Awaken

The Kingdom Chronicles #7

by Camille Peters

Princess Reve of Malvagaria has no idea who she truly is. Hidden away in a cottage in the mountains, she believes she’s a peasant girl named Primrose, a reality frequently challenged by confusing snippets of forgotten royal memories. For there’s a darkness inside her head, one that is slowly claiming her identity memory by memory.

Everything changes when Reve encounters a rugged hunter, a man who offers her a hopeful future despite her blank, forgotten past. However, their blossoming love soon becomes tainted not only as the curse afflicting Reve’s mind grows worse, but as she recalls memories she’d do anything to leave behind—memories of sadness, guilt, the sharp prick of a spindle…

The more of her past Reve recovers, the more she wants to forget. She soon wonders if remembering may come at too high a price, for reclaiming her stolen memories could cost her not only all she's become, but the man she loves.

Genres: Fantasy, Fairy Tale Retellings, Fairy Tales, Romance, Retellings, Young Adult, Fiction

360 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 21, 2021

About the author

Camille Peters was born and raised in Salt Lake City, Utah where she grew up surrounded by books. As a child, she spent every spare moment reading and writing her own stories on every scrap of paper she could find. Becoming an author was always more than a childhood dream; it was a certainty.

Her love of writing grew alongside her as she took local writing classes in her teens, spent a year studying Creative Writing at the English University of Northampton, and graduated from the University of Utah with a degree in English and History. She’s now blessed to be a full-time author.

When she’s not writing she’s thinking about writing, and when’s she’s not thinking about writing she’s…alright, she’s always thinking about writing, but she can also be found reading, at the piano, playing board games with her family and friends, or taking long, bare-foot walks as she lives inside her imagination and brainstorms more tales.

Reviews

[Camille]

Awaken was such a fun story to write. I thoroughly enjoyed coming up with this twist on Sleeping Beauty, working with an unreliable narrator, and discovering the plot as I wrote, for this story is unique in that even I didn’t know some of the story’s surprises until I finished. I hope you enjoy my take on this beloved fairytale and that Princess Reve’s story helps you remember that no matter our past mistakes, it’s never too late to become someone new and create a bright future.

[Julie Carpenter · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this next book in the Kingdom Chronicles. It was so fun to see how the author weaves the stories together to offer a satisfying story with fairy tale elements and wonderful characters.

Reve is losing her memories slowly to her curse. She’s trying to remember who she is, but how can she when the curse snatches anything away quickly? I thought it was clever how the author showed the change in time though Reve.

Another aspect that I love about these books is that the characters from previous books are still appearing and having minor moments and sometimes a little more substantial moments. They all seem like friends because I’ve come to know them and cheer for them so of course I’d want to see them again.

And I can’t forget the sweet love story in this book. *happy sigh * Reve and Archer have great chemistry but unfortunately there are a few things standing in their way. Just a few…and maybe that big ol’ curse as well. But never fear, this is a sweet fairy tale retelling and we know good things are in store for the couple. Their initial meeting is a little rocky, and funny. And it just keeps getting better and better from there. (With a few minor hiccups.)

Content: Clean. Some mild peril and some magical aspects.

I received a copy from the author. All thoughts and opinions in the review are my own.

Happy Reading!!!

[Tricia Mingerink · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fairly long book, so I should NOT have read it in a mere day. I stayed up WAY too late due to this book!

I loved the twist on Sleeping Beauty where the curse is stealing her memories and slowly making her more confused and more sleepy. It allows the main character to still function and fall in love, yet also sticks to the "sleeping" part of Sleeping Beauty. I also REALLY loved the twist with how the curse came about!

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been DYING to read Reve’s story ever since we learned about her curse in past books, and so I absolutely LOVED Awaken!!! All the depth, and backstory we got into her curse - how it all unfolded was just so intriguing to me, and I loved the twist on the traditional Sleeping Beauty curse! I couldn’t get enough of it!!! There were so many twists I didn’t see coming, and I was left so, so happy and satisfied with how Reve handles it all in the end! :)

I completely adore all the characters in this book! Reve’s aunts are the BEST and I laughed so many times reading about their shenanigans!

I also just LOVE the theme of this book - there is beauty in the simple life!!

[Caitlyn (delightful.reading) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Primrose doesn't know who she is. With her memories disappearing and only snippets returning, she doesn't even know her real name. Unbeknownst to her, Prim is actually Princess Reve, the missing & cursed sister of Prince Drake & Prince Briar. Unfortunately the man who she's coming to love has a grudge against the nobility. Will these two be able to overcome a class difference & a curse?

I loved this Sleeping Beauty retelling! I liked how the curse wasn't the typical one, and the memory reveals were great. Also, Archer & Reve's relationship was adorable. I really enjoyed seeing how their romance developed! (Honestly these two might be one of my favorite couples of the series)

All in all, this was a solid addition to The Kingdom Chronicles! Camille Peters's novels just keep getting better and better!

Thank you so much, Ms. Peters, for providing an ARC to review! I am really grateful for the opportunity I had to read this lovely retelling!

[avi ౨ৎ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rate: 4/5
Age: +10
Trigger: Memory Lost, bad mothering
Trope: Love at First Sight, grumpy x sunshine, Princess x common man, friends to lovers
FMC: 5/5
MMC: 5/5

Thoughts: this book again is amazing just like the first time I read it!! It made me emotional also I love how I can relate to both mcs and how the story played so well. The foundation or roots of this book was Sleeping Beauty with a twist and man this was the best spin off of that classic tale!! Also Archer 🥵 is my man!! He is literally all of the cutest golden retriever man I have ever read and the love he gives is so contagious. I love Reve and I love her journey I can really relate to her which I absolutely love!!! Also the sunrise scene😘 overall this book is so good and I love this series!!

[Book Worm · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.3 stars. I thought that this was very interesting Sleeping Beauty retelling because of Reve’s memory loss. This was a very such a good book and I loved her character growth that you see through her memory loss!

[Tori Brooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

A creative spin on sleeping beauty

3.5 stars

I liked this take on Sleeping Beauty where the sleeping curse is progressive, so a relationship is able to be established and grow between the princess and her love interest. It made it easier to root for the couple than in traditional versions of the tale.

Reve is haunted by her troubled past and the abuses she endured at the hands of her mother. She was groomed and in turn, made decisions against her conscience in a vain attempt to earn her mother's love. I feel this is worth noting because these scenes may be triggering for those who have experienced similar abuses.

I really liked getting to know Archer (Anwen's twin) in this book. While he clearly had some insecurities, he was a genuinely good guy and I'm glad he got his happily ever after.

Some chapters and scenes were redundant, and I found myself glossing over them as I waited for more of the plotline to progress, or I would have rated it 4 stars.

[Lisa Dawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Though I wasn't sure what to expect from Camille Peters' new fairy tale book after reading the last one, I am pleased to say that Awaken is now my favorite book in The Kingdom Chronicles along with Identity. It may be no coincidence that these two books are connected by a recurring character, Archer, who was the brother of the protagonist in Identity and the love interest of the protagonist in Awaken. This is a creative retelling of "Sleeping Beauty" that focuses on a specific aspect of the 1959 Disney adaptation rather than anything from the original fairy tale. It never ceases to amaze me how many creative ways authors have found to retell this story in a way that allows the sleeping princess to be more active while remaining true to the heart of the original.

The heroine from Awaken suffers from a bad case of amnesia. She refers to herself as Primrose even though she knows it isn't her real name. When she first encounters Archer in the woods and forgets him the next day, I got the impression the book would turn into a fairy tale version of 50 First Dates, but the cursed maiden struggles more to remember her past than her present, so she quickly grows to become familiar with him. Primrose lives in a cottage with three peasant women who she refers to as her aunts, which is a blatant Disney reference. In the Disney version of "Sleeping Beauty," Princess Aurora is raised to believe that she was born a peasant and that her beloved Prince Phillip is a peasant as well. This misunderstanding causes distress for both of them when they learn that they are in an arranged royal marriage, unaware that the arrangement is with each other. Awaken explores that moment of distress by making Archer prejudiced against royals without knowing that the woman he has fallen in love with is one of them.

The focus on class struggle is a unique and creative way to explore the "Sleeping Beauty" story that I have never seen outside of the Disney movie, where it became a moot point at the end. The metaphor of awakening from inner prejudice fits well into today's culture of "wokism" of accepting each other's differences and struggles. When Primrose recovers her memories as Princess Reve, she realizes that she was not a very good person. She decides to use her experiences living in the woods with her aunts to improve her character so she can be worthy of Archer's affections. Archer must also put aside his preconceived notions of royalty, especially toward his sister, who married a prince against his wishes in an earlier book from this series. Awaken is a beautiful story of learning to forgive people for their past mistakes and love them for who they are in the present.

The similarities to the "Sleeping Beauty" story mostly end with the Disney references. There are no fairies in this version, and the curse was not cast by an angry party guest who wasn't invited to Reve's christening. Instead, the climax ties into the other books from the Kingdom Chronicles series by making Reve's mother the evil queen who caused all of the fairy tale-related problems that she and her siblings faced in past and future books. This simplifies the series by giving it a common villain but allows little time to understand the villain's motivations in this book or to give her a satisfying ending. Like all the other books in this series, the primary focus is love overcoming obstacles as opposed to good vs. evil. The love story between Reve and Archer is charming, though develop feelings for each other a bit fast.

Overall, Awaken is a sweet and pleasant retelling of "Sleeping Beauty" that presents the beloved fairy tale in an original and creative way. The journey for Reve to recover her memories will be sure to keep readers on the edge of their seat as they wonder what she would remember next. Her romance with Archer translates well to modern society and class struggles. Reve never feels like a helpless damsel in distress despite her inability to take a walk in her own forest without getting lost. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys love stories or wants to discover a fresh take on "Sleeping Beauty."

[Book Reader · Rating 1 out of 5]

Really convoluted guilt trip with Trauma

The plot is a steady diet of guilt, shame, depression & hopelessness. This is not a fun read & it stays awful until 97% through the book.

This book should come with a trigger warning. Anybody that has prior trauma with memory related issues will recognize the experience of the author is trying to convey. The presentation is so overwhelmingly dark for 90% of the book that it’s actually spiritually oppressive without any real information on healing being given. Real information includes that during a crisis experience, adrenaline is produced in such high amounts that it actually prevents the formation of short-term memory and communication in the left brain even though images continue to be recorded in the right brain. The experience can be so overwhelming that the brain hides any memories that do form until such a time as the victim feels safe and has time to begin to process the trauma by talking about it and writing it out. Writing allows the connection of the memories to the communication center of the brain so that the victim’s left brain communication can tell their right brain imagery what happened by narrating the story, allowing the victim to understand their memory imagery and regain control. This brain self-defense mechanism is alluded to without any real understanding of how victims heal or credit given to the heroine for things she doe do right. Additionally, the author spends so much time trying to portray realistic memory related trauma issues in the first person point of view, that she almost forgets to tell the rest of the story except in snippets, until the reader is 91% through the book. It’s almost a case study in how to make a child abuse victim miserable and blame themselves with no compassion or understanding for the dynamics of her abuse and no real tools given to get her out of it.

Then, at 91%, the heroine is then repeatedly guilt tripped over her child abuse experiences with her mother who also abuses her siblings & manipulates her into either participating or passively hiding while the abuse takes place. Children bond to toys they can control that helps them connect with parental love that is not controllable because people only control themselves. To kids that can be scary, & Reve meets her lack of love from her mom by bonding to symbols of value like jewelry, gowns, admittance to parties & social status because she’s trying convince herself that she has value. Only being rewarded by mom’s acceptance sometimes, for consistent compliance, is actually a behavioral tool that cements the compliant behavior in the most permanent way and is a sophisticated form of manipulation, psychologically speaking. Reve has zero tools to stand up for herself and is never given any, but she gets blamed for having no tools to stand up for others.

Reve needs to love herself enough to use the following tools to stand up for herself before she can save others:
Tool 1: Go after the praises of God, not people, because God wants you to love yourself and others. Seeking the acceptance of self-serving people is not a safe foundation for relationships.
Tool 2: “The fruit of the Spirit is self-control,” so insist on your own and respect that of others (Galatians 5:22-23).
Tool 3: Guard your heart for all you do flows from it (Proverbs 24:3). Your emotions are important and so is your integrity. If you have to lose someone’s love to do what’s right, they don’t really love you.

Further, the heroine gets zero credit for disarming a curse & trying, in a flawed way, to take her back self-control. Then, she gets zero recognition for the fact that the curse was intended to do harm by robbing the victim of self agency & control. The loss of control in a situation beyond the coping skills of a victim creates a crisis and leaves her vulnerable to PTSD. The curse was indeed harmful and yet instead it is presented as the healing catalyst in the book. The brain’s self defense memory block doesn’t heal trauma as the book suggests. Narrating trauma to a compassionate listener who helps the victim connect both sides of the brain using journaling and other tools, helps the victim heal by helping them regain self-control of their memories, decision making process & their future. Loving Nolan as herself by saving him from a curse while taking control of her story was the healing catalyst, not the curse. Christ works all things for the good of those who love God, even though a curse, but it helps to accept Christ’s love & death on the cross for our sins so that we know we’re forgiven & don’t need to submit to constant guilt trips. Further, Scripture offers the tools Reve could have used to free herself from her abusive mom & build a strong foundation of self-agency that would support her to build loving relationships with safe people & encourage her act to preserve her own integrity. Letting the relationships happen by chance as part of the journey is helpful, but leaves Reve vulnerable to more of mom’s manipulation.

[Dee/ bookworm · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awaken is my new favorite book from Peters. I love her method of writing. It's always fresh and magical. I love the transformation Reve goes through and how she becomes someone better, despite people, circumstances and expectations. I liked how the ending played out. I thought it showed a lot of depth and growth in both characters and it made the book so much more. I also felt Reve was a very relatable character. She continued to try and help. Thank you to Camille Peters for an advance copy in exchange for a fair review.

[The Swoony Awards]

Nominated for a 2021 Swoony Award, to vote click here: https://tinyurl.com/y593ce67

[Noonecansinkmyship (Tissa) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked this story. I really really do, enough so that I’m giving it a five star. But it just didn’t blow my mind like Pathways, Identity and Enchanted did.

Awakens is a really sweet book with a truck load of character development and relationship building. I really enjoyed reading this book and honestly didn’t see the end coming. I’m usually able to pretty accurately predict what will happen in books, but this one caught me a bit off guard. It was a pleasant surprise and the plot was extremely interesting.

I like how Reve is depicted as someone who’s made mistakes in her past and is trying her best to be better while simultaneously battling her past and present demons and worries. She’s an extremely real character and really relatable as a person. She’s also strong, capable and knows her own faults.

Even with all the world, character and relationship building (Archer and Reve are serious relationship goals! :D), the plot is really interesting and there’s constant tension of what’s going to happen next that keeps us on edge.

I especially like this book because the choices that the characters make make sense. It fits with the character’s personalities and the way that they would think. Even if this book isn’t as action packed as some of the more popular books, I believe that the soul seeking, redemption arch, deep messages, depth of character and wholesome message (and wholesome moments MY SHIP AYE) in this book more than makes up for sword swings. And should be addressed more in books (especially Reve’s struggle to forgive herself for her past errors). After all, to be strong you need to first know yourself in order to know what you are fighting for and why. Strength doesn’t always mean the loudest screams and some of wars are best won by sieges. :)

I think this book didn’t blow my mind because the story dragged on a bit more than normal and Archer’s character was a bit 2D which I was rather sad about. And also because Reve’s personality aaa a character was also a bit underdeveloped. Like I can tell you straight up what type of characters the main guy and girl in Pathways is, their personalities, and how they work together and complement each other as a couple. But I can’t do that here because we don’t get to really see their personalities shine through. It was the little things that added up.

[Wysteria · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the Sleeping Beauty story but I couldn't believe how original yet engaging this story was!

I mean when you fall in love with a story sometimes it can be difficult to try to rewrite it and get the same audience to love it but seriously I LOVED it!!

The ending was such a twist I was shocked but it really was just BOOOM!!! *that would be the sound of my head exploding*

This review is my honest opinion. I am NOT related to the author nor do I know them personally. I did NOT receive a free copy of this book in exchange for my review.

[Avery · Rating 5 out of 5]

First, I love the cover! So pretty!! This book was so good! I loved the unique take on this fairy tale. The romance was so sweet! I loved Reve and Archer together! Originally I liked him okay but after rereading this book, I love him. He's such a good guy! I also loved the aunts and their matchmaking. It was so funny and sweet! I also loved seeing other characters. It was so lovely to see them again! The way things wrapped up was well-written! I can't wait for Gemma and Nolan's stories!!


Read: December 2021
Reread: August 2022

[Angeline · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! I am continually amazed by each book that Camille Peters writes, they keep on getting better and better! Awaken is the 7th book in Camille Peters Kingdom Chronicles series and we get to read about Princess Reve of Malvageria, Drake and Briar’s sister. The characters, the story, the adventure, it was perfect!!
Princess Reve of Malvegeria doesn’t know who she is. Her memories are gone and she truly believes that she is a peasant girl, named Primroses. But as her memories start to seep in, she learns that she is not who she thought she was. However, when she encounters a rugged hunter, he offers her a hope for a future. But Reve’s past won’t stay hidden forever, what will they do when Reve starts to remember more while losing onto the memories that she holds dear?
Reve was such a complex character. She was struggling to figure out who she was. Her memories were fighting against her. I loved Reve. She was super sweet, and I liked how she wanted to be a better person. She didn’t remember much, but she knew that she wanted to be someone who was kind. Reve had to learn to face her past and learn from the mistakes that she had made.
Okay, when I saw who the hunter was, I squealed, I was so happy! I loved Archer and I so wanted him to find his happy ending. Archer was an awesome character. He was kind of gruff and shy, but I loved him. He was jaded about those in power because of what had happened to his sister. I loved reading about Archer interacting with Reve. He was so kind and awkward. However, he needed to learn how to get over his prejudices if he wanted a hope of a future with Reve.
Archer and Reve were super cute together! He helped her when her memories fought against her. And she helped him learn to love and helped him step out of his comfort zone. I loved the progression of their relationship and reading about them falling in love. I also enjoyed seeing the side characters, Reve’s “Aunts' ' were super funny and I loved their personalities!
Awaken was simply amazing! I loved everything about it! I would definitely recommend it! Awaken is a clean fairytale retelling so I would recommend it to those 13 and up. I can not wait for the next book, please write fast!

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author. All views expressed are only my honest opinion, I was not required to write a positive review.

[Mikkayla · Rating 4 out of 5]

An adorable twist on Sleeping Beauty.

What if Sleeping Beauty wasn’t gifted anything at her birth, and she was just simply beautiful? Would such beauty, when not combined with the 11 fairies gifts still result in the kind and virtuous woman we think of Sleeping Beauty as? And what if she had an evil mother with a pastime of creating curses?

The odds seem stacked against her.

When raised by an evil mother, taught to value riches and beauty, and to think only of yourself, what other traits would develop than selfishness and greed? It would surely take a miracle for such ingrained traits to be rooted out.
Only this miracle comes by way of a curse. One that takes Reves memories and makes her forget her past and present, who she is and what she has done.

This is not your ordinary Sleeping Beauty tale.

Forget everything you know about the original tale. While it is the inspiration of the story, Camille Peters has yet again taken such a simple fairy tale and woven it into an astonishingly beautiful story. Every page I read had me guessing at the direction of the story, and the twists and surprises that I encountered were so enjoyable.

You will love this retelling of Sleeping Beauty. Reve and Archer are such an unlikely match, and yet they work. The story is told from Reves perspective, which is such a delightful view of the story. With her memory lapses, random recollections of her past, and nightmare filled sleep, you will get to see everything from her perspective. It was such a fun take!

I highly recommend having read at least Books #3-5 in this series before reading this one. There are many characters you’ll want to know a bit about first for the full enjoyment of this story.

Content: clean
Romance: some kissing
Violence: None.
Language: mention of someone cursing, no actual written swears.

[Jocelyn Nielson · Rating 4 out of 5]

-I received a complimentary copy. All opinions, thoughts, etc., are entirely my own.-

Because I've read every book so far in this series, I was excited to continue this next tale. Even though each book is stand-alone, the characters and stories from past books make appearances within each new addition. But let's focus on Awaken for now.

I have to say that I really enjoyed this retelling of Sleeping Beauty, in fact, I think it's one of the better retellings that I've read. It did have slow but steady pacing, which after having finished the book, I'd say that it worked really well with the book's overall plot, specifically the curse placed on our leading lady. It took me a bit to warm up to Prim/Reve, but I quite liked her after a while and loved her growth as a character.

I did have a bit of an issue with how often "status" was brought up throughout the book (regarding marriage/marriage partners). Not that I didn't expect it to be mentioned at least a little bit, but in this series, more often than not, the main leads are not of the same status, and they're just fine. So the repeated use of the status argument kept pricking at me, pun intended. Was I able to move past it? Yes, yeah, it was fine. I got over it. Would I prefer, for future books in this series, for the author to pull back on the 'status argument'? Yes. Yes, I would.

Back to the curse itself. One thing that I've admired about this author is her ability to take a curse in a well-known fairytale and put a new spin on it. And she did it again with this book. I absolutely loved watching the events unfold that led Reve to be cursed, and I loved watching how the curse exhibited itself throughout the story and then how it was broken. From beginning to end, I think this curse might be one of my new favorites.

[Leah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yes!!! We finally get Princess Reve's story! Even better, we get to see the gardens of Malvagaria again! After all the hints dropped in the earlier books, I was really looking forward to reading about Reve's curse. Sleeping Beauty is a well-known fairytale, and I've read many retellings over the years, but this has got to be one of my favorites. Similar to Melanie Cellier's The Princess Game , the curse is more than just spindle = literal deathlike sleep. I think this version of the curse is much more interesting to read about than the Disney one. Peters does a great job dropping hints throughout the book to draw us deeper into Reve's personal journey. I think we can all relate to Reve on some level when it comes to having regrets and memories we would like to forget. The struggle between remembering and forgetting and identity felt very real and did not seem like too much. Her growth felt deserved and was not drawn out too long. Although Reve reminded me a bit of Rhea from book 4, she has her own unique personality and story that makes her a memorable and very compelling character. The male main character surprised me, but I thought it was a nice change to have a guy who was not Prince Perfect. The story flowed well, and I couldn't stop reading it until I had finished, at which time I looked at the clock and several hours had passed. I highly recommend this book, just like all the others in this series. Camille Peters always produces books that transport me into her world(s), and I can't wait until we get to know how Princess Gemma's story plays out.
*I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review*

[Lady Titania · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was admittedly very surprised by how much I identified with Reve. As many of us do, I'm not proud of who I've been at times; my past assuredly is speckled with moments of weakness, failings, and some shame. And so, once in a while I find myself remembering these instances and feeling overwhelming guilt: all of my strengths, who I am today, the many positive things I've done for some reason become muted in face of my darker memories. It can feel impossible in those moments to move forward and to forgive myself. To remember that I'm not that person anymore.
This is why Reve is such an incredibly important, motivating, and encouraging example: her journey and dealings with her curse, her fight to regain her memories and move forward, her desire to be more and to do more is exactly the role model I need during those times. She is a beautiful reminder that our past failings and mistakes do not define us. Rather, we are who we choose to be. Every second is a gift, and time and life are precious. Memories and experiences are precious.
Truthfully, I'm actually not at all surprised to find that I relate to Reve so strongly! All of Ms. Peters' main characters are deeply relatable and human: this is what makes them so wonderful. Awaken, as with Ms. Peters' other novels, is dynamic and filled with very human thoughts, struggles, successes, and triumphs. At the heart of all of it is love and authenticity: truly looking at someone for who they are, and loving and accepting them completely.
This was such a joy to read and such an incredibly lovely and wonderfully written book. I treasured the moments reading it, and adored Reve and Archer as dynamic and well-defined characters, each a pillar of strength in their own right. What a fantastic story!

[Bess · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reve or Prim as she's known currently has a lot of her memories and finds herself at the mercy of 3 eccentric "aunts." She's enjoying life in a cottage somewhere beyond a forest. Turns out she's cursed.
Then, she meets Archer, who is an archer. LOL! She startles him while he is hunting and he ends up shooting himself in the foot!
So, forced to make amends for her accident, she invites him to come to her cottage but she's forgotten where it is located! These types of incidents happen often.
However, during her nightmares, she sees snippets of her old life and her old self. Memories that not only confuse her but doubt her kindness in her "past" life.
Then, Archer and her set out on an adventure, after learning she's the missing princess from a neighboring kingdom.
Archer hates royals and their budding romance is stilted.
The curse actually lures her to the castle. And then, upon arriving, lures her around at night in a sleepwalking maze to find an object that only the curse seems to remember.
We learn so much about Reve and thankfully Archer is there too! We get to see some of the other characters from other books in this one and that was so nice!
I really liked the "aunts." I liked who Reve was when she was around Archer. I didn't really like Archer though. I loved the banter and cute moments that Reve and he shared.
Overall, this was a clean, fully-developed read. Can't wait to see if Gemma gets her own book!

[William · Rating 5 out of 5]

The theme of Awaken is one that I have pondered for much of my life: can a person with a damaged (and damaging!) past truly change, and — more importantly — will their friends and family (and society in general!) actually *let* them?

In general, I think the world says "no" to this question. (E.g. aunt Lucy will always be remembered for her drunken behavior at the wedding, even years after completing her AA program.) That is why it is so encouraging to me to see Reve's transformation. It is as if she is saying to the reader "See? You really can be reborn and become a better person!".

As for the story itself, I loved the twist on the classic tale. Instead of a protagonist who is a passive victim, Reve actually chooses her fate. And it works! The experience, though painful, was one of growth and of casting off the scales of her old serpentine life. All helped by her family, who make welcome appearances as the old friends (to this reader, anyway) that they are.

There were also hints of future tales from the seeds planted in this book: Nolan and his True Love, and if they are able to find happiness together; I am eagerly looking forward to reading about them as well. For now, though, Awaken is another great addition to the Kingdom Chronicles world. A journey I am grateful to have been a part of, and one that I highly recommend.

[Mia Loves Reading 📚💕 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this wonderful book as an ARC. It was a little slow to start, but I loved it. Awaken has such a wonderful message. No matter your past, you can always create a brighter future.

Princess Reve was cursed just like her other three siblings. Her curse was of forgetting, she had wandered out of the palace grounds of Malvagaria and into the kingdom of Lyceria. Confused and lost, Reve was found and taken in by three lovely older women whom she calls Aunts. She had forgotten who she was so they gave her the substitute name of Primrose.

One day Primrose wandered too far when on a walk to clear her head. She was lost and came across a handsome hunter. After startling him into shooting his own foot, he managed to help her find her way home and her aunts tended to his wound.

As time passes the two of them became more fond of each other. She learns that his name is Archer, the twin brother of the Crown Princess Anwen of Darceria. Once Archer finds out who Reve is during his birthday time in Darceria, is he tells his sister and alerts the family. Once they reunite, breaking her curse will be their next battle.

There were so many good messages of love, family, and creating the person and life you want to live.

I just loved how she was able to be Princess Reve and be with the man of her dreams.

[Just A Dreamy Gurl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okayyyyyyy..........this book was definitely a journey. Of quite a new kind, atleast for me.

I have never met such a flawed princess before. Her past was one that is very hard to escape. Especially if you become a much kinder and compassionate person. Because then it becomes very hard to forgive yourself. It was especially hard for Reve as she kept losing parts of herself again and again. I really felt her helplessness and growing anxiety as she discovered a past that was quite dark. Usually protagonists face a dark past due to other people but her Reve herself was to blame for some of her actions even if she was quite brainwashed. I also really liked Archer, and while I was sometimes frustrated at him for pulling away, I understood his fears. Just because his sister had a similar experience doesn't mean it was easy for him to overcome his barriers.

Overall I loved the progression of their romance. But what is truly special is the curse. It was dark yet a friend to Reve as it was only protecting her from herself. It also encorporated the Sleeping Beauty's curse in quite an ingenius way. I never expected her to call it her friend. Her aunts were also very adorable women. I liked her family and look forward to reading their stories. (I've already read Gemma's and it was beautiful :D).

[Courtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great installment in a wonderful series. I really liked this spin on the classic Sleeping Beauty tale. There were lots of super interesting and creative twists to the slumber curse. Like the last book, our protagonist in Awaken had some darkness to her and was written in a really relatable way. I loved the characters (no surprise there—I tend to love characters that Camille Peters writes) (especially the “aunties!”) and the romantic tension was super well done in this one. Our author has provided even more enchanting plants in this book (how does she come up with so many lovely ideas?)—I loved the memory keeping flowers and the garden made of water! Only drawbacks: The pace was a little slow for me during parts and I got a little tired of hearing from one specific character that princesses don’t end up with commoners. (Especially when there were multiple married couples of royalty/commoners surrounding them!) The epilogue especially seemed to repeat this point excessively. I have loved reading how Drake, Briar, and now Reve each broke their curse. I can’t wait to read Gemma’s story!

[Alesha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once again Camille Peters has written a fabulous fairy tale, pushing the bounds of the expected in a way that is intriguing and exciting! I absolutely loved how she did the sleeping curse as memory loss--Reve's mind was asleep. The first person account of having memory loss was done so well (not an easy feet), I was hooked from the first sentence!

I loved Reve's relationship with Archer. Their first encounter was both memorable and hilarious. They may be opposites, but I love how they both grew and learned to become better people because they knew each other. However Reve was also empowered to change her own story.

And lets not forget the three 'faries' or in this tale 'aunts.' They were delightfully unique characters, meddling in Reve's life, but also helping her feel, for the first time, a mother's kindness, caring and love.

I adored the various twists and turns of the plot as well as the sweet romance, and the way everything came together in the end. It was both surprising and perfect! It was fun to finally get Reve's story. A story I thoroughly enjoyed! I can't wait for the next one.

[Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay, um YES!

I’ve been emotionally invested in the Kingdom Chronicles world for a while now. Not only is “Awaken” -Camille Peter’s seventh installment in the fairy tale retelling series- possibly my favorite of hers yet, but it’s a top contender for favorite Sleeping Beauty retellings too.

“Awaken” has great character development, vivid locations, sweet scenes, and a moving message. Not only is there romance, but also great relationship exploration among siblings. We meet new characters and get reacquainted with familiar faces from “Identity”, “Reflection”, and “Enchantment”. Not to spoil, but the best and most precious enchanted garden plants make a reappearance and I am HERE for it. I thought the connections to fairy tale origin and Camille’s originality woven throughout created a magical tale. I enjoyed seeing both familiar routes in retellings and new concepts along with a few twists that kept me turning pages quickly.

Thank you to Camille Peters and her publishing team for an ARC of this wonderful read. I wasn’t able to engage with it until post-release date, but thoroughly enjoyed my travels among the pages and am grateful for the reading opportunity!

[Sarah B · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this twist on sleeping beauty! While Voyage is my favorite book in this series so far, Awaken is a close second! It was beautifully written. I couldn't put it down. Reve is such a tortured soul that really gets to shine and find herself. Reve's struggle in this book is so genuine and relatable. We've all made mistakes we wish we could forget, but what would happen if we really did forget? Just like all the books in the kingdom chronicles series, I truly enjoy getting to check back in to see how previous characters are doing. I loved seeing the similar personality traits between the twins, Archer and Anwen (Identity). I got to find out how Briar and Maren (Enchantment) we're doing and what Drake and Rhea (Reflection) we're up to.
This was another fantastic book by Camille Peters. I can't wait for the next one!

[Deborah · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book started off slow and then resolved really quickly. That being said, the story kept my interest enough that I stayed up way too late in order to finish it. I liked the take that the author took on "Sleeping Beauty". It was very creative and definitely a departure from the normal storyline. Note that while you can read this book stand-alone, there are references to events that occurred in previous novels. It is not necessary to read previous novels to understand the plot of this specific story. However, if you want the complete story of the "world" it is set in, start in book one (Pathways).

[Chrissy Garwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. Here are some of the reasons I liked it so much.
The opening scenes were intriguing, offering hints about the curse that made the heroine forget who she was. The curse seemed to be selective, giving snippets of memory and then stealing even more in exchange. As each chapter unfolded, there were clues about how and why she had been cursed.
The possibility of a countercurse was mentioned several times, so the introduction of a romance seemed a promising direction. But there were lots of obstacles to a happy ever after outcome.
All the answers to the curse's riddle were there from the start if I'd only know what I was looking for. I admire an author who can keep me guessing right to the end.