book from the author. All thoughts and opinions are my own and I was not required to write a positive review.

What a fantastic Sleeping Beauty retelling! I'm not the biggest fan of the Sleeping Beauty story, but Mary Mecham did an amazing job of taking the bones of the fairytale and making it into quite the adventure with a fierce heroine, a swoony love interest, unexpected twists, and let's not forget to mention... volcanos??? 😯😵‍💫🌋🌋 I enjoyed that aspect very much...especially since my favorite book has volcanos in it🤭. Also, can we all just take a second to appreciate how stinkin' gorgeous the cover is?? I need this on my shelf ASAP!

All in all, To Defy a Dream was so fun!! I highly recommend reading this quick, twisty, reimagined Sleeping Beauty story.

[Abigail Manning · Rating 5 out of 5]

Imagine a sleeping beauty that, while sleeping, defends everyone she loves like an epic warrior princess.

I absolutely loved this take on sleeping beauty! All the familiar elements of the original story were there, but at the same time they were completely twisted into a unique tale. The scenery of this story was breathtaking!! The volcano, the aurora borealis, everything just felt so vivid and stunning!

The romance was SO swoony!! Still perfectly clean, but you could really feel the characters love for each other (or dislike when that was more prominent, haha!)

As expected from a shattered tale, the twists at the end of this take did not disappoint! Every time I think I know how one of Mecham's stories are going to end, I'm terribly mistaken in the best way!! Her stories never fail to get a gasp out of me!

5/5 highly recommend!!!

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars! This book was perfection. I absolutely love the sleeping beauty story, and this was a pleasant surprise! I love all the changes to the story, and the ending was great! Mary Mecham is such an amazing author!!! 👏 ❤️ Definitely recommend!!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Sarah Beran · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sleeping Beauty is a hard story to retell—the main character spends most of the story asleep, after all, and it’s not very riveting to watch someone sleep. But Mary Mecham has found the perfect solution to this potential snoozefest: creating a rich dream world (there’s a VOLCANO, for crying out loud!) complete with action, high stakes, and an evil djinni.

Aurelia is definitely no weak, passive sleeping beauty, and I loved seeing her relationship with Everett slowly unfold. Her bond with her brother Waylon was also really special, and I appreciate the fact that though Aurelia takes charge, she’s never truly alone in her task.

I absolutely recommend this book, though it might spoil you for all other Sleeping Beauty retellings.

[Reese Songbird · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great short cozy read that made me quite happy. I enjoyed the writing, and it immediately sucked me in to an amazing story. Though the plot is not normally something that interests me, the author did a fantastic job of keeping it suspenseful and intriguing, even though this was a short book.
The characters were very well written, and even though I wasn’t a huge fan of any of them, I did enjoy seeing where their story went and was happy for them at the end.
A lovely read, and I would definitely recommend it!

[Annette · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sleeping Beauty is one of the hardest fairytales to retell. After all, the princess is asleep for the most important part of the story. I'm therefore always curious how authors tackle the story when doing their retelling. So, I was really looking forward to this installment in the Shattered Tales series and I was even happier that I got an arc.

I have to admit that I have slightly mixed feelings on this book and I think most of those mixed feelings are a me issue and not a book issue. I think the book and I, and especially the characters and I, simply didn't really have a click. Not because the book was bad or the retelling was badly done. Just because it wasn't my kind of story.

I do think the way the author retells the famous fairytale of Sleeping Beauty is incredibly clever. The kingdom is plagued by a sleeping sickness and our princess has decided she's going to take matters into her own hands. With her we're entering the world where all the sleepers are and we follow her on her quest to tear that world down from the inside out.

And that's where my issues with the story start. Both the world, although that one at least is explained, and the romance feel a little underdeveloped and the entire story feels rushed. As a reader I barely felt like I got a chance to get invested in the romance and I think the world could have been more interesting. However, there was an insanely great plottwist in the end I absolutely adored!

Hopefully the next Shattered Tale and I will be a better match.

[Jacquelyn 💐 {This Rapunzel Reads} [Jesus Christ, my Living Hope] · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have read two other books by Mary Mecham and absolutely loved them! This one was disappointing and not the best Sleeping Beauty retelling. I didn’t love it. The whole dream concept is very strange. I didn’t really like the characters or the love story to be honest. It was just awkward and rushed. Aurelia could be so mean to Everett. Waylon was probably my favorite character and I wish the book would have been about him and Celeste. The cover is pretty though.

[Rachel Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

*4.6*
The rating is just because I like it a bit more than Poisoned. The romance was to die for. Everett did something dumb okay, but he still cared. And Aurelia had a reason not to trust him, but she forgave him and they fell in love!!
I love how Mary Mecham adds family dynamics into her stories. The friendships and twists in this story made it so much richer. I wish it were longer just so I could spend more time with these outstanding characters.

Content: stabbing with spindle, minor violence, enchantment magic, romance and kisses just over lightly detailed

[Tash Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

(3.5) - it was a cute story but not my favorite retelling read in the past few weeks. I had more hopes as it started out quite exciting but didn’t really meet my expectations.

[Tales and Treats with Tay · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novella is part of the multi author fairytale retelling series that features a significant twist that "shatters" the original fairytale. This Sleeping Beauty retelling answers the question "what if she purposefully pricked herself with the spindle?"

Mary Mecham did a fabulous job placing our princess into the heart of the story, rather than as a stagnant character that needs to be rescued. Aurelia is a fully developed character who takes on such responsibility at a young age and is willing to sacrifice everything for her kingdom.

There is also a great plot twist that I wasn't expecting, so fun to read! I knew something was up but I wasn't prepared for the reveal!

There was one part where a character is accused of something that I didn't quite see the justification for that accusation but maybe I missed something. Second chance romances aren't always my favorite trope but I had to read this book since I enjoyed Becoming Hook so much!

Also it is fascinating to me to see the role of glass/objects made of glass in each of these novellas as I work my way reading through the series!

**I received an advanced readers copy to honestly read and review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Christian fiction rating: 0/3 not Christian fiction but clean

[Alesha · Rating 5 out of 5]

A captivating, fast-paced fairytale romance set in the most interesting and unique world. Sleeping beauty has always been a favorite retelling of mine. I love to see the unique way that the sleeping curse is dealt with, and this book didn't disappoint! I absolutely loved how Aurelia stabbed herself to journey to the dream world and save her brother. I loved her sass and how she immediately makes things happen. She refuses to let her circumstances stop her from achieving her goals.

Then there is the adorable Everett who gets a second chance to prove himself and stand up for what he wants--her. Will they finally figure out how to be together and save everyone from the cursed sleep? Or will the djinni keep them trapped forever in this delightfully unexpected fairytale?

I loved all the interesting twists and turns of this story along with the character depth obtained in such a short period of time. Not to mention the clean and satisfying romance.

Happy reading!
Alesha Adamson

[Maria ♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars. The whole dream world concept of this book was interesting. I liked that the main character went into the dream world to save her people. I didn't like the romance until the very end. Usually I like when the characters have history but this one the pacing was weird for it, and I just didn't like the two of them together until the very end. There was a plot twist, but I wasn’t invested enough for having my jaw drop. Overall very meh. There were parts I liked, but it was a very low three maybe even 2.5 stars. The fact that it took me almost 10 days to read a book that is like 160 pages is probably all you need to know.

[Jaida (Fable Link in Bio) Editing Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

༻༺ ༻༺ ༻༺ ༻༺ ༻༺ ༻
🌋~Genres~🌋
Retelling/Fantasy/Clean/Second chance romance

He saw me, not a title or tool to use on a climb to power.

⚔️~Characters~⚔️
(Aurelia) FMC SOLE HEIR TO THE
THRONE WHILE WAYLON IS IN THE DREAM WORLD she constantly thought about Everett and how she was supposed to hate him. I didn't really like her unfortunately.

(Everett) MMC CARPENTER AND WAYLON'S DREAM WORLD ROOMMATE I liked him

(Waylon) AURELIA'S OLDER BROTHER
He was so awkward around Jen. I liked him

(Princess Celeste) WAYLON'S BETROTHED
I liked her but she wasn't really in The book.

(Everett's dad) I didn't like him.

(Jen) WAYLON'S CRUSH she actually said “Hyyy-eah!” I didn't really like her she was annoying

(Rone) DJINNI CREATER OF THE DREAM WORLD
This guy was just weird. He was ok I guess.

"but I do care for you. Immensely.”

🪚~Quotes~🪚
Without intending to, my fingers ran along his forearms. His hands flexed into fists, causing the veins to stand out even more than before. Lands, did he know that doing so was going to make me swoon? The impulse to kiss Everett was becoming unbearable.

Everett’s large hands moved smoothly over the top of the writing table, checking for any residual splinters. I didn’t lift my head or move from where I sat on the cushioned settee by the window, but watched his hands caress the surface, wishing fervently that I were a table in need of the skilled carpenter’s attention.

Do you need a consolation prize since you didn’t get your way?” He wrapped his muscular arms around my torso and buried his face into my neck. “I have you. I don’t need anything else.”

🥀~What I liked~🥀
The cover, The writing style, The town in the dream world, The epilogue.

I stared back at those deep brown eyes that had haunted my dreams for years as a burning flooded me in waves of terrifying intensity.

🌌~What I disliked~🌌
Nothing.

No matter who she chooses, someone will be doomed to remain in the nightmare that never ends.

🎪~Trigger/Content warnings~🎪
Fighting, Disease, Poison, Demons, Grief, death of a loved one, Burns, Death.

What if Sleeping Beauty pricked her finger on purpose?

⛵~Language~⛵
None.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve been wanting to read something by this author for awhile, and I’m so happy that I finally did. This was a fun and twisted retelling of Sleeping Beauty. It poses the question of, What if she pricked her finger on purpose? Color me intrigued! What would make her do that? I was glued to the pages! It’s a quick read, but it’s jam-packed full of goodness.

The worldbuilding was excellent. Everything was fleshed out, and the volcanic realm really came to life. Both frightening and fascinating, I was captivated and found myself having a difficult time putting the book down!

While I admired Aurelia’s desire to find a cure for the Eternal Slumber, she was a bit impulsive and headstrong. There were some moments where I had a hard time liking her, but by the end, she really grew on me.

If you’re looking for a unique retelling, grab a copy of this book. I really enjoyed it and am looking forward to reading more from this author.

[Aubrey Carter · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a truly unique retelling of Sleeping Beauty! Just like all the rest of Mary Mecham's books, there's enough elements of the original fairytale that the story is familiar, but enough differences and twists that it's fun, exciting and fresh!
I loved all the characters, and the plot was well paced and never felt slow. The fact that I binged 80% of this book in just one afternoon speaks to how entertaining it is! I would have finished the whole thing, except adult responsibilities kinda got in the way, lol.
I'm also just a sucker for any story with good, strong and loving sibling relationships!
Highly, highly, recommend!

[Bess · Rating 2 out of 5]

First read by Mary. This was a very unusual tale. I'm not sure how I felt. I'm not much for mindscapes and tricks that are played in dream worlds or psychological tales. This was kinda sorta one of those.
The bad guy was a little bit of a twist. But the djinni's item and how to destroy it were evident to me very early on. Glad to read I was correct.
I don't think I'm the intended audience. It wasn't bad writing at all. I was not invested in the story. I might continue the series. But not right now.
Longest 166 pages of my life. ;)

[Shauna · Rating 4 out of 5]

New author for me and this was such a happy surprise. I wasn’t sure how a retelling of Sleeping Beaity was going to work and honestly didn’t really like Aurelia at first. But the author sucks us into the Eternal Slumber and that was the end of that. Somehow it all works out to be a bit of adventure, romance, and magic. Really enjoyed it. Rounding up! A solid 3.5 stars.

[Olivia Grace · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not one of my favorites of Mary's, sadly. I didn't feel that much of a connection between the FMC and the MMC. I didn't see the twist coming at the end but I did call some other stuff. Personally I would have liked to see more of Aurelia's brother. Not a bad book just not as good as her others. I do love the cover though. ❤️

[Victoria Pring · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the idea of this book more than I liked the telling. For a fairytale the romance just felt far to lacking for me, it didn't jump off the page or make you feel anything. its because of this it only recieved 3 stars from me. I will say however the take on the eternal sleep was totally inspired.

[Abigail · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very creative and fun retelling of sleeping beauty! I feel like there are not a ton of retellings of aurora so it was definitely an interesting spin! I enjoyed this book and liked the plot and characters!

I was given an arc of this book from the author. I was not required to write a review.

[Rosina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not that I've even read/seen many Sleeping Beauty retellings yet, but this was definitely a unique one. The setting is unlike anything I've read, and I enjoyed the foreboding atmosphere it gave to the story. This was helped by the really descriptive writing, and I had a vivid picture of this nightmarish landscape. Unfortunately, I had some issues that meant the story didn't quite hit the spot for me. I never felt that connected to the characters, or that invested in the romance. Some of that is due to me not being the biggest fan of second-chance romance. I love getting to see the beginnings of a romantic connection first hand.
Another issue I think is due to the length. I think if this had been a full length novel, I could have got more drawn into the plot and characters. Perhaps the story was a bit too ambitious for the space allotted. That's not to say I didn't enjoy reading the book and I was curious to see how everything would be resolved. Overall, I would recommend this to people who want a really fresh twist on Sleeping Beauty and enjoy second-chance romances. Although this wasn't quite my cup of tea in the end, I read and loved Mary's novella 'A Curse of Gold and Beauty' which is adorable and I highly recommend. I'm definitely going to check out some of Mary's longer works, maybe Becoming Hook first because I'm a big Peter Pan fan.

Thank you to the author for kindly gifting me an ARC!

[Lisa Dawn · Rating 3 out of 5]

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 her birthing ceremony and is far from the first person to enter the dream world. True love does not break the spell even though there is a romantic subplot, and the protagonist does very little sleeping throughout the book. Instead, the plot is almost identical to Disney's Wish, which was released shortly after this book was written, so it is most likely a timely coincidence. Princess Aurelia is a heroine who is determined to liberate the people of her kingdom after its citizens have fallen into an enchanted sleep that pulls their minds into a fantasy world. This world is ruled by a malevolent djinni overlord who claims to have created a paradise where anyone's wish can be granted. Using the power of an enchanted spindle, Aurelia enters this dream world with the intent of freeing her brother, Prince Waylon, and finding a way to release everyone from the enchanted sleeping.

The love story in this book is presented in a messy and realistic way as opposed to the sugar-sweet swoony romances that tend to dominate fairy tale retellings. When Aurelia is reunited with her lost love, Everett, she is furious at him for abandoning her when he worked for her in the castle as a carpenter. It didn't help that their relationship was already riddled with obstacles regarding how Waylon's absence made Aurelia the new heir and required her to marry another royal instead of a blue-collar peasant. When Everett overheard a conversation about an arranged marriage alliance for Aurelia, he thought the best thing to do was to quietly disappear from her life, and she is far from over her hurt from this when she enters the dream world. She is sharp-tongued and spiteful toward him, making it difficult to root for the couple to get together even though it is clear that it comes from a place of emotional trauma.

Normally I like books that I can finish quickly, but this book's short length works to its detriment. There are so many details about the dream world that remain underdeveloped, making it confusing and underwhelming. The big twist at the end comes out of left field with very little time to process, causing the dialogue to plummet into some of the most cliche villain lines ever. The way that Aurelia defeats the villain is also rushed and unsatisfying and feels unearned because it requires very little effort. This is a modern princess story about a "girl power" heroine who doesn't require a man's help, making Waylon and Everett's roles feel extraneous even though they had both been involved in a resistance group for years in the dream world before she joined them.

Mary Mecham's To Defy a Dream, while offering a subversion of traditional fairy tales with a strong heroine and nuanced romance, ultimately stumbles on its short length and underdeveloped world-building. Though the fairy tale connection feels tenuous with a plot that bears striking similarities to Disney's Wish, the book's core message of female empowerment still resonates. Readers seeking a quick, empowering read with a modern princess narrative may find this book enjoyable. However, those yearning for intricate world-building, a satisfyingly complex plot, and a deeper exploration of the fairy tale deconstruction will likely be left wanting.

[Lorrie (Clockworkbookworm) · Rating 4 out of 5]

2024 Reads #560/250

Read for the Sights of Sweden Challenge 2024-2025
September 20, 2024 - January 10, 2025

[C.S. Doraga · Rating 2 out of 5]

I want to preface this with the fact that I could tell from the first chapter that this book was not going to be up my alley. However, since I'm considering writing some retellings myself, I tried to keep an open mind and wanted to explore why I didn't think this story worked (it's an English major thing, I think).

So to start off, here are what I think worked:

-the fact that the dream world was so idyllic that the people trapped in it didn't want to leave. It was a perfect world where they couldn't feel pain or were even hungry, so they had no desire to escape.

-that the MC was tricked into the dream world. I did enjoy that.

And now, here are my gripes:

-None of the characters are very well-developed. They felt hollow, inconsistent, and didn't make me feel much of anything (of course, to be fair, I wasn't very interested in the story so that had some effect). Aurelia was surprisingly unintelligent considering she'd been playing queen in her kingdom, and her love interest, Everett, was a cardboard cutout. He had no purpose except to revolve around the MC like a fly.

-I didn't find the romance cute or even charming at any point in the story. It felt forced and there wasn't any chemistry between the characters.

-The MC was toeing the line of being a Mary Sue. Bad things happen to her instead of her causing them, and the one arguably bad thing her choices cause is resolved for her. Also, what do you mean she thought she could send the last power on the throne into a dream world and for the people in the real world to continue on like nothing had happened? The resistance has next to no traction until she arrives, and after years of the dream plague, she resolves the issue in...I think the main bulk of this story took place in roughly two or three days? She also didn't have an arc. She was the same person at the beginning of the story that she was at the end.

-The constant repetition of information. We would be told over and over again about details in quick succession, and it felt as though the author didn't think we could keep hold of all the information. For example, I believe we were told at least once, sometimes more, in every chapter for the first half of the book how the bodies of the people in the sleep were fairing. It was never new information, but the same information, almost told in the exact same way, over and over again. Another example, in the final showdown between the MC and villain, every paragraph following the villain's dialogue is a variation of saying how shocked the characters were. Unless they are getting more shocked every time, please stop beating the reader with this point.

-The writing is clunky. It's littered with very cliche phrases and expressions, and it's wordy and simultaneously empty. There wasn't much taking place in the story, so it often felt like it was being used to pad things out. Action kept being paused for description, which bogged things down, and some of the word choices conveyed different emotions then what I think the author intended (the words in a gentle scene would be strong and harsh, for example, while the words in an action scene would be much too soft).

-The plot twist. There is a fine line between a plot twist and poor writing, and this one falls closer to the side of poor writing. When the true villain is revealed, first of all she monologues her entire evil plan, and second her personality completely changes. Should it have been obvious she was the villain all along, no, but her character should not have to completely change in order for it to work, either. There should be at least something to hint things aren't what they seem, but there are none. Also, I would like to point out the fact that if the villain hadn't done anything or interferred, she probably would've succeeded.

-Something that is unclear to me is the fact that we are told that the villain is pulling people into this world so she can gather enough power to break out. Whether or not that's true is unclear, since she just seems to have been waiting for her unsealed sister to break her out, but also if she was feeding off their energy, then why did her spell do nothing to protect the physical bodies of her victims in order to keep them alive? I couldn't suspend my disbelief over how they kept the patients alive by feeding them liquid diets via their mouths. I promise the food wasn't going to their stomachs.

-I'm not saying it was cultural appropriation, but it was odd that the only non-european element was the inclusion of the djinn. That said, this book actually featured genies (which are a European invention, actually), not djinn, which are more like fae and do not grant wishes. So the mix-up was a small thing, but an obvious lack of research always peeves me.

Again, I was not the intended audience for this book, and I knew this going in. The idea had potential, but it just didn't pan out for me.

[Orangetails · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't expect to be taken on such an emotional roller coaster ride with this book, but it gave me all the feels. There is a happily-ever-after (minor spoiler), but it was hard-won, and the consequences were described in detail. This is not some fluffy adventure about magic and friendship: there's an epidemic, an impending war, class differences, and the weight of a kingdom resting on the main character's shoulders.
The details were really what made this book for me. I didn't feel that the plot warranted a movie-level script due to its overall simplicity, but the characters and their reactions really made it come alive. They were kind and interesting without being flawless, and everyone felt as if they had a role to play rather than just being background scenery for the main couple. Aurelia was especially well-written; she didn't waste time over nonsense, but nor did she ignore the emotional side of things. She was kind, decisive, and quick on the uptake, but also impulsive, slightly bossy, stubborn, and self-sacrificing to a fault. I came to love her honesty and loyalty, and my heart ached for her as she took on the burden of a kingdom that she never wanted to rule.
On the other hand, while Everett felt like a great match for her, I wish we had gotten some more depth from him. I wanted to know more reasons for why he loved Aurelia, as well as why he left her (they do mention it, but I wish he had discussed it thoroughly). He's a kind, servant-hearted male hero, but I wish we got to see more of his inner self than just that.
Although I wanted to see more of Everett, I did really like the romance. Aurelia's anger at Everett felt justified, and her coming to terms with his departure felt realistic. Their reunion was fun to read for the slow-burn angst, although I wish their reconciliation could have come a little later, actually. I would have liked to see them debate their parting a bit more, but that's just me being picky. They genuinely felt like two people deeply in love with the other, all the while ignoring their feelings because there's work to be done (well, Everett was less focused on the work and more on his second chance with Aurelia). All in all, seeing their happily ever after felt like a well-earned success after heartache.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and I'd definitely read this again. The plot wasn't my favorite, but the characters consistently blew me away, and that made all the difference. I'd definitely give this a read if you're looking for a darker fairy tale retelling. Note: I was given this book early so that I could review it. All thoughts and opinions expressed above are entirely my own.

[Dana Caldwell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actual rating: 3.5/5 stars, but I'm rounding up.

To Defy a Dream by Mary Mecham is a Shattered Tales retelling of Sleeping Beauty, in which the princess pricks her own finger to enter a dreamland controlled by a djinni. It's an awesome concept that is made even cooler by the fact that the dreamland is set on an active volcano.

To Defy a Dream has two main plots. Plot one: Princess Aurelia must find the source of the djinni's power and destroy it (thus killing the djinni). And, plot two: Princess Aurelia must face the man who walked away from her after she confessed her love to him.

I loved plot one. The sleeping spell was unique, and I loved getting to explore the dreamland (Gehenna) through Aurelia's eyes. I also loved the volcano erupting at the end and think that it would be so cool in movie format. I could totally see the mirror shattering and everyone running from the lava in a blockbuster movie.

As for plot two, I liked it but didn't love it. I'm all for a romantic sub (or main) plot, but I found some aspects of it to be a little easy. It wasn't badly written by any means; I think that my less-invested reaction has more to do with personal taste. I haven't really read any second-chance romances before, and I'm a big fan of the slow burn, so novella romances are kind of hit-or-miss with me.

Aurelia and Everett's romance may not have been my speed, but I still enjoyed To Defy a Dream immensely. The setting was wonderfully unique, and I found the djinni’s methods of containing its victims in Gehenna fascinating. Aurelia’s personal struggles were also compelling as you see her struggle with the weight of the crown as it pulls her away from her own dreams and desires.

I FLIPPING KNEW JEN WAS THE BAD GUY!!! No kidding, the moment she introduced herself to Aurelia, I guessed that she was evil. It was a real fist-pumping moment when the twist was finally revealed. I'd also like it to be noted that I had a bad feeling about Irsula, too (but I didn't call that they were sisters).

To Defy a Dream was a quick and fun little read that I would certainly recommend to anyone looking for a second-chance romance and/or Sleeping Beauty retelling. And don’t forget that it’s in a collaborative series: The Shattered Tales, so if you enjoy To Defy a Dream, you should check out the rest of the series for more exciting twists on classic tales.

Thank you so much, Mary Mecham, for providing me with an ARC copy of To Defy a Dream in exchange for an honest review.

[Chad Barrus · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sleeping Beauty with a twist! When so many people in the kingdom have succumbed to the Eternal Slumber, Princess Aurelia talks to her fairy godmother and receives two spindles she can use to return from that dreamland after jabbing herself first to go there to rescue her brother and return with him if they aren’t able to rescue all those trapped in that dreamworld where he is at present.

After meeting her brother, who should she meet next but the man who broke her heart- a commoner at that, Everett. Even though they knew they couldn’t be together because of the laws of the kingdom, she was still devastated when he left and never returned.
It took a lot of time for her to listen to him and realize that she still felt the same way for him now that she did all those years before.

Everyone is in for a shock when the real djinni who caused this Eternal Slumber is revealed and the connection she has with the mortal world where Aurelia and the others came from and how she plans on getting there with the help of her sister who is there now.

Through an intense interaction Aurelia is inspired to take a chance to stop the djinni not knowing if she’ll be successful or not.

This is an imaginative twisted retelling of Sleeping Beauty who pricked her finger knowingly to try to rescue her brother and others from the Eternal Slumber but finds out why she couldn’t find her lost love when she finally meets him again in the dreamland everyone goes to when the djinni takes them.

I really enjoyed this tale and recommend you read it and enjoy it for yourself! Mary has written a story which will capture your attention and keep you reading the book as fast as you can to find out what happens next and if our heroes can ever escape from
this dreamland they are cursed to be in!

I also enjoyed reading another twisted tale in this series entitled To Break A Silence, a twisted retelling of The Little Mermaid by Lydia Mae that I also recommend you read! If you’re looking for a twist on your favorite fairy tales, you’re sure to enjoy both of these books!

Fairy tales have always delighted me and these didn’t disappoint! Let the magic of fairy tales engulf you again- you’ll be glad you did!!

[Elizabeth Lavender · Rating 5 out of 5]

An Eternal Slumber threatens to ensnare an entire kingdom into an eternal nightmare. A princess is propelled to make a desperate gamble by willingly entering the nightmare to take on a djinni to save her kingdom. But when she finds an unexpected face on the other side, she faces an impossible, heartbreaking choice.
Princess Aurelia is made of strong metal, doing what has to be done for the people she serves, something that makes us like the princess quickly. In reality, she becomes the throne after her mother is immobilized in ruling when the king is gone and her son is taken by the Eternal Slumber. Although in Aurelia’s eyes her brother is more capable of running a kingdom, Aurelia overnight must shoulder all the kingdom responsibilities. Yet even she realizes there won’t be a kingdom left to run soon if drastic measurements aren’t taken. So, she does what to many would be the unthinkable, but in truth it’s the only chance to make everything right. Once she is on the other side, she takes charge to empower the people to create real solutions to escape the djinni’s trap. It’s something we find out the group has failed at doing for years since the disease started, even with her brother there with them. Then Aurelia has been successful in building that wall around her heart, to shelter it from being hurt again. At least she tells herself that until she’s face to face with Everett again.
Everett is the lost love, but never forgotten one, despite all of her efforts to do so. Even in her fury as she remembers how he disappeared with essentially no real explanation, she recalls that gentle, kind Everett that cared and saw the real her, not a princess. She leaned on him when her world fell apart and she had to be everything to everyone. So, when he left as well, anger filled in where love stood, and she tells herself she’ll hold onto that trade. Yet as we see Everett, he makes that impossible. He’s the Everett she opened her heart to, and he’s been given a second chance with Aurelia. He realizes even if he had good reasons in his eyes for what happened the first go around, he’s determined to get it right this time and fight for her.
And he’ll have no choice but to fight alongside her as the princess has entered the most dangerous arena, one where a kingdom could dissolve into nothing more than a distant dream with each second the djinni’s world remains standing.

[Riella Cristobal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Princess Aurelia’s kingdom is plagued by the Eternal Slumber, which ensnares the mind of her subjects. When she wishes for a means to revive her brother, her sinister fairy godmother gives her an ominous solution: a poisoned spindle. Now plunged into a nightmare where the victims of the Eternal Slumber are trapped by a dark djinni. However, she doesn’t only find her brother in this land, but Everett, the love of her life who mysteriously disappeared years ago. As the djinni’s power grows, Aurelia must decide who to save before the djinni escapes and enters the waking world. If she fails, she could be trapped forever and no matter who she chooses, someone will be doomed to remain in the nightmare.
What a fun twist on Sleeping Beauty! Poor Aurelia! She had so much weight on her, especially with her brother under the Eternal Slumber. I definitely felt for her and the burdens she felt. Her emotions were very powerful and she was passionate about things. It did make her stubborn though! I admired her dedication and sense of responsibility. Aurelia was very relatable in how she felt the pressure of her responsibilities and the stress it gave her. It was so interesting to see the nightmare world. Everett seemed very sweet and earnest. While the story mostly centered on Aurelia, I enjoyed seeing their reconnection and romance. I also enjoyed Aurelia’s relationship with her brother. I love family relationships! Even with the shorter length, it was an exciting story. Ms. Mecham did a good job setting up the story, so that it felt satisfying. There were times where I had a bad feeling about something and had to pause to recover, but overall I really enjoyed this!
This was a fun novella with a creative twist on Sleeping Beauty! I really enjoyed the magic and was engaged by the story. It did take me a bit to read it, but it was very intriguing. This is fantasy romance that is part of a multi-author series of standalones, it has some fantasy violence and only kissing.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author. All views expressed are only my honest opinion, I was not required to write a positive review.

[Moni · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review. This is the fourth book in The Shattered Tales collection, which is made up of 12 standalone books by 12 different authors. The book's blurb is straightforward. It's a unique Sleeping Beauty retelling told through Aurelia's pov.

I'm pretty sure I'm in the minority of those that actually love the Disney version of Sleeping Beauty and don't mind too much that Aurora needed to be rescued. That being said, I love that in this retelling Aurelia is taking charge and doing the saving. She's a princess who has responsibilities she didn't want and is feeling the toll of them without her brother and Everett, the man she loves, by her side. She may be impulsive and quick to act but I liked how she didn't sit around waiting for her problems to solve themselves. Even when her emotions got the best of her, she's able to acknowledge that. Once she enters the nightmare where all the victims of the Eternal Slumber are, I liked seeing her have to use her knowledge to try and save everyone while she had to also confront her heartbreak and make tough choices.

Because Aurelia is upset with the way things ended between her and Everett, the dynamics between them is that of one sided enemies to lovers. As someone who loves that trope and the second chance one, I really enjoyed the intensity of Aurelia's feelings and the tiny angst. You could feel her emotions in conflict with each other as she was still hurt by his actions but knew she had never stopped loving him. I loved how Everett regretted the past and was determined to make things right between them. He didn't give up trying to make amends but he also wasn't being pushy in trying to reconnect. Aside from their romance, I liked the pacing of the story and how it had me captivated from page one wondering how Aurelia would break the curse. The moment of truth was satisfying and the twists were so good. This Sleeping Beauty retelling is so fresh and different from the ones I can remember reading. I'm sure most readers will think that too, appreciate it, and like this novella - especially those who are fans of the original tale.