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Briar Girls
“Sexy and dangerous and full of liars.” —Maggie Tokuda-Hall, author of The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea
The Cruel Prince meets A Curse So Dark and Lonely in this epic reimagining of “The Sleeping Beauty” that follows a teen girl on a quest to wake a sleeping princess in an enchanted forest, while searching for the truth behind her own deadly curse.
Lena has a the touch of her skin can kill. Cursed by a witch before she was born, Lena has always lived in fear and isolation. But after a devastating mistake, she and her father are forced to flee to a village near the Silence, a mysterious forest with a reputation for luring people into the trees, never to be seen again…
Until the night an enigmatic girl stumbles out of the Silence and into Lena’s sheltered world. Miranda comes from the Gather, a city in the forest brimming with magic. She is on a quest to wake a sleeping princess believed to hold the key to liberating the Gather from its tyrannical ruler—and she offers Lena a bargain. If Lena assists her on her journey, Miranda will help her break the curse.
Mesmerized by Miranda and her promise of a new life, Lena jumps at the chance. But the deeper into the Silence she goes, the more she suspects she’s been lied to—about her family’s history, her curse, and her future. As the shadows close in, Lena must choose who to trust and decide whether it’s more important to have freedom…or power.
The Cruel Prince meets A Curse So Dark and Lonely in this epic reimagining of “The Sleeping Beauty” that follows a teen girl on a quest to wake a sleeping princess in an enchanted forest, while searching for the truth behind her own deadly curse.
Lena has a the touch of her skin can kill. Cursed by a witch before she was born, Lena has always lived in fear and isolation. But after a devastating mistake, she and her father are forced to flee to a village near the Silence, a mysterious forest with a reputation for luring people into the trees, never to be seen again…
Until the night an enigmatic girl stumbles out of the Silence and into Lena’s sheltered world. Miranda comes from the Gather, a city in the forest brimming with magic. She is on a quest to wake a sleeping princess believed to hold the key to liberating the Gather from its tyrannical ruler—and she offers Lena a bargain. If Lena assists her on her journey, Miranda will help her break the curse.
Mesmerized by Miranda and her promise of a new life, Lena jumps at the chance. But the deeper into the Silence she goes, the more she suspects she’s been lied to—about her family’s history, her curse, and her future. As the shadows close in, Lena must choose who to trust and decide whether it’s more important to have freedom…or power.
256 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 16, 2021
55 people are currently reading
5955 people want to read
About the author
Rebecca Kim Wells
9 books189 followersRebecca Kim Wells is the author of Shatter the Sky, Storm the Earth, and Briar Girls.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 176 reviews
November 16, 2021
3.50 Stars. This was a pretty good read. It did have a few issues, but I found that I quite liked it anyway. This is actually my second Sleeping Beauty retelling that I have read in a row. That was not on purpose, I just wasn’t even thinking but it wasn’t the best decision since I did find myself comparing them some. What made this book standout is that while it was a retelling, it really was a whole new story. While this uses a few similar things we all will recognize, for the most part this was a new and well imagined world that Wells wrote.
One of my biggest pet peeves in fantasy is when characters are passive and don’t have any real agency so everything is just done to them. I find those types of stories extremely frustrating to read and I never enjoy the characters much. When this book first started, I had a bad feeling it would fall into this particular pet peeve. It seemed like everything just kept happening to the main character. Luckily, that quickly changed and the character ended up almost always having choices. Sometimes they were not great choices, and sometimes I didn’t like what she chose, but the main got to make her own decisions and take control of her own destiny.
When it comes to any romance, the main character is bi and it looked like a love triangle was forming. I wasn’t that happy since I thought it seemed too forced, but then I realized that Wells was doing something very different instead. I have to go into a little more detail here so feel free to skip the rest of this paragraph if you are worried about finding out too much. Instead of being frustrated, I felt like Wells did a good thing here. The main character is almost 18, and due to her curse she cannot touch anyone. In this book she has the chance to have sex and is happy to finally have intimacy that she has never experienced before. While she enjoyed the intimacy, she realizes that she doesn’t want anything more from this person –except to be friends- and instead would rather look to see if she has real feelings for someone else. With all the slut-shaming that is so baked into books with female characters –and that guy characters that can sleep with multiple people but females can only sleep with “the one”- it was nice to see a sex positive, YA book instead.
The person the main character ends up falling for I liked quite a bit. However, their relationship really needed more time to develop in the beginning. While it was not insta-love, it sure was insta-like. This is a pretty short book for fantasy, with a well build world and decent magic system, and I think Wells missed the mark by not having the two characters spend more time alone together. Had they had more adventure together, face more peril together, you would have understood why they felt so bonded by the time the middle of the book rolls around. By the end of the book I believed in them as a couple, because of everything they went through, but I needed to feel that chapters and chapters before when the characters were risking their lives for each other.
There are a few other issues I had but I don’t really want to go into much since this review is getting long and my carpal tunnel is flaring-up. I will say that I had some pace issues in the first half. In fact, the first half in general I just didn’t care for as much. I thought it was okay, but something felt off that I can’t explain very well. However, the second half of the book really picked up and was good fantasy entertainment. I found myself completely glued to the story and really enjoyed the book so much more. So if you are feeling a little off in the first half, remember the book really does pick-up in the second.
TLDR: This was my first book by Wells and it won’t be my last. While this had some issues, and I can understand the mixed earlier reviews, I still quite liked it. The first half is a bit bumpy, but Wells really hits her stride in the second half and it is good entertainment. The world building is well done and this is a very unique take on a sapphic Sleeping Beauty retelling.
A copy was given to me for a review.
One of my biggest pet peeves in fantasy is when characters are passive and don’t have any real agency so everything is just done to them. I find those types of stories extremely frustrating to read and I never enjoy the characters much. When this book first started, I had a bad feeling it would fall into this particular pet peeve. It seemed like everything just kept happening to the main character. Luckily, that quickly changed and the character ended up almost always having choices. Sometimes they were not great choices, and sometimes I didn’t like what she chose, but the main got to make her own decisions and take control of her own destiny.
When it comes to any romance, the main character is bi and it looked like a love triangle was forming. I wasn’t that happy since I thought it seemed too forced, but then I realized that Wells was doing something very different instead. I have to go into a little more detail here so feel free to skip the rest of this paragraph if you are worried about finding out too much. Instead of being frustrated, I felt like Wells did a good thing here. The main character is almost 18, and due to her curse she cannot touch anyone. In this book she has the chance to have sex and is happy to finally have intimacy that she has never experienced before. While she enjoyed the intimacy, she realizes that she doesn’t want anything more from this person –except to be friends- and instead would rather look to see if she has real feelings for someone else. With all the slut-shaming that is so baked into books with female characters –and that guy characters that can sleep with multiple people but females can only sleep with “the one”- it was nice to see a sex positive, YA book instead.
The person the main character ends up falling for I liked quite a bit. However, their relationship really needed more time to develop in the beginning. While it was not insta-love, it sure was insta-like. This is a pretty short book for fantasy, with a well build world and decent magic system, and I think Wells missed the mark by not having the two characters spend more time alone together. Had they had more adventure together, face more peril together, you would have understood why they felt so bonded by the time the middle of the book rolls around. By the end of the book I believed in them as a couple, because of everything they went through, but I needed to feel that chapters and chapters before when the characters were risking their lives for each other.
There are a few other issues I had but I don’t really want to go into much since this review is getting long and my carpal tunnel is flaring-up. I will say that I had some pace issues in the first half. In fact, the first half in general I just didn’t care for as much. I thought it was okay, but something felt off that I can’t explain very well. However, the second half of the book really picked up and was good fantasy entertainment. I found myself completely glued to the story and really enjoyed the book so much more. So if you are feeling a little off in the first half, remember the book really does pick-up in the second.
TLDR: This was my first book by Wells and it won’t be my last. While this had some issues, and I can understand the mixed earlier reviews, I still quite liked it. The first half is a bit bumpy, but Wells really hits her stride in the second half and it is good entertainment. The world building is well done and this is a very unique take on a sapphic Sleeping Beauty retelling.
A copy was given to me for a review.
Want to read
August 8, 2021The cover! the blurb! the sapphic retelling of my favorite childhood princess!! I need this yesterday
August 27, 2023
Rep: bi mc, sapphic li, nonbinary side characters
CWs: gore, immolation, amputation, magic requiring blood/self-harm
since we won't be reviewing this one on readsrainbow, let me just note here the reasons for this rating, namely: boring plot & poor pacing, a love triangle that made me want to gouge my eyes out (you meet this guy, immediately trust him, and days later you're in love??), & an ending that just didn't have any sort of gravity. also this? is an antiheroine? pull the other one.
CWs: gore, immolation, amputation, magic requiring blood/self-harm
since we won't be reviewing this one on readsrainbow, let me just note here the reasons for this rating, namely: boring plot & poor pacing, a love triangle that made me want to gouge my eyes out (you meet this guy, immediately trust him, and days later you're in love??), & an ending that just didn't have any sort of gravity. also this? is an antiheroine? pull the other one.
January 21, 2024
rep: bi mc, sapphic li, nonbinary side characters, sapphic trans side character
tw: gore, immolation, amputation, magic requiring blood/self-harm
a classic case of "it's not the book, it's me", sadly
tw: gore, immolation, amputation, magic requiring blood/self-harm
a classic case of "it's not the book, it's me", sadly
October 25, 2021
While I mostly enjoyed this book, I ended up with somewhat mixed feelings that have more to do with my tastes as a reader than the quality of the book. I really liked the plot and world building of this book, it gave me all the fairytale vibes. If you enjoyed Sweet and Bitter Magic, I would highly recommend this. That said, I'm personally more of a character driven reader than a plot driven reader, and I missed character depth in the main character. Because of that, I didn't really connect with her and I didn't really feel the chemistry between her and the love interest either.
did-not-finish
January 24, 2022X Men (2000) did it better, sorry. - DNF
December 19, 2021
DNF.
There were a lot of things I really didn’t like about this book. The characters weren’t fleshed out enough in my opinion; they all didn’t really have a personality besides being broody (Alaric), distrustful (Lena) and unreliable (Miranda). They were there only to carry out their goals.
It also seemed to me there no high stakes to the things Lena had to get through, like retrieving Alaric’s long lost wings from a family of dragons. When she went back to Alaric, she was absolutely mad with him that she got hurt in the process. Honestly what did she expect from dragons? That they would give over that box without a price?
While the world-building was interesting, with the Mundane (the non-magical part of the world) and the Gather (the magical part of the world), it wasn’t enough to really drag me into the story. The only part that slightly intrigued me was the spirit of the Silence. What did it want from Lena and why did it choose her?
The premise sounded so good, but unfortunately it turned out to be quite a disappointment. And I really regret buying it😩😪
There were a lot of things I really didn’t like about this book. The characters weren’t fleshed out enough in my opinion; they all didn’t really have a personality besides being broody (Alaric), distrustful (Lena) and unreliable (Miranda). They were there only to carry out their goals.
It also seemed to me there no high stakes to the things Lena had to get through, like retrieving Alaric’s long lost wings from a family of dragons. When she went back to Alaric, she was absolutely mad with him that she got hurt in the process. Honestly what did she expect from dragons? That they would give over that box without a price?
While the world-building was interesting, with the Mundane (the non-magical part of the world) and the Gather (the magical part of the world), it wasn’t enough to really drag me into the story. The only part that slightly intrigued me was the spirit of the Silence. What did it want from Lena and why did it choose her?
The premise sounded so good, but unfortunately it turned out to be quite a disappointment. And I really regret buying it😩😪
December 25, 2023
This is a pass; go pick up Malice by Heather Walter or The Bone Spindle if you want a nice retelling of this tale
November 23, 2021
Gorgeous and bloody queer Sleeping Beauty retelling, with a sentient forest, hot broody ravens, and a fiery sapphic love interest!
June 9, 2022
Briar Girls is an unfortunate case of a book with good ideas, but poor execution. In theory, its world and story could be great; however, the writing completely sinks it. Characters are inconsistent and underdeveloped, the narrator's voice is horribly unbelievable and flat, and the plot has no momentum or sense of purpose. I think a lot of the intentions were admirable—queer representation, antiheroines, the examination of power and corruption—but the presentation was so bad that I spent the entire time completely alienated.
If you're looking for a f/f romance with curses and quests, read Sweet & Bitter Magic. If you want a story about a girl poisonous to the touch (with f/f romance), read Girl, Serpent, Thorn. There's no direct replacement for "bisexual Sleeping Beauty retelling with a protagonist whose touch can kill," but even if that's the story you want, I feel like Briar Girls will let you down. Make no mistake, I love the idea of a bisexual Sleeping Beauty with a deadly protagonist—and Briar Girls is technically that, but the reading experience was so frustrating and unpleasant that it hardly feels like a win.
And whoever decided to market this book as "The Cruel Prince meets A Curse So Dark and Lonely," that is a mighty hubristic—and thoroughly undeserved—comparison.
1 star.
If you're looking for a f/f romance with curses and quests, read Sweet & Bitter Magic. If you want a story about a girl poisonous to the touch (with f/f romance), read Girl, Serpent, Thorn. There's no direct replacement for "bisexual Sleeping Beauty retelling with a protagonist whose touch can kill," but even if that's the story you want, I feel like Briar Girls will let you down. Make no mistake, I love the idea of a bisexual Sleeping Beauty with a deadly protagonist—and Briar Girls is technically that, but the reading experience was so frustrating and unpleasant that it hardly feels like a win.
And whoever decided to market this book as "The Cruel Prince meets A Curse So Dark and Lonely," that is a mighty hubristic—and thoroughly undeserved—comparison.
1 star.
Read
May 7, 2021I fully hope (and expect) that this book will stomp on your heart. You have been warned.
November 9, 2021
(Disclaimer: I received this book from Netgalley. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
I was completely immersed in Briar Girls from start to finish. Not only did I love the magic - this idea of a mysterious forest that seems to consume those who enter - but also the heroine. I loved how Wells features a magic world building system which blossoms in front of you. We think, like Lena that we know about the world. But it turns out that the world is so much larger than we think. Not to mention that a magic that prevents contact with someone is one of my favorite types of magic.
Because it so beautifully examines this line between blessing and curse. One which Wells expertly develops as Lena wonders if there is power in what she always viewed as a curse. Wondering if her desire to be 'free' is more than she ever thought. Intellectually, this was such a joyful book for me to read as Lena explores this theme. But Lena navigates this power and takes us on a journey of escapism to questioning.
full review: https://utopia-state-of-mind.com/revi...
I was completely immersed in Briar Girls from start to finish. Not only did I love the magic - this idea of a mysterious forest that seems to consume those who enter - but also the heroine. I loved how Wells features a magic world building system which blossoms in front of you. We think, like Lena that we know about the world. But it turns out that the world is so much larger than we think. Not to mention that a magic that prevents contact with someone is one of my favorite types of magic.
Because it so beautifully examines this line between blessing and curse. One which Wells expertly develops as Lena wonders if there is power in what she always viewed as a curse. Wondering if her desire to be 'free' is more than she ever thought. Intellectually, this was such a joyful book for me to read as Lena explores this theme. But Lena navigates this power and takes us on a journey of escapism to questioning.
full review: https://utopia-state-of-mind.com/revi...
December 18, 2021
At first, Lena felt like a helpless character being pulled from one situation to the next. Who she trusted felt arbitrary, and often was just the last person she spoke to. But this fit into the fairy tale aspects of the story: being in dark, magical woods, being lost, and not knowing which magical being to trust.
As she gets used to this world, though, we start to see a different side of Lena, one who is angry and wants to wield power. She’s resentful of the life she’s had and of feeling guilty all the time for her curse. So it’s a bit of a revenge story, and a story about righteous anger.
This really pulled me in, and ends on an epic battle that brings all these disparate story elements and characters together. If you like dark fairy tale reimaginings, give this one a try.
I do want to give a content warning for cutting: this world using blood magic, so it comes up a lot.
Full review at the Lesbrary.
As she gets used to this world, though, we start to see a different side of Lena, one who is angry and wants to wield power. She’s resentful of the life she’s had and of feeling guilty all the time for her curse. So it’s a bit of a revenge story, and a story about righteous anger.
This really pulled me in, and ends on an epic battle that brings all these disparate story elements and characters together. If you like dark fairy tale reimaginings, give this one a try.
I do want to give a content warning for cutting: this world using blood magic, so it comes up a lot.
Full review at the Lesbrary.
Read
January 25, 2022DNF @ 4%
I did not care for the writing style at all. I felt detached and I could care less about the direction, the characters, the plot, or anything else. This year I have decided to be more free with my DNFing. If I don't want to finish a book, then I won't. I will not be rating this based off of not being far enough to have a solid feel of what I would rate this novel.
I did not care for the writing style at all. I felt detached and I could care less about the direction, the characters, the plot, or anything else. This year I have decided to be more free with my DNFing. If I don't want to finish a book, then I won't. I will not be rating this based off of not being far enough to have a solid feel of what I would rate this novel.
September 22, 2025
Read as part of my ongoing shelf audit. Verdict: Nope.
This was... not good. I wanted it to be good, but it didn't even have flashes of a better story. The writing is flat and boring, not at all atmospheric as one might expect from a story about a magic forest, and extremely mechanical in moving characters from point to point. Characterization feels inauthentic, with Lena going from trusting to distrusting to trusting various parties basically at the drop of a hat. Lena herself feels hollow, with no consistent traits or a coherent arc, and her relationship with her curse yo-y0s violently back and forth from page to page. Sometimes she's haunted by it, sometimes she kills two innocent people in cold blood and never thinks about them again. If Wells was going for a corruption arc, even that doesn't work, because the rest of Lena's actions are portrayed as justified.
Between the flatness of the prose and the messy characterization, I felt like I was reading an early draft that was little more than an outline, at best.
I remember liking Shatter the Sky when I first read it, but after this I'm honestly not expecting to enjoy it on reread. This was SUCH a disappointment.
This was... not good. I wanted it to be good, but it didn't even have flashes of a better story. The writing is flat and boring, not at all atmospheric as one might expect from a story about a magic forest, and extremely mechanical in moving characters from point to point. Characterization feels inauthentic, with Lena going from trusting to distrusting to trusting various parties basically at the drop of a hat. Lena herself feels hollow, with no consistent traits or a coherent arc, and her relationship with her curse yo-y0s violently back and forth from page to page. Sometimes she's haunted by it, sometimes she kills two innocent people in cold blood and never thinks about them again. If Wells was going for a corruption arc, even that doesn't work, because the rest of Lena's actions are portrayed as justified.
Between the flatness of the prose and the messy characterization, I felt like I was reading an early draft that was little more than an outline, at best.
I remember liking Shatter the Sky when I first read it, but after this I'm honestly not expecting to enjoy it on reread. This was SUCH a disappointment.
December 15, 2021
I wish I had loved this but it just didn't work for me. I didn't like the writing style, or the pacing of the plot. The world and the details just didn't feel very fleshed out to me. I was super excited for a sleeping beauty retelling but this one was ultimately a let down.
dnf
November 16, 2021Thank you so much to Simon Teen and Netgalley for providing an e-arc copy. All thoughts and opinions are still my own.
Unfortunately I am DNFing this one at 15%. I wanted so desperately to fall in love with this book as I adore stories featuring dark and magical forests. But sadly, this one did not work for me.
I wasn't connecting to the writing at all. But more importantly, this story lacked any semblance of character or world building. This jumps straight into the plot, and not in a good way. I was immediately felt like I didn't know enough about the characters to care about the plot...
On top of that the heroine, who is cursed, traumatized, and clearly has strained relationships with those closest to her, takes one look at a beautiful stranger and follows her into a magical forest without question. Which is what did this story in for me. I just couldn't place the heroine or her motives and knew this book wasn't going to be one I ended up loving.
Unfortunately I am DNFing this one at 15%. I wanted so desperately to fall in love with this book as I adore stories featuring dark and magical forests. But sadly, this one did not work for me.
I wasn't connecting to the writing at all. But more importantly, this story lacked any semblance of character or world building. This jumps straight into the plot, and not in a good way. I was immediately felt like I didn't know enough about the characters to care about the plot...
On top of that the heroine, who is cursed, traumatized, and clearly has strained relationships with those closest to her, takes one look at a beautiful stranger and follows her into a magical forest without question. Which is what did this story in for me. I just couldn't place the heroine or her motives and knew this book wasn't going to be one I ended up loving.
August 16, 2021
This is a cute adventure book with curses and blood magic.
The themes of friendship and the magic system were what saved the book for me. I really appreciated the way they all came together at the end of the book.
However, the book is quite short and I think the story could do with more explanation at times. For example, the main character, Lena, is thrust into a world of magic (only knowing of the curse placed on her) and yet at times she understands how this world works in ways that she probably shouldn’t.
There is also a love triangle in the book, which is not personally my favorite trope. I think it works if you enjoy them though!
Overall, I’d give this book 3.5 stars.
I received an eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The themes of friendship and the magic system were what saved the book for me. I really appreciated the way they all came together at the end of the book.
However, the book is quite short and I think the story could do with more explanation at times. For example, the main character, Lena, is thrust into a world of magic (only knowing of the curse placed on her) and yet at times she understands how this world works in ways that she probably shouldn’t.
There is also a love triangle in the book, which is not personally my favorite trope. I think it works if you enjoy them though!
Overall, I’d give this book 3.5 stars.
I received an eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
February 20, 2022
I was so excited to read this beauty when I first heard of it! The cover is stunning and the premises sounds very interesting. There were some things I didn't like, the romance for example was a bit baiting which dissapointed me. Lena is a nice enough character but she's a bit shallow sometimes. (I know I'm 10 years older so maybe that's why I think she's shallow and impulsive.)
I do recommend this book because it's a nice take on Sleeping Beauty and of course it's queer!
#bookstagram #bookreview #sleepingbeauty #retelling #fairytale #fairytaleretelling #sleepingbeautyretelling #briargirls #februarifairytale #queer #lgbtqia #sapphicsunday
I do recommend this book because it's a nice take on Sleeping Beauty and of course it's queer!
#bookstagram #bookreview #sleepingbeauty #retelling #fairytale #fairytaleretelling #sleepingbeautyretelling #briargirls #februarifairytale #queer #lgbtqia #sapphicsunday
April 30, 2022
I was so close to DNF’ing many times. Lena is so unlikable. Just guided by the nose by people going “the person you are with is lying to you. Believe me instead!” That same plot beat over and over and over. And the romances are both so forced. There was no believable build up to either one. Just a switch flip from “I am actively using you and probably leading you to your death” to “actually I love you.” Blegh.
June 14, 2022
This book was a fucking mess, I wish I could unread it
April 8, 2024
A great Sleeping Beauty retelling with a sentient forest, blood mages with a lust for power, magical creatures, shape shifters, and curses.
The forest is quite interesting in how it behaves and what it wants to achieve. There were quite a few interesting twists.
Lena grew up believing she’s a monster – the lie her parents reinforced regularly to try to protect her. The curse on her is quite monstrous: her touch is instantly lethal. But her parents could have handled things better.
As she travels through the forest (the Silence), she learns how to interact with others without fear and leans to trust herself.
I get how jumping into bed with the first person who could touch her without dying could be about freedom, but then jumping into bed with someone else because it’s not about touching, but who she’s touching… Did the story really need to revolve around sex? Was hand-holding and cuddling not enough sensory overload after a lifetime of abstaining from touch? I did like that she could have both people in her life at the end – she walks away hand-in-hand with them when all is done.
Great world-building. I liked that the Gather (blood mage city) and the Silence (the forest) weren’t merely good or bad. I liked the layers of complexity. I also liked that it was a lot like the Seelie and Unseelie fae courts as the Silence had its own servants and protectors hunted by the Gather’s leadership and that they all live for a very long time without aging.
The young dragon is my favourite character, for loads of obvious reasons once you’ve read the story.
It did take me a while to get into the flow of the book, I was almost ready to DNF until Lena nearly drowned and the forest’s true identity came out. I’m glad I read it, though.
I had a problem with the italics as it messes with my eyes and head, making it difficult to read and enjoy the book. Authors and publishers: please consider the neurodivergent when making decisions about italics so books are accessible to all.
Loads of action, interesting themes and intricate world-building.
Trigger warnings: bloodletting, enslavement, curses, murder, on-page sex (both genders), torture
The forest is quite interesting in how it behaves and what it wants to achieve. There were quite a few interesting twists.
Lena grew up believing she’s a monster – the lie her parents reinforced regularly to try to protect her. The curse on her is quite monstrous: her touch is instantly lethal. But her parents could have handled things better.
As she travels through the forest (the Silence), she learns how to interact with others without fear and leans to trust herself.
I get how jumping into bed with the first person who could touch her without dying could be about freedom, but then jumping into bed with someone else because it’s not about touching, but who she’s touching… Did the story really need to revolve around sex? Was hand-holding and cuddling not enough sensory overload after a lifetime of abstaining from touch? I did like that she could have both people in her life at the end – she walks away hand-in-hand with them when all is done.
Great world-building. I liked that the Gather (blood mage city) and the Silence (the forest) weren’t merely good or bad. I liked the layers of complexity. I also liked that it was a lot like the Seelie and Unseelie fae courts as the Silence had its own servants and protectors hunted by the Gather’s leadership and that they all live for a very long time without aging.
The young dragon is my favourite character, for loads of obvious reasons once you’ve read the story.
It did take me a while to get into the flow of the book, I was almost ready to DNF until Lena nearly drowned and the forest’s true identity came out. I’m glad I read it, though.
I had a problem with the italics as it messes with my eyes and head, making it difficult to read and enjoy the book. Authors and publishers: please consider the neurodivergent when making decisions about italics so books are accessible to all.
Loads of action, interesting themes and intricate world-building.
Trigger warnings: bloodletting, enslavement, curses, murder, on-page sex (both genders), torture
January 8, 2022
More of a 3,5 stars, rounded up
I appreciate the effort to give us a sapphic Sleeping Beauty retelling. Aurora is my favorite Disney princess, and Sleeping Beauty my favorite Disney movie because every second of it is beautiful. The graphics in themselves give the story this very ethereal feel that I absolutely adore and was disappointed to not find in this retelling.
Now, that does not mean I did not enjoy the book. I did. The plot was always changing according to new information the main character learned (and sometimes from contradictory sources !!), you don't really know who too trust, who will have your back, who will stab you in the back... And is therefore very interesting.
The retelling aspect was rather loose at times but kept a lot of the original aspects and sometimes tried to add some Easter eggs which I enjoyed. I feel like Rebecca wanted to find another way to tell the tale, without going for a complete retelling which I commend her for, but would still have wished it kept the ethereal aspect of it. It was still very good.
The bi rep was solid and I did like the main character most of the time but sometimes she was just a little annoying to me, while I recognised that she was doing the best she could with the resources that were available to her. Overall I'd say a very good casual LQBTQIA+ rep which I liked and was expected from a sapphic retelling but I find it really refreshing when "historical" stories contain casual rep and it is not condemned but actually accepted by the people from this universe.
Also, one thing I really really liked is the addition of a character for Diaval (not his name in the book but his equivalent) who was one of my favorite characters in the movie Maleficent and I really liked seeing that the retelling was also inspired by the larger and expanded story and even other retellings so yeah, overall a good read, if not my favorite.
I'd recommend this book to people who want to read a Sleeping Beauty sapphic retelling, since I am glad to have read it, and people who love adventure stories and unreliable-ish characters.
I appreciate the effort to give us a sapphic Sleeping Beauty retelling. Aurora is my favorite Disney princess, and Sleeping Beauty my favorite Disney movie because every second of it is beautiful. The graphics in themselves give the story this very ethereal feel that I absolutely adore and was disappointed to not find in this retelling.
Now, that does not mean I did not enjoy the book. I did. The plot was always changing according to new information the main character learned (and sometimes from contradictory sources !!), you don't really know who too trust, who will have your back, who will stab you in the back... And is therefore very interesting.
The retelling aspect was rather loose at times but kept a lot of the original aspects and sometimes tried to add some Easter eggs which I enjoyed. I feel like Rebecca wanted to find another way to tell the tale, without going for a complete retelling which I commend her for, but would still have wished it kept the ethereal aspect of it. It was still very good.
The bi rep was solid and I did like the main character most of the time but sometimes she was just a little annoying to me, while I recognised that she was doing the best she could with the resources that were available to her. Overall I'd say a very good casual LQBTQIA+ rep which I liked and was expected from a sapphic retelling but I find it really refreshing when "historical" stories contain casual rep and it is not condemned but actually accepted by the people from this universe.
Also, one thing I really really liked is the addition of a character for Diaval (not his name in the book but his equivalent) who was one of my favorite characters in the movie Maleficent and I really liked seeing that the retelling was also inspired by the larger and expanded story and even other retellings so yeah, overall a good read, if not my favorite.
I'd recommend this book to people who want to read a Sleeping Beauty sapphic retelling, since I am glad to have read it, and people who love adventure stories and unreliable-ish characters.
February 5, 2022
I loved this book a lot. It took me a while to get through it though, since it was slowpaced. I loved the relationships, the plottwists, the battle at the end, everything was so fairy-tale like and even mischievous. Really liked it.
May 1, 2025
I really enjoyed this! Loved the forest.
November 27, 2023
So glad for this holiday break! I was able to read quite a bit during this four day weekend 😋
Damn, Lena’s curse origins took us full circle didn’t it 😁 and along the way we met so many interesting characters. I’m partial to Alaric and the dragon! 💕
This book has mystery, adventure, love 🌈, family love, and character development ✨
Damn, Lena’s curse origins took us full circle didn’t it 😁 and along the way we met so many interesting characters. I’m partial to Alaric and the dragon! 💕
This book has mystery, adventure, love 🌈, family love, and character development ✨
January 12, 2022
“The Silence is a cruel place, and the Gather is even crueler. It doesn’t surprise me that you find it difficult to trust. But the world is an impossible place when you’re alone.”
Briar Girls begins with intensity as Lena and her father flee the town where she last killed someone. Yes, you read that right. But she isn’t a murderer. She was born with a curse that causes death to anyone who touches her flesh.
The book wastes little time before introducing Miranda, an injured girl who stumbles out of a dangerous forest called the Silence. Miranda persuades Lena to come with her back into those woods, promising that if Lena helps her, she will, in turn, help Lena break the curse.
I was mesmerized by the first half of this tale.
Despite the dark subject matter, the writing had such a gentle quality to it that it warmed me as I read.
I adored the symbolism of the story and felt quite invested in Lena’s turmoil pertaining to trust. Her ambivalence with everyone she encountered made sense. Her longing to be touched after spending a lifetime without it also made sense. Even her quick, but wavering attachments made sense to me.
I could have accepted the insta-love in this story, as there certainly wasn’t enough development in Lena and Miranda’s connection to call it anything else, if I hadn’t been baffled by Lena’s welcoming of someone who’d been willing to betray her in such a harmful way. If, as I was getting to know my husband, he said, “My original intent was to lead you to your death, but I’ve decided I like you so I’m sorry,” I’d like to think that I wouldn’t respond with, “Well, that’s unsettling, but I really can’t stop looking at your lips so let’s make out now!” That’s my Cliff Notes version of what happened here, but hopefully it illustrates why I found this aspect problematic.
Additionally, it felt like the second half of this story slowed to a crawl. It’s strange, given the amount of action that took place, but I found it very difficult to see the book through to the end after passing that halfway point.
I wish Briar Girls had met my expectations and captivated me all the way through. For the right reader, perhaps it will. However, the writing is as gorgeous as the cover and I’ll call this a worthy read because of that.
Briar Girls begins with intensity as Lena and her father flee the town where she last killed someone. Yes, you read that right. But she isn’t a murderer. She was born with a curse that causes death to anyone who touches her flesh.
The book wastes little time before introducing Miranda, an injured girl who stumbles out of a dangerous forest called the Silence. Miranda persuades Lena to come with her back into those woods, promising that if Lena helps her, she will, in turn, help Lena break the curse.
I was mesmerized by the first half of this tale.
Despite the dark subject matter, the writing had such a gentle quality to it that it warmed me as I read.
I adored the symbolism of the story and felt quite invested in Lena’s turmoil pertaining to trust. Her ambivalence with everyone she encountered made sense. Her longing to be touched after spending a lifetime without it also made sense. Even her quick, but wavering attachments made sense to me.
I could have accepted the insta-love in this story, as there certainly wasn’t enough development in Lena and Miranda’s connection to call it anything else, if I hadn’t been baffled by Lena’s welcoming of someone who’d been willing to betray her in such a harmful way. If, as I was getting to know my husband, he said, “My original intent was to lead you to your death, but I’ve decided I like you so I’m sorry,” I’d like to think that I wouldn’t respond with, “Well, that’s unsettling, but I really can’t stop looking at your lips so let’s make out now!” That’s my Cliff Notes version of what happened here, but hopefully it illustrates why I found this aspect problematic.
Additionally, it felt like the second half of this story slowed to a crawl. It’s strange, given the amount of action that took place, but I found it very difficult to see the book through to the end after passing that halfway point.
I wish Briar Girls had met my expectations and captivated me all the way through. For the right reader, perhaps it will. However, the writing is as gorgeous as the cover and I’ll call this a worthy read because of that.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 2, 2022
This is just my personal opinion, I am by no means an author or professional critic.
I was looking forward to this story since I bought it, I love sleeping beauty and retellings of it but this book just wasn’t it. The character went from beings a shy quiet girl to being a monster seemingly out of no where there was no build up to it. All the relationships in the book seem just thrown in with nothing leading to them, in my most honest opinion the only ones who had even the slightest possibility of a “true” relationship is Lena and Aleric, they spent the most time together but even then it’s lacking. The relationship between Lena and Miranda seems to be just added to make this book a sapphic book, the only reason they got together is cause they both liked each other when they first met there was no relationship building and plus Miranda is only is half the book it just doesn’t make sense for me.
Besides the characters all having their own issues the story line itself bothered me, like this could have been good maybe have made it a duo-logy because there is so many cool plot lines but parts felt extremely rushed and then slows to a snails pace in other parts then jumps to another plot where they have to kill or save the princess but also save Lena from Katen and the Gather. It could have been done a different way were the story wouldn’t seem so muddy.
This book was a lot just not what I was expecting at all. My favorite thing about this book is while reading I was never able to tell who should actually be trusted and I enjoyed having to keep guessing on who is actually good. This book takes its own chances and I appreciate that this book has no real heroes in it.
I was looking forward to this story since I bought it, I love sleeping beauty and retellings of it but this book just wasn’t it. The character went from beings a shy quiet girl to being a monster seemingly out of no where there was no build up to it. All the relationships in the book seem just thrown in with nothing leading to them, in my most honest opinion the only ones who had even the slightest possibility of a “true” relationship is Lena and Aleric, they spent the most time together but even then it’s lacking. The relationship between Lena and Miranda seems to be just added to make this book a sapphic book, the only reason they got together is cause they both liked each other when they first met there was no relationship building and plus Miranda is only is half the book it just doesn’t make sense for me.
Besides the characters all having their own issues the story line itself bothered me, like this could have been good maybe have made it a duo-logy because there is so many cool plot lines but parts felt extremely rushed and then slows to a snails pace in other parts then jumps to another plot where they have to kill or save the princess but also save Lena from Katen and the Gather. It could have been done a different way were the story wouldn’t seem so muddy.
This book was a lot just not what I was expecting at all. My favorite thing about this book is while reading I was never able to tell who should actually be trusted and I enjoyed having to keep guessing on who is actually good. This book takes its own chances and I appreciate that this book has no real heroes in it.
Want to read
July 17, 2020dangerous queer girls? yes pls
August 6, 2021
[4.5 stars rounded up] NOOOOOO WHY DOES IT END HERE WHERE IS MY EPILOGUE WHERE ALL THE CHILDREN ARE HAPPY
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