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Sleep Like Death
New York Times bestselling author and TikTok sensation Kalynn Bayron returns to fairytales with a lush, thrilling and original YA Snow White retelling that brings a new and exciting voice to this familiar tale. Perfect for fans of Cinderella Is Dead.
Only the truly desperate - and foolish - seek out the Knight, an ancient monster who twists wishes into curses. Eve knows this first-hand: one of her mothers was cursed by the Knight and trapped in the body of a songbird. With the unique abilities to communicate with animals and conjure weapons from nature, Eve has trained all her life to defeat him.
With more and more villagers harmed by the Knight's corrupt deals, Eve believes she's finally ready to face him. But when Queen Regina begins acting strangely - talking to seemingly no one, isolating herself, and lashing out at the slightest provocation - Eve must question if her powers are enough to save her family and her kingdom.
Only the truly desperate - and foolish - seek out the Knight, an ancient monster who twists wishes into curses. Eve knows this first-hand: one of her mothers was cursed by the Knight and trapped in the body of a songbird. With the unique abilities to communicate with animals and conjure weapons from nature, Eve has trained all her life to defeat him.
With more and more villagers harmed by the Knight's corrupt deals, Eve believes she's finally ready to face him. But when Queen Regina begins acting strangely - talking to seemingly no one, isolating herself, and lashing out at the slightest provocation - Eve must question if her powers are enough to save her family and her kingdom.
355 pages, Hardcover
First published June 25, 2024
228 people are currently reading
20932 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 948 reviews
June 24, 2024
I sadly have come to the conclusion that this author’s way of writing and story telling simply is not for me.
The story is about Eve (16-17 y/o), the princess of a kingdom. One of her mothers was turned into a bird by making (a really really stupid) deal with “the Knight”. He travels a la Howls Moving Castle in a metal beast type castle on legs. Every wish he grants he twists until it becomes a curse. (Literally EVERY wish he grants, how people are still dumb and stupid enough to bargain deals with him is absolutely beyond me and annoyed me quite a lot). Eve was raised under the impression that her magical powers allowed her to best the Knight when the time comes. But then her other mother, the queen, starts acting strange and isolating herself…
I don’t know how to describe what exactly I enjoyed about this story. This does not mean that I didn’t enjoy anything (that would be 1 🌟). The story is easy to read and although I have quite some remarks, it was easy to read quickly. Moreover, the author is able to paint a very atmospheric picture which helps the setting of the story.
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Now comes the negative stuff so stop reading if you don’t like negativity or are intending to read this book bc I don’t wanna ruin it for you.
Please note this is my own personal opinion and experience with this book. I can clearly see how others might looove this book, but like I said, it’s not for me.
The story started off too slow for me and I did not understand where it was going for the longest time. It was clear the author planned out an exact plan with steps of how this story evolved. This made the story fall very flat for me and made my mind wander too much to how the story was planned out instead of being immersed in the story. It was too methodical instead of a nice flow.
The “Snow White reimagined” only appeared around 50% into the story. I would suggest calling this a YA fairytale or something, since it contains other fairytales as well and the connections to the story of Snow White started very late and were not that big of a part in the story.
The magical powers of Eve are so unclear, I still have no clue what the extent of her powers are. At one point she says that everything she creates disappears into black smoke as soon as she lets go, but other times she creates weapons or blankets that others can use. I think her magical abilities could’ve used more attention and should’ve been explored more.
Lastly, I was not able to build a connection with any of the characters and they all seemed kind of stupid to me. I did not care what happened to any of them.
The story is about Eve (16-17 y/o), the princess of a kingdom. One of her mothers was turned into a bird by making (a really really stupid) deal with “the Knight”. He travels a la Howls Moving Castle in a metal beast type castle on legs. Every wish he grants he twists until it becomes a curse. (Literally EVERY wish he grants, how people are still dumb and stupid enough to bargain deals with him is absolutely beyond me and annoyed me quite a lot). Eve was raised under the impression that her magical powers allowed her to best the Knight when the time comes. But then her other mother, the queen, starts acting strange and isolating herself…
I don’t know how to describe what exactly I enjoyed about this story. This does not mean that I didn’t enjoy anything (that would be 1 🌟). The story is easy to read and although I have quite some remarks, it was easy to read quickly. Moreover, the author is able to paint a very atmospheric picture which helps the setting of the story.
————————————————————————
Now comes the negative stuff so stop reading if you don’t like negativity or are intending to read this book bc I don’t wanna ruin it for you.
Please note this is my own personal opinion and experience with this book. I can clearly see how others might looove this book, but like I said, it’s not for me.
The story started off too slow for me and I did not understand where it was going for the longest time. It was clear the author planned out an exact plan with steps of how this story evolved. This made the story fall very flat for me and made my mind wander too much to how the story was planned out instead of being immersed in the story. It was too methodical instead of a nice flow.
The “Snow White reimagined” only appeared around 50% into the story. I would suggest calling this a YA fairytale or something, since it contains other fairytales as well and the connections to the story of Snow White started very late and were not that big of a part in the story.
The magical powers of Eve are so unclear, I still have no clue what the extent of her powers are. At one point she says that everything she creates disappears into black smoke as soon as she lets go, but other times she creates weapons or blankets that others can use. I think her magical abilities could’ve used more attention and should’ve been explored more.
Lastly, I was not able to build a connection with any of the characters and they all seemed kind of stupid to me. I did not care what happened to any of them.
did-not-finish
July 14, 2024DNF @ 23%
Life's too short to read boring ass books about overpowered Chosen Ones in yet another YA fantasy with bland prose and even more bland worldbuilding.
Life's too short to read boring ass books about overpowered Chosen Ones in yet another YA fantasy with bland prose and even more bland worldbuilding.
did-not-finish
July 24, 2024i love kalynn's books and really wanted to get into this, but the story made no sense. the main character was selfish, impulsive and annoying. I couldn't understand why if the knight in the magical walking baba yaga house only granted wishes that resulted in ruin that everyone kept going back to them. the whole thing just felt messy.
July 25, 2024
This was just... so bad? Like, really, really bad. I don't know when Eve and Nova were supposed to've fallen in love, when Nova says it, my only reaction was: "What, where?!" They barely freaking know each other, Eve was irascible that entire time, and Nova ultimately spent more time with her mom than her so: HUH?
Every character's actions were.... I don't know how to describe it. First-thought actions? Not even impulsive because that implies conviction and gut feeling and this was more: I've had a thought, now I must act on it and they're complex situations so it's always just a stupid thought more than anything else. The characters who die... it's kind of their own faults because it would be so very easy not to? Just... don't do the dumb thing you just did? So it's hard to feel much sympathy at all.
Eve's wish at the end????? Your friend just died, your mom's still a fucking bird, your other mom has now rapidly aged and your wish didn't address any of it??? Also, why was there a "deal" at the end to save Nova? A deal implies the Knight potentially gets something out of it too, instead it's just: here's a way to undo the consequences of that last deal for no reason, ta-dah. *jazz hands* And it's still the same rape-y Snow White solution but they love each other (based on nothing) so it's fine now and also it's the boy instead of the girl so does consent still matter? No, right?
I feel like this book came out into the world with not a single other person having read it first - not the author, not an editor, not a single reader. Instead words were splatted onto a page, people were like: it's probably fine, and now I'm holding this terrible monstrosity in my hands that could've potentially been rescued if someone had just asked some basic-ass, editor-like questions about it first. Like....
Why hasn't anyone tried to strategically use wishes - wish against other wishes (use the entire population who've been wish-ravaged working together since apparently the Knight is compelled to keep making deals??)/wish against the Knight/create an impossible to fulfill wish - since apparently there's no limit to how many you can ask for? Why hasn't anyone tried to unravel the bird-queen wish, not very believable no one's tried, yeah? When the fuck did Nova and Eve supposedly fall in love? Why doesn't Nova have his own plan since he also hates the Knight and knows way more about him than any other character? Why doesn't Eve's wish at the end even make an attempt to undo the previous wishes especially since she has personally felt the consequences of so many of them? Why would Junior come out to get ganked when he could've just as easily.... not, and also it would've made a lot more sense if he didn't? What was the point of all of Eve's magic since she didn't really do a lot with it and was super ineffective against the Knight? Are you really going with Eve's ancestor outsmarted the Knight because he just happened to say his name out loud in the three day period he tasked her with her figuring it out? Really though? What are you trying to say and do you think you said it? Etc., etc., etc. (I could honestly keep going and going and going so I have to stop but DO YOU SEE THE PROBLEM HERE???)
Every character's actions were.... I don't know how to describe it. First-thought actions? Not even impulsive because that implies conviction and gut feeling and this was more: I've had a thought, now I must act on it and they're complex situations so it's always just a stupid thought more than anything else. The characters who die... it's kind of their own faults because it would be so very easy not to? Just... don't do the dumb thing you just did? So it's hard to feel much sympathy at all.
Eve's wish at the end????? Your friend just died, your mom's still a fucking bird, your other mom has now rapidly aged and your wish didn't address any of it??? Also, why was there a "deal" at the end to save Nova? A deal implies the Knight potentially gets something out of it too, instead it's just: here's a way to undo the consequences of that last deal for no reason, ta-dah. *jazz hands* And it's still the same rape-y Snow White solution but they love each other (based on nothing) so it's fine now and also it's the boy instead of the girl so does consent still matter? No, right?
I feel like this book came out into the world with not a single other person having read it first - not the author, not an editor, not a single reader. Instead words were splatted onto a page, people were like: it's probably fine, and now I'm holding this terrible monstrosity in my hands that could've potentially been rescued if someone had just asked some basic-ass, editor-like questions about it first. Like....
Why hasn't anyone tried to strategically use wishes - wish against other wishes (use the entire population who've been wish-ravaged working together since apparently the Knight is compelled to keep making deals??)/wish against the Knight/create an impossible to fulfill wish - since apparently there's no limit to how many you can ask for? Why hasn't anyone tried to unravel the bird-queen wish, not very believable no one's tried, yeah? When the fuck did Nova and Eve supposedly fall in love? Why doesn't Nova have his own plan since he also hates the Knight and knows way more about him than any other character? Why doesn't Eve's wish at the end even make an attempt to undo the previous wishes especially since she has personally felt the consequences of so many of them? Why would Junior come out to get ganked when he could've just as easily.... not, and also it would've made a lot more sense if he didn't? What was the point of all of Eve's magic since she didn't really do a lot with it and was super ineffective against the Knight? Are you really going with Eve's ancestor outsmarted the Knight because he just happened to say his name out loud in the three day period he tasked her with her figuring it out? Really though? What are you trying to say and do you think you said it? Etc., etc., etc. (I could honestly keep going and going and going so I have to stop but DO YOU SEE THE PROBLEM HERE???)
Read
June 29, 2024FUN
August 7, 2024
Even when doing a retelling, you can always count on Kalynn Bayron's books to be unique and different. Honestly, I either don't know the Snow White story well or Bayron made a ton of changes, because SLEEP LIKE DEATH was always surprising!
Princess Eve was raised to hate the Knight, a traveling creature who has tormented her Kingdom by granting wishes with a catch; no matter what, they only work out favorably for the Knight in the end. She knows this firsthand; one of her moms, wishing for a beautiful voice, was turned into a bird. Now Eve is catching her other mom, Queen Regina, acting strange, and talking into a looking glass/stone.
I won't lie; some of this book is really weird. I'm okay with that part; pieces of it were rather frustrating, though, and that was more difficult. I certainly wish the LGBTQIA+ angle was stronger beyond Eve's two moms (I mean one is a bird) and some pining. Based on Bayron's other books, there was so much more she could have done here. Instead, Eve has a romance with Nova, a messenger of the Knight, that often feels completely unfounded. They see each other, talk once or twice, and then boom, they are suddenly in love. The lack of connections or reasoning in the story made little sense.
DEATH is stronger when it comes to its allusions to myths and stories. There's a very neat parallel to the Seven Dwarfs and some decent attempts at reversing gender stereotypes from Snow White (some fail, though). The book explores dark magic, often veering deeply into sad and tragic territory--this is certainly not a Disney retelling. It looks at the relationships of mothers and daughters and women in general. Eve's relationship with Queen Regina is complicated; sometimes, you wish everyone in the story would simply communicate more. (Or stop making doomed wishes?)
I enjoyed the story the most when Eve was off exploring and attempting to save her kingdom. This was an interesting retelling, but it seemed like a lot of the connections were missing--not a lot of backstory to the Knight's vengeance, Eve's romance, and more. It's a quick read, but lacking some depth.
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and Bloomsbury YA in return for an unbiased review.
Princess Eve was raised to hate the Knight, a traveling creature who has tormented her Kingdom by granting wishes with a catch; no matter what, they only work out favorably for the Knight in the end. She knows this firsthand; one of her moms, wishing for a beautiful voice, was turned into a bird. Now Eve is catching her other mom, Queen Regina, acting strange, and talking into a looking glass/stone.
I won't lie; some of this book is really weird. I'm okay with that part; pieces of it were rather frustrating, though, and that was more difficult. I certainly wish the LGBTQIA+ angle was stronger beyond Eve's two moms (I mean one is a bird) and some pining. Based on Bayron's other books, there was so much more she could have done here. Instead, Eve has a romance with Nova, a messenger of the Knight, that often feels completely unfounded. They see each other, talk once or twice, and then boom, they are suddenly in love. The lack of connections or reasoning in the story made little sense.
DEATH is stronger when it comes to its allusions to myths and stories. There's a very neat parallel to the Seven Dwarfs and some decent attempts at reversing gender stereotypes from Snow White (some fail, though). The book explores dark magic, often veering deeply into sad and tragic territory--this is certainly not a Disney retelling. It looks at the relationships of mothers and daughters and women in general. Eve's relationship with Queen Regina is complicated; sometimes, you wish everyone in the story would simply communicate more. (Or stop making doomed wishes?)
I enjoyed the story the most when Eve was off exploring and attempting to save her kingdom. This was an interesting retelling, but it seemed like a lot of the connections were missing--not a lot of backstory to the Knight's vengeance, Eve's romance, and more. It's a quick read, but lacking some depth.
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and Bloomsbury YA in return for an unbiased review.
August 3, 2024
Having read one of the author's previous books and not liking it, I can't really say I was surprised by the fact that I didn't enjoy this one either. (It came in my book subscription tho, and since I technically paid for it, I did read it.) This was sort of an expected disappointment for me.
Where to begin? Maybe it's just me, but this book felt like it was more for children or preteens, aside from the probably too excessive for that age group amount of violence. Which feels kind of crazy to say, since I've read books marketed for those groups that felt more mature and memorable than this one. I mean, the way the world of this fairy tale retelling works is just absurd.
The Knight grants wishes but ONLY in a twisted genie sort of way that never works out well for the wishers. I can understand people getting desperate enough to try anyway and being just arrogant enough to believe that it will be different for them if they word it just right, but that's the thing- none of them know how to even try and trick him. All of their wishes are the most open-ended wishes, it's no wonder they all failed. The story frames it as if they tried to be specific and concise, but the execution fails to deliver so hard that they all seem like idiots. Including the queens, who banned it. I think if a little more effort was put in to making them sound like they tried harder to outsmart him, it would have more potency. Instead you get characters who make wishes like, "Bless my wife and I with as many children as possible." Sorry, but I don't know how you thought that wasn't going to backfire on you. Frankly, it could've been a lot worse than what happened. One could only believe the wishes they made were well thought out if you were under ten.
Honestly, the world building as a whole felt under developed. I mean, we cant all be Brandon Sandersons, and I certainly don't expect that level of intricate care from most authors, but almost nothing in this story felt fully fleshed out. I couldn't tell you jack squat about this queendom besides the fact that there's a Knight that goes around granting wishes in an evil way, in the evil version of Howl's moving castle. How big is it? What are their people known for? What does it even look like in passing? What's the rest of the world like? All questions you will not get answers for.
Eve's magic is woefully under explained as well. How does it work??? We don't know. She says that the stuff she makes with it disappears as soon as she's done using it, but what are the limitations on that? Weapons disappear basically as soon as she stops touching them, but she can make blankets that she puts on other people? At one point she makes a dress a la Elsa in Frozen (literally from snow and stardust). Multiple times she pulls the night around her like a cloak to hide. She can sense the feelings of animals. Like, girl, HOW DOES ANY OF THIS WORK?
Don't get me started on the romance, it was terrible. Zero effort put in to making me interested in them. All of the characters felt rather two dimensional, but the effect of Eve and Nova together on my psyche was just heinous. They're as forgettable as 90% of ya fantasy romances. Eve starts off hating him and ends up falling in love anyway because of proximity. Nova I guess just suffers from falling in love at first sight, despite seeing her first when she was a baby and he was not. I don't even know. It's really never explained. He just has always loved her, despite only truly meeting her recently.
This next one is just a personal pet peeve of mine:
Overall, it really needed some more development.
Where to begin? Maybe it's just me, but this book felt like it was more for children or preteens, aside from the probably too excessive for that age group amount of violence. Which feels kind of crazy to say, since I've read books marketed for those groups that felt more mature and memorable than this one. I mean, the way the world of this fairy tale retelling works is just absurd.
The Knight grants wishes but ONLY in a twisted genie sort of way that never works out well for the wishers. I can understand people getting desperate enough to try anyway and being just arrogant enough to believe that it will be different for them if they word it just right, but that's the thing- none of them know how to even try and trick him. All of their wishes are the most open-ended wishes, it's no wonder they all failed. The story frames it as if they tried to be specific and concise, but the execution fails to deliver so hard that they all seem like idiots. Including the queens, who banned it. I think if a little more effort was put in to making them sound like they tried harder to outsmart him, it would have more potency. Instead you get characters who make wishes like, "Bless my wife and I with as many children as possible." Sorry, but I don't know how you thought that wasn't going to backfire on you. Frankly, it could've been a lot worse than what happened. One could only believe the wishes they made were well thought out if you were under ten.
Honestly, the world building as a whole felt under developed. I mean, we cant all be Brandon Sandersons, and I certainly don't expect that level of intricate care from most authors, but almost nothing in this story felt fully fleshed out. I couldn't tell you jack squat about this queendom besides the fact that there's a Knight that goes around granting wishes in an evil way, in the evil version of Howl's moving castle. How big is it? What are their people known for? What does it even look like in passing? What's the rest of the world like? All questions you will not get answers for.
Eve's magic is woefully under explained as well. How does it work??? We don't know. She says that the stuff she makes with it disappears as soon as she's done using it, but what are the limitations on that? Weapons disappear basically as soon as she stops touching them, but she can make blankets that she puts on other people? At one point she makes a dress a la Elsa in Frozen (literally from snow and stardust). Multiple times she pulls the night around her like a cloak to hide. She can sense the feelings of animals. Like, girl, HOW DOES ANY OF THIS WORK?
Don't get me started on the romance, it was terrible. Zero effort put in to making me interested in them. All of the characters felt rather two dimensional, but the effect of Eve and Nova together on my psyche was just heinous. They're as forgettable as 90% of ya fantasy romances. Eve starts off hating him and ends up falling in love anyway because of proximity. Nova I guess just suffers from falling in love at first sight, despite seeing her first when she was a baby and he was not. I don't even know. It's really never explained. He just has always loved her, despite only truly meeting her recently.
This next one is just a personal pet peeve of mine:
Overall, it really needed some more development.
June 21, 2024
I don't know if I would consider this a YA retelling of Snow White. It wasn't until much later on in the book where I saw similarities to Snow White and even then, it didn't really have much significance on the plot. Though there were some parts of the world that were developed well, the concept of the Knight's and Eve's powers were lacking. I wish there was more explanation on what they were capable of. Also, I didn't really understand how and why the Knight was so powerful. Everyone who makes a wish suffers from the consequences so I didn't get why people still went to him for help, even if the idea of a wish was enticing.
Personally, I also struggled with the characters. Eve was so impulsive and she was definitely a YA character. She's quite naïve throughout the whole book and doesn't learn from experience, despite the many struggles she faces. I also thought she was selfish because she didn't seem to care about who she put in danger, despite being aware of the risks they're taking for her. She had such tunnel vision and would ignore the advice of people around her. Nova didn't really stand out to me either and I was bored with the story. It was an interesting idea but the world and characters lacked depth.
Thank you to Bloomsbury YA for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Personally, I also struggled with the characters. Eve was so impulsive and she was definitely a YA character. She's quite naïve throughout the whole book and doesn't learn from experience, despite the many struggles she faces. I also thought she was selfish because she didn't seem to care about who she put in danger, despite being aware of the risks they're taking for her. She had such tunnel vision and would ignore the advice of people around her. Nova didn't really stand out to me either and I was bored with the story. It was an interesting idea but the world and characters lacked depth.
Thank you to Bloomsbury YA for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
August 26, 2024
This book read like if Once Upon a Time was on crack ??? And that show was already on crack so that's saying something
October 5, 2024
I keep giving Bayron chances but her work isn't improving. The writing is so juvenile and bland, and the first person point of view just makes it worse. The storyline had so much potential but lacked depth and character development, and felt rushed. I read this title only because it was an Owlcrate title. The titles and covers are flashy but it's what's inside that really counts, and what's inside is obnoxiously inferior.
Want to read
November 18, 2023WOULD DO ANYTHING TO GET MY HANDS ON THIS EARLY.
UPDATE: I GOT A PROOF COPY🥳
UPDATE: I GOT A PROOF COPY🥳
January 17, 2025
2024 reads: 242/250
eve knows only fools seek out the knight, a monster who twists wishes into curses. she knows this because her own mother was trapped in a songbird’s body after encountering him. she’s trained all her life to take him down, but when the queen begins to act strangely, she questions whether she’s really ready to achieve her goal.
my first kalynn bayron book was cinderella is dead, so i was very excited to read another retelling of hers. i loved this because it took some elements of snow white and still made it original enough to where i never felt like this was a story i’d heard before. i loved eve and seeing her determination and growth throughout the book was really special.
i’d recommend this to anyone who enjoys fairy tales!
eve knows only fools seek out the knight, a monster who twists wishes into curses. she knows this because her own mother was trapped in a songbird’s body after encountering him. she’s trained all her life to take him down, but when the queen begins to act strangely, she questions whether she’s really ready to achieve her goal.
my first kalynn bayron book was cinderella is dead, so i was very excited to read another retelling of hers. i loved this because it took some elements of snow white and still made it original enough to where i never felt like this was a story i’d heard before. i loved eve and seeing her determination and growth throughout the book was really special.
i’d recommend this to anyone who enjoys fairy tales!
August 4, 2024
3.5 stars
This was a very interesting take on Snow White. I really enjoyed all the changes: from the seven dwarves, evil witch, and the inclusion of the Knight.
However, I found this book lacking in terms of romance. When Nova pulled out the L word, it threw me for a loop. How are these characters already in love with one another? In the grand scheme of things, they’ve barely interacted. And she was basically long-distance for half. This is why I have a hard time reading YA as a 25 year old. These teenagers are falling in love all willy nilly.
This was a very interesting take on Snow White. I really enjoyed all the changes: from the seven dwarves, evil witch, and the inclusion of the Knight.
However, I found this book lacking in terms of romance. When Nova pulled out the L word, it threw me for a loop. How are these characters already in love with one another? In the grand scheme of things, they’ve barely interacted. And she was basically long-distance for half. This is why I have a hard time reading YA as a 25 year old. These teenagers are falling in love all willy nilly.
June 3, 2024
Thank you Bloomsbury Books for my advance reading copy.
Sleep Like Death might be my new favorite after Cinderella is Dead. The story sucked me in from the very beginning, had me all in my feels and I couldn’t read fast enough to see how it would all play out. I’ve been reading Kalynn Bayron since her debut and she has NOT missed! If you are a fan of fairytale novels definitely check this book out.
4 1/2 stars
Sleep Like Death might be my new favorite after Cinderella is Dead. The story sucked me in from the very beginning, had me all in my feels and I couldn’t read fast enough to see how it would all play out. I’ve been reading Kalynn Bayron since her debut and she has NOT missed! If you are a fan of fairytale novels definitely check this book out.
4 1/2 stars
January 26, 2025
A fresh take on Snow White while mixing in some other fairytales. Far darker than I thought it would be. The book very much embraced the classic fairytale idea of “actions have consequences” be ready for a very bitter sweet ending.
May 7, 2024
Sleep Like Death was my first fairytale retelling, and I thoroughly enjoyed the story and the intricate fantasy world that houses it. Kalynn Bayron captivated me with her prose and storytelling abilities, and this writing style fits well with the book's motif of collecting stories and those who tell them. Eve was a unique heroine to read about and was very incongruent to the traditional princess archetypes in popular fairytales; but that's what makes Eve such an interesting character. She's brave, disciplined, devoted to her family and kingdom, wields magic, and is a gifted hunter - a far cry from the naive, sing-song Snow White I grew up with.
However, I did have some confusion about this being a Snow White retelling because until 50% through the novel, there was really no sign of this being a retelling whatsoever. After, though, the signs became clear and it was recognizably a reimagining of Snow White; it just took a long time to get to this point.
Thank you to Bloomsbury via Bookinfluencers.com for providing me with a review copy of Sleep Like Death in exchange for my honest thoughts. All thoughts and opinions are my own and are not influenced by any third parties.
However, I did have some confusion about this being a Snow White retelling because until 50% through the novel, there was really no sign of this being a retelling whatsoever. After, though, the signs became clear and it was recognizably a reimagining of Snow White; it just took a long time to get to this point.
Thank you to Bloomsbury via Bookinfluencers.com for providing me with a review copy of Sleep Like Death in exchange for my honest thoughts. All thoughts and opinions are my own and are not influenced by any third parties.
June 24, 2024
Eve, is a strong and determined heroine on a mission to defeat an ancient monster known as the Knight. She has unique abilities to communicate with animals and conjure weapons from nature, Eve faces the challenge of saving her family and kingdom from the Knight’s corrupt deals.
I enjoyed the storyline and found Eve to be a realistic and relatable teenager, marked by moments of defiance and frustration. The writing in this book is stronger than Barron's previous works, with a well-crafted setting and atmosphere that adds a touch of grimdark to the narrative. Overall, this was a fun and engaging read, showcasing Barron's growth as an author.
Thank you to the publisher for an advanced readeres copy of this book to review.
I enjoyed the storyline and found Eve to be a realistic and relatable teenager, marked by moments of defiance and frustration. The writing in this book is stronger than Barron's previous works, with a well-crafted setting and atmosphere that adds a touch of grimdark to the narrative. Overall, this was a fun and engaging read, showcasing Barron's growth as an author.
Thank you to the publisher for an advanced readeres copy of this book to review.
March 24, 2025
3.5! I think this was a really fun take on Snow White- focusing more on familial bonds and a mother’s love rather than an actual romance. Which is perfect for people who like stories where love between two characters is hinted at, rather than fully drawn out and in their faces.
While I do think Eve was a little overpowered, I did enjoy her character and how devoted she was to her mother. Her powers didn’t really seem to matter very much towards the end, and I honestly almost forgot she had magic in the first place.
Princess Eve has been training her whole life to take down the Knight, a mysterious wizard who has been ruining the lives of everyone in the land for centuries. Once you make a wish to the Knight, your life will never be the same, as he only brings rot and ruination. As she approaches her seventeenth birthday, Eve finds out her mother has been hiding more from her than she realized, and it’s up to her and the Knight’s messenger, a young man named Nova, to put an end to him once and for all.
While I do think Eve was a little overpowered, I did enjoy her character and how devoted she was to her mother. Her powers didn’t really seem to matter very much towards the end, and I honestly almost forgot she had magic in the first place.
Princess Eve has been training her whole life to take down the Knight, a mysterious wizard who has been ruining the lives of everyone in the land for centuries. Once you make a wish to the Knight, your life will never be the same, as he only brings rot and ruination. As she approaches her seventeenth birthday, Eve finds out her mother has been hiding more from her than she realized, and it’s up to her and the Knight’s messenger, a young man named Nova, to put an end to him once and for all.
July 28, 2024
➳ 3.75
TW: animal death, blood, child abuse, child death, confinement, death, death of a loved one, fire/fire injury, gore, grief, infant loss, infertility, injury/injury detail, medical content, mental illness, physical abuse, pregnancy, pregnancy trauma, suicide, torture, violence.
This one is for the Once Upon a Time girlies.
I have missed YA fairytale retellings so much lately and this delivered. From the wintery atmosphere to the magical chosen one trope (that actually made sense) to the creative ways the fairytale elements were incorporated, Kalynn Bayron has once again proven that she is incapable of delivering an unenjoyable novel.
This book actually excels in its core messages of family (particularly the power of mothers) and desperation born out of love. The moments that focused on family (both related and otherwise) were the strongest parts of the book; and even with the short page count, it was impossible not to feel for the characters.
Eve was... a bit on the trying side, but it's hard to blame her - all things considered. I just wish there had been a bit more character work, particularly with her head-strong/rather unkind nature at times.
While I did enjoy this, I won't pretend that I don't wish there had been a bit more to the story - both in length and content. It's so fast-paced (which serves the fairytale aspect well) that it sometimes left the story feeling a bit... underbaked. I wanted more world-building, more time spent on the relationships (particularly the romance), and more spent on certain plot-points that I found interesting.
I wouldn't necessarily recommend this to someone that's easily irritated by YA and needs all of their stories to be massive feats of world-building and character work.
But if you loved OUaT, if you're looking for a nostalgic yet creatively-unique YA fairytale retelling with a lot of heart, I completely recommend this.
Kalynn Bayron's books are such lovely, fun times (even amidst the heavy topics) and this was no different.
TW: animal death, blood, child abuse, child death, confinement, death, death of a loved one, fire/fire injury, gore, grief, infant loss, infertility, injury/injury detail, medical content, mental illness, physical abuse, pregnancy, pregnancy trauma, suicide, torture, violence.
This one is for the Once Upon a Time girlies.
I have missed YA fairytale retellings so much lately and this delivered. From the wintery atmosphere to the magical chosen one trope (that actually made sense) to the creative ways the fairytale elements were incorporated, Kalynn Bayron has once again proven that she is incapable of delivering an unenjoyable novel.
This book actually excels in its core messages of family (particularly the power of mothers) and desperation born out of love. The moments that focused on family (both related and otherwise) were the strongest parts of the book; and even with the short page count, it was impossible not to feel for the characters.
Eve was... a bit on the trying side, but it's hard to blame her - all things considered. I just wish there had been a bit more character work, particularly with her head-strong/rather unkind nature at times.
While I did enjoy this, I won't pretend that I don't wish there had been a bit more to the story - both in length and content. It's so fast-paced (which serves the fairytale aspect well) that it sometimes left the story feeling a bit... underbaked. I wanted more world-building, more time spent on the relationships (particularly the romance), and more spent on certain plot-points that I found interesting.
I wouldn't necessarily recommend this to someone that's easily irritated by YA and needs all of their stories to be massive feats of world-building and character work.
But if you loved OUaT, if you're looking for a nostalgic yet creatively-unique YA fairytale retelling with a lot of heart, I completely recommend this.
Kalynn Bayron's books are such lovely, fun times (even amidst the heavy topics) and this was no different.
June 30, 2024
What a clever twist to Snow White‼️ In many ways Sleep Like Death is very similar yet it still stands in a lane of its own. Not gonna lie this book gave me bursts of excitement when I was able to put different clues together. I also love how the author wove a few other fairytales into the mix like with the Knight. I kept thinking I know this character from something else then by the end of the book it all made sense.
Now of all the characters one of my favorite was Grump if stay ready was a person it would definitely be him. I loved Eve’s character too she was stubborn at times but also very brave. Holding magical powers with the ability to conjure weapons from her surroundings and a gift for communicating with animals. She trained her whole life to take down the Knight and would stop at nothing until that destiny was fulfilled. There are so many things I could and want to say about this book but I’ll keep my spoilers for now. I honestly feel like the author did a fantastic job with this one and I hope everyone enjoys reading it too. Special thanks to @coloredpagesbt @kalynnbayron @bloomsburybooksus for my #gifted copy‼️
Now of all the characters one of my favorite was Grump if stay ready was a person it would definitely be him. I loved Eve’s character too she was stubborn at times but also very brave. Holding magical powers with the ability to conjure weapons from her surroundings and a gift for communicating with animals. She trained her whole life to take down the Knight and would stop at nothing until that destiny was fulfilled. There are so many things I could and want to say about this book but I’ll keep my spoilers for now. I honestly feel like the author did a fantastic job with this one and I hope everyone enjoys reading it too. Special thanks to @coloredpagesbt @kalynnbayron @bloomsburybooksus for my #gifted copy‼️
August 23, 2024
I feel so bad but I dnf’d this one.
Life is too short to read books I’m not that interested in and this is one of them.
I tried. I really did but I couldn’t get into it. Let me start by saying that I love that we are getting more black girl representation. That is such a positive note and it gave me so much happiness.
But that’s where that ended. For me I could not get into this at all. I was bored the first half but of this book and because I have three other current reads I’m not going to bother reading the rest.
The characters and world building fell a bit flat and did nothing to pull me in.
Overall I was a tad disappointed but I’m curious to read a different book from Kalynn Bayron!
Life is too short to read books I’m not that interested in and this is one of them.
I tried. I really did but I couldn’t get into it. Let me start by saying that I love that we are getting more black girl representation. That is such a positive note and it gave me so much happiness.
But that’s where that ended. For me I could not get into this at all. I was bored the first half but of this book and because I have three other current reads I’m not going to bother reading the rest.
The characters and world building fell a bit flat and did nothing to pull me in.
Overall I was a tad disappointed but I’m curious to read a different book from Kalynn Bayron!
March 2, 2025
3.5
Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
This is a fun and twisty retelling of Snow White, with a magical, wintery atmosphere. Family is a strong message throughout this book, with a mother-daughter bond at the heart of the story, and found family appearing along the way. I really enjoyed how the author made the story of Snow White her own, with original twists on certain elements but enough nods to the fairytale that makes it feel familiar at the same time. I didn't love the romance aspect - I'm not sure it really added to the story in any way - but it was very quick and easy to read, despite not feeling like something that I just had to know the end of.
Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
This is a fun and twisty retelling of Snow White, with a magical, wintery atmosphere. Family is a strong message throughout this book, with a mother-daughter bond at the heart of the story, and found family appearing along the way. I really enjoyed how the author made the story of Snow White her own, with original twists on certain elements but enough nods to the fairytale that makes it feel familiar at the same time. I didn't love the romance aspect - I'm not sure it really added to the story in any way - but it was very quick and easy to read, despite not feeling like something that I just had to know the end of.
July 7, 2024
3.5/5
I loved the fact that this book is centered around a fairytale but isn’t a fairytale. Let me explain, some authors when they write retellings will name drop characters and events that make the retelling seem just like the original, without going along and making these characters feel real, in the sense that the reader learns about them more and gets to have a way to connect with them besides just liking their original story. I loved how this story didn’t follow the original plot and made it its own story that you could read it and not instantly know it is a retelling. With that I will say the pacing for me wasn’t the best. It would be fast at time but most of the time it was just slow and even though I was able to finish this in my usual time I just found it to feel longer than it was.
I loved the fact that this book is centered around a fairytale but isn’t a fairytale. Let me explain, some authors when they write retellings will name drop characters and events that make the retelling seem just like the original, without going along and making these characters feel real, in the sense that the reader learns about them more and gets to have a way to connect with them besides just liking their original story. I loved how this story didn’t follow the original plot and made it its own story that you could read it and not instantly know it is a retelling. With that I will say the pacing for me wasn’t the best. It would be fast at time but most of the time it was just slow and even though I was able to finish this in my usual time I just found it to feel longer than it was.
July 11, 2024
Queen Regina>>>
July 8, 2024
2 stars!
I feel really bad but this did not work for me.
To start with some strengths:
- I think the writing of this book was strong. It was easy to read and that was nice.
- It was extremely fast-paced. I read Kalynn Bayron's book You're Supposed to Die Tonight last year and it was similarly quick paced.
- The representation was strong. As a Black woman, I love to read about other Black women just existing and living life so I appreciated that. Also like many of Kalynn Bayron's novels, there was a queer relationship (unfortunately it's not super featured) in this book which is also great!
Where this went wrong:
- The story progression of this book felt kinda odd. Everyone made decisions in split seconds, and it felt like the characters also decided to like and trust people for no reason?
- The romance. Don't even get me started on this. Why were people telling each other that they loved one another when they spent definitely less than 4 days together? It was so unbelievable, and every time the love interest was on the page I was rolling my eyes,
- The fairytale retelling aspect. This may be a hot take, but I love a fairytale retelling. I'm not entirely convinced this is one? I guess it's kind of a mash up of Howl's Moving Castle (the villain lives in a castle similar to Howl) but the Snow White elements barely came in (like maybe at 70%) and the way they were shoehorned in made it seem like in the last second someone was like wait wasn't this supposed to be a Snow White retelling.
- The characters. Unfortunately, basically all of the characters felt one dimensional. The villain? He was scary but when we found out his motivations I literally laughed out loud. The Queen? She kind of treated everyone else in the story like they were dumb and I so believe some issues could've been solved with communication. Eve? Fairly flat and not really different from many other YA fantasy FMCs. She also made so many stupid decisions that I wanted to yell at her.
- The magic system in this book also made little to no sense and was also not really explained which is alright? I guess?
Overall, this was really a disappointing read and it makes me sad that this didn't work for me.
Thank you to Bloomsbury USA Children's Books and NetGalley for the copy in exchange for an honest review!
I feel really bad but this did not work for me.
To start with some strengths:
- I think the writing of this book was strong. It was easy to read and that was nice.
- It was extremely fast-paced. I read Kalynn Bayron's book You're Supposed to Die Tonight last year and it was similarly quick paced.
- The representation was strong. As a Black woman, I love to read about other Black women just existing and living life so I appreciated that. Also like many of Kalynn Bayron's novels, there was a queer relationship (unfortunately it's not super featured) in this book which is also great!
Where this went wrong:
- The story progression of this book felt kinda odd. Everyone made decisions in split seconds, and it felt like the characters also decided to like and trust people for no reason?
- The romance. Don't even get me started on this. Why were people telling each other that they loved one another when they spent definitely less than 4 days together? It was so unbelievable, and every time the love interest was on the page I was rolling my eyes,
- The fairytale retelling aspect. This may be a hot take, but I love a fairytale retelling. I'm not entirely convinced this is one? I guess it's kind of a mash up of Howl's Moving Castle (the villain lives in a castle similar to Howl) but the Snow White elements barely came in (like maybe at 70%) and the way they were shoehorned in made it seem like in the last second someone was like wait wasn't this supposed to be a Snow White retelling.
- The characters. Unfortunately, basically all of the characters felt one dimensional. The villain? He was scary but when we found out his motivations I literally laughed out loud. The Queen? She kind of treated everyone else in the story like they were dumb and I so believe some issues could've been solved with communication. Eve? Fairly flat and not really different from many other YA fantasy FMCs. She also made so many stupid decisions that I wanted to yell at her.
- The magic system in this book also made little to no sense and was also not really explained which is alright? I guess?
Overall, this was really a disappointing read and it makes me sad that this didn't work for me.
Thank you to Bloomsbury USA Children's Books and NetGalley for the copy in exchange for an honest review!
August 18, 2024
Princess Eve was raised and trained to kill the Knight for all of her life, but she could not have imagined the grasp the evil man has on her life and the lives of the people of Queen's Bridge in totality. Eve is investigating the stories, trying to find a weakness and rid the land of the Knight forever, however she appears to be part of his biggest deal yet. She has to fight, not just for her life, but for her family, her lands and a love that might just be just as big as the betrayals she has to face.
Pro's:
+ I can see what this story tries to be, a more mature and action-filled re-imagining of the story of Snow White. Even though it feels like some elements are thrown in a bit haphazardly, they are there and it could have been really good.
Con's:
- The writing of this book is atrocious. A lot of short sentences make this very unbalanced and therefore an actual hell to get through. There is no flow the the story, it feels choppy and getting though this was like pulling my own fingernails off.
- The main character is extremely unlikable. I found Eve arrogant, a know-it all and I could not make sense of her motives or thought-process at all. And then she meets Nova and their chemistry I understand even less, just no.
This might have been the worst book I've read this year. The writing is just awful, who approved this? I legit have trouble understanding how this author can have multiple books released, with stories that have such a horrible flow and are so hard to get through. The skincolor of the characters doesn't bother me, but the rest of this story does, it was just not good and I will not pick-up anything from the author in the future. I have the Fairyloot edition of this book and the book itself is stunning, but I will get rid of this. This feels like a bad rip-off of the Villains series by Serena Valentino, a feeling I got after reading the ending of this book especially. This is a nope and I hope no-one else has to suffer through this.
Pro's:
+ I can see what this story tries to be, a more mature and action-filled re-imagining of the story of Snow White. Even though it feels like some elements are thrown in a bit haphazardly, they are there and it could have been really good.
Con's:
- The writing of this book is atrocious. A lot of short sentences make this very unbalanced and therefore an actual hell to get through. There is no flow the the story, it feels choppy and getting though this was like pulling my own fingernails off.
- The main character is extremely unlikable. I found Eve arrogant, a know-it all and I could not make sense of her motives or thought-process at all. And then she meets Nova and their chemistry I understand even less, just no.
This might have been the worst book I've read this year. The writing is just awful, who approved this? I legit have trouble understanding how this author can have multiple books released, with stories that have such a horrible flow and are so hard to get through. The skincolor of the characters doesn't bother me, but the rest of this story does, it was just not good and I will not pick-up anything from the author in the future. I have the Fairyloot edition of this book and the book itself is stunning, but I will get rid of this. This feels like a bad rip-off of the Villains series by Serena Valentino, a feeling I got after reading the ending of this book especially. This is a nope and I hope no-one else has to suffer through this.
September 21, 2024
“that is the nature of grief. it changes you. it burns you up from the inside and then you emerge from the ashes, like the phoenix.”
for fans of:
🍏 fairytales
🍏 queernormative kingdoms
🍏 found families
princess eve has trained all her life to defeat the knight, raised to believe that her magical abilities will one day be able to defeat the monster who has turned her people’s wishes into curses for generations. no one has been left unscathed, not even the royal family: one of eve’s mothers was turned into a songbird after making an (idiotic) deal with him. as eve prepares to face her enemy, her other mother begins to unravel—and eve learns that the knight’s influence on her family and kingdom runs deeper than she was ever told.
unfortunately i have to accept that kalynn bayron’s writing is just not for me. i was so frustrated by the premise of the knight. why is anyone still making deals with him when EVERY SINGLE DEAL has backfired? no one in this kingdom has any common sense (including the comically overpowered MC, eve) so it was difficult to get invested or root for anyone. sleep like death redeems itself somewhat in the fairytale elements; it’s a loose reimagining of “snow white” interwoven with other fairytales, and i enjoyed the twist with the knight’s identity… but with so many clever, lovely fairytale retellings available now, i can’t say this one is a standout for me.
rating: 2.5/5.0 stars, rounded down
August 17, 2024
Unfortunately, this fell short on many levels. The writing style really irks me, though I’ve seen other authors do the same sort of thing - it’s very…self-centered? I’m not sure how to properly explain it except to say that writing a first person narrative doesn’t always have to mean sticking entirely to the MC’s internal thoughts. There are other characters - I’d like to learn more about them than what they look like. That depth is sorely missing here.
There’s a lot of telling over showing. It reads quite young, but there’s a good bit of violence that wouldn’t be appropriate for younger readers.
Also, nothing is fully explained. The FMC’s magic is hinted at but not explored, for one. The “romance” (true love! …supposedly) is so underdeveloped that the ultimate outcome lacks the emotional punch it’s meant to deliver.
All in all, not for me.
There’s a lot of telling over showing. It reads quite young, but there’s a good bit of violence that wouldn’t be appropriate for younger readers.
Also, nothing is fully explained. The FMC’s magic is hinted at but not explored, for one. The “romance” (true love! …supposedly) is so underdeveloped that the ultimate outcome lacks the emotional punch it’s meant to deliver.
All in all, not for me.
August 12, 2024
It seemed to be written for a much younger audience and I got to a point where I just realised I don’t care if I finish the story or not :/
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