Crown of Slumber

Crowns of the Fae #1

by R.L. Perez

Two feuding kingdoms. One unbreakable sleeping curse.

Princess Aurelia would rather spend her time with her dragons than her court. But when a deadly sleeping curse befalls her family, her only hope lies in the hands of the wicked Prince Fenn. His kingdom maintains the only known supply of stardust, a rare substance that is the key to breaking the spell. But Fenn’s aid comes with a price: Aurelia must pose as his betrothed to secure an alliance that will protect his court.

As they embark on their journey, weaving a web of deception, Aurelia begins to see through his charming facade. Beneath his flippant persona lies a depth she never expected—a prince she could grow to care for. Perhaps even love.

But as genuine feelings blossom between them, Aurelia stumbles upon a sinister secret within Fenn's court—a secret that threatens not only her dragons and her kingdom, but the very essence of her soul. Can she trust Fenn to save her family, or will his hidden darkness be their undoing?

Crown of Slumber is a Sleeping Beauty retelling with a twist, full of dark fae magic, deadly court schemes, and steamy romance. The Crowns of the Fae books can be read in any order as stand-alone novels.

Genres: Fantasy, Romantasy, Romance, Dragons, Fantasy Romance, Fae, Audiobook

496 pages, Hardcover

Published September 15, 2024

Reviews

[Sylvie {Semi-Hiatus} · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Many thanks to NetGalley for providing me an e-arc and an audiobook in exchange for an honest review!*

Second read: But this time in an audiobook format.
First read: 4 out of 5 stars!

Yes!!! I was looking forward to re-read this book, and now that I received the audiobook as well... The second read is going to be even more fun.
________________________________
Whoever decides to write a re-telling of Sleeping Beauty, which happens to be one of my all-time favorite fairytale of all time, becomes an instant favorite person of mine.

I love the world building, the twist, the characters and everything in between that happened in this book.

Now catch me reading this book again in the near future!

You know this girlie right here *points at myself* loves nothing more than a Sleeping Beauty re-telling.

[Farda Hus · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 Stars

Big thanks to the publisher and author for sending me an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book didn’t let me catch my breath. It kept building tension on top of tension right up until the very end. Just when I thought I had the twist all figured out, it totally blindsided me. I was so wrong, and honestly, I loved being surprised like that.

Here’s what I really enjoyed:

1. Dragons: I mean, come on, it’s dragons. Of course, I loved them! Who wouldn’t?
2. World-Building: The world itself was super immersive. The way the magic worked, the political drama between the courts, it all made the world feel real and exciting.
3. Characterization: No helpless, innocent heroine here, thank goodness! And the MMC wasn’t your typical dark, brooding hunk either. It was so refreshing to read characters that broke away from those tired old tropes.

But I’ve got to be honest, there was one thing that really bugged me. At this super crucial, intense moment in the story, the FMC suddenly decided it was a good time to, well… let’s just say she got really intimate with the MMC. Like, why?? It totally killed the vibe and ruined the momentum for me. And don’t even get me started on the cheesy lovey-dovey banter that followed,it was so cringey! Why?? why?? why did it have to happen during such a pivotal scene??

So, did I like the book? Yeah, I think I did. Would I recommend it? For sure, if you’re into romantasy with killer world-building and dragons. Just be prepared for that one weird moment.

[Rochelle ♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

i’ve never read or watched sleeping beauty, i’m ashamed to admit, so my thoughts on whether this is an accurate re-telling (or not) don’t come into effect in this review.

putting aside my three-star rating, crown of slumber was such a delight to read! it has its positive and negative aspects, but the negatives didn’t detract from my overall reading experience. it was cute and full of fluff with some action and adventure, but for me this book lacked sensory engagement and deep emotions to make this feel anything more than. i will always mention this—nothing grates on my nerves more than a “tell not show” narrative.

“i loathe you more intensely than a thousand burning suns.”

the enemies to lovers element made me feel underwhelmed! it was kind of there, but brief and didn't contain that true enemies to lovers feeling that leaves you blissfully sighing from all of the heated banter and exchanges of hatred. it was one-sided (from aurelia's side) for most of the story. there’s nothing better sounding than two fae nobles from feuding kingdoms becoming engaged under false pretences, however the execution was lacklustre.

“gods, do you ever stop? you are utterly incorrigible.”
“incorrigible? or irresistible?”

aurelia was argumentative and for no real reason withheld information. all. the. time. i’m sure her characterisation was used to create conflict and tension but dear lord she frustrated me sometimes. she’s supposed to be this strong and fierce character, though aurelia came across as childish and irrationally illogical more often than not. her past sexual assault and following trauma felt mishandled (and lacked trigger warnings for the reader).

fennick isn't your standard dark, brooding and haunted mess of a love interest. he’s softer, kinder and more wholesome. i don't mind this kind of male character sometimes, but in what is supposed to be an enemies to lovers romance between two feuding kingdoms, i wanted some villainous moments from fennick.

i wasn’t invested in aurelia and fennick’s budding romance. it wasn’t exciting. i do, however, appreciate the minimal spiciness but there was one ill-timed encounter that made me go cross-eyed from how far-fetched the entire moment was. it lacked realism, leaving me feeling uninvested and the burning passion was not burning or making me want to kick my feet in excitement.

dragons made much better company than fae nobles.

we have magic and curses, witches and dragons, fake courtship and warring kingdoms to name a couple of classic romance elements. however, each one felt like it was touched upon in small doses and the overall deliverance on detail was flat. it was nice to read a standalone, but when introducing an extensive non-human world, having the inability to really delve into those details makes everything feel less engaging.

this book suffered from a lack of character development and detailed world-building and the writing was awfully repetitive. if fennick was described as smelling of pine and mint and waterfalls one more time, i was going to scream.

in short: i wasn’t bored, nor excited reading this.

────────────────────

˖⁺‧₊♡ pre-read review ⋙ i’ve been staring at this on my kindle with hearts in my eyes. a fairytale retelling with dragons and enemies to lovers, fake courtship and feuding kingdoms is such a mood.



follow me on: instagram

[mads ꫂৎ · Rating 2 out of 5]

➳ 2.25 stars

Special thanks to netgalley, publishers, and R.L. Perez for providing me with an ARC. As always, all thoughts are my own and are in no way influenced by early access to this title.

Growing up Sleeping Beauty was one of my favorite Disney fairytales so going into this I was very excited. To say I was disappointed would unfortunately be an understatement 😔.

To start off this book didn’t have the initial intrigue that the original fairytale had. While the vibes intrigued me a bit it just had a bit of a messy feel to it. The world building was one of the things that this book lacked. Plus there wasn’t much background and character development to go off of the dull world building.

Then the writing was both repetitive and cringey. Some of it I was going to look past but it just kept on happening. And for a book that’s five hundred pages it just stuck out.

I did enjoy some of our main couple’s banter and romance but I just wasn’t obsessed. I also wasn’t crazy about the plot (or the characters on their own for that matter). At the beginning I was intrigued but it eventually fell flat. Overall I was pretty bored and just didn’t connect much with the characters and the story sadly.

[Brend · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was… dancing in the forest


Thank you to Willow Haven Press and NetGalley for this ARC copy


Crown of Slumber was a refreshing take on a fairytale, that managed to twist the story while never losing the classic feeling.

(4.5/5)

As a Romantasy, I think it succeeded at making the relationship between out main characters believable. Both were three-dimensional , had their own motivations and backstories that didn't revolve around each other, and were lovable enough to care about for the almost 500 pages.

Positive:
-Well done characters
-Interesting plot
-Interesting world-building (including the lore of the world itself, and the particular magic/powers of each of the creatures and people we were introduced to)
-The disagreements. Our characters were attracted to each other from the beginning, (which I find much more believable than them only realizing after 400 pages)
-Almost 500 pages total but it's super fast paced and easy to read. The last maybe 70 pages felt a little dragged out and that brings me to my one negative below.

Negative:
-The conflict of the third act of the novel felt both predictable and not up to part with the rest of the story. It was easy to anticipate, the most obvious option, but felt a bit lazy given what we knew (Spoilers: the power our main character had and, on top of that, her stubbornness made it a little unbelievable that she was not able to just... get out of that situation. I understand panicking, feeling defeated, etc, but every other time she was presented with a dangerous situation, she was resourceful and fearless. It felt like her reaction to this new problem was only different because we needed it to last a bit more and be the final issue, which tends to take more than a chapter to fix)

[Juanita · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, my stars 🌟 🌟🌟🌟🌟❤️

I've always been a huge fan of Maleficent, but not so much Sleeping Beauty. Yes, I know they're the same, but we didn't always realize that, did we?!
I'm also not a huge fan of fairy tales because we tend to make them pretty when they are not actually intended to be. Retelling them usually just means I changed the wording around a bit.

THIS is its own story. Calling witches what they are and showing that magic is SIMPLY magic. Showing that pain is sometimes expressed as anger and aggression. Showing that love conquers all without turning the entire story into a love story. Showing that holding back what's inside us, trying to dull ourselves, will only cause more devestation and damage than any of us can right.

I didn't attach to the characters in this one, I absorbed the whole damn thing...

[⊹ ✧ Beyond_the_Bookmarks ✧ ⊹ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this as an ARC from NetGalley.
Crown of Slumber is due to be published on 15 September 2024.

I really enjoyed this retelling! Sleeping Beauty is my absolute favourite fairy tale so I was excited but nervous! I was absolutely captured by the story. It has great world building, a strong FMC, a playful MMC, great banter, some tasteful spice and dragons (everyone loves dragons and these ones are prominent). It had a really nice flow to readability and it kept you wanting more so I found putting the book down to actually do life was tough and I wanted to be back in Valora. On the whole I really enjoyed this read and anyone who loves the popular tropes - forced proximity, (kind of) enemies to lovers, self discovery, fake relationship, magical systems, alternate dimensions, shapeshifting. As a stand alone it’s pretty good - It does do a pretty neat wrap up at the end which is sufficient.

There is a stranger “intimate” moment that comes out of nowhere… maybe a weird (opposite) power play thing… I dunno, it caught me by surprise 😳 🫣

**Edit to add that the author has told me that there will be a trigger warning in the final manuscript **

The ONLY thing that might be beneficial:
- Having some trigger warnings at the start for the mention of sexual assault/rape, abduction, imprisonment, death and violence.

[George Ciuri · Rating 4 out of 5]

nice book. I enjoyed

[Camille · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, that was disappointing.

Before I go any further in my review, I want to remind everyone that I gave Carved in Ice and Glass 4 stars a few months ago. I love how fresh, witty, and innovative the author is with that retelling. I’m bringing this up because I’m going to sound undeniably ranty, and I want to establish that I have nothing against the author.

This book has all the ingredients for a fantastic romantasy: witches, dragons, fake relationships, and a spicy enemies-to-lovers romance. Plus, it’s a Sleeping Beauty retelling! And can we take a moment to admire its beautiful cover and stunning map? I couldn’t wait to start reading... until I got to the first page.

At first, I thought there’d been a mistake. Maybe the publisher sent me the outline rather than the final book? I couldn’t think of any other explanation for the words splashed across the page. We’re talking choppy paragraphs saturated with info-dumpy material.

And if you don’t believe me, here’s a paragraph from the first page:

“I was the eldest daughter and next in line for the throne of the Summer Court. Father would be stepping down soon. In truth, he was quite healthy; but I knew Mother was anxious to retire with him. He was reluctant, but he knew it was best for the kingdom. I couldn’t blame my mother for wanting to step back. I wanted the same thing, after all. To live in the forest with my clan of dragons was my fantasy. I didn’t mind court politics. But solidifying my position as queen with a union with another fae court sickened me. I had to pretend to be flattered by the suitors who only saw me as a pretty ornament attached to their arm when in reality, I wanted to retch.”

This opening paragraph is problematic because it TELLS the reader what the main character is feeling rather than SHOWING it. Unfortunately, this is a recurring theme throughout the book.

I also have a few issues with the plot and the characters. There are several minor inconsistencies (the MMC is described as having tanned skin despite living in a kingdom with no sunlight, the FMC tells a lie despite being fae, etc.), but some of the plot holes are more extensive. I can usually look past plot holes if I like a book’s characters, but that isn’t the case here. I could go into detail about why I didn’t connect with the FMC, but I feel like this review is already harsh enough.

Moving on to what I did like, I really enjoyed the MMC. Prince Fenn comes across as a rake, but he’s actually really soft-hearted. I love it when characters have multiple layers, and I think the author does a wonderful job balancing Fenn’s aloof royal persona with his clever and compassionate sides. I also loved getting to know the dragons! Any retellings that include sentient dragons are a win, in my opinion.

I also think this book is easy to get into. The plot is straightforward, and there’s a lot of action that will keep readers turning the page. I believe this book would be a great fit for someone who loves a high-stakes adventure and lots of romantic tension.

While I didn’t love this retelling as much as I did the author’s other work (definitely check out Carved in Glass if you haven’t already), I still think Crown of Slumber will be well-received by the romantasy community. I can see people who like spicy fairytales devouring this retelling. Overall, I’m rating it 3-stars and recommending it to people who enjoy that genre.

I received an ARC of this book courtesy of the publisher and Netgalley; all opinions are my own.

[Poppy Cain · Rating 1 out of 5]

For a seasoned author who has written over a dozen novels, the quality of this novel was quite atrocious.

*Received an ARC via NetGalley in return for an honest review*

The writing was incredibly poor. There were constant repetition of phrases during scenes "her eyes sparkled like she knew something i did not" for one, to a point where it passed merely noticeable to showing a lack of care from both writer and editor to make sure there isn't a constant recycling of terms. To make it worse, the ENTIRE 500 PAGES is told and not shown. A little bit of this is usual for fantasy books, we are entering a totally unknown world here, but the novel cannot trust its audience even deep into the story and narrates everything as if we are reading a history a book and not there with the characters watching them through their own heads. Criminally boring.

Usually with poorly written stories you can at least struggle through by connecting to a character, but every single one felt like a single-phrased workshop instead of actual PEOPLE. The female main character struggles to be anything except 'rebelling against patriarchy, likes dragons'. It was agonising trying to listen to these characters say the most basic boring thing and follow the expected script for their chosen personalities. It made the story lack even more sense and jumbled the world further.

Marketing was SEVERELY POOR. This is meant to be New Adult, catered towards romantasy and people who want really in depth characters who feel real, but it read like a Middle Grade novel. In fact, I think it would have been better off this way. The truly terrible writing was more in line with a children's book than an adult romantasy, and everything felt geared towards introducing young readers into fantasy to the first time rather than seasoned consumers which was WILD.

Narrators felt incredibly plastic and over-effected.

Will actively go out of my way to avoid consuming both the author, but also the narrators, again.

[jas · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book!!! i absolutely devoured this book!! this sleeping beauty retelling paid homage to the story while also having its own separate plot points and twists and turns. the beginning of a book is always the hardest for me, but that was not the case with this one. from the jump, i was introduced to the story and the characters in a way that i knew what was going on but i wasn’t thrown so much information that i was bored. the introduction was a smooth and exciting ride. i loved aurelia’s free spirit from the start and as soon as fenn was introduced, i already loved him. the way they met was one of my favorite scenes. it felt like the connection just became so easy to them right away. their banter and flirting was so good that i was blushing, giggling, kicking my feet on so many instances. i loved the journey of power, self acceptance, and love i found in this book. i found myself laughing and crying along with aurelia and fenn. my favorite part of any book is the ability to make me feel, and this book did just that. add this one to your tbr, folks!! it’s a good one! the crown of slumber comes out september 15th!

also thank you to R.L Perez, Willow Haven Press, and Netgalley for this ARC!!

[paigesofsmut · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sleeping Beauty retelling basically. the world building is phenomenal and the story is full of dark fae magic.

[Dev (lit.lark) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and the author for a copy of this audio! Here are my thoughts -

Story:
I actually really enjoyed this story. I don't think I've read a sleeping beauty retelling before so this felt fresh in that scense. I was immediately drawn into the story and the world building and really enjoyed that aspect throughout the story. The romance between the MCs felt a little off at times - but it didn't take away from my overall enjoyment of the story. The pacing of the story was kind of up and down as well, but again, not enough to take away from my enjoyment. I think my favorite aspect was how unpredictable this story felt, I was never quite sure where it was going to go and that kept me invested.

Narration:
These were both new to me narrators and I really enjoyed their work! This is dual narration and both narrators excelled at bringing these characters' personalites to life. I also think their voices and narration styles complimented each other well and worked really well as a collaboration. The narration helped with some of the pacing issues within the story for me, so I'm happy I did the audio for this story.

I would definitely recommend this one to anyone needing a quicker romantasy read that doesn't feel like every other story out there - I definitely suggest the audio!

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you so much to Net Galley, Victory Editing and RL Perez for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Crown of Slumber is a retelling of Sleeping Beauty, if there were more dragons that behaved like little puppies and if the Princess was a total badass. The sense of wonder Aurelia gets from flying with her dragons, who all have bags of personality, is what hooked me into the story, and I stayed for that, and of course, the charming romance which begins as a marriage of convenience and blossoms into something all encompassing and SUPER romantic. The banter is heady and intoxicating, think Powerless, but less YA.

[Milda · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5⭐

The dragons totally stole the show in this one — Mal was adorable and gave big Toothless energy 🐉💚, and honestly, every scene with the dragons was my favorite 🥹🔥. I could’ve read a whole book just about them!

The story was fun and easy to read, with cool magic powers ⚡. The romance, though, felt rushed — they were in love in less than a week 👀 — and the characters came across a bit young. But the dragon cuteness made up for a lot.

A sweet, light fantasy read if you’re into magical creatures 🐲💫 and fairy tale vibes — especially this Sleeping Beauty retelling with a twist.🌹✨

[Yesterdays Chapter · Rating 3 out of 5]

There were a lot of things about Crown of Slumber that I really liked. The dragons, the plot, the fact that the Fmc was strong and capable of destruction.
A couple things I didn’t love, the writing at times felt a little juvenile for my taste, and that one scene that didn’t feel like a good time to be getting down with it… I recommend if you are looking for a fantasy romance but not looking for something overly complex.

[Ari bookedmybook · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have to admit I didn’t read the blurb to closely so when Aurelia’s family fell asleep I was honestly surprised. Apparently I didn’t reflect to closely over the fact that this was a Sleeping Beauty retelling 😅 That said I enjoyed the story a lot. I was surprised several times over the novel and found all the small plot twists and revelations exciting. The writing was so easy to get into and the world-building was great. I liked all the colorful descriptions and could vividly imagine everything the author wrote. The novel is almost 500 pages long, but I hardly noticed the length because of how engaged I was in the story.

I struggled a bit with Fenn and Aurelia’s chemistry at the start. The first time they met there was an instant attraction and I was afraid it would be very intsa-lovey. However when they learned about each others identity they suddenly despised and hated each other. Since they never had met I felt Aurelia’s hate was misplaced. I can understand a dislike because of their kingdom’s feud, but felt it was a bit too much. It got better through the novel as they learned to know each other.

Fenn was a total fairytale prince. He always tried to make sure Aurelia felt comfortable and never pressured her into anything. He prioritised her needs before his own and rarely complained about her suspicion for him. He was a real gentleman. I wasn’t too fond of Aurelia in the beginning but when I learned more about her past and fears I got empathy for her. I also have to say that the chemistry between Fenn and Aurelia further into the story was sizzling. The spice was sparkling.

The magic system, secrecy and mysteries helped to drive the story. I really liked Aurelia’s hidden past and magic abilities. The fact that no one knew what her fae powers were and strong connecting to dragons made an excellent revelation. I was honestly flabbergasted.

I think the book was a fun and magical (pun intended) retelling. I’ve never read anything by R.L. Perez before but I’ve bought several of her other novels and I’m excited to read more from her. Thank you to the author for the ARC! Crown of Slumber released September 15th.

[Sara Mion · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I started this book, I thought it would be a sweet, more adult version of Sleeping Beauty with maybe a few twists. I was completely wrong in all the best ways!

While it definitely contained elements of Sleeping Beauty, there were so many unique points in the plot that I never felt like I just *knew* what was going to happen, or how we were going to get to more predictable parts of the story.

The characters were developed well, and I always enjoy a good enemies to lovers trope.

I took a few days getting into the story, but then could not put it down for the final 75% of the book!

Update to review 2/28/25

I was lucky enough to receive an ALC of this book, which was such a delight after having loved reading it last summer!

It was such a great re-listen, and I was able to pick up so much more a second time through and *knowing* the characters from the beginning.

I continue to be enchanted by the world building and especially the dragons. The descriptions are rich and help bring the world to life.

I was curious how the book would translate from written to audio, especially with the dual perspective. The narrators were fantastic and really fit how I have imagined Aurelia ans Fenn in my head. The story was still easy to follow and engaging.

Still a book I would suggest to anyone looking for a great stand alone romantasy! (It is part of a series of retellings, but they are not connected in storyline or characters)

Thank you to NetGalley and Willow Haven Press for providing me with the ALC. All opinions are my own.

[Reese 🌌💙 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you NetGallery for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I’m such a sucker for a fairytale retelling and when I hear that this was a sleeping beauty retelling mixed with flipping dragons AND fae I was sold. Straight away I loved it. I am OBSESSED with dragons at the moment and I loved the begging of the book, I was hooked the moment the author wrote about Aurelia and her bond with her dragons.

I really enjoyed the romance in this book and how it was written. I liked how this was truly a retelling but it was also loyal to the original fairytale. I feel like this was a really really good way of doing the story justice.

I loved the twist and I didn’t actually predict that it was going to be what it was. I feel like it kept me on my toes and I loved that about this book.

My only issue which is so tiny and probably my fault, was that I was really confused with the dual POV and who was who but then I realised it literally tells you at the start. Loved the dual POV and the short chapters. It really kept me enticed.

[Babble.Reads · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unfortunately this audiobook is a DnF for me (at least for now). I stopped listening at 51%.

Sleeping Beauty is one of my absolute favorites, so you can imagine how extremely excited I was to read this. The story started off well enough, and I was intrigued. As things progressed, the FMC became more and more insufferable. Her constant mood swings left me confused and made her too pretentious to bear.

The narrators were great for their respective characters, however, making this a dual narration versus a duet really hindered my enjoyment. The blossoming romance wasn’t believable, and the writing (especially the spice) felt juvenile. It’s also worth mentioning that most SA survivors that just confided their story to someone, wouldn’t want to be touched sexually almost immediately after. I found this odd, and uncomfortable.

[Jolie Lennon · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️3.5 Stars⭐️
Thank you to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read Crown Of Slumber! This was a really fun Sleeping Beauty retelling! I loved how creative this story was and the authors writing style. I wasn’t the biggest fan of the narrators who did the audiobook, I think I would have enjoyed it more if it was different people and I didn’t like the main female character. I feel like she would have her good moments but the rest of her moments kinda frustrated me especially with how mean she would be for no reason or how clueless she would be at times. I liked the main guy character though! I think if you love retellings, fae, dragons and romantasy then I think this book is for you! Thank you again to NetGalley for the ARC!💕📚

[MC · Rating 2 out of 5]

Crown of Slumber by R.L. Perez is a Sleeping Beauty retelling/inspiration with a FMC that has dragons and needs to save her family from a sleeping curse. This has rather juvenile writing and the plot is not conceptually sound. It cannot decide if it will stick to the story of Sleeping Beauty or just use it as inspiration. I have read many book able to do this, some even based off the same fairytale, but this one does not hit the mark. I will not be reading further in the series.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for access to this ARC.

[Sarah Keller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Four and a half stars rounded up to five.

💚This one is about Aurelia, a fae princess who spends most of her time with her dragons, but with her father the king abdicating, she must interview suitors and get ready to become queen of the Summer Court. Problem: she hates all of them. Enter Prince Fen of the Star Court, who is not a suitor at all. He needs to negotiate with Aurelia to get a dragon and save his people. Problem: Aurelia also hates people looking at her dragons. But when a mysterious curse falls over the Summer Court, leaving Aurelia and Fen unaffected, they must team up to save both of their people. 🌙

💗I liked this one! It’s a Sleeping Beauty retelling with a twist. Aurelia is very prickly, and she’s obsessively protective of her dragons. She’s much more Angelina Jolie Maleficent than Aurora (and I found it helped to picture her that way). She has been through some stuff, so it becomes apparent later in the book why she’s so volatile. Aurelia and Fen really had to go through it in order to achieve both of their goals and I was along for the ride! There were witches, ogres, did I mention a fake engagement? I found it to be an easy read and I wanted to pick it back up. ⭐️

💚The audiobook was really interesting! The FMC voice was British while the MMC voice was American. It sort of made sense since they were from different courts, and when they spoke as each other they did the accents. Both narrators did a great job. I was able to listen comfortably at 1.5x and I could move it up to 2x with no distortion. ✨

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my first fairytale retelling - but what hooked me in wanting to read it was the fact that it was a Sleeping Beauty Retelling, but also had Fae, witches and Dragons I mean what more could you want, and I really enjoyed reading this one.

I found that I flew through this book, with a storyline that draws you in, world building that makes you wish you could visit the courts and takes you on the journey with our 2 MCs.

I liked the dynamics of the 2 MCs with Aurelias - fierce protectiveness of those around her and herself ( which does come across as very argumentative and defensive which can annoy people) and Fenns playfulness getting under her skin and slowly learning to trust him. I do hope that there might be another book with these 2 as the MCs as they learn to be the rulers they can be and see more development from them.

It has a few tropes, enemies to lovers, strained relationships, fake relationships, secrets, and more!

It's the first book i've read by R.L Perez, and it won't be my last.

If you are looking for a book with magic, dragons, action, romance, and more, then I would recommend adding this to your tbr

[Juliana · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars ⭐️

This Sleeping Beauty retelling was SO FUN! I really loved the dual POV, this really brought the story to life and allowed me to connect with both protagonists. I absolutely adore Fenn 💕

This story has so many great tropes such as:
-Enemies-to-lovers
-Witty banter
-Forced proximity
-Dual POV
-DRAGONS

What I loved most were the playful nods to the original fairytale, mixed with fresh twists that kept me hooked. The fairytale elements were woven in seamlessly, creating a magical atmosphere that felt both nostalgic and new.

This was an easy read and full of fun, making it a perfect pick for anyone looking for a lighthearted fantasy escape. Even if you're not typically into fantasy, this book is a great entry point, thanks to its engaging plot and relatable characters. Highly recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley, R.L. Perez, and the publishers for providing me with the e-ARC!

[Kylie Main · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a thoroughly enjoyable dark fae retelling. It is a fast paced fantasy romance with smooth, easy to follow world building, coupled with dragons, political intrigue, and truly passionate moments. The relationship between Aurelia and Fenn created a captivating and enchanting love story. Listening to the audio book took this to a whole new level and was an effortlessly absorbing experience. The narrative of this one was fun, but kept me fully engaged all the way until the final sentence.

The enemies-to-lovers trope was executed seamlessly, with their playful banter being both delightful and spirited. Fenn is such a wholesome character, meanwhile Aurelia’s free-spirited nature and strong personality made her an excellent female protagonist.

A truly great dark fae retelling of Sleeping Beauty, sure to awaken dormant things and whisk you off on an entirely new journey. Crown of Slumber will keep you engaged and entertained from start to finish.

Please check the trigger warnings!

[Mirandia Berthold · Rating 4 out of 5]

**Thank you to the author for providing me with an ARC of this book.**

I am a sucker for a good retelling for sure. So, when I read the summary of this book I knew I had to give it a go. I especially love when it’s a retelling with a unique twist/spin that’s different from others. This book does that.

The book literally starts with “Dragons made much better company than Fae nobles.” Umm, Ms Perez, say less! I am in!!!

I will not spoil anything but I want to say “YES”. This book has a great plot with fantastic characters. Add in witty banter, dual POVs (which I am really starting to love), and oh yeah DRAGONS. I think I said that already but DRAGONS.

If you are a fan of Fourth Wing this is an excellent book to add to your TBR.

[Ashley {_xamountofbooks} · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. (via Netgalley)

I enjoyed this enough to read it in one sitting. I like when retellings stay true to the original while adding their own spin on it, which I feel this story accomplishes. The world building and characters were well done. I also felt the spice was appropriate and added to the story. Looking forward to more in the series!

[muhgooo · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was just ok. There were some weird inconsistencies (like how can I dragon be big enough to destroy armies and carry two adults, but also small enough to fit inside buildings?).

This was your basic run of the mill fae Romantasy sleeping beauty retelling. The audiobook narrators were great! But yeah nothing really stood out to me as “excellent”.

[Caitlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Right from the start, this book grabbed me tight, pulled me in, and didn't let go. In my opinion, it was such an incredible twist on the Sleeping Beauty fairy tale with the perfect amount of romance, spice, and plot.