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Cursed Fae Courts #1
Kingdom of Briars and Roses
I’m caught between two powerful fae princes. One will be my savior. The other will be my death.
I’ve spent years trapped behind these walls—cursed to live among the sleeping for eternity. When trespassers find their way into my castle, it’s both a dream and a nightmare.
Prince Callan is the first outsider I’ve met in years—and the realm’s most arrogant prick. He’s also the only one with the power to break this wretched curse and restore my kingdom.
Unfortunately, Callan’s assistance comes at a price. If I want his help, I’ll have to belong to him.
A sacrifice I’m willing to make for the people I love.
Until I lay eyes on Rydian.
The second fae prince is everything the elder heir is not. Strong, wise—lethal. He is a distraction I can’t afford.
And he hates me on sight.
In a realm where evil disguises itself as friendship, I am forced to rely on two men whose disgust for each other is only outweighed by their obsession with me.
One of them will save me, the other will tear me apart. I just wish I knew which to trust with my life—and my heart.
—--
Pre-Order this steamy, enemies-to-lovers fantasy romance about two fae princes and the cursed woman trapped between them. Book 1 in a fated mates romantasy series with a Sleeping Beauty twist.
I’ve spent years trapped behind these walls—cursed to live among the sleeping for eternity. When trespassers find their way into my castle, it’s both a dream and a nightmare.
Prince Callan is the first outsider I’ve met in years—and the realm’s most arrogant prick. He’s also the only one with the power to break this wretched curse and restore my kingdom.
Unfortunately, Callan’s assistance comes at a price. If I want his help, I’ll have to belong to him.
A sacrifice I’m willing to make for the people I love.
Until I lay eyes on Rydian.
The second fae prince is everything the elder heir is not. Strong, wise—lethal. He is a distraction I can’t afford.
And he hates me on sight.
In a realm where evil disguises itself as friendship, I am forced to rely on two men whose disgust for each other is only outweighed by their obsession with me.
One of them will save me, the other will tear me apart. I just wish I knew which to trust with my life—and my heart.
—--
Pre-Order this steamy, enemies-to-lovers fantasy romance about two fae princes and the cursed woman trapped between them. Book 1 in a fated mates romantasy series with a Sleeping Beauty twist.
458 pages, Paperback
First published February 4, 2025
61 people are currently reading
6989 people want to read
About the author
Heather Hildenbrand
175 books1,441 followersHeather Hildenbrand lives in coastal Virginia where she writes paranormal and fantasy romance with strong-willed heroines and dark, grumpy heroes who’ll burn the world down for their mate. Her most frequent hobbies are cuddling with her giant goldendoodles, riding country roads on the back of her husband’s motorcycle, and avoiding killer slugs.
You can find out more about Heather and her books at heatherhildenbrand.com.
You can find out more about Heather and her books at heatherhildenbrand.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 86 reviews
March 13, 2025
This month has been such a great reading month for me. If you have been looking for a SLEEPING BEAUTY retelling, I got you!😍 this is perfect for fans of fairytales, curses, magic and the love triangle of the TV show Reign! I have a thing for mysterious dark-haired men so I was rooting for Rydian 👀 the banter was bantering!
The FMC reminds me of Auren from Gild, a heroine that doesn’t know her strength at first and grows with the story 🥹 If you read To Wake a Kingdom where the whole kingdom is asleep BUT the princess, you will love this retelling! The worldbuilding is not too complex and easy to grasp. There is an evil queen, dark creatures (obsidians), magical winged guardians (The fairy godmothers! 😍) and different fae courts!
What you can expect:
🖤shadow daddy
🖤fae royalty
🖤sleeping beauty retelling
🖤hate-to-love
🖤who did this to you
The FMC reminds me of Auren from Gild, a heroine that doesn’t know her strength at first and grows with the story 🥹 If you read To Wake a Kingdom where the whole kingdom is asleep BUT the princess, you will love this retelling! The worldbuilding is not too complex and easy to grasp. There is an evil queen, dark creatures (obsidians), magical winged guardians (The fairy godmothers! 😍) and different fae courts!
What you can expect:
🖤shadow daddy
🖤fae royalty
🖤sleeping beauty retelling
🖤hate-to-love
🖤who did this to you
March 17, 2025
If you’re looking for your next epic fantasy, with slow burn romance, Sleeping Beauty vibes (I was just talking about retellings we want more of, and this made me realize that Sleeping Beauty might be one of mine!), animosity to lovers, great world building, a FMC you will love, and great character dynamics, then you should pick this one up!
KOBAR really serves to set up the world and foundation for this series I feel like. This is a very slow burn with just an early start for our two MCs. But the entirety of the book is setting things up so well for more to come, and I for one, can't wait. The storytelling, world building, conflict, magic system, everything just feels very well fleshed out and grounded.
I loved Aurelia and her strength. I am so intrigued by Rydian and learning more about him. These two had great chemistry throughout the book. Fans of "touch you and die" vibes will LOVE this book lol
I imagine that the second book in this series will just start off running and not let up, and I for one, cannot wait to read the next book in this series.
I received a copy for an instagram tour. My thoughts are my own.
I'm adding some notes for myself so I don't forget things by the time the second book comes out lol. Full of spoilers!
KOBAR really serves to set up the world and foundation for this series I feel like. This is a very slow burn with just an early start for our two MCs. But the entirety of the book is setting things up so well for more to come, and I for one, can't wait. The storytelling, world building, conflict, magic system, everything just feels very well fleshed out and grounded.
I loved Aurelia and her strength. I am so intrigued by Rydian and learning more about him. These two had great chemistry throughout the book. Fans of "touch you and die" vibes will LOVE this book lol
I imagine that the second book in this series will just start off running and not let up, and I for one, cannot wait to read the next book in this series.
I received a copy for an instagram tour. My thoughts are my own.
I'm adding some notes for myself so I don't forget things by the time the second book comes out lol. Full of spoilers!
March 23, 2025
Thank you to the author for the gifted copy. Opinions are my own.
Sleeping Beauty is to this day one of my favorite fairytales (especially the Disney animated version because Maleficent 👑), and I love finding retellings for it! And this book feels like a love child between Sleeping Beauty and ACOTAR, so of course I devoured it.
It follows Aurelia, the princess of a kingdom affected by a sleeping curse who, in her quest to break it, makes a deal with a prince. Her hand in marriage in exchange for his help. But the prince has a mysterious, dangerous half brother she can't shake off...
One of my favorite things in retellings is finding all the little hints that lead back to the original fairytale. The author did a great job in this, managing however to weave a tale that feels completely original and that stands on its own. I loved the fairytale vibe, and the crescendo of action, political intrigue and surprising twists that unfold once the curse hits. My favorite character (to no one's surprise) was Rydian, the mysterious brother. There's a lot of mystery around his character, and he also has a nickname for her 🫠
Some things you can expect from this book:
- Sleeping Beauty x ACOTAR
- Fae courts
- A (sort of) love triangle
- Arranged marriage
- She has a crush on his brother
- Spicy!
Sleeping Beauty is to this day one of my favorite fairytales (especially the Disney animated version because Maleficent 👑), and I love finding retellings for it! And this book feels like a love child between Sleeping Beauty and ACOTAR, so of course I devoured it.
It follows Aurelia, the princess of a kingdom affected by a sleeping curse who, in her quest to break it, makes a deal with a prince. Her hand in marriage in exchange for his help. But the prince has a mysterious, dangerous half brother she can't shake off...
One of my favorite things in retellings is finding all the little hints that lead back to the original fairytale. The author did a great job in this, managing however to weave a tale that feels completely original and that stands on its own. I loved the fairytale vibe, and the crescendo of action, political intrigue and surprising twists that unfold once the curse hits. My favorite character (to no one's surprise) was Rydian, the mysterious brother. There's a lot of mystery around his character, and he also has a nickname for her 🫠
Some things you can expect from this book:
- Sleeping Beauty x ACOTAR
- Fae courts
- A (sort of) love triangle
- Arranged marriage
- She has a crush on his brother
- Spicy!
March 3, 2025
4⭐️
1🌶️ (one small scene)
Thank you to the author for a copy of this e-arc!
Kingdom of Briars & Roses follows Aurelia, princess of the Summer Court. Betrothed to the Crown Prince of the Autumn Court, Callan, she knows it’s this alliance that is meant to help defeat Heliconia, the evil Queen of the Winter Court, who stole her thrown with dark magic.
On the eve of their betrothal party, the Summer Court is attacked by Heliconia and a curse is thrust upon the Summer Court. Meant to be dead, Aurelia is the only one awake, while the rest of her court sleeps. 7 years of hiding herself and her court away from everyone else, the magic protecting her land is crumbling and new answers begin to emerge about why she has this dark magic swirling within her. Secrets and lies spanning her whole life are beginning to catch up. With the re-arrival of her betrothed, Callan, a prophecy told long ago of their union that would save all their kingdoms, she begins a journey to the Autumn Court to find more answers to break the curse on her land and defeat the evil Winter Queen.
But with Callan, comes his brother, Rydian, who also seems to wield darker magic like hers and has more secrets than you can name. Torn between her duty to Callan and her pull to Rydian, Aurelia doesn’t know who to trust and where to find allies amongst her enemies.
I gave this book 4 stars. It’s a good first book to the series to set up the characters, setting, and plot. There isn’t a whole ton of character background this book to be honest, so I’m hoping book 2 down the line does more of that. With all of the characters honestly. We know a lot about Aurelia, but I’d like to get more about Rydian and Callan’s backstory. I think the plot though sets it up that we will in the future for sure.
The book ends on a cliffhanger of sorts. I will say there were multiple parts of the book that felt predictable to me and I did predict the ending. I also have a guess as to where the ending is taking us into the next book. There were definitely a couple scenes I did not guess, so it kept me interested but I will say I was hoping for a little more unpredictability in the story vs generic romantasy plot lines. But, I think future books of the series could do that and I will continue to read them.
The spice 🌶️ is minimal but the author has said future books will have more, so I expected book 1 to be minimal but was hoping for a bit more from what we did get. It’s not exactly your typical slow “burn”, more like slow but still insta-lust-ish? Again, I think future books will dive more into it and it could be a really good romance storyline as well as plot.
Overall, I enjoyed this book and will continue when more books come out for the series. Thanks again to the author for an ARC of this! 😊
1🌶️ (one small scene)
Thank you to the author for a copy of this e-arc!
Kingdom of Briars & Roses follows Aurelia, princess of the Summer Court. Betrothed to the Crown Prince of the Autumn Court, Callan, she knows it’s this alliance that is meant to help defeat Heliconia, the evil Queen of the Winter Court, who stole her thrown with dark magic.
On the eve of their betrothal party, the Summer Court is attacked by Heliconia and a curse is thrust upon the Summer Court. Meant to be dead, Aurelia is the only one awake, while the rest of her court sleeps. 7 years of hiding herself and her court away from everyone else, the magic protecting her land is crumbling and new answers begin to emerge about why she has this dark magic swirling within her. Secrets and lies spanning her whole life are beginning to catch up. With the re-arrival of her betrothed, Callan, a prophecy told long ago of their union that would save all their kingdoms, she begins a journey to the Autumn Court to find more answers to break the curse on her land and defeat the evil Winter Queen.
But with Callan, comes his brother, Rydian, who also seems to wield darker magic like hers and has more secrets than you can name. Torn between her duty to Callan and her pull to Rydian, Aurelia doesn’t know who to trust and where to find allies amongst her enemies.
I gave this book 4 stars. It’s a good first book to the series to set up the characters, setting, and plot. There isn’t a whole ton of character background this book to be honest, so I’m hoping book 2 down the line does more of that. With all of the characters honestly. We know a lot about Aurelia, but I’d like to get more about Rydian and Callan’s backstory. I think the plot though sets it up that we will in the future for sure.
The book ends on a cliffhanger of sorts. I will say there were multiple parts of the book that felt predictable to me and I did predict the ending. I also have a guess as to where the ending is taking us into the next book. There were definitely a couple scenes I did not guess, so it kept me interested but I will say I was hoping for a little more unpredictability in the story vs generic romantasy plot lines. But, I think future books of the series could do that and I will continue to read them.
The spice 🌶️ is minimal but the author has said future books will have more, so I expected book 1 to be minimal but was hoping for a bit more from what we did get. It’s not exactly your typical slow “burn”, more like slow but still insta-lust-ish? Again, I think future books will dive more into it and it could be a really good romance storyline as well as plot.
Overall, I enjoyed this book and will continue when more books come out for the series. Thanks again to the author for an ARC of this! 😊
March 5, 2025
Really enjoyed this book! The secrets and betrayals kept me turning the pages and the intrigue with a certain MMC was delicious!! The potential it laid out for book 2 has me dying for the next book! So glad I was able to read this one!
April 16, 2025
If you're into fae romance with curses, slow-burn tension, and a splash of courtly chaos, Kingdom of Briars and Roses totally scratches that itch. It gave me A Court of Thorns and Roses vibes, but with its own spin and a heroine you want to root for.
We follow Aurelia, who’s been cursed to sleep forever (yep, very Sleeping Beauty but make it darker). Only she’s not fully asleep—she’s kinda just existing in this weird half-dream state until Prince Callan rolls in with the power to break the curse. Except things get messy (of course), because Callan’s not the only prince around.
Things you'll love!
🌹 Enemies to Lovers
💤 Sleeping Beauty Curse
🏰 Fae Courts & Political Intrigue
🔥 Slow-Burn Romance
Aurelia is no damsel—she’s sassy, determined, and totally aware of the hot fae boys circling her. I liked that she didn’t fall head over heels right away and actually pushed back when needed. The two love interests are both interesting in their own way, and the romantic tension? So good.
If you love magical curses, hot fae princes, and morally questionable choices (in the best way), this one’s totally worth the read.
Huge thanks to the author for gifting me a copy! All opinions are my own.
We follow Aurelia, who’s been cursed to sleep forever (yep, very Sleeping Beauty but make it darker). Only she’s not fully asleep—she’s kinda just existing in this weird half-dream state until Prince Callan rolls in with the power to break the curse. Except things get messy (of course), because Callan’s not the only prince around.
Things you'll love!
🌹 Enemies to Lovers
💤 Sleeping Beauty Curse
🏰 Fae Courts & Political Intrigue
🔥 Slow-Burn Romance
Aurelia is no damsel—she’s sassy, determined, and totally aware of the hot fae boys circling her. I liked that she didn’t fall head over heels right away and actually pushed back when needed. The two love interests are both interesting in their own way, and the romantic tension? So good.
If you love magical curses, hot fae princes, and morally questionable choices (in the best way), this one’s totally worth the read.
Huge thanks to the author for gifting me a copy! All opinions are my own.
March 31, 2025
The fact that I’ve seen multiple reviewers give this a 3 🌶️ rating only boasters the fact that many of these writers are paying for reviews. Spice? That means sex right? Like open door detailed sex? Sex with penis and vaginas? I would love to know where that is in this book because I read the whole damn thing. And I got a refund. This is not an adult book, this book is for the TikTok dance loving girls who thinks it’s cool to hate pink and be “one of the boys”. The ones who think that by putting down other woman in front of their boy crush will score them extra points. 🤣
I’m not going to go into how disappointed I was in reading this book. Especially when my interest was peaked after reading that description. I have an ever growing list of people I’ll buy books from no matter what,l that just got a new entry. 🙃
Edit: after looking at other books by this person they only write YA books. Early books are just romance. So shame on me for not checking I suppose. Another author trying to catch crumbs from SJM bandwagon. It’s so pathetic really.
I’m not going to go into how disappointed I was in reading this book. Especially when my interest was peaked after reading that description. I have an ever growing list of people I’ll buy books from no matter what,l that just got a new entry. 🙃
Edit: after looking at other books by this person they only write YA books. Early books are just romance. So shame on me for not checking I suppose. Another author trying to catch crumbs from SJM bandwagon. It’s so pathetic really.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 16, 2025
Fae, royals, intrigue, romance. These are the four ingredients that make me a happy reader without fail, and this book has them all!
Kingdom of Briars and Roses is the first book in a slow burn Romantasy with fae pitched as ACOTAR meets Reign with a Sleeping Beauty story twist and the comparisons are perfect. It’s got fae royals, court politics, a power hungry villainess worthy of Maleficent, and a curse the protagonist is desperate to break. Oh and did I mention a hot morally gray love interest?
The story follows Aurelia, princess of the Summer Court, which has fallen victim to a sleeping curse that has spared only her and three powerful Fate-blessed warriors. Seven years pass and Aurelia is no closer to breaking the curse. In comes Prince Callan of the Autumn Court, her former betrothed who renews his proposal in exchange of help in beating the curse. Aurelia accepts, but once at the Autumn Court she is thrust into a web of more secrets and schemes. Not to mention that the mysterious male with the dark powers that keeps haunting her thoughts is not her fiancé, but his half-brother, Rydian.
The start of this book truly felt like the premise of a fairy tale and I loved recognizing little details that called back to Sleeping Beauty without overdoing it. In the chapters we see Aurelia basically trapped in her court, protecting and caring for all the sleeping fae while trying to find a way to break the curse, I could feel her loneliness—hers and that of the Aine warriors with her. Things get especially interesting once she discovers things about herself and her powers (I can’t say more but WOW, I was not expecting that!), and it only becomes a crescendo from there once she accepts Callan’s proposal and goes to the Autumn Court. The scheming, the twists, and every interaction with Rydian had me hooked. And I really appreciated a surprising reveal in the finale that I totally did not see coming, despite having formed a pretty good idea about the character that the reveal is about.
Here are some tropes!
📖 sleeping beauty twist
💍 arranged marriage
⚠️ (sort of but not really) love triangle
👑 fae royalty
❤️🔥 she has a crush on her betrothed’s brother
☠️ touch her and 💀
Thank you to the author for gifting me a copy. Opinions are my own.
Kingdom of Briars and Roses is the first book in a slow burn Romantasy with fae pitched as ACOTAR meets Reign with a Sleeping Beauty story twist and the comparisons are perfect. It’s got fae royals, court politics, a power hungry villainess worthy of Maleficent, and a curse the protagonist is desperate to break. Oh and did I mention a hot morally gray love interest?
The story follows Aurelia, princess of the Summer Court, which has fallen victim to a sleeping curse that has spared only her and three powerful Fate-blessed warriors. Seven years pass and Aurelia is no closer to breaking the curse. In comes Prince Callan of the Autumn Court, her former betrothed who renews his proposal in exchange of help in beating the curse. Aurelia accepts, but once at the Autumn Court she is thrust into a web of more secrets and schemes. Not to mention that the mysterious male with the dark powers that keeps haunting her thoughts is not her fiancé, but his half-brother, Rydian.
The start of this book truly felt like the premise of a fairy tale and I loved recognizing little details that called back to Sleeping Beauty without overdoing it. In the chapters we see Aurelia basically trapped in her court, protecting and caring for all the sleeping fae while trying to find a way to break the curse, I could feel her loneliness—hers and that of the Aine warriors with her. Things get especially interesting once she discovers things about herself and her powers (I can’t say more but WOW, I was not expecting that!), and it only becomes a crescendo from there once she accepts Callan’s proposal and goes to the Autumn Court. The scheming, the twists, and every interaction with Rydian had me hooked. And I really appreciated a surprising reveal in the finale that I totally did not see coming, despite having formed a pretty good idea about the character that the reveal is about.
Here are some tropes!
📖 sleeping beauty twist
💍 arranged marriage
⚠️ (sort of but not really) love triangle
👑 fae royalty
❤️🔥 she has a crush on her betrothed’s brother
☠️ touch her and 💀
Thank you to the author for gifting me a copy. Opinions are my own.
March 10, 2025
This book was perfection! It's one of the best Sleeping Beauty retellings I've ever read. There were just enough aspects of the original tale to give me that familiar feeling. However, Kingdom of Briars and Roses is its own fascinating tale. There are fae warriors, an evil queen, fae courts, a mysterious prophecy, and more. Even the Fates and the Underworld are in the mix, which lends to the story's originality. I was completely blindsided by the plot twist. I gasped, it was so good. And that big reveal led to even more revelations. I didn't want to put it down. I was completely riveted.
And the characters! I loved Aurelia's growth. She went from a dutiful princess to a powerful warrior. She has determination and a little grit and isn't willing to let anything stop her from saving her kingdom. Aurelia was awesome. Then there's Rydian, who is as infuriating as he is hot. The chemistry between him and Aurelia is all fire. This is a slow burn, but things are heating up.
It wasn't until I got closer to the end that the tension hit. It felt like everything was on a knife's edge. I could feel my heart start to race. And no wonder, with that ending... just wow. Kingdom of Briars and Roses was outstanding! I have so many questions, and oddly enough, they're mostly about Rydian. I'm already dying to get my hands on the next book. Not only that, but I can't wait to see what other challenges Aurelia faces next.
And the characters! I loved Aurelia's growth. She went from a dutiful princess to a powerful warrior. She has determination and a little grit and isn't willing to let anything stop her from saving her kingdom. Aurelia was awesome. Then there's Rydian, who is as infuriating as he is hot. The chemistry between him and Aurelia is all fire. This is a slow burn, but things are heating up.
It wasn't until I got closer to the end that the tension hit. It felt like everything was on a knife's edge. I could feel my heart start to race. And no wonder, with that ending... just wow. Kingdom of Briars and Roses was outstanding! I have so many questions, and oddly enough, they're mostly about Rydian. I'm already dying to get my hands on the next book. Not only that, but I can't wait to see what other challenges Aurelia faces next.
March 27, 2025
This was a really good first novel in the series, setting up what is to come!
Aurelia’s court has fallen under a sleeping curse— she wasn’t affected as she’s not really one of them and holds a much stronger power. She’s also the chosen one who can defeat the evil queen.
The evil queen stays largely absent in this one, as Aurelia spends some years in the land where everyone is asleep but her, and gets found by the Autumn Court. Before the curse, Aurelia was engaged to Prince Callan, an insufferable prick, and (unknowingly) met his half brother, Rydian.
She feels drawn to Rydian, but for alliance purposes has to marry Callan. However, as she discovers more of what occurred during the years since the sleeping curse started, the more she realizes that to win the war, there’s an evil battle at home she has to win first. One that’s right in front of her.
I really enjoyed this sleeping beauty retelling and it’s not really a love triangle. Trust me, you know which one to pick 😂 it’s definitely a slow burn though! And the ending showcased that there are many more secrets to be unveiled, as we are only beginning to scratch the surface of Aurelia’s dark power.
Thank you R&R Book Tours for having me!
Aurelia’s court has fallen under a sleeping curse— she wasn’t affected as she’s not really one of them and holds a much stronger power. She’s also the chosen one who can defeat the evil queen.
The evil queen stays largely absent in this one, as Aurelia spends some years in the land where everyone is asleep but her, and gets found by the Autumn Court. Before the curse, Aurelia was engaged to Prince Callan, an insufferable prick, and (unknowingly) met his half brother, Rydian.
She feels drawn to Rydian, but for alliance purposes has to marry Callan. However, as she discovers more of what occurred during the years since the sleeping curse started, the more she realizes that to win the war, there’s an evil battle at home she has to win first. One that’s right in front of her.
I really enjoyed this sleeping beauty retelling and it’s not really a love triangle. Trust me, you know which one to pick 😂 it’s definitely a slow burn though! And the ending showcased that there are many more secrets to be unveiled, as we are only beginning to scratch the surface of Aurelia’s dark power.
Thank you R&R Book Tours for having me!
March 17, 2025
Firstly a huge thank you to Heather Hildenbrand and R&R book tours for the gifted eARC of Kingdom of Briars and Roses.
Eeeek! I loved this book, I was hooked from the start and just completely fell head first into the wonderful world Heather has created. The magical element and the Aine were truly wonderful, they gave me serious Valkyrie vibes which I adored!
Everyone knows I love a relatable and fierce FMC and Aurelia was superb. She isn’t an instant badass and instead you can see her character arc and how she changes over time and throughout the course of the book. She’s also deliciously complex. She has a fire and an inner strength and you can see how she’s been hardened by the trauma she’s suffered, but shes also indecisive and flawed. Which to be honest, I think I would be as well! She can be vulnerable and naive and bury her head in the sand but then she has this absolute fire burning within that rears its head when she needs to fight (or if a certain male provokes her…wink wink. I loved her!
Callan and Rydian work really well as the contrasting MMC’s and I think Heather is leaving lots left for us to uncover about them in the future books…Rydian is absolute fire and I am here for him ALL DAY. I am really intrigued by his backstory and can’t wait to find out more about him. The chemistry between the two of them is *chefs kiss*
The plot is loosely based on some elements of the Sleeping Beauty fairytale, but Heather has made it her own and woven in some wonderful world building and different magic systems. The political intrigue and court politics and games were wonderful, the characters are fantastic and I am already waiting for the story to continue in book 2. An immersive and wonderful romantasy.
Eeeek! I loved this book, I was hooked from the start and just completely fell head first into the wonderful world Heather has created. The magical element and the Aine were truly wonderful, they gave me serious Valkyrie vibes which I adored!
Everyone knows I love a relatable and fierce FMC and Aurelia was superb. She isn’t an instant badass and instead you can see her character arc and how she changes over time and throughout the course of the book. She’s also deliciously complex. She has a fire and an inner strength and you can see how she’s been hardened by the trauma she’s suffered, but shes also indecisive and flawed. Which to be honest, I think I would be as well! She can be vulnerable and naive and bury her head in the sand but then she has this absolute fire burning within that rears its head when she needs to fight (or if a certain male provokes her…wink wink. I loved her!
Callan and Rydian work really well as the contrasting MMC’s and I think Heather is leaving lots left for us to uncover about them in the future books…Rydian is absolute fire and I am here for him ALL DAY. I am really intrigued by his backstory and can’t wait to find out more about him. The chemistry between the two of them is *chefs kiss*
The plot is loosely based on some elements of the Sleeping Beauty fairytale, but Heather has made it her own and woven in some wonderful world building and different magic systems. The political intrigue and court politics and games were wonderful, the characters are fantastic and I am already waiting for the story to continue in book 2. An immersive and wonderful romantasy.
February 28, 2025
4.25 ⭐️
Wow I devoured this book I really did. I knew like 30 pages into it I was going to love it and it did not disappoint!
Starting off strong with a warrior FMC, I love that she was trained by women warriors and had that background separate from her powers. I did also like the MMC, well one of them lol, but I do wish we would have gotten to know him a little bit more. However, he has so many secrets I’m sure we aren’t supposed to know yet just by the little bit we got from him POV. While I did enjoy the banter between the two characters, I feel like their actual lovers part came really fast and kinda out of no where when it did happen. I would like to see a little more character growth in both of these characters in the next book.
The world building was relatively easy to follow for the most part and the map definitely helped. I like the different court system, it was giving ACOTAR vibes. I also think there was a good strong villain in the beginning, but then another villain was introduced so I feel like it took away from the original villain who is the one that cursed Aurelia’s family in the first place. There were some other plot points that kind of weren’t mentioned again either that felt unresolved so I am hoping those are brought up and cleared up in the next book.
Overall I really did enjoy this book and will definitely be reading the next one!
Wow I devoured this book I really did. I knew like 30 pages into it I was going to love it and it did not disappoint!
Starting off strong with a warrior FMC, I love that she was trained by women warriors and had that background separate from her powers. I did also like the MMC, well one of them lol, but I do wish we would have gotten to know him a little bit more. However, he has so many secrets I’m sure we aren’t supposed to know yet just by the little bit we got from him POV. While I did enjoy the banter between the two characters, I feel like their actual lovers part came really fast and kinda out of no where when it did happen. I would like to see a little more character growth in both of these characters in the next book.
The world building was relatively easy to follow for the most part and the map definitely helped. I like the different court system, it was giving ACOTAR vibes. I also think there was a good strong villain in the beginning, but then another villain was introduced so I feel like it took away from the original villain who is the one that cursed Aurelia’s family in the first place. There were some other plot points that kind of weren’t mentioned again either that felt unresolved so I am hoping those are brought up and cleared up in the next book.
Overall I really did enjoy this book and will definitely be reading the next one!
May 29, 2025
This was an intriguing read! I dropped a star because there was a point between around 60-70% where the author lost me, things were happening and it made no sense why or how it got to that point and I had to figure out where we were in the other side. But all in all this was really interesting and unique and I am super interested in continuing!
March 13, 2025
Oh yes
I have been wanting to read this book for a while now, and it does not disappoint at all. So much happens in such a short time. Secrets, betrayal, and more secrets. Who can you trust when your life is on the line? Loved everything about this book
I have been wanting to read this book for a while now, and it does not disappoint at all. So much happens in such a short time. Secrets, betrayal, and more secrets. Who can you trust when your life is on the line? Loved everything about this book
April 12, 2025
Enjoyed the read and its ties to Sleeping Beauty. Excited for the next one!
March 19, 2025
I really enjoyed this book! The slow-burn tension and forbidden romance between Aurelia and Rydian had me hooked from the start. Their dynamic was everything I love in an enemies-to-lovers storyline—intense, complicated, and impossible to look away from. The overall plot kept me engaged, with plenty of twists, secrets, and political intrigue that made it hard to put down. I’m definitely excited to see where the next book takes the story, especially after that ending! If you’re in the mood for a fae romantasy with addictive tension and layered characters, this one’s a must-read.
You can expect:
• Slow Burn
• Touch Her & Die
• Who Did This?
• Fae Royalty
• Forbidden Romance
• Secret Crush on his Brother
• Chosen One
• Dark Prince
• Enemies to Lovers
• Possessive
• Growly Alpha Male
Thank you so much to the author and R&R Book Tours for the eARC! 🥰🫶🏼
You can expect:
• Slow Burn
• Touch Her & Die
• Who Did This?
• Fae Royalty
• Forbidden Romance
• Secret Crush on his Brother
• Chosen One
• Dark Prince
• Enemies to Lovers
• Possessive
• Growly Alpha Male
Thank you so much to the author and R&R Book Tours for the eARC! 🥰🫶🏼
March 9, 2025
This story completely hooked me in just one chapter! The pacing was perfect, the world-building immersive, and with romantic tension you could feel.
I was so far on the edge of my seat towards the end of this epic & spellbinding tale, I almost fell on the floor. I can’t wait to see what happens next!
If you’d be into any of this:
Fierce/clever fmc ✓
Chosen one ✓
Sloooow burn/forbidden romance ✓
A twist on sleeping beauty ✓
Amazing banter ✓
Morally grey/possesive fae prince ✓
Court politics ✓
Easy to follow world building ✓
A villain you’ll loathe ✓
It's a must read fantasy romance!
I was so far on the edge of my seat towards the end of this epic & spellbinding tale, I almost fell on the floor. I can’t wait to see what happens next!
If you’d be into any of this:
Fierce/clever fmc ✓
Chosen one ✓
Sloooow burn/forbidden romance ✓
A twist on sleeping beauty ✓
Amazing banter ✓
Morally grey/possesive fae prince ✓
Court politics ✓
Easy to follow world building ✓
A villain you’ll loathe ✓
It's a must read fantasy romance!
March 18, 2025
"𝖜𝖍𝖆𝖙 𝖆𝖗𝖊 𝖞𝖔𝖚?"
𝖍𝖊 𝖘𝖒𝖎𝖗𝖐𝖊𝖉, "𝕴'𝖒 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖙𝖍𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝖓𝖎𝖌𝖍𝖙𝖒𝖆𝖗𝖊𝖘 𝖋𝖊𝖆𝖗."
-
-
I desperately needed a 5 star read and let me tell you guys,
I. Got. It. 👏
This book officially is ranking in one of my top reads of the year so far. Every element of it from the unique take on fae fantasy, to the aspects like that of a sleeping beauty retelling was INSANE and I am absolutely going to be GNAWING AT THE BARS OF MY ENCLOSURE waiting for book 2 to come out. 😈
For lovers of...
🩸Slow Burn
🩸Touch Her & 💀
🩸Fae Royalty
🩸Forbidden Romance
🩸Chosen One
🩸Dark Prince
🩸Enemies to Lovers
🩸Possessive
🩸Growly Alpha Male
I HIGHLY ENCOURAGE YOU to snag your copy of this " royal fae romantasy that includes morally gray characters, enemies-to-lovers, and political intrigue..."
𝖍𝖊 𝖘𝖒𝖎𝖗𝖐𝖊𝖉, "𝕴'𝖒 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖙𝖍𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝖓𝖎𝖌𝖍𝖙𝖒𝖆𝖗𝖊𝖘 𝖋𝖊𝖆𝖗."
-
-
I desperately needed a 5 star read and let me tell you guys,
I. Got. It. 👏
This book officially is ranking in one of my top reads of the year so far. Every element of it from the unique take on fae fantasy, to the aspects like that of a sleeping beauty retelling was INSANE and I am absolutely going to be GNAWING AT THE BARS OF MY ENCLOSURE waiting for book 2 to come out. 😈
For lovers of...
🩸Slow Burn
🩸Touch Her & 💀
🩸Fae Royalty
🩸Forbidden Romance
🩸Chosen One
🩸Dark Prince
🩸Enemies to Lovers
🩸Possessive
🩸Growly Alpha Male
I HIGHLY ENCOURAGE YOU to snag your copy of this " royal fae romantasy that includes morally gray characters, enemies-to-lovers, and political intrigue..."
March 11, 2025
KOBAR is definitely a unique retelling of Sleeping Beauty. I can see the comparison to Reign as there is plenty of political intrigue/drama. As to ACOTAR likely in the sense the world building is all it's own. I thought book 1 gave us a generous view into the foundation of the plot with promises of a lot more.
This is a great example of what makes romantasy such a fun escape!
This is a great example of what makes romantasy such a fun escape!
May 30, 2025
Revising my initial review
I pushed myself hard to finish this one. I did not succeed. I made it to 75%.
This is essentially the same as every other book in this genre. Only...less. Frankly, it's not good. I can't justify giving it a neutral rating (3 stars). The list of what it is lacking is too long, but a few that stand out. Consistency is necessary in a good book. This one has zero. Characters are weak, story is weak, writing is weak. It feels more like one of those early readers books for kids who aren't quite pre-teen.
The MFC is smart as a bag of dirt at the best of times. She is spoiled, entitled, selfish, completely submissive and easily taken advantage of, weak, whiney and lacking considerably in intelligence and common sense.
She’s supposed to be essentially considered an Aine, but she completely lacks fighting skills. She's overpowered or just plain useless time and time again. Not a legendary warrior by any stretch of the imagination. Up to 75% when I finally could take no more, she had been successful in only one fight. And that bad guy (Obsidian) wanted to die. She is constantly distracted while fighting. Yet even with all that, she considers herself amongst the most elite warriors in all the realms.
She doesn’t want to do, refuses to do, what’s needed of her and complains about it any time she isn’t denying it. Overall, she’s pretty much useless. Couldn't get behind her no matter how hard I tried.
She makes the worst decisions time and again. My pet turtle has more common sense than this girl. (Truth, I don't have a pet turtle. Even so, I stand by that statement.)
The insta-love between her and prince 2 was just too WTF. They had spoken maybe 5-min in entirety before he warns her that anyone else that touches her will die. Um, ok. There wasn't any connection formed between them at all. With the exception of the weird kiss. Suddenly he's declaring that he'll give his life to keep her safe and blah, blah, blah. Ugh. And the lovey-dovey nick name? FFS. I wanted to shove a pen in my eye every time I had to read it.
Positive:
The spelling and grammar are actually relatively solid. Shocking with so many of these new authors.
Moral of the story, I personally feel that I wasted my time on this one. I spent every moment irritated by the story and the characters. If you love worthless, irritating MFCs, plots and characters with no consistency and sub-par storylines...you just might enjoy it.
I pushed myself hard to finish this one. I did not succeed. I made it to 75%.
This is essentially the same as every other book in this genre. Only...less. Frankly, it's not good. I can't justify giving it a neutral rating (3 stars). The list of what it is lacking is too long, but a few that stand out. Consistency is necessary in a good book. This one has zero. Characters are weak, story is weak, writing is weak. It feels more like one of those early readers books for kids who aren't quite pre-teen.
The MFC is smart as a bag of dirt at the best of times. She is spoiled, entitled, selfish, completely submissive and easily taken advantage of, weak, whiney and lacking considerably in intelligence and common sense.
She’s supposed to be essentially considered an Aine, but she completely lacks fighting skills. She's overpowered or just plain useless time and time again. Not a legendary warrior by any stretch of the imagination. Up to 75% when I finally could take no more, she had been successful in only one fight. And that bad guy (Obsidian) wanted to die. She is constantly distracted while fighting. Yet even with all that, she considers herself amongst the most elite warriors in all the realms.
She doesn’t want to do, refuses to do, what’s needed of her and complains about it any time she isn’t denying it. Overall, she’s pretty much useless. Couldn't get behind her no matter how hard I tried.
She makes the worst decisions time and again. My pet turtle has more common sense than this girl. (Truth, I don't have a pet turtle. Even so, I stand by that statement.)
The insta-love between her and prince 2 was just too WTF. They had spoken maybe 5-min in entirety before he warns her that anyone else that touches her will die. Um, ok. There wasn't any connection formed between them at all. With the exception of the weird kiss. Suddenly he's declaring that he'll give his life to keep her safe and blah, blah, blah. Ugh. And the lovey-dovey nick name? FFS. I wanted to shove a pen in my eye every time I had to read it.
Positive:
The spelling and grammar are actually relatively solid. Shocking with so many of these new authors.
Moral of the story, I personally feel that I wasted my time on this one. I spent every moment irritated by the story and the characters. If you love worthless, irritating MFCs, plots and characters with no consistency and sub-par storylines...you just might enjoy it.
April 22, 2025
A beautifully adventurous spin on sleeping beauty. Aurelia is the one left awake inside and is now being forced to fulfill an old marriage contract to try and save her people there is only few problems, can she really trust the help of Prince Callan wait is this tension with Rydian, and lastly the Prophecy. I love that Aurelia has been training to be a the she will not back down. Rydian is the perfect broody grump you can't help but fall for. I am not so patiently waiting for the next book because I am absolutely hooked.
March 18, 2025
I puzzled over the rating on this a bit. I'm right around 3.5 stars, but I'm going to round up, because the storyline of Kingdom of Briar's and Roses was interesting and I look forward to reading the next and I do want to see where things go. The world and storyline seemed to take some inspiration from A Court of Thorns and Roses, complete with the tortured shadow mmc we all seem to enjoy. I would say the writing style makes this an easy and light read, the type of story I enjoy between the really heavy emotional reads. I enjoyed watching the growth of the main character and always love a split POV. One thing that bothered me a little, however, is there seemed to be some inconsistencies in the timelines that may have been missed in editing. Like maybe things were changed and not everything was corrected. One place I saw this surrounded a party at the end (leaving it vague to avoid spoilers). At one point the party is a few days away and then it's suddenly the next day, then it's in a few days again, then the next day it happens.
There's definitely inconsistency there. For example, why did she see Vanya and she was fine, then she saw Vanya a few hours later and she wasn't. The whole age thing at the beginning is a bit creepy too. Sonoma specifically says the FMC was born 20 years ago, which makes her 13 at the first party. There's some slightly creepy implications around Rydian talking about being attracted to her then. Was he the same age? Hopefully he was, but he seems older than 13, so it creeped me out a bit. That said, I did enjoy the storyline and characters and look forward to the next installment, so 4 stars seemed like a fair rating. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
There's definitely inconsistency there. For example, why did she see Vanya and she was fine, then she saw Vanya a few hours later and she wasn't. The whole age thing at the beginning is a bit creepy too. Sonoma specifically says the FMC was born 20 years ago, which makes her 13 at the first party. There's some slightly creepy implications around Rydian talking about being attracted to her then. Was he the same age? Hopefully he was, but he seems older than 13, so it creeped me out a bit. That said, I did enjoy the storyline and characters and look forward to the next installment, so 4 stars seemed like a fair rating. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
March 9, 2025
Thank you to R&R Book Tours for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
While she would rather be among the warriors, Princess Aurelia of the Summer Court knows that she must marry. On the night of her engagement party to Prince Callan of the Autumn Court, Aurelia's kingdom is cursed with eternal sleep by Heliconia, the evil Queen of the Winter Court, who aims to take over the entire realm. While the kingdom sleeps around her, Aurelia searches for a cure. Seven years pass before Callan breaks through the magical barriers around the Summer Court and offers to help break the curse, but only if Aurelia will marry him. Aurelia agrees, but what she doesn't count on is Callan's half-brother, Rydian, who she can't get out of her head, even though he seems to hate her. And when long-held secrets are revealed, Aurelia must decide who she can trust before Heliconia strikes again.
This story was non-stop action with lots of political intrigue, magic, and a delicious slow burn. The book opens with a map--I love a good book map--and dives into the intriguing world of the season-based courts. Aurelia is a strong FMC and I adored the ties to Sleeping Beauty, as she is my favorite Disney princess. Like Aurelia, you are never quite sure who to trust, so the book kept me guessing. Although the book is written in dual POVs, the characters still don't tell you everything. Even up until the last page, I wasn't sure what would happen. The slow burn is done very well and keeps the romance simmering throughout the story. This book is a great choice for all of my romantasy fans and I am excited to see what happens in the rest of the series.
Follow me on Instagram @smorebooksplease for more bookish fun!
While she would rather be among the warriors, Princess Aurelia of the Summer Court knows that she must marry. On the night of her engagement party to Prince Callan of the Autumn Court, Aurelia's kingdom is cursed with eternal sleep by Heliconia, the evil Queen of the Winter Court, who aims to take over the entire realm. While the kingdom sleeps around her, Aurelia searches for a cure. Seven years pass before Callan breaks through the magical barriers around the Summer Court and offers to help break the curse, but only if Aurelia will marry him. Aurelia agrees, but what she doesn't count on is Callan's half-brother, Rydian, who she can't get out of her head, even though he seems to hate her. And when long-held secrets are revealed, Aurelia must decide who she can trust before Heliconia strikes again.
This story was non-stop action with lots of political intrigue, magic, and a delicious slow burn. The book opens with a map--I love a good book map--and dives into the intriguing world of the season-based courts. Aurelia is a strong FMC and I adored the ties to Sleeping Beauty, as she is my favorite Disney princess. Like Aurelia, you are never quite sure who to trust, so the book kept me guessing. Although the book is written in dual POVs, the characters still don't tell you everything. Even up until the last page, I wasn't sure what would happen. The slow burn is done very well and keeps the romance simmering throughout the story. This book is a great choice for all of my romantasy fans and I am excited to see what happens in the rest of the series.
Follow me on Instagram @smorebooksplease for more bookish fun!
March 14, 2025
“I am a weapon aimed at your enemies, Princess. Wield me how you see fit.”
Aurelia, the Princess of Sevanwinds, has spent years watching her once-proud kingdom fade away, cursed and isolated in her crumbling castle. When Prince Callan, golden and arrogant, enters her world, he offers her a way out—but at a high cost: her freedom. Then there is Rydian, his cold and deadly counterpart. whose smoldering hatred is as appealing as Callan's charm. One of them is her salvation, the other her ruin, but in a world where nothing is what it seems, making the wrong choice could spell her doom.
Heather Hildebrand's Kingdom of Briars and Roses is a captivating romantasy novel that combines courtly intrigue, fae magic, and an irresistible love triangle. This slow-burn fantasy reimagines Sleeping Beauty in a world where every promise is a deception.
Hildebrand masterfully weaves an immersive story full of morally grey characters, political intrigue, and swoon-worthy tension. Aurelia is a strong but vulnerable heroine who must navigate a treacherous game of power in which trust is a dangerous luxury. The dynamic between Callan and Rydian keeps the stakes high, with equal parts romance and rivalry.
Kingdom of Briars and Roses is a must-read for fans of dark fairytales and enemies-to-lovers romance. It features stunning world-building, heart-stopping twists, and the perfect balance of tension and longing. I would give it a perfect 5 stars.
Aurelia, the Princess of Sevanwinds, has spent years watching her once-proud kingdom fade away, cursed and isolated in her crumbling castle. When Prince Callan, golden and arrogant, enters her world, he offers her a way out—but at a high cost: her freedom. Then there is Rydian, his cold and deadly counterpart. whose smoldering hatred is as appealing as Callan's charm. One of them is her salvation, the other her ruin, but in a world where nothing is what it seems, making the wrong choice could spell her doom.
Heather Hildebrand's Kingdom of Briars and Roses is a captivating romantasy novel that combines courtly intrigue, fae magic, and an irresistible love triangle. This slow-burn fantasy reimagines Sleeping Beauty in a world where every promise is a deception.
Hildebrand masterfully weaves an immersive story full of morally grey characters, political intrigue, and swoon-worthy tension. Aurelia is a strong but vulnerable heroine who must navigate a treacherous game of power in which trust is a dangerous luxury. The dynamic between Callan and Rydian keeps the stakes high, with equal parts romance and rivalry.
Kingdom of Briars and Roses is a must-read for fans of dark fairytales and enemies-to-lovers romance. It features stunning world-building, heart-stopping twists, and the perfect balance of tension and longing. I would give it a perfect 5 stars.
March 18, 2025
✨𝔸ℝℂ ℝ𝔼𝕍𝕀𝔼𝕎 ✨
𝑲𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒅𝒐𝒎 𝒐𝒇 𝑩𝒓𝒊𝒂𝒓𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑹𝒐𝒔𝒆𝒔
𝘽𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙏𝙮𝙥𝙚: incomplete series
𝙂𝙚𝙣𝙧𝙚: adult romantasy
𝙋𝙊𝙑: daul
𝙍𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜: 4.5 ⭐️
𝙎𝙥𝙞𝙘𝙚: 3🌶️
Spicy kissing and tention with one s€x scene near the end of the book
𝙏𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙨
🥀Slow Burn
⚔️Touch her/him & die
✨Fae court
🥀Forbidden attraction
⚔️Secrets/betrayal
✨Chosen one
🥀Shadow prince
⚔️Hate to love
✨Possessive MMC
🥀Badass MFC
𝙊𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨 & 𝙛𝙚𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨:
I read this book in two days. I would have finished it in one if it wasn't for stupid stuff getting in the way like work, food and sleep! I was sucked into the story and I needed to know what happened! I still can’t stop thinking about it!
𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙄 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙙:
❥ There are lots of secrets and I needed to know the answers. The author is great at giving you just enough to keep you hooked. Usally I can predict most books I read, but this one kept surprising me, in all the best ways!!
❥ The main male character and his two sidekicks gave me batboy vibes but without the wings. Love them and can’t wait to read more in book two.
❥ I loved the amazing combination of magic, curses, and powerful characters. She may be chosen but things don't just come easy for her, she has to fight. If you are a fan of books like ACOTAR you should definitely give this a try!
𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙄 𝙙𝙞𝙙𝙣’𝙩 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚:
❥ I wish there were more scenes between the main characters. Though from the way the book ended I have a feeling that will change in book two.
❥ The beginning is a little slow starting, but once you get past that it's so worth it!!
𝑲𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒅𝒐𝒎 𝒐𝒇 𝑩𝒓𝒊𝒂𝒓𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑹𝒐𝒔𝒆𝒔
𝘽𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙏𝙮𝙥𝙚: incomplete series
𝙂𝙚𝙣𝙧𝙚: adult romantasy
𝙋𝙊𝙑: daul
𝙍𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜: 4.5 ⭐️
𝙎𝙥𝙞𝙘𝙚: 3🌶️
Spicy kissing and tention with one s€x scene near the end of the book
𝙏𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙨
🥀Slow Burn
⚔️Touch her/him & die
✨Fae court
🥀Forbidden attraction
⚔️Secrets/betrayal
✨Chosen one
🥀Shadow prince
⚔️Hate to love
✨Possessive MMC
🥀Badass MFC
𝙊𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨 & 𝙛𝙚𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨:
I read this book in two days. I would have finished it in one if it wasn't for stupid stuff getting in the way like work, food and sleep! I was sucked into the story and I needed to know what happened! I still can’t stop thinking about it!
𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙄 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙙:
❥ There are lots of secrets and I needed to know the answers. The author is great at giving you just enough to keep you hooked. Usally I can predict most books I read, but this one kept surprising me, in all the best ways!!
❥ The main male character and his two sidekicks gave me batboy vibes but without the wings. Love them and can’t wait to read more in book two.
❥ I loved the amazing combination of magic, curses, and powerful characters. She may be chosen but things don't just come easy for her, she has to fight. If you are a fan of books like ACOTAR you should definitely give this a try!
𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙄 𝙙𝙞𝙙𝙣’𝙩 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚:
❥ I wish there were more scenes between the main characters. Though from the way the book ended I have a feeling that will change in book two.
❥ The beginning is a little slow starting, but once you get past that it's so worth it!!
March 27, 2025
I’m enjoying this for the most part but it seems there are some plot conflicts:
Chapter 36 - I woke to the sound of light footsteps shuffling across the room. ...I sat up, blinking against the watery dawn streaming through the tall windows. ...”Your breakfast is served though we don’t have much time.”
The large throne room was draped in shadows, despite the late afternoon sun filtering in through tall windows.
Is the castle so large that it takes from dawn to late afternoon to reach the throne room from Aurelia’s bedroom?
Still Chapter 36 - Last night, I’d returned to my room mostly due to a lack of other options. If I’d gone anywhere else, Rydian would’ve followed... I’d lit a candle, shut the curtains, and done my best to go inward--to the quiet place between worlds...
And yet: “A donation center burned to the ground last night...” “My soldiers say that figure had hair the color of summer sunshine. And eyes of cobalt blue. They say that figure was you.”
Chapter 39 - (Callan) “I know about what you did to that donation center.”
Let’s agree it’s been established that Aurelia burned down a donation center. How did she get by Rydian? Why does the reader get zero inkling of her performing this sabotage instead of making it seem that she’d stayed in her room like a good little girl?
I liked the ending and am curious how this is going to shake out but unfortunately have to wait until February of next year. Ah well...
Chapter 36 - I woke to the sound of light footsteps shuffling across the room. ...I sat up, blinking against the watery dawn streaming through the tall windows. ...”Your breakfast is served though we don’t have much time.”
The large throne room was draped in shadows, despite the late afternoon sun filtering in through tall windows.
Is the castle so large that it takes from dawn to late afternoon to reach the throne room from Aurelia’s bedroom?
Still Chapter 36 - Last night, I’d returned to my room mostly due to a lack of other options. If I’d gone anywhere else, Rydian would’ve followed... I’d lit a candle, shut the curtains, and done my best to go inward--to the quiet place between worlds...
And yet: “A donation center burned to the ground last night...” “My soldiers say that figure had hair the color of summer sunshine. And eyes of cobalt blue. They say that figure was you.”
Chapter 39 - (Callan) “I know about what you did to that donation center.”
Let’s agree it’s been established that Aurelia burned down a donation center. How did she get by Rydian? Why does the reader get zero inkling of her performing this sabotage instead of making it seem that she’d stayed in her room like a good little girl?
I liked the ending and am curious how this is going to shake out but unfortunately have to wait until February of next year. Ah well...
April 10, 2025
This book was a disappointment from start to finish. The first 90% drags with meaningless scenes and surface-level drama, and then the actual plot suddenly kicks in during the last 10%. At that point, it’s rushed, underdeveloped, and way too late to care.
The main character? An absolute nightmare. She’s straight-up racist toward fae and other magical beings, constantly looking down on anyone who isn’t human or doesn’t fit her narrow worldview. There’s no growth, no self-awareness — she just stumbles through everything without thinking deeper than whatever’s directly in front of her.
And let’s talk about the prince obsession. She’s laser-focused on the idea that is the prince she’s supposed to meet — like, girl, there are other princes literally right next to you. But no, fantasy heroines apparently have the brain capacity of a pea. Gotta chase the first cardboard cutout she sees.
The romance is bland, the pacing is chaotic, and the world-building felt like background noise. It reads like a long-winded prequel that forgets it’s supposed to be telling a story. By the time anything happens, you’re already too checked out to care.
If you’re looking for meaningful fantasy, compelling characters, or literally any kind of depth, this ain’t it.
Hard pass.
The main character? An absolute nightmare. She’s straight-up racist toward fae and other magical beings, constantly looking down on anyone who isn’t human or doesn’t fit her narrow worldview. There’s no growth, no self-awareness — she just stumbles through everything without thinking deeper than whatever’s directly in front of her.
And let’s talk about the prince obsession. She’s laser-focused on the idea that is the prince she’s supposed to meet — like, girl, there are other princes literally right next to you. But no, fantasy heroines apparently have the brain capacity of a pea. Gotta chase the first cardboard cutout she sees.
The romance is bland, the pacing is chaotic, and the world-building felt like background noise. It reads like a long-winded prequel that forgets it’s supposed to be telling a story. By the time anything happens, you’re already too checked out to care.
If you’re looking for meaningful fantasy, compelling characters, or literally any kind of depth, this ain’t it.
Hard pass.
March 12, 2025
Thank you BookSprout, and Heather Hildenbrand for sending me this advanced review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I highly recommend reading the prequel novella Glamour of Smoke & Shadow. I think I would have struggled with the story if I hadn't read it first.
This was a great fast paced read! All of the characters were interesting, and I loved the Sleeping Beauty vibes.
Aurelia had been kept in the dark her whole live about what the fates set in motion for her future. She starts out very sheltered and naive, but grows more and more as the story goes on. She has a bit of a temper, and it will get her in trouble too. It's painful to watch her get betrayed over and over again.
Callan is someone I want to smack the crap out of every two seconds. He is a little whiny weasel.
Rydian is deliciously dark, broody, and powerful. How in the world he ended up related to Callan is beyond me. They are like night and day.
If you love betrayals, secrets, snarky banter, and cursed lands, this is going to be the book for you.
The only reason I didn't give this book 5 stars, is it felt like you needed to read the prequel to fully understand the backstory. I am definitely looking forward to the next in the series!
I highly recommend reading the prequel novella Glamour of Smoke & Shadow. I think I would have struggled with the story if I hadn't read it first.
This was a great fast paced read! All of the characters were interesting, and I loved the Sleeping Beauty vibes.
Aurelia had been kept in the dark her whole live about what the fates set in motion for her future. She starts out very sheltered and naive, but grows more and more as the story goes on. She has a bit of a temper, and it will get her in trouble too. It's painful to watch her get betrayed over and over again.
Callan is someone I want to smack the crap out of every two seconds. He is a little whiny weasel.
Rydian is deliciously dark, broody, and powerful. How in the world he ended up related to Callan is beyond me. They are like night and day.
If you love betrayals, secrets, snarky banter, and cursed lands, this is going to be the book for you.
The only reason I didn't give this book 5 stars, is it felt like you needed to read the prequel to fully understand the backstory. I am definitely looking forward to the next in the series!
March 14, 2025
Kingdom of Briars and Roses
Thrilling!! This book captured me from the first page and swept me away on this incredible journey that I couldn’t put down.
I loved it! It was unexpected and full of suspense and mystery! I loved all the twists the story took and I’m eager for the next book!
Aurelia was awesome! I really loved her character and her growth. Her journey and how she started to discover more about herself and her strength was well done. She was fierce and compassionate always trying to do the right thing.
Rydian was a brooding and mysterious character that I can’t wait to uncover more about. The glimpses into his POV only made me want more!
I loved the slow-burn tension between the two of them!
There was so much going on in the story with curses, magic, courts, and mystery!! So many mysteries I need to know about.
This one is one romantasy you’re not going to want to miss. Check out these tropes; loose sleeping beauty retelling, slow burn, light enemies to lovers, forbidden romance, love triangle-ish, curses, SECRETS, chosen one, prophecy, royalty, political intrigue, shadow magic, touch her and x, political intrigue, corruption, and so much more!!
Thrilling!! This book captured me from the first page and swept me away on this incredible journey that I couldn’t put down.
I loved it! It was unexpected and full of suspense and mystery! I loved all the twists the story took and I’m eager for the next book!
Aurelia was awesome! I really loved her character and her growth. Her journey and how she started to discover more about herself and her strength was well done. She was fierce and compassionate always trying to do the right thing.
Rydian was a brooding and mysterious character that I can’t wait to uncover more about. The glimpses into his POV only made me want more!
I loved the slow-burn tension between the two of them!
There was so much going on in the story with curses, magic, courts, and mystery!! So many mysteries I need to know about.
This one is one romantasy you’re not going to want to miss. Check out these tropes; loose sleeping beauty retelling, slow burn, light enemies to lovers, forbidden romance, love triangle-ish, curses, SECRETS, chosen one, prophecy, royalty, political intrigue, shadow magic, touch her and x, political intrigue, corruption, and so much more!!
February 28, 2025
Kingdom of Briars & Roses is a spellbinding fantasy romance that kept me hooked from the very first page. The world-building is immersive, filled with intrigue, danger, and just the right amount of magic to make it feel enchanting yet perilous. The dynamic between the protagonist and the two fae princes is intense, with tension crackling on every page.
The writing is beautifully atmospheric, making the cursed castle and its eerie stillness come to life. The romance is compelling, full of angst, passion, and high stakes. While the love triangle adds plenty of drama, it never feels forced, and both princes are complex in their own ways.
The reason I’m giving it 4 stars instead of 5 is that there were moments where the pacing slowed, and I wanted a bit more depth in certain character motivations. However, that didn’t take away from my overall enjoyment. If you love fae fantasies with gripping tension, morally gray characters, and a heroine fighting for her freedom, this is definitely worth reading!.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
The writing is beautifully atmospheric, making the cursed castle and its eerie stillness come to life. The romance is compelling, full of angst, passion, and high stakes. While the love triangle adds plenty of drama, it never feels forced, and both princes are complex in their own ways.
The reason I’m giving it 4 stars instead of 5 is that there were moments where the pacing slowed, and I wanted a bit more depth in certain character motivations. However, that didn’t take away from my overall enjoyment. If you love fae fantasies with gripping tension, morally gray characters, and a heroine fighting for her freedom, this is definitely worth reading!.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
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