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The Awakened Prince
A betrothed prince. A mysterious maiden. A s ecret that could destroy the kingdom.
After failing in every attempt to prove his worth, Killian’s betrothal contract seems to be the only reason his father tolerates him. Uniting the kingdoms will save their struggling lands, but the princess he is supposed to marry has been in hiding from a wicked fairy for almost 18 years—or she’s missing for good. Desperate to escape the chaos of the court and his father’s suffocating expectations, Killian trespasses into the Forbidden Forest. There he stumbles into more than he bargains magic and mystery and a beautiful woman who embodies both.
As a Guardian of the Forest, Raela’s duties are honor the sentient elements, foster the life of the forest, and protect them all from the danger of fairy circles. Yet, she finds herself aching for more. After the first man she has ever seen stumbles into her meadow, she begins to wonder questions that she should have had answers to all Where are her parents? What are her aunties hiding? And is there more out there for her after all?
When the fairy returns for revenge, Killian must overcome his fears and fight for his father, his throne, and the woman he loves. He cannot afford to fail now, or he will lose them all.
The Awakened Prince , a retelling of Sleeping Beauty, is part of Once Upon A Prince , a multi-author series of clean fairy tale retellings. Each standalone story features a swoony prince fighting for his happily ever after.
After failing in every attempt to prove his worth, Killian’s betrothal contract seems to be the only reason his father tolerates him. Uniting the kingdoms will save their struggling lands, but the princess he is supposed to marry has been in hiding from a wicked fairy for almost 18 years—or she’s missing for good. Desperate to escape the chaos of the court and his father’s suffocating expectations, Killian trespasses into the Forbidden Forest. There he stumbles into more than he bargains magic and mystery and a beautiful woman who embodies both.
As a Guardian of the Forest, Raela’s duties are honor the sentient elements, foster the life of the forest, and protect them all from the danger of fairy circles. Yet, she finds herself aching for more. After the first man she has ever seen stumbles into her meadow, she begins to wonder questions that she should have had answers to all Where are her parents? What are her aunties hiding? And is there more out there for her after all?
When the fairy returns for revenge, Killian must overcome his fears and fight for his father, his throne, and the woman he loves. He cannot afford to fail now, or he will lose them all.
The Awakened Prince , a retelling of Sleeping Beauty, is part of Once Upon A Prince , a multi-author series of clean fairy tale retellings. Each standalone story features a swoony prince fighting for his happily ever after.
237 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 8, 2023
166 people are currently reading
710 people want to read
About the author
Alora Carter
9 books86 followersAuthor Alora Carter is a native Coloradan sun-child who would rather be lost in a forest than adulting. She has three vibrant littles and a handsome viking-esque husband, as well as two German Shorthaired Pointesr, a frog, some fowl, and a four-foot corn snake named Sancho. Currently thriving in the lake lands of the mid-west, she finds herself through writing fantasy that sprinkles in cool science alongside themes of endurance in hardship, found family and growing the hidden potential in us all.
She began writing amidst the Pandemic in fall of 2021 and finished May 2022 with her first draft. Working nearly full-time and mothering full-time means she sneaks in minutes and hours to write and work on the next novel. She loves the imaginative human soul and hopes someone learns some amazing facts along the way. To combine her love of science with her love of writing and reading is a dream come true.
Spoiler alert: Good wins and love conquers all, even if it might not look like it at the time.
Website: www.AloraCarter.com
Facebook at www.facebook.com/AuthorAloraCarter
Instagram at www.instagram.com/AuthorAloraCarter
TikTok at www.tiktok.com/AuthorAloraCarter
She began writing amidst the Pandemic in fall of 2021 and finished May 2022 with her first draft. Working nearly full-time and mothering full-time means she sneaks in minutes and hours to write and work on the next novel. She loves the imaginative human soul and hopes someone learns some amazing facts along the way. To combine her love of science with her love of writing and reading is a dream come true.
Spoiler alert: Good wins and love conquers all, even if it might not look like it at the time.
Website: www.AloraCarter.com
Facebook at www.facebook.com/AuthorAloraCarter
Instagram at www.instagram.com/AuthorAloraCarter
TikTok at www.tiktok.com/AuthorAloraCarter
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 78 reviews
December 17, 2024
2 stars ✨ Clean Fiction - Fairytale Retelling
This was…different than I was expecting.
I probably should have DNfed it as I thought about doing it many times, but stuck with it anyway due to reading the book slowly for the last couple of days.
Killian annoyed me for the first half of the book. He was pretty whiny about his father not letting him do anything, but also his father was kind of a jerk, so I felt bad for him and also kind of wanted to smack him out of it.
As a foreign language leaner, I do feel like they were able to have full conversations a bit too soon after just starting to learn the other’s language—but hey, people do say that falling in love with someone who speaks a different language is the quickest way to pick it up. Can’t say I have experience in that to vouch for it.Shucks.
Because of Raela being raised in a forest with only her three aunts, as Killian explains things like embraces, cuddling, and kissing to her (with the actions to back it), I felt uncomfortable because she felt like a literal child at times in her reactions. He obviously liked her and she was starting to be attracted to him (and thus calling him her mate), but it still felt weird to me.
There’s not any major content to note, I suppose, but there is a lot of magic and such things including that like faeries, curses, ancient animals that can talk, and evil magic being able to control others. That last one plus mentions of animals being harmed and also a gross injury, made my stomach turn; which affected my rating for sure. The villain was described in a terrifying way too, which are images that are going to take a while to get out of my head. 😅
A retelling of Sleeping Beauty is usually a hit for me, but this one was an unfortunate miss. I think it was just too odd for me with how the magic system was and how things happened.
Main Content-
Magic is a major part of this book with Raela having a magical water gift, living with her fairy aunts in a magical forest, curses, a cursed item, and an evil fairy hunting her down and using dark magic; There is a magic light in the forest that Killian is later able to call on to help him (after passing a test by the light which seems to be an animated thing); Talks animals called “ancients” are seen and have discussion with (very often as Killian is often followed by Jax, a giant wolf); Characters bow to the ancient animals and bring their hands together “like a prayer”; The fairies and Raela have long full names which are prayers given to them by their families as character traits or the meanings to be discovered as they live; One of the aunties complains about how the “Spirit” made her body’s appearance; One of the aunties talks about having “visions” of the future; Fairies are said to have defeated the goblins years prior on the backs of ancient animals to hold back evil; An evil fairy’s appearance in described in detail of having red eyes, ashy skin, pointed horns on her head, sharp teeth, and hideous wings; Animals and Goblins are enchanted by an evil fairy to do her bidding with magic stones (this includes some of the animals having clothes on and using crossbows); Killian and others have to fight against them and shadow creatures (but Killian is told not to harm the animals when he goes to “end” them and focus on getting rid of the goblins instead); Killian is told not to believe what he sees as magic has twisted the forest and to “follow your heart”; It’s said that “Light will always overcome darkness” and the light and darkness explode.
Being pushed through a fairy circle portal; Having an entire kingdom sleep under the fairies’ magic; Seeing fairies (both good and evil) use their magic.
Many, many mentions of all of that listed above, heavy on the magic elements; Mentions of mushrooms forming fairy circles & being portals to other places (Raela has the job to separate the mushrooms before they form a circle and it’s noted that mushrooms aren’t evil themselves but can allow portals to places with darker magic); Mentions of blessings and curses from fairies; A few mentions of wisps, sprites, & ghosts; A couple mentions of superstitious people.
No major language, words/phrases like ‘bah’, ‘what in the thorny marshes’, ‘why in the seven stars’, ‘what in the heavens and earth and seas are you doing?’, and ‘stars-forsaken’; Eye rolling & Sarcasm; Killian’s father is very harsh towards him verbally because he is disappointed in Killian and this greatly affects Killian as he shares harsh words back; Killian wants his father’s approval and it’s discussed with a couple others; While in a dark magic influenced forest, Killian brushes against the trees/roots/leaves and they tell him lies about himself (unloved, unworthy, alone, hated, murderer, etc.).
Killing, Being trapped in a horrible prison, Being dangled off the off of a cliff and seeing someone else also dangled off and dropped, Fighting (including enchanted animals), Pain, Injuries, & Passing out (up to a handful of sentences); Killian recalls the events around his mother’s death (she was saving him from a cursed object).
Killian and others have to fight against enchanted animals, orges, and goblins (the latter which are evil and the others are under a dark magic curse), but Killian is told not to harm the animals when he goes to “end” them and focus on getting rid of the goblins instead; During the fighting though, these animals are harmed, hit, smushed, and caught on fire; Killian has a vision from the dark magic forest of his friend taunting him to kill him and Killian does (up to a few sentences); Killian trains/fights with his friend and it ends up with him being held at sword-point every time; The giant ancient wolf marks a tree to be able to get back to the path in a forest.
*Spoilers*
Mentions of Killian’s mother’s sacrifice for him that lead to her death, which his father has never let go (blaming Killian) & his grief; Mentions of a missing family member & grief; Mentions of injuries, pain, blood/bleeding, & fights/battles (up to a handful of sentences); Mentions of alcohol & drinking (mostly at events/dinners); Mentions of piles of rotting bones and fur in a prison; Mentions of poisons; Mentions of horrible smells including from manure, waste, urine, mildew, & rotting bones/fur; A few mentions of maggots/flies going after someone’s wounds; A few mentions of nightmares (including Raela having some while mid-day napping and it affecting the weather); A few mentions of lies, lying, & liars; A few mentions of jealousy; A few mentions of Killian racing his father’s favorite horse and the horse getting a broken ankle (and therefore being lame); A mention of hunting.
3 finger kisses (two done innocently, but leaves tingles for Killian),
1 hand kiss (a few sentences),
1 nose kiss,
1 almost kiss lasting a handful of sentences,
2 kisses lasting a sentence (one unwanted)
2 kisses lasting a couple sentences,
1 kiss lasting around 6/7 sentences,
Staring at lips;
Remembering kisses, embraces, & warmth (up to a few sentences); Wanting to kiss, touch, & embrace (up to a few sentences);
Touches, Embraces, Hand holding, Warmth/Heat, Smelling, & Noticing (up to a few sentences); Blushes; Love, falling in love, & the emotions.
Killian explains to Raela about embraces/cuddling & kisses between couples (Raela thinks it sounds nice and wants to be kissed, calling Killian her mate; Killian adds about bring gifts, holding hands, and kissing happens for humans “before making a promise of marriage” and says that men kiss the hands of women they want to court); A fairy says her fairy father tricked a queen to have a dalliance with him; One of Raela’s aunties is mentioned to have a “mosquito-bite-size bosom” that further deflates when she pulls someone out of her dress; A couple buxom women at balls show off their dress’ low necklines to Killian.
Mentions of kisses & kissing; Mentions of touches & embraces; Mentions of flirting & a woman trying to latch onto Killian; A mention of a barren couple.
This was…different than I was expecting.
I probably should have DNfed it as I thought about doing it many times, but stuck with it anyway due to reading the book slowly for the last couple of days.
Killian annoyed me for the first half of the book. He was pretty whiny about his father not letting him do anything, but also his father was kind of a jerk, so I felt bad for him and also kind of wanted to smack him out of it.
As a foreign language leaner, I do feel like they were able to have full conversations a bit too soon after just starting to learn the other’s language—but hey, people do say that falling in love with someone who speaks a different language is the quickest way to pick it up. Can’t say I have experience in that to vouch for it.
Because of Raela being raised in a forest with only her three aunts, as Killian explains things like embraces, cuddling, and kissing to her (with the actions to back it), I felt uncomfortable because she felt like a literal child at times in her reactions. He obviously liked her and she was starting to be attracted to him (and thus calling him her mate), but it still felt weird to me.
There’s not any major content to note, I suppose, but there is a lot of magic and such things including that like faeries, curses, ancient animals that can talk, and evil magic being able to control others. That last one plus mentions of animals being harmed and also a gross injury, made my stomach turn; which affected my rating for sure. The villain was described in a terrifying way too, which are images that are going to take a while to get out of my head. 😅
A retelling of Sleeping Beauty is usually a hit for me, but this one was an unfortunate miss. I think it was just too odd for me with how the magic system was and how things happened.
Main Content-
Magic is a major part of this book with Raela having a magical water gift, living with her fairy aunts in a magical forest, curses, a cursed item, and an evil fairy hunting her down and using dark magic; There is a magic light in the forest that Killian is later able to call on to help him (after passing a test by the light which seems to be an animated thing); Talks animals called “ancients” are seen and have discussion with (very often as Killian is often followed by Jax, a giant wolf); Characters bow to the ancient animals and bring their hands together “like a prayer”; The fairies and Raela have long full names which are prayers given to them by their families as character traits or the meanings to be discovered as they live; One of the aunties complains about how the “Spirit” made her body’s appearance; One of the aunties talks about having “visions” of the future; Fairies are said to have defeated the goblins years prior on the backs of ancient animals to hold back evil; An evil fairy’s appearance in described in detail of having red eyes, ashy skin, pointed horns on her head, sharp teeth, and hideous wings; Animals and Goblins are enchanted by an evil fairy to do her bidding with magic stones (this includes some of the animals having clothes on and using crossbows); Killian and others have to fight against them and shadow creatures (but Killian is told not to harm the animals when he goes to “end” them and focus on getting rid of the goblins instead); Killian is told not to believe what he sees as magic has twisted the forest and to “follow your heart”; It’s said that “Light will always overcome darkness” and the light and darkness explode.
Being pushed through a fairy circle portal; Having an entire kingdom sleep under the fairies’ magic; Seeing fairies (both good and evil) use their magic.
Many, many mentions of all of that listed above, heavy on the magic elements; Mentions of mushrooms forming fairy circles & being portals to other places (Raela has the job to separate the mushrooms before they form a circle and it’s noted that mushrooms aren’t evil themselves but can allow portals to places with darker magic); Mentions of blessings and curses from fairies; A few mentions of wisps, sprites, & ghosts; A couple mentions of superstitious people.
No major language, words/phrases like ‘bah’, ‘what in the thorny marshes’, ‘why in the seven stars’, ‘what in the heavens and earth and seas are you doing?’, and ‘stars-forsaken’; Eye rolling & Sarcasm; Killian’s father is very harsh towards him verbally because he is disappointed in Killian and this greatly affects Killian as he shares harsh words back; Killian wants his father’s approval and it’s discussed with a couple others; While in a dark magic influenced forest, Killian brushes against the trees/roots/leaves and they tell him lies about himself (unloved, unworthy, alone, hated, murderer, etc.).
Killing, Being trapped in a horrible prison, Being dangled off the off of a cliff and seeing someone else also dangled off and dropped, Fighting (including enchanted animals), Pain, Injuries, & Passing out (up to a handful of sentences); Killian recalls the events around his mother’s death (she was saving him from a cursed object).
Killian and others have to fight against enchanted animals, orges, and goblins (the latter which are evil and the others are under a dark magic curse), but Killian is told not to harm the animals when he goes to “end” them and focus on getting rid of the goblins instead; During the fighting though, these animals are harmed, hit, smushed, and caught on fire; Killian has a vision from the dark magic forest of his friend taunting him to kill him and Killian does (up to a few sentences); Killian trains/fights with his friend and it ends up with him being held at sword-point every time; The giant ancient wolf marks a tree to be able to get back to the path in a forest.
*Spoilers*
Mentions of Killian’s mother’s sacrifice for him that lead to her death, which his father has never let go (blaming Killian) & his grief; Mentions of a missing family member & grief; Mentions of injuries, pain, blood/bleeding, & fights/battles (up to a handful of sentences); Mentions of alcohol & drinking (mostly at events/dinners); Mentions of piles of rotting bones and fur in a prison; Mentions of poisons; Mentions of horrible smells including from manure, waste, urine, mildew, & rotting bones/fur; A few mentions of maggots/flies going after someone’s wounds; A few mentions of nightmares (including Raela having some while mid-day napping and it affecting the weather); A few mentions of lies, lying, & liars; A few mentions of jealousy; A few mentions of Killian racing his father’s favorite horse and the horse getting a broken ankle (and therefore being lame); A mention of hunting.
3 finger kisses (two done innocently, but leaves tingles for Killian),
1 hand kiss (a few sentences),
1 nose kiss,
1 almost kiss lasting a handful of sentences,
2 kisses lasting a sentence (one unwanted)
2 kisses lasting a couple sentences,
1 kiss lasting around 6/7 sentences,
Staring at lips;
Remembering kisses, embraces, & warmth (up to a few sentences); Wanting to kiss, touch, & embrace (up to a few sentences);
Touches, Embraces, Hand holding, Warmth/Heat, Smelling, & Noticing (up to a few sentences); Blushes; Love, falling in love, & the emotions.
Killian explains to Raela about embraces/cuddling & kisses between couples (Raela thinks it sounds nice and wants to be kissed, calling Killian her mate; Killian adds about bring gifts, holding hands, and kissing happens for humans “before making a promise of marriage” and says that men kiss the hands of women they want to court); A fairy says her fairy father tricked a queen to have a dalliance with him; One of Raela’s aunties is mentioned to have a “mosquito-bite-size bosom” that further deflates when she pulls someone out of her dress; A couple buxom women at balls show off their dress’ low necklines to Killian.
Mentions of kisses & kissing; Mentions of touches & embraces; Mentions of flirting & a woman trying to latch onto Killian; A mention of a barren couple.
January 11, 2025
Hmmm…ended up not being what I expected it to be in both good and bad ways.
In the good ways, this was a really unique take on Sleeping Beauty that I liked plot wise and works really well with the prince being the main character and driving the story rather then the princess. I also enjoyed the lead up to the end and all the magical trials Killian had to go through and defeat—that was all really cool and engaging! And the action scenes were EPIC and sucked me right in—I love me some good action!
Now sadly for the bad, aka what didn’t work for or click with me personally. Sadly Killian frustrated me a lot for a good chunk of the book and even when he didn’t I couldn’t connect with him, or any of the other characters for that matter. And his whole arc with being a “quitter” all the time I didn’t see, as from my perspective he DID try with what he was given (which was like…nothing) and only quit when no one gave him a chance or let him do ANYTHING, most specifically the king who he couldn’t, ya know, override in any way because he’s the freaking KING! Soooo…not sure what happened there or it’s just a me thing for not seeing what the author was going for, but things didn’t seem to line up or connect in a cohesive way that made his or others’ actions and words go together.
But the one thing that made me furious above all else was the freaking king. He was SUCH a jerk to Killian and then at the end we’re just supposed to forgive him and see him as a “kind and caring” father trying to do right by his son? Excuse me?! He accused Killian more then once of him doing something horrific, belittled him, never gave him the chance to try, and now does a sudden 180 in character and then proceeds to only get a little slap on the wrist?!?! Come ON, NO WAY JOSE AM I OKAY WITH THIS!!!!! This man deserved to grovel for the rest of his miserable life and he didn’t and I’m miffed beyond belief.
So while good in some ways, for me it fell flat with the characters and lack of consistent character arcs and traits. I think this book could work for others, but unfortunately it was a big fat miss for me.
‼️Content‼️
Violence: fighting with weapons and magic (not detailed); injuries and blood (not detailed)
Sexual: a woman forces a kiss on a man (not detailed); kissing (not detailed)
Drugs/Alcohol: poisoned thorns
Other: magic; magical powers/creatures/races; grief over lost loved ones; a sleeping curse; a character is kidnapped, imprisoned, and tortured through starvation and brutal physical labor (not detailed); people are magically controlled and used as puppets to fight
In the good ways, this was a really unique take on Sleeping Beauty that I liked plot wise and works really well with the prince being the main character and driving the story rather then the princess. I also enjoyed the lead up to the end and all the magical trials Killian had to go through and defeat—that was all really cool and engaging! And the action scenes were EPIC and sucked me right in—I love me some good action!
Now sadly for the bad, aka what didn’t work for or click with me personally. Sadly Killian frustrated me a lot for a good chunk of the book and even when he didn’t I couldn’t connect with him, or any of the other characters for that matter. And his whole arc with being a “quitter” all the time I didn’t see, as from my perspective he DID try with what he was given (which was like…nothing) and only quit when no one gave him a chance or let him do ANYTHING, most specifically the king who he couldn’t, ya know, override in any way because he’s the freaking KING! Soooo…not sure what happened there or it’s just a me thing for not seeing what the author was going for, but things didn’t seem to line up or connect in a cohesive way that made his or others’ actions and words go together.
But the one thing that made me furious above all else was the freaking king. He was SUCH a jerk to Killian and then at the end we’re just supposed to forgive him and see him as a “kind and caring” father trying to do right by his son? Excuse me?! He accused Killian more then once of him doing something horrific, belittled him, never gave him the chance to try, and now does a sudden 180 in character and then proceeds to only get a little slap on the wrist?!?! Come ON, NO WAY JOSE AM I OKAY WITH THIS!!!!! This man deserved to grovel for the rest of his miserable life and he didn’t and I’m miffed beyond belief.
So while good in some ways, for me it fell flat with the characters and lack of consistent character arcs and traits. I think this book could work for others, but unfortunately it was a big fat miss for me.
‼️Content‼️
Violence: fighting with weapons and magic (not detailed); injuries and blood (not detailed)
Sexual: a woman forces a kiss on a man (not detailed); kissing (not detailed)
Drugs/Alcohol: poisoned thorns
Other: magic; magical powers/creatures/races; grief over lost loved ones; a sleeping curse; a character is kidnapped, imprisoned, and tortured through starvation and brutal physical labor (not detailed); people are magically controlled and used as puppets to fight
November 22, 2023
Wow. I’ve never been a huge fan of sleeping beauty but this .. may have changed my mind. I love the princess doing the work, he truly wants everything to work out and get his HEA. SO GOOD.
I received this ARC for an honest review!
I received this ARC for an honest review!
April 9, 2024
I think this might be the second retelling of Sleeping Beauty that I have ever read
To be honest, this OUAP was low on my radar because it’s not one of my favorite fairytales. I honestly read the book solely because of who the author is. She took time to interact with me on facebook, which lead me to her author page on Amazon, and finding out that she was part of the team that made this series happen, and seeing her interact with other fans, it really made an impact on me. So I read this book to support HER. Thank you Alora Carter for making time to speak with a fan.
But as to the book:
I LOVE how this book pays so much homage to the Disney version of Sleeping Beauty that I grew up watching, but in ways that twist and change the perspectives just enough that it feels like a nod, but not a complete retelling of the Disney story. That’s something that I personally appreciate about fairytale retells.
The first time I read the FMC’s name I thought “what the heck is the author smoking?!” But the beautiful meaning behind it was reveled just a few pages later, and the full meaning of the name was expanded on throughout the book, and I loved that. The depth to which the meaning of names in this book takes is truly beautiful.
The Maleficient character came at me sideways and I was NOT expecting that at all! And how she was truly evil, even though she had her reasons, I love that she was a true villain, a true dark fairie! And the animals and goblins, once again, all homages to the battle scenes from the Disney version but in a more epic Lord of the Rings fashion!
The giant ancient wolf best friend who was snarky and “wise” was adorable!
The best friend/rival of the prince was a unique addition, and I saw it very much like a David/Jonathan friendship from the Bible, which I so appreciated. A healthy masculine friendship where they challenge each other and help one another grow in confidence and integrity
And Raela, I loved her passion and curiosity and discernment.
The 3 aunties were such a cute nod to Flora, Fauna and Merryweather but in a way that took it so much farther than bumbling idiots. They each had very distinctive personalities that was reveled through their epic name meanings, but also just by showing them.
And lastly, the use of light and dark. So amazing. The whole time I was reading this book I kept thinking about C S Lewis and his belief that fairytales teach us how good conquers evil, and how there is truth and goodness everywhere when we look and fight for it. Good wins. But that doesnt mean that it isnt painful to fight. The battle is hard won. In the Disney Sleeping Beauty Prince Philip uses the sword of truth and the shield of virtue, and that same idea is shown in this book with how Prince Killian defeats the enemy with the use of his hard won integrity, perseverance and love.
To be honest, this OUAP was low on my radar because it’s not one of my favorite fairytales. I honestly read the book solely because of who the author is. She took time to interact with me on facebook, which lead me to her author page on Amazon, and finding out that she was part of the team that made this series happen, and seeing her interact with other fans, it really made an impact on me. So I read this book to support HER. Thank you Alora Carter for making time to speak with a fan.
But as to the book:
I LOVE how this book pays so much homage to the Disney version of Sleeping Beauty that I grew up watching, but in ways that twist and change the perspectives just enough that it feels like a nod, but not a complete retelling of the Disney story. That’s something that I personally appreciate about fairytale retells.
The first time I read the FMC’s name I thought “what the heck is the author smoking?!” But the beautiful meaning behind it was reveled just a few pages later, and the full meaning of the name was expanded on throughout the book, and I loved that. The depth to which the meaning of names in this book takes is truly beautiful.
The Maleficient character came at me sideways and I was NOT expecting that at all! And how she was truly evil, even though she had her reasons, I love that she was a true villain, a true dark fairie! And the animals and goblins, once again, all homages to the battle scenes from the Disney version but in a more epic Lord of the Rings fashion!
The giant ancient wolf best friend who was snarky and “wise” was adorable!
The best friend/rival of the prince was a unique addition, and I saw it very much like a David/Jonathan friendship from the Bible, which I so appreciated. A healthy masculine friendship where they challenge each other and help one another grow in confidence and integrity
And Raela, I loved her passion and curiosity and discernment.
The 3 aunties were such a cute nod to Flora, Fauna and Merryweather but in a way that took it so much farther than bumbling idiots. They each had very distinctive personalities that was reveled through their epic name meanings, but also just by showing them.
And lastly, the use of light and dark. So amazing. The whole time I was reading this book I kept thinking about C S Lewis and his belief that fairytales teach us how good conquers evil, and how there is truth and goodness everywhere when we look and fight for it. Good wins. But that doesnt mean that it isnt painful to fight. The battle is hard won. In the Disney Sleeping Beauty Prince Philip uses the sword of truth and the shield of virtue, and that same idea is shown in this book with how Prince Killian defeats the enemy with the use of his hard won integrity, perseverance and love.
Read
December 31, 2023A sweet story with vibrant characters and themes that ring with truth. A nice twist on Sleeping Beauty that greatly deepens the romance and story.
(And woo for fitting in one more book before the year ends! 😆)
(And woo for fitting in one more book before the year ends! 😆)
March 19, 2024
I absolutely adored this transformational take on Sleeping Beauty. The story swept me off my feet and I simply couldn't put it down. It resonated so strongly with me, particularly because Disney's version of this fairytale was always one of my favorites, and this author took that version and made it into something charmingly new. Definitely a retelling I recommend and will be reading again!
Read
November 12, 2025I really wanted to like this one, but sadly it wasn't a hit more me. I think I've decided that I don't enjoy books where the primary perspective is male, so that's probably a taste thing. Although this is split POV, we get more chapters from Killian's perspective, and he is clearly the main character, so that was probably a big part of why I struggled with this. If this isn't something that bothers you, you will probably enjoy it.
Also, I struggled with Killian's lie. His father keeps calling him a coward and a quitter, but from everything we learn about Killian in the story, this isn't the case. He tackles every job his father gives him, and while he doesn't always succeed, the narrative tells us (through Phineas), that often his failures are unavoidable.
Overall this was an interesting and original take on Sleeping Beauty retellings, which is suitable for readers who enjoy male main characters, magic, battles, and no-spice romance.
Also, I struggled with Killian's lie. His father keeps calling him a coward and a quitter, but from everything we learn about Killian in the story, this isn't the case. He tackles every job his father gives him, and while he doesn't always succeed, the narrative tells us (through Phineas), that often his failures are unavoidable.
Overall this was an interesting and original take on Sleeping Beauty retellings, which is suitable for readers who enjoy male main characters, magic, battles, and no-spice romance.
December 15, 2023
What an amazing story. This is my first of the Once Upon a Prince books, and if the others are half as good, I can't wait to read them.
This is a great Sleeping Beauty tale. My favourite part of the whole story, honestly, is that the prince and princess fell in love with each other before the curse took hold. It was refreshing to see two people grow to know and love each other rather than the prince kissing awake the woman he loves but has never even met.
Raela was absolutely delightful. I loved everything about her, but mostly her innocence, joy and pure soul. I was drawn in to this story from the very first page. Alora has a great voice and I'm really happy this series found me. Killian was endearing, and I liked seeing him grow over the course of the story. Jax was absolutely hilarious, and I actually didn't clue into the Mesoughi thing immediately (no spoilers, if you've read the book you know what I mean). There Sleeping Beauty tropes were well done and effortlessly tied into the narrative.
This is a great Sleeping Beauty tale. My favourite part of the whole story, honestly, is that the prince and princess fell in love with each other before the curse took hold. It was refreshing to see two people grow to know and love each other rather than the prince kissing awake the woman he loves but has never even met.
Raela was absolutely delightful. I loved everything about her, but mostly her innocence, joy and pure soul. I was drawn in to this story from the very first page. Alora has a great voice and I'm really happy this series found me. Killian was endearing, and I liked seeing him grow over the course of the story. Jax was absolutely hilarious, and I actually didn't clue into the Mesoughi thing immediately (no spoilers, if you've read the book you know what I mean). There Sleeping Beauty tropes were well done and effortlessly tied into the narrative.
June 15, 2025
I really love Sleeping Beauty retellings. There are so many nuances with retellings, and I am all here for them! Alora Carter is a masterful author, and I loved the world she made. This retelling focuses more on Prince Killian, his flaws, and how he overcomes them. I enjoyed how human he was—he had a lot of doubts, compared himself to others, and struggled with accepting who he is and who he wants to be. Carter does a beautiful job of weaving important themes, such as forgiveness, redemption, friendship, and love, throughout this book.
What made this retelling unique was the development of Killian’s character. Raela, the Aurora character, gets a lot of page time, but I didn’t feel like her character was front and center. The fairies were delightful, and I loved the Ancients and the use of magic in this world. Highly recommended for those who love clean, fairy tale retellings.
What made this retelling unique was the development of Killian’s character. Raela, the Aurora character, gets a lot of page time, but I didn’t feel like her character was front and center. The fairies were delightful, and I loved the Ancients and the use of magic in this world. Highly recommended for those who love clean, fairy tale retellings.
December 8, 2023
An imaginative retelling of Sleeping Beauty with some twists!
Prince Killian has been made to feel like a failure by his father and consequently believes that himself. His only saving grace is that he was betrothed to a princess when she was born so their two countries could be united. The princess has been missing since
the day she was born, however.
Raela possesses magic and is the Guardian of the Forest. She can bring life to all living things and protects the forest from dangers that may threaten it!
Their worlds collide one day when Killian ventures beyond a point that is forbidden and comes across Raela. Killian is smitten by her and for her part, Raela has never seen a man and knows nothing about them.
They plan on being together always but things don’t
go as planned as they meet before Raela’s 18th birthday and this allows the evil fairy who cast a spell on Raela when she was born to find her and put her under her sleeping spell.
Killian now needs to overcome his fears and doubts so he can rescue and awaken Raela. Lucky for him
he is not alone as he has the help of his good friend and a wolf who speaks as well as Raela’s aunties to help him reach her!
I enjoyed this retelling of the beloved fairy tale and highly recommend it to everyone who wants to read a story with a happy ending after overcoming personal
struggles that try to keep them apart!
I also suggest you look into this series and read more of the books dealing with retelling of other fairy tales.
I have read most of them and I recommend them all to you as ones you’ll enjoy!
Prince Killian has been made to feel like a failure by his father and consequently believes that himself. His only saving grace is that he was betrothed to a princess when she was born so their two countries could be united. The princess has been missing since
the day she was born, however.
Raela possesses magic and is the Guardian of the Forest. She can bring life to all living things and protects the forest from dangers that may threaten it!
Their worlds collide one day when Killian ventures beyond a point that is forbidden and comes across Raela. Killian is smitten by her and for her part, Raela has never seen a man and knows nothing about them.
They plan on being together always but things don’t
go as planned as they meet before Raela’s 18th birthday and this allows the evil fairy who cast a spell on Raela when she was born to find her and put her under her sleeping spell.
Killian now needs to overcome his fears and doubts so he can rescue and awaken Raela. Lucky for him
he is not alone as he has the help of his good friend and a wolf who speaks as well as Raela’s aunties to help him reach her!
I enjoyed this retelling of the beloved fairy tale and highly recommend it to everyone who wants to read a story with a happy ending after overcoming personal
struggles that try to keep them apart!
I also suggest you look into this series and read more of the books dealing with retelling of other fairy tales.
I have read most of them and I recommend them all to you as ones you’ll enjoy!
October 10, 2024
4.75 Stars!!! =D
September 2, 2024
Who knew I would need a sleeping beauty retelling from the Prince's POV. The author does a nice twist on this beloved classic. She keeps the vibe of the original but makes it all her own.
Killian is the prince in this story and by focusing on his side you get depth and complexity often not found in this fairytale. Killian is more than just the savior of sleeping beauty. He is a person who has fears, issues, and desires for his life. As he struggles to find himself in a rigid world, he meets a magical girl in a forest that makes him challenge everything he thought he wanted or needed.
an action-packed quick read that you will love. And is perfect for those who love a nice twist to a beloved fairytale classic.
Killian is the prince in this story and by focusing on his side you get depth and complexity often not found in this fairytale. Killian is more than just the savior of sleeping beauty. He is a person who has fears, issues, and desires for his life. As he struggles to find himself in a rigid world, he meets a magical girl in a forest that makes him challenge everything he thought he wanted or needed.
an action-packed quick read that you will love. And is perfect for those who love a nice twist to a beloved fairytale classic.
December 15, 2025
A unique retelling of Sleeping Beauty. I liked Auntie Shou and some of the details of the story. The twist was interesting but I struggled to get into the writing for most of it.
November 26, 2023
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 Killian takes on the same role as Prince Phillip from the Disney movie, he differs in personality. He lacks confidence in himself and his ability to someday lead his kingdom, believing that his father prefers his best friend, Phineas, over himself as the future king. Instead of a cheeky horse named Samson, Killian has a magic wolf companion named Jax, whom he is able to communicate with telepathically. Jax was the most interesting character in this book with everyone else being watered-down counterparts of characters from the animated Disney film. Raela, the lost princess, is very similar to Aurora--a graceful, dreamy beauty raised by three fairies in the woods who lead her to believe they were her aunts for most of her life. There is a language barrier between Killian and Raela when they first meet, but this is overcome rather quickly thanks to Jax's translations and the fact that Killian is so captivated by Raela's beauty that he isn't all that interested in what she has to say. That might be the reason this book falls short in the romance department.
While it is common for fairy tales to have love at first sight, novels give the audience a look at the inner workings of the characters' minds, deepening even the most superficial romances. This book fails to do so by portraying Killian as so lovesick with Raela despite not speaking the same language that he is willing to give up his throne and his arranged marriage to a mysterious long-lost princess just to be with her. Yet, we have no idea what they have in common or what they see in each other aside from basic attraction. While this is exactly what happens in the Disney movie, I would expect more from a novel, even one that is a direct novelization of the film, which this is not. There seemed to be little reason to root for them to get together, even after Raela's sleeping curse set in, which was not foreshadowed in the book and felt like it was simply going through the motions of the fairy tale it was based on.
To be fair, The Awakened Prince did have some decent world-building. It was not a direct copy of the kingdom where the Disney movie took place. This is a world with other cultures, languages, talking animals, and lots of dark magic. Killian's lack of confidence in himself was caused by a traumatic incident from his childhood in which he brought him a cursed knife that killed his mother, making cursed objects more commonplace in this world than in other versions of the fairy tale. The magical bond that allows him to communicate with his wolf companion is an intriguing addition to the story. In addition, the book does something a little bit different and unexpected with one of the three fairies that raised Raela. It introduces the villain in an unexpected way but fails to give her a unique personality and motivation outside of the original fairy tale. Overall, this story does a much better job of developing the setting than it does with the characters.
In The Awakened Prince, readers are taken on a familiar journey through a reimagined world inspired by the classic tale of "Sleeping Beauty." However, the story falls short of delivering a fresh perspective, heavily relying on the well-known Disney adaptation. Though the book introduces intriguing elements such as the protagonist's insecurities and a magical bond with his wolf companion, it struggles to breathe new life into the romance and character dynamics. Despite its commendable world-building, the novel's portrayal of the romance lacks depth, overlooking the opportunity to delve into the inner complexities of the characters' emotions and connections. For more imaginative retellings of "Sleeping Beauty," I recommend The Rose and the Briar by J.M. Stengl or Dreamer of Briarfell by Lucy Tempest.
Though Prince Killian takes on the same role as Prince Phillip from the Disney movie, he differs in personality. He lacks confidence in himself and his ability to someday lead his kingdom, believing that his father prefers his best friend, Phineas, over himself as the future king. Instead of a cheeky horse named Samson, Killian has a magic wolf companion named Jax, whom he is able to communicate with telepathically. Jax was the most interesting character in this book with everyone else being watered-down counterparts of characters from the animated Disney film. Raela, the lost princess, is very similar to Aurora--a graceful, dreamy beauty raised by three fairies in the woods who lead her to believe they were her aunts for most of her life. There is a language barrier between Killian and Raela when they first meet, but this is overcome rather quickly thanks to Jax's translations and the fact that Killian is so captivated by Raela's beauty that he isn't all that interested in what she has to say. That might be the reason this book falls short in the romance department.
While it is common for fairy tales to have love at first sight, novels give the audience a look at the inner workings of the characters' minds, deepening even the most superficial romances. This book fails to do so by portraying Killian as so lovesick with Raela despite not speaking the same language that he is willing to give up his throne and his arranged marriage to a mysterious long-lost princess just to be with her. Yet, we have no idea what they have in common or what they see in each other aside from basic attraction. While this is exactly what happens in the Disney movie, I would expect more from a novel, even one that is a direct novelization of the film, which this is not. There seemed to be little reason to root for them to get together, even after Raela's sleeping curse set in, which was not foreshadowed in the book and felt like it was simply going through the motions of the fairy tale it was based on.
To be fair, The Awakened Prince did have some decent world-building. It was not a direct copy of the kingdom where the Disney movie took place. This is a world with other cultures, languages, talking animals, and lots of dark magic. Killian's lack of confidence in himself was caused by a traumatic incident from his childhood in which he brought him a cursed knife that killed his mother, making cursed objects more commonplace in this world than in other versions of the fairy tale. The magical bond that allows him to communicate with his wolf companion is an intriguing addition to the story. In addition, the book does something a little bit different and unexpected with one of the three fairies that raised Raela. It introduces the villain in an unexpected way but fails to give her a unique personality and motivation outside of the original fairy tale. Overall, this story does a much better job of developing the setting than it does with the characters.
In The Awakened Prince, readers are taken on a familiar journey through a reimagined world inspired by the classic tale of "Sleeping Beauty." However, the story falls short of delivering a fresh perspective, heavily relying on the well-known Disney adaptation. Though the book introduces intriguing elements such as the protagonist's insecurities and a magical bond with his wolf companion, it struggles to breathe new life into the romance and character dynamics. Despite its commendable world-building, the novel's portrayal of the romance lacks depth, overlooking the opportunity to delve into the inner complexities of the characters' emotions and connections. For more imaginative retellings of "Sleeping Beauty," I recommend The Rose and the Briar by J.M. Stengl or Dreamer of Briarfell by Lucy Tempest.
November 24, 2023
If you ignore the italics and foreign language, it’s a good story. Unfortunately, the aforementioned messes with my mind and makes it difficult to read the book. Authors and publishers: please consider the neurodivergent when making decisions about italics so books are accessible to all.
As much as I like the giant wolf Jax and wonder about the magic of the forest, the way the king treats Killian and the obvious issues surrounding the scheming women (did Raela really have no curiosity in all of her life? Was the magic used on her stronger than the obvious magic flowing through her? Did the – goblins? – living with her regularly dose her with a bout of ignorance?), didn’t sit right with me. And when the prince starts suspecting his best friend of – what? – treachery and doesn’t trust him, I had enough. This far into a book, I need to root for someone – and liking a giant sentient wolf isn’t enough.
Loads of promise, but the aforementioned issues make this a reader-book mismatch for me.
DNF 37%
*I received an ARC from the author and this is my honest opinion.
As much as I like the giant wolf Jax and wonder about the magic of the forest, the way the king treats Killian and the obvious issues surrounding the scheming women (did Raela really have no curiosity in all of her life? Was the magic used on her stronger than the obvious magic flowing through her? Did the – goblins? – living with her regularly dose her with a bout of ignorance?), didn’t sit right with me. And when the prince starts suspecting his best friend of – what? – treachery and doesn’t trust him, I had enough. This far into a book, I need to root for someone – and liking a giant sentient wolf isn’t enough.
Loads of promise, but the aforementioned issues make this a reader-book mismatch for me.
DNF 37%
*I received an ARC from the author and this is my honest opinion.
April 14, 2024
This book deserves way more than 5 stars! Not only was the story absolutely incredible, but it really resonated with me on a deeper level. I teared up so many times (mostly happy tears/just emotional tears.. it's not really a sad story 😆). The characters are absolutely wonderful and lovable! Jax is my favorite just because his sarcasm is the best, but I really loved the two main characters too. The story was definitely a romantasy, but had so many epic elements as well. I loved the fight scenes just as much as anything else. I absolutely cannot even describe how perfect and amazing this book is. I'll be reading it over and over again, no doubt. I highly recommend EVERYONE give this one a try. It's without a doubt one of the most incredible books I've read all year! This review, with as much gushing as I've done, still doesn't give it half the praise it deserves.
December 14, 2023
A retelling that seems to be mainly based on the disney take of sleeping beauty that is technically YA but due to some of its themes and writing style I'd add that its also very suitable for teens or even MG readers.
Though some of it read a little simplistic and I wasn't fond of the overly obvious evil sorceres type, I did really enjoy the romantic interactions between the MMC and FMC, some of the lighthearted humour, and some deeper themes.
Coarse language: none
Violence & gore: no gore, mild violence
Sexual content: none. Includes mildly described kissing.
* I received a free ARC. This did not influence my rating or review.
Though some of it read a little simplistic and I wasn't fond of the overly obvious evil sorceres type, I did really enjoy the romantic interactions between the MMC and FMC, some of the lighthearted humour, and some deeper themes.
Coarse language: none
Violence & gore: no gore, mild violence
Sexual content: none. Includes mildly described kissing.
* I received a free ARC. This did not influence my rating or review.
October 22, 2024
Okay, I am a sucker for the Sleeping Beauty story… usually. I’m sitting on the fence over this one though.
The idea is great and if it were in a longer format it could have been a lot more fun, but it’s pretty clunky as is.
We have a missing princess no one has ever seen since the date of her birth. A Prince constantly berated for not being good enough and that his only worth is as a groom to his country’s future savior. The best friend who apparently perfect is every way, and a lady who is constantly trying to get our prince to marry her instead.
So what happens when our prince feels an urge to open a forbidden gate on the edge of the palace grounds and walk into the forbidden forest? And just who is this magical mystery maiden he finds there, singing to the animals and plants?
It’s a doozy of a screwup for our prince and the maiden when they fall for each other only to be told they cannot be together. So hey, why not run away together? And, whoops, lover boy is spotted kissing another woman on the castle grounds right next to gate our maiden arrives through?
It’s alright, it all washes clean in the end.
So what I found clunky was the language barrier. Luckily we have a companion for our prince in the Ancient in the shape of a monstrous wolf. Jax speaks through telepathy and vaguely recognizes the maiden’s speech so we are provided with a rough and rudimentary translation. The author does give us a direct translation of what the maiden is saying at the back of the book, but in an ebook format this doesn’t work as well as it would for someone holding a physical copy.
What else? Well, it really all comes down to language. Our maiden seems to pick up his language quickly enough that we are eventually given a broken jumble to her speech, rather than more of her own language, which is far too many vowels and more a language of description rather than plain speech. Our prince picks up a little, but thankfully doesn’t force the reader to have to read through it.
Their conversations on what love is and what kissing and marriage means is supposed to be sweet, I guess, but to me it just felt like the prince is taking advantage of someone with no idea of how adult relationships work. She just figured out that this hugging things feels good and he wants her to run away with him? Honey, this girl needs a sit-down and explained how the birds and the bees work and the time to meet a few other men before saying, “Oh, we would be like swans? Sure, that sounds great.”
Yikes.
I found more time being annoyed with the fairies more than anything. One, their stupidity and odd behavior detracts whenever they pop up. One spends all her time weeping and wailing and you can’t stand her and the other just seems cold and impersonal. When we finally meet the third she likes to speak in riddles.
Ugh. I couldn’t not stand them- seriously, why her parents thought these three would be perfect for raising their infant daughter and preparing her to be a future queen I failed to understand. This girl has no education other than making the forest plants happy and growing and preventing fairy rings from forming?Sure, that works for a kingdom that’s in the middle of a famine, but the fairies have no idea of what’s going on outside of their closed off woodlands.
Only one of the three has any luck of sense and that’s the fairy we don’t meet until later- the one who likes her riddles and poetry. I’m not sure she doesn’t just give our prince the answers from the start, but hey, she’s one of those “eventually he’ll grasp the concept” types, rather like the king.
The ending is good though, with lots of insight, fighting, more insight and fighting before our prince triumphs and then remembers, “Oh yeah, there’s a girl sleeping in the uppermost tower I have to go wake up.”
Just take this one for what it is and overlook the rest and you’ll have a pleasant enough time reading this.
The idea is great and if it were in a longer format it could have been a lot more fun, but it’s pretty clunky as is.
We have a missing princess no one has ever seen since the date of her birth. A Prince constantly berated for not being good enough and that his only worth is as a groom to his country’s future savior. The best friend who apparently perfect is every way, and a lady who is constantly trying to get our prince to marry her instead.
So what happens when our prince feels an urge to open a forbidden gate on the edge of the palace grounds and walk into the forbidden forest? And just who is this magical mystery maiden he finds there, singing to the animals and plants?
It’s a doozy of a screwup for our prince and the maiden when they fall for each other only to be told they cannot be together. So hey, why not run away together? And, whoops, lover boy is spotted kissing another woman on the castle grounds right next to gate our maiden arrives through?
It’s alright, it all washes clean in the end.
So what I found clunky was the language barrier. Luckily we have a companion for our prince in the Ancient in the shape of a monstrous wolf. Jax speaks through telepathy and vaguely recognizes the maiden’s speech so we are provided with a rough and rudimentary translation. The author does give us a direct translation of what the maiden is saying at the back of the book, but in an ebook format this doesn’t work as well as it would for someone holding a physical copy.
What else? Well, it really all comes down to language. Our maiden seems to pick up his language quickly enough that we are eventually given a broken jumble to her speech, rather than more of her own language, which is far too many vowels and more a language of description rather than plain speech. Our prince picks up a little, but thankfully doesn’t force the reader to have to read through it.
Their conversations on what love is and what kissing and marriage means is supposed to be sweet, I guess, but to me it just felt like the prince is taking advantage of someone with no idea of how adult relationships work. She just figured out that this hugging things feels good and he wants her to run away with him? Honey, this girl needs a sit-down and explained how the birds and the bees work and the time to meet a few other men before saying, “Oh, we would be like swans? Sure, that sounds great.”
Yikes.
I found more time being annoyed with the fairies more than anything. One, their stupidity and odd behavior detracts whenever they pop up. One spends all her time weeping and wailing and you can’t stand her and the other just seems cold and impersonal. When we finally meet the third she likes to speak in riddles.
Ugh. I couldn’t not stand them- seriously, why her parents thought these three would be perfect for raising their infant daughter and preparing her to be a future queen I failed to understand. This girl has no education other than making the forest plants happy and growing and preventing fairy rings from forming?Sure, that works for a kingdom that’s in the middle of a famine, but the fairies have no idea of what’s going on outside of their closed off woodlands.
Only one of the three has any luck of sense and that’s the fairy we don’t meet until later- the one who likes her riddles and poetry. I’m not sure she doesn’t just give our prince the answers from the start, but hey, she’s one of those “eventually he’ll grasp the concept” types, rather like the king.
The ending is good though, with lots of insight, fighting, more insight and fighting before our prince triumphs and then remembers, “Oh yeah, there’s a girl sleeping in the uppermost tower I have to go wake up.”
Just take this one for what it is and overlook the rest and you’ll have a pleasant enough time reading this.
November 26, 2023
Starting from the prologue, I just knew I was in for another treat in this stunning 12 book series and I wasn't wrong! I was immediately captured by Killian, who can hardly believe his father, the king, was allowing him to present his view on how to save the kingdom. Butttt.....As his shoulders slumped, so did mine! It seems his only role is to marry a Princess, a Princess who no one has seen in years, a Princess he's been betrothed to since he was a child, all to strengthen relations between the kingdoms. Or is there more to it? Oh yes, and then some! These characters were distinct, the plot inventive, the telling, well.... outstanding!
I so sympathised with Killian, his feelings of failure palpable. He's so smart, although a bit impetuous but determined, determined to prove himself to his father, determined to save his kingdom, determined to go back to the forest, determined to learn more about the mystery girl he encountered there. So, against the disapproval of his two dearest friends, Phineas and Jax, he does just that. Oh and I must mention that while Phineas is human, Jax is a....wolf. A wise, snarky but incredibly loyal wolf. I loved them both, the very best of friends anyone could wish for, always on Killian's side, always there to support him, even through his self depreciation, always telling him the truth. Geesh, I'd be majorly ticked off if my father ignored me and made me feel insignificant too! Which is exactly what happened...poor Killian, I could feel his frustration roll out the pages in waves. So ticked off Killian goes off in a huff and decides to enter through the forbidden gate into the equally forbidden forest, well, not so much decided as compelled...and good golly what he encounters was NOT what he was expecting! In fact, this book was not what I expected either...it was so much more.
Reala's innocence is so endearing, her natural niceness is all encompassing. I loved her uncomplicated persona, one that exudes love and light. But a chance encounter with an "outsider" has her questioning everything, her very existence, who she was, where she came from, how she came to be squirelled away in a forest with only her aunties and she needed answers, me too.... I was so intrigued. Well, that sure set off a chain of events, events that were explosive! From her aunties, to the reason she's in the forest, to her ultimate fate, were as convoluted and tangled as the unforgiving briars and brambles. As the brushes parted, so too was a magnificent tale exposed. A tale which, quite frankly, astounded me with all the impressive layers I delighted in as they were peeled away one by one.
Sleeping Beauty retelling? Well, yes, but this book is a lot more complex than the rest of the series, it's also a lot darker, that's what I wasn't expecting...It took so many turns that veered away from the original fairytale, without losing the bones, in a superb twist that was exceptionally executed, that had me on the edge of my seat. Whereas some fairytales and retellings are sweet and delight the senses, this one brought to the fore the evil that can lurk in a heart. So whilst I have said that this entire series is delighted, THIS book took it to a whole new level. A level of mystery and suspense, of coming to understand WHO one is, despite the challenges, to a fight against evil and to fight for what's right.
I so sympathised with Killian, his feelings of failure palpable. He's so smart, although a bit impetuous but determined, determined to prove himself to his father, determined to save his kingdom, determined to go back to the forest, determined to learn more about the mystery girl he encountered there. So, against the disapproval of his two dearest friends, Phineas and Jax, he does just that. Oh and I must mention that while Phineas is human, Jax is a....wolf. A wise, snarky but incredibly loyal wolf. I loved them both, the very best of friends anyone could wish for, always on Killian's side, always there to support him, even through his self depreciation, always telling him the truth. Geesh, I'd be majorly ticked off if my father ignored me and made me feel insignificant too! Which is exactly what happened...poor Killian, I could feel his frustration roll out the pages in waves. So ticked off Killian goes off in a huff and decides to enter through the forbidden gate into the equally forbidden forest, well, not so much decided as compelled...and good golly what he encounters was NOT what he was expecting! In fact, this book was not what I expected either...it was so much more.
Reala's innocence is so endearing, her natural niceness is all encompassing. I loved her uncomplicated persona, one that exudes love and light. But a chance encounter with an "outsider" has her questioning everything, her very existence, who she was, where she came from, how she came to be squirelled away in a forest with only her aunties and she needed answers, me too.... I was so intrigued. Well, that sure set off a chain of events, events that were explosive! From her aunties, to the reason she's in the forest, to her ultimate fate, were as convoluted and tangled as the unforgiving briars and brambles. As the brushes parted, so too was a magnificent tale exposed. A tale which, quite frankly, astounded me with all the impressive layers I delighted in as they were peeled away one by one.
Sleeping Beauty retelling? Well, yes, but this book is a lot more complex than the rest of the series, it's also a lot darker, that's what I wasn't expecting...It took so many turns that veered away from the original fairytale, without losing the bones, in a superb twist that was exceptionally executed, that had me on the edge of my seat. Whereas some fairytales and retellings are sweet and delight the senses, this one brought to the fore the evil that can lurk in a heart. So whilst I have said that this entire series is delighted, THIS book took it to a whole new level. A level of mystery and suspense, of coming to understand WHO one is, despite the challenges, to a fight against evil and to fight for what's right.
December 3, 2023
Congratulations to Alora for causing me to like two things I typically don’t care for overly in books!
1. Sleeping Beauty Retellings
2. Animal companions
Allow me to expound on these. : )
Sleeping Beauty Retellings: I picked this book up because I have really enjoyed the majority of books in the Once Upon a Prince series and because I was enamored with the other works of Alora’s that I have read. I actually forgot I was reading a Sleeping Beauty retelling (not because it deviates from the story a lot but because I was liking it so much!). I normally don’t care for the fairy tale so found myself a bit surprised at how much I enjoyed this book overall. It was such a roller coaster of emotions. I liked Killian. I did NOT like Killian. Killian was redeemed. I liked the story. I did NOT like the story. The story was great! (That’s the simplified version.) This story just felt like it had a different spin on it and I loved it (when I wasn’t hating it, lol).
Animal companions: These are not normally my thing. When animals are prominent in a story, I normally am not in love. But somehow, I didn’t just tolerate Jax, but I now feel like I need more of him. He is hilarious and I want to meet him in real life. For this book, animal companions are the best! (There will apparently be a character interview showcasing more of Jax, and I’m stoked about it.)
There were a few things in the story that I had to assume happened the way they logically would, even though it wasn’t explicitly stated. While a bit frustrating for my reading style, it doesn’t take away from the goodness of the story.
Now for the details. Romance, clean! This is a happily ever after, so you can expect a kiss or two, but they aren’t long or spicy. I could actually go on about some things I really loved in this that surprised me, but no spoilers, hey.
Violence, lots. Lol. If you have a sensitive reader, you may want to screen this, though mainly the back half. It isn’t gory, but due to the story, it fits and has quite a bit of fighting and nasty creatures and some pretty realistic dungeon descriptions. (Not that I’ve ever been in one, but this is about what I could imagine if I wanted to, which I don’t…)
While I received an Advanced Reader Copy of this book all thoughts and opinions are my own.
1. Sleeping Beauty Retellings
2. Animal companions
Allow me to expound on these. : )
Sleeping Beauty Retellings: I picked this book up because I have really enjoyed the majority of books in the Once Upon a Prince series and because I was enamored with the other works of Alora’s that I have read. I actually forgot I was reading a Sleeping Beauty retelling (not because it deviates from the story a lot but because I was liking it so much!). I normally don’t care for the fairy tale so found myself a bit surprised at how much I enjoyed this book overall. It was such a roller coaster of emotions. I liked Killian. I did NOT like Killian. Killian was redeemed. I liked the story. I did NOT like the story. The story was great! (That’s the simplified version.) This story just felt like it had a different spin on it and I loved it (when I wasn’t hating it, lol).
Animal companions: These are not normally my thing. When animals are prominent in a story, I normally am not in love. But somehow, I didn’t just tolerate Jax, but I now feel like I need more of him. He is hilarious and I want to meet him in real life. For this book, animal companions are the best! (There will apparently be a character interview showcasing more of Jax, and I’m stoked about it.)
There were a few things in the story that I had to assume happened the way they logically would, even though it wasn’t explicitly stated. While a bit frustrating for my reading style, it doesn’t take away from the goodness of the story.
Now for the details. Romance, clean! This is a happily ever after, so you can expect a kiss or two, but they aren’t long or spicy. I could actually go on about some things I really loved in this that surprised me, but no spoilers, hey.
Violence, lots. Lol. If you have a sensitive reader, you may want to screen this, though mainly the back half. It isn’t gory, but due to the story, it fits and has quite a bit of fighting and nasty creatures and some pretty realistic dungeon descriptions. (Not that I’ve ever been in one, but this is about what I could imagine if I wanted to, which I don’t…)
While I received an Advanced Reader Copy of this book all thoughts and opinions are my own.
December 24, 2023
What an exciting fairytale inspired romance! Killian feels like he has failed in every attempt to prove his worth, his betrothal contract seems the only reason his father tolerates him. Uniting the kingdoms will save their struggling lands, but the princess he is supposed to marry has been hiding from a wicked fairy for almost 18 years- or she might be missing for good. Desperate to escape, Killian trespasses into the Forbidden Forest, where he finds magic, mystery and a beautiful woman who embodies both As a Guardian of the Forest, Raela’s duties are clear: honor the sentient elements, foster the life of the forest and protect them all from the danger of fairy circles. Yet, she finds herself aching for more. After the first man she has ever seen stumbles into her meadow, she begins to wonder about questions that she should have had the answer to all along: Where are her parents? What are her aunties hiding? Is there more out there for her after all? The re-emergence of the evil fairy means that Killian must overcome his fears and fight for her his father, his throne, and the woman he loves.
Wow! This was quite the retelling! It was exciting and full of adventure! Killian was very stuck in his head. He had tried over and over to prove himself and felt the weight of his father’s disapproval. He was quite in his head and I was frustrated with him at times. He was a bit emotion-led at times. It was lovely to watch him settle into himself and to find his confidence. He was so focused on the expectations of others. Raela was a sweetheart. As expected with her upbringing, she was quite innocent. I enjoyed seeing the magical world Ms. Carter has created through her eyes. Both were learning about the secrets and mysteries of their past and the magic it all held.
The story was exciting while sticking to many of the elements of the classic fairytale. There was action and danger, as well as fantasy romance. It did take me a bit to get invested in the story, but once things started picking up I was racing through! This is a fairytale inspired romance with some fantasy action 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.
Wow! This was quite the retelling! It was exciting and full of adventure! Killian was very stuck in his head. He had tried over and over to prove himself and felt the weight of his father’s disapproval. He was quite in his head and I was frustrated with him at times. He was a bit emotion-led at times. It was lovely to watch him settle into himself and to find his confidence. He was so focused on the expectations of others. Raela was a sweetheart. As expected with her upbringing, she was quite innocent. I enjoyed seeing the magical world Ms. Carter has created through her eyes. Both were learning about the secrets and mysteries of their past and the magic it all held.
The story was exciting while sticking to many of the elements of the classic fairytale. There was action and danger, as well as fantasy romance. It did take me a bit to get invested in the story, but once things started picking up I was racing through! This is a fairytale inspired romance with some fantasy action 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.
March 5, 2024
Reader’s Notes:
– this is part of a series, but meant to be read as a stand-alone
– this is told from Killian & Raela’s points of view
– Killian’s mother died years prior, but Killian still holds onto guilt over the incident
– from about the middle to almost the end there are some nightmare-esque depictions coming against characters (not horrific or necessarily creepy, but not for young children or anyone who doesn’t like any form of creepy)
– there is some fantasy violence
Review:
This story really gripped me the deeper I got into it! I loved getting to know our main characters and their close friends/family. I really enjoyed Killian’s selectively telepathic wolf companion and his amusements with Killian’s attempts to woo Raela. I also really liked that he had no qualms with throwing Killian under the bus when it would cause Killian some embarrassment. I also loved Killian’s best friend and how much his best friend tried to bring him up in attitude/outlook when it came to everything with his father and the attempts at being a good ruler. I loved that he was both blunt and caring in his assessments and was willing to repeat things as many times as he needed to. I also really liked that Raela had a thirst for knowledge of new things and would not only get joy from it, but also get lost in her ministrations. I loved all the different nods to the original tale of Sleeping Beauty throughout this story and seeing how Alora Carter twisted some things and made the entire story her own! I can’t wait to read more books she’s written to see what else she’s created!
Summary:
Prince Killian wants his father’s approval and to feel like his father is confident in the coming transfer of power from him to Killian. But no matter what Killian does, or how prepared he is, his father continues to pass him by and let him know how Killian has failed him as an heir on the past. The only thing that somewhat mollifies his father is Killian’s betrothal to the princess of another kingdom. A princess that has been missing since soon after they were betrothed to each other. Killian has doubts that she’ll even show up to their coming wedding, no matter how many of the people around him think otherwise. Feeling lost and useless, Killian does the unthinkable and ventures into the Forbidden Forest just outside the castle grounds. And there he finds someone who doesn’t know a single thing about him, yet the mysterious maiden is willing to spend time with him…
Raela grew up in the forest, caring for it, and protecting it from harm with no one else besides her aunties and the forest’s animal inhabitants. But one day she comes across a man in the forest and begins to question the life she’s lived. Why has she not met any other humans until now? Does she have parents? What else is outside of her forest? She never would have expected to discover that her aunties kept something from her, especially things like this. She certainly never thought that they could have deeper secrets that would completely uproot her life either…
– this is part of a series, but meant to be read as a stand-alone
– this is told from Killian & Raela’s points of view
– Killian’s mother died years prior, but Killian still holds onto guilt over the incident
– from about the middle to almost the end there are some nightmare-esque depictions coming against characters (not horrific or necessarily creepy, but not for young children or anyone who doesn’t like any form of creepy)
– there is some fantasy violence
Review:
This story really gripped me the deeper I got into it! I loved getting to know our main characters and their close friends/family. I really enjoyed Killian’s selectively telepathic wolf companion and his amusements with Killian’s attempts to woo Raela. I also really liked that he had no qualms with throwing Killian under the bus when it would cause Killian some embarrassment. I also loved Killian’s best friend and how much his best friend tried to bring him up in attitude/outlook when it came to everything with his father and the attempts at being a good ruler. I loved that he was both blunt and caring in his assessments and was willing to repeat things as many times as he needed to. I also really liked that Raela had a thirst for knowledge of new things and would not only get joy from it, but also get lost in her ministrations. I loved all the different nods to the original tale of Sleeping Beauty throughout this story and seeing how Alora Carter twisted some things and made the entire story her own! I can’t wait to read more books she’s written to see what else she’s created!
Summary:
Prince Killian wants his father’s approval and to feel like his father is confident in the coming transfer of power from him to Killian. But no matter what Killian does, or how prepared he is, his father continues to pass him by and let him know how Killian has failed him as an heir on the past. The only thing that somewhat mollifies his father is Killian’s betrothal to the princess of another kingdom. A princess that has been missing since soon after they were betrothed to each other. Killian has doubts that she’ll even show up to their coming wedding, no matter how many of the people around him think otherwise. Feeling lost and useless, Killian does the unthinkable and ventures into the Forbidden Forest just outside the castle grounds. And there he finds someone who doesn’t know a single thing about him, yet the mysterious maiden is willing to spend time with him…
Raela grew up in the forest, caring for it, and protecting it from harm with no one else besides her aunties and the forest’s animal inhabitants. But one day she comes across a man in the forest and begins to question the life she’s lived. Why has she not met any other humans until now? Does she have parents? What else is outside of her forest? She never would have expected to discover that her aunties kept something from her, especially things like this. She certainly never thought that they could have deeper secrets that would completely uproot her life either…
December 13, 2023
A failure of a prince. A guardian maiden. A long-ago contract destined to keep them apart.
No matter how hard he tries, Killian can do nothing right in the eyes of his widowed father. In an attempt to escape the expectations of being the prince, he sneaks through the gate that has separated his kingdom from the magical forest for as long as he can remember. There he finds the most beautiful maiden he’s ever seen. More than that, she doesn’t treat him as a prince. But he can’t fall for her; he’s betrothed and his father won’t let him break the contract.
Raela lives a simple life in the forest, where she uses her magic to help the plants grow and keep the fairy circles from forming. Despite the warnings from her aunties, she forges a friendship with the mysterious man who stumbled upon her meadow.
Killian is determined to run away to marry Raela. After all, there’s another, better heir who can take the throne. And the princess he’s betrothed to hasn’t been seen in eighteen years. But as soon as he sets his plan in motion, everything falls to ruin, and Killian and Raela must fight their way back to each other against everything they ever thought was true.
“Perfect isn’t only impossible, it’s fragile…Perfect can only be said of fine porcelain teacups.”
I related so much to Killian. The need to be perfect, to live up to the expectations of others is a real battle that can force you to seek a hidden place of escape. I love books with language barriers, and Carter actually created a whole new language for this, which is incredible! I think a bit of magic was used to help get past the language trouble, but it fit the story.
The romance between these two was so sweet. Killian starts off enamored by her beauty, but soon comes to appreciate her for who she is. The book gives a deeper look at many familiar elements, which I really enjoyed.
The latter part of the story gets a bit dark with fighting monsters as well as depression.
5 roses.
Some injuries, etc, during battle scenes, but nothing gory.
A few kisses
No swearing
No matter how hard he tries, Killian can do nothing right in the eyes of his widowed father. In an attempt to escape the expectations of being the prince, he sneaks through the gate that has separated his kingdom from the magical forest for as long as he can remember. There he finds the most beautiful maiden he’s ever seen. More than that, she doesn’t treat him as a prince. But he can’t fall for her; he’s betrothed and his father won’t let him break the contract.
Raela lives a simple life in the forest, where she uses her magic to help the plants grow and keep the fairy circles from forming. Despite the warnings from her aunties, she forges a friendship with the mysterious man who stumbled upon her meadow.
Killian is determined to run away to marry Raela. After all, there’s another, better heir who can take the throne. And the princess he’s betrothed to hasn’t been seen in eighteen years. But as soon as he sets his plan in motion, everything falls to ruin, and Killian and Raela must fight their way back to each other against everything they ever thought was true.
“Perfect isn’t only impossible, it’s fragile…Perfect can only be said of fine porcelain teacups.”
I related so much to Killian. The need to be perfect, to live up to the expectations of others is a real battle that can force you to seek a hidden place of escape. I love books with language barriers, and Carter actually created a whole new language for this, which is incredible! I think a bit of magic was used to help get past the language trouble, but it fit the story.
The romance between these two was so sweet. Killian starts off enamored by her beauty, but soon comes to appreciate her for who she is. The book gives a deeper look at many familiar elements, which I really enjoyed.
The latter part of the story gets a bit dark with fighting monsters as well as depression.
5 roses.
Some injuries, etc, during battle scenes, but nothing gory.
A few kisses
No swearing
January 25, 2024
Another wonderful retelling in the Once Upon a Prince series! This is the story of sleeping beauty. Killian is prince who has been betrothed to a princess he has never met and no one has seen since he was a toddler. The King has no faith in him and is quick to let him know. After going to ride off some steam, he comes to the forbidden boundary gate and is compelled to open it and wander into the forest. He meets a woman who speaks a different language and after going back several times, ends up falling in love.
Raela, the woman in the forest, has lived there her whole life and knows only her aunties. She has never met her parents or any other person ever. And until she met Killian, she never questioned it. But now that she knows different, can she go back to be secluded? And the aunts! Oh what a great bunch! I loved Auntie Shou! Once we got to meet her she was definitely my favorite of the 3.
The first half of this story is all the wonderful world and relationship building. Whether that relationship is good or bad. (Killian and his father definitely have a tense relationship.) And the second half is full of action. Once the evil fairy has been exposed and kidnaps Killian, he must learn to shed his negative feelings and save the kingdom. As he overcomes his own demons, he also learns to use the light to fight the dark as well.
I enjoyed this story as much as the others and was just glued to the book to find out how these characters would get the HEA.
Raela, the woman in the forest, has lived there her whole life and knows only her aunties. She has never met her parents or any other person ever. And until she met Killian, she never questioned it. But now that she knows different, can she go back to be secluded? And the aunts! Oh what a great bunch! I loved Auntie Shou! Once we got to meet her she was definitely my favorite of the 3.
The first half of this story is all the wonderful world and relationship building. Whether that relationship is good or bad. (Killian and his father definitely have a tense relationship.) And the second half is full of action. Once the evil fairy has been exposed and kidnaps Killian, he must learn to shed his negative feelings and save the kingdom. As he overcomes his own demons, he also learns to use the light to fight the dark as well.
I enjoyed this story as much as the others and was just glued to the book to find out how these characters would get the HEA.
November 24, 2023
A sweet Sleeping Beauty retelling - adorable!
Prince Killian is trying his hardest to prove to his kingly father he can lead but never really measures up. His only value is marrying right (yeah, a gender reversal on all the fated princesses stories there). With his wedding mere weeks away, he meets Raela in the forest…and the rest is history.
I quite liked that the story followed the Disney version and timeline of events (not 100 yrs sleep, but less), with some great sidecharacters added (Snow White would be envious). There was a made-up language (with translations) and the use of enchanted sleep (NOT only on the princess) was a brilliant move, but what I liked best was the waking kiss - and it’s not what you think! The kooky fairies were adorable and quite in the vein of Disney. I loved how Maleficent aka the bad fairy’s character was craftily integrated into the story. I enjoyed this fairytale retelling, even if description got a bit much on occasion (for my taste). I especially loved how the author put a = sign between awakening and self-realization (growing up, finding oneself, not giving up and fighting for what’s right).
Recommended for lovers of fairytales, especially Disney’s Sleeping Beauty retellings and it’ll help if you like elven language from LOTR and unpronouncable names from epic fantasy.
Prince Killian is trying his hardest to prove to his kingly father he can lead but never really measures up. His only value is marrying right (yeah, a gender reversal on all the fated princesses stories there). With his wedding mere weeks away, he meets Raela in the forest…and the rest is history.
I quite liked that the story followed the Disney version and timeline of events (not 100 yrs sleep, but less), with some great sidecharacters added (Snow White would be envious). There was a made-up language (with translations) and the use of enchanted sleep (NOT only on the princess) was a brilliant move, but what I liked best was the waking kiss - and it’s not what you think! The kooky fairies were adorable and quite in the vein of Disney. I loved how Maleficent aka the bad fairy’s character was craftily integrated into the story. I enjoyed this fairytale retelling, even if description got a bit much on occasion (for my taste). I especially loved how the author put a = sign between awakening and self-realization (growing up, finding oneself, not giving up and fighting for what’s right).
Recommended for lovers of fairytales, especially Disney’s Sleeping Beauty retellings and it’ll help if you like elven language from LOTR and unpronouncable names from epic fantasy.
April 6, 2025
Beautiful retelling from the prince's POV
I loved this story! What a beautiful retelling of Sleeping Beauty but from the prince's point of view. Killian is a prince who, as much as he tries to contribute and learn, always seems to fall short in his father's eyes. He struggles with his worth and his failures, and in his attempt to escape them, he enters the forbidden woods near his land. Raela has lived with her aunties in the magical woods her whole life. She has never questioned a thing in her existence until the day she meets a man in her woods. This story is full of hope and of facing the worst you think and feel of yourself. There is also levity in Jax, his wolf's sarcasm, and the unyielding friendship of his best friend who never fails to be honest.
The author does an amazing job highlighting the perceived flaws, so much so that it's things I've said to myself a time or five. But the beauty she wrote in bringing it back to one step and one breath, then the next, was so wonderful and encouraging.
“Keep living. Cannot be in the past. The flowers cannot grow backward. The rivers do not flow uphill. The water does not stay in place. So we also cannot. Life moves forward.”
I loved this story! What a beautiful retelling of Sleeping Beauty but from the prince's point of view. Killian is a prince who, as much as he tries to contribute and learn, always seems to fall short in his father's eyes. He struggles with his worth and his failures, and in his attempt to escape them, he enters the forbidden woods near his land. Raela has lived with her aunties in the magical woods her whole life. She has never questioned a thing in her existence until the day she meets a man in her woods. This story is full of hope and of facing the worst you think and feel of yourself. There is also levity in Jax, his wolf's sarcasm, and the unyielding friendship of his best friend who never fails to be honest.
The author does an amazing job highlighting the perceived flaws, so much so that it's things I've said to myself a time or five. But the beauty she wrote in bringing it back to one step and one breath, then the next, was so wonderful and encouraging.
“Keep living. Cannot be in the past. The flowers cannot grow backward. The rivers do not flow uphill. The water does not stay in place. So we also cannot. Life moves forward.”
November 25, 2023
The Awakened Prince is an interesting retelling of Sleeping Beauty that focuses on the prince's personal growth and development into a future king. The "Awakened" theme has been cleverly used in a number of different ways throughout the book. The characters and story are sweet.
The use of a made up second language is both a good and bad thing. Too often authors take characters from disparate places and somehow they all speak the same language despite geographical or cultural differences which is just not realistic. On the other hand, the two languages used in the book are not separated by oceans or mountains but a metal gate. Speaking two different languages in such close proximity is also not particularly realistic. Plus the need to constantly flick to footnotes to get the translations is annoying, especially when it wouldn't really affect the story for you not to know exactly what was said. After a while I just ignored the footnotes and skipped the translations. Better to just say something like "the girl said something in response, but he had no idea what it meant" and move on.
I received an ARC and offer an honest review without obligation.
The use of a made up second language is both a good and bad thing. Too often authors take characters from disparate places and somehow they all speak the same language despite geographical or cultural differences which is just not realistic. On the other hand, the two languages used in the book are not separated by oceans or mountains but a metal gate. Speaking two different languages in such close proximity is also not particularly realistic. Plus the need to constantly flick to footnotes to get the translations is annoying, especially when it wouldn't really affect the story for you not to know exactly what was said. After a while I just ignored the footnotes and skipped the translations. Better to just say something like "the girl said something in response, but he had no idea what it meant" and move on.
I received an ARC and offer an honest review without obligation.
December 15, 2023
Wow, wow, wow! I loved this Sleeping Beauty retelling! It's so brilliant and has the most amazing focus on the underlying psychological message from the original tale. I absolutely loved Killian. He's such a wonderful character and he really had a tough time with his father, the king, being so unimaginably hard on him, but Killian keeps trying! The way the author managed to show his journey of enlightenment was so beautifully done and I totally cried at the end when despite all the hardship, Killian did indeed achieve his potential. It's so, so beautiful!
And of course, Raela was just the perfect catalyst to push Killian to be his best self. I really enjoyed how she and Killian got the chance to really get to know each other before the curse took hold. It really made the story so much more powerful than the glossed-over approach of the Disney version.
This retelling is absolutely delightful and another wonderful addition to an incredible series. Each book really is better than the last. I'm just sad the series is pretty much over now. I can wholeheartedly recommend this collection.
And of course, Raela was just the perfect catalyst to push Killian to be his best self. I really enjoyed how she and Killian got the chance to really get to know each other before the curse took hold. It really made the story so much more powerful than the glossed-over approach of the Disney version.
This retelling is absolutely delightful and another wonderful addition to an incredible series. Each book really is better than the last. I'm just sad the series is pretty much over now. I can wholeheartedly recommend this collection.
December 8, 2023
A Delightful Sleeping Beauty Retelling
This charming tale captured the essence of the familiar Sleeping Beauty story found in Disney’s animated feature and included some interesting twists to make it an adventurous and thought provoking retelling. I liked how the author incorporated themes on overcoming challenges, casting out negative thoughts, embracing who you are, and overcoming the odds. I also enjoyed the sweet romantic development between Killian and Raela. The language barrier that separated them was intriguing, but a bit difficult to read. I liked how this separation led to some misinterpretations and innocent naivete. I loved how the author’s message hit home for me in the end and really resonated with Killian’s character growth.
This is the first title I’ve read by Alora Carter and I enjoyed the book overall. I received an advanced reader copy of the novel.
This charming tale captured the essence of the familiar Sleeping Beauty story found in Disney’s animated feature and included some interesting twists to make it an adventurous and thought provoking retelling. I liked how the author incorporated themes on overcoming challenges, casting out negative thoughts, embracing who you are, and overcoming the odds. I also enjoyed the sweet romantic development between Killian and Raela. The language barrier that separated them was intriguing, but a bit difficult to read. I liked how this separation led to some misinterpretations and innocent naivete. I loved how the author’s message hit home for me in the end and really resonated with Killian’s character growth.
This is the first title I’ve read by Alora Carter and I enjoyed the book overall. I received an advanced reader copy of the novel.
February 20, 2024
I really enjoyed this book, a retelling of the Sleeping Beauty story primarily from the prince's point of view. What I liked best about this prince was that he wasn't too perfect. He struggled in his relationship with his father, and with shame and guilt over his past mistakes. Much of his journey toward the castle is through metaphorical thorns as he learns to process his feelings and accept his inherent worth. This was really well done and I think it's an important message.
The Princess was maybe a little too perfect but you can't help but love her. She kind of reminds me Leeloo from the Fifth Element with her beautiful innocence hiding an incredible power.
It was a quick read, that I enjoyed snuggled in bed on a holiday afternoon. This is the first book I've read by Alora Carter, but I'll definitely be on the lookout for more.
The Princess was maybe a little too perfect but you can't help but love her. She kind of reminds me Leeloo from the Fifth Element with her beautiful innocence hiding an incredible power.
It was a quick read, that I enjoyed snuggled in bed on a holiday afternoon. This is the first book I've read by Alora Carter, but I'll definitely be on the lookout for more.
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