Sleeping Beauty No More

Fairytales

by Aisha Urooj

Sleeping Beauty needed a kiss to break the curse.

Her prince never came.

Aurora woke up after sleeping for a hundred years. Left alone and forgotten in her tower; she is desperate to find out why. What happened in the past? Why didn’t the prince keep his promise?

While Aurora slept under the cursed spell, it was not just she that suffered. The people of her kingdom, Rivendale, were being crushed under the witch’s tyrannical reign. Things had to change, but how could one sixteen-year-old princess save her kingdom from the wicked witch and her entire demon army?

Aurora meets Devon, a distractingly handsome thief, who had been using her tower as his hideout. Devon and his gang of thieves, known as the Circle, promise to help defeat the witch and to help Aurora save her kingdom. The prince’s betrayal broke her heart, but can Aurora trust anyone else to keep their word?

When Aurora finally meets the witch, it was not what she expected. The witch gives her a tempting offer: Rule the kingdom with her, and she will help erase Aurora’s painful memories.

The future is at stake, and Aurora has to decide. Will she fight to save her kingdom, or will she give in to the witch, and remain the lost princess forever?

Don’t miss this sensational new twist on Sleeping Beauty. Get your copy now!

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Retellings, Ebooks, Young Adult, Fairy Tales, Romantasy

274 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 17, 2021

About the author

Young adult fiction & fantasy author
Author's store: https://payhip.com/AishaUroojBooks
For blog and author news:
https://aishauroojbooks.wordpress.com

Reviews

[Jordan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sleeping Beauty No More is the second book I’ve read from Aisha Urooj, and I’ve got to say, this one is my favorite! I love retellings, and Urooj took quite a turn of events in this book. As the title suggests, Aurora wakes up after pricking her finger on the spindle and being cursed. BUT, she didn’t wake because of true love’s kiss. Thinking back to the Disney movie, I was wondering where the prince was…

I did not see his situation coming! What a jaw drop!

Urooj takes us on an adventure as Aurora tries to take back control of her kingdom and defeat the witch. With new characters about, we get plenty of new interactions, settings, and drama.

Sleeping Beauty No More is a quick and easy book to read. I think it could become a favorite for young children in grade school. As I was reading, I thought that if I had a daughter, this is something I think she’d enjoy.

[E.G. Manetti]

Dnf'd. Young adult (16 & 17) retelling based on the Disney cartoon. Not my cuppa.

[Aeris · Rating 1 out of 5]

Someone recommended this book to me as a clean romance. Although I confirm about the cleanness it was very disappointing about everything else.
I’m not very keen in tracking misspellings but eventually even I saw the multiple typos. There were also sentences that made no sense- obviously editing gone wrong.
The author has problems with narrating the story. Frequent (few times in paragraph/ several times on a page) repetitions of the protagonists names is always a tell, as well as over detailed descriptions of what each person is doing. Add to that short paragraphs and you get a bad book flow.
Sorry, not for me although the story was interesting.

[Ilona Nurmela · Rating 3 out of 5]

Too MG for me, but fans of Disney’s Rapunzel & Sleeping Beauty might like this

Take Disney’s Rapunzel, substitute with Sleeping Beauty, adjust for middle grade and you have it - the tower, the thief, the forest travels, the band of friends, it’s all there. There was a fun sprinkle of Arthurian Morgana in there to add a touch of darkness, but all too sweet and in one word: innocent.

Aurora wakes up after 100 years passed and realizes her prince never came. She finds a rogue in her tower and sets out to find how things stand and why noone came looking. Ofc, things are not what they seem with the rogue and there’s some adventure, battling the evil witch and an overabundcance of HEAs. Even one of the villains gets a full pardon. I roll my eyes.

Not my cuppa as too middle grade (lower YA), which I simply can’t read without rolling my eyes as the dialogue comebacks are lower teens and the coming of age realisations are emotionately too glossed over. I liked that the girl was no damsel to be saved, rather it was the dude in distress trope. I didn’t like all the name recognition drops - Xander reference to Buffy, Rivendale reference to Rivendell, Morgan and Mortimer links to Arthur, Circle reference to Round Table but strangely also to Kingsman 2 - maybe that’s just me and my overactive brain and I’m seeing things that are not there; I also suspect some readers will find these references (that annoyed me) charming. I liked the hints at a mashup retelling - the apple element the witch used as punishment and another apple bite by another character made me hope for a Snow White inclusion, but not in this story. There was also a hint at a diverse relationship between support cast, but at the very end, thrown in as almost an afterthought. Loved the use of Portuguese as a magical language, though. I really would have liked to have seen a deeper emotional side for the main characters; as it stands it was too PG and too MG for me.

The story flows; the characters are fine; there is action and even a kiss or two or three, but it’s too sweet for me.

Going to go read darker upper YA emotionaldamage books now after all this toothwrecking sweetness.

Recommended for lovers of lower YA (MG middle grade) Disney fairytale retellings, especially Sleeping Beauty and Rapunzel where the story line emulates the Disney movies.

[Lauren Erzsebet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aurora woke up without her Prince's kiss that should have come but instead she seems to have been forgotten by the world.
With fierce determination, she must know why this happened to her.
Her kingdom must be reclaimed after the witch and her demons took it.
Aurora learns her tower became a hideaway and meets a thief who promises to aid her in her mission against the witch.
The prince she was always expecting betrayed her which is heartbreaking and she wonders who can be truly trusted.
Finally meeting the witch means getting a deal which would split the kingdom and wipe her pain.
Will Aurora take this deal with her uncertain future at stake?... or will she remain broken by what should have been?

This is a retelling but anything other than a fairytale with no darker themes and promises broken.
Our princess never was rescued and this variation doesn't stop there.
I loved this version and thought it was incredibly well written.
This is a love story but there is no prince worthy of this princess when he is in league with the wicked witch.
This awoke my younger side which longed for a happy ending.
This book is a fantastic easy read with drama, disloyalty, fights and most importantly a blind love.
Parts of this certainly melted my heart and I found it to be a rollercoaster of emotional feelings which were provoked while reading.
I can't praise the author enough for this sensational twist on Sleeping Beauty and believe this to be the best book I've had the pleasure of in a long time.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Cassie Driggs · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was far better than I expected it to be! I won this through goodreads giveaways and boy I’m glad I did! This brought back so many childhood memories of Sleeping Beauty and the Barbie I had as a little girl. But I love the sun this novel takes where she woke up to an empty kingdom and a random boy sleeping in the corner couch. This is a love story like no other and all the true “once upon a time” kind of ending too.
I don’t want to give too much away but if you read fairy tales as a child you’ll love this book. It takes you back to a time of kings and queens and prince and princess and a happily ever after… Or is it? ;0P

[Juju ♡ ～('▽^人) · Rating 1 out of 5]

[35/77]
⤷ this is book 35 of 77 books i have downloaded for free on amazon kindle, so it may be time to finally go through them all. oh god, wish me luck.

[1.5]

what the frick - the pacing is off, there's no substenance, this feels more like an outline to a story than an actual story written. it went WAY too fast. it could have been good, if people just put more effort into it, more thought into pacing it better, and actually give it depth.

but i feel like i'm repeating myself with all these. somehow they don't really catch my interest.

[Purple Dragon Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unique Twist on the Sleeping Beauty Classic

This is a charming and unique twist on the Sleeping Beauty classic. It's well written with just the right sprinkling of magic and suspense. There are a few spelling and grammar errors, but they don't take away from the plot line that keeps you engaged from beginning to end.

[Reader03 · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sleeping beauty retelling with a princess who doesn't need rescuing and a prince working with an evil witch. Get ready for a crazy twist on this classic fairy tale. I received a copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Anya Josephs]

Whenever I'm accepting ARCs, I always tell authors: if you write romance, I am probably not the best person for you. I'll read romantic fantasy (I'll read anything that isn't nailed down), but I am not an ideal audience for it, especially if it's not queer.

Sleeping Beauty No More doesn't change this preconceived notion for me, but I suspect there's much to appreciate about the book for someone who is a fan of the genre. I found things I enjoyed too! I really liked Devon as a character. He was likable as well as heroic, and he had a great dynamic with Aurora. However, the jealousy dynamic between the two of them felt strained and rather petty (this is one of the things I have a hard time getting behind in romance-focused books). Nonetheless, I was definitely rooting for the couple the whole time!

The side-plot with Morgan and Xavier was very compelling, and I wish it had gotten more time in the book. However, my favorite character was Anya, for obvious reasons.

Also, Malorna's entrance right near the end was truly kick-ass. A great plot twist, and really well-written. (For the most part, the author's style felt unpolished to me, but this scene was an exception).

It was also a cool reimagining of the Sleeping Beauty story. It's a very troubling myth, thematically speaking and in terms of its treatment of women, so it was nice to see it get this reinvention. Urooj definitely succeeded in recasting it as a love story.

Other than these things, though, I felt like the book focused on romance to the exclusion of other factors--the worldbuilding was really underdeveloped, most of the characters were hard to tell apart, and the writing style was very simplistic. However, for a reader of fantasy romance, I suspect this would be a great fit!

See full review here: https://anyajosephs.wordpress.com/202...

[Chad Barrus · Rating 5 out of 5]

This retelling of Sleeping Beauty was a joy to read because it was so different! I always liked reading the story and loved the Disney movie of it but this one was intriguing because the prince never came to wake Aurora as he said he would. She wakes after sleeping a hundred years to find a strange boy in her room looking at her.

She is determined to find out what happened and why the prince never came as he said he would. Through adventures with the boy, Devon, including a visit to her fairy godmothers she is given a letter by them to her from her prince which tells what happened. She was crushed but then finds Devon has also lied to her about who he is really. She has a hard time forgiving him but in the end accompanies he and his friends on his quest to claim what is rightfully his. The evil witch makes her appearances and unlike the movie offers Aurora a choice to make.

I have always loved fairy tales and this retelling with twists was no exception. Perhaps it made me think of simpler times when I was young and basked in the wonder and magic of fairy tales but whatever the reason I was once again held captive by its spell!

I recommend this story to all those who love fairy tales and also to those who think they are too old to read them anymore! They will work their magic on you again if you’ll only let them! The book is one you’ll enjoy and it’s writing is first rate! The story flows effortlessly and you’ll cheer and shed some tears as well as you read it!

Why not leave the problems of everyday and escape into the realm of fantasy where you can read for pure enjoyment and remember how you felt when you first read or watched a fairy tale as it came to life in front of you or in your mind!

Pick up this book and enjoy that feeling again! You won’t regret it!

[Ellie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I like to give indie authors a bit of grace when it comes to the polish of their writing cause lord knows I would not do well at editing my own book were I to write one. Unfortunately there were a few too many grammar/syntax errors and holes/lack of support for a statement or action in the book for me to look past. On multiple occasion I found my self being told by the author an action that occurs or what a character is feeling and feeling no umph behind it. On many occasions few to no small actions, seemingly insignificant thoughts, and evidence to make you connect the dots and believe the what the character is feeling or make a significant action feel natural were present. I felt I was constantly just being told that is how it is. I understand not every book is going to be 1000 pages and give depth to every character, but not every character needs to have a relationship or unprecedented action either.
I was also drivine crazy by how easy the confrontations with the witch and other troubles were, so often the solution just fell into there lap. I’m all for a author placing strokes of luck and easy out of a bad situation once or twice but not for almost every battle. It ooo away the satisfaction and triumph.
I did truly like the idea of the story just wish it had been given some more depth and refining. Until someone tells me her writing style has grown I will be hesitant to dive into another one of her stories.

[Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

What if the fairytale ended… before the prince ever showed up?

Sleeping Beauty No More completely flipped everything I thought I knew about the Sleeping Beauty story — and I loved every second of it. Aurora doesn’t wake up to a kiss. She doesn’t find a happily ever after waiting for her. Instead, she wakes up to a kingdom in ruins, a prince who never came, and a hundred years of silence. And instead of being a damsel, she becomes a force.

This retelling is darker, bolder, and filled with unexpected emotion. Aurora is fierce—wounded, yes, but determined to take back what’s hers and uncover the truth that was kept from her. And Devon? Don’t even get me started. He’s charming and mysterious. Their banter, tension, the way they’re drawn together even when everything says they shouldn’t be — chef’s kiss.

I genuinely got chills reading parts of this. There's found family, impossible choices, and just the right amount of magic to make it feel like a fairytale without the sugarcoating. This isn’t a story about waiting for love — it’s about choosing your path, even if it hurts.

If you like retellings that feel fresh and empowering, with a flawed but lovable heroine and a love story that doesn’t steal the spotlight from her journey, then this one is so worth your time. I devoured it in a single sitting and couldn't put it down!

[Cat Bowser · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fun retelling this was. It’s not pretending to be anything super deep, just a fun alternative view of what if Sleeping Beauty’s curse was allowed to take affect for its full 100 years. What if there was no Prince to awaken her? I was instantly intrigued by the concept.

There are absolutely strong references to the animated Sleeping Beauty without necessarily taking directly from that. I loved it, given my love for that fairy tale adaption. So, some of your love for this might hinge on how much you like the animated version.

I enjoy the new characters we’re introduced to. They all have personalities and personal agendas which let them play off of the MC’s lead remarkably well. I was intrigued by the politics of the world that they reside in because…well, yeah, what would happen in a power vacuum of a sleeping kingdom?

Definitely worth a look if the premise even slightly catches your eye.

[Crystal D · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have such mixed feelings about this book. I thought the premise was interesting, and the plot was sound enough. But the writing was just so bad that it was hard to follow. It felt like the first draft of a book I was reading, just a ton of typos and the characters were very under developed. I liked Aurora as a character, but her love interest was just really annoying to me, and I didn't find their chemistry to be great. I hope the writing gets better in othere books, because I found the supporting cast interesting, and like I said the plot and story beats were sound. It just felt rushed with the writing, and I thought it could have been a lot more descriptive in the fight scenes especially, but also in the overall book. Nice quick read, good enough, but the writing left something to be desired. It just didn't immerce me enough to enjoy the story, even though I really wanted to.

[The one Whom Reads · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked the idea of this book. A twisted version of sleeping beauty, on what could have happened if the prince never showed up and aurora curse wasn't broken by true loves first kiss.

The story jumps straight in from the second aurora awakens after 100 years. The castle is surrounded by enchanted thorns but she's had a visitor, a boy named Devon. Now aurora must help him and visa versa to break the evil witches curse upon their Lands, free her prince regain her godfathers powers and inevitably save Devonshire life, with the help of his outlaw friend who go by the name "the circle"

Like I said I liked the idea of the books. The execution not so much. There's so much happening so fast there's no room to breath and at times I felt like i was lost. Then there's the wring style itself, it just comes across too juvenile. This isn't YA it's teen at best. I imagine my 11 year old would love reading this but it wasn't for me. I hightly doubt I'll read anymore in the series

[Laurel Masaid · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a hard book to rate. I have hated books in the past and rated them one or two stars. I hated them because of the story or style of writing. I didn't hate this book at all. The story was such a good idea, but the writing was so so so bad. I feel bad saying it. It needed an editor, as an indie book, I'm guessing there wasn't one. There weren't errors, it was just so amateur. The use of the character's names alone sent me over the edge. It's as if the author has never used the words he/she/them/they before. The character's names were used in each sentence. The sentences were so basic, it felt robotic. I wanted to know what happened in the story. I liked that there were several adventures throughout the book, but with just a few suggestions to the author, the book could have been elevated so much. Unfortunately, I don't think I could read another.

[Louise · Rating 3 out of 5]

First book of 2023. I give it 3.5*.

I love retellings. I really liked the idea of Sleeping Beauty never had been waken by her true love's kiss and so having to sleep the curse through and have her world completely different because of it.

I thought Aurora and Devon were fun. I liked the Circle a lot and whish we could have known more about them all. Especially Anya and Castian.

However, I thought it was a bit confusing with Mortimer, Morgan and Xander so that explains my lower rating a bit. If we get a book/novella on that side of the story, it could be great.

I love happy endings but maybe it was too happy all around and really quickly... ?

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It was my first from this author and I will check her other books for sure.

[chastity mascarenas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good, but hard to read

This is a very cute story. It's told like someone making up a bedtime story for their kid, which has its own charm. I found it hard to read in some places where there seems to be an overuse of names and you flip from one character's point of view to another's and back again. There were also many instances of jumbled sentences or missing words in sentences


Overall it's a cute story and I recommend reading it. I dare say that another author that published their first book in 2023 would agree as it felt like they took some of this book for theirs, such as the thorns on the castle, the characters Castian and Rose, the boy who resembles a white wolf, etc. Iykyk.

[Aly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I started this book at the beginning of my shift and finished it right after work. I loved every minute of it! It’s amazing to finally see Sleeping Beauty as more than a damsel under a curse but rather a young woman moving forward in spite of all she’s lived through. And Devon is just 🤩🔥🔥

The first few pages were enough to get me hooked and the story, drama, banter, and shameless flirting never stopped! Beginning to end this book was captivating! I literally sat at my desk and felt my heart rate go up and down as the events unfolded!

100/10 recommend to anyone who loves Sleeping Beauty but wants a little more substance and story 🖤

[Sivakhami Sivanesan · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5-3 out of 5

So there were some mistakes and typos in the book. The story was OK. The characters were likeable and so I did want to read it to the end rather then giving up hence 2.5-3 stars. But it was a bit too repetitive in places; paragraphs where the characters names were repeated far more then needed. I know this is aimed at the young adult market, but young adults have an attention span, they don't need the characters names repeated numerous times in a page where they are the only ones in the scene.
It might have been a better read with a really good and ruthless edit.

[Lynn R · Rating 5 out of 5]

a fun version of the Sleeping Beauty story

If you like your princesses to have strong principles, to be concerned for the welfare of her subjects, and to dedicate herself to saving her kingdom, you will appreciate Aurora’s struggle to become an adult.
Devin has escaped the machinations of his older brother, who wants the kingship their father promised to Devin, and he has lost the woman he hoped to marry. He is hiding out with a small band of loyal followers when he comes across the forgotten princess. Together they try to find a way to overcome the evil witch who set up all their travails.

[Jessica Goeken · Rating 2 out of 5]

Fell Short of Expectations

I was so excited for this book. An alternative Sleeping Beauty where the prince never shows and Aurora wakes up alone a hundred years later is an excellent idea with a ton of potential. However, I feel like the story fell far short. I found it impossible to emotionally connect with any of the characters and they seemed to move like robots through their assigned roles. Big action sequences were handled with just a sentence or two. The writing itself was simple and blunt and riddled with typos. I did finish the book but I will not be reading any more of the stories in this collection.

[Giuliana Way · Rating 1 out of 5]

1.5 stars
I mean, the story line would have been a good one if this wasn’t written as if that was me writing for elementary school.
Lots of typos, rushed plots and nonsense dialogs. Characters lacked of personality and foundation and everything seemed forced and, once again, rushed.
It was painful to read and I was really disappointed since Sleeping beauty is one of my favorite princess but this re telling did nothing to help her story feel better.
Glad I got this for free but not happy of the time I lost reading this middle schooler writing.

[Cathy Hunter · Rating 3 out of 5]

If I had to describe this book in one word I would call it cute. Written just like a fairytale with evil witches, lost Princesses, heros and of course the fairy godmothers. The story moves along quickly, if you want deep and meaningful then this one is not for you, things happen and you don't question them. Why did that huge hole open up just in time to save our princess from certain death. Dont ask, this is a fairytale and that's just what happens.

It's a delightful play on and old favourite, the writing style is not great and the plot very predicable but it's a fun, easy read.

[Marija P. · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book presents an interesting reimagining of the classic fairytale, though it didn’t fully meet my expectations.
This is a modern take on the Sleeping Beauty legend, with themes of empowerment and self-discovery. However, I couldn’t help but feel that the focus of the story wasn’t truly on Aurora. Instead, I felt that Devon was much more central to the plot. Their interactions were sweet, tho.
I think that the battle against evil witch was underdeveloped. As for the side characters, why make a whole Circle if you're not gonna pay much attention to them?

[D'anah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really good except

I would have given this story 5 stars, except for Cedric & Xander. I find that offensive. Apart from that, I found Aurora, Devon and Castian to be commendable. They are loyal, devoted to those who look to them, and are willing to give all to stand for what is right, no matter the cost. The story also shows how a kind and caring heart is rewarded when needed the most.

[Mirella Ivanova · Rating 2 out of 5]

Book 13 of 2023

I dont know what I did to deserve this but 2023 in books has been treating me like shaite and this book is no exception! The writing was so bad, zero editing, pretty much the Sleeping Beauty plot using synonyms and a few different, badly written, dialogues and plot lines.

Uh-oh, I feel like even 2 star is generous... if I get another bad book I'm burning my kindle 😭

No wonder this book was free on amazon... not cool amazon, not cool...

[Anna · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think this story really had potential to be great, but the writing style of it felt was very immature. The story was told in a very matter of a fact way, instead of allowing the reader to feel and create a picture of the world in their head. There was no embellishments of details of the world around the characters, and there was such an opportunity to really flesh out the story more. Missed opportunity.

[Amber · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was terribly written. It was almost cringey how bad the writing was in this book which is a bummer because the plot wasn't bad. This book is littered with grammatical errors and the telling instead of showing in this book makes it boring.

Overall I'm disappointed in this book as the plot was a nice idea but poorly executed. No I do not recommend this book and I won't be reading the others in the series.